JOHN COLEMAN
Recovery from stage 4 Parkinson’s and early stage MSA
Many people on many forums have asked what I did to recover from stage 4 Parkinson’s
disease (PD) and early stage Multi System Atrophy (MSA).
The detailed story is told in “Shaky Past”, available as an eBook on Amazon for about $3.
The complete details of therapies and activities are in “Rethinking Parkinson’s Disease”, available from several sites online and in many libraries. https://www.rethinkingparkinsons.com/
However, here are the basics. As an aside, even though I support the sensible use of low-dose levodopa drugs, I chose not to include them in my own journey.
CAUSES
· Trauma/Stress -I discovered that my descent into illness began at conception with a very stressed mother, abuse during childhood and very high stress in work and family.
· Ongoing stresses included a career in middle management, very ill child, my son’s death, being forced out of a charity I had helped create, loss of career, permanent night shift for three years.
· Toxic load – malnutrition as a baby, very poor-quality food in childhood and learned bad food habits (lots of animal milk and cheese, refined grains, sugar, over-cooked fats, coffee, tea, etc), garden sprays, leaded paints (Dad was a builder/handyman), work in a copper mine, work in a film processing factory, work in a hospital, heavy smoker for 43 years, binge drinker for 10 years.
· Infection – there was no indication that stealth infections were part of my aetiology, even though about 30% of those diagnosed with PD test positive for one or more infections.
STRATEGIES
· Saw psychologists, counsellors and dream therapists to deal with old trauma;
· Changed my relationships with family and others around me;
· Learned to love myself as a priority;
· Completely changed my food habits – eliminated animal dairy, grains, sugar and focused on lean meat/chicken, oily fish, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, legumes;
· Avoided environmental, horticultural and domestic toxins;
· Meditated 2-3 times every day and joined a meditation group;
· Exercised in some way every day;
· Sang and “danced” (moved to music) every day;
· Took Aqua Hydration Formulas to help repair the HPA axis;
· Supplemented with C, magnesium, B complex daily, sometimes D3, zinc and E.
· Saw Craniosacral and/or Bowen therapists regularly;
· Worked with a homeopath and a variety of complementary medicine practitioners for support and advice;
· Kept a journal of symptoms and events around me that may have affected my wellbeing;
· Continued to work, study and be involved.
My journey was hesitant and uncertain (I had no precedents to study) but my journal showed me that I was slowly making progress.
Three years later I was free from symptoms and remain so unless I am foolish by working too hard (I am now 80 and still work full time), eat stupid food, inadvertently make contact with neurotoxins that may temporarily overwhelm my wellness (but I can detox) or allow myself to become stressed about matters that are not a priority (e.g politics, social nonsense). In these times, I develop a mild head or hand tremor that dissipates swiftly as soon as I get back on track.
This is not a restrictive life at all. I live well, eat lots of tasty food, have treats and am active in my work and community. But I live within the limits of my wellness and eschew most of the western habits of destructive foods and toxic lifestyle.
I hope this story is helpful.
John C Coleman, June 2023