I've been recovering from a cold virus and a long road trip (2,400 km) from Marbella Spain to Paris France. I'm not complaining, just reporting. We escaped the French winter to spend 2 months in Marbella on the Mediterranean coast which gave us daily walks along the sea, afternoon "café con leché" in portside cafés, walks through a semi tropical garden, strolling through the old town - heaven in other words. Sun, blue skies, rich green vegetation. Low season, not hot but not really cold either, with almost daily sun. The most ridiculous detail. It costs only a bit more to rent an Aparthotel in Marbella than to heat our Commanderie - a small castle built by the Knights Templar in the 13th century. We have decided - as long as our health holds up - to spend the 2 to 3 winter months in Marbella. Paris is more comfortable heat wise, but my health suffers in the city. During the winter months the cost to heat our Commanderie is outrageous so why do it if we can escape? And by "heat" I mean 20° C, that is 68°F which requires dressing warmly if sedentary - which I am. Most people in the region heat no more than 18°C.(64° F). That's just plain cold.
Something new. My husband "strolled", I "rolled". I have obtained a small electric wheelchair. The way people look away embarrassed is somewhat vexing (also for my proud husband), but if one engages in conversation, the ice is broken and I can feel more like my old self. Nonetheless this image is isolating. It's worse when I'm with my husband because, though he won’t admit it, he finds my handicap embarrassing When alone I'm reminded of Tennessee William's famous line "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers". Strangers really are kind to me. I can walk with a cane, preferably supported by a 4 wheel caddy, but slowly and not too far. The chair has freed me to sightsee and take long "walks" with my husband who is pleased to get exercise by walking 8 to 10 kilometers a day. So we can go out together. Even so I force myself to walk at least 600 steps a day which may not seem like a lot, but it keeps my legs working. My Osteopath observed last week that I was very stiff. I told her I went 3 months without physical therapy which explains it. I need to do better next year. The stiffness impedes walking and the injury caused by last year's fall hasn't helped. However she also observed that I look much healthier than I did before my departure mid January. Research for this post suggests I have "spondylosis", de-generation of the spine due to aging/accidents which puts pressure on the spinal cord to cause neurologic symptoms. Supposedly this isn't a sign of MS. Actually, whatever the MS Society wants to say, spondylosis IS one form of Multiple Sclerosis. See « My Seven Steps to Multiple Sclerosis Health."
Back to the Commanderie which we bought for a song in 1997. At the time it was a near ruin with an intact roof which had prevented its destruction. When we bought it we didn't have the means to renovate, my thinking was that we couldn't pass it by, the stone walls are 3 feet thick, the huge oak beams resemble those in the Loire valley castles. No heat other than 3 fireplaces, outhouse in the garden overlooking the former moat, windows broken or half open. I assumed we would camp out during the summer for at least 10 years. But my French husband had other ideas and 22 years later we have a beautiful historic home, though there will always be more renovation - work and expense - to be done.
Back to MSCureEnigmas.net which has entirely disappeared from the Google "ms cure" search pages. This is called censorship in the service of the MS Lobby moneyed interest. Paul Craig Roberts has observed that "truth-tellers" are being disappeared. In some ways I'm proud to have been singled out as a "truth-teller", but I have fewer new readers, though my faithful readers continue to read and recommend. MSCureEnigmas continues to be featured on page one of "MS Cure" search for Bing and the confidential DuckDuckGo recommended by Roberts. (Of course I chose the site's name to be featured on the "MS Cure" search, but there is no valid reason for Google to disappear it altogether other than the desire to destroy it. It can still be found under it's full name if one thinks to look.)
So let's get back to the subject of MS.
MS is a clinically defined disease.
That is to say, a series of lab tests coupled with a physical neurologic exam have been developed to diagnose MS even though the MD doesn't know what causes it nor how to treat it. In my opinion the primary virtue of the exams is to diagnose other disorders which need to be treated - brain tumor for example -and in some cases are entirely curable such as Lyme disease. Of course, once diagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis, neurologists often use medications to suppress the immune system reaction (DMDS) which they may consider to be a "treatment", albeit an ultimately unsuccessful one.
Below quote from Wikipedia English MS Diagnosis:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnosis_of_multiple_sclerosis
"Multiple sclerosis is typically diagnosed based on the presenting signs and symptoms, in combination with supporting medical imaging and laboratory testing.[4] It can be difficult to confirm, especially early on, since the signs and symptoms may be similar to those of other medical problems.[5][47] The McDonald criteria, which focus on clinical, laboratory, and radiologic evidence of lesions at different times and in different areas, is the most commonly used method of diagnosis[15]with the Schumacher and Poser criteria being of mostly historical significance.[48] Clinical data alone may be sufficient for a diagnosis of MS if an individual has had separate episodes of neurological symptoms characteristic of the disease.[49] In those who seek medical attention after only one attack, other testing is needed for the diagnosis. The most commonly used diagnostic tools are neuroimaging, analysis of cerebrospinal fluid and evoked potentials. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spine may show areas of demyelination (lesions or plaques). Gadolinium can be administered intravenously as a contrast agent to highlight active plaques and, by elimination, demonstrate the existence of historical lesions not associated with symptoms at the moment of the evaluation.[49][50]Testing of cerebrospinal fluid obtained from a lumbar puncture can provide evidence of chronic inflammation in the central nervous system. The cerebrospinal fluid is tested for oligoclonal bands of IgG on electrophoresis, which are inflammation markers found in 75–85% of people with MS.[49][51] The nervous system in MS may respond less actively to stimulation of the optic nerve and sensory nerves due to demyelination of such pathways. These brain responses can be examined using visual- and sensory-evoked potentials.[52]
While the above criteria allow for a non-invasive diagnosis, and even though some state MS are detected,[49][53] currently, as of 2017, there is no single test (including biopsy) that can provide a definitive diagnosis of this disease.[54]"
Back to me:
The National MS society gives a good overview of other disorders which resemble MS symptoms which include Lyme disease, Syphilis, PML brain infection, HIV, HTLV-1, Sjogren's syndrome, Vasculitis, Lupus, Sarcoidosis, Behcet's disease, Mitochondrial disease, Brain tumor, Lymphoma, B12 deficiency, Structural damage to brain and spinal cord, Chiari malformation and more. See their site for a full description of these disorders. www.nationalmssociety.org/Symptoms-Diagnosis/Diagnosing-MS
I would include Chlamydia Pneumoniae in their list which is treated with several antibiotics by the Whaldon protocol. Unfortunately intense anti-biotic treatment damages the intestinal flora which can cause other health problems.
The first thing my Neurologist tested me for in 1980 was a brain tumour - negative fortunately. The MRI didn’t exist at the time. Thinking meningitus had triggerd the emergency visit to the hospital, a lumbar puncture was performed. It was negative for meningitus as well as MS, though it would have been too early for MS to reveal itself. I suffered the terrible post spinal tap headache and have refused undergoing another one, much to the frustration of my neurologists.
Some observations.
I found the only MRI I underwent (summer 1990) weakened me for a good 6 weeks thereafter. I assumed being beamed by a huge magnetic field disturbed my own "magnetic" balance. I might have been much worse off had the gadolinium contrast agent – approved by the FDA in 1998 - been used.
The one MRI I would love to undergo is the FONAR cinematic upright MRI to see "live" the circulation of my central nervous system fluids - blood, cerebral spinal fluid, lymphatic. No contrast agent is used, though the magnetic field might be disturbing. I now realize my first big attack April 1980 was abruptly halted by a Shiatsu massage at the San Francisco Kubuki Hot Springs because the blood back jet which was impacting the spine ceased. (See Pallis Blog) My spine has never been « photographed » but curiosity isn’t necessarily a good enough reason for getting a standard MRI.
Dr. Damadian, inventor of the FONAR MRI, (not to mention the original MRI for which he was denied a Nobel Prize) has offered free FONAR MRIs to those interested in participating in his scientific study. To enter the waiting list contact the FONAR CORP in New York. They can also direct you to clinics where FONAR MRIs are performed – currently 150 FONAR MRI sites work in the USA, 2 in England, 5 in Germany, 1 in Switzerland.
I would avoid the Gadolinium contrast agent if one must undergo a standard MRI. Tests have shown that the contrast is not necessary to diagnose MS so why use it when the kidneys could be at risk. https://www.radiologybusiness.com/topics/care-delivery/gadolinium-imaging-multiple-sclerosis-rsna
It is interesting to note that "'structural damage in the spine or spinal cord" is being eliminated as "causing" MS. Actually, in my opinion it is a major factor in defining a form of MS. (See My Seven Steps to MS Health) Emphasis should be placed on the obstruction of cerebro-spinal fluid
What is missing in all official MS discussions is the vascular, fluid circulation obstruction issue which ends by damaging the Central Nervous System.
When Dr Zamboni proposed the CCSVI theory the MS lobby went into panic mode.They didn't want to hear of it, they didn’t want to know anything about it, they did their best to kill it. But it didn’t die, the idea has gone underground and progress is being made on the periphery. I for one won’t give up the fight. His idea led me to understand the real cause of MS, that is to say, CNS fluid circulation obstructions. My first healer, the Kinesiologist Dr Jimmy Scott, didn’t figure that out. Rather, he worked with the principle of the free flow of traditional Chinese medicine’s meridien network. It now seems obvious that by freeing the obstructed energy meridiens one can release fluid circulation as well. His treatment began with de-toxification, nutritional supplements, allergy testing, ideal individualized diet, muscle testing and energy balancing to deal with psychological/emotional issues.
My healing success was so dramatic my neurologist Dr A declared I couldn’t have recovered as I had if I had MS therefore I never had it. This was in response to my request to back up his diagnosis during divorce proceedings. While all obvious neurologic deficiencies had disappeared, I still suffered fatigue and poor stress tolerance which handicapped me for normal life. He warned me that an MRI would prove negative which could hurt my case.
Once the divorce was final I asked for an MRI from another Neurologist Dr B. (For a limited time I had 2 health insurance policies.) The MRI was positive for a de-myelinating disease consistent with MS.
My first neurologist Dr A was embarrassed when he read his colleague's report. He asked for permission to obtain the MRI images and became respectful of my history, even taking an interest in the healing protocol which had helped me heal, though since he was an Allopath within a conservative HMO it would have been difficult for him to implement my experience in his practice.
Dr B was unhappy with me because I refused the spinal tap he said he needed to complete the MS diagnosis dossier. I saw no valid HEALING reason to subject myself to that trauma again. The following incident didn’t help our relations.
I received a notice for jury duty. I had served on juries before and am the first to want to honour my duty as a citizen. However, at the time I was under severe life stress and knew I just couldn’t do it without triggering a debilitating MS attack. So I asked Dr B for a letter to excuse me. He refused, saying having MS wasn’t an acceptable reason to be excused from jury duty. I replied that in general that might be true, but I knew myself and at the present time I just couldn’t do it. He still refused. I insisted « The only thing you can do for me is write this letter and I expect you to do it » This infuriated him, he replied that I would have to agree to the spinal tap. He did write the letter but I left the insurance and never underwent the tap.
For me now the main reason to need the MS diagnosis is for administrative reasons – obtaining a handicapped parking card, a handicapped card for free museum entry and first in line service, a wonderful low cost taxi service (PAM75) in Paris. But I consider the Allopathic DMD disease modifying treatment to be not only useless but dangerous. Fortunately I’ve discovered healing alternatives.
To finish, let’s consider the case of a correspondent who has taken my references to heart and is coming to an understanding of her neurological/health problems. She has been wonderfully informative of current resources in the USA.
A woman with MS like symptoms (not definitely diagnosed) she had suffered an accident many years ago which apparently caused a Chiari formation according to Dr Damadian (He has said that it takes on average 11 years after an accident for the injury to manifest as neurological symptoms.) Ultrasounds of her carotid and jugular veins revealed no stenoses or abnormalities. However, a CT scan by a dental surgon revealed calcification structures which correspond to the location of occluded and abnormal vein valves found in the venoplasty which she had undergone 5 years ago. The procedure greatly relieved her, though not entirely, and she was advised to repeat the venoplasty within 2 years. So we have numerous tools to uncover CNS obstructions – FONAR MRI, standard MRI, Ultrasounds, X Rays, CT scan, Venoplasty itself, preferably with IVUS intravenous ultrasound (for starters – there may be more but I’m not an MD).
My correspondant was successfully treated with anti-biotics for Lyme disease. Because the same anti-biotics treat the two conditions, she decided against the Whaldon protocol to treat Chlamydia Pneumoniae which has been linked to MS. She has suffered ear infections as well as many dental infections. Also allergies to foods and molds which trigger crises so serious she can"t walk. She wonders if she has Lemierres, which, if you read the Wikipedia description, is a very scary condition. Since the first venoplasty was so successful she looks forward to another. Her best bet might be to get treated in Dr Zamboni’s clinic in Italy if she can afford the expense. I would recommend the CCSVI Alliance CCSVI Alliance www.ccsvi.org/ for up-to-date information of current resources.
So in my courageous correspondant’s case we have structural obstructions (chiari formation), venous obstructions (see venoplasty) as well as frequent, multiple infections in the head – teeth, ears, throat.
She was specifically told that jugular vein problems are often linked to infections located above the stenosis which would fit her history.
Conclusion: In my opinion current Diagnosis of MS completely misses the point. The "point" resides in how various known factors impact the (CNS) central nervous system's fluid circulation. Obstructions lead to tissue damage, inflammation, and loss of myelin, all of which define MS.
MSers need to study their own case/history. For starters they can ask their MD to begin the process of elimination of disorders which mimic MS such as Lyme disease or Vitamin B12 deficiency before launching into the stressful MRI and spinal tap circuit. (Many well informed MDs already do so.) Also consider a chiropractor if an accident triggered symptoms. I believe one should avoid the panic an MS diagnosis can trigger. It seems like such a terrible scourge until one realizes, especially in the early stage, that a shiatsu massage can stop an attack. Oh, and by the way, I believe people with most of these other "diseases" could find healing relief in following my Seven Steps to MS Health simply because they define good general healing principles.
TAGS: MS diagnosis, CCSVI, Venoplasty, Lyme disease, Vitamin B12 deficiency, FONAR MRI, Dr Damadian, Chiropractor, gadolinium,
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