My original goal was $500, but you guys burst through that in no time. The current goal of $2,000 appears to be a bit more reasonable.
Diane has been really touched by this. She keeps sending me e-mails and making calls and keeping a close eye on the donor list. She wants to know, for example, who DWBH is. I told her not to worry about it, just be happy.
Another donor called himself FWOTM, which brought a smile out of me. The acronym stands for First Wednesday Of The Month, and it refers to a group of friends from my former college newspaper. Three of them have come through, but apparently two didn't want their names to pop up on the donor list.
All of this has been quite empowering: I feel so empty when I think of this issue, until I think of this walk. I'm not pie-in-the-sky enough to think we'll find a cure in time for Diane, or Augie, or anyone currently suffering. But goodness, who knows? It is possible. In the meantime, we can fight with every ounce of strength we do have.
I've heard some heart-rending stories of misdiagnosis, and I'm still puzzled by the longevity of Stephen Hawking, who's been living with this disease for decades.
Just came upon your post here. Found a book that I thought I would pass your way. I have not read it, however, it looks like some good ideas are here.
Eric is Winning:
Beating a Terminal Illness with Nutrition, Avoiding Toxins, and Common Senseby Eric Edney
If you or a loved one has ALS/MND, we highly recommend the book “Eric is Winning” by Eric Edney. Written by an ALS survivor, it offers a highly detailed account of how he "beat the system" through nutrition, special supplements and detoxification. According to Eric's personal physician, Eric has managed to stop ALL progression of the disease, as well as dramatically improve his residual function, which as far as we know, has never been done by an ALS patient before. How did he do it? He took steps to avoid all toxins, reverse the toxic overload in his body, and he added proper targeted supplements to help regenerate his nervous system.
View Details and
Order Now >>
Eric was first diagnosed with ALS in 1993, although his first symptoms occurred in 1990. The progress of his disease was slow at first and then speeded up later.
Fortunately, Eric has lived long enough to gather a great deal of information about ALS and develop a program to beat it. He soon realized that he had more information about ALS than was available from any other single source.
Eric is Winning
Beating a Terminal Illness with Nutrition,
Avoiding Toxins and Common Sense
By Eric Edney
What do you do when your Medical Doctor tells you that you have a terminal illness for which there is no treatment and no cure?
"Eric is Winning" chronicles Eric's reaction and his successful fourteen year survival with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease).
Eric Edney was an extremely active outdoorsman when he was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) at age fifty-nine. He was a hunter, fisherman, dirt bike rider, water-skier, dune buggy racer, golfer and raquetball player for many years prior to his illness. He was an insurance company executive and in the last few years owned his own insurance agency. Eric and Glenna lived in their custom-built home on two acres complete with fruit trees, a vegetable garden, chickens, geese, ducks and one peacock. They thought this was their retirement home. Then the diagnosis of ALS forced retirement and the sale of their home.
Price: $19.95
The purpose of this book is to provide information, hope and inspiration to anyone suffering with ALS. Although it was written primarily for ALS patients and their caregivers, the ideas and protocols are applicable to anyone with a neurological disorder, such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, and Alzheimer's.
What is important to note is that Eric has managed to completely stop the progression of ALS, and to reverse many of his symptoms. He also knows at least seven other People with ALS who have also managed to stop the progression of the illness.
What are these People with ALS doing that is helping them to achieve this previously unheard of outcome? They are all following a program similar to the one which Eric devised for himself, which includes avoiding all toxins, detoxifying the body, and regenerating the nervous system.
An Excerpt from the Introduction by Neal Rouzier, MD
"When I first read Eric Edney's account of how he halted the progresion of ALS, I was impressed that a layperson could have so much insight into health. At the same time I was disappointed that it was not a healthcare professional that was telling us what to do and what not to do. Although I sincerely commend Eric for his excellent commentary, I cannot help feeling disappointed in the obvious deficit in the way conventional medicine treats those with difficult diagnoses as well as age-related health problems. Despite the incredible wonder drugs and sophisticated technology to save lives, most medicine isn't practiced with an eye to longevity or optimal health. Instead, most conventional medicine remains occupied with prescribing drugs to treat established diseases as opposed to preventing them.
I am a conventional physician, yet there is no conventional treatment that helped Eric. I too am an alternative physician because that's all that has worked for Eric. One could also call it preventative medicine. The various treatments and regimens that Eric recommends are not specific for ALS or any other disease. He practices simple, basic preventive medicine, which should be practiced by all humans and taught by all physicians. Most simply, put back in the body those things that are missing. Take out those elements that are harmful, avoid anything toxic, eat the correct diet, take the correct supplements, exercise, love and respect one another. Unfortunately this simple solution is not found in any medical textbook.
Perhaps you would have had pity on Eric when he could not feed himself, hold a fishing pole or do one pushup. That's the old Eric. Even though he still has the stigmata of ALS, the new Eric will out-fish you, do 20 push-ups, 100 leg presses, and crush your hand in a handshake. If you could have seen him then and see him now, you would be impressed. He has managed to stop the progression of his disease as well as dramatically improve his residual function, which, up until now, has not been possible. And to give credit where credit is due, everything Eric does is not from my recommendation but through his own research and knowledge. Kudos to Eric!"
"The challenge for practitioners with a holistic/functional/integrative approach is to step back and look at the big picture: What are the ways to fine tune an aging body formed by bad habits, environmental factors, genetics, diet and laziness? To me Eric has been a teacher from whom I will learn and pass on to others. This global view of healthy aging or preventative medicine takes us far beyond conventional medicine and becomes a challenge for we physicians who have witnessed successes like Eric. The ravaging effects of chronic inflammation and toxins in the body will continue to wreck havoc and result in degenerative illness for millions in spite of simple therapies which can prevent this. It is my hope that his book will enlighten many so that they may not suffer the consequences of degenerative illness. Don't just treat the disease, build up the body so it can put up a good fight."
"As a physician I look for learning opportunities in unforseen detours of life. It may seem bizarre to look at a life-threatening disease as an opportunity for growth and learning, but that is exactly what has taken place here. ALS was an unplanned obstacle in the adventure of life for Eric. Imagine that a wise teacher has set up your life. Each obstacle was placed to teach you a needed lesson. This wise teacher provides these hurdles so that you and others may learn."
"I have learned to value the lessons taught to me by the precious and fragile adventure of life. So has Eric. Now my greatest challenge is to evaluate patients from what I've learned from Eric before life takes them on an unplanned detour. This will make my medical practice distinctly satisfying. And for Eric, directing and helping others has made life more satisfying. That's why he wrote this book. Thank you, Eric."
"And PS - Never stop learning."
A Look at the Table of Contents:
Introduction
Preface
Chapter 1: The Bad News
Chapter 2: ALS Basics & My Program Basics
Chapter 3: Foundation For My Program
Chapter 4: Pre-established Beliefs
Chapter 5: Toxins - Possible Cause of ALS & Other Chronic Illnesses
Chapter 6: The Beginning of ALS - 1990 Thru 1996
Chapter 7: Avoid All Toxins
Chapter 8: Detoxify the Body
Chapter 9: Diet & Dietary Supplements
Chapter 10: Starting a New Program
Chapter 11: Driving a Car
Chapter 12: MY ALS Symptoms
Chapter 13: The ALS Comeback
Chapter 14: Doing It Over
Chapter 15: Motivation
Chapter 16: Summary
ALS Regimen Outline (Revised 11-01-04)
An Excerpt From the Summary:
"It has been eleven years since my first diagnosis and fourteen years since my first symptoms. I would like to encourage you to follow a program similar to mine and here's why. There are many others who have survived ALS for 10 years or more. I am not the Lone Ranger. Let me tell you about a few whom I have had direct contact with by e-mail. I don't know their entire history, but I'll tell you the little bit that I do know. Here they are:
First Person: Heavy supplement program including Vitamin E and Grape Seed Extract. Number of amalgams unknown.
Second Person: Supplement and diet program similar to mine. Number of amalgams unknown.
Third Person: Supplement and diet program similar to mine. All amalgams removed.
Fourth Person: Supplement Program. All amalgams removed plus removal of one root canal tooth and Periodontal Ligament.
Fifth Person: Supplement program. Never had any amalgams. He is a retired dentist and has only gold fillings.
Sixth Person: Strict diet and massive supplements. Still has two or three amalgams.
If you include me, I make number seven. I'm on a strict diet and massive supplements. I only had two amalgams and they were removed.
All these people are long-term survivors of ALS of nine years or more without any breathing apparatus or peg tube inserted directly into the stomach for feeding. That's pretty remarkable. Make note of the fact that every one of them is on some kind of diet and supplement program. Also, most of them have no amalgam fillings. A common thread with all of them is that they are all following the same general idea. That is detox, diet and supplements."
The critics can say what they want, but I know my program, at the very least, has already extended my life. My improvement simply cannot be coincidental. No other People with ALS that I know has ever improved from ALS by accident. The improvement always coincides with some specific program that they have followed.
I am really certain that I have overcome ALS and I will probably live another 20 years or more (unless I'm hit by a truck).
When I was on the Sanofi Drug Trials, the doctor at Scripps would examine me every month. After seeing my improvement, month after month, he finally remarked one day: "Eric, you will have to get something else to kill you, because ALS isn't going to do it".
-Eric Edney
Letter Written to Eric Edney on June 11, 2005
"I just wanted to tell you that your book is outstanding. My husband was just diagnosed with ALS in March. He wasn't even able to walk. Now he walks with no problems. I'm following your book strictly, it is improving his health.
I just wanted to say "THANK YOU" for taking the time to write this book. It's helped our family tremendously."
ALSA is reaching out to Eric Edney for further information on his apparent recovery. My thoughts on this story are, frankly, skeptical. Here's a guy who lived for five years with ALS and did nothing extraordinary before changing his regimen, THEN, after five years, made these dramatic changes to his lifestyle and credits those changes with his recovery. Umm, five years? Most ALS patients are gone in that time.
So he's worth studying, worth examining, but seriously worth questioning, too. I'll keep you posted if he chooses to respond to the ALSA request for information. If his answer is "buy my book," that will say a lot to me.
Thanks Linda. I had not seen that particular board, but it seems to confirm my suspicions.
Look back at my first post on this thread...
Once you're diagnosed, life expectancy is two to five years for the majority of victims. The lucky ones live 10 years. The really lucky ones can live as long as 20 years. In a miniscule few, the symptoms reverse.
Then you have people like Steven Hawking, who has lived with this thing sinc ethe 1960s, but at enormous physical cost (anyone who doesn't know who he is, just Google him).
So is it possible that Eric Edney has ALS and his disease is progressing very slowly? Sure.
So is it possible, even, that he's one of those "miniscule few" in whom the symptoms reverse? Sure.
And if either of those possibilities are true, doctors, scientists and researchers owe it to everyone to find out, if at all possible, why and how things are so different for him.
But is it possible he was misdiagnosed to start out with? Yeah, that's possible too.
Most ALS patients are dead within five years of diagnosis. Eric Edney was alive for five years before he STARTED his health regimen. Not only does this lead me to believe the health regimen may not be responsible for his longevity, it actually leads me to believe that any link between the regimen and Eric's longevity has been disproven by Eric Edney's own account.
I'd love to be wrong about this. I'm particularly interested in seeing how Eric Edney responds to an inquiry from a legitimate organization dedicated to finding a cure and/or effective treatments of ALS.
I'm always distraught to hear stories of people who are afflicted with this disease. Last night I heard another one, and I confirmed it this morning.
The guy's name is Charles McPhee. You might know him as "The Dream Doctor" from a hugely popular radio program that was broadcast in several cities up until a year and a half ago. He noticed that his speech was starting to slur, and when he got checked out, received his diagnosis.
Lou Gehrig
Jim Catfish Hunter
David Niven
Mao Tse Tung
Jacob Javits
Jon Stone (co-creator of Sesame Street)
Henry Wallace (vice president under FDR)
Harry Browne (1996 and 2000 Libertarian presidential candidate)
Never my intention for the book I mentioned being the all in all truth. I felt it might be a tool that can be used. I have been really debating whether I should post again, because I don't want to minimize in any way the disease nor your sister. But the more I thought about it, and looking at the posts, it appeared that this book or author may be held up for admiration and ridicule, which, it appears has happened.
All I think I do know is this-we are wonderfully and awesomely made.
The human body is designed by the Creator to sustain life. It needs food, water, air and open channels of elimination.
Whenever the body appears to be "turning against" its owner, the question must be raised-what happened? Has God changed all the principles upon which this life is based? Or do the eyes of our understanding need enlightening so that we may know?
Will God talk to us like He proportedly did as recorded in the Bible?
My quick reference to the book was simply because this individual states that he took "steps" to fight the disease. Things that are foreign to the body and immune system such as metals in the body have ramifications that our modern science still doesn't know about. An effort to make his food "count" nutritionally. Things of that nature in order to rebel against the historic knowledge of this disease.
There are lots of ideas out there and I apologize if, in my hurry to attempt to help, I, in any way represented this book or the author to be something or someone that they may or may not measure up to being. Not my heart at all.
I want to fight the fight with you. I would love to help if possible.
I understand your desire was to be helpful, and I do appreciate that. It's just that checking it out, I don't think this particular guy stumbled onto anything all that dramatic. I'd love to be wrong. But I do note that he has yet to respond to the ALSA e-mail, which again leads me to wonder.
I trust you, MH, to be good-hearted and desire to help. I trust you to bring to my (our) attention things we may not have considered. And I appreciate it a great deal. Diane is on an organic diet and is doing what she can to eat healthy so that the things she takes in don't aggravate an already difficult and emotionally painful diagnosis.
But I also believe there are people who prey on the good-hearted and hopeful among us. Eric Edney is, in my estimation, either one of those people or being used by those people. It seems to me he took a natural occurrence (his anomolous survival years after being diagnosed with ALS and doing nothing about it) and turned it into an amazing tale of anti-"science" and pro-"alternative" success. This, in turn, offers false hope to people with, admittedly, nowhere to turn.
On another board, someone tried to turn me on to Kevin Trudeau's book, "Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know." Kevin Trudeau is a charlatan who'd put the most malicious TWI leaders to shame.
I guess what I'm saying is, you have a good heart and I find comfort in your prayers.
And Mark S: Thank you. This thread was easy to miss for a while because it was called "Rob and Diana," which didn't tell anyone anything. I had the name of the thread changed to be more straight forward in what it was about.
Many thanks to all. $2,025 in donations so far for the ALS walk (April 12). My sig takes folks straight to my walk page, and yes, I'm still looking for donations. Every time I reach a goal, I raise it, so we've now raised the goal to $2,500.
I found an interesting website: sciencedaily.com. Had some interesting things and studies going on.
I have been reading just about everything I can on ALS. I am seeing "scientific" writings stating such things as "immune system may be involved" and "possible causes include viruses/neurotoxins, heavy metals, DNA effects, immune system abnormalities and enzyme abnormalities."
Viruses hide in your DNA and makes it hard for your immune system to realize there is a problem until the cells burst with waste. Neurotoxins and heavy metals need a healthy body and fully functioning immune system to get rid of the waste. There are herbal formulas that will cleanse the bowels and contain charcoal which binds metals and safely eliminates those inorganics that the body doesn't know what to do with. This build up of metals can cause all kinds of problems. They have found high levels of aluminum in the brains of Alhzeimer patients, for example. Though the brain does need aluminum-it needs organic aluminum, but when the body is unable to locate what it needs, it tries to use what is available. It is thought that inorganic aluminum comes from cookware and drinking soda from cans.
Cleansing the liver will help it get rid of things it has been storing, sometimes for years. If the liver is not "fed" bitters, it cannot cleanse. Funny how the children of Israel ate unleaven bread and bitter herbs before wandering in the desert and not one sick one among the bunch.
THe immune system likes astragalus and marshmallow. The former feeds the immune system and helps to build it and the later soothes an overactive immune system. Dry brushing the skin
and stimulating the lymph is good. Most of all, the immune system listens to thoughts. Jokes
and laughter are invaluable in keeping the healing in progress.
I would also look into consuming lots of green stuff. Wheatgrass, spirulina, barley grass particularly. Wheatgrass chemically is the same as our blood with the exception of an additional element of copper. Lots of oxygen for the blood.
The brain loves ginko, rosemary and some cayenne-all of these herbs bring circulation to the head. I also love doing head and shoulder stands in my yoga practice.
My continued love, and prayers and thoughts are with Raf's sister.
Fine. She can have ALS. Who says she has the disease has to keep progressing in her? Thhhbbfftt!
Seriously, my heart and prayers are with you and your family. All my love to you all. I'm so glad you have a wonderful wife to share your grief with. And a wonderful family.
I don't know much about ALS, other than Stephen Hawkins is a BRILLIANT man...what came first? :B)
Let me know if I can do anything for you, my dear friend. Hang in there and enjoy your family...our family's are one of the most precious things we have and we don't realize it until something like this happens.
MH, trying to understand what you're writing there, so help me out here:
"Viruses hide in your DNA..."
DNA is a molecule. A virus is a cell. So I'm trying to picture this in my head, and it's not working. A virus can no more hide in my DNA than Jupiter can hide in New Jersey. Help me understand, please...
In the meantime, Diane is eating very healthy with the consultation of doctors and nutritionists.
MH, trying to understand what you're writing there, so help me out here:
"Viruses hide in your DNA..."
Perhaps he meant that viruses hide in your cells and hijack the replication machinery to copy their own DNA. While in your cells, viruses are hidden from immune response.
perhaps some relief could be found in holistic medicine, and the facets of 'touch' therapies, etc.
please be well, and bring it (the hope of healing) home to your loved ones.
a positive attitude, filled with love and hope, and the energy of alternate medicine have added wonderful days and experiences to many in their search for health and well-being.
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not too shabby for a bunch of deadbeats!
good for you! good for alsa! good for Diana Diane!
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excathedra
praying
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Raf
We're now at $1,500.
My original goal was $500, but you guys burst through that in no time. The current goal of $2,000 appears to be a bit more reasonable.
Diane has been really touched by this. She keeps sending me e-mails and making calls and keeping a close eye on the donor list. She wants to know, for example, who DWBH is. I told her not to worry about it, just be happy.
Another donor called himself FWOTM, which brought a smile out of me. The acronym stands for First Wednesday Of The Month, and it refers to a group of friends from my former college newspaper. Three of them have come through, but apparently two didn't want their names to pop up on the donor list.
All of this has been quite empowering: I feel so empty when I think of this issue, until I think of this walk. I'm not pie-in-the-sky enough to think we'll find a cure in time for Diane, or Augie, or anyone currently suffering. But goodness, who knows? It is possible. In the meantime, we can fight with every ounce of strength we do have.
I've heard some heart-rending stories of misdiagnosis, and I'm still puzzled by the longevity of Stephen Hawking, who's been living with this disease for decades.
Your prayers remain appreciated.
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waysider
Still praying, Raf.
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masterherbalist
Raf;
Just came upon your post here. Found a book that I thought I would pass your way. I have not read it, however, it looks like some good ideas are here.
Eric is Winning:
Beating a Terminal Illness with Nutrition, Avoiding Toxins, and Common Senseby Eric Edney
If you or a loved one has ALS/MND, we highly recommend the book “Eric is Winning” by Eric Edney. Written by an ALS survivor, it offers a highly detailed account of how he "beat the system" through nutrition, special supplements and detoxification. According to Eric's personal physician, Eric has managed to stop ALL progression of the disease, as well as dramatically improve his residual function, which as far as we know, has never been done by an ALS patient before. How did he do it? He took steps to avoid all toxins, reverse the toxic overload in his body, and he added proper targeted supplements to help regenerate his nervous system.
View Details and
Order Now >>
Eric was first diagnosed with ALS in 1993, although his first symptoms occurred in 1990. The progress of his disease was slow at first and then speeded up later.
Fortunately, Eric has lived long enough to gather a great deal of information about ALS and develop a program to beat it. He soon realized that he had more information about ALS than was available from any other single source.
Eric is Winning
Beating a Terminal Illness with Nutrition,
Avoiding Toxins and Common Sense
By Eric Edney
What do you do when your Medical Doctor tells you that you have a terminal illness for which there is no treatment and no cure?
"Eric is Winning" chronicles Eric's reaction and his successful fourteen year survival with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease).
Eric Edney was an extremely active outdoorsman when he was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) at age fifty-nine. He was a hunter, fisherman, dirt bike rider, water-skier, dune buggy racer, golfer and raquetball player for many years prior to his illness. He was an insurance company executive and in the last few years owned his own insurance agency. Eric and Glenna lived in their custom-built home on two acres complete with fruit trees, a vegetable garden, chickens, geese, ducks and one peacock. They thought this was their retirement home. Then the diagnosis of ALS forced retirement and the sale of their home.
Price: $19.95
The purpose of this book is to provide information, hope and inspiration to anyone suffering with ALS. Although it was written primarily for ALS patients and their caregivers, the ideas and protocols are applicable to anyone with a neurological disorder, such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, and Alzheimer's.
What is important to note is that Eric has managed to completely stop the progression of ALS, and to reverse many of his symptoms. He also knows at least seven other People with ALS who have also managed to stop the progression of the illness.
What are these People with ALS doing that is helping them to achieve this previously unheard of outcome? They are all following a program similar to the one which Eric devised for himself, which includes avoiding all toxins, detoxifying the body, and regenerating the nervous system.
An Excerpt from the Introduction by Neal Rouzier, MD
"When I first read Eric Edney's account of how he halted the progresion of ALS, I was impressed that a layperson could have so much insight into health. At the same time I was disappointed that it was not a healthcare professional that was telling us what to do and what not to do. Although I sincerely commend Eric for his excellent commentary, I cannot help feeling disappointed in the obvious deficit in the way conventional medicine treats those with difficult diagnoses as well as age-related health problems. Despite the incredible wonder drugs and sophisticated technology to save lives, most medicine isn't practiced with an eye to longevity or optimal health. Instead, most conventional medicine remains occupied with prescribing drugs to treat established diseases as opposed to preventing them.
I am a conventional physician, yet there is no conventional treatment that helped Eric. I too am an alternative physician because that's all that has worked for Eric. One could also call it preventative medicine. The various treatments and regimens that Eric recommends are not specific for ALS or any other disease. He practices simple, basic preventive medicine, which should be practiced by all humans and taught by all physicians. Most simply, put back in the body those things that are missing. Take out those elements that are harmful, avoid anything toxic, eat the correct diet, take the correct supplements, exercise, love and respect one another. Unfortunately this simple solution is not found in any medical textbook.
Perhaps you would have had pity on Eric when he could not feed himself, hold a fishing pole or do one pushup. That's the old Eric. Even though he still has the stigmata of ALS, the new Eric will out-fish you, do 20 push-ups, 100 leg presses, and crush your hand in a handshake. If you could have seen him then and see him now, you would be impressed. He has managed to stop the progression of his disease as well as dramatically improve his residual function, which, up until now, has not been possible. And to give credit where credit is due, everything Eric does is not from my recommendation but through his own research and knowledge. Kudos to Eric!"
"The challenge for practitioners with a holistic/functional/integrative approach is to step back and look at the big picture: What are the ways to fine tune an aging body formed by bad habits, environmental factors, genetics, diet and laziness? To me Eric has been a teacher from whom I will learn and pass on to others. This global view of healthy aging or preventative medicine takes us far beyond conventional medicine and becomes a challenge for we physicians who have witnessed successes like Eric. The ravaging effects of chronic inflammation and toxins in the body will continue to wreck havoc and result in degenerative illness for millions in spite of simple therapies which can prevent this. It is my hope that his book will enlighten many so that they may not suffer the consequences of degenerative illness. Don't just treat the disease, build up the body so it can put up a good fight."
"As a physician I look for learning opportunities in unforseen detours of life. It may seem bizarre to look at a life-threatening disease as an opportunity for growth and learning, but that is exactly what has taken place here. ALS was an unplanned obstacle in the adventure of life for Eric. Imagine that a wise teacher has set up your life. Each obstacle was placed to teach you a needed lesson. This wise teacher provides these hurdles so that you and others may learn."
"I have learned to value the lessons taught to me by the precious and fragile adventure of life. So has Eric. Now my greatest challenge is to evaluate patients from what I've learned from Eric before life takes them on an unplanned detour. This will make my medical practice distinctly satisfying. And for Eric, directing and helping others has made life more satisfying. That's why he wrote this book. Thank you, Eric."
"And PS - Never stop learning."
A Look at the Table of Contents:
Introduction
Preface
Chapter 1: The Bad News
Chapter 2: ALS Basics & My Program Basics
Chapter 3: Foundation For My Program
Chapter 4: Pre-established Beliefs
Chapter 5: Toxins - Possible Cause of ALS & Other Chronic Illnesses
Chapter 6: The Beginning of ALS - 1990 Thru 1996
Chapter 7: Avoid All Toxins
Chapter 8: Detoxify the Body
Chapter 9: Diet & Dietary Supplements
Chapter 10: Starting a New Program
Chapter 11: Driving a Car
Chapter 12: MY ALS Symptoms
Chapter 13: The ALS Comeback
Chapter 14: Doing It Over
Chapter 15: Motivation
Chapter 16: Summary
ALS Regimen Outline (Revised 11-01-04)
An Excerpt From the Summary:
"It has been eleven years since my first diagnosis and fourteen years since my first symptoms. I would like to encourage you to follow a program similar to mine and here's why. There are many others who have survived ALS for 10 years or more. I am not the Lone Ranger. Let me tell you about a few whom I have had direct contact with by e-mail. I don't know their entire history, but I'll tell you the little bit that I do know. Here they are:
First Person: Heavy supplement program including Vitamin E and Grape Seed Extract. Number of amalgams unknown.
Second Person: Supplement and diet program similar to mine. Number of amalgams unknown.
Third Person: Supplement and diet program similar to mine. All amalgams removed.
Fourth Person: Supplement Program. All amalgams removed plus removal of one root canal tooth and Periodontal Ligament.
Fifth Person: Supplement program. Never had any amalgams. He is a retired dentist and has only gold fillings.
Sixth Person: Strict diet and massive supplements. Still has two or three amalgams.
If you include me, I make number seven. I'm on a strict diet and massive supplements. I only had two amalgams and they were removed.
All these people are long-term survivors of ALS of nine years or more without any breathing apparatus or peg tube inserted directly into the stomach for feeding. That's pretty remarkable. Make note of the fact that every one of them is on some kind of diet and supplement program. Also, most of them have no amalgam fillings. A common thread with all of them is that they are all following the same general idea. That is detox, diet and supplements."
The critics can say what they want, but I know my program, at the very least, has already extended my life. My improvement simply cannot be coincidental. No other People with ALS that I know has ever improved from ALS by accident. The improvement always coincides with some specific program that they have followed.
I am really certain that I have overcome ALS and I will probably live another 20 years or more (unless I'm hit by a truck).
When I was on the Sanofi Drug Trials, the doctor at Scripps would examine me every month. After seeing my improvement, month after month, he finally remarked one day: "Eric, you will have to get something else to kill you, because ALS isn't going to do it".
-Eric Edney
Letter Written to Eric Edney on June 11, 2005
"I just wanted to tell you that your book is outstanding. My husband was just diagnosed with ALS in March. He wasn't even able to walk. Now he walks with no problems. I'm following your book strictly, it is improving his health.
I just wanted to say "THANK YOU" for taking the time to write this book. It's helped our family tremendously."
God Bless You,
Brenda & James Lisinski
Ashley, Nathan, Jamee
My prayers are with you and yours.
the Masterherbalist
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Raf
Looks interesting, and Diane is reviewing the best health options for her.
Thanks.
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Belle
:)
Still praying, Raf.
I was also wondering what the story was behind FWOTM.
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Raf
ALSA is reaching out to Eric Edney for further information on his apparent recovery. My thoughts on this story are, frankly, skeptical. Here's a guy who lived for five years with ALS and did nothing extraordinary before changing his regimen, THEN, after five years, made these dramatic changes to his lifestyle and credits those changes with his recovery. Umm, five years? Most ALS patients are gone in that time.
So he's worth studying, worth examining, but seriously worth questioning, too. I'll keep you posted if he chooses to respond to the ALSA request for information. If his answer is "buy my book," that will say a lot to me.
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Linda Z
Raf, you've probably already found this site, but it has 4 pages of discussion about Edney and his book:
http://www.alsforums.com/
Still praying.
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Raf
Thanks Linda. I had not seen that particular board, but it seems to confirm my suspicions.
Look back at my first post on this thread...
Then you have people like Steven Hawking, who has lived with this thing sinc ethe 1960s, but at enormous physical cost (anyone who doesn't know who he is, just Google him).
So is it possible that Eric Edney has ALS and his disease is progressing very slowly? Sure.
So is it possible, even, that he's one of those "miniscule few" in whom the symptoms reverse? Sure.
And if either of those possibilities are true, doctors, scientists and researchers owe it to everyone to find out, if at all possible, why and how things are so different for him.
But is it possible he was misdiagnosed to start out with? Yeah, that's possible too.
Most ALS patients are dead within five years of diagnosis. Eric Edney was alive for five years before he STARTED his health regimen. Not only does this lead me to believe the health regimen may not be responsible for his longevity, it actually leads me to believe that any link between the regimen and Eric's longevity has been disproven by Eric Edney's own account.
I'd love to be wrong about this. I'm particularly interested in seeing how Eric Edney responds to an inquiry from a legitimate organization dedicated to finding a cure and/or effective treatments of ALS.
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Raf
I'm always distraught to hear stories of people who are afflicted with this disease. Last night I heard another one, and I confirmed it this morning.
The guy's name is Charles McPhee. You might know him as "The Dream Doctor" from a hugely popular radio program that was broadcast in several cities up until a year and a half ago. He noticed that his speech was starting to slur, and when he got checked out, received his diagnosis.
Lou Gehrig
Jim Catfish Hunter
David Niven
Mao Tse Tung
Jacob Javits
Jon Stone (co-creator of Sesame Street)
Henry Wallace (vice president under FDR)
Harry Browne (1996 and 2000 Libertarian presidential candidate)
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masterherbalist
Raf:
Never my intention for the book I mentioned being the all in all truth. I felt it might be a tool that can be used. I have been really debating whether I should post again, because I don't want to minimize in any way the disease nor your sister. But the more I thought about it, and looking at the posts, it appeared that this book or author may be held up for admiration and ridicule, which, it appears has happened.
All I think I do know is this-we are wonderfully and awesomely made.
The human body is designed by the Creator to sustain life. It needs food, water, air and open channels of elimination.
Whenever the body appears to be "turning against" its owner, the question must be raised-what happened? Has God changed all the principles upon which this life is based? Or do the eyes of our understanding need enlightening so that we may know?
Will God talk to us like He proportedly did as recorded in the Bible?
My quick reference to the book was simply because this individual states that he took "steps" to fight the disease. Things that are foreign to the body and immune system such as metals in the body have ramifications that our modern science still doesn't know about. An effort to make his food "count" nutritionally. Things of that nature in order to rebel against the historic knowledge of this disease.
There are lots of ideas out there and I apologize if, in my hurry to attempt to help, I, in any way represented this book or the author to be something or someone that they may or may not measure up to being. Not my heart at all.
I want to fight the fight with you. I would love to help if possible.
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Mark Sanguinetti
Rafael, I just noticed this thread. I too will be praying for your sister's health and for your entire family.
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Raf
MH,
I understand your desire was to be helpful, and I do appreciate that. It's just that checking it out, I don't think this particular guy stumbled onto anything all that dramatic. I'd love to be wrong. But I do note that he has yet to respond to the ALSA e-mail, which again leads me to wonder.
I trust you, MH, to be good-hearted and desire to help. I trust you to bring to my (our) attention things we may not have considered. And I appreciate it a great deal. Diane is on an organic diet and is doing what she can to eat healthy so that the things she takes in don't aggravate an already difficult and emotionally painful diagnosis.
But I also believe there are people who prey on the good-hearted and hopeful among us. Eric Edney is, in my estimation, either one of those people or being used by those people. It seems to me he took a natural occurrence (his anomolous survival years after being diagnosed with ALS and doing nothing about it) and turned it into an amazing tale of anti-"science" and pro-"alternative" success. This, in turn, offers false hope to people with, admittedly, nowhere to turn.
On another board, someone tried to turn me on to Kevin Trudeau's book, "Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know." Kevin Trudeau is a charlatan who'd put the most malicious TWI leaders to shame.
I guess what I'm saying is, you have a good heart and I find comfort in your prayers.
And Mark S: Thank you. This thread was easy to miss for a while because it was called "Rob and Diana," which didn't tell anyone anything. I had the name of the thread changed to be more straight forward in what it was about.
Many thanks to all. $2,025 in donations so far for the ALS walk (April 12). My sig takes folks straight to my walk page, and yes, I'm still looking for donations. Every time I reach a goal, I raise it, so we've now raised the goal to $2,500.
Peace.
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masterherbalist
Raf:
I found an interesting website: sciencedaily.com. Had some interesting things and studies going on.
I have been reading just about everything I can on ALS. I am seeing "scientific" writings stating such things as "immune system may be involved" and "possible causes include viruses/neurotoxins, heavy metals, DNA effects, immune system abnormalities and enzyme abnormalities."
Viruses hide in your DNA and makes it hard for your immune system to realize there is a problem until the cells burst with waste. Neurotoxins and heavy metals need a healthy body and fully functioning immune system to get rid of the waste. There are herbal formulas that will cleanse the bowels and contain charcoal which binds metals and safely eliminates those inorganics that the body doesn't know what to do with. This build up of metals can cause all kinds of problems. They have found high levels of aluminum in the brains of Alhzeimer patients, for example. Though the brain does need aluminum-it needs organic aluminum, but when the body is unable to locate what it needs, it tries to use what is available. It is thought that inorganic aluminum comes from cookware and drinking soda from cans.
Cleansing the liver will help it get rid of things it has been storing, sometimes for years. If the liver is not "fed" bitters, it cannot cleanse. Funny how the children of Israel ate unleaven bread and bitter herbs before wandering in the desert and not one sick one among the bunch.
THe immune system likes astragalus and marshmallow. The former feeds the immune system and helps to build it and the later soothes an overactive immune system. Dry brushing the skin
and stimulating the lymph is good. Most of all, the immune system listens to thoughts. Jokes
and laughter are invaluable in keeping the healing in progress.
I would also look into consuming lots of green stuff. Wheatgrass, spirulina, barley grass particularly. Wheatgrass chemically is the same as our blood with the exception of an additional element of copper. Lots of oxygen for the blood.
The brain loves ginko, rosemary and some cayenne-all of these herbs bring circulation to the head. I also love doing head and shoulder stands in my yoga practice.
My continued love, and prayers and thoughts are with Raf's sister.
the Masterherbalist
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Robes
Raf, dude...
Fine. She can have ALS. Who says she has the disease has to keep progressing in her? Thhhbbfftt!
Seriously, my heart and prayers are with you and your family. All my love to you all. I'm so glad you have a wonderful wife to share your grief with. And a wonderful family.
I don't know much about ALS, other than Stephen Hawkins is a BRILLIANT man...what came first? :B)
Let me know if I can do anything for you, my dear friend. Hang in there and enjoy your family...our family's are one of the most precious things we have and we don't realize it until something like this happens.
hugs and prayers,
Robi
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Raf
Thanks Robes.
MH, trying to understand what you're writing there, so help me out here:
"Viruses hide in your DNA..."
DNA is a molecule. A virus is a cell. So I'm trying to picture this in my head, and it's not working. A virus can no more hide in my DNA than Jupiter can hide in New Jersey. Help me understand, please...
In the meantime, Diane is eating very healthy with the consultation of doctors and nutritionists.
Appreciate the prayers.
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GeorgeStGeorge
Perhaps he meant that viruses hide in your cells and hijack the replication machinery to copy their own DNA. While in your cells, viruses are hidden from immune response.
George
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Raf
Ok.
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Raf
This thread has been moved here by request from the Prayer Forum.
Some of you may have noticed that I added a "Fight Lou Gehrig's disease" link to my signature. This thread explains why.
The hope now is that it will spur more discussion about the disease and its progression, treatments, etc.
Many thanks to all who have contributed to the effort thus far.
Raf
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rascal
I have nothing to add Raf, other than you and your sister are in my thoughts and prayers.
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dakotawind
sorry to hear such news Raf...
perhaps some relief could be found in holistic medicine, and the facets of 'touch' therapies, etc.
please be well, and bring it (the hope of healing) home to your loved ones.
a positive attitude, filled with love and hope, and the energy of alternate medicine have added wonderful days and experiences to many in their search for health and well-being.
my best to you...and all that is yours
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masterherbalist
Thanks, GeorgeStGeorge;
That IS what I meant.
Sorry for the confusion.
It's a condition which occurs when the fingers hit the keys and the brain thinks it sees what the will wanted to write.
Geez. Gotta get an herb for that......
Much love, thoughts and prayers to you and yours, Raf.
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Kit Sober
Still with hope and prayers for your sister, Raf.
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