This is a very short blog about a tortoise in the slow lane. For many years (how does this happen? - we shouldn't blink!) I had a solitary discussion about arthritis:

(1) I was getting very old very fast. (I was 55) and everything hurt.

(2) My hips are in agony.

(3) My fingers and shoulders hurt all the time.

(4) My neck is so stiff that I can't turn my head.   It hurts even when I don't try to turn it.

Most of my joint pain went away while I was "sleeping" that first couple of years. Then my hips were incredibly painful during walking - then it went away. My finger joints were worked on one at a time and have slowly stopped hurting, though still have  some residual swelling, probably permanent, which I accept.

Many times I read for the great pleasure gained and to satisfy my curiousity, but I discovered Greg Mortenson, Three cups of Tea, and now Stones into Schools. Along with wishing the Nobel Prize for Medicine for our cpnⁱ crew, I wish the Nobel Peace Prize for Greg Mortenson. And I am hardly ever much affected by movies, but last night we saw "Seven Pounds", with Will Smith, and will probably be affected for the rest of my life.

As for my own cpn protocol against PPMSⁱ, I still chip away daily with my five abxⁱ plus caffeine. We all tweak and listen and tweak some more, but I seem to have stumbled on a tight turn of the screw, thanks to John (farandwide) and Paul.

We spoke to Dr S just now.  He was approving of my going back on flagylⁱ, and, because of nausea, cutting back on caffeine. 

A couple of interesting and heartening bits came of the conversation.  One is that I will continue with this protocol for another three months and call him again, sooner if there is news either way - worse or better - because I still react.  But... my daily reaction is nowhere near five years and four months ago.  For example, today is Azithromycin day - and Doxyⁱ, Rifampin. Amoxycillin, flagyl, and caffeine. 

On rereading last week's blog, I am amazed at what I wrote about flagylⁱ and not taking it. Sometimes I guess I am not as "with-it" as I believe.

In May, Richard spoke to Dr. S., who put me on the usual: Doxyⁱ, 200mg; Azithromycin, 250MWF; Rifampin, 600mg; flagyl, 1000: (these I had been on till I stopped everything on Jan 11, 2009); and then ADDED Amoxicillinⁱ 1000. I did this without fail for six months and then we called him again. But I was STILL reacting! Aaarrrgg!! He then left all abxⁱ the same, with the exception of flagyl, which he replaced with caffeine pills.

My six months of constant flagylⁱ are over and I have survived it. Not only have I survived it, I have greatly benefitted from it. 

CAPⁱ month 28 Update, Progressed to Intermittent Cycles After 20 months on WheldonCAP I went on intermittent.  My MD has chosen not to order trepeat labs for the CPnⁱⁱ and co-infectionsⁱⁱ or viruses, of which I had all of these done before the starting any abxⁱⁱ therapy.   

Hi Guys, it has been a while since I last posted. So as an update.... I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in Aug 2006 after an MRI scan prompted by difficulty in walking.

I started the Wheldon protocol in Aug 2007. I was full-time for just over one year and then I went intermittent. I have continued with intermittent with no problems and no reactions to the abxⁱ. With regards my condition, I made huge mental gains on the abxⁱ, but my walking issue has remained much the same. It is not very bad in that I can do most things, the hardest activity is walking. I can walk perfectly normally for about 30-40 minutes and then I start to have problems moving my right leg and lifting my right foot.

Just now I am packing for a three day spiritual retreat weekend that starts tomorrow. 

Yes, I am well enough to get ready and go.  I owe my returned physical, mental and emotional improvements to my 20 months on the full Wheldon CAPⁱⁱ.   

One of us asked me what I could do now that I am a "1" instead of a "2", or as I used to be, a "6.7". The answer would be so long that it would fill a good-sized book. Let me start with the fact that I can swat the pesky fly (just did) that has been flitting around (and no longer is). I could follow that with some of the everyday other pesky things like sinusitis, inflamed gums, varied skin problems, dry skin, mental fog, and, most monumental of all, my walking. Not only those, but I can take a deep breath without coughing. Most "normal" people take that for granted, but I was not able to do that for years and years. And I had a "catch in my chest" which prevented me from breathing much at all when it was happening.

“Life is a highway & I’m gonna ride it all life long”

Hello fellow wellness adventurers…… Mad CAPpers

I have not been able to post for some time as my life has been…..well, eventful.

Jan 11, 2009 was a day of celebration followed by several months of very near (old) normalcy. I had done four years and four months of protocol and finished with weeks of the supreme test. Confidence and well-being reigned.

Then - in the way known to each of us - the stealthy creeping began - a little fatigue (it was the middle of kidding season), a little functional deficiency (it was the middle of kidding season and LOTS of hard work), some brain fog and lots of fatigue and foot drag (it was the middle of kidding season - though approaching the end - lots of hard work, long hours, and clipping and packing for the show).