MS COULD SCIENCE HAVE IT ALL WRONG

Natures own Dream Catcher

When I was in high school, all of those many decades ago, we were taught that each cell in the human body would eventually die off and over a period of seven years every cell in your body would replace itself with a new cell. I assume that is still true even though many things have been changed since that prehistoric time of the early to mid 1970’s.

Recently I have read in quite a few new studies concerning multiple sclerosis that researchers are starting to believe that after the first major attack or exacerbation the body actually repairs most of the damage to the myelin sheath causing a period of near normal function without any further symptoms. In my case, I experienced a period of almost six years before my next attack, which was far worse then the first attack. And reading this just makes me wonder if perhaps doctors and researchers might not be looking at this from the right perspective?

What if the immune system is doing exactly what it’s supposed to be doing by cleaning out these myelin cells as they die off but it’s our body’s ability to replace these cells with new ones that is the problem? This would far better explain, in my opinion at least, why almost no two individuals with multiple sclerosis experience the disease in the same way with the same symptoms.

If this were true it could also explain why some people have a benign form of this disease because there body might retain a larger portion of its ability to regenerate then say people who have a more progressive form of the disease where they may have lost the ability to regenerate new cells at all with in the central nervous system.

And of course it’s very possible that my little theory here is completely wrong but it does bring me to believing that, “I really don’t care what causes MS”. I would really much rather see science and researchers spend their research dollars on ways to repair the myelin sheathing because I can live with having this disease. I just don’t want to have to live with the symptoms of having this disease!

Does that make sense?

MS AND MS LIKE DISEASES IN DOGS AND CATS

6 Replies

A recent MS study suggested that people who grew up with cats during most of their lives appeared to have a less aggressive form of multiple sclerosis then those people who didn’t grow up with cats. However, on the flip side of that, back in the eighties there were researchers who also thought that one possible contributing factor in developing MS may have been a bacteria/virus found in cat feces that people were getting from cleaning their cats liter boxes. In the years, and from several studies done since, that connection has never been proven as being true even though that bacteria is very real and anyone with MS, or otherwise, should take precautions when cleaning cat liter boxes as it would more than likely make your MS symptoms even worse were you to contract that nasty bug as well as being difficult to get rid of.

And surprisingly enough dogs have their very own disease that is very similar to multiple sclerosis called, Degenerative Myelopathy or DM, as it is often referred to as. And just like MS this disease is considered to be an auto-immune disorder with many of the same symptoms in dogs, as their human MS sufferers experience, but no link has ever been found that even remotely connects these two diseases. And finally, dogs are also prone to a degenerative disc disorder that can mimic some of the symptoms of MS but this can usually be treated with surgery in the more extreme cases.

Degenerative Myelopathy, again like multiple sclerosis, has no cure and progressively gets worse just like MS. The only treatment for DM that seems to help hold this disorder at bay is taking your dog for long walks and even somewhat extreme workouts with their toys as physical activity appears to slow the progression of DM significantly in many cases. And what is a bit strange about that, is that Neurologists are starting to believe the exact same thing about people suffering from MS, that a sedentary lifestyle may be the worst thing for multiple sclerosis sufferers over the long turn.

Do cats and dogs offer any real health benefits to people with MS? It turns out that; “yes!” they offer a whole host of beneficial health enhancing benefits. If you have a dog I am pretty sure that many of you are aware of the need to walk your dog several times a day for potty trips and so dogs can use their social skills by smelling trees, sign posts, street lights and anything else that lies in their usual walking path which also helps lower high blood pressure in the person doing the walking. I recently had a friends dog and got several workouts everyday which I’m sure my Neurologist would have loved to know if I had told him as he is constantly telling me that I am physically able to do more than I currently do. And that dog also liked to play rough, so I was the one who had to adjust to the extra workout, not him.

And yes cats provide their own unique health benefits for their human companions.It has been shown in lab studies that just having a cat around can reduce the stress related chemicals that humans experience throughout any given day. And it’s also been proven that when a cat purrs it actually reduces the blood pressure in any human that is in ear shot of their kitty. And that drop can be as much as twenty points according to some studies and that’s very significant for someone like me who has high blood pressure. And yes, one of my best friend’s, is my eighteen year old cat, Lucky!

Lucky!

In conclusion, if you have MS or any disease that causes you to feel lost and alone I can not stress enough how much having a pet can help you through the hard times. If you can and don’t already have a pet, and if you don’t suffer from allergies, please consider going to your local shelter and see if you can’t hook yourself up with a forever four legged companion. I honestly think that it could be the best treatment you ever got for all of your ills!

*****

I’m requesting stories from any and all of you who have ever had a pet die and than return in any way to let you know that they survived death and came back to ease your fears about their crossing. I think I’m going to write a book about pets surviving death as I have had like at least three of my pets return after death to comfort me after their transition.

What I would like for you to do is to first write the experience you had out in long hand and put it down for a day, or a little while, and then type it out and send it to me at the email address below. If and when I write the book I will certainly let everyone know especially if their story made it into the book. This is kind of a nonscientific study that I am undertaking so I would love to hear from you all if you’ve got a story to tell. The reason for having you write it out twice is that usually after you write something once and wait a little bit your mind starts to recall the experience and you often remember more than you did in your first draft. And I want the stories to be as in-depth as they possibly can be.

Please send your stories to: wc.walker@yahoo.com

Thank you in advance. And please ask around family and friends to see if they have stories to contribute. Please put, Pets surviving Death, in the subject box!

MS IF YOU WEREN’T ASKED DON’T TELL

6 Replies

Mount Baker Foothills

Many Americans are aware of the fact that because of the ADA, Americans with Disability Act, they are not required to answer any questions about whether or not they suffer from any disability. In fact about the only thing a prospective employer can ask goes something like this; Are you capable of performing all of the tasks that are required in the job description with reasonable accommodations? That’s it; you don’t have to answer anything else about being disabled or not unless you choose to.

The reason I bring this up is because of a comment a gentleman made on one of my articles that I posted. He said that recently his drivers license came up for renewal so off he went to get it renewed. And everything was breezing right along until he mentioned that he also had multiple sclerosis and then everything changed.

Normally the only thing that you need to do is fill out some paperwork, take the vision test, pay, and you’re done. However, in his case they not only made him do that they also made him take the entire driving part of the test as well. I’m not sure what state he lives in or whether or not this was even legal, but I thought I would write about it and make others aware of this.

And the moral of this story is, if they don’t ask, don’t tell!

MS MERCURY DENTAL FILLINGS AND THE FDA

20 Replies

Lake at Mount Baker Washington

Is your body a mercury filled time bomb just waiting to explode? Recently senior health officials at the Department of Health and Human Services denied a Food and Drug Administration proposal to phase out the use of all mercury compounds used as fillings for tooth decay which is one of our planets most dangerous and toxic heavy metals.

This FDA proposal was kept secret from the public since it was approved back in 2011 by top FDA officials. This proposal stressed all of the dangers that mercury fillings present to pregnant women, nursing moms, children under six, people with mercury allergies, kidney disease or anyone who suffers from a neurological disorder which would include just about every single autoimmune disease known to man.

The Department of Health and Human Services rejected this proposal after a cost benefit analysis showed that it was cheaper then other alternative compounds for filling teeth regardless of the dangers of mercury or benefits a patient might expect from other materials used for filling teeth.

In 2009 54% of all surveyed Dentists still said that they were using mercury fillings because it was more affordable. And they are still used by many Dentists today who serve both Medicaid and Medicare patients as well as many other price sensitive groups including those that treat children, the military, and on Indian reservations.

Mercury is often described as insidious. After it builds up in the lungs it moves into the bloodstream where it accumulates in the kidneys, liver and brain tissue where it damages the central nervous system. And multiple sclerosis, in particular, is a disease of the central nervous system.

Mercury is linked to all of the following health problems, memory loss, nerve damage, autoimmune diseases, vision problems, kidney failure, depression, autism, and foggy thinking. And recent research is also showing a strong possible link to Alzheimer’s disease. And all of that can occur at very low doses that accumulate over time. And it can also be lethal!

Much of the information used in this article came from Greg Gordon from the McClatchy Washington Bureau

MS AMERICA AND THE COMING ATTACK ON YOUR DISABILITY BENEFITS

9 Replies

The positive effects about disability laws.

If you haven’t heard yet, the government is saying that social security disability will run out of money by the end of 2016. There are a couple of things that have been discussed to deal with this problem. The first would be to blend social security disability straight into the social security trust fund which is sound financially, at least, for the near future. The second would be for Congress to make a one time cash infusion making it sound until another plan can be worked out. And the third, and the one that seems to be the most preferred by Congress right at the moment, is to just let it go bankrupt forcing a 19% cut in cash benefits across the board for every one on disability including veterans.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, there are also many members of Congress who would like to dissolve the Medicare health care plan that retirees as well as people with disabilities depend on for their health insurance needs. And replace it with a voucher system where you would be required to go out and purchase your own health insurance on the open market. And I can almost assure you right now that whatever voucher they plan on giving you it certainly will not be enough to cover your health care coverage.

I’m not sure how this would affect each of you personally? But for me a 19% cut in my cash benefits means that I will have to put my house up for sale next summer as I would no longer be able to afford both my health insurance premiums as well as the mortgage payment on my home.

In America one in six people are considered to have a disability. And that makes us a very large and powerful voting block with a National election coming up in 2016. I worked all of my life before multiple sclerosis invaded my body and I have no intention of going down without a fight on this. And just as I have written this article I will also be writing letters and making phone calls to Senators as well as members of the House of Representatives letting them know that this is not acceptable.

And that’s something; you should consider doing as well!

GUNS MEN AND VIOLENCE: A question that needs asking.

What do Charleston, S.C, Aurora, Tucson, Virginia Tech, Columbine, and the Navy Yard all have in common, along with all the other mass shootings over the last few years? A gun was used in each place to commit these heinous acts of terror. However, there is one more thing that each has in common, and it’s just as obvious, at least to me, these shootings were all committed by young to middle aged men, not a single woman among them. Which begs the question, why?

Don’t get me wrong, I do feel that America’s gun laws are far too liberal, but it’s obvious that there are more issues than just our gun laws at play here. And putting the blame on mental health problems also falls willfully short of an explanation. Women have just as many mental health challenges as men do and they seem far better at controlling the urge to grab a weapon and act out on their uncontrolled rage.

Is this the fault of society in general or is the American family dynamic so miscued that we are blind to what male children and young men are learning as they grow up, or would it be better to study how we raise are girls and young women to see if an answer to why they are less prone to violence when they reach adulthood?

Just where does the answer lie? And is it possible that if we find that answer might we also discover why rape and sexual violence are also so prevalent, not only in the United States, but also throughout the world?

It’s certainly something to consider, in my opinion!

Diplopia

MS CHOCOLATE AND MY RESPONSE TO A COMMENT

22 Replies

Yum!

My last article discussing the benefits of eating small amounts of high quality dark chocolate was seen and read by literally thousands of people who also made hundreds of comments. A few of these comments told of getting headaches or stomach aches after eating chocolate. And a few discussed how they just didn’t like chocolate. However, one from a man in Europe, flat out stated that the entire piece was complete rubbish and I shouldn’t be writing such things. It goes on to say that there are several studies showing that chocolate is harmful for people with multiple sclerosis.

And that comment sent me off to the internet for a three hour plus search to see if I could find these studies that he was referring to. My search came up empty as to any study that found chocolate to be bad for people with MS. What I could find basically said that if chocolate, or anything for that matter, makes you feel worse after eating it, then don’t eat or drink it. The closest thing that I could find to a study that was not favorable to chocolate came from a Naturopath site and their belief that MS is primarily a disease that is being caused by food allergies of which chocolate could be one of these foods.

You would think out of the thousands of people who read the article, some of which most certainly work in the health care industry, that one of them would have disputed what I wrote about, but not one of them did.

What I did find of relevance, which wasn’t a whole lot, is copied below with links so you can read it for yourself. And I encourage anyone to do their own searches as I could have missed something along the way. And with that said, I stand behind what I wrote a couple of weeks ago!

Why Dark Chocolate for Peripheral Vascular Disease?

Previous studies suggested dark chocolate may have a role in helping people with peripheral vascular disease. Dark chocolate can help the diseased blood vessels dilate; allowing more blood flow, according to a study in the journal Heart in 2011. Dark chocolate also has properties that block chemicals in the body that constrict the blood vessel, researchers from Heinrich-Heine-University in Germany found. Finally, as mentioned in my prior column, dark chocolate improves body inflammation, is an antioxidant, and can help with certain parts of our cholesterol, all of which contribute to the growth and stability of the atherosclerotic plaques.

What’s New With Dark Chocolate?

A new study of dark chocolate included twenty patients with an average age of approximately 70 years and with moderately severe peripheral vascular disease. The authors, from Rome, Italy, wanted to understand what happened to the function of the arteries and exercise capacity 2 hours after people ate 40 grams of dark chocolate (40 grams of dark chocolate on average is about 200-220 calories, and 1.4 ounces).

The investigators studied blood flow into the patient’s limbs before and after consuming the dark chocolate. They also performed treadmill exercise testing. The patients were studied after having 40 grams of dark chocolate and then a second time after receiving a placebo chocolate (milk chocolate). Even with a single treatment the findings were quite interesting.

11 percent increase in the patients’ walk distances after eating dark chocolate

15 percent increase in their walking time

57 percent increase in the blood protein (nitric oxide) that helps with relaxation and dilation of the arteries
Two markers associated with constriction of the arteries went down by 23-37 percent

In summary, dark chocolate improved blood flow through mechanisms related to relaxation of the arteries (nitric oxide) and oxidative stress and as a result improved walking distances and times.

We currently don’t know how much dark chocolate is too much. So if you are a dark chocolate enthusiast, look to use 40 grams (1.4 ounces) a day as this is what has shown in this study to provide benefit. Hopefully these studies will continue to stimulate investigators to look at multiple doses to allow the consumer to receive the maximum benefit without risks.

Jared Bunch, MD

Dr. Bunch is a native of Logan, Utah and graduated from the University of Utah School of Medicine with alpha omega alpha honors. He completed internal medicine residency and fellowships in cardiovascular

I use chocolate- dark chocolate- to battle pain which presents in a certain part of my brain. It works quite well for me and the pain disappears quite quickly. Yesterday I had this pain twice in one day which is rare. Still, each time the pain hit, the dark chocolate was 100% effective- for me- in melting the pain.

I read of a recent study in Italy using chocolate to combat dementia and to slow down Alzheimer’s. Though the study is still inconclusive, the initial results have been quite promising. Knowledge is important and I always encourage others to read and learn because it is a lifelong pursuit. If we do not use our brain, we will in fact lose it. The saying ‘use it or lose it’ applies to muscles and brain both!
Now I do not have dementia nor Alzheimer’s, but I will keep using it for my MS pain!

This conversation continues at the link below:
Read more: http://www.healthboards.com/boards/multiple-sclerosis/914130-chocolate-mmmmmmmm.html#ixzz3ftvh2tFJ

Foods which are high in magnesium include raw spinach, squash and pumpkin seeds, soy beans, fish (mackerel), brown rice, avocados, plain non-fat yogurt, bananas, dried figs, and dark chocolate. Foods high in folate include raw spinach, black eyed peas, lentils, asparagus, romaine lettuce, avocado, broccoli, mango, oranges, and wheat bread.
Would you be willing to independently undertake the effort to study your own nutritional intakes and take note of any effect on specific MS symptoms you may have, including fatigue? The results would be interesting.

– See more at: http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/19065/169283/folate-correlates/#sthash.7KToo5xt.dpuf

The following from a Naturopath site was about the only extremely negative comment about chocolate that I could find in two hours of searching. And again even here it assumes that a food allergy may be the cause of Multiple Sclerosis.

Chocolate Avoidance

Epidemiology studies have documented a correlation between high cocoa consumption and high MS incidence. When cocoa is introduced to an area, MS incidence rises sharply. Cases are reported in which chocolate ingestion by MS patients was followed by exacerbations [Maas AG, Hogenhuis LAH. Multiple sclerosis and possible relationship to cocoa: A hypothesis. Ann Allergy 59: pp.76- 9, 1987]

Here is the abstract of this article: “The hypothesis presented in this paper suggests that MS may be caused by an allergic or other adverse reaction to certain foods, mostly cocoa products, cola, and coffee. Many MS patients have one or more manifestations of other well known reactions to those foods, such as migraine, urticaria, or gastrointestinal disturbances.”

MS INFLAMMATION AND CHOCOLATE

45 Replies

Research has already proven that one of the biggest factors in Multiple Sclerosis, as well as many other diseases both autoimmune and otherwise, is that of inflammation. It is becoming apparent that this one indicator of an MS attack is what may be the biggest factor in why people suffer from the debilitating effects of MS, which is why a recent study about chocolates amazing ability to reduce inflammation in both heart attack and stroke victims caught my eye.

This study was done on older adults, and to be fair here, it had nothing to do with multiple sclerosis but the study did show the amazing ability of flavonoids, which are found in chocolate, to decrease inflammation throughout the entire circulatory system as well as the brain. And since the brain is nothing more then a cluster of neuron tissue, which is what MS attacks, I think it’s only safe to assume that chocolate would also significantly reduce inflammation in the nervous system as well.

And this study was done with people who were eating about half of a regular cheap store bought candy bar each day made of mostly milk chocolate and not the darker higher content of cocoa chocolate bars that you find in many health food stores. These chocolate bars cost significantly more then what you pay at your local convenience store and have far less sugar in them, but the flavonoid content of them is many times higher then what milk chocolate contains, which is very little.

If you are unaware of what flavonoids are, you may have heard on the news in the past that drinking either grape juice or red wine is healthful because of the high amount of flavonoids found in them. It’s thought; that maybe the reason why Italians can eat such a high fat and carbohydrate diet without the same incidents of heart disease that we experience in this country is because of the daily glass of wine they consume at lunch and/or dinner. And the flavonoids in chocolate bars with a cocoa content of at least 50% and higher is many times higher then what is found in even a full glass of red wine.

Another natural food that is also extremely high in flavonoids are dried cherries which are actually prescribed by dieticians for many ailments to also fight, or counter, inflammation throughout the body. So if you can find a candy bar with 80% cocoa that also has dried cherries mixed in as well then that’s all that much better and they do make them because that’s what I eat but they cost anywhere from $2.50 to $4.00 dollars. However you only need to eat four or five small pieces to get a large dose of the beneficial flavonoid content which means one candy bar can last a week.

In my opinion this is one of the best things that you can try on your own to see if it may help in reducing some of the effects of multiple sclerosis and the accompanying inflammation. And let’s face it the worst outcome you could experience is that nothing changes accept you have something to look forward to each and every night, either after dinner, or before you go to bed.

Bone Appetite!

By Bill Walker

If you would like to submit your own blog piece for this page please contact me at: msandbeyond@gmail.com

And Don’t forget to look for my new book VISUS available on Amazon.com!

MS KNOWLEDGE AND A FREE DINNER

4 Replies

Taken on Mount Baker

Right after my MS diagnosis I started seeing ads in the newspaper, as well as getting a constant stream of mailers from the NMSS, about programs for either new drugs that were coming on the market or new ways to deal with the effects of Multiple Sclerosis at some of the nicer restaurants around town. And until recently I just ignored these ads and flyers just figuring that it was too much of a bother to attend because I always thought that I had something better to do. And now, I have to admit, that was a huge mistake on my part.

It wasn’t until recently, when I decided to change medications because I’m sick of the constant injections that I decided to go to one of these presentations given by one of the drug companies. I’m not going to mention the drug here because I wasn’t that impressed with the findings of the drug itself, which in itself is a big deal, but I was impressed by how much information was given into new research that we are reading about almost as it’s happening on studies being released on the internet.

Why this surprised me, was because I have had several conversations with whatever Neurologist I was seeing at the time, only to have my questions answered with something along these lines, I hadn’t heard of that, or I’ll have to go look that up and get back to you. It seems that there is quite a difference between a regular Neurologist and a nurse or Doctor that specializes in the treatment of just Multiple Sclerosis. And this is probably not much of a revelation to many of you that have been doing battle with this disease for decades but it was a new awakening for me.

I have now been to a couple of programs where speakers are actually able to answer, or at least give an educated guess, to my questions without the blank stare that I have encountered in the past from those individuals that I thought would know. And I encourage anyone who is making the same mistake that I have been making for the last fifteen years to go and attend a few of these programs as it is very enlightening and offers more hope for a future free from MS then you might imagine. Even if you are satisfied with the medication that you are currently taking you still should attend these programs.

And besides, how can you turn down a free dinner or lunch at a nice restaurant that you probably can’t afford anyway. And yes, it’s also nice to talk to other people who understand and know exactly how you feel when it comes to dealing with this disease and all of the diverse challenges that come along with it!

Don’t be like I was, get up, get out, and go!

Bill Walker

msandbeyond@gmail.com

MS-It’s My Life-Not Yours!

4 Replies

Copaxonehenge

I had been planning my stand against MS for several months as I drove to my neurology appointment a few days ago. I had already determined that the days of injections, after seven plus years, were over. There was no way whatsoever that my doctor was going to convince me of the need to continue the painful practice of daily shots. And, almost on cue, my insurance carrier sealed the deal when they refused to allow me to go to three injections a week instead of the daily injection. But what happened next at my neurology appointment both stunned and elated me.

I had no more then started my well rehearsed refusal to take any more shots when my doctor calmly stated, “that’s fine, no more injections.”

And then we began the discussion of my most recent MRI scans and how they compared to the ones I had done five years ago. He told me that there were absolutely no new areas of demyelination anywhere in either the brain or spinal column. And he went on to say that not only had there been no new areas but it appeared that pretty much all of my previous lesions had shrunk and actually appeared to be filling in with what is most likely scar tissue. Which of course isn’t great, but it’s a heck of a lot better then new lesions.

He went on to say that it would probably benefit me to take some kind of disease modifying drug but that taking a three month long break would probably not have any major effect on the course of my disease since I’m only a year or so away from being sixty. In his opinion my MS is more then likely beginning to burn out at my age and could, though probably not, go back into a state of remission where new myelination may occur.

And even an outside chance of that happening is better then being able to eat all the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream that I could have ever dreamed of having. That was a good day indeed!