hello

[buttercup]

Hi. My husband has MS. I just wanted some outside advice from people with MS on what I can do to help him as his wife. Also i am ordering the swank diet book we are gonna try it. So if anyone has feedback on that it would be greatly appreciated as well. Thanks so much.

[Loobie]

I just try and stay in the low fat - high fiber zone, but I've heard many good things about the Swank. You will get your questions answered on here about that. There has been much discussion about the Swank diet on here and if I'm not mistaken there are a few really experienced folks on this board when it comes to the Swank. Check out the Diet thread, and welcome!

[cheerleader]

Hi buttercup-
Welcome. This is a good place to come to and learn. My husband's on a modified Swank diet, because he couldn't let go of his occasional cheese and mayo. But he's been eating all low fat, no red meat, lots of fish and veggies for over a year now. This diet keeps the inflammation down, and that seems to keep things quiet for him.

Here's my supplement/diet regimen for Jeff...I put it together with alot of help from this site, my own obsessive googling, a holistic doc friend, and his neuro.

http://www.thisisms.com/ftopict-4975.html

It helps if the whole family can get involved in diet changes, Swank is good for everyone (although my teenage son isn't thrilled with all the fish, he's dealing.) All anti inflammatory foods and supplements can really make a difference.

Best to you and your husband-
AC

[NHE]

Buttercup, welcome to ThisIsMS. In addition to Swank's book, you may also be interested in reading "Taking control of multiple sclerosis : natural and medical therapies to prevent its progression" by Dr. George Jelinek. He's a doctor who was diagnosed with MS and developed his own regimen from his review of the published research. There are also many other book recomendations on the Reading Nook forum.

NHE

[buttercup]

Thank you guys for being so welcoming and for your input!We are gonna try everything we can. And cheerleader it is nice to have someone on here who knows what it's like for me.We are planning on the whole family starting whatever diet we choose.If you have any other input on what I can do to help him feel his best I would love to hear it.Again thank you all so much.

[cheerleader]

Glad we can help, buttercup.
The best advice I got on the boards was from Loobie...speaking as a guy with MS who appreciates his wife's love and support. He said to just keep treating my husband with respect, to make him feel needed and loved. MS is hard on everyone, and for men it means potentially losing their strength and sense of self. I call myself cheerleader because that's what I need to do now in my marriage. It's not always easy, but the more you can affirm your husband and let him know he's OK, the better he'll deal with the challenges ahead.

Keep him exercising (as much as he's able) and eating well, sleeping, resting, taking his meds/supplements and laughing. And make sure you get support for yourself. Being a caretaker can be draining, and you'll need your own cheerleaders. Ask any questions on the boards, there are so many wise people here.
all the best,
a fellow cheerleader