Yes, lovely company. :)
Love
Bette

_________________
All That Is
what is?
Consciousness.

Of all the pics from that gathering one stands out particularly...

The one of Tom and Ted, and for two reasons....

They both have those capacious eyes that mystics tend to have, and their position and posture reminds me very much of a picture of Rob and Jane Butts (the Seth people) posing in just about the same way in front of a similar portrait that Rob had painted which Seth had later suggested it was of that same pair in a previous incarnation.

Just Sunday Morning reflections...

Looking forward to the DVD!

-Montana


Added later:

Well I got a PM from Ted: What picture was that?

And I went back to look for it and it is not there!

My best explanation is that my memory did some editing when "I" wasn't looking.

Interesting learning experience there for me.

My apology, though, goes out to the group.

Hi Ted,

I am so pleased to hear your feeling better!!!

I just thought I'd jump in here and share this wonderful book with you all....it's called Never Be Sick Again By Raymond Francis.

http://books.google.com/books?id=JMvWua ... &q&f=false

Unfortunatly the full book isn't available on Google books but a great deal of the book is here for free!! You will get more than a flavour of the book on Google and lots of good information about health,in my opinion the book is a very helpful read for anyone needing to have a serious discussion with themselves about their health.

I noted that there is a passage on page 8 that mentions spondylitis and a guy called Norman Cousin's who cured himself of spondylitis and wrote a book on the subject of illness from his experience called Anatomy of an illness,this book isn't on Google books either but I have just had a look on ebay and found some really cheap second hand copies.
I'm gonna buy it!!!! lol
I'll let you know if it's any good. : )
Or if anyone else has read the book please feel free to give us a review.

I did notice Ted that you alway used to talk about your illness as being a definite state that doesn't seem to be improving or that seemed the case until recently?
I find with me that my own healing went so well because I would never give illness an inch!
I never spoke of my illness or referred to it as an illness progressing,I always thought of my problems as those which were passing and believe me my skeletal problems were much more advanced and systemic than the wonderful opportunities and challenges that you face.
I think if you continue with your new sense of optimism and the realisation that stuff does get better you will find yourself getting better by the day.
Your gonna learn a lot from this process!
Keep it up my friend and use all the tools you can find to undermine the problem, both in mind and physically.

I used to take great satisfaction in prying illness open from a new angle and working away on it!!
The brain loves feedback and success starts to snowball if you use every treatment,ointment,mental technique,mantra,meditation,excercise,supplement or whatever ways of encouragement you like,I guess there just tools? Tell yourself you are getting better even if you only hope your getting better and don't see physical results,I preferred to see the results in my mind and deny the physical symptoms at all cost.
Physical symptoms are temporary so I didn't pay attention to those,the version of events that were in my mind were the truth and that's where it took me!!
The power that made the body can heal the body.

Something else I have found is that problems that are out of sight are much easier to heal?
I guess it's easy to explain in a way because it's so much harder to deny something you see all the time like me with the work I still need to do to my right hand.
The back/neck area should be relatively easy as it's out of sight?

I believe you can be healthy and I am sure your new take on your situation will help more than any pill from a doctor,the enthusiasm of this group will also help and will reinforce the feeling for you mentally and I think this will have a huge effect on your condition because as I said... The brain loves feedback and you rightly enjoy the feedback and love you get from this group and now in turn from the results in your body.
I generated incredible will and intent during the dark days of my problems and thinking back that power blows me away now?
It seems incredible to me now that I summoned that kind of persistant ,controlled and consecutive positive thought? I really need to get back to that place as I think it was the key to life itself.
Bottom line was that health was the only option out there for me and I wanted to get better,I mean really really wanted to get better to the point of refusal of all other outcomes.

One last thing.....
I have notice that you sometimes talk about your body in less than flattering terms?
Your bodies never going to respond to you if you see your body as not being whole,perfect and beautiful?
Sure you may have problems but please never forget your body is still an amazing thing!!!
Please Never speak ill of your body. :(

I know you realise this body is just data but on some level loving your body does make the process of healing a whole lot easier.
The bodies yours Ted...love it ,appreciate it,be mindful when you have a shower or bath and be greatful and thankful for the body you have and you will soon start to notice that the body is actuallly pretty AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your body is your responsibility and still has a lot to teach you about yourself, maybe even learning to love yourself on all levels.
I love my body now and we have an awesome relationship?
I take care to notice the way it feels and behaves and take steps to ward off any potential problems,I look after my feet now which I would never of previously done?I take time to massage them and feel good about the unseen heroes and previously unheralded parts of my body!
I love my skin too and apply skin cream and stuff when I get out of the shower but I undertake this process mindfully,secure in the knowledge that I'm showing my body love and respect rather than abusing myself until a problem arises.
It feels good to take that kind of care in your physical body,not for the ego but for health of body and mind.

I wonder if this is part of the reason women live longer than us guys?

Please don't be offended by any of the above Ted.lol
Some of it may not apply but I do find writing these things hard and kinda spit out what I feel might be helpful rather than what might be pleasing to the ear?
I also dislike the constant droning on about "me" as it sounds awful and makes me cringe but I don't know how else to describe my experience to you? This is such a personal thing to me and that probably means it has no bearing on the way you feel about yourself?
Hopefully I have struck some of the right notes but it's way past midnight again here and I just wanted to get this down before I go to bed.

I hope this helps describes some of the mechanisms that helped me and that you or someone else reading this might find help or encouragement here?

Afterall the futures not what it used to be?

Best wishes,
Wayno



The easy roads are crowded,
And the level roads are jammed;
The pleasant little rivers
With the drifting folks are crammed.
But off yonder where it’s rocky,
Where you get a better view,
You will find the ranks are thinning
And the travelers are few.

Where the going’s smooth and pleasant
You will always find the throng,
For the man, more’s the pity,
Seem to like to drift along.
But the steeps that call for courage,
And the task that’s hard to do,
In the end result in glory
For the never-wavering few

_________________
Obsession is a word used by the idle to describe the dedicated.

wayno,

Thank you for your thoughts. Having had my ankylosing spondylitis collapsed out of the probability cloud for decades, I was considering it very much locked in. I am past feeling that I have to control things also. However, more information makes it clear that even long standing problems can improve with dietary improvements and other things that can readily be done. This means that it is not locked into my present condition and resulting disabilities. Something can be done about it to modify probabilities still. The PUP would not prevent this as my doctors don't particularly have a clue. And it became clear that I was not likely to be able to do everything that I have promised unless some improvements and diversions of present trends were made. I asked for help because there are others here more talented than I at healing. I expect that they can keep me going as long as Tom and the CS have a role for me to play in this pass.

Ted

I know Tom's just a regular guy and all. But it really feels good to have him on my side.

Wayno,

a very powerful message, Thank you

Ted,

We are all pulling for you, and sending out Healing thoughts in your general direction.


peace
patrick

_________________
LOVE is the answer

peace
patrick

I wanted to mention Dr. Sarno's book here again: The Mindbody Prescription.
Dr. Sarno's ideas and methods share some common ground with Norman Cousins' story.
Has anyone here read or heard of any of Dr. Sarno's books?

Love Carole.

Hi Carole,

I just ordered "Back Pain, The Mind Body Connection". I look forward to its arrival.

_________________
"All the world's a Stage and all the men and women merely players, They have their exits and their entrances and ONE man in his time plays many parts, his acts beings Heaven ages"---Shakespeare

Thank you Carole, I had not before now.

Does anyone know of Alex Loyd's Healing Code? My therapist recommended it to me today.

Hi Beau,
the book you mention was the first one that I read and it had a profound effect on me when I really needed help to recover from chronic back pain. I hope you find it useful. That is one of his earlier books. The most recent one I'm aware of is "The Divided Mind". Also, many other doctors and physiotherapists have come to agree with his methods .

Dr. Sarno is Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine at New York University School of Medicine. I don't think that what he says contravenes the PUP.

Hi Lynda,
I hadn't heard of Alex Lloyd. I've just read a bit about his healing codes and it does sound interesting.
My feelings now are that there are more ways than one to achieve healing. What is true and real for one person may not necessarily be so for another. Methods that may seem to contradict each other may both work and be valid. I was a bit slow at following my intuition, but I eventually got there and found a method to heal myself. I try to follow my intuition, but sometimes too much thinking gets in the way.

Love Carole.

You are a very welcome addition to this board Carole, IMHO.

Your post elicited several thoughts, first and foremost being idiomatic expressions. There are so many old sayings and cliches that I don't use for fear of sounding trite. But many of them make good sense! I don't like the skin a cat expression, but what you've said about healing above made me think of that.

I also believe in a place for everything and everything in its place. There are a lot more I can't think of right now as I am headed off into my office.

Another thought I had from reading your post was about Bruce Lipton, who has been mentioned (by myself and others) here in these forums several times. I am a firm believer in Bruce and his work and I really don't care if he's labeled a crackpot. People say that about Tom as well.

One last thought before I sign off - there is a plethora of psychological material referenced in these forums, and I hope those seeking help here are finding it!

Love,
Lynda

Hey Ted,

I have finished reading Norman cousins book and can confirm it is a good read for anyone needing encouragement,motivation and a new perspective on health. :)

Norman claims to of been cured of ankylosing spondylitis by taking sodium ascorbate intarvenously,having a strong will to live and having lots of laughter in his life.
Norman watched comedy videos listened to tapes of stand up and basically gorged himself on comedy.lol

The book does point to some extraoridany results that Norman claims to of benefitted from by including a regular daily diet of comedy and hearty laughter,he claims to of had many hours of pain free movement because of various chemicals released from the body during long sessions of hearty laughter.
Lab results seem to show the effects of the laughter actually decreasing the inflammation factors in the blood,not only did the blood sedimentation levels reduce, they reduced by a full 5 points and the effect was culmulative!! .
Might be worth thinking about for next time you have to leave the house for an extended period as you described in an earlier post?
Have a good old laugh at some stuff on Youtube before leaving, you would leave the house feeling jolly and happy,your body would be less inflamed and I guess it would be a lot of fun too!

Norman also says a lot about harnessing the placebo effect which to my mind sounds exactly the same as the methods that I spoke about and use to wear down my condition?
Whatever pushes your buttons I guess?

The main crux of the medical stuff revolves around the taking of sodium ascorbate intavenously,obviously I don't really want to condone injecting yourself with ANYTHING but it might be worth asking your doctor about?
The drop in blood sedimentation levels after the injections of sodium ascorbate brought about a full 9 point drop alone!!
As a result of this I did a little research on the internet and found this site:

http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=284026

The site is all about taking L-ascorbic acid and states that taking sodium bicarbonate with L-ascorbic acid is the way to go?
So...I decided to get some and give it a go. :)
I am still breathing and feel great but I am proceeding with caution and doing my homework on any potential problems that may arise...it seems fairly harmless to take this concoction in the short term as the vitamin c is passed in the urine after four hours and not retained above neccesary levels....I'll keep you posted on the results and outcome but the main worry if any dseems to be increased risk of kidney stones.
I can say that I am finding the mixture to be a nice little tool in my armoury and really do think I'm benefitting from using it daily?
Maybe that's just the placebo but hey I'll take it!!!
I have noted that you take vitamin c Ted? Are you or have you thought about taking pharmaceutical grade L-asc in this way?

WARNING!!!!!!!!!!
Only ever use Sodium ascorbate for intavenous application as taking L-ascorbic acid intravenously would be very bad for you!!!

Norman also mentions that taking asprin can be antagonistic to vitamin c retention!!
He also says that vitamin c is vital for proper oxygenation of the blood and can help stop the breakdown of collagen as oxygenation is vital to collagen retention.As you know Ankylosing Spondylitis eats collagen for breakfast,anything we can do to protect our collagen is vital!!!

I have recently dropped all pain medication and the L-asc mixture has fitted in quite nicely to the role of pain killer? Maybe I'm dreaming it but the mixture is definatly fortifying my will to be pain free and I am seeing positive results because of this.
I have been totally drug free for over two weeks despite upping my exercise levels,increasing the weight loads I lift and walking 5 miles every evening before bed. :)
I am starting to get quite a nice shape going here and fully intend to never again take another poisonous painkiller over such extended length of time again.:)
Asprin is also said to levy a heavy toll on the adrenal glands!!!!
One thing that really has to be working for a full recovery is the adrenal glands,pumping the body with exercise will help restore this function!!
I also read somewhere in the past that such painkillers have really bad effects on your tendons but would have to research that again because I forget the exact nature of the problem.

At the risk of writing another obscenly long post I just wanted to quote Norm from the book....

At the end of the eighth day I was able to move my thumbs without pain.By this time,the sedimentation rate was somewhere in the eighties and dropping fast.I couldn't be sure,but it seemed to me like the gravel like nodules on my neck and the back of my hands were beginning to shrink, there was no doubt in my mid that I was going to make it all the way back.. I could function and the feeling was indescribably beautiful.
I must not make it appear that all my infimities dissapeared over night.

He goes on to say that recovery took years rather than months but finishes the chapter with....
I no longer feel a sharp twinge in my wrists when I hit a tennis ball or golf ball,as I did for such a long time.I can ride a horse flat out and hold a camera with a steady hand and I have recaptured my ambition to play the toccata and fugue in D Minor.

Norms recovery was year by year.

Anyway I just started Juicing Vegtables today so will see how that goes but I can report to you that blended Broccoli doesn't go down so well.lol

Let me know if you would like to read the book Ted...PM me with your postal address if you like and I'll send it over the pond. :)


Love,
Wayno

_________________
Obsession is a word used by the idle to describe the dedicated.

Wayno are you mixing the broccoli with other fruits or vegs?
Love
Bette

_________________
All That Is
what is?
Consciousness.

wayno,

I took larger amounts of vitamin C of the drugstore pill variety, up to 8 gm/day. Unfortunately the acid level became a problem to my stomach. I have bought pure reagent grade vitamin C before when I was in grad school. The bicarbonate of soda balances the pH as you note. Now all I need is the right chemicals and sources. I used to be able to take higher dosages of vitamin C without trouble but my stomach doesn't like it any more. Even 2 gm/day helps cut the inflammation way down.

Ted

Hi Bette

Yes I am adding other vegetables to my mixtures.
For my first try today I followed a recipe from the internet and sort of made it up as I went along.:)
The result of juicing the broccoli on it's own was a total fail as the broccoli doesn't have a very high water to pulp ratio.
I dropped a large cup of broccoli in with a carrot and the juice of two lemons,the mixture was ok but did require some water to fill it out.
The watery bit was the easiest to drink ,The main problem for me was the texture but The taste was fine to be honest and just tasted strong of plant.lool
It kinda tasted like chewing on a piece of grass but stronger,it was nothing like as bad as I'd imagined although the texture of the drink did make me feel a little sick.

I would think I'll be on this train for a while now and will be juicing every morning because I was encouraged rather than put off.
I also felt great after being brave enough to overcome the initial misgivings,I reckon I've been thiking about this for over a year so it's good to of got over the first hurdle.
I felt fantastically refreshred and energised after I had taken it!!!!

A note of caution though....It is recommended to wash/blanch or boil the brocolli first as bacteria can be hiding in the tightly bunched heads,I just boiled the kettle and poured boiling water on it because I didn't want to boil and of the nutrients out of the broccoli.
I feel fine so I guess it worked?
Also try to use fresh broccoli because of the above.

The internet says its good to use apple(cored and peeled),carrot(peeled) and celery with broccoli or any mixture of the four combined with lemon juice or even bell pepper to spice things up abit.

Love,
Wayno

_________________
Obsession is a word used by the idle to describe the dedicated.