We finished your story with your time at Burning Man in 2010. What happened after you came home?
On January 1, 2011, stop gluten. My body responded so well that I knew I had to change my diet. A year later, the following day, I began to follow the Wahls Protocol. It is a modified version of Paleo. I was already using aromatherapy and meditation [to heal], and the food was the last piece of the puzzle. That was when the great magic occurred.
I started working with Wahl in January and in March I was without injection, which I took for nineteen years. In October I was drug-free. The only drug I currently take is for an underactive thyroid. At one point, I had ten hours a week of medical appointments. Now, I go to a physicist a year, which is the only time I see a doctor. I do not even see a neurologist. Look all the time I arrived!
In 2013, I moved independently for the first time in my life. When I got the idea, I told my physiotherapist. All I could say was, "Wow." I was living well with someone who came 40 hours a week to see me, but alone? How would I allow it? Could my dog walk by myself? Would you live close enough to public transportation? It was something I dreamed about for so long, and suddenly it was real.
Those of us who are unfamiliar with multiple sclerosis may not understand what victory is living on their own. Can you describe the symptoms you had only a few years ago?
In 1996, I had an attack that left me bedridden for six weeks. That affected everything, from my vision to my legs, I could not go down the stairs nor support my torso. That's what MS does to you.
I had no feeling on the left side of my body for twenty-six years. I lost the bilateral use of my hands. I had trouble swallowing, involuntary limb jumping, bladder problems, and burning down my arms. I had candida, double vision, facial contractions, IBS, fatigue, and balance problems. To this day, I still lack adequate emotional control. When someone hurts, I'll laugh. About ten percent of people with MS have this.
That's crazy. Can you believe how far you've come?
Yes. I can not talk about it without being emotional. There is no reported case of turning MS around except Dr. Wahls. Terry Wahls is not only a mentor but a true friend.
Five years ago, I could only drive five miles a week. The first time I drove a significant distance was last January when I drove twelve miles to see Nom Nom Paleo. It was a challenge for me. My plan was to drive twelve miles, take a four-hour break, and return home. She was so nervous that she had an hour and a half of anticipation. I met Nom Nom and I started to cry. I mean, mucus-dripping-down-my-nose, worry-catching-my-breath, crying. I was so proud of myself for how far I drove and it was a tender moment with one of my idols. Today we are friends and I still cry when I see her. That twelve-mile journey was in January. In April, I announced that I would drive 200.
What is your daily routine?
I wake up to circadian rhythms, usually between 3-4 am. Within the first two hours of waking, I dance. The dance sets the tone for my day and lets me know which part (s) of my body needs extra attention. If I can not even pick my Pandora station, I know my brain is elsewhere.
I walk two to five miles each day and do focused yoga movements six times a week. I do the breathing work and fifteen minutes of meditation a day. I vary my meditative state between walking, sitting and looking at meditation, which works for me that day.
That is incredible! You have come so far. Do you have any advice to stay healthy?
I do my best to eliminate toxins from my life. I do not use toxic makeup and I do not drink alcohol anymore. I have had thirty-one MRIs where I was injected with a radioactive dye in my life. I think this will be the last toxin to leave my body.
I eat nine cups of vegetables every day. Consuming a lot of raw vegetables bothers me, so I bleach them under the hot water. I also make shakes with added collagen and I drink bone stock every day. I fast from the time I go to bed to my first meal of the day, a minimum of eight hours, but I shoot by ten. Turmeric and black pepper are also ideal for fighting inflammation.
At PaleoFX this year, I was invited to speak on a panel with Chris Kresser. It was an honor. I got sick three days before the trip, I have not been sick since I started to eat consciously. I knew no one would let me on a plane if they knew, but I did.
And when I said I did, I mean I did. From six in the morning to eleven at night the day before my flight, I did my best to heal. I knew what I had to do: my yoga postures, my turmeric drinks, my daily mantras, everything worked. Before, it would have been medical appointments, hundreds of dollars and ten days of feeling miserable.
Do you ever think about the relationships you gave, the people you cut after Burning Man?
I lost 50 percent of the people in my life after Burning Man. One of the hardest friends I left was with someone I traveled with. We met every day for yoga at 8 in the morning. After Burning Man, I just stopped going to that yoga class and answering phone calls. That was in 2010. In March of this year, I received an email from that friend. He said, "I read your newsletter every week, and I'm so proud of you for all the steps you've taken." She never made me feel guilty or called me an idiot. It actually made the trip to Burning Man possible just before I cut it.
Do you have any advice for someone who has just started Paleo
I'm not even saying you have to be Paleo, I'm saying you have to question the status quo. Decide to live in harmony with your body and let it tell you what you need. Many people with diseases follow cultural norms. When you get out of those rules, it can be very scary. I am someone who publicly shares my journey because many people with illness are alone.
Here is my advice:
1. Have an honest conversation with yourself.
I am 100 percent Italian, where gluten and sugar play an important role. I did not think I could give both at the same time (and loved sugar), so I stopped gluten first. That first year, I did not care what the ingredients were - if it's called gluten free, I ate it. I gained 50 pounds that year because I ate such terrible foods. I started the following year with a Whole30, I left the dairy and sugar, and went to Paleo.
2. Find the community.
I have had the support of the community from day one. Whatever you choose to do, find a group and go for it. It can be a Whole30 group, a book, bloggers, Doctor Wahls, whatever you want.
3. Be Conscious.
When I wake up in the morning, I give myself an hour to go to bed, that is to be conscious. This is a lifestyle without judgment. I did my public life to light a flame in you to stop living a life of autopilot.
Where is PaleoBossLady headed after?
That depends on the community. I have gone to 14 different states and held more than fifty talks. I say, "Where do you want me next?" And who screams louder, that's where I'm going. My hope is that this year will be the USA. And next year will be New Zealand or Australia. When I told my daughter about my plans, she said, "You know, Mom, I think your whole life has prepared you for this."
When I decided to go on tour, I had a month left on my lease, but I needed four months to plan. I asked some friends in the community to stand me up. My original plan was to rent an RV, but when the ad came, the answers came. People asked, "Will you come here? What's going on here?" I still have MS-I'm not the energizing rabbit so it takes a lot of work each day.
If you could go back ten years, what would you say? What would you like to say to those who go through a similar situation today?
I would tell you that my healing was not all peach cream. I was afraid of dying, and there was hard physical and mental pain. Many times it gets worse before it gets better, but the another side is really wonderful. I'm not sitting around waiting for MS to do what it's going to do.
There are good people out there and if you're willing to swallow your pride, you can do it. You may not be able to do it on your own. Remember that it is okay to admit that you need help. Believe in yourself. It's on you. I grew up on the beach, and in the summer we dug for hours in the sand. We knew that if we dug forever, we would hit the water. I never stopped digging because I believed in myself.
Sometimes I did not believe and I needed people to be my cheerleader. Other times, I would say, "It's okay to feel defeated today.You are allowed to feel fear, but never forget that it is there.Continue digging."
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