I received a multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2006. At that time I knew nothing about MS and thought I was going to die very soon as I imagined the disease was terminal. My children were in 1st and 2nd grade. I would lie in bed with them at night thinking that I wouldn’t live to see their high school graduation. Forget about seeing them get married and have children of their own.
Thankfully, my husband quickly let me know that the majority of people with MS do not die a premature death. Still, the diagnosis was absolutely shocking. All I could picture was the worst, that in a short amount of time I would be an invalid. I was not happy about that picture.
Now, I’m doing better. Here are the steps I took when I received an MS diagnosis. Most of these are free, and will cost you nothing financially.
Getting Started When Diagnosed with MS
1. Sleep
Sleep is a priority for healing any health issue and especially for severe neurological conditions. I get 8 hours of sleep per night minimum, and more on weekends. Sleep is free. If you have trouble sleeping see my Natural Sleep Remedies or post for information on supplements that support getting a better night of sleep. My Five Ways to Get a Better Night’s Sleep may also be of interest.
2. Diet
I follow a diet that is 100% gluten and grain free, without exception, and find this very helpful. Studies show that gluten can be detrimental to those suffering from leaky gut, and that leaky gut may lead to and exacerbate autoimmune illnesses, so removing gluten from your diet may be an effective strategy for dealing with multiple sclerosis.1
Don’t worry if you need recipes, I’ve got you covered! See my gluten-free recipes, and grain-free recipes. By the way, every recipe here on my website is both gluten and grain-free. You may also want to check out my keto diet recipes, as low-carb high-fat diets, or LCHF diets, have been shown to reduce inflammation.2
3. Exercise
Staying fit is an important part of maintaining, or regaining health. Exercise is another treatment for MS that is free. I walk 60 minutes every day, rain or shine. See my post about walking to find out how I built up my stamina to get to that 60 minute mark. Walking lifts my spirits and gives me a nice boost of endorphins.
4. Healing Movement
I do yoga, pilates, or weight lifting 3 times per week, and have found that stretching and resistance training has helped me to maintain strength, coordination, and balance. If you need inspiration, there are numerous videos available online for free, or, like me, you can make up your own routine.
5. Boundaries
Another part of my healing (also free) is to keep interactions as brief as possible with people, places and things that do not impact me in a positive manner. This can be challenging, yet it has the biggest payoff. MS is a disease of the nervous system, so reducing stress is critical in healing.
I designed this MS healing plan myself and chose action items that I felt would give me a very high ROI (return on investment). However, many of the above commitments were radical shifts to my life paradigm, I did not always embrace this change, nor was it easy for me.
As I learned through this process, rebuilding one’s health is one of the greatest challenges life presents. If you make such a choice, be forewarned that it could be very unpleasant and that you may find yourself resisting the very change you seek. This is because rebuilding health means interrupting old habits and patterns. You may not want to make the necessary commitments to, and sacrifices for, your health. For example, you might have to give up watching TV everyday in order to walk for an hour. Or, people might be angry with you for protecting your time and setting limits that serve you, not them. These types of challenges await you, along with healing.
Finally, to create the above treatment plan for my MS, I had to slow down enough to listen to myself, to my body, and my emotions. I had to figure out what I really wanted, what really served me. Even though the process was unpleasant at times, I reconnected with myself and got to know myself better which became a blessing. Am I done? Not even close. The point of my healing plan is not the plan itself, it is undertaking the process of healing, which for me is the process of listening. This is something I practice every day.
For additional resources on how to deal with an MS diagnosis see:
Dayle says
Thank you for sharing this! I too had a health crisis in Oct. 2010 when I was diagnosed with Leukemia (AML). I also had a Bone Marrow Transplant in Feb. 2011 I am thankful every day to be with my three children and husband. I too have a health plan in which I have found similar discoveries as you have. Listening to our inner self, nourishing our souls and bodies and taking time to be in the moment are necessary for health and happiness! Blessings to you!
Ester Perez says
Wow Elaina,
I had no idea you were diagnosed with MS. You are inspiring! I love your post and how you poured your heart into it. I love the part you said about setting boundaries and how you intuitively put a healing plan together…and how it has been working!!! I have been pondering with the idea of going grain free to see if it will help me with my auto-immune disease, vitiligo…so this post is very helpful. Many blessings to you and your healing journey. Your children are so blessed to have a strong and wise Mother.
Ester
RoseAnne | The Health Wish says
Congratulations on meeting this challenge head on with diet and physical changes. Since my husband was diagnosed with diabetes I have spent a great deal of time researching the link between nutrition and health and I am convinced that so much of the disease we encounter can be fought with a change to a more natural, healthful diet. We got rid of all processed food and complex carbs and have found ourselves so much healthier. The diabetes is still there but it is controlled, and who knows – even that may heal itself eventually. It takes a while to make up for 40 years of bad food.
Kerry says
This is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing, Elana. Peace and healing to you. Love, Kerry
Debbie Phillips says
Elana— My teenaged daughter was diagnosed with MS over a year ago, and our world came crashing down. This beautiful, vibrant actress, singer, swimmer….how could it be possible? She also is a very anxious person with an affinity for sugar and starches! With many thanks to you and Amy Green, she started on a gluten, sugar and dairy- free diet ( not happily, I might add!)… But your wonderful recipes have made it so very much easier! As a matter af feet, most of the family is joining in now because of the great food! I had no idea that you had MS until this post…Thank you so much for sharing.
jamie says
I have all the rest down but the BOUNDARIES. Today I will begin taking boundaries like medicine. I cannot completely avoid people and places that negatively affect me but I can reduce the time spent. It is key. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Melissa says
Great post! Thanks for sharing your personal treatment plan. At a time when I am personally struggling to stay on track with mine, (gluten free etc.) reading this is definitely a great inspiration. Much appreciated.
Louise says
This is an awesome important post about how lifestyle can impact and benefit our health. It really re-inerates how important our food choices can help heal or help to damage our current health. I suffer from other conditions and have also found the benefits of a grain free diet. One other comment though that not only I have found to my healing but someone else I know who’s lesions are shrinking from her ms was the benefits of a wellness chiropractor. This was vital for me and for her as getting proper nerve flow restored allowed optimum healing opportunities.
Great review.
God Bless
hope says
Elana, I am so happy to see you know of Dr. Wahl! I heard her story on a radio show. She is doing a lot of good things like trying to get clinical trials funded for the paleo type diet to show how this can truly help MS patients improve their lives. Great post too,thanks. :o)
Lauren Lobley says
Thank you for having the courage to write something so profound and personal. This post will touch the lives of all who read it.
Lauren
xxx