As I am guessing is the case with most diseases, there are a couple of approaches doctors must take – treating the disease and treating the symptoms.
Right now we are in the throes of handling my myriad symptoms, which I elaborated on here. I did the oral steroids thing and tried to tough it out, but by Day 10, I was restless, and that’s probably putting it mildly. I told Nick I would start chopping off any body part that felt awful, but I would soon be entering Black Knight territory if I were to follow through on such a threat.
All of this led me to check out some books from the library (how old-fashioned of me, I know! I think I reached the end of the internet last year – it was glorious! Double rainbow and everything.)
I digress.
But with the wealth of data out there, coming from sources credible and not, it dawned on me that maybe there is such a thing as too much information. Especially the kind that is unconventional by any yardstick, wacky or downright dangerous.
I’m reading a very pedantic tome now – Multiple Sclerosis – The Guide to Treatment and Management. About a third of the book discusses case studies and rates therapies for curing MS or alleviating the symptoms.
The treatments start innocuously enough: Accupuncture. Gluten-free diet. Megavitamin therapy.
And then an entry for bee-sting therapy. OK, I’m intrigued.
Snake-venom treatment. Pass.
Implantation of brain substances, in which a pig brain is surgically implanted into the abdominal wall. Uhhhhhh. Snort.
Need I bring up the Michael Jackson oxygen chamber?
I can’t really afford to be that derisive, though. Because two days ago, before an anti-seizure medication made me feel next to normal, I would have seriously considered any of a number of treatments, including going all Cleopatra and the asp, minus the death part.
That’s desperation.
One, Wild & Precious 
We chronicillness, ms types are especially vulnerable to non-evidence-based “medicine”; keeping that vulnerability in mind is half of my battle. The other half is fighting the MS fog! I listen to skeptic podcasts and read science-based medicine blogs to try to stay sharp.
so true – we have to stay sharp and try to filter out the bad. but it’s so hard when you feel like you’re at your wit’s end and just want anything to work! what kind of blogs? i’m still looking for good resources.
A good place to start is here:
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/
There are a surprising number of good pseudo-science antidote blogs and podcasts out there– try keyword “skeptic.”
At the risk of dispensing unwanted suggestions, have you seen http://www.overcomingmultiplesclerosis.org ? I have a lot of time for George Jelenik’s approach. He is a medico himself and has taken a very systematic evidence-based approach (plus he’s been in remission for 12 years).
I am open to look into any and all therapies. That said, I know that what works for some doesn’t always work for all. But I’m open to reading about it all…definitely.
I’ve been a strict vegetarian for 21 years (ethical reasons only), and I suspect I’d have been a lot worse off if I’d been eating the SAD. But epidemiological studies show little link. Still, eating better is better for the planet, and me! MS dx seems to be what is left when everything else is ruled out; no wonder there is no universal treatment. We may all have literally different diseases, though similar syndromes. I have galloping ppms– I am not similar to most of this community, and yet I am.
Interesting. I’ve been quasi-vegetarian for years now, and I wondered how much of a difference that makes.
It made a difference to the living planet! Good on yah!
Dr. Terry L. Wahls is an MD with MS who has experienced substantial recovery through a combination of modalities. She is now sponsoring research to validate their worth for the general MS population. You can visit her website http://www.terrywahls.com or purchase her book, Minding My Mitochondria. Worth looking into. She’s the real deal.