I went through a year of hard-core denial after my official diagnosis. I didn’t want to talk or hear about Multiple Sclerosis. That was pretty easy to do when nothing was changing physically. The first change I noticed was a slight foot drop in my right foot. It wasn’t noticeable to anyone else and would only trip me up every once in a while, but it was a reminder of the MonSter that was still within me. I was working full time at Cummins Child Development Center in Columbus as a team leader at this time. It is a large center and I walked around a LOT throughout the day. I would also use my lunch break to walk on the treadmill for half an hour. By the end of the day, the foot drop would become more noticeable and trip me up a lot. We knew we had to do something, but I was not willing to go back to a doctor or go on “conventional” MS therapies.
I was working with a dear friend at the time who had seen an herbalist in Louisville for other medical needs and he highly recommended him to me. I called the herbalist, Myron Hardesty of Weeds of Eden. Before he would see me, he needed all of my medical history. He sent me at least a 10 page back and front health questionnaire. This questionnaire covered EVERY system in my body and left no question unasked. After giving as much detail about my physical and mental health as possible, I mailed the packet back and waited.
It was at least a month before I had my actual appointment with Myron. He needed that time to review my questionnaire and do as much research as possible. Our appointment cost $75 and he sat and talked to us for THREE hours about my health and Multiple Sclerosis. I felt so much better after listening to him talk about the changes I would need to make in my life, and why. He took the time to see me, as a person, not just as a “patient”.
He explained that I should be following the Swank diet for MS. Dr. Roy Swank began studying multiple sclerosis (MS) in the 1940s. His research in Canada and Norway led him to conclude that MS was less common in coastal fishing towns, where people ate more fish than in the mountains, where there was a higher intake of meat. Working with a dietitian, Aagot Grimsgard, Dr, Swank developed a low-fat diet. He published a book on the diet in 1987.
The basics of the diet are:
No processed foods containing saturated fat and/or hydrogenated oils.
Saturated fat should not exceed 15 grams per day. Unsaturated fat (oils) should be kept to 20-50 grams/day.
Fruits and vegetables are permissible in any amount.
No red meat for the first year, including pork. After the first year, 3 oz. of red meat is allowed once per week.
White-meat poultry (skinless) and white fish are permissible, but avoid dark-meat poultry and limit fatty fish to 50 grams (1.75 oz)/day.
Dairy products must contain 1% or less butterfat unless otherwise noted. Use egg whites only, no yolks.
Cod liver oil (1 tsp. or equivalent capsules) and a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement are recommended daily.
Whole-grain breads, rice, and pastas are encouraged.
Daily snacks of nuts & seeds are good sources of natural oil, and help maintain a good energy level.
Prior to being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I had thankfully lost 90 pounds through diet (Weight Watchers) and exercise. I hadn’t always had a weight issue. My sophomore year in college I had gotten incredibly sick from a spring break camping trip. I ended up in the hospital in Bloomington, IN because I couldn’t breathe. My oxygen level was extremely low. They put me on oxygen overnight and the next day sent me home with an inhaler and a prescription for oral steroids. I took the medicine as prescribed and ended up gaining 80 pounds in 1 month from the steroids. Myron said it’s possible that the steroids I took then reacted to my body negatively and triggered the MS. Because of Weight Watchers, I was used to eating healthily, but the Swank diet was still completely different from how we were eating.
Jeremy is the cook of the family, so this would mean big changes for him and what he made for us. It was a big adjustment and learning curve. We started as soon as we got home. Within 2 weeks of starting this new way of eating, I noticed a difference in how I felt. That motivated me to stick with the program and not cheat. I’m a pretty picky eater, so it was not an easy transition, but Jeremy handled it with grace and patience. We figured out what worked for us and went full steam ahead. There were definitely times I wanted to cheat, but Dr. Swank is very clear that any veering from the diet could lead to bad things, so fear kept me on the straight and narrow also.
For seven years we faithfully followed the Swank diet with no exacerbation or relapses of my MS. It became our new normal to eat this way. My MS symptoms stayed at bay until around 2012. Then, I began to have more issues with my legs and walking. By this time, we had our 2 boys Tristan(4) and Foster(3). It was time to face my diagnosis head on and see another neurologist because the diet alone was no longer effective and I wasn’t just taking care of myself-I wanted to get better for my boys.