I first wrote this post a year ago, shortly after my diagnosis. I’ve learned, and changed, so much in that time.

Living well with a chronic illness forces one to become a professional at becoming more in tune with our bodies and adapting.

I felt the need to revisit this post, with my updated diet/lifestyle protocol, just like my diagnosis post. If you’re interested in more than my personal opinion and ramblings about how I utilize aspects of the protocol, I highy suggest the OMS website. It has a ton of resources, citations, and science to back up what they lay out in the book. You can find it here.

Back to the protocol; Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis, or OMS, was written by Dr. George Jelinek. He has MS, and he wrote the book in honor of his mother, Eva, who also had MS. It’s a fairly simple protocol, with seven steps, that he breaks down very well in his book. 

It has SO much information,and is my go-to when google fails me.

Plant based plus seafood, or a ‘seagan’ diet, is what I’ve tried to follow since diagnosis. I’m always checking my saturated fat intake too. It’s really worked wonders for me, and this is still true a year later. 

The most obviously noticeable change remains the lack of muscle spasticity. I had a twitch above my left eye that had been driving me crazy for months. At the time, I hadn’t eaten any crab in almost a year – within an hour of eating sushi, that twitch was gone. 

I think almost everyone, myself included, thought it was a coincidence and that it would be back the next day. It hasn’t come back for more than a couple minutes a handful of times in over a year.

However, I have modified my diet some from the protocol now. I don’t add seafood in except maybe once a month or so. Although I no longer eat seafood that regularly, the twitch still hasn’t returned. 

I try to get in as many veggies as I can every day, as recommended in OMS.

One big change I’ve implemented are whole food smoothies, based off The Wahls Protocol method. This means I try to average one cup of greens, one cup of sulfur, and one cup of color in each smoothie. It’s an easy way for me to get in a lot of nutrition in one go, because since I started my DMD, I’ve had a serious issue with nausea.

According to the book, Vitamin D and Sunlight are both important, and I agree. I have taken a Vitamin D supplement daily since my diagnosis. I try to get some safe sun exposure when the weather permits. During the winter months, I even tan once a week for five minutes or so. 

My Neurologist recommended the Vitamin D to me at my first appointment. I take a higher dose than he initially recommended, after clearing it with him of course. Always check with your Dr before adding or changing any supplements! These can seriously interact with any medications you may be on. 

Exercise is the next step talked about in the book.

I’m much better about this aspect of my journey than I was than a year ago, I’m very happy to report. I’ve recently started working out regularly in the gym with my best friend, who suffers from a traumatic spinal cord injury with symptoms eerily similar to mine. We do well in the gym together, and use a combination of weights and cardio to work out.

I’m still faithful to yoga, which I started with my sister back in November. Recently, I started seeing a Physical Therapist to help learn new stretches and exercises to help my back pain.

All of these things, from gentle yoga to more high impact workouts, are essential for me to feel good.

The next step the book talks about, Meditation, has proved to be the most important for me.

As shown by my last MRI, I developed two new subtle lesions in the last year. I also experienced a period of s e r i o u s stress this past Spring. Even though I always caution others against it, I tried to be superwoman and juggle too many things at once. 

This led to my stress reduction taking a back seat, and voila, lesions made their appearance. I’ve since let go of a lot of the responsibilities causing me exacerbations, and all my symptomology disappeared. 

In the past three months, I’ve tried to return to my normal routine of meditating at least once a day. I’m not perfect at it, but I’m slowly getting back into it like I used to be. 

When I’m on top of my game, meditation is what keeps me sane and calm. It has huge effects on depression in most people. (If you or someone you love mental health is suffering, please go here and see a licensed professional!) 

I used free Meditation Oasis podcasts to learn how to a long time ago, back in my pre-teens. Lately, I’ve been using Headspace or Calm to get into a new groove.

Another thing that has reduced my stress tremendously, that ties in with the next chapter as well, is building a team of professionals I can really trust, so I feel confident in my Medication.

The OMS website is also a great resource and different perspective on all the medication options out there for MS.

One thing about my diagnosis that some don’t know – I picked my ER based on which neurologist I wanted to see. I also have a PA, PCP, counselor/acupuncturist, pharmacist, and MS nurse that I all trust and call with any questions. 

These people are all crucial to my well being now. Especially because I like to move quickly and aggressively in my treatment. 

Within a month of my diagnosis, I started on a disease modifying drug called Plegridy. I spent a year on this medication before my MRI results showed a few new lesions. Now, I’m moving on to Rebif, another interferon, but double the dose. 

Some people use DMD’s in their treatment plan, some don’t. I’m not here to judge. Just make sure you have a great team of medical professionals you can trust to help you make these important decisions.

The next part of the book is pretty straightforward in its mission; Prevent your Family Members from Getting MS. 

I had very mixed feelings about this a year ago, and I still do today. Because of the topic matter I haven’t been as vocal about this side of OMS, but I’m slowly learning how to approach this loaded topic.

First and foremost, I do my best to live the message I’m trying to impart. I’ve learned not to hide the reasons why I do things, either. When people ask questions, I still have some hesitancy. I’m learning to shake that off, and be more open about my journey.  When I’m struggling to get my message across on the finer points, there are some awesome videos that explain it better than I can.

Changing your life for life is the last step talked about in the book. Self-explanatory, and still great advice. I’ve treated this as a lifestyle change rather than a diet so that it’ll last.

The biggest piece of advice I can give anyone starting out on this journey is to go s l o w.

Take it day by day, and don’t freak out over the mishaps, the mistakes – because they’re going to happen. 

Any lifestyle change takes time. The benefits of those changes take time to accumulate, too. Don’t give up.

In any AIP you try, there will be things for you, and some things you won’t vibe with. Try them all – Overcoming MS, The Wahls Protocol, any of the other great AIP’s – take what helps you, and leave the rest. Just try, and don’t give up.

If you’re just starting out, or a seasoned AIP protocol follower, I want to hear from you! I’m always here to help how I can, and I’m always ready to learn. Share your experiences below!

Talk to you soon.