A few days after I wrote my October 23rd posting, “An Unfortunate Case of Myopia”, a friend of mine contacted me on Facebook to ask how one would go about encouraging the sources of research funding to channel some of that money to investigating effective non-traditional treatment for ALS. At the time, I did not have a very good answer, but within a few days, as if on cue, one was provided to me. Here is what I wrote to him: You could contact ALSA and MDA and suggest that they support Dr. Craig Oster’s efforts, and/or contribute to his campaign to develop research on holistic healing for ALS directly at http://www.healingwithdrcraig.com/

Dr. Craig Oster has been living with ALS for 16 years. By maintaining a positive mindset and an unshakeable conviction that he is recovering from ALS, he has made some incredible progress with his healing. He has regained muscle (a feat claimed by neurologists to be impossible), and is currently able to bench press over one hundred pounds. His holistic program includes a focus on mind, body and spirit, and is worthy of consideration for anyone interested in improving their wellbeing, not just people with ALS.

Similar to my own experience, Dr. Oster has found it difficult to interest mainstream doctors in anything other than pharmaceutical treatment of ALS. Convinced, as I am, that he has found successful alternative means of dealing with this disease, he has pulled together a team of professionals and people with the illness to begin his own research efforts on holistic treatment of ALS. His website already includes stories of several other people who have made progress in combating this disease.

Dr. Oster’s efforts provide hope for tens of thousands of people who have been given a death sentence by the mainstream medical community bound in the belief that their paradigm is the only credible one for healing. From a broader perspective, however, this man serves as an inspiring role model of courage, perseverance, and focused determination. Are there people like this in your life? Please share your stories.

In the past 7 years, I have done a great deal of detoxifying to rid my body of all kinds of pathogens. Using chelation, the lemonade cleanse, sound therapy, dietary changes, a product known as MMS (Miracle Mineral Supplement), and a variety of other products and techniques, I have eliminated heavy metals, parasites, viruses, bacteria, pesticides, and other pathogens from my body. Traditional medical practitioners will often dismiss these invaders of the body as irrelevant. Doctors will tell you that it is normal to have a variety of these pathogens in your system. They will say that in the absence of any symptoms of illness there is nothing to worry about. It amazes me that in a country with one of, if not the highest incidence of chronic and terminal illnesses in the world, there are still so many doctors who refuse to look beyond their own medical paradigms for solutions to their patients’ maladies where their traditional practices fail.

I am currently searching for a way to eliminate a moderate candida condition (a fungal infection) in my gastrointestinal tract. Alternative treatments I have tried have not been successful. The pharmaceutical products that I have explored pose too much of a threat to my kidneys and liver. Three doctors have told me that the candida is probably not worth worrying about. The effects of candida, however, may include mental impairment, headaches, fatigue, and digestive difficulties. In patients with compromised immune systems it can even be fatal. See The Effects of Candida.

In the case of ALS, there is little conclusive knowledge about the cause of the disease, let alone the treatment. So, on what basis can a doctor legitimately claim that eliminating a candida infection will be of no benefit to someone living with ALS? From a holistic perspective, it makes sense to eliminate any pathogens that may be compromising the body’s ability to function at full strength. Consequently, I will continue to search for a solution until I find something that works.

A man named Eric Edney is one of the most successful people that I have encountered in recovering from ALS. Eric has been living with ALS for twenty years, and has managed to reverse many of his symptoms. In the “Regimen Outline” on his website, he mentions fungi (of which candida is an example) as one of the pathogens that he believes should be eliminated from the colon. See Eric is Winning. Eric is fortunate enough to have found an open-minded doctor to support his efforts to heal from his “terminal” illness.

Too many doctors, unfortunately, are still unwilling to engage in potential solutions beyond their formal training. This medical myopia is certainly not serving people with ALS and other serious medical conditions very well. With the growth of interest in alternative practice and the high rates of chronic and “terminal” illness in this country, it seems to me that it is in the best interest of the traditional medical community and their patients for them to rethink their practices. Your thoughts?