New Year with Multiple Sclerosis

As 2012 comes to an end my wife and I are already setting goals for next year.  Over this past year my wife has lost 35 lbs, had very few major MS issues, learned more about how to treat her MS and she is ready to take 2013 by storm.  She has already set a goal of losing another 15 lbs and I have no doubt that she will lose it before summer because she is already starting to focus on her eating again.  One of the other big goals we have for this year is to completely wipe out our debt.  We have been lazy about budgeting this last year so over the next week we will have our whole year mapped out.  Cash is king so we are going on an all cash budget starting January 1. 

Right now my wife is already starting to go through our house and unclutter our home.  We know that extra clutter is just taking emotional energy so over this next year we are downsizing our "stuff."  We already have a plan in place to have a big garage sale to not only get rid of our stuff, but to pay off more debt.  We are already bringing in extra income from our online efforts and Christmas was good to us online, so we will put that money towards debt too.  We really feel like less stuff and less debt will help both of us.

Over this last year my wife has really felt like she is taking more and more control over her MS.  She had less major issues and anytime we felt like she might have problems, we immediately took action and did the things we know to do to treat her MS.  I know that we both feel like we know more about how to treat her MS, what warning signs we need to watch for and are looking forward to her health getting better and better. 

What goals are you setting for the new year?  Are you starting a new career?  Will you be traveling somewhere special this year?  What are you going to do for your health this year?
 

Stresses of Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis

If you have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis or are going through the testing now to figure out exactly what's causing your symptoms, then you know that this process can be stressful, frustrating and long.  When my wife first started the testing for her MS over 20 years ago, she felt like a lab rat.  They ran test after test and everything kept coming back negative.  If you're knowledgeable about how MS is diagnosed, then you know that there isn't a single test or even a battery of tests that will give a clear diagnosis.  My wife had MRI's, a spinal tap, blood testing etc. and everything kept coming back negative.  Even her MRI showed no spots or issues, but all of her symptoms pointed to MS.

I'm not a doctor, and this is not medical advise so please don't take it as such.  What I'm writing this for is all of those individuals out there that are frustrated and stressed out because they've spent months and months trying to figure out what is causing their fatigue, numbness, tingling, pain or whatever other symptom they may have.  My wife saw multiple neurologists and no one would diagnose her with MS until she went to see Dr Roy L Swank in Oregon.  Dr. Swank spent years and years researching MS and he developed the Swank MS diet to combat the effects of MS.  During her first visit to his clinic he immediately diagnosed her and put her on the diet.  We both really wish Dr. Swank was still alive and practicing because his treatment and counsel helped us through many rough spots with my wife's health.

Here is what I have learned about the diagnosis of MS.  Since there is no definitive test, the diagnosis is based on the symptoms and multiple testing that is done.  In other words, MS is a collection of specific symptoms and can be very difficult to diagnosis.  The other thing I learned when we ran a Naturopathic Doctor's office was natural treatment of diet, rest, supplements etc. can do amazing things for auto immune diseases like MS.  Starting a healthy diet can happen today and is something that anyone can do to make their health better.  Our Naturopathic Doctor really believed in the Breaking the Vicious Cycle diet for Auto Immune diseases.  We were able to see the successes of this diet and used it ourselves for some time.  I say all of this to say don't get depressed, frustrated and feel like you have no control because in our experience, anyone can better their health with a few simple things like diet and limiting stress in their life.  My wife completely understands the desperation that can come from wanting to know what is causing her health issues, and over time we have decided to take control of what we can and not stress about what we have no control over.  Take control of what you can today like diet, rest and limiting stress in your life and know that it can get better.  My wife is a living testament to this.

Update on Online Business

I've had a lot of response on a previous post about online marketing that I do to create passive income for my family, so I thought I would update you on one of my recent efforts.  Many Muliple Sclerosis patients are not able to work full time and they would like to supplement their income with a business online.  Over the last few years I have been working my way through the "mess" that is internet marketing to find a few systems that actually work.  One of those is a system utilizing a free platform called Squidoo that I found about 2 months ago. 

This particular product was created by a mom that wanted to stay home with her kids, and worked to create a substantial online business to support her family.  The system is super simple, providing all of the information on how to setup simple Squidoo Lens to drive traffic to Amazon.  You receive a percentage of anything the visitor buys on Amazon along with additional income you can earn from Squidoo itself.  After 2 months of building lenses, I have about 25 up now and have sold a little over 50 products on Amazon this month.  I can do the research, build the lens, and have it up and running in just a few hours, and since it's on Squidoo it's free to build.  I don't have any hosting costs or domain name costs.  Pretty sweet deal to create income without any financial outlay.

If you are looking for a system to create income online, I would highly recommend Squid Pro Quo.  You can view the sales page here -  www.warriorplus.com/w/a/rhdfr.  I want to be totally up front with you and let you know that I make money from selling this product.  That's not why I'm recommending it to you though, I'm recommending it because it really does work.  I hesitated to even put the link on my blog because I don't want this blog to be about selling something.  If you've noticed I don't put ads on my blog or anything else because I want it to be about helping those with Multiple Sclerosis.  If your like me, money struggles can be one of the most stressful issues in your life and if I can help a few people to relieve some of that stress then it's worth it.  If you want to know more shoot me an email or leave a comment and I will do my best to share what I've learned.  If you do end up purchasing it, please let me know and I will help you if you have any questions.

Multiple Sclerosis Dizziness

Through the last six months my wife has worked extremely hard to listen to her body as she is having issues to see what she can do to help.  One of the issues she struggles with off and on is dizziness.  Sometimes its dizziness that leads to vertigo type symptoms and other times it's more of an annoyance that she just deals with throughout the day.  One thing she has learned is that she can stop the issue with rest and water, and if she drinks a lot of soda or tea it can bring on the symptoms.

This last week we went out to eat after a stressful day.  She and I both drank sweet tea and she drank 3 full glasses.  After driving back to the our offices, we were standing around outside the vehicle and the dizziness hit her.  Within minutes she could feel her head spinning and knew she needed to get home.  She went home, laid down and drank water and the dizziness went away.  I think it amazes both of us how quickly her body reacts to things, whether good or bad. 

She knows she has to drink plenty of water to keep her body hydrated and pays for it when she doesn't.  Years ago when we first started researching Naturopathy and how to treat MS differently, the first seminar I went to was on how dehydration affects MS and other Auto Immune diseases.  Since then, my wife has tried to make sure she drinks plenty of water every day and finds out really quickly when she doesn't drink enough.  The only other treatment we have used for dizziness is Chiropractic, and she is adjusted regularly so usually we don't have to take a special trip to the Chiropractor for dizziness. 

Can't Work Because Of Multiple Sclerosis, What Now?

My wife has been fortunate enough to not have to worry about working full time the majority of our marriage, but many individuals with MS don't have that option. Many have to work full time and are the main providers for their families. This is stress that many times causes more MS issues, which is why my wife and I have chosen a lifestyle that allows her to work if she wants, but she doesn't have to. Currently we run an all girl's children's home and she works part time filling the gaps we have in our staff. Since she isn't full time or punching a clock, she can stop when she needs to and rest. We both know that we are extremely lucky

For those that have had to give up full time work, or are looking to add some additional income for their family, we may have a solution. I hesitated to write about this on my blog because I refuse to sell anything on this blog, or add a bunch of ads etc. to the blog. I really want this to be a safe, truthful place about our experiences with MS and nothing more. After so many emails and comments about families struggling to make a living and life, I felt like I needed to share what we have learned. For the last year I have been learning affiliate marketing online, and have created a consistent supplemental income for my family.

Like any other business, affiliate marketing takes a lot of work and patience. There is a lot to learn and a lot of "gurus" out there that want you to give them hundreds or thousands of dollars for them to teach you how to make money online. I spent money and bought quite a few programs before I found one that has worked, and recently found an even easier, quicker way to create an income stream. There are many different methods that work, and I have only made money from a few. I am now working on replacing my income so that my wife and I can spend time doing what we want, instead of what we feel like we have to do.

So, I wrote this for any of you that might want to know more about how I've made money online. I'm not going to put any links on here to the products or systems I've used, but would rather you email me if you are really interested in knowing more. We know how tough it can be when you have an MS attack and your body won't cooperate, and this is a legitimate way to make money through all of that. If you want to know more shoot me an email at mywifehasms@gmail.com, and hopefully I can keep you from wasting time and money on systems and products that don't work, and show you products that I've used that I know work.

Blood Pressure and Multiple Sclerosis

It's been a while since I've posted because our life has been a little crazy. My wife is doing well, even with the craziness and many different physical and emotional drains on her body. One thing she came across recently is that her blood pressure is low. She was noticing some weird feelings in her body and on an off chance she checked it a few weeks ago. The numbers came back low so we purchased a blood pressure monitor and began to check it regularly. I'm sure glad we did because I learned that I have high blood pressure and have already went to the doctor to have it checked. After a few weeks of checking her blood pressure, she figured out quickly that she needed to increase her water intake to help with this issue. As long as she is drinking plenty of water her blood pressure is fine, but if she doesn't drink water and drinks soda or tea, she starts to feel bad. We both knew how important water intake was for our bodies, but neither of us ever thought about her blood pressure being low and how drinking water impacted blood pressure. We are always learning and she has become very good about "listening" to her body and taking action when she needs to. It's been almost 23 years since she was diagnosed with MS, and she is still figuring out how to live a healthier life.

Life Goes On With MS

So many emails I receive are from individuals with newly diagnosed MS. They are scared, and have more questions than answers. If they've searched the internet for MS symptoms, just diagnosed with MS, living with MS, etc., they have probably been led to many blogs and websites that give a bleak future for the MS patient. Well, I can only speak from my wife's experiences, but I can tell you that you can have MS and live a very full, active life. The last few months my wife has been working on losing weight, becoming healthier and having more control over her MS. She started with a juice fast a few months ago and has continued to become healthier by losing over 35 lbs, eating better, exercising with care, listening to her body and resting, and being more aware of her stress level and need for chiropractic. Because of this, she has had very limited MS symptoms in months and we have pushed hard with trips, church camps and the heat of summer. This last week alone, she had very little sleep at camp, spent all day working with teens, helped outside in 100 degree heat, and pushed hard from morning till night. She had one morning she experienced a headache and a few times in the heat that she had to step inside and cool off, but outside of that, she did amazing and was able to keep up at a pace with everyone else. I am so proud of her and her efforts the last few months because she has been more consistent and determined than I have seen her in a long time. She looks great, has lots of energy, and is feeling great. She has participated in cycling classes, climbed mountains in New Mexico, kept up with teens at church camp and been more active than I've seen her in a long time. There was a time not too many years ago that we wondered if she was going to be able to walk again, and through a lot of trial and error, we found some very specific ways that she was able to control her MS and overcome any issues she was having. I guess I am writing this today because so many newly diagnosed Multiple Sclerosis patients struggle to have hope for their future, and so many others are fighting for a normal life. Fatigue, headaches, numbness, pain, stomach issues, twitching, loss of movement, leg pain and weakness, MS hug, eyesight issues, cramping, dizziness, memory issues, brain fog and many other symptoms have all been issues my wife has dealt with over the 22+ years she has been diagnosed with MS, but she continues to fight for a better life and has been able to overcome those symptoms. Life can go on, and my wife has worked hard to be healthy not only for herself, but for me and our daughter. Living with MS is not easy, and one thing I have learned from talking with so may different individuals with MS is that not everything that has worked for my wife will work for them the same way. Patience, trial and error and having the hope that there are definitely treatments that will work have kept my wife striving for better health and a better life. Life goes on after diagnosis of MS, and there can be some really rough times, but I know for my wife that she has struggled through those and has continued to become healthier and live a full life. So, please don't let diagnosis or MS attacks stop you from hoping for a better future and a full life. That is one of the main reasons we started this blog, to share our experiences in the hope that it would help someone. We are an open book, so if there are any questions you have please shoot them our way, and don't ever lose hope that there are treatments and ways for you to have more control over MS.