People often get caught in a downward spiral when they are diagnosed with something like ALS. This death sentence is extremely hard to push past emotionally and yet life isn’t over until it is over. There is still so much that you can do and experience and add to others lives. Don’t let the diagnosis steal your joy and zeal. Don’t throw in the towel and don’t take the medical advice you have been given as your rule of law. Dig your heels in and use your intuition and judgment to find things that will help you live your best life for as long as you possibly can!
I have found that often ALS patients are basically written off as invalids who just need to bide their time till they die. Of course they are encouraged to take medicine and to participate in medical trials and to eat lots of protein and try to have a good outlook but only a sideward nod is given to nutrition and physical therapy and other beneficial, therapeutic things. Palliative care seems to be nice way to say that you don’t have much hope so we will just try to keep you comfortable as you waste away and die.
A site called ALSUntangled, which gives some natural options for treating ALS, is sometimes suggested yet it is not always that helpful. I would recommend the website Healingals.com as a very good resource for anyone who doesn’t want to take the mainstream route, which is basically roll over and die. There are many things that can be done to improve your chances for survival and longevity.
There is no magic bullet for this disease. It occurs as the motor neurons are affected by various neurotoxins, nutrient deficiencies and environmental and emotional factors. The path to healing is varied based on these factors. It is complex and mysterious and most people don’t find their way to healing as the disease goes quickly in most instances. It requires thinking outside the box and finding medical professionals that will do testing and have knowledge that is not commonplace. Most people never even hear that healing is possible and they die for lack of knowledge. The medical community poopoos anyone who even dares to bring up the idea, which doesn’t help.
The notion that increasing health in general will extend life or give better quality of life is seldom brought up at an ALS clinic. People are given the advice to drink lots of milkshakes and bulk up to stay alive as long as possible and get a feeding tube and trach if desired and take muscle relaxers and medication that may extend life for a few months but rarely are they encouraged to get increased amounts of nutrients that are the building blocks for health or to target possible components of the disease like neurotoxins or to aid the body’s electrical system and brain functions through water, minerals and nutrients.
Mainstream neurologists and nutritionists may bring up B vitamins but that’s about the extent of their knowledge. They don’t seem to realize that superfoods or supplements or other alternative treatments would be of any benefit since years of research have not been devoted to it (and probably never will be, since it’s not profitable). They want to play it safe and not get people’s hopes up or go outside their lane. This mentality leaves blood on their hands, no matter if they are caring and knowledgeable in other ways. Thankfully, Dr. Richard Bedlack at Duke University has taken on this task, as have various natural medical doctors and practitioners. Therefore, I had to go outside mainstream thoughts and begin to research on my own to get the quality of life that I desire.
I think it is ludicrous that the “health care system“ is so archaic and segmented and insecure that it can’t endorse enhanced nutrition or helpful therapies and treatments as a part of ALS care or cancer care or any disease for that matter. In my opinion, things termed as quackery, such as energy medicine, are actually more viable and valuable than any treatments western medicine has proposed as treatment for ALS.
Tragically, big pharmaceutical companies and the food industry have all but eliminated natural health as a way of life. This is also fed by the medical industry through the “sick care” mentality our country knows as health care. It’s a billions of dollars industry. Most of the money spent annually is on advertising and lobbying and treatment of symptoms as opposed to research on things that will treat the root cause of symptoms. Since sick people need care and require medication, it only makes sense that the entities that benefit by this hold as much control as possible and monopolize the dialogue with ad campaigns, lobbyists in government and kickbacks for doctors.
I think that our society would be better off if we came up with a whole new system. What if we taught holistic health education at the high school level and younger? It might mean our society would be healthier, in general. It is really not that difficult to understand the building blocks that make our bodies function and thrive. The food pyramid that I learned in school was not really that beneficial for nutrition according to what I have been studying recently, but it did help us think about what we ate. I believe that Nobel prizes could be won by high schoolers with common sense coupled with simple reasoning applied to nutrition if given the right input; and more good would result, rather than by elaborate, lengthy trials and studies.
I propose that we as a society, combine common sense and science. There is ample documentation of what the body systems require to thrive as well as what plants contain certain compounds that do specific things that promote wellness. Let’s learn not only how to read labels, count calories and eat less junk food, but actually know what makes people healthy with strong immune systems, balanced hormones, well functioning bowel systems, optimized liver and kidney function and generally good health. Let’s learn how to protect ourselves from toxins both environmentally and emotionally and how to take action for our health. Let’s each take responsibility and teach ourselves and our children how to thrive.
Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, Natalie has a fierce independence and wild adventurous heart. Nat has always been a hands-on person with a love for life, beauty and celebration. She has a degree in horticulture and training in music, carpentry, interior design, floral design and life coaching. Natalie spent time as an intern at a church and went on several ministry trips to places like the Philippines, Japan and India. She was involved heavily in music over the years with several orchestras, choirs and worship groups. She has also dabbled in many things including beekeeping, welding, machinery operation, large quantity cooking and gardening. She loves learning and trying new things. She thrives by being in the outdoors and enjoys making music with friends, preparing and eating good food, contemplation and communing with God through prayer, worship, dance, and journaling, or as she calls it, musing. Right now she is writing music and poetry and is in the early stages of writing a book. She hopes to be healed so she can go on to do many more things…travel, beekeeping, starting a farm and training others in practical ways to become their best selves with life skills and inner freedom.
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