Well, it's my turn

[Elhuero]

Every once in a while a member makes a post describing a problem they're going through and requests prayers and good vibes to help.

After procrastinating a couple of days now it's my turn.

I have MS.

Around the end of March I started feeling dizzy. Eventually it got so bad I landed in the hospital. unable to stand, had to crawl. sitting stationary in a chair felt like I was on a carnival ride. Made studying for school impossible.

While I was in the hospital I told my folks that I'd rather lose a leg than feel like that all the time. Well, God heard me.

Around last week the dizziness and vertigo abated, but my left leg went numb, followed by my right. The right is not as bad, just good enough to walk, very slowly and arduously, with a cane. My left foot wants to point down all the time. I know the calf muscle is cramping but I can't feel it. So, when I walk I have to rotate the left leg to the side with each step, because the toe is pointed down and I don't have the strength to lift it up far enough to take a forward step I'm pretty close to needing a wheelchair.

At this point my body from chest down is numb, as are my arms from elbow to hand. I can study for school, but I can barely write. Getting to class is a real chore.

The nearest appointment I could get with a neurologist was the end of July, and everything will be out of pocket as I do not have health insurance. (that is a whole other, long story that I'll get into later) Being a single, middle aged male I don't qualify for squat from the government, thought I was able to get a handicapped parking tag.

On top of that, the treatment for MS flare ups is usually IV steroids like solumedrol, that for some reason with me inflame my pancreas. This causes excruciating pancreatitis and usually lands me in the hospital as pancreatitis can be life threatening.

I'm a man of faith, and I've had prayers answered before so if you can spare a moment please say one for me, I sure could use it. I'm in a bad way and I have a long haul ahead, and it's been hard the last couple of days to keep my spirits up. My biggest fear is a bad fall.

I'm not alone. My parents have been a great help to me. They are covering my bills. But they are getting up there in years and being a burden (they wouldn't call me that, but I feel like it) on them breaks my heart.

If you can stand up and walk across the room, count your blessings. I've been counting mine as well, even though I have hardship I'm not in terrible pain and for that I'm thankful.

I know others here are having tough times, financial problems, divorces, etc. I'll be praying for you, please do likewise for me. All you atheists just think a happy thought and put out some positive vibes for me.

When I finally get to see the doc, maybe treatments will help me improve, maybe they won't. I just had to post this because today was a low point for me.

Tomorrow will be better, I've already decided.

[Scanker19]

I'll put some nice thoughts in for you, if you something I'm here in town and be willing to help if you need something.

[Krasni]

Sorry to hear it, man. You got my prayer.

[Irving]

I think it took some guts to post all this up. You've got some good thoughts from me, and I'll share this with my fiance, who has about the strongest relationship with God of anyone I've ever met. Keep on trucking.

[hip55]

Sorry to hear this -

One thing though- many times aspetame (Nutri Sweet) poisoning is misdiagnosed for MS or Lupus, so eliminate it from your diet & see how you feel.

It's some very toxic stuff.

[Gunner]

Sorry to hear this man

my prayers go out to you

[nogaroheli]

Wow, you're 1,000 times the man I am. If I was in your shoes I wouldn't be such a class act. I'm praying for you as I type this and will continue to do so. Please let us know if we can do anything to help you, I hope you recover quickly and fully!

[KevDen2005]

Prayers are with you buddy...

[DFBrews]

thoughts in your direction. took some balls to post up.

[spyder]

(Don't think I'm a crackpot when I mention this) If you are not terribly allergic to bee stings and don't think that "alternative" treatments are a bunch of crap just because the main stream medical field doesn't accept them, look into bee sting therapy which is formally called apitherapy. Not kidding. Not only have I read a bunch on this, I also know of two people who have tried it, (one gave up after a month thinking it was going to be an instant miracle cure thing, plus he was a wussy) one has gone from a wheel chair (and barely being able to use that) to a walker in 8 months. I hate the woman (X-mother in-law), but I told her about it anyway and her husband made her do it. Seriously guy, look into it. Just remember when looking into it, mainstream medical doesn't like this all that much because it cuts into their pocket books.

(Reuters) - Being stung by a bee would have most people rushing to hospital, expect at one Beijing clinic where patients queue up to be pricked into good health.
Bee sting therapy, which involves placing live bees on a patient's body at certain pressure points, dates back over 3,000 years in China and was considered legal in 2007.
It is similar to acupuncture in that it uses bees stingers instead of needles and the same principles, but the bees' toxin, which doctors say is a natural medicine, is essential, making the treatment like an injection.
Doctors at the Kang Tai Bee Clinic, a traditional Chinese medical facility in northeast Beijing, say the therapy has proved effective in curing diseases such as rheumatism and arthritis, as well as a list of other ailments.
"The bee therapy has an obvious effect on patients with bone and joint diseases," said Wang Jing, a doctor at the clinic.
"This treatment relies mainly on the bees' poison, which can help blood circulation, reduce inflammation and ease pain."
The bees used for the treatment are a hybrid of species from Italy and the Gulf, and are kept on the clinic grounds. Their 0.3 mm-long stings, which contain about 0.3 mg of toxin, make them suitable for the therapy, doctors say.
For the treatment, doctors use tweezers to pick up bees from the hive, placing them one by one on the pressure point of the painful area.
The bee then instinctively stings its "enemy" and dies. The stinger is then left in the body for several hours, and patients say it helps to ease their discomfort.
The doctors, who undergo strict training, decide how long the stinger should stay in body, and how many bees should be used in the treatment. At the very most, a patient can be stung more than a hundred times. At the very least, four or five times.
The center sees an average of 30 patients daily, while more than 50 can queue up during the weekend. Doctors say that the treatment has become so popular that they are considering expanding the clinic in the next year.
Some patients even travel long distances from remote areas of China to try out the unique treatment, which at around 120 yuan ($18), is much cheaper than most conventional medical treatments........
http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/...62L4J220100322

Discovery Health
For centuries, honey, bee pollen, and bee venom have been used to treat a number of ailments that vary between chronic pain to skin conditions. Apitherapy, or the medical use of honeybee products that range from royal jelly to bee venom, was used by the ancient Egyptians as a homeopathic remedy for arthritis. Today, bee venom therapy, or bee sting therapy, has captured the attention of medical science as a potential homeopathic remedy for multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms.
Bee venom therapy (BVT), or apitherapy, uses the stings of live bees to relieve symptoms of MS such as pain, loss of coordination, and muscle weakness. Stinging is not limited to any specific area of the body, as stings in different places seem to produce different results. Apitherapy researchers suggest that certain compounds in bee venom, namely melittin and adolapin, help reduce inflammation and pain, and that the combination of all the "ingredients" in bee venom somehow helps the body to release natural healing compounds in its own defense.......
http://health.howstuffworks.com/medi...apy-and-ms.htm

It was reported in the December 2005 issue of the Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients (www.townsendletter.com) that there is an alternative remedy for MS that is helping hundreds of patients formerly resigned to the hopeless regimen of drugs and injections offered by neurology doctors. It can be found in the article “Multiple Sclerosis … A Cure in Search of Doctors,” by Dale Humpherys.
Dale Humpherys is a patient whose MS has been in “remission” for more than 30 years. For that length of time, he has followed a protocol established by Dr. Frederich Klenner of Reidsville, North Carolina that requires daily intramuscular injections of vitamin B1 and liver extract, oral vitamins, and a high protein diet which is required to rebuild the myelin sheath. It took two years for Mr. Humpherys to put his MS in remission forever, and it has taken a similar amount of time for other MS patients to achieve success following Dr. Klenner’s protocol, even if they are wheelchair bound. With the presence of neurotransmitters in bee venom, bee venom therapy may hasten the repair and healing of damaged nerve fiber on a faster time frame for one following the Klenner treatment, but it is certainly not required. To date (October, 2006), I know of a few individuals who have already achieved faster healing by using both therapies.
In developing this protocol, Dr. Klenner made an amazing discovery about MS. He found that it is not an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks itself. It is caused by a vitamin and nutrient deficiency which initiates a viral inflammation that causes the myelin sheath to erode. Correct this deficiency and the viral inflammation abates, thus, allowing the myelin sheath to heal. No wonder ABC drugs and Interferon injections don’t work as part of a neurology protocol. They’re treating the wrong condition!
More details about Dr. Klenner’s complete protocol can be found at the website above, but if anyone has trouble finding Dale Humphery’s article, or the Klenner protocol, they should contact me.
http://www.beewelltherapy.com/ms-bee...-treatment.htm

Quick questionaire from Discovery Health:

Discovery Health
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disabling illness that affects well over one million adults worldwide.
For many sufferers, MS means a lifetime of taking medications that offer little relief for a body that progressively gets worse. Such was the case for Pat Wagner of Waldorf, Md., until her mother suggested that she get stung - by a bee. Pat is now known as the "Bee Lady" for her practice of using bee stings to treat the debilitating symptoms of MS. For Pat, it's been a miracle, one that she's been happily sharing with people from all over the world - by stinging them.
(Editor's Note: The following suggests a therapy that must not be acted upon without the careful coordination of treatment with the patient's primary care doctor and, preferably, an allergist. Bee sting venom can cause anaphylactic shock which can cause sudden death. The risk of shock is unacceptably high to try bee sting therapy without the supervision of an allergist.)
On the next page, learn how bee sting therapy works and find out whether it's right for you.

Q: How does bee venom therapy work?
A: Bee Venom therapy (BVT) uses bee venom to relieve the symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis. A bee is held to a person's skin and allowed to sting, releasing its "venom" into the recipient. The principal active component of bee venom is melittin, a powerful anti-inflammatory substance, said to be 100 times more potent than hydrocortisone.

Melittin also helps to activate the body's adrenal glands, which causes one's own natural healing response. Another component, adolapin, is known for its painkilling properties. These compounds seem to greatly improve vision, coordination, mobility, and sensitivity to touch, among other things, in MS patients. They also decrease pain, can add to a feeling of overall well-being, and even boost energy levels.
Q: I have MS. How do I know if BVT is right for me?
A: MS patients often opt for BVT upon diagnosis. Others turn to BVT after unsuccessfully trying more conventional treatments, such as corticosteroid drugs, Interferon beta, etc. The decision to try BVT depends on your personal inclination toward a natural approach, input from your doctor and the ability to tolerate bee stings.
Q: Where does one get stung? Does it hurt?
A: BVT has been done literally from head to toe (except the eyes and inside the ears). The particular location(s) for getting stung vary depending on the particular symptoms being treated. Bee stings can be unpleasant, temporarily leaving swollen, itchy bumps on the skin. But the "stingy," hot feeling usually lasts for less than a minute.
To reduce these side effects, many use a light fan or a hot, wet washcloth on the site of the sting. Others, however, are convinced some reaction to the sting is essential to successful therapy.
Q: What if I'm allergic to bee stings?
A: Fortunately, the incidence of serious allergic reactions to honeybee stings in the United States is low, one to five percent of the population. However, if you're sensitive to bee stings, you might want to consult an allergist before pursuing treatment.
BVT could be life threatening for someone truly allergic to bee venom. For people with only a sensitivity, gradual use of the venom over time may help build up a tolerance.
Q: Who will perform this treatment for me?
A: Apitherapists, beekeepers, acupuncturists, and lay practitioners are all possibilities. Be sure certain whoever it is follows BVT guidelines, and you should always inform your doctor of your decision before trying any new treatment.
Q: Is BVT a permanent cure for MS?
A: Currently there is no cure for multiple sclerosis. However, the reported dramatic improvements in MS from the use of bee venom indicate that it offers considerable relief to a condition that, for most, only gets worse.
Q: Can I do BVT in conjunction with taking conventional medications for MS?
A: Any medication will most likely slow the benefits seen using BVT. However, if you are taking a medication that cannot be stopped, BVT can still be used. If you are taking a beta-blocker, ask for another medication that is not a beta-blocker.
Q: How much does BVT cost? Will my insurance pay for it?
A: There is generally no charge for administering BVT. Therefore, insurance does not come into play. However, honeybees are good medicine, and they're free!

Anyway, I could go on and on and on about how many differet write ups there are about it. Like I said, it all depends on your stance on "alternative" or "natural" medicines. If you're not allergic, and you're not a wussy, what have you got to lose? Plus, it will cost you a whole lot less. Think about it seriously, at least read a book or two on it if you are thinking about turning your head away from it.