Smiling Faces of Recovery
On a recent trip to San Francisco for the annual IFM conference, I ran into Dr. Terry Wahls as we were both shopping in Whole Foods. For those of you who still wonder if there is truly a drug-free option on their road to recovery, and whether ‘recovery’ is a concept that you can even entertain if you have a diagnosis of MS, Dr. Wahls has definitely become an example of just what is possible.
When I asked her how she was doing, she told me that she had run around the block for the first time in her recovery. How exciting is that?! For those of you who don’t know her, Dr. Wahls has orchestrated her recovery out of a tilt wheelchair!
I shared with her some of my own recovery frustrations and she very kindly reminded me to give myself a realistic timeframe. GUILTY! Even though I know better, swapping out dysfunction for function takes time and it is a life-long process. Recovery is never “done”, it begins whenever you decide it does and it continues, through good and bad – and includes getting back on track when you stray. The path to recovery teaches us so much about our bodies, the condition, and how our diet and lifestyle choices drive that process. Sometimes it may feel like one step forward, two steps back and that’s OK, it’s all part of the process.
Dr. Wahls has successfully run her first round of clinical trials, and is currently waiting to hear if she has gained the funding for round two. Shouldn’t be a problem given the great results she has seen todate.
In the end Dr. Wahls encouraged a window of 7-10 years. I figure that I am about three years in and every day continue to work hard toward that end. If your condition is still mild, or moderate even better – PREVENT the outcome that your neurologist has scripted for you.
Science is now supporting the fact that MS can be a very manageable condition. Two key components in your recovery? 1) A commitment to change and 2) the belief that you can.
In next week’s blog I will bring you some key guidelines that will provide the cornerstones to starting your journey of recovery on The MS Path.
In the meantime, I’d love to hear what you’re doing now, your victories and challenges. Do you believe YOU can manage the condition? Share your stories and thoughts!
Best