WOW! the wahls family does it again

[meeegun]

so if you aren't familiar, zach wahls is the 19 year old who was raised by 2 moms who spoke in front of the iowa congress about gay marriage. his speech was so amazing. as it turns out, his bio-mom has MS. she gave a TEDx speech about her SPMS and what she has found from researching. basically, she went from being wheelchair bound to walking unassisted through changing her diet. she is presenting her findings to a research conference. this gives me so much hope that soon the medical community will have to recognize a dietary link with MS instead of dismissing it. if you haven't seen this, take a look. also, i just wanted to say that officially this family rocks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjgBLwH3Wc

[Sequoia]

I saw the video of Zach Wahls giving his speech yesterday; he was amazing!

We've discussed Terry Wahls, her diet, and her book on this forum before, although not extensively. I have the book myself, and am still working my way through it. Her dietary recommendations are pretty much in line with my understanding of optimal eating for MS.

Thanks for bringing this up!

[jumpinjiminy]

Does this work as well for everyone as it did for Dr. Wahl? Or could we consider Dr. Wahl a very fortunate person who happened to have a nutritional deficiency that was corrected through diet?

I just wrote a long personal and family history here that is in line with some of this dietary advice, but I had to delete it for the sake of brevity and readability.

[Pkar2]

Thank you so much for posting that information. I am a new poster, but have been around for quite a while just reading. You have all given me such good information.

I first went to a doctor back in 1988 because my left foot was numb. She did an MRI, a spinal tap and other tests and concluded, on her own, that I have MS. All the other doctors disagreed. So, I did too. It never really left me though. Whenever I didn't feel so good, I would remember what that Doctor said. Well, by 2000, my friend had to take me to the hospital because my left leg would not work. When I got to the hospital, they said it was probably something minor. I told them what it was. I told them that I think it is MS. They decided to get their specialist. When she came, she asked me a few questions and told the staff to get me an MRI. The next day she came to see me to let me know it was MS.

All I do is research and try different things to see what fits me. That is why this site has really helped. I am not on any medication right now. Did try a few, but they didn't work. So, I stick with diet. I have eliminated gluten, dairy and very little sugar. I am also on LDN. This will be my third time trying it. It seems to be working this time because I am going slow. We will see.

I want to thank all of you again for the great information you all provided me. I will keep reading.

[Sequoia]

Does this work as well for everyone as it did for Dr. Wahl? Or could we consider Dr. Wahl a very fortunate person who happened to have a nutritional deficiency that was corrected through diet?

Dr. Wahls is careful to say that this is a program (nutrition, supplements, electrical stimulation) that worked for her, but that it needs to be verified by well-designed research studies of larger groups of people.

This is just a personal opinion on my part, but I would not say that Dr. Wahls is just "a very fortunate person who happened to have a nutritional deficiency that was corrected through diet"...the kind of recovery she has experienced isn't very likely through simply correcting a nutritional deficiency.

Her book is well worth reading; there's also a website you might want to check out.

http://www.terrywahls.com/

[jumpinjiminy]

I think what she's done is truly amazing, and I'd like to hear more about the research she's done and presenting/presented this year. Thanks for the link. I'd like to get her book, too.

As far as supplements go, I'm willing to try just about anything. Over the last six months, I've taken a multi, calcium, vit D, CoQ10, and the ALA/ALC combo. I have been feeling better, but it's been slow. Everytime I go past the supplements aisle, I think of picking up omega 3s and turmeric, but never do.

I have to say that there was a time when my body would tell me by the next morning if I'd eaten processed food of any kind. Back then, I could tell a distinct difference by the next day if I'd eaten a veggie from my own garden or from the store - especially the broccoli. From the garden it was super-charged somehow. I do wish we had more research in this area.

[meeegun]

jumpinjiminy, if you were eating conventional broccolli maybe it had something to do with the heavy pesticide load that broccolli has? it is considered to be one of the "dirty dozen," ie:has one of the highest chemical pesticide loads of any fruit or vegetable. i believe that strawberries are up there as well.

as for the video, while i don't think anything she discussed in the video was earth-shatteringly new as far as diets go, but i am SO excited that someone is taking the issue of diet and autoimmune diseases to a new level by presenting it and furthering its validity through more research. it helps that she is medically trained and knows what avenues to venture into to get this topic the attention it deserves.

[jumpinjiminy]

Meegun, I knew about the strawberries but not the broccoli. It makes complete sense, though. I had just assumed it was the difference in nutrient levels because of the transportation and irradiation processes involved. The pesticide issue never crossed my mind.

Unless you use BT or floating row covers (which we didn't), the broccoli gets loaded with little green caterpillars. It's very difficult to find them all before it's cooked. I gave some to family once and they grossed out because of the caterpillars. They ended up throwing it away.

[meeegun]

sparky,

i would consider a flight out your way if she confirmed. she is my new role model: lesbian, successful, and beating MS.

[meeegun]

well, even if i can't see her in person, i'm still excited. thanks for trying to get her to come