New Hope Real Help for those who have MS New Hope Real Help for those who have MS  
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Forward by Dr. Richard Passwater, PhD
Preface by John Pageler
Chapter 1 About Patients and Physicians
Chapter 2 Life Before MS
Chapter 3 - The Horror
Chapter 4 Beginning the Search
Chapter 5 New Ideas
Chapter 6 A New Beginning
Chapter 7 So What Do We Know About MS
Chapter 8 Odd Bits of Information
Chapter 9 What About Stress?
Chapter 10 Let’s Talk About Diet
Chapter 11 Supplements Too?
Chapter 12 In Conclusion
Chapter 13 The Last Word

 

    

 

SECOND EDITION UPDATE

I just got out of the hospital. I had a leaking Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. They tell me that it is fairly rare and very dangerous and that I’m lucky I lived.

The question is, did my MS cause it? Dr. Swank thinks there is probably a connection, but it is something very few MS patients will ever need to face. The VA, on the other hand, says there is no connection between MS and an Aortic Aneurysm.

While in the hospital I developed gangrene in my leg and my kidneys shut down. As a result they amputated my left leg below the knee. Was all of that MS related? Possibly, but not probably. Should you MS patients reading this be worried that it might happen to you? I wouldn’t think so. Separately, these are rare enough occurrences, but the chance of them all happening together to another MS patient is almost nil.

Anyway, it doesn’t really matter if it is MS connected or not. The bottom line is the leg is gone and I will live on without it. The one thing I’m sure of is that my tennis playing days are over. Guess I’ll have to get all my exercise from swimming from here on out.

THIRD EDITION UPDATE

There are so many copies of this little booklet out there and I have been contacted by so many MS patients who want more updated information that I’ve started writing a monthly newsletter for MS’ers.

We don’t have any plans to charge a fee for the newsletters, but I do ask that people send me self-addressed stamped envelopes in order to receive it. Hand addressing several hundred envelopes every month and licking several hundred stamps just doesn’t appeal to me.

We try and keep everyone up to date on anything new that comes along that is being tried anywhere out there for treating MS. Basically that is what the newsletter is all about. That and giving first person testimonials from members of our newsletter group on how all the new things either do or don’t work.

Of course, I’m totally convinced that the Swank diet has to be the first and most important step in any patient controlling the MS in their body. Diet, stress control and the supplements we recommend are the starting point, but that sure doesn’t preclude other things from being helpful as well.

If you are interested in the newsletter, send a SASE to the address in CHAPTER 12. If you want me to send several back issues, put 2 stamps on the envelope instead of one. If you like what you read and want more, send in a half dozen SASE and we will mail you each one as it comes out. When we mail your last envelope, we’ll let you know on the envelope. Any time you get tired of the newsletter, simply don’t send in any more envelopes. It’s a real simple system.

Please don’t get carried away and send in dozens of envelopes. You might move or even die and I would never know to stop sending letters. Besides storing big handfuls of envelopes for everyone takes a lot more space than I have.

One other difficulty, lots of folks find that they just don’t have the self-control to get on the diet and stay on it. Since I tell the success stories of people on the diet in almost every letter, those without the necessary diet stick-to-it-ness, tend to feel guilty when they read about other MS’ers getting better while they continue to get worse simply because they won’t control their food urges. If I don’t have your SASE, I won’t send letters that might tend to embarrass you.

FOURTH EDITION UPDATE

The stress involved in losing my leg in 1991 caused some of my old MS symptoms to wax and wane again in spite of the diet and supplements. But all in all I’m still much better off than any other MS patient I’ve ever known. Oh, I get a little vertigo now and then, I have to be more careful to keep my bladder under control and every once in awhile I lose my balance. I also find my stamina is down some. Some of that is MS, I’m sure, but I’m also a lot older. I passed sixty a few years back so what can you expect?

A young doctor at the VA Hospital said the other day, “You’re a stubborn old SOB, aren’t you? No one legged sixty year old, MS patient diagnosed for over thirty years has any right to get around as well as you do. I don’t know what you’re doing, but the results are amazing.”

When I mentioned the Swank Diet, he made a kind-of embarrassed laugh and said, “Yeah, I heard all about that nonsense in school. Don’t you think if it worked they would teach it to us instead of laugh at it?”

I answered, “I’ve been faithful to it for thirty years. You say you can’t understand why I’ve done so well for so long. Don’t you think it’s possible that there is some cause and effect here? Maybe your med school professors just didn’t know what they were talking about.”

On that note, he walked away shaking his head. Hey, right or wrong, I’m happy. I’ve done pretty well in living for a long time. In a time when over half the population is obese, I’m not. I feel better most of the time than most of my “healthy” friends. If the Swank Diet doesn’t work for MS patients, then explain me. Doctor, if you want to try to disprove Swank, don’t let me know where or when because I’ll show up and blow your thesis.