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.
Same old, same old.
Last night while in bed after I’d watched a bit of tv and read for an hour I started to think about my life, what it was and what it is now, obviously there’s a massive difference between the two. Before 2004 I was a very physically active man, skydiving, hang gliding, scuba diving, mountain biking, rock climbing and flying small aircraft, I also ran several times each week and was a regular in the gym. I had been reasonably successful in I.T. sales before moving to America in 2002 for 11years. After 2004 the physically active side of my life ended and in 2011 I had to stop working, 18 months later Ih returned to England as I seriously needed help to function daily.
Big change, now there’s no running or any physical activity, now it’s get up, bathe, supplements, carer, lunch, bed for three hours, up again, read, watch tv then back in bed by 7p.m..
Not an interesting life, a day is a day, it’s very much same old, same old….or is it….
I think from most people’s point of view what was compared to what is would probably seem extremely boring, but from my point of view it’s not….
Forget about what was because I’m blessed that I have some incredible memories, I’ve been to more countries and have done more things so far that probably 95% of people in the world will ever do. Since September last year when I started the ABP I’ve experienced significant improvements in my health. Multiple Sclerosis is considered to be an incurable disease, I’ve had it for 14 years, officially, I’m 62 and counting, by rights as the disease gets a firmer grip and as I get older I should be in a worse condition daily….. according to them…. them being the non believers or the medical professionals…. ha!!!! I’m not getting worse, I’m getting better.
I open my eyes in the morning and in my head shout Yes….another day to kick it’s butt, another day to move forward, it might be an inch up the mountain, but hey.. it’s an inch up…according to the world of traditional medicine I should be in deep do,do’s..
Yes 95% of my day is the same as my yesterday’s but that 5% is the part that matters and there’s a very selfish side to me, the side that says “I want my life back” and nothing is going to stop me.
Should I.
Should I be disappointed….. . Should I be angry…. .. Should I feel sorry for myself… .. I live alone, I am on my own 23 hours each day, it’s easy to spend a lot of time thinking, reflecting and remembering better times and when I do I think about things like skydiving and riding fast motor-bikes. There are many, many things I’ve done as an ex-adrenalin junkie that most sane people wouldn’t even consider, but those things were a major part of my life and unlikely to happen again. I’m not a young man anymore, sadly, I know that against all odds I will get my health back, regardless of what every neurologist, doctor, nurse and health practitioner has said, I would love to have them all in a room a few years from now and see their faces when I walk in saying….. nah na, na nah na…. As it stands I am definitely better in so many ways even if I do fall occasionally, the odd fall and stumble have happened because I’ve felt confident and tried to move as a healthy person would, so in some ways it’s been my own stupid fault. As I’ve taken advice and used my common sense, I’ll do my very best to take more care and as has been pointed out in a very caring way, to listen to my body and let it dictate the speed of renewal.
So to answer the three questions above… the answer is No 100%.. but should I be proud of myself, hell yeah…
Looks like I was right.
Monday, and even though it was the sixth day after the terrible Tuesday last week, hmm that could be a documented day “Terrible Tuesday”, maybe not, today was actually a good day, I did rest but a little later than before and for less time. I sort of knew it would be a better day as soon as I got up and throughout the morning I felt more stable. Anyway it’s been about 55 hours since I had the “Eat Natural” protein bar which I’ve been having everyday for the last month. I’d originally looked at the ingredients and because it was touted as all natural healthy ingredients with no added sugar, “dipstick me” assumed it was okay and having 12 grams of protein had to be good. You know what they say about “to assume” well it’s true as in it made an”Ass out of U and Me”. So after careful investigation I saw that even though there was no added sugar the bar still had 16 grams in. So I had my last at 1 o’clock in the afternoon on Saturday, I think it’ll take a few more days before the negative effects will stop causing a major problem but after such a long time of having them daily it’s going to be a long time to completely eliminate.
It’s really good to feel as I do and far better than the initial taste and long term problems created by eating them, small steps.
Die off.
As I’ve started this new phase of my life, I keep reminding myself that the changes I’m making will provoke the bad just as quickly or even quicker than the good… what I mean is as I’m changing my diet and a couple of supplemental additions and subtractions the organs in my body start to function differently, mainly because the functionality has been radically impaired over the years, and I do mean years, literally. So as one organ is limited another tries to help can’t do exactly the same because it’s totally different in its composition but the body as a whole makes or tries to make compensation in one way or another. Like when you have bursitis in your shoulder and can’t raise your arm, you automatically adjust by tilting your body and going up on your toes to reach what normally would’ve been easy before. So getting back to the changes, the good part is it’s trying to replace the damaged cells with healthy ones which in itself sounds good. The problem is the bad has to go somewhere before it’s eventually emitted from the body, during this transitional phase it passes through filter organs such as Liver, Kidney s, Heart and Brain. The fact is this temporary transitional phase creates problems, this can be referred to as Die Off….. that’s happening now, it’s temporary, I’ve got to feel worse before I feel better.
Me talking to myself… be strong Stefan, now it’s time to not just “Talk the talk” now I have to Walk the Walk.
Another phase.
In the time I’ve been alive and I’m in my sixth decade now I feel I’ve in the main been very lucky, I mean who in their whole life gets to travel to more than twenty countries around the world, I have. The sports or pastimes or whatever you chose to call them have been amazing, some would refer to them as thrill seeking things such as Skydiving and Hang gliding, I did a fair bit of both. As a pilot, admittedly it was only small planes like the Cessna 208 but it was exciting although not as butt clenching as when I was learning to fly a helicopter, I ran out of money before I got my rotor license. I think the most scared I’ve been was as a SCUBA diver, that stands for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus…. had one or two fairly desperate dives, but I survived. In my teens through to late thirties I was a rock climber and there was rarely a week went by that I couldn’t be seen wearing the multi coloured lycra gear while on my mountain bike. You can add several really fast, as in 150 mph and 0 to 60 in under 3 seconds motorbikes, so I’ve probably done more than most especially when you consider living in Colorado for 11 years.
I came back nearly five years ago because of this disease, multiple sclerosis is quite a hideous bugger to cope with, but unlike the millions around the world that suffer with it, I will beat it, I will be symptom free and get back to the life I once had. This has been a horrible 13 plus years but at the end of the day it’s just another phase of my life.