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Friday, December 23, 2011

A question and answers about diet, MS, and Terry Wahls MD

From: Diana Mackin

What do you think of Terry Wahls, MD?

I asked Angelique to answer this. She said, "QED. When you understand MS (and treat MS) in the context of a metabolic dysfunction, the results may be more obvious than with current immune system-based treatments (though it may depend on the stage/severity/type etc. of your MS)."

My answer is: when I was first diagnosed with ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) in the UK in 1989, I took complete control of my diet. I cut out all processed foods. I took a specially designed combination of vitamins and minerals. I was already essentially vegetarian. I added fish and liver to my regimen.

I went from being unable to walk more than fifty yards without resting to running again. From horrible numbness and tingling to an apparently complete remission of symptoms. I also lost so much weight that people worried. (I found it hard to maintain weight without lots of starch.)

Then I came to this country, and stress and different diet and--frankly--complacency gradually sent me back to the numbness/fatigue place. Then came the limping. Then came full MS.

In 1997, I took three months and devoted it to zero alcohol, zero processed food, zero red meat. (Zero chocolate, sigh. Zero bread, sniff.) And became well enough to begin to study aikido.

Complacency struck again. Followed inevitably by loss of function. And MS. I gave up aikido. I graduated to a cane.

Rinse. Repeat.

I found it impossible to maintain a strict regimen with nothing to go on, no support or evidence but gut instinct. The medical profession wanted was to get me on immunomodulatory and -suppressive therapy and nagged me endlessly. Every now and again I'd try it--with disastrous results. I refused finally half a dozen years ago. I've continued to lose function, and now walk (I use the term loosely) with elbow crutches.

But now I have evidence. Now I have a cohesive framework. Now I'm beginning to form an idea of what lab results to measure. In the New Year I'll embark on a new regimen. It's daunting but exciting.

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The QRB paper is still not live (no one knows why). But I do have a copy. If you want to see it, let me know and I'll email it to you. Also, Angelique is travelling and so won't have much time for responses for a while. Just FYI.

This blog has moved. My blog now lives here: http://nicolagriffith.com/blog/

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