Thanks for visiting our Blog. Laura and I have decided that we would start this site in order to keep people informed about what we are doing and what we have been learning. You see, about 6 years ago right after our youngest daughter was born, Laura was diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis). She first starting having symptoms after the birth of our previous child - about 9 years ago - but the symptoms went away. She was having an "electrical" like feeling in her arms and legs. Then, about 4 years ago she had problems with her memory, speech, and fine motor skills for about a month. She also could not steady her hand in order to write (normally her writing is very beautiful). This was very hard for her - and for me to see her this way. The doctor has said Laura had Relapsing Remitting MS.

The worst part is to see her struggling with fatigue. Fatigue and muscle spasms in her legs are the most frequent and chronic parts of her challenge with MS. When I say fatigue I don't just mean feeling tired. We all can say that from time to time. I mean so physically tired that you can't get out of bed. Ironically, this type of physical fatigue has nothing to do with what types of activities we do such as hard physical labor. It also has nothing to do with sleep deprivation. It can best be described as an overwhelming sense of feeling absolutely physically and mentally exhausted. With this state comes a total inability to physically work, and at times extreme difficulty to process even basic information.

We have tried all the standard treatments, including shots of Rebif and prescription medications such as Prozac, Adderall, and Provigil. None (except Baclofen for her leg spasms) of them seemed to help. The Rebif seemed to make her depressed.

This past summer Laura began a new alternative treatment for MS using low dose Naltrexone - a drug usually prescribed for drug rehab patients. She did very well for the first 2 to 3 months, only having a few relapses with fatigue. However, now she is still struggling with fatigue on a weekly basis.

She recently went back to the doctor, who put her on Concerta, as the Provigil was not helping her fatigue and concentration problems. With all of these attempts to help my wife with medication changes, I'm sure sometimes she feels a lot like some kind of science experiment.

That's why we have decided to take matters into our own hands and learn all we can about MS and about natural alternative treatments. We have been reading at numerous websites reviewing a lot of products and information. We intend to not only learn all we can, but to implement and pass on our knowledge to our readers. We will not only maintain this blog, but will also join forums and communities in order to spread the word and to help as many people as we can - starting today. Here goes.

With Hope and Determination,

Rich Andrews