Grandpa & Whoopi are fast friends!

What’s going on in MS land these days? Well, what had happened was, my father came into town. And for almost 2 weeks, I did not record a single lesson in MS Mastery™. Welp! Prior to that, I was doing great on knocking out one module each week, and I was halfway done.

Take a seat. I promise you a happy ending to this share.

I felt alive however. I hadn’t seen Dad in 5 years, thanks to Covid, and expired visas and new rules for obtaining US visas and mega delays in the process and all of that. And I hadn’t seen him since Mom passed 2 years ago. 😢

The trip was long overdue.

What’s Going On in MS Land with Fear and Doubt?

But I was petrified of how I would handle the visit. Catering to him. Especially feeding him, since I’m on such a specialized diet (Wahls Paleo Plus).

And there’s the issue of bandwidth… Because. MS.

In fact, I worried so much that I almost made myself sick. But once I started to feel symptoms, I knew I had to course correct and fix my attitude. Only 2 things make me feel bad these days: Physical exertion or negative thoughts. I’m teaching you how to get here in MS Mastery™ by the way, and so much more as I continue to heal too. (Shameless plug!)

What’s Going On in MS Land with Marrying All the Nutrition Needs?

I decided to trust that God and the universe will teach me how to cater to him, since hubby and I had decided we would not cater out his foods due to all the cutting corners in the food services industry since lock down. My dad made a somewhat recent shift to the blood type diet and his health and numbers have never been better. His discipline in the absence of Mom has been just so admirable. Naturally, we want to support him maximally.

We decided we would also feed him organic non-gmo foods, and high quality proteins like we eat, except for our (minus me!) Nigerian foods that are not certified organic.

And do you know what happened? We started to figure it out. I don’t cook for my husband usually, He makes his own food and  doesn’t put pressure on me in the kitchen. So, I hadn’t made Nigerian stew in years, and really hadn’t been eating Nigerian food because they’re hard to come by, if not impossible, as certified organic. But I figured out how to use all organic produce to make chicken stew without the habanero or any of the conventional peppers that we normally use, which is where we get the spicy pepper kick. But we can’t ever find those peppers organic.

What I did was to use a combo of red bell peppers with crushed red peppers, both organic. And it worked. Yay! I’ll spare you the details of all the dishes that I’ve made for him. how I’ve married our foods for ease of preparation, and how I get around things I can’t taste but need to make for him. 🤣

What’s Going On in MS Land concerning Asking For and Receiving Help?

17th wedding anniversary IG post! 3/29

Then I was so blessed to have hubby help out whenever I needed him to. I actually asked for help. Hubby is amazing, but that bad habit of not asking for help is a hard one to break completely free from.

Luckily for me, I’m partnered with a man who pays attention and notices things. He first noticed my one zit pop up next to my lip. Then it was my back brace that had started to make an appearance here and there (though that wasn’t so unusual), then my wrist brace. I think the wrist brace did it for him because it hasn’t come out in years. He basically marched into the kitchen and informed me that I was doing too much and he needed to do more. Then he listed what things he was taking on. Why? Because I was so exhausted by the end of the day he said, and it’s just week one, so we need a better plan.

What a blessing, in this world where close to half of marriages impacted by MS don’t make it. This from a man who has always done a lot and continues to do so. I did not really want to ask him to do as much because I was also concerned for him and his demanding job.

This extra help however enabled me to lean into Dad’s presence, his company, his emotional support. And it’s simply been amazing.

What’s Going On in MS Land with the Research on Asking For Help & Receiving Help?

Research paper…

So, what’s going on in MS land with research concerning help? Did you know that the ability to lean into family support impacts our MS course? Specifically, our ability to ask for and receive help. In fact, not asking for help from those around us is as bad as not having a support system at all on this MS journey.

How do I know this? Research supports it. And one of the traits that leads to MS is feeling like you can go it alone in life.

In this publication titled Relationship between Psychosocial Factors and Onset of Multiple Sclerosis, while doing a comparison of psychosocial factors between people with MS and healthy controls, there were significant differences in subjective support, and utilization of social support between the two groups.

So toxic and I hate to admit it but for a long time, so me. I didn’t want to “bother” people. That happens to be a trauma response by the way that stems from not feeling safe for whatever reason.

It was just a story in my head and this research proves that our perception is different, which of course leads to not utilizing the support.

All this is to say, lean into your support system.

What’s Going On in MS Land with Emotional Support?

The emotional boost of having Dad under our roof has been so good for me, the same way I feel when my brother is in town.

I’ve gotten to a point in my MS and life journey where if I’m not feeling great, I seek out human connection. I find my husband in the house and go spend time with him. He centers me. He truly is my peace and with all that my health issues have thrown at us, it is a blessing. Sometimes I go hang out with my daughter or Whoopi the dog, or both. They work too. 😃

So, if you’re one of those I can go it alone people, stop it. Rethink your stance because it does not serve you at all, and certainly not your MS course.

Let’s talk MS Mastery™!!!

As for me, I will soak in all the family love I can get, while I continue to work on MS Mastery™ at whatever pace I can muster. The real happy ending to this story is this. I have figured out how to still continue to record the rest of the course, so that I can get it to you.

In fact, I intend to send out detailed information on how to get into all the goodies I’ve been cooking up within the next few weeks. I have recorded 7 out of 13 weeks already, and about two-thirds of the slides.

And I’m so excited for all of the information that you’ll be able to glean for your MS journey.

In the meantime,

Happy MS Awareness Month!!! 🎉

And even though I wanted MS Mastery™ to be ready during our special month, here’s my gift to you. It’s how hard I’m working to get this program to you in the next few weeks.

Toodles!

Dr. Folake.

DISCLAIMER!!!

Lastly, check with your doctor before implementing anything new. I am NOT your doctor, though I am a doctor.

This is purely educational, not giving you medical advice, and it is certainly not tailored specifically to you because I don’t have enough information on you to do that.

I am Dr. Folake Taylor, and I live with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis PPMS. After 15 years in internal medicine primary care, while battling disability/ PPMS for the last 7 of the 15, I found myself diving deeper into holistic health for answers. Now I’m turning my lemons into lemonade. I refuse to allow physical and cognitive disability to stop me, from fulfilling my destiny of using my voice to benefit the world with my knowledge, which I did prior to my illness. Sharing what I have learned and am still learning about the body’s ability to heal itself, which is quite different from what I learned in medical school, is now my mission. And as I create an online self-paced course for MS recovery, I will take you along with me as the daily journey continues.

PS: Get on the waitlist for MS Mastery™ here if you haven’t already. What are you waiting on?

The post What’s Going On In MS Land? Are You Utilizing Support? appeared first on folaketaylormd.

Update

We left off after I had both implants pulled around September 2021. At the time, I was in the process of clearing the infections and such. All that is sorted thankfully.

We gave it 4-6 months to heal, and then I had another X-ray. I was told it looked amazing, as my jaw/ bone looked like it was supposed to. The “hole” left behind by the implant had filled up with bone tissue and the oral surgeon was satisfied. ✅

Biocompatibility Testing

Biocompatibility Testing book(let) 🤣

At the time of the X-ray in February, I scheduled an appointment in March for the blood draw. This is not the same as allergy testing. This is more of IgG testing for sensitivities. That’s why it’s not covered by insurance because it’s probably considered experimental and woo-woo! 😂

I had my blood draw in mid-March and was supposed to get a call from the nurse 2 weeks later. I got worried when it was past 2 weeks and finally called this week at 4 weeks. Then I got a call stating I needed an appointment to discuss the results. That had me concerned that something was wrong.

This afternoon was the reveal. Would you believe that I was presented with a book of results? Not kidding. It’s a 91-page report. 🤦🏽‍♀️ I was expecting a few sheets of paper at the most.

What’s pertinent to me was on page 51. Essentially, it states that I have the least reactivity with some zirconia and some titanium. I was surprised about the titanium. Long List here. But then there are other titanium and zirconium that I’m likely to be highly reactive to, on page 52. Shorter list. So that’s the good news. And the implants I had called Cerec, are the same material as Zeramex which is on my “least reactivity” list. A little part of me would have loved to see Cerec on the list, however.

My question is, why wasn’t this offered to me right off the bat before I requested it? It should have been an option, then I can decide if I feel like my health is worth it or not. And that’s all the way back to my general dentist. but then again, they don’t believe in this technology.

The Plan

When I am ready, I will call them to schedule one tooth at a time. Each will be a 2-step process. I can feel the oral surgeon treating me like an egg at this point. It was cute.

They will go ahead and order the first implant and be ready for me.

The Surprise

Mordecai The Golden Doodle

Well, I met the most amazing therapy dog today. A golden doodle. His name is Mordecai, and he’s the oral surgeon’s therapy dog. He ran over to me like I was a long-lost friend. We even did the nose-to-nose.

I believe he was able to smell Whoopi on me, and immediately know that I am a friend of dogs. Incidentally, this same thing happened at the Myrtle Beach Safari. With wolves. They surrounded me, rubbed on me, loved on me, and I feel like it was also because they could smell Whoopi on me.

I digress!

Mordecai sat by me for petting and cuddles for a while and I told the oral surgeon he could go now because I had Mordecai and was all good. We had a good laugh and Mordecai made my day.

Mercury Reactivity

Heavy Metals Testing Results

When I got home however, I looked into my report more and realized heavy metal reactivity was at the beginning of the report. This was divided into least reactive, moderately reactive, and highly reactive.

Would you believe Mercury is on the list? And it was highly reactive no less. No wonder I couldn’t think straight with mercury in my brain. Not only does it cause neuro-degeneration, but my being highly reactive to it meant my brain was literally on fire.

Guess what else is on the list of highly reactive? If you guessed Aluminum, you guessed correctly. As well as Lead, Bismuth (in Pepto-Bismol), Zinc, Copper. That means I need to switch out my Copper tongue-scrapper for a stainless steel one ASAP. I have had this stainless steel tongue-scrapper sitting in my Amazon cart for months, and it’s only $9.99. However, I kept thinking, “Am I about to buy something else I don’t need, or is this necessary?” Now I know! 😢

In Conclusion

Biocompatibility Testing was definitely worth the $325 I paid for it. Worth every penny.

The good thing about the book of results is that it helps my future dental care as well, because any future restorations, crowns, and such can go by this result to make sure I only get the most biocompatible materials in my mouth. It wasn’t just implants and metals, it has results on etching materials, glass ionomers, composites, amalgams, liners, bases & varnishes. It lists 3 different groups of crowns & bridges, porcelain & ceramics, impression materials, temporary materials, cements, root canals, and denture materials (different components).

Also listed are porcelain alloys, orthodontic materials, sealants, and dental hygiene products.

Needless to say, I will be needing to read this whole book, and definitely, be referencing it a lot in the future.

Also, I will not be going back to a non-biologic dentist or oral surgeon, and if you have an autoimmune disease, I suggest you don’t either.

I am Dr. Folake Taylor, and I live with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis PPMS. After 15 years in internal medicine primary care, while battling disability/ PPMS for the last 7 of the 15, I found myself diving deeper into holistic health for answers. Now I’m turning my lemons to lemonade. I refuse to allow physical and cognitive disability stop me, from fulfilling my destiny of using my voice to benefit the world with my knowledge, which I did prior to my illness. Sharing what I have learned and am still learning about the body’s ability to heal itself, which is quite different from what I learned in medical school, is now my mission. And as I create an online self-paced course for MS recovery, I will take you along with me as the daily journey continues.

The post Biocompatibility Testing: Metals and Dental Materials appeared first on folaketaylormd.

You would not believe what happened just a week after my last blog post titled “Is Keto A Trigger For Vegans?” An article was published in UVAToday which supports the ketogenic diet for MS. It is titled Ketogenic Diet Show Major Benefits For Multiple Sclerosis.

They said, and I quote:

“The ketogenic diet, which replaces carbohydrates with protein and healthy fats, may be a key to managing MS, new research co-authored with UVA Health shows.”

Research Findings

The study was on 65 relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis volunteers. The study participants saw reductions in neurologic disability, fatigue, depression, and heightened overall quality of life. Participants also lost body fat, their performance improved on physical endurance testing, such as the 6-minute walk, as well as enhanced fine motor speed. There were also beneficial changes in inflammatory blood markers.

This study will be presented and peer reviewed shortly, but these findings are nothing short of mind blowing. The presentation will be at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) meeting in April. It is titled, Ketogenic Diet as a Strategy for Improved Wellness and Reduced Disability in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis.

The same study was highlighted in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. It is titled, Ketogenic Diet Eases Symptoms, Aids Life Quality in Small RRMS Study. They went ahead and stated categorically that participants lost an average of 20lb (9kg) of body fat in this 6 month period.

While I knew these things to be true in my body, it hits different when it’s supported by research. While my aim with the Wahls Paleo Plus was not to lose weight, I did lose more than 20lb myself, and it helped correct hormonal imbalances.

More MS Nutrition Research On The Horizon

Dr. Terry Wahls my shero and mentor, also bagged a $2.5 million donation toward research studying the effects of nutrition on MS. This is from the Carter Chapman Shreve Family Foundation to the Wahls Therapeutic Lifestyle Fund in the Wahls Lab. You can read about this here as well as here. This study will compare 3 diets. The modified Paleo Diet. The ketogenic diet. The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans diet.

The UIHC article reads: “The two-year Efficacy of Diet on Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis (EDQ-MS) study will also be one of the longest in duration to study the effect of diet on clinical and patient reported outcomes and biomarkers of brain injury.”

It’s been so hard getting large MS nutrition studies because we know who funds most research. It’s usually Big Pharma. They won’t fund something that proves viable alternatives or adjuncts to medication. This is because either way, you will end up on less medication or no medication when you apply these principles. It does not further their cause!

In Conclusion

What I would like to see are more studies on primary progressive multiple sclerosis PPMS. We want to do better than extrapolate from studies using participants with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis RRMS. I do see that Picnic Health is spearheading some PPMS research, and I am most certainly here for it.

Please share in your email with a friend who has MS, share to social media, or Tweet this. I feel like shouting it on the rooftops. So very excited for the future.

🧡🧡🧡

Folake.

I am Dr. Folake Taylor, and I live with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis PPMS. After 15 years in internal medicine primary care, while battling disability/ PPMS for the last 7 of the 15, I found myself diving deeper into holistic health for answers. Now I’m turning my lemons to lemonade. I refuse to allow physical and cognitive disability stop me, from fulfilling my destiny of using my voice to benefit the world with my knowledge, which I did prior to my illness. Sharing what I have learned and am still learning about the body’s ability to heal itself, which is quite different from what I learned in medical school, is now my mission. And as I create an online self-paced course for MS recovery, I will take you along with me as the daily journey continues.

The post Exciting Changes In MS Research On Nutrition appeared first on folaketaylormd.