I Get High With A Little Help From My Friends

The medication we take exits our body at some point, gets processed by our waste treatment facilities and then ends up in our reservoirs or other parts of the ecosystem. Since I learned of this phenomenon I have tried to keep as medication-free as possible or find herbal alternatives which tend to be kinder.
Having been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis has posed a new challenge for me in that regard.
The treatment for my diagnosis of relapse-remitting MS involves different factors depending on my situation. If I have an acute relapse where I have trouble walking or swallowing or with some other more essential function, most neurologists recommend either IV steroids or steroid pills. For the rest of the time, people diagnosed with MS are usually prescribed a drug that is taken regularly in order to stave off and reduce relapses. These drugs are often very effective and would seem to be no naturopathic medicine that can achieve the same solution.
In the hospital, I was given IV steroids as I was having trouble walking. The effects were interesting to say the least. My mind was racing for days. I was rather eager to eat at 3AM and I became tired crossing my apartment.
Since stress can be a factor in onset and presentation of symptoms ( as my wobbly leg discovered while working sound for an event starring Charlie Rose and James Franco :), I think I will try and remain as stress-free as possible rather than endure more steroids than absolutely necessary.
So, the question becomes what kind of therapies work in favor of low stress? Well, sunlight is one. In fact, the vitamin D obtained from sunlight is recommended for MS patients. As it turns out, the closer one gets to the equator, the fewer MS cases one finds.
Meditation works and is recommended by Neurologists. Since I usually chant twice a day, that is a no-brainer.
Acupuncture and massage therapy have been known to work for stress reduction and help with physical symptoms as well. On Monday I will have an appointment with Dr. Jiao, a well-known and very successful acupuncturist and herbal medicine expert.
Swimming has also been known to lower stress and is a good exercise for MS patients because we can often do it whether or not we are having symptoms and also because it keeps the body temperature from getting too hot. A high body temperature tends to have a negative effect on MS patients (I’m not sure I am ready to pass up a hot tub yet, but I will try to wrap my brain around that one).
In Rhode Island, MS patients are usually entitled to a medical marajuana card if a doctor is in favor of such, more so for pain and muscle relaxation than for stress as I understand it. There is no doubt that marajuana can be very calming. Unfortunately, because of the possibility of MS effecting cognitive function, I think I will stay away from the good stuff unless pain becomes more of a factor. I have heard that getting and maintaining a medical marajuana card in Rhode Island involves more of a hassle than obtaining the drug illegally. Since I don’t know anyone with a medical marajuana card personally, I will have to ask the MS Neurologist whom I have an appointment with on Wednesday. Another option for more natural stress relief is Kava Kava. My friend Heidi dropped off a bottle of Kava Kava concoction a couple months ago. Unfortunately, Kava Kava must travel from the western pacific to get to me, whereas marajuana is a slightly more local solution. Hmmmmmmmmm.
Another strategy besides stress relief for MS patients is to keep one’s mind active. Since cognitive function can be affected, a regular dose of crossword puzzles, sudoku, or any other type of strategy game or mind game is recommended. My favorite game is called, “Spot It”, obtained at a game store in P-Town. It consists of a bunch of discs with pictures on them. Each disc has one image on it that matches one image on all of the other discs. All players are dealt a stack of discs and one disc is placed in the center. The first player to find the matched image on her disk and say the name of the image out loud, places her/his disc on top of the other disc in the center and the game continues. The first player to get rid of all of her/his discs wins.
What a long strange trip it shall be. Of course, it has been that already, hasn't it?