living with MS

[85coupe]

Hello all,

My name is Travis, I live in Johannesburg, South Africa. I am 29 years old and need some advice/support/guidance..

My partner of 11 years, has MS, we have been together since we were about 18 years old, we have a son of 3 years together. She was diagnosed when she was about 20. Her mother has MS, as does her older brother, he is 33 and was diagnosed about a year ago.

My partner, has two other siblings, one sister, who was born deaf and another younger brother who is very fit and active and neither of them have the disease. Her father is absent but I know he does not have MS.

She has never been on any treatment (chronic) and the only treatment she receives is when she is admitted to hospital, which is about once a year. Whilst admitted she gets cortisone drips, one a day for 5 days. She is the discharged and she is pretty weak for about 3 weeks then she is a little better. The improvement is always short lived.

Her Ms affects her mainly in eyesight, she cannot focus at any distance, also her left leg drags, as though she cannot lift it at the knee. She also has the usual symptoms such as being tired all the time, a little 'scatter brained' and heat makes things worse.

I am making a life with her and i need advice in many aspects. Right now though, i need some advice on a diet plan i can implement. Please bear in mind the diet plan Needs to be realistic as I'm not a millionaire and quick easy meals that the rest of the family can enjoy would be ideal.

She has only just begun to deal with the reality of her condition and has been in denial up to know. The thing that made her 'click' was last week when we saw an opthamologist since a normal optometrist couldn't help, and he said the damage to her eyes is irreversible and this was huge blow as she has been hoping to learn to driver years.

So, she is know taking charges her condition and has lost faith in the neurological experts we have seen up to this point, she wants to live as healthy as possible and we intend to start with diet. Also we have heard of alternative medicines such as Skelitium. Does anyone have any thoughts on these 2 points in particular please?

We are tired of doctors saying there is nothing to be done, other than using interferon, this treatment has not helped her mother's quality of life as she is always getting flu etc...

Please guide me and my family, and offer us some advice.

Thanks and god bless you all.

Travis.

[want2bike]

If you listen to the MD's there is not hope. Dr. Bergman explains autoimmune disease and how to heal yourself. The key to diet is eating the real fruits and vegetables which have the vitamins and minerals in them. You give the body what it needs and you can get better.

[lyndacarol]

Welcome to ThisIsMS, Travis (85coupe).

We are glad you have found us. We are a group of many individuals who are willing to share our unique experiences, our unique opinions, and any advice that you seek.

Since, right now, you "need some advice on a diet plan," I encourage you to visit the Diet forum here for discussions on several plans that people have found useful: http://www.thisisms.com/forum/diet-f9/

You'll find one developed by Dr. Terry Wahls, a physician in Iowa City, Iowa, USA, who has a program of diet and neuromuscular electrical stimulation that she believes is responsible for her dramatic improvement in MS. http://www.TerryWahls.com

Has your partner been tested for a gluten sensitivity? Many of those symptoms (fatigue, "brain fog") mimic MS. Some people find following a gluten-free diet improves their symptoms.

Several of us here at TIMS suspect that nutrient deficiencies may be involved with MS. Has your partner been tested for a possible vitamin B12 deficiency? Vision problems, fatigue, and even foot drop are mentioned in the following video:

"Everything You Want Your Doctor to Know about Vitamin B12"



I highly recommend this 50-minute documentary from the filmmaker Elissa Leonard, featuring Sally Pacholok, RN, BSN & her husband Jeffrey Stuart, D.O. (authors of the book, Could It Be B12? An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses); Lawrence Solomon, M.D., hematologist with Yale Medical School; Ralph Green, M.D., hematologist at UC Davis; and Donald Jacobsen, PhD, at the Cleveland Clinic (Homocysteine Research Lab).

@1:23 "The neurological manifestations well precede the hematological manifestations."

@1:46 "In 1948 scientists isolated a red crystalline pigment and named it vitamin B12. It is a primordial molecule responsible for the health of all the DNA in all our cells. The Framingham Offspring Study suggests 40% of Americans have suboptimal B12."

Signs and Symptoms of B12 Deficiency:

Tingling/Numbness
Sore Mouth or Tongue
Fatigue
Anxiety
Irritability
Depression
Weakness
Abnormal Gait
Mental Impairment
Visual Disturbances
Migraine
Orthostatic Intolerance
Chest Pain
Tachycardia
Difficulty Breathing
Edema
Elevated Homocysteine
Elevated MMA
Stomach and G.I. Problems
Blood Abnormalities
Neurological Lesions
Limb Movement Disorders
Psychosis
Thoughts of Suicide

We wish you all the best. We are here if you have more questions.

[jimmylegs]

hi and welcome travis i posted a long post earlier but lost it somehow :S oops!

short story, i am not a fan of blanket dietary recommendations without understanding an individual's nutrient status.. when i was diagnosed i had multiple deficiencies and i was being advised (by health professionals) to avoid foods i hadn't eaten in years. i needed MORE fat, MORE protein, MORE essential micronutrients.

there are a whole bunch of nutrient issues seen in ms patients, and one of the easiest things you can do is track whether diet meets daily recommendations for essential micronutrients that are of concern in ms patients. what is your wife's diet like in general? given the symptoms you mention, you could start with iron and magnesium and zinc (working on these can create cascading positive effects on other levels including b12 and d3).

[victoriagrace1]

Hi, I'm not takeing any meds due to having terible side affects, I get all my information on diet/supplements from a book by Judy Graham MS naturally, its got some really postive advice loads of great information on MS when I'm feeling down I always pick it up and always feel so much better afterwards instead of being negative about ms it great to read where theres some really postive help, hope this is some help to you and your partner.
all best Sue