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Preferred Reading materials

Born without arms or legs, Nick Vujicic overcame his disabilities to live an independent, rich, fulfilling, and “ridiculously good” life while serving as a role model for anyone seeking true happiness. Now an internationally successful motivational speaker, Nick eagerly spreads his message: the most important goal is to find your life’s purpose and to never give up, despite whatever difficulties or seemingly impossible odds stand in your way.

Nick tells the story of his physical disabilities and the emotional battle he endured while learning to deal with them as a child, teen, and young adult. “For the longest, loneliest time, I wondered if there was anyone on earth like me, and whether there was any purpose to my life other than pain and humiliation.”   
Supported by current scientific and medical research, Dr. Caroline Leaf gives readers a prescription for better health and wholeness through correct thinking patterns, declaring that we are not victims of our biology. She shares with readers the “switch” in our brains that enables us to live happier, healthier, more enjoyable lives where we achieve our goals, maintain our weight, and even become more intelligent. She shows us how to choose life, get our minds under control, and reap the benefits of a detoxed thought life.  
An astonishing new science called “neuroplasticity” is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the human brain is immutable. In this revolutionary look at the brain, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Norman Doidge, M.D., provides an introduction to both the brilliant scientists championing neuroplasticity and the people whose lives they’ve transformed. From stroke patients learning to speak again to the remarkable case of a woman born with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole, The Brain That Changes Itself will permanently alter the way we look at our brains, human nature, and human potential.  
A deeply personal exploration of the journeys of 12 ordinary men and women diagnosed with multiple sclerosis around the world, showing that recovery is possible A diagnosis of multiple sclerosis conjures up images of wheelchairs, paralysis, and a shortened life, but in fact it’s possible to regain mobility and make a recovery. This is a collection of 12 life stories of people who have been diagnosed with MS, and have been able to halt the progression of the disease and recover mobility by following a program of drug treatment, diet, sunshine, meditation, and exercise. These stories offer hope and inspiration to others diagnosed with MS, and an insight into the different journeys people take to recovery. Based on extended interviews, they also offer an understanding of the challenges faced by people with different types of MS and at different stages in the progression of the disease.    
Judy Graham is an inspiration. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was just 26 years old, 35 years later Judy Graham is still walking, working, and has successfully birthed and raised a son who is now an adult. In this totally revised and updated edition of her groundbreaking Multiple Sclerosis, first published in 1984, she shares the natural treatments that have helped her and many others with MS stabilize or even reverse the condition.

Beginning with the effects of diet, she explains that many people with MS have been eating the wrong foods and shows which foods are “good” and “bad,” how to recognize food sensitivities, and how to correct nutritional deficiencies using dietary supplements. She also looks at reducing the body’s toxic overload, whether from mercury amalgam fillings, chemicals, or medications. She presents the exercises with proven benefits for MS she has found most reliable and appropriate, such as yoga, pilates, and t’ai chi, and explores alternative therapies that provide relief and support to the body’s efforts to control MS, including acupuncture, reflexology, shiatsu, reiki, and ayurveda. Most important are the insights she provides on the effects of negative thoughts on MS. She demonstrates how a positive mental attitude can actually slow down or even reverse the progression of this disease. Judy Graham is living proof that, as devastating as a diagnosis of MS is, life can still be lived to its fullest.  
 Most people who are diagnosed with MS are between the ages of 15-55 years, the disease has a significant impact, not only on the individual with the disease, but also on the family members and loved ones whose lives are interwoven with them. Families experiencing multiple sclerosis often find themselves in uncharted territory. Prior patterns of interacting with each other may no longer work roles often shift with dramatic emotional impact guilt, anger, sadness, and a sense of burden may create a barrier to intimacy, joy, growth, and family unity. There are ways out of this debilitating situation, and many families have restored their balance, humor, productivity and family solidarity. Multiple Sclerosis: A Guide for Families can lead the way for your family to strengthen its coping skills and to receive targeted information about the disease and its ramifications.  
HONEST MEDICINE introduces four lifesaving treatments that have been effectively treating–and in some cases curing–people for 25-90 years. However, for reasons of profitability (or lack thereof), these treatments have not been universally accepted. The treatments are: Low Dose Naltrexone for autoimmune diseases (e.g., multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, etc.) HIV/AIDS and some cancers; the Ketogenic Diet, for pediatric epilepsy; intravenous alpha lipoic acid, for terminal liver disease and some cancers; and Silverlon, for non-healing wounds. This book has already received a great deal of praise: Ronald Hoffman, MD: “I predict that Honest Medicine will become an instant classic.” Jeffrey Dach, MD: “A revolution is at hand, and Julia’s new book, Honest Medicine, is leading the charge with banner held high.” Mary Shomon: “Julia Schopick is one of those rare people who can go through an agonizingly difficult experience and go on to transform her pain into a passionate, clear-headed campaign to help others.” David Brownstein, MD: “Honest Medicine should be required reading for all physicians and patients searching for safe and effective therapies.” Julia Schopick is the creator of the award-winning blog, HonestMedicine.com, and has been a published writer and a public relations consultant for more than twenty years  
Is it possible to heal by thought alone—without drugs or surgery? The truth is that it happens more often than you might expect. In You Are the Placebo,Dr. Joe Dispenza shares numerous documented cases of those who reversed cancer, heart disease, depression, crippling arthritis, and even the tremors of Parkinson’s disease by believing in a placebo. Similarly, Dr. Joe tells of how others have gotten sick and even died the victims of a hex or voodoo curse—or after being misdiagnosed with a fatal illness. Belief can be so strong that pharmaceutical companies use double- and triple-blind randomized studies to try to exclude the power of the mind over the body when evaluating new drugs. Dr. Joe does more than simply explore the history and the physiology of the placebo effect. He asks the question: “Is it possible to teach the principles of the placebo, and without relying on any external substance, produce the same internal changes in a person’s health and ultimately in his or her life?” Then he shares scientific evidence (including color brain scans) of amazing healings from his workshops, in which participants learn his model of personal transformation, based on practical applications of the so-called placebo effect. The book ends with a “how-to” meditation for changing beliefs and perceptions that hold us back—the first step in healing.You Are the Placebo combines the latest research in neuroscience, biology, psychology, hypnosis, behavioral conditioning, and quantum physics to demystify the workings of the placebo effect . . . and show how the seemingly impossible can become possible.  
Terry Lynn Wahls is a physician who was an assistant chief of staff at Iowa City Veterans Administration Health Care and is a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa. She has a private practice and conducts clinical trials. She was diagnosed with a chronic progressive neurological disorder and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.  
The guide is full of tips, suggestions, and strategies to deal with chronic illness and symptoms, such as fatigue, pain, shortness of breath, disability, and depression. It encourages readers to develop individual approaches to setting goals, making decisions, and finding resources and support so that they are able to do the things they want and need. Originally based on a five-year study conducted at Stanford University, this work has grown to include the feedback of medical professionals and people with chronic conditions all over the world. Aimed at teaching people become self-managers of their own illness, the book’s one simple goal is to help anyone with a chronic illness to live a productive, healthy life.  
Long before the first pharmaceutical companies opened their doors in the 1850s, doctors treated people, not symptoms. And although we’ve become used to popping pills, Americans have finally had it with the dangerous side effects, addiction, and over-prescribing – and they’re desperate for an alternative. Here’s the good news: That alternative has been here all along in the form of ancient treatments used for eons in traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Greek medicine. Ancient Remedies is the first comprehensive layman’s guide that will bring together and explain to the masses the very best of these time-tested practices. In Ancient Remedies, Dr. Axe explores the foundational concepts of ancient healing – eating right for your type and living in sync with your circadian clock. Listeners will learn how traditional practitioners identified the root cause of each patient’s illness, then treated it with medicinal herbs, mushrooms, CBD, essential oils, and restorative mind-body practices. What’s more, they’ll discover how they can use these ancient treatments themselves to cope with dozens of diseases, from ADHD to diabetes, hypothyroidism, autoimmune disease, and beyond. Through engaging language and accessible explanations, Ancient Remedies teaches listeners everything they need to know about getting, and staying, healthy – without toxic, costly synthetic drugs.      
This comprehensive guide to alternative and self-help care is directed to those who have MS, and to their families, friends, and helpers. Judy Graham’s personal experiences with MS prompted her to explore various natural methods of treatment, leading to dramatic and lasting improvement in her own health. In her book, she has combined this first-hand knowledge with extensive, ongoing research.
Offers advice on exercise, posture, yoga, hyperbaric oxygen treatment, incontinence, relationships, sexuality, pregnancy, childbirth, mental attitude, and dealing with fatigue.

Includes resource information and full details on evening primrose oil, a dietary supplement shown to be effective for many people with MS.  
Assorted Books on Inspiration and MS
Associated with severe and unrelenting symptoms, primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) is considered incurable. Written by three experts, Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis helps those affected deal with the physical and emotional issues involved. Jointly sponsored by the National MS Society and the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, the book explains the nature of the disease and its characteristics, and offers comprehensive multidisciplinary management approaches. These include medical and nursing care, physical and occupational therapy, social support, caregiver and family issues, and mental health and quality of life.  

Incremental Upgrades to Help Manage MS: Boost Your Lifestyle with Simple Changes

Navigating the complexities of multiple sclerosis (MS) often makes adopting a healthy lifestyle feel overwhelming. However, by embracing small, achievable modifications, you can improve your well-being without a radical overhaul of your entire lifestyle. This approach...

Highlights from ECTRIMS 2024 – Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center Presentations

We are excited to share the latest research insights from the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC) presented at the ECTRIMS 2024 meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark. This year, BNAC showcased six compelling abstracts highlighting advancements in understanding...

Home Adaptations: Simple Changes for Enhanced Accessibility

Creating a home environment that accommodates everyone’s needs, regardless of physical limitations, is a compassionate and necessary endeavor. It involves thoughtful consideration of individual challenges and the strategic implementation of modifications. By focusing on personal requirements, safety, technology, and structural adaptations, you can transform any living space into a sanctuary that promotes independence and ease of living. Here are some tips from My MS Family to get you started!

Stranded

  As I sit here wanting to get my thoughts out, An image of me stranded in a body of stagnant water comes about.   The water is dark and I'm all alone, Holding on to dear life with all its unknown.   I'm cold and numb and not sure what to think. How...

WOODBRIDGE SUPPORT GROUP STARTING UP AGAIN

It’s understandable to feel concerned about how someone might react when you share something personal and sensitive like your diagnosis. However, being open and honest is essential for building trust in any relationship, and if she truly cares for you, she will...

 The Power Within

We have the power to determine our worth. It is time to stop putting ourselves down and realize the value, skills, and creativity that we each can bring to the workplace. Daily, I hear people share with me about their struggles with their self-worth whether it is not...

‘For a better tomorrow’: York Region car show at Bloomington GO Station cuts costs for multiple sclerosis patients

One of York Region’s most acclaimed car shows will return, “bigger and badder” on Saturday, Aug. 31, to display hundreds of amazing four-wheeled vehicles. But it’s two-wheeled vehicles — new powered wheelchairs for their members — that the host group at MS Road to a...

In memory of Deborah Cross

It is with profound sadness that the family of Deborah Cross (neé Richardson) announce her passing on August 31st, 2024, at the age of 68, due to complications from Multiple Sclerosis. She will be lovingly remembered by her daughters, Stephanie Cross (Chris Ling) and...

‘It’s time’: York Region residents with multiple sclerosis want satellite rehab centre and end to barriers

From the moment someone is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a maze of barriers awaits. But in York Region, such people aren’t alone. Other residents who also have MS, an auto-immune disease affecting the central nervous system, volunteer to help them buy...

Mavenclad Effect on Quality of Life

Treatment with Mavenclad (cladribine) over two years significantly improved physical and mental health aspects of quality of life in people with highly active relapsing multiple sclerosis, according to a final analysis of data from a Phase 4 study. Mavenclad is an...

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