Immune Boosters - Whether You Have MS or Not

I'm pretty open about my recent diagnosis of MS. Most people with whom I've talked express their sorrow for me and those who know me wonder why this happened in the first place. My own mother and I discussed this at great length when the diagnosis was made. I felt like my body had betrayed me. For years I had given it healthy foods, plenty of sleep, reduced stress and kept it fit by exercising six days a week.

However, when I now see how quickly I'm getting a handle on things in comparison to some with MS who take years (I'm not kidding) to get their disease under control, I realize my body is more of an ally than a foe in this. I have created an environment for health and therefore, my body is responding by giving me a quicker recovery. I'm not going to say that I'll never have another exacerbation or lesion or problem from MS, but I will say that I'm better able to cope with and heal from the problems that arise because I've fostered a healthy environment for my cells.

When I think about all the people who get MS and suddenly have to make drastic life changes, I'm grateful. I already eat clean and take excellent care of my body. I take it one day at a time and am constantly praising God for blessing me with such a good life, lots of positive support people and loads of great information and tools to help me continually improve my health.

I've now had my second infusion of Tysabri (disease modifying therapy drug) and I'm feeling pretty good. One thing this drug is supposed to do is slow down the destruction of my myelin in my brain. Lesions are given time to heal and no new lesions develop…is what they tell me. Wanna know why? My immune system is suppressed.

Goodie.

Part of making myself as healthy as possible now, so I can combat the MS includes adding more nourishing foods to my already super clean way of life. I haven't had any processed flour or sugar in nearly five years. Now I'm eating almost entirely paleo (no/low grains and absolutely no wheat).   So, here are some of the things I'm doing to help my immune system fight off bugs.

• drink 12 to 16 ounces of water first thing in the morning
• daily detox with lemon and peppermint essential oils from doTerra in my water bottle
• beet detox smoothie every day (Dr. Wahls, who is known for her natural healing methods in reversing her own MS gave me this idea). The recipe I like best are shared in this 30-minute webinar . I've been tweaking the recipe for a while and I'm excited to share it! If you want the recipe, I share it in this post and video.
• take fish oil, vitamin D and a B-complex mix along with vitamin C and several other vitamins I'll detail in another blog
• go for a walk every day
• do yoga 5x a week (or more)
• practice daily, conscious positive thought
• breathe
• go to bed when I'm tired—no matter what!

So, what kinds of immune boosters have you found to work? For more tips and an in-depth talk on how to boost your immune system, check out this post and video. 

Invisible Suffering

A month ago, I was struggling with balance and leg weakness. Most people didn't notice, except for when I attempted to wear high heels to church. Wobbles-ville. I felt like I was stumbling around with a leaden left leg.

Often, the symptoms of MS aren't noticeable. If you're wondering what some of these invisible symptoms might be, or what's really going on inside someone with MS, watch this.

In my church, one of my favorite hymns states, "in the quiet heart is hidden, sorrow that the eye can't see." That verse is ever present in my mind when I now look at others who may appear to be well put together. We all have a sad story to tell. Most of us don't show it on our face or even in our body. But, I can assure you, it's there. The beauty of what I've learned is that there is so much to be happy for in life and when you stop to cheer someone else along the way, you also benefit.

Take a look at those around you. Treat them with kindness and consideration whether you believe they have it all together or not.

Life changer

Yes, I know it's been nine months since I posted anything. Why would I choose to post on my blog now of all times? No...I did not have a baby. No, I don't have fabulous tips for making an easy holiday meal (well, maybe I do: book a reservation at your favorite restaurant and burn scented candles at home. Boom!) No one died either (well a friend's husband did, but he was close to 100 and nearly perfect).

Yesterday I received a diagnosis of MS.

My older sister was with me and helped me through the experience as best as she could. She also offered to write a letter to my family and act as a buffer. So, I'm posting her letter here...since I'm sure there will be questions.

First, here's a photo of my 40th birthday weekend in July 2013, since that was right before the symptoms started. Good times.


Here's what my sister wrote to my family:

I hope that you are all doing well.  I'm writing per Pam's request.  I attended a doctors appointment with her this morning to see a Neurologist specializing in Multiple Sclerosis.    Pam has been experiencing some troubling symptoms for a couple months now.  Dr. Foley was very thorough with his exam and his review of a MRI taken a couple months ago when she started having some foggy vision.  That and the numbness, tingling, weakness in limbs, hypersensitivity to heat/cold on one side of her body and lesions on her brain all led him to diagnose Pam as having Multiple Sclerosis.  As you can imagine this is very difficult news to hear and Pam took it as well as could be expected.   

"MS is an autoimmune disease where your immune system attacks your central nervous system (CNS) by mistake. This attack damages myelin, the coating that protects nerve fibers in the brain, spinal cord, and eyes. When these nerve fibers become damaged, they lose the ability to send signals that help you think, move, or see."

(If you would like to find out more about Multiple Sclerosis, you can find a very informative video here: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/what-we-know-about-ms/what-is-ms/index.aspx)

Pam will be undergoing some immediate treatment and further tests to first, mitigate the symptoms of the disease, and second, to determine the aggressiveness of her MS (it's different for everyone).  She started on a course of steroidal infusions this afternoon and will have those for another 2 days.  She'll be getting another MRI done but this time on her spinal cord to determine if there are lesions on that as well as on her brain.   There are other tests too, and I'll gladly tell you about them if you ask. (Note: blood work and eye exams.)

You may feel overwhelmed by this information and want to help but not know how.  Pam will need our love and support as she navigates through learning how this will impact her life.  Right as this very moment however, she's still grieving.    It would be most helpful, if for the first few days we give Pam time to process the emotions and reactions to this news, and refrain from calling her to inquire about it.   Flowers, cards, email messages and texts (without expecting a reply) I'm sure would help to buoy her spirits.  If you have any questions about what going on, I'd love to talk with you about it, so give ME a call!   Please just don't call Pam right now.  She needs some time.

-------

And, I do. I'll blog more about it as things progress.

Love to you all!

End-of-Year Review

Doing a year-end review is eye-opening. Loads of wonderful things happened in 2012:

The toddler was successfully potty trained.

We took a fun family vacation to Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona for spring break.

My best friend from childhood visited me and we spent a weekend at Snowbird, including a day at the Cliff Spa.

Our family travelled to Chicago for two weeks.

I started running and triathlon training again and competed in my first triathlon after adrenal fatigue.

I painted a lot more and started sharing my art with people on this blog.

My sweet daughter was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I ran my first 10K and half marathon.

My parents celebrated 50 years of marriage and I celebrated 19 years of marriage. 

Oh, and I was fired from my job on April 9, 2012.

Of all the things that happened in 2012, getting fired has been the biggest catalyst. 

I haven't written about getting fired because I was so upset and frustrated. I didn't want to write in anger and appear bitter or vindictive. But, I was both of those things for a long time. The crazy thing about getting let go is that it completely minimizes you. In my case I had no warning and was completely blindsided when I had worked so hard to show my employers how much I wanted to help the company succeed. In the end, though, I wasn't enough...and that's what devastated me. 

Now, though, I can look back and see all the beautiful things getting fired taught me. 

• Getting close to your kids and husband is fulfilling and joyful
• Nurturing talents feeds your soul in a lasting way 
• Personal value is deeper than your career or job
• Meetings are overrated and more often than not—unnecessary
• Focusing on your blessings and helping others will always help you feel happy

Although I wouldn't wish that on anyone, I am grateful for the lessons I've learned about life, about human nature and about what's really important. I'm ready now and looking forward to the lessons of 2013.

The Longest Run Ever

I went for a trail run the other day. Lately I've only run two miles around my neighborhood, but I decided to kick it up a notch and run along the trail and road at City Creek for three miles. I was feeling pretty good about myself doing the first part of the loop on the trail and the second part on the road. Trotting along next to the sound of rushing water, chirping birds and the quiet of the mountains is better than any iTunes playlist. Plus, it's very peaceful in the morning. I was so relaxed, I even paused to take a photo of these lovely flowers.

About 100 yards from my car, I reached down and realized my key wasn't in my pocket!

All sorts of things ran through my head. Why didn't I hear it if it fell out? Did the ten almonds I had in my pocket cause the key to slip out? Could it have fallen out while I took the picture? Was I so oblivious I didn't notice that large key thing no longer attached to my hip? I called Carl. He told me to look by the car. I did. It wasn't there. I started to panic a little. I felt the sinking feeling of being stranded.

Reluctantly, I called the dealership. To replace the specialized Audi key I would need to pay $200. What?! 

I spent the next three hours going back over my path, talking to people, praying like crazy, crying a bit, feeling sorry for myself, texting Carl to get all the girls to pray and searching desperately for my key. I ran and walked that three mile route two more times (9 miles!). I talked to one of the guys who works in the canyon and water shed area, gave him my phone number and told him about the $200 charge he'd save me if he and his guys found the key.

I was feeling floppy and despondent about two miles into my third journey around that loop. My phone only had 10% battery power left. Thirsty, hungry and filled with shame for losing the pricey key, I started to cry.

Then, my phone rang.

The cheery lady on the line was from the water shed. They found my key! Actually, a trail runner found it about a foot off the path and turned it into one of the workers. I nearly sprinted that last mile to get to the gate at the bottom of the canyon where the guy I originally talked to had my key. When I saw him, I practically threw myself at his feet and kissed them. I didn't though. I said a prayer of thanks and took this picture.

Whether you believe in prayer or not, I know that answers come. Maybe not as quickly as we'd like, but they do come. God understands where we are and what we need. I needed to find that key. He helped me; I know He did. He also helped me run and not be weary and walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)