I guess I look healthy enough. I guess that's why the people at the law firm I worked at couldn't understand why I HAD to quit for health reasons back in '07. That is both a blessing and a curse because most people refuse to believe that which they can't see. I sometimes have a hard time believing it myself, I can feel perfectly normal 1 minute and awful the next. Luckily things have improved immensely for me since I decided to take control of my own health instead of being at the mercy of my neurologist, and since I took a part time job to try to bring the stress level down. I write this in the hopes that others will find freedom from the so-called "medicines" that are so unsuccessful at treating most of us MSers. I also write this in the hopes that my friends and family will come to understand what life in my shoes is like a little better.
I was born in Lima, Peru (that's in South America for those that don't know) and moved to the U.S. when I was 11, so I'm Hispanic. This is not a disease that people of my ethnicity are affected with often, however, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when I was 21, in '99. I had just moved to Atlanta, GA from Fairfield, IA and I counted myself blessed because I had moved to a city that had one of the most renown centers for neurological disorders around, The Shepherd Center. I was young, scared and uninformed. For many years I chose to live in the dark because seeing the light would mean I would have to face what MIGHT be a grim future. That was one of the biggest mistakes of my life, but hindsight's 20/20 right? Had I chosen to face reality sooner I would have seen that regular western medicine did NOT hold the answer for me and was not going to help me fight this disease. Instead I allowed years to pass and certain irreversible effects to happen to my body before I wised up. I finally came to the realization that I needed to make a change after seeing a friend that also has MS and was living a normal life thanks to getting off any FDA approved MS medications. I was living in pain because of the treatments thinking there was no other way and in fear for what my future would hold. The prospect of getting out from under my neurologist thumb was terrifying to me, but more terrifying than that were the prospects that my doctor was suggesting as "other treatment options". He first suggested Tysabri which is one of the newer medications and has many awful side effects, one of which is a track record of killing several people...no thanks, next!! Then he suggested an experimental treatment where, get this, they would give me super heavy doses of chemotherapy in order to completely wipe my immune system out, and then rebuild it back up hopefully MS free. This is of course given that I don't get even a mild cold or even a tiny infection (Like a hangnail) which would surely kill me without an immune system and which has killed several people that made the mistake of trying this "treatment" and blindly trusting their Neurologists. As attractive as it sounded to be a self-imposed AIDS patient, I had to turn both of these options down, but being that none of the treatments I tried worked I had to think of other options. So began my skeptical journey into natural alternatives, I got off any injections that were poisoning my body instead of helping it and began taking charge of my own health. It was one of the scariest and best decisions I've ever made. To say that I have lost my faith in doctors is a gross understatement. I've seen them be only interested in working with the pharmaceutical companies to fatten their own pockets, at the expense of so many MS sufferers having a much worse quality of life BECAUSE of these "medicines". I felt sick as a dog for 11 years so forgive me if I call them what they truly are....poisons!
My reason for writing this is to share my own situation, issues that I've been dealing with and research gathered through the years. My hope is that everyone that reads this, will be free of the poisons our neurologists love to call "MS treatments" and find out that there are better, less painful ways to treat this disease. And that no matter what you think or what your neurologist told you that there IS hope for a better life.
Stay tuned for information on the MS drugs I've unsuccessfully tried and the natural options that have changed my life.
My reason for writing this is to share my own situation, issues that I've been dealing with and research gathered through the years. My hope is that everyone that reads this, will be free of the poisons our neurologists love to call "MS treatments" and find out that there are better, less painful ways to treat this disease. And that no matter what you think or what your neurologist told you that there IS hope for a better life.
Stay tuned for information on the MS drugs I've unsuccessfully tried and the natural options that have changed my life.
7 comments:
You are a brave woman for sharing this journey. I've heard of people hiding their illness from others, worried it will hurt job prospects or scare people who know little about it. As you know, I fight the monster myself, but without the wisdom and courage you have. You are an inspiration, Giselle, and thank you!
I just nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award! Visit my blog to pick up your prize and keep the award "train" going! :-)
I love you sis! You are one of the strongest people I know and I always have and always will continue to be inspired by your perseverance. We are ALL here for you!
Mi niña bonita, tú eres un ejemplo de vida. Las enfermedades nos permiten darnos cuenta de algo a lo que le debemos dar importancia en nuestra vida. Y tú has ido demostrando cómo vas tomando control de todo lo que entra a tu boca para demostrar esa salud perfecta que todos deberíamos tener. Mírate ahora, eres la manifestación del bien-estar.
Te admiro mucho y te quiero mucho más aun. Sé que seguirás adelante hasta no tener la esclerosis múltiple. Sé que es así aunque mucha gente diga que eso no es posible. Para mí nada es imposible y tú haces de tu vida lo que deseas.
Y te cuento algo... yo también tengo algunos blogs jajaja pero son privados... por lo menos hasta ahora. Los uso para desestresarme jejeje.
Besos Gittita. Tú y tu hermano son admirables y los adoramos.
Gracias hermano y tiita Lily :) Me encantaria tener un blog sobre mis perros, o sobre alguna dieta, en vez de tener tanto malo sobre que escribir. Pero bueno asi es la vida, por lo menos mi vida tiene sus partes interesantes. Y como dices tia la enfermedad nos ayuda a ver el mundo con una perspectiva diferente, con mas compasion que otros. :) Los quiero mucho mucho a todos, gracias por leer mi blog. Tia me encantaria leer el tuyo si algun dia quieres :) Besotes :)
I've read that where you live the first 15 years of your life are critical in your risk for MS. It's true that MS is less common among Hispanics than among people of Northern European descent. On the other hand, Iowa has one of the highest rates of MS in the United States. I shudder to think that perhaps something in your environment when you lived in Iowa might have triggered the MS.
There are so many variables that seem to come into play, so it's hard to know how much weight to give geography. As a native Iowan, it breaks my heart to think that your moving to Iowa from Peru might have resulted in your getting the MonSter.
I haven't lived in Iowa since I was 18, but from what I've read what matters is where you spent the first 15 years of your life. If a person who grew up in Iowa moved to Ecuador, for example, he/she would still carry the same risk of developing MS as someone from Iowa. After 15, a person carts his/her link to a childhood home or homes around wherever that person goes.
Thank you for sharing your story! You help both inspire and educate me. Plus, you haven't lost your sense of humor. That's a great coping mechanism!
OMG Christine I hadn't heard that but thank you so much for sharing. I moved to Iowa when I was 11 so I bet you that the changing seasons played a part in this. But it was SUCH a blessing to move to Iowa after living a very dangerous life in Peru. Hate to think that my safe haven turned out to be what caused the worst thing in my life. Oh well, can't turn back time now, thanks for the info and hope you're doing great :)
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