LAST CLASS – NOW YOU KNOW HOW TO GET WELL

It is now six months since we met, and your journey has been crammed with new information, knowledge about yourself and your “disease”, and strategies for wellness.

It is time to review everything you have learned, make sure you have wellness strategies firmly in place and structured so that you will maintain these for the rest of your life.

Here’s what we have covered:

What causes Parkinson’s disease? (classes 1 & 2). Review these classes so you understand thoroughly what has created the symptoms diagnosed as Parkinson’s disease.

Food (classes 3 & 4). Food is the source of energy, and provides all we need to build new cells, neural pathways, and function well. This is critical for health and excellent food choices must be maintained through life if we want to live well. Review these classes to make sure your food choices are health-giving rather than health-harming. Establish food strategies that are easy to maintain at home and when out and about.

Gut function and supplements (classes 5 & 6). Work to help your gut (digestive tract) be as efficient as possible. Choose probiotics that suit your needs. Do not skimp on supplements. There are not many needed, so choose the best value supplements that will truly supply your needs. Always read the label if changing brands and compare with my advice in class 6.

Hydration (class 7). Drinking water and utilizing it efficiently is key to so many functions in our body. If you have problems finding the Aqua Hydration Formulas, contact me ad I will do my best to help. A really good source of information is www.hydration.net.au.

Exercise (class 8). Move it or lose it! Exercise has been proven to help slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease symptoms and, is some cases, to reverse some symptoms. Don’t just sit there are mope; get up and move, sweat, pant and make your body work for wellness!

Self-help (classes 9-12). Here are inexpensive, often free activities and strategies to enhance your health and reverse Parkinson’s disease symptoms. Don’t be fooled; self-help strategies that cost next-to-no money are usually more powerful and effective than expensive Therapies promo tied as “miraculous”. The only thing that can prevent you from benefiting from these activities is laziness.

Don’t be that person. Be thorough and dedicated in setting up daily programs that include self-love, meditation, laughing, singing, dancing and using words that will enhance life and health.

Toxins that inhibit health and detox strategies (classes 14 & 15). Examine your environment for hidden dangers. Check your past history for possible toxic contact. Consider a Hair Analysis looking for heavy metals and other contaminants. Be assiduous with detox activities.

Infections (classes 16-18). Consider this often-hidden cause of Parkinson’s disease symptoms. There are strategies for assessing the likelihood that an infection is part of your illness pathway. When in doubt, seek more information. If still in doubt, treat as if there is an infection.

Medications and other radical treatments (classes 19 & 20). Western Pharmaceutical Medication can be beneficial if used appropriately. However, caution is always advised, even when drugs are prescribed by Western Allopathic Medicine practitioners with the best intentions. Investigate, read, research and ask questions.

Radical treatments like Deep Brain Stimulation and Stem Cell implants are discussed. These are generally to be avoided and I hope you now understand why.

Pain and body work are discussed in class 21. What have you chosen to help with pain control (if needed) and assisting with physical function? Sometime alternating therapies can help, or you may find staying with one modality and one practitioner is best for you.

Have you been keeping a Journal (class 10)? This will help you decide what is helping.

Balance and mobility strategies and repairing nerves (classes 22 & 23). These classes really go together. Working to improve balance and mobility will help repair neural pathways, while repairing neural pathways will improve balance and mobility.

Be dedicated to the strategies detailed here work closely with any therapists you choose to repair and renew vital nerve pathways.

Making the most of your consults (class 24). Your doctor, neurologist, naturopath, herbalist, Bowen therapist, massage therapist and others are all important members of your health team. You are the manager of your health (or should be) so, when you see one of your therapists, you need to make the most of the consult within the limited time available.

This class gives strategies to ensure that you choose the right therapist/practitioner and achieve good outcomes from each visit.

Be prepared! Yep, the Boy Scouts were right.

Getting your affairs in order (class 25). If you have not already sorted out your life to give you and your health priority, now is the time to do so.

Be brave and change your life.

You deserve it.

You now have a collection of strategies to act as a roadway to ever-improving health.

Recovery does not happen quickly, but it can happen for you, and the rewards are worth the effort involved.

Have you saved all these classes?

Have you printed them off and created a Handbook of Recovery for yourself?

If not, it is time to do that now.

This is your last homework: each day, check one class and make sure that you fully understand it and have adopted all strategies that apply to you.

If there is something you still don’t understand, do some research and/or email me via the Parkinson’s Recovery Program site. Don’t toss a class aside because it is hard; work on it and keep working until you understand it and get it right.

As you get well, please share your stories with us. We love to hear of others become well after being condemned to a “life sentence”.

Here are some stories of recovery to encourage you to persist.

STORIES OF RECOVERY

PAUL

Paul (not his real name) was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease by a neurologist in Canberra during May 2001. He had sought medical help for symptoms that had been developing for some time.

During 1995, he noticed that he dribbled on the pillow during sleep. Over the ensuing six years, he progressively noticed that he developed pain in his shoulders when swimming freestyle, stiffness on either side of his elbows and knees, leg cramps, interrupted sleep (he would wake each night at about 2.30 am), and increasing tiredness. Paul became more concerned when he found difficulty in using a computer mouse and, six months prior to diagnosis, he developed tremors.

Following diagnosis, his neurologist prescribed Sinemet 100/25 three times daily (300 mg levodopa daily), and gave him a normal brief prognosis – there is no cure, there is nothing you can do, you will need more medication over time and, eventually need full time care. Paul felt that his neurologist displayed a lack of compassion, understanding and support. Paul was given no idea that he should reduce stress or look for other ways to help himself.

In June 2003, Paul came to see me when referred by one of my professional colleagues. He was concerned that his condition was deteriorating and the only help offered was more drugs. He was extremely busy in his professional life, participated in Local Government, endured a stressful marriage relationship, and had little time to rest or relax.

My questioning revealed a family history of degenerative disorders (although no Parkinson’s disease), poor sibling relationships, low self-esteem in childhood, and a need to compensate by being “successful”. I recommended a minimum of 15 minutes meditation each day, reduction of stress, dietary changes, Aqua Hydration Formulas, Bowen Therapy, increased water intake, and some supplements.

Paul sent me an email in December 2003 stating that his condition was stable, he had reduced his medication, and had become President of a major Parkinson’s support/advisory group.

I saw Paul again nine months later, and he said that he “feels the best he’s felt in years”. He had resumed playing tennis, swam three times weekly, was following most of my recommendations and seeing a Bowen Therapist each two weeks, and had reduced his Sinemet to one tablet twice daily (200 mg levodopa daily). His leg cramps were now intermittent, and I suggested an increase in Magnesium.

By March 2006, Paul had reduced his medication to ½ tablet twice daily (100 mg levodopa daily), was still swimming and active in Local Government, plus his busy professional life, was noticing his dreams and generally pleased with his progress. On the negative side, he was experiencing tightness and tiredness in hamstring and lower leg muscles.

I had no contact with Paul after that until 2010 when he called me to “bring me up to date”. It seems that Paul slipped into some old habits after 2006. He allowed his life to become more stressful, forgot the dietary rules, let his meditation lapse, and forgot that his primary aim was to get well. His health began to deteriorate as a consequence, and Parkinson’s disease symptoms increased again. Then, after about two years, he found my Stop Parkin’ and Start Livin’ program (the basis of my early Parkinson’s Recovery Program) and decided to re-dedicate himself to wellness. In his words, “I followed your advice to the letter”; with triumphant results.

By early 2010, Paul was free from all symptoms, needed no medication, had developed a new loving relationship, maintained a sensible professional life, and become President of a National Parkinson’s Association.

I met Paul again at a lecture to People with Parkinson’s disease at a country centre in Australia during early November 2010. He looked very well, was maintaining his good health, showed absolutely no symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, and was enthusiastic about my recovery program.

Paul is not “cured” of Parkinson’s disease. Through his own efforts in following a sensible, health-giving program, he has developed so much wellness in his body and mind that there is no room for illness. This is what we call RECOVERY.

LIONEL

Lionel (not his real name) was eighty-three years old when he first came to see me. He had been diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease about a year earlier, but was also troubled with Emphysema, Hiatus Hernia, Reflux, Hypertension and Hypoglycaemia.

His list of prescribed medications included one levodopa drug, one anti-nausea drug, a drug for reflux, two drugs for hypertension, one antidepressant and two drugs to control the symptoms of emphysema.

Lionel’s symptoms were dramatic and debilitating: he was unable to walk without support from a walking frame, but often fell even using the frame; he had significant tremor, paucity of movement and frequent freezing; his hypertension was not fully controlled in spite of the two drugs prescribed; he was nauseous most of the time and, so, lacked appetite; he experienced gastric reflux frequently despite drug prescriptions; he was chronically depressed despite his antidepressant drug.

After investigating his history and current circumstances, we commenced on a basic “improving health program” including changing his food choices (my views on this are well known), increasing water intake, regular moderate exercise, meditation, Aqua Hydration Formulas daily and Bowen therapy weekly.

Regular follow up appointments, each 8-10 weeks apart, showed some improvements in strength and appetite, but there seemed to be little or no progress in mobility, balance, tremor, paucity of movement or persistent nausea. Despite this, Lionel continued with his program in the hope of improving his quality of life. I was disappointed that there was not more improvement, but supported Lionel in his choice to continue with the “standard” protocol.

Exactly one year eleven months and two weeks after our first consult, Lionel’s wife called me in tears. She said, “Lionel is outside walking around the back yard!”

“Why?” I asked, feeling rather puzzled and quite worried at this start to our conversation.

Her reply was simply, “Because he can!”

On that day, Lionel had suddenly felt confident in his ability to stand and walk, had left his walking frame in the living room, and started walking a circuit around his yard. This was the first time in nearly three years that he had been able to walk without support.

From then on, Lionel started to make good progress. His strength improved, balance and mobility continued to improve, his tremor slowly reduced (although it took another 3 years to disappear), his general outlook on life improvised dramatically (he had gained hope of a better quality of life) and his appetite increased. We were able to reduce his antidepressant medication (remember, most antidepressants have the possibility of exacerbating Parkinson’s disease symptoms) and he increased his social activity, which brought joy to both Lionel and his wife.

However, a persistent problem was daily nausea. This did not seem to be influenced by any particular foods, so we were puzzled. Lionel found this persistent symptom distressing as it reduced his enjoyment of life. We tried herbal remedies and homeopathics without success.

After becoming frustrated with this nausea puzzle, I produced a chart of Lionel’s medication including the most common adverse effects noted by each manufacturer (therefore real, not imagined by a biased investigator). Here is how it looked:

RELUX DRUG            nausea           weakness        depression       rash

NAUSEA DRUG         nausea           weakness        nervousness    rash     reflux

LEVODOPA DRUG   nausea           weakness        anxiety

BLOOD PRESSURE nausea           weakness

BLOOD PRESSURE nausea           weakness        anxiety            rash                   infection

ANTIDEPRESSANT  nausea           weakness        anxiety            rash

EMPHYSEMA DRUG  nausea

EMPHYSEMA DRUG  nausea

All his drugs had the possibility of nausea, five had the possibility of anxiety/nervousness/depression, while his nausea drug could cause reflux for which he was taking a drug that could cause nausea.

The “polypharmacy” prescription seemed illogical to me so I wrote a letter with the above chart for Lionel to take to his doctor. I had little hope that the doctor would take notice, but felt I had to try.

Lionel’s doctor was attentive and understanding, read the letter, and immediately stopped everything except levodopa (which Lionel still needed) and one blood pressure drug. The nausea reduced rapidly and, with some very low-dose herbs, disappeared entirely within three months. Most of his challenge had been drugs that had been prescribed to offset the adverse effects of other drugs. His GP was smart enough, and adventurous enough, to reduce Lionel’s unnecessary drug intake (without any ill effect) and resolved a major quality of life challenge. Eventually we were able to wean Lionel off his levodopa drug with no return of Parkinson’s disease symptoms.

Over the next couple of year, I kept in touch with Lionel as his health continued to improve. My last contact was some time ago when he was 96 years old, enjoying life, active in the community, and living without any Parkinson’s disease symptoms.

There are some clear lessons from Lionel’s story:

• If he had not persisted against all odds for two years, he would not have made progress, and would have spent his remaining years miserable, incapacitated and nauseous. Persistence is key if we want to recover.
• Drugs are usually prescribed with our best interests in mind. However, sometimes doctors and specialists prescribe drugs without thoroughly investigating the possibility of interactions and/or accumulative adverse effects. Therefore, it is worth checking regularly with your GP to make sure your symptoms are not drug related.
• Age is no barrier to wellness. Lionel was 83 when he started the process of recovery, and succeeded.
• Recovery needs our full attention and dedication. We cannot “play” at getting well. We must be fully engaged with the process and be willing to make all the changes needed to reach our goal of living without symptoms.

SUMMARY VIDEOS

References

• COLEMAN John ND; “Stop Parkin’ and Start Livin’”; Michelle Anderson Publishing, Melbourne, Australia, 2005.