Author Archives: soulsister

The #1 Thing That Saved Me

As I’ve mentioned before, diet is everything. There is a lot of advice out there about which diets people with MS should consider to minimize inflammation. However, no one diet will work for everyone. We’re all different. We must choose a diet that is tailored to our own bodies. Early on, my nutritionist suggested I take a food sensitivity test administered by a company called Immunolabs. I believe it was the #1 reason my symptoms reversed and I haven’t had another episode.

It’s a blood test and doctor or medical professional will need to prescribe it for you. Once you take it, Immunolabs will test your blood’s reaction to a number of foods. Then, you’ll get a report listing the foods that are causing your inflammation. For example, my body was really sensitive to ginger. Ginger is one of the top things people recommend as an anti-inflammatory cure, but in my case, the ginger I was taking was causing all kinds of issues. That’s why it’s important to understand which foods are right for you.

Once you figure out which foods that are causing issues for you, you eliminate them for a period of time. In my case, my doctor recommended 8 weeks. She said this amount of time would “give my gut time to heal.” After the elimination period is over, you can then start to add those foods back into your diet, but I cut back on eating many of them permanently. I also try to listen to my body when I’m eating something to determine if I’m having any adverse reaction. If my body doesn’t like something, I stop eating it.

I hope this information helps. Take great care.

Success!

Track Pix SmallIt’s been six years since my last episode, and I can proudly say I’m doing great! The lesions that brightly lit up my MRI when I was first diagnosed disappeared. And I’m mobile—really mobile.  Last month, I ran in the IL Masters Track championship and broke two meet records.

When I lost my eyesight in 2013 and there was a suspicion that I had MS, one of the first things I did was turn to the Internet to find someone, anyone who had conquered the disease.  I knew there wasn’t a cure, but there had to be people out there who were beating the odds. I’ve been an athlete for most of my life, and the thought of losing my mobility was like losing a piece of myself.  So I searched for people who had MS and ran like I did or were extremely active. I NEEDED these stories for inspiration.  Fortunately, I found them. There was a woman who ran a marathon in every state. Bless her for sharing her journey.  It inspired me and gave me hope.  If she could do it, I could too.

With that, I set out to try and find a ‘cure’ for this disease. I read books, spent countless hours researching causes and cures, trying to understand ways to address the disease at its root.   I met with neurologists, homeopathic physicians, acupuncturists, chiropractors, nutritionists—you name it.  The goal was to synthesize all of that information and find something that worked for me.

MS is different for every single person.  My story isn’t yours, but I hope that some of the things I did to live a better life with MS will help someone out there.

Finally, when I first started this blog, I did so anonymously.  At the time, I didn’t want anyone to know I had the disease because I wasn’t in the mood to pity myself, and I sure as hell didn’t want anyone else to pity me. I was also scared.  Fortunately, that’s not the case anymore.

My name is Kelley Bussey and I have MS.  This is my story.  #THISisMS

Doctors as Consultants

MedicalOn the path to my diagnosis, I met with six doctors over a period of two weeks.  Along the way, I got some pretty bad advice.  If I listened to the first doctor who told me my vision loss was due to either “a virus” or “cataract”, or the other doctor who said “It could be MS, but even if it is, we will wait for another episode (a.k.a. more nerve damage), to diagnose you,” I wouldn’t be aggressively seeking ways to improve my health.

All of this got me thinking about the premise of medicine as a science.  How could medicine be 100% scientific if six different doctors came up with such varying conclusions?  The answer is that it’s not.  Medicine is part science and part art.  And no matter what, it is up to us to take charge of our own welfare.

I now view my doctors as my consultants. They are people who are part of my larger Life Team which also includes my accountant, lawyer, life coach, etc. I respect doctors, their training and opinions, but at the end of the day, I am the only one who is going to be with me until the very end (and beyond).  So, if something doesn’t sound right, I will keep looking until I find a Doctor Consultant who seems to make the most sense.  I will then hire that person to be part of my larger team.

What is your view of doctors? Do you think it’s fair to put them on a pedestal? Is it OK to question the medical advice we receive?

“Don’t Pity Yourself”

When I was young, my father used to say “The older you get, the wiser I get.” I didn’t understand what he meant at the time (probably because I was a know-it-all teen), but now I do.  He’s a wise, wise man.

When I told him I have MS, the first thing he said to me was “Don’t pity yourself.” It took me off guard, because I wasn’t expecting that to be his reaction.  But he was 100% correct.  What will pitying myself accomplish?

Now, have I been known to burst into tears occasionally? Of course! But do I stay in that place? Not for long.  I pull myself together and try to stay focused on the positive.

So when I start to feel sorry for myself, I think of my father’s advice.  He was right– he always is.

Organic Food’s Fight with My Wallet

Fruits and Veggies2 As I mentioned, one of my goals is to incorporate more fruit and vegetables into my diet.  I have eaten pretty well for a long time, but I have never made the leap to organic foods.  However, now that I have this MS diagnosis, the idea of putting pesticides– something that is designed to exterminate life– into a body that I’m trying to help heal itself seems like a bad idea.  The only issue is that organic foods are soooooo expensive.

So what to do?

We all know that Whole Foods (a.k.a. “Whole Paycheck”) is an option, so I’m glad there is one in my area.  It has been a great source for a lot of tasty gluten-free foods, but if I’m going to be juicing, I need to purchase organic produce in bulk.

I researched growing my own produce, but since I live in an apartment, that’s a challenge.

Finally, I researched options to purchase organic produce in bulk online, and I found a place in my area that allows me to do just that!!! Most major cities have businesses that offer this.  Google: “Organic produce delivery [your city]” and see what you find.

The place near me that delivers is actually cheaper than the grocery store, so I’m psyched.  Now my wallet and organic food can live together in harmony.

Organic juicing, here I come!!!

Do you eat organic foods? Are you able to do it cost-effectively?

Not All Juicers Are Created Equal

When I told someone today that I have MS, they suggested I check out The Gerson Institute. Apparently, this place has helped people cure many diseases through diet. One of the things they suggest is juicing. I am going to purchase a juicer and if you are considering doing the same, here are a few resources that may help you with that decision:

http://www.harvestessentials.com/whatjuicisri.html

http://gerson.org/gerpress/gerson-guide-to-juicers/

Apparently, masticating, twin-gear juicers are the best. However, after a lot of research, I ended up buying the Omega VRT 400HDS juicer from Overstock.com. It’s only a single-gear juicer, but it appears that it’s much easier to clean than some of the twin-gear juicers. Since this is my first juicer, I think I need to have something that makes juicing as easy as possible. I also searched for an Overstock.com promo code and got an additional $40 off!

Do you have a juicer? Which one do you have and how do you like it?

The Game Plan

So let’s talk about how I am going to approach curing myself.  My first step was to research if anyone else had done this before.  I Googled “people who have cured MS” and found this article: https://medium.com/cured-disease-naturally/11d2ebe47162 about a woman who used diet to “cure” herself.  Now, I understand there isn’t a real cure for MS, but my goal is to stop the progression so that I can live a happy and healthy life.  Here’s my plan in a nutshell:

  • Diet. Revamp my diet to minimize glutens, dairy and red meat.  Increase the amount of fruits and veggies I consume — foods that are high in nutrients. I am also cutting out alcohol for the foreseeable future.  Sugar is going to take a back seat in this process too.  I am really looking to consume foods that come from the earth in as close to their natural state as possible.  I have also added B12 and Vitamin D supplements into the mix.
  • Exercise. Continue to run and exercise.  Running relaxes me.  Since I believe stress has contributed to my MS, I am planning on incorporating any form of exercise that will help me reduce stress.  I plan on continuing to run, but I also want to experiment with yoga, Tai Chi, and anything else that will be FUN and relaxing.  Hell, if I am going to leave this Earth at some point (as we all are- MS or no MS), I might as well have fun!
  • Positive Mental Attitude. I am a firm believer that your mind is incredibly powerful and it and your attitude can really keep you healthy.  When I lost the vision in my left eye, one doctor told me it would take 90 days to come back.  I thought to myself “90 Days! Let’s shoot for two weeks instead.” I then embarked on a journey of meditation and mind exercises where I saw my body healing itself.  It’s been about two weeks and my vision has almost completely returned.
  • Support. Support is going to be a key component in this process.  I have a wonderful neurologist and I’m also working with a great naturopathic doctor.  I have also told close friends and family who have been wonderful.
  • Medication? The jury is still out on whether I will use traditional medication to slow the progression of MS.  Although I understand the value of meds, I really don’t like them.  My neurologist suggested I go on Copaxone, but I may see what he thinks about Naltrexone.  We’ll see.

That’s it so far.  I’m sure things will change as time goes on.

Are there things you are doing to help manage MS? Please share!

Diagnosis as a Blessing

Let me introduce myself. I won’t use my name because I’m still debating who I want to tell about my diagnosis. I will tell you that I am “perfect.” I am the classic Type A, over-achieving, perfectionist that some people admire and others just can’t stand. I eat right, exercise, make a pretty good living, and am successful in almost everything I do. I am the queen of trying to help others– some may say I have a “Savior Complex.”

I think this is the primary reason I was diagnosed with MS. I was STRESSED. I was running around trying to be all things to everyone else, except myself. I was so stressed that my body finally said “ENOUGH!!! YOU. MUST. STOP. DOING. THIS. TO. YOURSELF.”

Many people had been trying to get me to slow down, but I wouldn’t listen. I thought “That’s lazy man speak. These people just don’t understand what it means to be driven.” What I didn’t understand is that they were right. I was destroying myself, slowly but surely.

So I am looking at my MS diagnosis as an absolute blessing from the Universe. There are very few things that would have stopped me in my tracks like this. Now the Universe has my attention. I have slowed down and started to put everything into perspective. There’s nothing that’s that serious that it’s worth my health. I am now practicing extreme self care, and that is a very, very, very great blessing.

Thank you God for the message. I hear you loudly and clearly.

Let’s DO This!

Two weeks ago, I lost total vision in my left eye.  I met with several doctors, and their diagnoses  ranged from “it’s just a virus” to “it could be MS.” On Monday, I found out that it is MS.

Immediately my Type A personality kicked into gear.  My first thought was “Hmmm… a challenge.”  I know they say there’s no cure to this thing, but my goal is to cure it.

So here we are.  I am embarking on a journey to cure MS– at least for myself.  I hope this site will be a place where I can share useful information and encourage others to share information too.  If you’re ready to join me on this journey, I would love to have you. Thank you for visiting.

Game on.