Return To Health (Pando Health Groups)

There is a whole lot happening in the world of Multiple Sclerosis and CCSVI. Check out this link: CCSVI_20100523.mpg Intelligent, highly motivated people with MS are not going to be held down !! We are going to do it with or without our conservative neurologists helping. Looks like it is going to be without !

Back before I was liberated (February 25th), I kept myself in denial for much of the time because I could not face having a condition(Multiple Sclerosis) that was not treatable(I did not like the options). I always had a reason for my symptoms: my balance was off because I was weak in the core; my energy was down because I was depressed; I was depressed because I did not like my job. The monologue was endless and spun in my head incessantly. Now, my life and body are very different. My body is getting stronger and stronger and my balance is getting better and better. The improvements were not instantaneous but have been steady and progressive. I am getting back to me physically. I feel truly blessed. Liberation it was and is. My mind is still a challenge. I am more than a bit neurotic. I got very used to talking myself into positive thoughts and pushing myself to be positive although I was quite often frustrated, angry, disappointed and down right pissed off. I have always wanted to be...

Yesterday I went to a lecture at UCSD by Dr. George Valliant, a Harvard psychiatrist who has been doing research on people for over 70 years. They have collected "massive data" on this large group of people on all aspects of health--psychological, spiritual, medical data, etc. His take home message during this very interesting lecture was about positive emotions(that was the title of his talk). He outlined clearly how little we talk about them. We focus on the negative emotions--anger, anxiety, depression, hate, jealousy. He suggests we focus more on positive emotions-- JOY, GRATITUDE, FAITH, FORGIVENESS, LOVE, HOPE, AWE and COMPASSION. This was his message. This was his advice. He is a researcher. He is a scientist. He is brilliant. This experience had a big effect on me. This man has been part of the most comprehensive, longitudinal study about health ever done(to read more about it, check out): Successful Aging -- Vaillant and Mukamal 158 (6): 839 -- Am J Psychiatry Geor...

The basic premise of CCSVI in Multiple Sclerosis is that people with MS have blocked veins causing backflow of blood into the brain. The Liberation Procedure opens these blockages. It is still unclear why these veins are blocked or how or when they become blocked. It is also unclear the exact mechanisms involved that result in the problems of MS. Regardless, it is my opinion and the thinking of those who believe in the CCSVI theory that open vessels lead to better outcomes. This is a fundamental principle in medicine: open vessels allow flow and flow is really good. I learned this 20 years ago in my medical training in regard to coronary arteries. It has proven to be the standard of practice in heart disease, stroke, and really any bodily function(bile ducts, kidneys)--flow is healing; blockage is bad. Re-establishing flow in a blocked system allows life energy (nutrients, hydration) to come in and waste to be removed. Basic plumbing 101. Chinese medicine wholeheartedly believes in flo...

Tomorrow will be 11 weeks since my Liberation. I continue to feel better. My improved energy has persisted. My neurologic legs which have always been difficult for me to describe are definitely improving. I walk a few miles every day including hills. I am usually sore in the morning but this resolves with time and stretching. I ride my bike 3-4 times a week and my distance and ability to tolerate hills is improving. In short, I am getting into shape. It is not that easy(never was) but I am experiencing steady improvement and that feels SO great. I work with a great physical therapist(Ralph Havens) who ever encourages me to keep improving and be open to more healing and freedom. I am not running yet but still hold this as a definite possibility. My sleep is better than prior to the procedure. I used to take 2 medicines to sleep(Remeron 30 mg and Ativan 1 mg). I am now off Ativan but still take Remeron. I think this medicine helps with my obsessiveness so I am continuing it for now. I ta...

My neighbor and very close friend Steve has had a white labrador retriever named Conner for a little more than a decade. I used to call Conner "the love boy" because he was so full of warmth, sweetness and love. Steve was out of town a lot through the years so Conner was a frequent member of our pack. My wife Grace and I or both of us would take our pack out into the great natural beauty that surrounds our very special town of Del Mar in the morning and in the evening. My dogs were always more than a little bit crazy; running wildly and creating havoc wherever we ventured. Conner was always sweet, obedient and truly grateful. We explored the canyons, visited the neighboring dogs at dog park, went swimming at the beach, cruised through the stillness of the eucalyptus grove, or rambled over the beautiful bluffs along the sea. Spectacular is the only word I know to describe the majestic beauty we have all experienced together. Conner loved to be part of our team and truly loved ...

I realize 1 day after writing my heart felt plea to the neurology community that they as a group have already spoken. From what I now understand, the Liberation Procedure is being held down below the tiny level that it had sprouted. What a shame. For now, we as a community must wait and watch while other parts of the world are providing this service. Is Georgetown still going ahead? Is anywhere in America picking up the baton? When is Buffalo due to release its data? My only advice is to get the MRV or a "special" ultrasound and have it on a disc along with a medical history from you and your neurologist. Be ready for the wave to re-form. Because it will.

With new treatment options available for Multiple Sclerosis, now becomes a very intense time for those with this condition. It is also a big time for their doctors--mainly neurologists. Neurologists study the brain and nervous system. This requires a very big, high functioning brain to comprehend this world and the language to describe it. I did not do well in neuroanatomy or neurophysiology. Frankly, it was over my head. My smart friends did well in this realm but they did not become neurologists. It takes a very smart and gifted person to be a neurologist. Neurologists are now at the front lines in the management of CCSVI and MS. The theory goes against what they have known and learned about Multiple Sclerosis. The current mind set(auto-immunity) has been the glasses through which doctors see MS for over 30 years. People DO get better with immune suppressive drugs--steroids, interferon, tysabri, etc). It is quite shocking that the theory might not be complete. Really smart people ha...