I have not posted for a while.  I been facing my challenges like a 24/7 job.  It's been a little more than a year since a major flare.  My fare in 3/09 was the beginning of some significant challenges and changes in my life.  The flare left me unable to navigate the world from a standing /walking position primarily due to a lack of balance and, secondarily, due to weakness and fatigue.  I also loss sensation in my finger tips which hinders me from buttoning my clothes. My quality of life was severely and negatively impacted.  It was surely decision time.  My first decision was to approach my condition with naturalpathic treatments as much as possible.  I was very disappointed with the drug approach and wanted to try another route.

When the steroids wore-off, I was set back to the beginning.  My strength-stamina was almost nothing.  My balance  and my fingers never fully recovered.  I was both tired and depressed...slept a lot mostly to avoid the whole situation.  BUT WAIT....LIFE WAS CALLING!!  One day I woke up and there were things I wanted to do.  So I started finding ways to do them.  I initially signed up for PT and very quickly exhausted the lifetime limit for PT.  I then had to wait for the beginning of 2010 for PT. (Only 4 weeks so far-doing palottes).   In the meantime, I began  water aerobics twice a week.  I could get to the pool independently using my scooter.  The water was a relatively safe place to get started building stamina and little strength.  I also took up a very simple yoga at home to work on balance.  I also made some fairly radical changes with my doctor...a new neurologist at a hospital.  He understood but did not support me in trying Low Dose Naltrexone.  It seems to be working OK...jury still out.  I hope he will follow through on our last visit and help me get the procedure for CCSVI.  Since it's a research hospital, there is a doctor there that has done the Liberation procedure.  I want to try it.   I also decided to start 4-ap (the compounded version of the new Amprya).  4-ap does the same thing as Amprya except for the time-release and cost.  I'm hoping this will help me with muscle spasms/incontinence.  We'll see.

So it's been a year of watching my diet.  I was surprised how much food was affecting me.  Just small changes, at first, made a big difference in some of my symptoms.  I'm still working on ways to make my diet more diverse.  I have been taking a lot if vitamins (by the handful).  Of course that means vitamin D and B-12 as well as Omega 3.  These three are my basic but I also take Magnuesum and Alpha Lipoic Acid on a regular basis.  I really like drinking alkaline water everyday (at least a quart)...most days more.  Alkaline water is certainly the cleanest, most refreshing water I've ever tasted.  I liked Aquafina before but that can't touch this Kangen (alkaline, ionized) water that I drink now.  Kangen water has really helped with constipation too. (real regular now).