Issue Two
Issue Two
In this issue:
Since I launched in May, I have been working very hard trying to get exposure for MS With Attitude and find members! I sent out a press release which landed me a 2 minute spot on the A-Channel's "Big Breakfast" morning program on June 18, and I also had a good segment running throughout June 24, 28 and 29 on Shaw Cable 10 in Calgary (See Video)
I continue to attend networking functions and hand out brochures wherever possible, and remain hopeful membership will grow over the next year. I'd like to make some changes in the fall that will enable MS With Attitude to register as a charity, which will make raising money a lot easier! I'd like to find a company to sponsor an insurance policy for us, so we're able to set up a booth in malls and other public places to raise awareness, as well as hold fundraising activities.
Our Logo
A few people have commented on our logo, and I wanted to explain the story behind it. It was created by my friend Cliff Johnson. I told him a bit about the organization and asked him to design a logo. He came back to me with about 8 different designs, each having a specific thought process behind it regarding MS. It was only AFTER I chose this one, that he explained it: "The ovals kinda represent MS and the constraints or limitations thought to surround it. That is why the "MS" is completely inside the first. The second oval starts the same as the first, but the "Attitude" is too much, and the oval and what is represented by the first fades away".
How fitting! Thanks Cliff.
The following article was written and sent to me by Christine Albright, and although quite lengthy, I wanted to print it in it's entirety with the hope that at least one reader will benefit from what she has to say, and all she has learned! Christine works with PWMS from all over the world, via telephone and e-mail counseling. Her contact information is at the end of the article.
I believe disease is a call for our attention, a "knocking at the door", so to speak. Disease asks us to look deeply within to find the answers, so we can heal our beings, our hearts, our souls-our life. It asks us to heal in a way that, perhaps, we would never have noticed until the illness demanded our attention.
In 1990, disease began pounding at my door, and I was forced to face my greatest fear, a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. With my background as a professional ballet dancer, I couldn't imagine dealing with a disease much worse, as my self image was strongly identified with my physical abilities. I was terrified about MS and its possible deterioration of physical abilities. I had prayed at night that I would not contract this disease.
I was completely devastated for a month as I went through the stages common to tragic news; denial, anger, sadness and finally acceptance. Doctors told me there was nothing they could do. No treatment was available beyond medication, a course I had once tried and vowed not to do again. Their assessment was that it could not be healed. I would just have to "wait and see how it goes".
WHAT? Wait and see if I became disabled? That, fortunately, was not a concept that I could or would grasp. So, what would I grasp? What would I do?
Gradually, I began to focus on a feeling, coming up from the depths of my being, telling me (contrary to my doctor's belief) that it was, in fact, possible to heal this disease, and that I could do it. It didn't feel true to me that the MS was inevitable; I knew it could be healed. I thought, "we can't just be left as victims. We have to be able to heal these things".
This awareness was not based on any scientific evidence. It was a deep knowing that just felt true. So, I reasoned, if in fact this could be healed, how would that happen? At this point, I hadn't a clue.
First, I decided to try the traditional methods offered at my local MS Center in Colorado-support groups, biofeedback and nutritional counseling to name a few. I had done quite a bit of research, especially on nutrition, beforehand and found that little new information (for me) was available at the Center. I remember standing in the circle of the support group, listening to the anguished stories of people with MS. I wanted so much to say "it doesn't have to be this way. You don't have to be in this pain, it is possible to heal this disease". But how would I tell them to heal it? I too had MS and wasn't able to heal my own illness.
Since looking for the answer outside of my self provided no solution, I began to sense that the answers were within. I could feel something drawing me in, calling me to travel deep inside and find the answer there. I searched my being, scanning for the connection to something greater than myself, something bigger than the MS. I explored ever deeper, waiting for that moment of inner certainty when you know you've hit the truth. At last it happened-I felt it, that jewel of the deep truth revealed itself. The ultimate answer was GOD! Of course, it was God. I realized in that moment that God is bigger than the MS, bigger than my fears, and can heal this supposedly "incurable" disease. God can do anything. It was THE answer! In that moment, I completely surrendered the illness to God. I Let Go.
The complete surrender of the MS in every aspect to God was the first and most profound step in my healing process. I felt as though I placed the MS in my hands and handed it all over. "Here God I give this to you to do with as you will". I then experienced a wave of relief, as though, in that moment, God picked it up and held it, and on some level inside myself, unknown and unknowable to me before, the illness was healed in an instant.
This is the God that goes by many names: Allah, God, Goddess, Buddha, Christ, Love, Universal Truth, The One. It is any belief higher than oneself, that brings us to our heart, our soul, our deepest truth, our essence. Essence is the place inside us where we meet God. It is the truest, most complete and loving part of who we are. It is our truth. When we connect and honor that truth within us, all things are possible. The result is an astounding miracle, the miracle of Healing Love.
What followed was four years journeying into the deepest realms of my being, connecting profoundly with God, my true essence and my inner healer. Ultimately, I was required to heal every aspect of my life to effect the complete healing of the MS in my body.
Stages of Healing
The next critical stage in my healing process became clear to me one day when I got very angry with my body for being sick. I yelled at it; I felt betrayed, abandoned, victimized and furious with it. Then, suddenly, I became aware of an energy moving up through my cells and nerves, from the very core of my being. It was as if my deepest being was crying with a profound and intense grief saying, "if you get mad at me I can only become more sick; I need you to love me and I will heal!" In that moment I "knew", without a doubt, that only by loving my body and this illness, with all its symptoms, was I going to fully heal it. In that moment I made a complete and sincere commitment to my body, my being, my life. I vowed that every decision from now on would be one of love for my body and all aspects of the MS.
In the four years of healing that followed, I began to learn the beautiful, precise, articulate and correct language of love for my body and being.
As I began to profoundly love my body and the MS, the energy of the illness started to open and soften. It was like the lights came on. Whenever I felt that light, I knew I was healing. Gradually, I began to become conscious of an amazing truth. I realized that every symptom had a specific reason for its existence. It was not present just to annoy me or make me suffer, as we are taught to believe. Rather, each symptom contained within it an answer for how I was to heal. The pain and discomfort were asking me to stop and be quiet, very quiet and as I listened, I could hear the wisdom it needed me to know in order to heal.
I began to allow myself to step inside the symptom, with love-to fully feel, embrace and engage the symptom rather than cringe, or run in fear, or attempt to block, suppress or get rid of it. I would ask the symptom why it was there and, listening deeply, I would hear an answer in return. For instance, 'it was that half pound of M&M's you ate yesterday'. I then remembered that brief moment of rebellion. I would tell my body that I was sincerely sorry. Then I would ask what it needed from me to heal. It would give me a remedy, such as, three primrose oil capsules (to counteract the saturated fat, which is very bad for MS) and drink a lot of water to flush out the toxins. I would do what it asked of me and that symptom would disappear completely and forever. Each symptom I engaged in this way deepened the overall healing of the illness.
Eventually I learned that, for the MS to heal, I had to heal everything else in my life, including relationships, self-concepts, old wounds-everything. When I did something that was not in harmony with the healing, my body would let me know quickly and intensely with a new frightening symptom that would put me down in bed for three days, every time! Believe me, I learned quickly not to disregard my body. It meant business and wanted to heal. It would not put up with my silly or rebellious games and would let me know when I strayed from the healing path. This is why we are not victims of our body. It wants to heal too.
We have an incredible communication system built into our being. This system tells us exactly what it needs to heal. Our body know how to heal itself. It is the body's natural state to be healthy and it knows how to reach that end.
This process took me to some very wounded areas. This, I discovered, is why I originally contracted the MS. I needed to heal my abusive past and bring in the love that my being so desperately needed. Not just human love but also the deep healing of God's love.
During the years of my healing process I developed a strong and intimate relationship with my body and the illness. They became my best friends. I wanted only to support and love them, to listen and attend to their needs. It was almost like taking care of a needing baby or child. You have to surrender to what is being asked of you, with love, and you receive great rewards in return.
In these years, I learned that fear is an illusion! Fear is a familiar presence for those facing a debilitating disease. It sure was to me. One day I was so tired of trying to outrun the fear that I finally turned around in anger and stared it down. I was amazed to learn that, behind the fear was the truth of the situation-and that the truth was always the exact opposite of the fear. But I had to face the fear first to get to the truth. I began to look forward to facing the fear so I could see what the truth might be. Truth was always so much kinder than the fear!
At the time of my diagnosis, I was immensely out of balance and alignment. My four-year healing process walked me, step by step, back to my natural balance. I knew the day, the moment, that I hit my balance. I felt it. All the cogs slipped into alignment with each other. Whoop! I hit balance! The healing was complete!
Aftermath
But there was a part of me that didn't want to completely let go of the MS. This I discovered when I went to Dr. Ibrahim Jaffe's school for energetic healing. The MS had become my meter in life, always letting me know when I was "off". I would simply go to the symptom and it would tell me where and how to get back to balance. The thought of letting go of this companion was like saying good-bye to a very dear friend. But, eventually, through more energetic healing, I released it and replaced it with God. Now my relationship with the Divine lets me know when I am out of balance.
More importantly, I discovered a deeper reason to exist in the world. It is to give back. I realized that God gave me this incredible gift of healing and I am now to share it with others who struggle with MS. All the information out there says you can't heal the disease, it is incurable, there are only drugs to take to treat it. But I can say with certainty that there are other possibilities for its healing! I am now the person I was searching for when I was first diagnosed. I remember thinking then, "if I can find one person who has healed themselves of MS, then I can too".
The process of connecting with and embracing your inner healer is an exquisite experience. It does however require a sincere and strong commitment to the healing process. When that commitment is made, it is possible to heal multiple sclerosis, or stop its progression, or at least to feel a whole lot better. I am living proof of it. I believe that the information essential for healing lives within us all. I am convinced that this is true for MS or any disease, injury or disorder. It is about surrendering completely, to God, to the deep love, to the innate inner healer within, and then listening deeply and trusting what you hear. Illness can be our most profound teacher.
What a simple, profound, loving and amazing process, where all of the answers are intact, inside and available through the very thing that is the issue. I found that the answer to healing the MS is IN the MS. And that my greatest fear became my greatest gift.
Christine-Yazmin Albright has been symptom free for the past eight years and considers herself completely healed from Multiple Sclerosis. Using her own experience with her illness combined with her three-year formal education from the Jaffe Institute of Spiritual and Medical Healing, she now has a practice in Portland, Oregon, and has started the Multiple Sclerosis Alternative Healing & Care Center, working with people with Multiple Sclerosis and other diseases. Christine can be reached at: (503) 695-2907 or healingms@yahoo.com
Reach For The Skies! - Sylvia Brown
In each issue I would like to include one of your own stories telling of your MS Experience. If you would like to share your story, please forward it, along with photos if possible, to me at donna@mswithattitude.ca
Sylvia Brown, 29, lives in Sheffield, England. She began noticing the symptoms of MS at the age of 21. Now, 8 years later, having discovered many ways of living with MS, she contributes regularly to "New Pathways" magazine and works with the Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre out of the U.K. She is the founder of "MS With Attitude" in that part of the world, and works tirelessly to convey the message to people with MS that you don't have to be a Victim to this illness.
Sylvie shares her story:
When I was diagnosed with MS I was very frightened. I thought I would soon be confined to a wheelchair and that my life would be over. I tried my best to get on with my life but the MS was always there, progressing, and whispering to me, "You are living on borrowed time you know!"
By 24 my mobility began to visibly deteriorate. I could no longer hide the MS, so I decided to tell the world by jumping out of an airplane at 13,000 feet!
My tandem skydive for MS made Front Page news and raised £2000 for MS Charities. Everyone said I was really brave but to me, brave was getting up in the morning and facing the world with MS!
Looking back, I see my tandem skydive as a turning point. The response I got from the people of Sheffield gave me the hope and courage to fight on. Six months after my jump however, finding myself wheelchair bound and in free-fall decline I knew that I had to start trying to Take Control of MS myself. I logged onto the internet and talked with MSers from all over the world. It was wonderful, suddenly I was no longer alone! Immediately I started changing my life! I went to see a good Nutrition Consultant, and he started me on the MS Diet, based on white meat, fish, fruit and vegetables and vitamin supplements, in particular D3, to try to stabilize my progressive condition. I felt like I had nothing to lose by trying and only my life to gain.
Since this time 5 years ago, there have been good times and bad times with the MS, but overall the MS has not progressed at all. I am gaining in strength and can even walk short distances with just a stick. After a relapse I bounce back and recover naturally so although I still have MS, it is a lot more stable and I no longer live with the fear of MS. As times goes by, I am improving in my health, energy levels and functionality. Although it is a long road to recovery, I am gradually achieving more and more and reclaiming more independence and control over different aspects of my life again.
My tandem skydive has even lead me to finding my Mr. Right, well Mr wRight actually. Through the skydive publicity I made friends with former pop-star Stephen Singleton from ABC! Stephen really helped me get my life back on track by taking me swimming every week. When I decided I wanted to purchase a mobility scooter, he introduced me to his Uncle, Steve Wright, who runs 'Fair Price Mobility', and this lead to romance! Yes, I bought the scooter, and got the scooter man too! Over 4 years later, Steve and I are still going strong and looking forward to a bright future together!
Last year I achieved another ambition! I did an Abseil off the Bristol Hotel in Sheffield on the 21st of July 2002. It was Awesome and my disability didn't stop me. I raised £1200 and the other five in the "Great Sheffield Abseil" Team raised at least another £500.
At the present time, I am on the verge of achieving my long term goals, my final steps towards independence from the system, both physically and financially; moving in with my man, managing a great deal more without the wheelchair, and getting back to work! My greatest leap of faith yet, and here's hoping the ropes are secure as I launch myself over the edge!
Sylvia's website: Life After MS
The human body is certainly complex, but what it asks of us is very simple. An automobile is made up of about 15,000 parts and is also complex. Remarkably, all you do is turn the key and it starts. With your body, the ignition key is eating right. Good nutrition is good preventive maintenance, and more.
Good nutrition does not directly cure disease; the body does. You provide the raw materials and the inborn wisdom of your body makes the repairs. You provide the bricks and mortar and the mason builds the wall. Without supplies, the most skilled workman on earth can build nothing. Without plenty of nutrients, the body can't, either. Our role is so simple because the body is so capable.
A common remaining question is, "If the body cures itself, then why doesn't it cure itself of really serious disease?"
It comes down to this: living healthfully is prevention AND cure for most ailments of humanity. That is indeed simple. It is also true, it works, and you can prove it.
HOW TO BEGIN FOR FREE
We all have something we can do to improve ourselves. What are your bad habits? What is keeping you from feeling better? Below is a list, with my opinion of the very worst first. Go through this list and see what freight YOU can drop overboard to avoid becoming a sinking ship.
Just what are you willing to do to get better? If you limit your answer, you are limiting your success. Do everything possible to enjoy good health. Don't worry about being called a "health nut." What are the others called, then? "Disease nuts?"
It has been said that Mother Nature will not be fooled... at least not for long. If you are what you eat, and you eat a lot of worthless stuff, don't expect good health. If you provide your body with good food and a happy life style, you will feel better and look better. Lincoln said that anyone over age 55 is responsible for his face. We are most likely responsible for even more than that.
HUMOUR, SORT OF:
So this guy asks, "Can I still get into heaven if I don't take vitamins?" And the answer is, "Yes, and a lot quicker, too."
From the "Doctor Yourself" newsletter
Each issue will feature a recipe, preferably one that is free from gluten, dairy, soy and eggs as these foods can cause autoimmune reactions and are common allergens (More information at Direct-MS) Feel free to contribute! This one I make all the time and I forgot where I originally got it... probably from Betty Iams!
CHICKEN WITH RICE DINNER - Serves 4
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
1-1/4 Cups broth - (I use organic "No-Chicken Broth" by Imagine Naturals or you can make your own)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. paprika
2 - 3 cups cooked brown rice
2 Tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
Fresh or frozen broccoli flowerets or mixed veggies of your choice
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