This year, the MS Bike Ride Fund Raiser will be doing something a bit different. They have reached out to those of us that are "Riding with MS" to be ambassadors for the ride. We each get a jersey that states "I Ride With MS". This is to help those that are both riding and watching be aware that not only are they riding to help those with MS, those with MS are riding to help others that aren't able to ride YET!
I don't know that my story is unique, but it is amazing. When I was first diagnosed I was given a grim outlook. It seemed at the rate that the disease was traveling, I would be in a wheelchair within five years. This was in 1991. This thought didn't appeal to me very much. I couldn't walk without holding on to something as my balance was non-existent. I had optical neuritis in my left eye and was unable to see. I was numb from the waist down.
My Doctor and I tackled the MS very aggressively. I've had more Prednisone than I care to think about. I've had Solu-medrol (what I call Prednisone on steroids) via IV on a regular basis. I've taken Beta Seron, Avonex, and finally Copaxone as injectables to help my body rebuild itself.
I developed an immunity to interferon, that meant Beta Seron and Avonex no longer worked for me. Copaxone has a different make up and rather than working on the myelin sheath, it worked on the lesions in my brain, keeping them contained so that they were no longer interfering with the nervous system in the body.
In 2001 my right knee began to lock up and I was unable to move it. It's funny how excited I tend to get when I discover that I have a "real" problem and not something caused by MS. I had part of my thigh bone fall out due to the large amount of steriods that I had taken and the small bone chips were floating around under my knee cap. When they positioned themselves in a certain place, my knee locked up. I had knee surgery to remove the bone chips. My Orthopedic gave me the chips in a small vial and I still have them today.
My Orthopedic also gave me some very good advice, he said to start lifting weights to build my bone strength. He also said, "use it or lose it." I didn't want to lose it. So began a huge transformation in my life. I started lifting weights. I began to walk and then I began to run. My balance improved as my determination got stronger.
My husband decided to put me on a bike and to my surprise, I didn't fall over or run into a ditch! I WAS getting better! I began taking better care of my physical self and I moved it all the time and not only was I not "losing it", I was gaining it back.
I became a Reiki Master and added energy work to my team and I continued to improve.
I had an appointment with my Neurologist on December 17, 2012 and I had already decided to discuss with him the possibility of doing a trial run without drugs. In my Reiki practice I never advocate ceasing to use anything that has been prescribed by a physician unless my client has discussed it with their physician. I would do no less in my own life.
He agreed to a trial run with one condition, that I take 4000 units of Vitamin D daily. I agreed and the trial run began. In March, 2013, I went on prescription Vitamin D as I was still at a level that was too low.
In July of this year, I went back for a recheck. He has watched this "trial run" carefully. My Vitamin D level was up to 77! Perfect. My physical check up was the best one that I've ever had. For the first time ever, I could close my eyes and touch my nose with my finger. It might not sound like much to some, but it is a milestone of how far I've come. It's been eight months now that I've taken nothing but Vitamin D and I have had the best physical exam that I have ever had.
So, yes, this year I "Ride with MS" and I hope that those who see me can get inspired. I want those with MS to gain hope and know that bodies change. This is a disease that is constantly changing, those changes don't always have to be for the worse.
I am asking for donations for the ride and to help others with this diagnosis. Things have come so far and with continued research in both science and holistic practices, things are changing rapidly. Funds are needed to continue the process. Please donate through my website http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/DebbieNaillon so that others may "Ride with MS" as well. In some cases, so that they may walk with MS.
Thank you.
Debbie
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