View Full Version : Alternative Therapy Question
OutsiderLookingIn
01-15-2007, 06:15 PM
My MIL was diagnosed last week with Bulbar Onset ALS, and today I had my first opportunity to hear of how she could be cured. :? I found I was way defensive and so began an internet search on alternative therapy and found you all. My friend (who shared the "cure") and I have a mutual friend who was diagnosed with possible MS had her fillings changed, had a chelating treatment, and is now cured. Now in the case of this one woman, she is better. However, I am more inclined to believe that she had something other than MS - I know she was weak, and sick, and unable to care for her kids. And now she isn't and can. Can anyone shed light on this? How should I answer my friend who wants to help?
Thanks for your input and help!
Hi Outsider. MS can and does go into remission so to speak. My niece has bouts where she can't get out of bed and in a few weeks is back to work nursing. I'd suspect this. NO ONE cures MS or ALS or cancer or any other disease by taking out fillings, mud baths or detoxifying. Ask your friend where the independent studies are published on this cure. I am sure he will say the big drug companies and the government are responsible for holding back his so called cure. The Doctors don't want to be proved wrong he'll say. We've heard it all before and if you got to the scam watch part on the front page here you may even see it listed there. Stay away from it. You'll lose hope and money. AL.
OutsiderLookingIn
01-16-2007, 11:37 AM
I appreciate your feedback. I was concerned about my kneejerk reaction - but, as my mom reminded me, the next thing I'll probably hear is that my MIL doesn't have enough faith to be healed. Thanks. I'm hoping my friend will drop it and not bring it up again. It was good to hear about the MS too - if this woman does have MS, I'll be looking for a relapse to confirm it. This forum has been a great resource.
gjain.80@gmail.com
02-15-2007, 06:36 AM
Hello,
My father has just been diganosed with PMA. As it would happen to anyone, I have started looking for alternate therapies and came across some interesting reads:
1. A herbal drug by the name Mototab (by Scotland Health Solutions) is claiming to have a sure shot cure for MND. I luckily have a friend in EdinBurgh who actually went to the address given on site but its is a Mail Box collection Centre.
I am not sure if I should go ahead and purchase this drug for my Dad (USD 260 for 1 month of medication) as I am doubting the credibility of this org. Money loss obviously is not even a matter here. The treatment is tho.
Would be great to know if anyone has any info on the same. As u all an imagine, I am desperate right now. PLease let me know if anyone has any ideas on the same.
2. I also came across a Chinese hospital who have claimed to cure people with MND using Chinese Herbal Tea. The site is:
If anyone has come across any info on the credibility of the same, would love to hear.
3. Any other ideas / suggestions on Alternative therapies are more than welcome.
My brother who has ALS (advanced stage) was in Beijing at a hospital claiming to cure ALS with a stem cell operation. Also in another province of China, a hospital claimed to cure ALS with Herbal medicine.
1) The day of the operation, my brother was given to sign documents claiming that he understood that this was experimental and that it could make his condition deteriorate (amongst other frightening things). My brother was always told that it was a cure.
2) The herbal medicine hospital turned out not to be a hospital at all. When my brother did the long trip on the train (no airports) we discovered that it was a filthy "shack" where dogs were roaming around free urinating all over the place...
When my brother queried the internet site that showed a beautiful hospital with gardens and doctors in white coats and staff and nurses, etc... they just said "Oh it is just a photo we took from another site and put it on ours to publicise our services."
You can imagine my brother's disappointment. He was fine and in good health and spirits when he arrived for the operation. Three months later, he was a rag doll.... and had been deteriorating since. He is now on IV antibiotics and seems to be doing well on those. He communicates with his eyes.
By the way, the operation took 5 minutes to complete. The doctor drilled two holes in the front part of my bother's skull, and injected the "cells". This cost my brother US$27,000 and a two month stay locked in a hospital an hour away from Beijing.
To have an MRI, he was transported by ambulance to another hospital (which was that far you thought it was in another country!) and made to wait in a drafty (Sp) hallway for 20 minutes before anyone attended to him. Of course my bother was in his bed clothes which were not enough to keep him warm on a snowy cold morning; he caught a cold and the operation had to be postponed, and postponed, and postponed until "the right -matching- cells had to be cultivated for him."
It is a money making factory.
Hi Guys. I took out the url for the site because I went there and I could have made up that site myself. It is just another example of people trying to make money off someone else's misery and hope for a cure. Your Motolab cure is a scam as well. I think you need to read our scam watch section on the front page of this site.
AL.
gjain.80@gmail.com
02-15-2007, 11:40 PM
Thanks mlb, Ur insights are greatly appreciated.
Its weird but even a small ray of hope is good enough to breather another life among the caretakers and the patient. I guess I am just desperate.
Thanks once again.
Tc..
G
G, it pains me to say it but it is better to warn before any attempts at any of these supposed cures are made than to face the extreme disappointment and loss of faith and hope afterwards. To have been taken advantage of and deceived to this point is a horrendous blow from which an already vulnerable and trusting individual has difficulty overcoming.
My brother was so excited at the prospect of this operation. He had such faith !! Well, to see him a couple of hours afterwards being so sick and losing all his strength was heartbreaking. He still held hope because the other Herbal hospital was going to really make things better... well, another major blow... then the trip back to Europe...
It is unforgiveable what these people do for money.
The photo on the left was taken before the operation at the Beijing Hospital. My kid brother was well!!!!!
Anna
gjain.80@gmail.com
02-16-2007, 12:52 AM
Hi Anna,
I greatly appreciate you sharing your experience with me.
My dad just got diaganosed with MND and my life has taken a 360 degree turn. I can't even imagine what he must be going thru.
I guess it's all about making the most of every day from today onwards.
Thanks for all your kind words. U r right...Better be warned than make mistakes thinking something miraculous can happen from unidentified sources.
Regards,
Gary..
Gary,
Everyone lives in hope. It is an essential part of survival for without it there is no point.
Anna
I've been reading your post for several months very good information on this site.
My husband is diagnosed with ALS symptoms began October, 2005 and was diagnosed in Neurologist state in July that we may be looking at the diag. of ALS. Went to Cleveland Clinic in September for 2nd opinion they agreed with ALS.
The reason I decided to join was to make a comment on the Herbal Tea alternative treatment. My husband is on the herbal tea it is working the tea gives him more energy and is helping in various ways. He was off of it for 10 days and I noticed a big difference in his symptoms. The 2nd batch of tea arrived the other day and I'm hoping this will improve symptoms. This tea is from China and I think it is from the url site that was mentioned above. The description of pictures sounds like the site we respond with.
I hope I did this correctly. If not please guide me, I would like to communicate with your forum.
Hi sis. Welcome to the site and I am glad to hear that your husband is doing better. Who knows if it is the tea or if he just plateau's? If it s working for you that is great but I would like you to stick around for 6 months and tell us how he is then and how much money you have spent on tea. I can go to China town and buy green tea for $5 for a months supply and how do you tell if it is not the same tea? I might get the same results from Red Bull. I am sorry if I am skeptical but for every 1 person that reports improvement there are 25 that have none or may have a couple of good months and then slide down. It is called the placebo effect. Hope it goes well for you.
AL.
Hi SIS.
Chinese medicine has been in existance for thousands of years and has one aim - to aid the body to recover on its own.
The body is a magnificent machine. It has the ability to repair itself provided we give it the right ingredients to do so.
I believe you when you say that it works for your husband. I know it works because I have tried it and will continue to choose Traditional Chinese Medicine over western. The only draw back (if it can be called that) is that depending on how sick a person is it can take a while before the benefits can be felt, sometimes months. Persistance is the key.
Try and find a Traditional Chinese Medical Practitioner in your area and work with him on whatever it is that worries you. Something to remember (if you were not given the instructions) is to use a clay pot to boil the concoction and no metal utensils should come in contact with the potion so as not to contaminate it. The concoction should be stored in a clay or glass container and can be kept in the refridgerator if you are in a hot environment.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is safe to have even when on western medication. There are no side effects.
Most cities nowadays have a Chinatown. You can find all sorts of things to do with health.
:)
Anna
Well, this one's pretty easy (all figures are for 2005):
Average life expectancy in China:
Men--70 years
Women--73 years
Average life expectancy in the US:
Men--75 years
Women--80 years
Average life expectancy in Japan (modern medicine/Asian bodies):
Men--78 years
Women--85 years
So much for the miracles of Chinese medicine.
Meg1,
I am sorry to say but these statistical figures mean nothing. Even if these figures were correct, there are over a billion people in China and very few have ever seen a western doctor. And the Japanese? They combine both western and Traditional medicine.
One can only speak from experience in such cases. My daughters, myself, my husband have all (and continue) been treated by a Traditional Chinese Practitioner. It is the best thing there is!!!
As far as ALS is concerned, I cannot say as I am not affected by the illness. My brother took it but not for long as by that time he had lost faith in all remedies. So I cannot talk about it being a "cure" for ALS. What I can say however, is that it does no harm and is relatively cheap.
I visit my practitioner for no reason sometimes except for him to give me some herbs to re-energize me. They work for me and for my family.
To borrow Joel's phrase "we have nothing to lose but everything to gain"...
:-D
Anna
Meg1,
I am sorry to say but these statistical figures mean nothing. Even if these figures were correct, there are over a billion people in China and very few have ever seen a western doctor. And the Japanese? They combine both western and Traditional medicine.
One can only speak from experience in such cases. My daughters, myself, my husband have all (and continue) been treated by a Traditional Chinese Practitioner. It is the best thing there is!!!
As far as ALS is concerned, I cannot say as I am not affected by the illness. My brother took it but not for long as by that time he had lost faith in all remedies. So I cannot talk about it being a "cure" for ALS. What I can say however, is that it does no harm and is relatively cheap.
I visit my practitioner for no reason sometimes except for him to give me some herbs to re-energize me. They work for me and for my family.
To borrow Joel's phrase "we have nothing to lose but everything to gain"...
:-D
Anna
It's incorrect to say that nonevidence-based medicine "do(es) no harm." Anything that requires payment or keeps a sick person from seeking a proven treatment does at least potential harm. If you're taking those herbs (or whatever they are) instead of antibiotics, you're doing harm. People who are not ill, of course, do not require real medical treatment.
And I don't get your point about most Chinese never seeing a Western doctor. That's what I'm saying--Chinese medicine (i.e., the absence of evidence-based medicine) results in lower life expectancies. FWIW, the Japanese medical system is very, very Western. Even alternative practitioners in Japan are required to be MD's.
Who said non-evidenced based medicine? Chinese medicine is now recognized around the world ! If I hadn't and had my family been treated and cured by it I would not be writing this. It is the best and safest thing there is!!!
It is not a matter of buying green tea and drinking it. This ancient form of medicine requires many years of study and as I mentioned earlier, these practitioners study western medicine as well. My Chinese doctor can read x-rays when my own GP can't!!!!
It is a pity that you do not open your mind to alternatives as without doubt you miss out on natural, harmless, effective treatments. I suppose you do not believe in acupuncture, massage or nutrition - this is Traditional Chinese Medicine!!
By the way most of the Chinese population lives in poverty and the statistics you give are remarkable for a population that is poor and has no or little recourse to western medicine.
"Anything that requires payment or keeps a sick person from seeking a proven treatment does at least potential harm. If you're taking those herbs (or whatever they are) instead of antibiotics, you're doing harm."
Meg. No one is keeping a sick person from seeking a proven treatment but in the case of ALS I am not aware of a proven treatment. Can you elaborate?
We are striving to find, if not a cure, a way to alleviate, ease, arrest the symptoms of ALS. How will we do this without discussion?
Traditional Chinese Medicine is safe to have even when on western medication. There are no side effects.
I repeat. Chinese Herbal Medicine is safe to take with any medication, even antibiotics...
Same rule applies for Chinese Medicine as Western. You do not self-treat... The herbs are selected and mixed especially for your condition by a registered, certified Traditional Chinese Medical Practitioner.
Anna
I'm in healthcare and when you are hit with a devasting disease of ALS it really makes you aware of everything. I carry the health insurance for my family and when our Neurologist wanted a second opinion he stated we should go to Lexington, KY - guess what my insurance didn't cover this hospital. My insurance home office is in Lextington, KY. explain this. We went to the Cleveland Clinic knowing that my insurance didn't cover this facility but desperate for a 2nd opinion I paid out of pocket. When you read all the materials about ALS the first thing they suggest is go to a ALS Clinic we are between Lexington and Cleveland the only two clinics and insurance does not cover. So when you are alone and start really thinking about our society you grasp for other alternatives. The other night on the news they had a special about pharm. reps and the influence they have on physicians (free lunches, gifts etc. etc.) and if you listen to the commercials about a particular drug listen to all the side effects and what other problems it could cause. Bottom line PMA (Positive Mind Attitude) is important when it comes to ALS.
So for my husband if the herbal tea is working it is worth gold to my family no matter what the cost. What I mean by working is it keeps him from being depressed and gives him energy and HOPE that the tea will slow down the progression. He is also on Rilutek which is very expensive per month. So I'm a believer in the herbal tea it gives a positive mind attitude and the site e-mails him every week to check on his progress. He doesn't feel like no one cares because they are checking on him. His neurologist does not call him and check on him.
Sorry for rambling but I'm really concerned with our healthcare in the USA. I'm beginning to think it is all about money and not about caring for the patient they treat.
Hi SIS.
I can only imagine how frustrating it is for you with your health system in the USA.
Here in Australia we experience the same things. Clinics owned by businessmen have set up in all suburbs whereby doctors have been set a target of patients to see during the day. I am not sure how many patients a day but I know that it is 10 minutes for each patient afterwhich they hurry you off. What can you say in ten minutes??? There is no difference between McDonald's or a private clinic. They are all interested in the bottom dollar and neither about your health.
As for the Chinese Medicine, we (my family & I) have our own practioner whom we have been seeing for the past 20 years.
Take Care.
Anna
rcharlton
02-19-2007, 11:29 AM
Same rule applies for Chinese Medicine as Western. You do not self-treat... The herbs are selected and mixed especially for your condition by a registered, certified Traditional Chinese Medical Practitioner.
Anna
Hi Anna, please don't consider this any kind of attack - but how are the herbs selected and mixed by a registered, certified Traditional Chinese Medical Practitioner - on what basis? If there is a recipe for ALS patients - from where is it derived? Have there been follow ups with previous PALS to determine its effectiveness?
How many ALS patients has your Chinese Medical Practitioner treated? What follow up has he done to determine the effectiveness of his treatment? Does he have case studies?
We are all in this together - we are all literally dying to find a cure. We all need to subject all information posted on this site to crtical and constructive thought in hopes of finding something that may really work for all of us.
This is why I love living in Canada ( I expect it is similar in Australia).
There seem to be two separate camps in the US - pro-alternative medicine and pro-conventional medicine. Both camps are going after the same healthcare dollars. The Alternative medicine camps argue that conventional medicine is just big business trying to get patients to subject themselves to unnecessary surgery and treatments where they can charge the big bucks.
This argument does not work in Canada. Medical Care is socialized - so the alternative medecine practitioners and conventional medecine practitioners are not after the same healthcare dollars. Conventional medicine practitioners are paid by the government – and there are caps on what can be billed – and most ALS specialists have more patients than they know what to do with – so any argument that these specialists would encourage unnecessary treatments cannot be supported. For the most part conventional medicine practitioners in Canada are indifferent as to whether patients also seek alternative treatments – other than concern over their patient’s health.
In Canada, it’s the alternative medicine practitioners that appear to be approaching healthcare like big business (which it is) and encouraging unnecessary treatments. Much of this is directed at the idle rich striving for youth and longevity – I have no sympathy for them; however, when is directed at the terminally ill – I become more critical.
I underwent acupuncture treatments for a while – until I started thinking (while feeling rather like a pin cushion) – this ND has never seen an ALS patient before – he has no real understanding of the disease – I’m I going to start relying on his opinion over that of my ALS specialist who has dedicated over 30 years of his life to finding a cure for this one illness and– who has undergone the most grueling and rigorous educational training out there? – vs. some guy who spent a couple of years at a community college? (BTW the acupuncture did nothing)
There is an MD here who also practices alternative medecine. Among some of the alternative treatments he offers is chelation therapy for "detox". There is a 6-8 month wait to book an appointment for his conventional practice; however, if you want chelation therapy, he will see you the next day. Why? Because chelation therapy for detox is not covered by our Gov't healthcare and he can charge big bucks and ask for payment up front.
I have my white tea every night ($4.99 for 100 bags) with an oatmeal cookie and it gives me great comfort and a sense of peace – even as I occasionally choke on some oatmeal my throat refuses to swallow.
Hi rcharlton,
I am soooooo pleased that you have an open and curious mind. This is the beginning of learning and discovery!
I am not a doctor but having a Chinese doctor, I know that each time I have a problem the herbs are different. They also taste different. I have found a site on the internet of which url I have copied but refuse to do so here so as to be "politically" correct. The site admittedly has an onsite store that sells books, videos, maps, relaxing music, etc.. as well as some tonics - all of which you can find at China Town in your city.
I am, however, pasting an excerpt here (there are 8 pages) on the subject.
Harmony of Body, Mind and Spirit
In the Orient, all philosophy, art and science are traditionally based on the fundamental realization that all things and all processes are interconnected. Oriental wise men and women long ago recognized the interconnectedness of the various parts of the body. The human body, mind and spirit are experienced as one complete whole, within themselves, with the environment and with the universe.
The notion of the unity of the body and psyche is fundamental to the Oriental healing arts. Changes in one's physical condition will result in changes in one's thinking and in one's intuitive and emotional processes. The mind likewise directly and indirectly influences gross and subtle changes in one's physical nature and in the actions we take. Virtually all aspects of health are rooted in the harmonious integration of the body and the psyche.
The Oriental health-maintenance and health-promotion arts, such as tonic herbalism, take full advantage of this oneness of body and psyche to help each person to grow to as full a state of health, well-being and spiritual awareness as the person is ready to achieve. The tonic herbs are used to bring about changes in one's physical condition; simultaneously, they are routinely used to influence the conscious and subconscious mind, the emotions and the human spirit.
No form of health care is complete unless it recognizes and utilizes this principle of the unity of physical and psychic energy. A Chinese tonic herbalist will never attempt to influence a change in just one aspect of a person's physical or psychic life In any case, such an attempt would be fruitless.
The goal of tonic herbalism is to help the tonic herbs user to establish a harmony of body, mind and spirit which can result in a new level of well-being, a new level of health and happiness that forms the foundation for a creative, successful life, as well as for true spiritual discovery, growth and, possibly, eventual mastery and enlightenment.
The very purpose of using Chinese tonic herbs is to aid the body-mind in its adaptive needs. The greatness of the Chinese tonic herbs lies in their adaptogenic quality; that is, the ability to enhance the body-mind's capacity to adapt optimally, accurately and with endurance to changes in the environment, and thus to overcome the stresses of life.
By replenishing the energy of the cells, tissues and systems that regulate our adaptability, we find ourselves capable of experiencing life at its fullest. We find ourselves with increased physical, mental and emotional endurance. We find ourselves easily handling stresses that would exhaust others. We find ourselves to be resilient on every level. This adaptability allows us to lead a rich, broad, adventurous life.
The Principle of Yin and Yang
The "great principle" of yin and yang is a fundamental concept in Chinese philosophy and in the Oriental health care system. The great principle of yin and yang was developed more than 3,000 years ago by great sages and scholars.
Yin and yang are the two opposing components of one integrated whole. These two opposing forces are totally interdependent, interacting constantly so as to maintain the normality and integrity of the whole. Each in turn tends to dominate over the other, but no total dominance is permanent. No matter how dominating one side appears, eventually the other will take its turn as the dominant force. This interplay of opposing forces establishes the basis of all existence and all change.
Herbs and the Regulation of Yin and Yang
In Chinese tonic herbalism, we utilize the law of yin and yang constantly. Tonic herbs are categorized according to yin and yang. It is the attempt of tonic herbalism to provide yin and yang energy in an appropriate balance so that the individual eventually attains a proper dynamic balance and thus attains radiant health. Thus it is important to discern which balance of yin and yang herbs is appropriate. A person who shows signs of yin deficiency will do well to take more yin herbs while a person who shows signs of yang deficiency should take more yang herbs.
It is our belief that, since yin and yang are always both necessary, both yin and yang herbs should be consumed by everybody. Since yin is by definition cooling, moistening and relaxing, yin deficiency is often characterized by hot conditions, hot feelings, dryness and agitation. Yang, on the other hand, is warming, drying and invigorating. Therefore yang deficiency is characterized by cold feelings and conditions, excessive moistness and a lack of vitality (fatigue).
Chinese tonic herbalism is an adaptogenic system. This relates to the concept that the body-mind is naturally and innately self-regulatory. Human neurological and endocrine functions have evolved over millions of years as the primary human regulatory systems designed by nature to maintain homeostasis (functional balance), even under an enormous variety of stressful conditions, thus allowing the whole system to survive and even thrive.[B][B]
Sorry rcharlton this is so long but it is worth reading.
Chinese medicine does not treat illness. It treats the whole body to enable it to function normally without disease.
I have and my family has been successfully treated (for a range of complaints - some that western medicine could not cure) with herbs by our Chinese doctor here in Melbourne. Dr. Chen has been our family doctor for the last 20 years.
I am glad that you find your white tea comforting. Did you know that Chinese teas have different properties? White tea is very good for colds as well. There are others you only drink after a meal as they help dissolve the fat, etc... Like medicine, Chinese teas are not to be drunk as if it was water but in small doses (the chinese cups are tiny).
Ah... I forgot the bit about acupuncture. Acupuncture is only effective if your mind is open to it. In other words if your body is tense and you are uptight, you will not respond to it. I have been refused by my doctor an acupuncture session because of this.
I guess it is like doctors giving up on someone who doesn't have the will to live. Whatever they do, wont work because the person is not receptive.
Anna
rcharlton
02-19-2007, 04:13 PM
How are the herbs selected and mixed by a registered, certified Traditional Chinese Medical Practitioner - on what basis? If there is a recipe for ALS patients - from where is it derived? Have there been follow ups with previous PALS to determine its effectiveness?
How many ALS patients has your Chinese Medical Practitioner treated? What follow up has he done to determine the effectiveness of his treatment? Does he have case studies?
Hi Anna,
Thanks for the info, but what about my original questions - as above?
The answer is actually in my posts to you. ALS is an illness. Chinese Medicine does not treat illness. It treats the body.
Anna
rcharlton
02-19-2007, 04:51 PM
Hi Anna,
Just playing devil's advocate here - but how does a Chinese Medical Practitioner know what herbs the body of a PALS needs - as opposed to someone who has cancer - or is it the same herbs for everyone?
I mean he isn't just making this stuff up - so how does he determine which herbs a particular body needs - and on what is this based?
Have you asked your pracitioner if he has treated the bodies of other PALS? Has he had any success with these treatments?
I don't think you have read anything that I have posted. I have misunderstood your motives. BUT here for the benefit of others who unlike yourself want genuinely to understand the workings of this anciient form of healing I am pasting an explanation of how herbs are selected"
"Chinese herbs are selected and combined in formulas based on principles that have no relation whatsoever to bio-chemistry. The vast majority of herbal treatments use formulas containing four or more herbs. Only a few herbs are used by themselves alone. There are several reasons for this.
To affect related secondary aspects of the illness.
To prevent the formula from causing side effects or illness by balancing it’s effects.
To strengthen the effect on the pathology.
One commonly used format or template for designing herbal formulas is based on the monarchical form of government. At the top is the king or emperor. Next are the ministers or deputies. Last are the assistants or adjutants. There is one special role assistant - that of guide or messenger herb. A memory trick to remember this template is to consider it as radio station KMAG.
Any herb can fill any of these roles. Which role depends on which herbal formula the herb is used in. They roles work together in these ways:
King Herb - The herb which is directed to and has the strongest effect on the most important imbalance/pathology
Minister Herb - This herb is directed to the main imbalance/pathology and to the secondary imbalance/pathology
Assistant Herb - there are three types:
1) Helpful Assistant - strengthens the effect of the King
2) Corrective Assistant - reduces or eliminates the harsh or toxic effects of the King and/or Minister herbs
3) Opposing Assistant - decreases the effect of the King. This role is mostly used for complex combinations of imbalances/pathologies.
Guide - Envoy - Messenger Herb - focuses actions of the other herbs on a particular organ, channel or region of the body.
The KMAG template is presently the dominant method of designing a formula but several others have been very important and are in common use today. Chinese herbs are selected for use in a formula by any single characteristic or combination of all characteristics.
HERB TEMPERATURE
HOT WARM NEUTRAL COOL COLD
5 ELEMENT TASTE OF THE HERB
WATER WOOD FIRE EARTH METAL
SALTY SOUR BITTER SWEET SPICY
DIRECTION OF THE HERB
UP DOWN OUTWARD INWARD
CHANNELS WHICH THE HERB ENTERS
When taken internally the herb's properties enter channels affecting the connected organs and regions of the body.
HERB ENERGETICS by Category of Effect on Qi
DIAPHORETICS RELEASE THE EXTERIOR
ANTI-PYRETICS CLEAR HEAT
PURGATIVES DRAIN DOWNWARD
No Translation HARMONIZING
MOSTURIZING MOISTEN DRYNESS
No Translation WARM THE INTERIOR
STRENGTHEN TONIFYING, NOURISHING
DIGESTIVE REGULATE QI of MIDDLE
BLOOD REGULATING MOVE COAGULATED BLOOD
BLOOD REGULATING STOP BLEEDING
ASTRINGENT STABILIZE & CONTAIN
SEDATIVE CALM the SHEN
ANTI-CONVULSANT ELIMINATE WIND
No Translation ELIMINATE PHLEGM
RESUCITATING OPEN the SENSES
There are two objectives of this section. The first is to introduce the lay person to Chinese Herbology. The second is to demonstrate the complexity of the formulas. After even this cursory study it will be apparent that a lay person should consult a professional before using Chinese medicinal herbs. "
I hope you understand the meaning of treating the "whole body" as opposed to treating an illness.
The way western medicine works is somewhat like this:
You go to the doctor because you feel weak, have sleepless nights, are shaking, lose weight, etc...
The doctor orders some blood tests which come back indicating that you have an overactive/underactive thyroid.
The doctor sends you to an endocrinologist. The endocrinologist orders a scan that confirms the blood test result.
The endocrinologist will order further invasive procedures to see if he can improve the function of your thyroid (he knows that it wont work and tells you so but still orders the procedure).
Then, because this failed, he advises you to have an operation to remove the thyroid. This means that you will be on tablets for the rest of your life. The tablets of course are to replace the function of the thyroid... which actually makes you wonder why remove it in the first place???
The cost????? Quite a bit I imagine.
On the other hand....
The Chinese Doctor will listen to your blood flow which he does by putting his fingers on the inside left of your wrist then to the right wrist. He will check your tongue, your eyes, and your overall look. He will listen to your heart (with a stethoscope), feel your hands for heat or cold to see where the problem lies. He will prescribe herbal medicine according to his findings (as explained above).
Nothing has been removed but you are well on the way to recovery. No tablets and no operation.
The cost??? AUD35.00 all inclusive (Visit & herbs). The Canadian dollar is almost on par with the Australian so no need to convert it.
I am not selling you anything except some wisdom. Up to you to help yourself. God has sent you a ship to rescue you from drowning when you asked for His help but you didn't accept the ride because you expected a miracle... remember that joke??? Only it is not a joke.
Anna
rcharlton --
Here's your answer in a nutshell:
It's basically a religion. Chinese medicine only works if you believe. If you don't believe, it doesn't work.
Real medicine, OTOH, works whether you believe or not.
(Translation of pages of gobbledy goop provided free of charge.)
Meg
Ha. Ha. Ha. Meg, I had a good laugh. WOW I am blown away by your AHA moment!
John1
02-19-2007, 11:38 PM
Posted by Meg1:
"Well, this one's pretty easy (all figures are for 2005):
Average life expectancy in China:
Men--70 years
Women--73 years
Average life expectancy in the US:
Men--75 years
Women--80 years
Average life expectancy in Japan (modern medicine/Asian bodies):
Men--78 years
Women--85 years
So much for the miracles of Chinese medicine."
Meg, I'm not sure it is quite that easy. I suspect that many more people in China die young in traffic accidents, industrial accidents and from environmental toxins than do here regardless of the medicine practised. Actually, I'm surprised that the Chinese mortality figures are that good. I'd like to see adjusted stats.
People China Top of Page
Population:
1,313,973,713 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.8% (male 145,461,833/female 128,445,739)
15-64 years: 71.4% (male 482,439,115/female 455,960,489)
65 years and over: 7.7% (male 48,562,635/female 53,103,902) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 32.7 years
male: 32.3 years
female: 33.2 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.59% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
13.25 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
6.97 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est
Information derived from the CIA website
Meg, I'm not sure it is quite that easy. I suspect that many more people in China die young in traffic accidents, industrial accidents and from environmental toxins than do here regardless of the medicine practised. Actually, I'm surprised that the Chinese mortality figures are that good. I'd like to see adjusted stats.
Hi John. I was a little surprised, too, which is why I included Japanese figures for comparison. For whatever reason, Asians tend to live longer than non-Asians, wherever they are (Asian-American women are the longest-lived demographic group in the US). I had no luck finding age-adjusted Chinese life expectancy rates, but I did note that life expectancies for people over age 65 were very similar (differences of only a couple of years) in both poorly developed and more well developed countries. I'm thinking that's because, once people attain a given age, genetics plays a bigger role in survival than does the quality of medical care.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs252/en/
Hi Everybody!
While we are on the subject of alternative medicine, maybe some of you could help me out??! I really need to take something for depression, but when the doctor tried some of the new fangled meds (I think it was Zoloft and then something that started with a P, but not Prozac), they made me speedy. My heart rate went up, I planted a garden, the kids said I talked way too much and when I tried to sleep I had racing thoughts which was worse than the crying jags. SIS, you said your husband uses a tea that helps his energy and he feels better. Maybe there is something out there that I could use? I have heard about St. John's Wort, but not sure of side effects. Anyway, thanks for any suggestions. Leslie
Richard's original question wasn't answered. How does the guy know which is the King herb or the assistant herb? See as soon as you bring politics into the discussion it deteriorates. The original problem here which people have lost sight of is this. Why is one guy charging $400 per month for herbs and your guy is charging $35. Someone is scamming. The problem is not with Chinese Medicine it is with scum bags promising cures for outrageous amounts of money.
AL.
Richard's original question wasn't answered. How does the guy know which is the King herb or the assistant herb? See as soon as you bring politics into the discussion it deteriorates. The original problem here which people have lost site of is this. Why is one guy charging $400 per month for herbs and your guy is charging $35. Someone is scamming. The problem is not with Chinese Medicine it is with scum bags promising cures for outrageous amounts of money.
AL.
Al, I adore you, but a scam is a scam. The problem with your scenario is that a person with, say, a treatable infection who takes the $35 herb is doing just as much harm to his body as the one who takes the $400 herb. Google Katie Warnecke to see what I mean. (Actually, I'll save you wading through a bunch of junk--she's the young teen in Texas who is dying of Hodgkin's disease because her parents thought alternative medicine immunotherapy would do her as much good as radiation and chemotherapy.)
http://www.prayforkatie1.blogspot.com/
[QUOTE=Meg1]Hi John. I was a little surprised, too, which is why I included Japanese figures for comparison. For whatever reason, Asians tend to live longer than non-Asians, wherever they are (Asian-American women are the longest-lived demographic group in the US).
I wonder why? Could it be because of the food they eat and the herbs they drink? Ummm. Good question Meg1.
Richard's original question wasn't answered. How does the guy know which is the King herb or the assistant herb? See as soon as you bring politics into the discussion it deteriorates. The original problem here which people have lost sight of is this. Why is one guy charging $400 per month for herbs and your guy is charging $35. Someone is scamming. The problem is not with Chinese Medicine it is with scum bags promising cures for outrageous amounts of money.
AL.
How does the "guy" know which is the king herb, etc.. well, I can ask Richard the same question in reverse. How does a western "guy" know which medicine to prescribe?
As far as paying $400.00 per month for herbs. Well, it is your choice. Right next door to each of you however, is probably a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor. You no longer need to go to China or look for herbs over the internet because they are available everywhere.
Scams are there for those people who do not do their research. Some though who are prejudiced do not do research at all and instead, claim to be experts such as Meg1 who now believes that Traditional Chinese Medicine is a religion! What next??? China has no religion to begin with.... Oh Meg1 was this a joke? I hope it was!
Harper
02-23-2007, 01:33 AM
Hi Everybody!
While we are on the subject of alternative medicine, maybe some of you could help me out??! I really need to take something for depression, but when the doctor tried some of the new fangled meds (I think it was Zoloft and then something that started with a P, but not Prozac), they made me speedy. My heart rate went up, I planted a garden, the kids said I talked way too much and when I tried to sleep I had racing thoughts which was worse than the crying jags. SIS, you said your husband uses a tea that helps his energy and he feels better. Maybe there is something out there that I could use? I have heard about St. John's Wort, but not sure of side effects. Anyway, thanks for any suggestions. Leslie
Leslie ...
St. John's Wort imitates the chemical reaction of Prozac ... it's a serotonin uptake inhibitor. You can purchase Melatonin over the counter ... it helps with depression ... as does your 'standard' grocery store green tea.
Harper
Thank you Harper. It sounds like St. John's Wort would still make me "speedy", but I will definitely try some tea and check out the melatonin. Do you know if that causes reactions like Prozac or the SSRI's? Thanks again. Leslie
[QUOTE=Meg1]Hi John. I was a little surprised, too, which is why I included Japanese figures for comparison. For whatever reason, Asians tend to live longer than non-Asians, wherever they are (Asian-American women are the longest-lived demographic group in the US).
I wonder why? Could it be because of the food they eat and the herbs they drink? Ummm. Good question Meg1.
Couldn't be--remember they die earlier in China. You know, China--the place with all those great Traditional Chinese Medical "doctors."
Harper
02-23-2007, 11:07 AM
Thank you Harper. It sounds like St. John's Wort would still make me "speedy", but I will definitely try some tea and check out the melatonin. Do you know if that causes reactions like Prozac or the SSRI's? Thanks again. Leslie
The St John's Wort is much weaker than Prozac ... the two best over the counter brands are Kira or Kwai ... melatonin 'slows and calms' ... it's sometimes used as a sleep aid.
Harper
This is soooo helpful for me. Thanks very much. Leslie
MtPockets
02-23-2007, 01:43 PM
My 2 cents on Chinese Medicine.
Over 18 years ago I had severe nerve damage to my lower back in an airplane accident that left me with Chronic low back pain. I had a friend who used a Chinese trained (10 years of training) Doctor. She recommend I see him and get some treatment. I went to him for over 6 months, during which time he performed accupunture treatments several times a week. He also gave me herbs and things I have no idea what to call them. He claimed he could treat me just by measuring my pulse at over 50 different points on my body?
During this time he advised me on the principles of having "Faith" in these treatments. To me something called "Faith" should only be used for a religion, not medical treatment, but his explanation of what he believed was indeed a religion.
Not a religion based on God as we in the western world know Him, but upon tradition that had been passed down for thousands of years in the far east. This principal of Ying and Yang, or good verses evil being in balance in one's body can directly be traced to beliefs in many gods and the worship thereof throughout history in the Chinese people. It is up to each individual to choose whether he or she would base their medical treatment on such a "faith".
As for me and my house we will serve the Lord God Jehovah and only in Him will I have FAITH. There is no room for a balance of evil, in my body, within my belief system, much less my "Faith" in such cures. Either the treatment cures you or it does not, why do you need faith for it to work, if it is not a religion?
Sounds almost like something you might hear on TV from Robert Tilton. Send me your money and I'll send you my "Special" prayer cloth that will heal you.
I normally would ignore a thread like this, because I believe everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, but when others are trying to be convinced that 'THIS IS THE ANSWER YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR", I just had to give you my opinion based on personal experience.
Yes, I belive in vitamins, herb tea, supplements, etc. Just don't put all your eggs in one basket. Use balance and good judgement when you look at your own treatment.
By the way after 6 months of treatment, I received absolutely no relief or help from the Chinese Doctor or any of his treatments.
Good luck if you choose this path. I harbor no ill will towards anyone who searches for answers or relief from their diseases, by any method they so choose. It's just not the path I would take for myself or a loved one.
God Bless
Capt AL
My 2 cents on Chinese Medicine.
I normally would ignore a thread like this, because I believe everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, but when others are trying to be convinced that 'THIS IS THE ANSWER YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR", I just had to give you my opinion based on personal experience.
Yes, I belive in vitamins, herb tea, supplements, etc. Just don't put all your eggs in one basket. Use balance and good judgement when you look at your own treatment.
By the way after 6 months of treatment, I received absolutely no relief or help from the Chinese Doctor or any of his treatments.
Good luck if you choose this path. I harbor no ill will towards anyone who searches for answers or relief from their diseases, by any method they so choose. It's just not the path I would take for myself or a loved one.
God Bless
Capt AL
No one is trying to convince anyone. I have tried to stress the point that alternatives are worth considering when there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING else on offer. Your opinion counts as is everyone else's here.
To believe in vitamins, herbal tea, supplements, etc... is a contradiction. To believe is to have faith. If you did not have faith in the benefits of those supplements, you would not believe in them.
How did you find relief for your back once stopped treatment with your Chinese doctor?
Thank you for allowing others the freedom to choose.
MtPockets
02-24-2007, 09:52 AM
I have never found a treatment for my back that would ease the pain. I have been to pain clinics in Florida, numerous back specialists, went through 6 year of Psycho-Theraphy, and after all is said and done, the basic answer is I was told to live with the pain and take pain medicine for the rest of my life. :cry: On top of all this I get ALS.
I have tried everything available for over 18 years, and always had the same results. No help, no relief, for the pain. It has only gotten worse over time. Doctors will not operate because my spinal cord has no protective covering due to having Spina Bifida when I was a child and my nerve roots have adhesions with the spinal disc material and they are afraid they will paralyze me. Well, guess I'm heading there anyway thanks to ALS.
Over the years I have found out I am allergic to almost all pain meds. Twice My heart stopped and they coded me because of a reaction to Morphine, and one to Deladid. Anything from the morphine family of drugs I cannot use. My doctors are afraid to operate on me because of not being able to control the pain after surgery.
The only way I am able to deal with the pain is on a spiritual level. In the midst of all this I have peace in my life and spirit because of my trust in God and Jesus. That is the only thing that has given me comfort when I find myself crying from the pain and unable to sleep at night for more than short periods of time. That is the only thing that helps me deal with ALS and my soon coming death.
That is where I put my FAITH. Not Doctors, medicine, Eric Edney, or anything else. This is why I bring up the point of , what does everyone have Faith in? We all, at some point, are going to have to face death square in the eyes. I am not afraid. I have peace. I hope you do too.
I don't "Believe IN" herbs, vitamins, etc. I know from research that my body needs vitamins just like I know my cars engine needs oil. That is a scientific fact. I guess it seems like we both are playing with words here, which I don't really want to do.
The only point I was trying to make is my chinese doctor was trained to believe in his treatments as a form of religion. I do not accept that view personally. Just trying to give another point of view to those who might wonder about such things.
I'm not saying your wrong and I'm right about any of this, I'm saying look at all sides of a story and research, research, research, before you jump into anything.
God Bless
Capt AL
CindyM
02-24-2007, 10:39 AM
I think it is reasonable to expect that, for some people, vitamins and massage and herbs and even acupuncture might help relieve some of the symptoms of ALS. That doesn't mean anybody is cured. Nor does it mean people with a terminal illness should ignore death when it is facing us in the eye. Just beware of your priorities, is all. Don't waste precious time or money or energy.
I often make an analogy to Alzheimer's when thinking about this disease. My Mom has found relief in some stages of her disease by certain meds or mental exercises, but at the end of the day, she still has Alzheimer's. A cure will be found for both diseases, but not this month. She did better by focusing on the quality of her life while she is still with us, and for her that means accepting what she cannot change, changing what she can, and asking for the grace to know the difference.
Mtpockets. I am very sorry that you have been in pain for so long with no meds to relieve it. But... you have tried. You have not succeeded but you have tried. Your faith in God helps you bear what is facing you. God helps those who help themselves - building your immune system with vitamins and herbs is an excellent way of doing precisely that.
CindyM. I agree totally with you.
The downside of having comments such as "Herbal medicine is a religion" is that those who have had success with it or any other alternative treatment for that matter, will never share it here with us for fear of an avalanche of criticism and scaremongering such as we have seen on this thread.
Anna
David
02-27-2007, 05:24 PM
Meg1, thanks for such a great link (from the WHO), it was a good read.
David
02-27-2007, 05:29 PM
mlb, I think your strong attitude and loud voice regarding alternative therapies is a bit intimidating.
Also, the way you phrase your comments makes it impossible to reason or argue with you, for those reasons, I won't bother, you'll have a snappy come back that will surely embarass me. :)
I will say this though, please tone down your promotion on this website or your account will be removed.
Most importantly, stop the outbound links to non-authoratative sites, and sites that provide content solely to promote and sell.
Yes, I know, it was just information and you had no idea, it happens all the time, and it's fine. However, in the future, don't post them if you're not sure, it takes us a lot of time to read through teh posts and sort through the mess.
mlb, I think your strong attitude and loud voice regarding alternative therapies is a bit intimidating.
Also, the way you phrase your comments makes it impossible to reason or argue with you, for those reasons, I won't bother, you'll have a snappy come back that will surely embarass me. :)
I will say this though, please tone down your promotion on this website or your account will be removed.
Most importantly, stop the outbound links to non-authoratative sites, and sites that provide content solely to promote and sell.
Yes, I know, it was just information and you had no idea, it happens all the time, and it's fine. However, in the future, don't post them if you're not sure, it takes us a lot of time to read through teh posts and sort through the mess.
David,
What promotion? What non-authoritative sites and sites that provide content solely to promote and sell??????? Can you give me an example?
Do you think that my being on this forum is to promote and sell??? Why do you think that I have a strong and loud voice for alternative therapies???? Could it be that it is out of concern that there is nothing else available to treat ALS but to seek to strengthen the immune system and improve overall health?? Could it be that there is urgency in doing something now because it becomes too difficult when symptoms have really progressed to a point of no return??
You can do as you wish David. Cut my account if you like. The site is yours to do as you please. I am not on this forum for myself. Remember that.
Anna
David,
I have seen many here offer medications (by name) for various symptoms. These include depression, cramps, pain, twitching, etc... Is this not considered selling/promoting as you so well put it??
Anna
Do you think that my being on this forum is to promote and sell??? Why do you think that I have a strong and loud voice for alternative therapies???? Could it be that it is out of concern that there is nothing else available to treat ALS but to seek to strengthen the immune system and improve overall health??Anna
Sorry to step in the middle of this (well, not too) but this "strengthen the immune system" business in relation to ALS is nonsensical. If ALS is an autoimmune disease as many believe, strengthening the immune system will be counterproductive. In autoimmune diseases the immune system must be depressed in order for symptoms to ease.
DavidGL
02-28-2007, 08:41 AM
David,
I have seen many here offer medications (by name) for various symptoms. These include depression, cramps, pain, twitching, etc... Is this not considered selling/promoting as you so well put it??
Anna
Anna,
There is a distinct difference between what the field of medicine has to offer and the anecdotes of alternative therapists. You can do everyone a favor by pointing to an "alternative" web site that has copies of the peer-reviewed clinical studies that show that these alternative methods actually work. For all of the science-based medical solutions, you *will* find such published research. There is a reason why this is important--it weeds out the charlatans from the true scientists.
If you do not have peer-reviewed papers available, the alternative treatments are worthless. No one is attacking you--some of us just want to make sure that the more naive amongst us are not giving their sorely-needed funds to the degenerate souls preying upon them because they are desperate.
Some of us have very strong feelings in this regard.
DavidGL
Mike27
02-28-2007, 12:42 PM
I’m not sure why people are giving Anna a hard time for bringing forward (and defending from critics) an alternative therapy in thread entitled “Alternative Therapy Question”.
I’ve taken TCM. Anna is quite correct when she says they don’t ‘cubby-hole’ you into a ‘disease’ category. They treat the body as a whole. (This is where the term holistic treatment comes) They treat and give herbs for each symptom. How do they determine which herb to give? I don’t know. I’m not a practitioner of TCM, just as I don’t know how my GP determines which drug I should take for cholesterol. My GP could very well be scamming me, as was insinuated with TCM, by being ‘on the take’ from some pharmaceutical company. I hope not.
TCM goes back thousands of years and it takes a great deal of time and knowledge to become a doctor of TCM: http://www.ctcma.bc.ca/DataFile.asp?FileID=469 and
http://www.tstcm.com/html/educational_standards.html
Any doc of TCM worth their salt will be fully qualified and have their diplomas and certificates in plain view. If you walk into a clinic and don’t see the credentials, then simply leave.
Jut as our GPs must have an understanding of drugs and pharmaceuticals (which are mostly derived from herbs, by the way) TCM docs learn about herbs, massage, acupuncture and the like. They know what to use, how much to use and so on. Just like my GP knows how many mgs of a drug to give me.
A couple of points:
It’s a misconception to say that the treatments of TCM have no side affects. Allergies and drug interactions may come into play (just like regular pharmaceuticals) so one must let their Dr. of TCM know.
The use of herbs and TCM techniques have been around for thousands of years…not literally, it has been thousands of years. The effects have been recorded and passed on to modern practitioners. Is this a cure for ALS? Of course not! Anyone making that claim is lying. But they can treat some symptoms. And no, you don’t have to be a Buddhist or Taoist to benefit from this.
Here’s an informative site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_medicine
As Rodney King said; “Can’t we all just get along?”:wink:
MtPockets
02-28-2007, 12:56 PM
HOW ABOUT A CHANGE OF PACE?
I just ran across a study that concerns me and probably might interest those taking vitamin supplements, like me. As if we didn't have enough to worry about already.
Just another thing to consider. The more information we can get the better it is to make our own decisions. A small quote from a large article from webmd.com:
Antioxidant Supplements Up Death Risk
Study Shows No Benefit, Slightly Higher Death Risk for Antioxidant Supplements
Advice to Consumers
Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, is director of nutrition for WebMD. She reviewed the Bjelakovic/Gluud study for this article.
"This is a very comprehensive, to-be-respected analysis. This isn't just another study coming out," Zelman says. "The bottom line is that antioxidant supplements are not a magic bullet for disease prevention. We hoped maybe they were, but they are not."
Taking vitamin A supplements increased the risk of death by 16%.
Taking beta-carotene supplements increased the risk of death by 7%.
Taking vitamin E supplements increased the risk of death by 4%.
Taking vitamin C supplements did not have any effect on risk of death.
To read the report and make up your own mind please go to:
(removed link - non-auth site)
Another version of this is at:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/health_diet_antioxidant_vitamins
God Bless
Capt AL
Mike27
02-28-2007, 01:02 PM
Is this a cure for ALS? Of course not! Anyone making that claim is lying. But they can treat some symptoms.
I wanted to add so there is no misunderstanding, that was my experience. I don't speak for all who have tried TCM. What worked for me may not work for you.
Please don't ask me to prove why it worked or provide proof of a government funded double-blind whatchama hoo...I'm not that smart! :wink:
Mike27
02-28-2007, 01:06 PM
HOW ABOUT A CHANGE OF PACE?
I just ran across a study that concerns me and probably might interest those taking vitamin supplements, like me. As if we didn't have enough to worry about already.
Just another thing to consider. The more information we can get the better it is to make our own decisions. A small quote from a large article from webmd.com:
Antioxidant Supplements Up Death Risk
Study Shows No Benefit, Slightly Higher Death Risk for Antioxidant Supplements
Advice to Consumers
Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, is director of nutrition for WebMD. She reviewed the Bjelakovic/Gluud study for this article.
"This is a very comprehensive, to-be-respected analysis. This isn't just another study coming out," Zelman says. "The bottom line is that antioxidant supplements are not a magic bullet for disease prevention. We hoped maybe they were, but they are not."
Taking vitamin A supplements increased the risk of death by 16%.
Taking beta-carotene supplements increased the risk of death by 7%.
Taking vitamin E supplements increased the risk of death by 4%.
Taking vitamin C supplements did not have any effect on risk of death.
To read the report and make up your own mind please go to:
(removed link, non-auth site)
Another version of this is at:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/health_diet_antioxidant_vitamins
God Bless
Capt AL
I had heard about that for vit E but not the others.
Thanks for the site Capt Al!
MtPockets
02-28-2007, 01:08 PM
Your very welcome. I noticed on the new posts that AL had just posted a new thread about this study.
God Bless
Capt AL
I believe people get somewhat frustrated in this arena, because many of the alternative methods wind up harming our loved ones more than helping them. We have tried a few of them, and, my theory is, as long as we do not have to pay for it (people have offered things for free), and it absolutely will not harm my husband, it won't hurt to try it. So far, nothing has had any impact, not even the Rilutek, which is a recognized ALS drug. Of course, we all want hope, but my husband entered this whole arena with a very level head, and I am thankful for that. We pray they will find a legitimate cure every day, we live in the hope that that will happen, but understand the realities if that does not. Consequently, we are thankful for EVERY SINGLE DAY we have here together, and try to live each day with lots of laughter... For example, the other day, when they brought the sling/crane (can't remember the technical name), that is going to be used to move Jay when he has no movement left, my 11 year old got in to sample it first and we were all cracking jokes and laughing the whole time. I think the therapists though we were nuts! All this to say, laughter is great medicine and having a positive attitude is even better. God Bless you all! Teej
MtPockets
02-28-2007, 01:55 PM
A merry heart does good like a medicine. Right out of the Bible. I like to call the Bible the operators handbook for life.
Attitude has so much to do with how we are able to cope. Sounds like you and your family are doing great considering all that is going on with the ALS.
God Bless
Capt AL
CindyM
02-28-2007, 04:25 PM
Attitude is important for many reasons, when you think about it Captain. Every time I read a post form a caregiver who is worn down by his or her PAL's uncooperative and ungrateful attitude, I think "Please don't let me get to that point."
Sure, I expect to be more than a bit frustrated if I have to wait for someone to scratch my nose or move me into a more comfortable position, but if that time comes it will most likely be towards the end of my life. The big guestion here is: how do I want my loved ones to remember me? As the crank that could never be pleased? The person for whom nothing was ever good enough?
Sometimes we lose sight of the goal. And the goal is not to be right about an issue. The goal is not to be the one who made everyone else see things a certain way. The goal is to show our loved ones how to manage when we are gone. They will know how to do this because of the example we leave behind. CIndy
quadbliss
02-28-2007, 08:06 PM
Cindy,
You are absolutely right. After I was diagnosed, I went through a grieving process, but after I came out the other end, I realized I could "start living or start dying". Up until then, my life had been the typical American push to the top, buy more stuff pursuit. My life was completely out of balance. I worked too hard and drank too much. I was cut off from my feelings and had a big hole where my spirituality should be. I realized I was being given the opportunity to rebuild myself as a person. The circumstances would be challenging, but that is how we grow. This growth not only benefits me, but also those around me. I try to be a positive example to people I come into contact with, and being a mute quad makes my statement even more powerful. This spiritual (not religious) presence feels more solid than my previous identity. I have been transformed into a completely different person. Despite my shriveling body, the depth of my soul makes me feel so much more alive. I am actually grateful for the growth opportunities ALS has given me.:-D
Mike
David
03-01-2007, 06:29 AM
DavidGL, thank you for taking the time to outline your thoughts in an easy to swallow soup.
I wish I had the gift with words like you do.
I think in some small way, we all use alternative therapies... chicken noodle soup when we're sick, flat ginger ale for a bad stomach...
Difference is, you won't find me parading around websites selling the noodle soup for hundreds of dollars, or taking the time to promote through endless speech the benefits of noodle soup.
More often than not, the ones that have the time to do this are the ones with something to gain (not meant to imply, simple something I consider to be personal fact).
Say what you will, the fact is, like DavidGL so eloquently pointed out, while messages here may be intended to be harmless, they are being read by over 1,500 visitors per day, for this fact, we're obligated to censor and protect; we do our best, I ask that you do yours in return.
Cheers.
