Impossible…
I was a very active, competitive and reasonably successful man, all through my life I’ve done things and been to places most others wouldn’t have done, I say wouldn’t not couldn’t because those things were important to me but not necessarily to anyone else. Because I had good, well paying jobs I was able to travel a lot, 23 countries to be exact, in these visits I didn’t lay on beaches during the day and go clubbing at night, neither have ever apppealed to me. I explored and experienced different cultures, now that and all the memories I have makes me happy.
I was born in a two up, two down council house where nine of us lived in a tough part of Liverpool. I was a typical Liverpool lad until I left school at 15 and went to the Army Apprentice College in Chepstow, South Wales… The “attitude” was beaten out of me and put me into a mental state that changed… improved my life.
Between 20 and 45 yrs old I did more than 99% of people will do in a lifetime, I did 834 skydives, I was actually in the Guinness book of records between 1989 and 1997, I was a hang glider, scuba diver, mountain biker, rock climber and I got my pilots license in 43 hours, the national average in the USA where I learned to fly, was 75 hours….I was 48 when I was diagnosed with MS, so life as I knew it changed.
I know I’ve done a lot but there is so much more I will do when I’m healed and I know I will be, of that I am 100% certain… the heading of this post is Impossible…
Impossible is not a fact its only an opinion….
Land of the living.
It’s been a really difficult time for me, almost a month of days that I’ve dreaded, I know to some people the gorgeous sunny days were fantastic, a non typical period to have had brilliant weather throughout Wimbledon, but they’ve been killers to me. It never casted doubts in my mind, not at all because since September 1st 2017 It’s been going exactly to plan, the bad days that dominated month one, the small improvements over two, three and four, the steady positive changes since then have been so encouraging. So to have such negativity that was seemingly instigated by sunny days was a tad frustrating, I don’t get depressed because I know it’s only temporary, I just go to bed and have the bedroom window open and the fan on high. It’s not perfect for me yet but I feel like I’m back in the land of the living which, trust me, is so nice. My thoughts throughout this period have revolved around my thyroid… that little butterfly shaped gland in my neck that amongst other things controls the body’s ability to deal with temperatures. So I’ve been tweaking my supplements a bit, it’s frustrating when you know certain things but the brain gets all fuzzy and easily overwhelmed resulting in not wanting to do anything especially not reading or researching. But as I said, it seems to have cooled enough that my brain is working a bit better and just as important, physically I’m not constantly exhausted, so as Jack Nicholson said in “The Shining”…. “I’m Back”..
Thank you.
When I wrote yesterday about needing help finding solutions to two problems making the already painful symptoms of MS a little worse and more difficult to cope with I did get several suggestions, so thanks for them all. However, they were all ones that I already do or aren’t possible, I’m not able to stand for more that a few seconds in a shower, and getting in and out would be very dangerous in my condition. I live alone and have a carer for an hour each day at lunchtime. I wear shorts and T shirts all year round apart from a few winter months when it gets really cold, I’m 99% of the time bare footed. My hands and feet become very hot in bed so for the majority of the time they are uncovered which is strange because they feel really cold but two minutes after covering them they feel like they are wrapped in boiling hot towels, so I struggle to uncover them again. I’ve tried a multitude of variations with drinking water, I’ve had some scary times….. really scary, some nasty falls and total inability to get up which has been horrendous knowing I have a “Hummingbird bladder”… So not drinking so much is simply not an option, I have to drink around 5 litres of liquid each day, primarily water+ and three cups of red clover tea. Two of the 16 different supplements I take are Saw Palmetto and Pumpkin seed oil, both of which help with the number of bathroom visits I have which even with them is still about 25…getting to the loo is exhausting, then there’s also the self catheters so the carpet path to the loo is quite obvious..lol.
Overall…. I’m very happy about the progress I’ve made on the ABP since September last year, things are tough, painful, frustrating and at times very awkward, but…. but so much better than they used to be. When I compare how I feel and how I’m coping now to 8 1/2 months ago, everything is massively better and I consider myself very, very lucky, I feel taking the CBD oil 3 times a day (half pipette) has definitely helped. Once again thanks for the suggestions and heartfelt thanks as always to Janet and also to Jeurgen re CBD oil.
A Pig…
As you will have ascertained from reading my posts, I wear my heart on my sleeve and “tell it like it is”… nothing to hide and a 100% belief in what I’m saying and doing. As I’ve said before, my body’s inability to cope with heat and becoming extremely fatigued 4 or 5 hours after moving about is severely debilitating and a tad frustrating to say the least, Monday was one of those days, in fact it was a pig. When I say Pig….. I’m not referring to an animal of course, just the accepted description of a terrible day, I really struggled and if it wasn’t for Diane, my Monday and Thursday carer I’d have been in serious trouble.
I’ve searched and searched for hours and days in fact for a way of alleviating this problem but as yet have not found an answer, so I’m reaching out to everyone that reads this, I feel I’m quite knowledgeable when it comes to health, nutrition and the symptoms of multiple sclerosis but when it comes to this, I’m hitting a brick wall and I’m not too proud to ask for help.
My reasoning thus far has been on two areas mainly, my thyroid firstly and secondly red blood cells, the reasons being is that the thyroid is responsible for metabolism and the body’s ability to adjust to variations in temperature, then, haemoglobin, a component of red blood cells has 4 ports that carry oxygen or oxyhaemaglobin. I’ve tried to increase my RBC count to hopefully improve the oxygen levels of my organs which in my mind should help…. any suggestions?
Just a ‘t…
A TV commercial inspired this post, normally when I see commercials on TV they make me sad because they tend to be based on lies, you know the ones promoting a food that’s supposedly good for your health or will help you lose weight, when in reality they’re loaded with taste enhancers or sugar or both and are more likely to damage you.
Well in this case it’s not, it’s just about a freaking letter, a ‘t’ and the addition of which can and often does mentally prevent you from succeeding in your long term goal.
As I’ve said before ” what you believe, you make true”… if you think you can, or if you think you can’t…. you’re right… So it all comes down to a simple letter as to succeeding, the letter ‘t’…
I personally have an overwhelming desire to walk on the beach again in St Augustine, Florida and to hike in the Rocky mountains, both places I lived for a total of thirteen years, I want to run the streets again, in the rain listening to music on my iPod. Will I do them again? If I believe it, then yes I will… How… because there’s no ‘t’ in Can..
Specifics..
I was “asked” about the specifics of the things that have improved since starting the ABP, thinking about it, it isn’t 20, it’s closer to 30, anyway I’m quite happy to list them, I just didn’t want to bore you all with what on paper seems trivial.
I’ve thought about it and just about all the improvements can fall into three categories: Balance, Strength and Coordination, all these things can blend into eachother, as simply moving and functioning requires our body parts and limbs to work in unison, I’ll list things down starting from first thing in the morning, anyway, here goes..
Being able to move from laying flat in bed to sitting up…. massively easier (1). Then reaching my water and pouring it into a glass, then drinking, no spillage which is great (2). I have to use a catheter and with my sleepy eyes and weakened fingers am able to do the necessary things so much easier, (3). Being able to raise my legs individually to put on my underwear is such a good feeling, (4). Getting to the bathroom and the several things involved which probably account for four more positives take my total to (8). I have a walker with wheels and brakes, I still have to take one step at a time rather than actually walking but it’s significantly better, (9). At my sofa and getting my first supplements, Serrapeptase 1 x 250,000 iu’s then 2 x Saltstick caps, Thyroaid caps and the only two drugs I take, Levothyroxin and Betmiga to help with the number of bathroom visits. Again lots of small bottle manipulation required so that’s at least two more (11). Getting to the bathroom and negotiating the walls and furniture twenty times per day is exhausting to say the least, but the improvements in my strength and stability have made it less demanding, what do you think…. hmm.. three more? yeah.. (14). I also have found it so much easier to reach, open and take the CBD oil, (15). I’ve certainly noticed a complete difference when physically writing, (16). Little but important things like being able to lift my left foot when furniture and wall walking, I’m bare footed 95% of the day so not crunching my toes back is so reassuring, (17). It’s easier raising a pint glass of water or a cup of red clover tea to drink, (18). There were often times I’d have been sitting awkwardly, almost laying and then having to struggle for 10 minutes and exhausting myself just trying to sit up, I know that sounds ridiculous, welcome to my world, that’s not happened lately, (19). Getting up off the floor after exercising, easier.. (20), something I couldn’t do before but can to once or twice each day is to stand up from a sitting position without resting on the furniture is so nice, (21). Making a clenched fist or feeling the solid muscles in my chest and shoulders…. wow.. (22). Being able to feel the toes on my left foot, flex and bend after 14 years, (23). Not feeling despondent and always, yes always feeling optimistic, (24). This morning I was able to do 15 squats easily, 10 is normal and my thighs felt great, strong and no negative effects after, (25). Not wanting to get into details but I’ve noticed so many other (male) improvements that in reality take my estimation to way over thirty and makes me really happy.
Twenty things.
At the end of August last year I read Healing Multiple Sclerosis by Ann Boroch, I’d not chatted with Janet Orchard yet, but felt excited about following Ann’s program, obviously I didn’t know specifically of the ABP, the Ann Boroch Protocol but just knew it was the right thing to do. As anyone with MS would think “even a little improvement would be good” let alone actually healing. Well I’m just about to finish my eighth month, I have to say for anyone new to this, the start is far and away the hardest, most difficult time, getting through the first two months in hindsight is an incredible thing, it gets easier and easier every week. Getting back to my earliier comment, just wishing for slight improvements is setting the goals far too close, slight improvements is easy, after eight months I can honestly say that I can very easily name more than twenty things that are considerably better, not just less painful or difficult, but significantly better than they were in August. I do things that eight months ago were so, so difficult, as I’m doing them now I have to remind myself of the difference, as I’ve said before, the changes aren’t necessarily obvious to others, if you see someone struggling, that’s what you see, you have no comprehension of the level of difficulty or pain they are experiencing. I’m still in pain and getting through my day is a struggle, but it’s not as painful or as difficult as it was. If this was as good as it gets, then I’d be in a better place than I was and have no regrets about what I’ve done and will continue to do. However….. I’m 100% confident that I’m only a little bit better in comparison to how I’ll be in a year or so, I don’t know the specific length of this journey, I just know that reaching my destination will be an incredible thing.
In and out.
This is referring to the specific views of two groups of people, not a criticism just an observation and in reality I’m referring to one specific person, me… so from the outside looking in it might not appear that much different, however from the inside looking out…..wow!!!!
I’ve written about what I’m personally noticing over the last week or ten days and its been positive, as we know having MS is a pig to live with, all the very basic and fundamentally essential things in our life are massively harder to do, but of late things have been easier. In fact today even though the warmer weather affects me negatively I still feel really good. Just adjusting my seating position or reaching for a drink has been so much more comfortable to do. This morning while taking my first group of supplements I was so surprised as reaching and opening containers was so easy, my core strength which normally has been nigh on non existent enabled me to sit straight and balanced, as I’ve said it’s nothing to a healthy person but for me it was….woo-hoo!!!!
I’m now using the 500mg CBD oil and taking a half pipette three times daily and I think it’s that that’s making the difference, it’s like the ABP has been doing all the hard work, and in reality I could never have made the progress I have without it, but it seems like the CBD oil was the missing piece to the jigsaw puzzle.
Multiple sclerosis puts us on a steep slippery slope to depression, frustration and an inability to function, the ABP and more recently the CBD oil have instilled an incredible level of optimism.
Another level.
So midway through my eighth month of the ABP, the protocol created for people with multiple sclerosis by a woman, Ann Boroch who had the disease, I know most of the people seeing this are aware of this but there are others that don’t know, anyway she healed herself 100% in 4 years.
I think that just like others on this protocol the first two months were tough the gradually over the next four months the bad days were much easier to deal with and far less frequent. I think at some point in month seven I became aware that I wasn’t actually having any bad days, it was the occasional tough few hour periods, but as I said, that was frequent at all.
I’m not keeping accurate records as such, but writing for my blog and the group’s help me a lot, so roughly two weeks ago I noticed I was feeling good, not just not in pain or extreme weakness, but actually feeling good. That in itself is something to be grateful and happy about, but, whether it’s the added dosage of CBD oil or just the natural progress of the ABP, I’m not sure exactly. But what I am sure of is that this is the fifth day that I’ve felt great, everything is easier to do, obviously I still have MS and am limited because of it, but the struggles I have 24/7 were not quite as hard, ooh I’m so excited, I feel I’ve moved on another level.
Note: The Ann Boroch Protocol was created as a way of eliminating the pathogens, fungus, yeast and sugars that inhibit the internal organs from working efficiently, the protocol will help with any disease.
Always got.
A question that was asked of me a couple of days ago was “Is going through all this hassle, all the food changes and supplementation worthwhile”, I can understand why someone that doesn’t have MS would say that, I really can. I mean I have to drink so much water, probably twice as much as even a healthy and concerned adult drinks everyday, I have to be really careful about the foods I eat and even more so about the ones I never eat even though it would be so nice to have them. My life is totally focused on when, what and how much, there’s no room in my life for compromise, I do it right… simple.
No one else lives in my body, just me, so having a disease the world’s medical experts say is incurable and will only make me weaker, sicker and in more pain every day could be a little depressing to say the least.
September when I started the ABP and the next three months were difficult, obviously September was the hardest, then a little easier each of the following months, but in reality 2018 has been different, I haven’t had “bad days” as such, there’s just been occasions that were a little harder but that’s not been an issue because I’ve known, yes known 100% that after rest or a nights sleep I’ll be better.
I have to say thanks to Juergen Meixner for his enthusiasm on cannabis oil because I’ve started taking it daily and gradually increased the dosage and I must say thay these past 4 or 5 days I’ve been feeling great.
So to answer the question, “Is this worthwhile?”….
Damn right it is.
It all comes down to this…If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got”….
In reality, drugs, the so called medication and not wanting to offend Dr Paolo Zamboni or any CCSVI patients, (I’m one) they all treat symptoms and have various limitations. The ABP is a lifestyle change… get it…. life, but it works for life as long as you do.