Did I just sleep through the night? A detox journey...

Did I really? Did I just sleep through the night? No hot flashes. No sweating. No body odor. For once in a very long time, my body is not sending every piece of energy it has to expel toxins.
Seven days of detox and my body is celebrating like crazy!
I started slow with my Fall Detox by adding ionized water to my regime using a Kangen filtration system by Enagic.

"A gallon a day will keep the doctor away."

The gist with ionized water is that by consuming alkalized water we can reduce the acidity in our bodies which is considered by many the basis for disease. The ionization process used by Kangen basically turns tap water into a variety of alkalized and acidic waters depending upon the users needs.

What am I detoxing from? From Life. My environs. My lifestyle. There are toxins all around and in us that we don't know. Even if we live a "healthy lifestyle" we are susceptible to many toxins around us. OK, time to do this.

Here I go...

The detox journal begins:

Days 1-3
Insomnia prior to starting program continues.
Night sweats continue.
Cramping, sore muscles.
Pain continues as usual.
Water: 8.5 ph / a gallon a day
Diet: as usual

Days 4-6
Sweats continue. Detoxing. Stink. Cog fog. Bad. Body odor! Oh man. Don't hug me.
Water: 8.5 ph / a gallon a day
Diet: remove caffeine, decaf, sugars, salt, processed foods. Aim for lighter forms of protein. Lean and clean foods.

Day 7 Tuesday.
New level of detox
Urine. Released a lot of stink.
Sweaty night then amazing clarity this morning.
Water: 8.5 ph / a gallon a day
Diet: Veggie and lentil soup, salad for lunchDinner a small, small piece of steak, some potato and green beans. continue with the lean and clean mentality. Natural and whole foods. Water at every chance.

As I sit in bed, reviewing my day, I'm feeling tired. In a good way. That way when physical and mental energy are both ready to rest. When your head hits the pillow, sleep is not far behind. And I think of the mental clarity that had come over me this past week.
Has this recent clarity been a result of the Kangen water, detoxification and hydration of the body? It's the only change I've made to a relatively stable regime. I do not know for sure. What I do know is that I am loving this feeling. My mind is thirsty once again but not for water. For knowledge.
I was driving to a meeting this morning. Usually music is playing, getting me in the mood. But today I am listening to NPR. I've had it on all week. This is reminding me of my life prior to MS. My life with a mind that could absorb like a sponge. A mind that wasn't clouded in MS related cognitive fog or "cog fog".
At the meeting my mind wasn't fighting to keep up. I was so far ahead that the questions and analyses were flying through my brain, inspiring a continued flow of mental stimulation.
Am I back? What just happened? Can it be the water?
Day 8. Wednesday.
Oh wow. Did I really just sleep thought the night? I woke once and couldn't even tell you at what time. A little moisture around my hairline but no sweat on my night shirt or sheets or me for that matter. And other then a few, sparsely positioned moments of flatulence, my body, for the first time in the past my week my body is not spending every moment expelling toxins. What a relief!
Grab another gallon of water and start a new day.
Water: 8.5 ph / a gallon a day
Diet: lean and clean. Ok. I've got this!

 have Lots of meetings today so I'll be carrying and drinking bottles of Kangen filtered water.
OK...off to conquer the day. Will keep you posted!
Days 9-10, Thursday, Friday
Well, my body has detoxed. I always love this feeling after my seasonal detox sessions. My mind is clear. My emotions stable. Physical and mental at their best possible considering conditions.
My meetings were spot on this week. The cog fog diminished to a point of manageability. A few mistakes here and there when words didn't come to me. But all in all, feeling full of life.

In fact yesterday I took the day off. Played hooky. My friend and I drove up the mountains. This is my backyard, Hwy 2 in California. Of course a quick stop at mt Wilson was on today's agenda.

Amazing views along the way over the San Gabriel's.

We need to remember to take time out of our lives to enjoy the beauty surrounding us. Even if the beauty is a curiosity, the awareness we bring to our surroundings is directly related to the amount of joy in our lives.

Every moment.

Every vision.

Every breath we take.

Soak it in.

Life.

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Talkin' about My Medicine!

Folks have asked for years, what medicine are you taking to do so well with your MS these days?
According to Dicitonary.com, there are several definitions of the word, medicine. One that resinated in my mind was this one:

"the art or science of treating disease with drugs or curativesubstances, as distinguished from surgery and obstetrics." dictionary.com

So, what are my medicines?
I'm happy to report that my list NOW only contains the following:
Water
Food
Supplements
Daily life management
and
Medical marijuana
I had been on klonopin for nearly 14 years due to spasms. I quit this summer as my regiment seemed to be working better and there was no need. But, in order to go off it, I went on an insane two week long detox, including Kangen water, and clean eating. I am still 'detoxing' from it but have only taken 1/4 pill on two separate occasions in the past two weeks.
I agree with the dictionary. And, I feel that the right mix of art and science will lead to medicine that will help us all heal.
Over the years, since my initial diagnosis in 2001, my plan is increasingly managed by natural remedies. My medicine has included many, many types of drugs from Neurontin to Copaxone, Provigil to Klonopin. I don't want to be on these drugs. Each one has or had an annoying side-effect of some sort. I want to be as clean as possible. But the pain. Oh, the pain!
At first I had seizures and dry heaving spasms. I couldn't eat. My body became emaciated, bones pulling through my skin as it hung loose. The medical marijuana helped the spasms. It helped the appetite. Slowly, very slowly, I became closer to normal than felt in years. And the pain, oh the pain!
Not much to use these days for pain. NSAIDs, well, I'd prefer not to thank you. My gut integrity is vital to my health and my body does not perform well on non steroidal ani-inflammatory drugs. I am not going to take pain pills every day. I want a clear brain. But the pain. Oh the pain!

One of my personal MS symptoms that got out of control was my instant intense fatigue. I had never experienced anything like it. I wanted to sleep and sleep. rest and rest. This scared me more than anything. Pain, Seizures, I can deal with. But fatigue? Give me my body back!
Interestingly as I started consuming the sativa variety of the medical marijuana, my pain started to subside. wow! not sure why, but it works and I am more functioning than I was before taking it. AND then I found out that if I consume the right kind, it helped with my fatigue. Really? Yea, really! There are different strands of MM that help with the variety of MS symptoms. I find it a bit of a "All-treating" medicine at times.

Combine the MM with my continual awareness and use of nutritional intake using food energies (cooling, warming, etc), a constant flow of clean water, clean eating, and supplements. I use a multivitamin that contains high doses of VD as well as nutrients such as bacopa, turmeric, pineapple and more.

vitamin mix to great results.

But no matter what I rub on my legs or digest in my stomach, it's the day to day life management skills that help more than anything. These are skills that include setting boundaries, learning to say "no, thank you", finding out how to maximize results with least efforts and lightening up on our own expectations.

We have an illness. It's not our fault and we didn't ask for it. That doesn't mean that we need to punish ourselves. This is the time to be kind. To forgive ourselves for getting this illness and time to move on.
That's a bit of my medicine!
Support, social media, friends, family, community, faith...not in that order but it all helps. That means it's all part of my medicine.
What's in your medicine?

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