The Multiple Sclerosis Support Group of Grant County is pleased to share a story of hope that was presented at the September 10, 2011 meeting.

The speaker recounted her twenty year history with MS, from its early beginning when she experienced a tingling up and down her legs to the start of full-fledged secondary progressive MS ten years later. She outlined her medical treatments with steroids, Methotrexate, Avonex and Rebif during the first ten years and how the illness progressed in spite of trying all customary treatments. Once it became clear that these treatments were ineffective, she discontinued all meds and started her search for alternative ways to stop the progression of MS.

During the years of her active search for alternative methods she studied how nutrition and environmental factors impacted the immune system and lead to multiple sclerosis. She experimented with eliminating foods by trial and error, she became a vegetarian and finally eliminated all gluten and dairy.

All the while her MS slowly but steadily progressed to the point where fatigue, mobility and balance problems, and the complete loss of fine motor skills in her left hand, impeded her ability to participate fully in life. The most difficult aspect of progression were the devastating effects of bladder and bowel incontinence. The speaker described the full effect bladder and bowel problems have on an individual’s daily life and how it can lead to social isolation because of the increasing reluctance to venture out among people.

Her breakthrough finally came when she decided to have a comprehensive allergy test which included 200 foods, 10 food additives, 10 antibiotics, 10 anti-inflammatory agents, 10 environmental chemicals, 20 molds, 50 functional foods and medicinal herbs. The laboratory which conducted the tests provided a complete report of her food and chemical sensitivities/intolerances in addition to recommendations on how to eliminate all problematic agents from her diet.

She implemented the recommendations immediately and was astonished by the instant turnaround in her condition: Within three weeks of eliminating all allergens from her diet her bladder function returned to normal. At week four the fine motor functions in her left hand returned and she was able to voluntarily straighten her fingers. At week five she had a complete resolution of all bowel problems and her overall condition improved to the point where she is now able to be active a good portion of the day.

In conclusion, the speaker indicated that after only two months of eliminating all allergens from her diet the progression of her MS has stopped; and that for the first time in twenty years she has hope for the future

For more details and a list of resouces, please visit http://mssggc.wordpress.com