It has been almost 5 years since my first Relapse with MS occurred and has almost been 4 years since my official diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. I was reading my blog post from October 2010, and can remember vividly the turn that my life took that day. I still remember the overwhelming feeling of driving home from the hospital. The long weeks and months of people helping me grocery shop and clean and care for my children. I remember in December traveling to UCSF, and after a 3 hour Neurologist appointment the words were spoken to my husband and me that life will just never be the same, so prepare for the challenges and difficult road ahead. On that drive home not even 3 hours after leaving the doctor I received a phone call on my cell phone from my Neurologist personally calling me to confirm that after review with 14 Neurologist at their staff meeting that afternoon they have all concluded I have a classic case of Relapse Remitting Multiple Sclerosis and they would have me back in 3 months to begin drug therapy.
Exactly five days after that meeting with my Neurologist, and having had time to start to accept the changes that were taking place I received a phone call from a young sweet girl that had just graduated from a Foot Zone class from The Norblom American Institute of FootZonology, and she wanted to see if she could help me.
If you ask me now, where my story begins, I would say it started in January 2010, when I first entered the hospital falling over and not being able to stand. It escalated in October of 2010 when the pain in my head was so severe that I could find no relief and was hospitalized for a week to reduce all inflammation in my brain. It was confirmed in December of 2010 when I met with my Neurologist at UCSF and 14 other Neurologists reviewed my case. But my story BEGAN when in December when a selfless young woman called my house to ask if she could try something on my feet because she think she can help.
At first every 3-4 days this beautiful young woman came to my home to Zone my feet, convinced that it will change something but nor sure what, she was a recent graduate and I was her first client ever.
There were many intruding parts in my life that have become a nuisance; not being able to stand with complete balance, always falling a bit to the side, and always having to hold for support to walk and keep my balance; the chronic fatigue, which was impossible with 5 little children under 7 and under, the constant numbness and tingling in my right hand and foot, which made writing a chore and cooking even harder; and the most nuisance was the lack of concentration, I had 5 small kids, I needed the ability to multi-task and think clearly...and it was gone.
After the first Zone, I woke up the next day and was sick as a dog, I waited a few days and had my feet Zoned again, that next day I woke up with the softest skin ever; my face was so soft...so silly, but it was amazing. Upon completion of the 3rd Zone I stood up and to both our surprise I wasn't rocking as much as I usually do. At that point I wanted more; I knew something was happening, but I could not explain what. I looked forward to our 4th visit, my body was starting to balance out, slowly but surely. By the 7th visit, I was balanced, as in literally physically balanced. I was standing without wave to my stance; I was solid once again. It was an awesome moment to be able to close my eyes standing and relax, not worrying about the fear of falling completely over...it was a piece of Heaven for me in that moment.
I slowly improved as my Zones stayed regular, I would sometimes forget that I have MS, and carry on as a mom with 5 kids. I was down to weekly Zones, on occasion if I had a flare up of my symptoms my Zoner would work certain areas of my feet and I was back in no time.
There was a time that my Zoner was out of town, as most people have lives and other commitments. It was during that time when I had a severe flare up of my symptoms and there were a few days that I had lost the ability to concentrate, my fatigue returned, my balance was questionable and my hand was numb beyond measure. I tried to work on my feet, I tried to get my husband to do something with my feet to knock my symptoms out, but with no training we had no success. It was at that moment that my husband and I realized that Foot Zoning would become part of who I am. I may be given a trial in my life that is extremely hard, but I was handed a remedy to control it, and Foot Zone Therapy has done just that.
Now with 5 small children, my mother played an essential role in my recovery. She was there aside me watching the changes take place, she could come over and see when I struggled to make sense of something or forget what I was doing in the kitchen, while making dinner. She could see the MS Fog/Cloud or "Marshmallow Brian" as my kids called it, begin to appear and then we both knew it was time for my feet to be Zoned. My husband could see me and say hey, "I'll watch the kids, why don't you call and see if you can get your feet Zoned." it became very apparent in the early months of Zoning when I needed my feet Zoned. There was no true schedule, no firm rule of when to Zone, it was so obvious to those around me, as my clarity would begin to fade and I personally knew it as my hand and balance would be affected. Beyond that my feet would crave it, my body knew what it needed to stay in balance, what a true gift from God.
Seeing such great results and seeing the power of the Zone, I convinced my mother to make an appointment. She was in love, and within weeks the research had begun to find more about becoming a Foot Zone Therapist. With my body still recovering from the Relapse I could not commit to making travel plans to go to a school and be trained. So after much prayer, and research we were introduced to The Academy of Foot Zone Therapy. With an inspired founder, we were led to an amazing teacher that sacrificed her time to come to our home in California to teach us. After completing the first series of classes, I was excited more than ever to start Zoning my own feet. Over the next few months I had become a pro at Zoning my own feet! I knew how to read my body, and how to help it...what an amazing feeling.
I remember going to back to my Neurologist in March to discuss and start the medication, and I remember the doctor asking me why I have little symptoms, why I felt so good, why I was not tired all the time. I told him someone was doing Foot Zone Therapy on my feet, and it has helped tremendously and I felt good. He with a very puzzled look on his head, continued with my exam... part of my face was numb, as it had been since October, and he stated the Nerve that was affected, I showed him where that nerve was located on my foot and told him "I would work on it", and he looked at me harder.... His response at the end of my visit as he is writing his notes, "I am so glad you are feeling better, (under his breath) NO THANKS TO ME."
I left that appointment with no medication!
I follow up regularly with my Neurologist, I do my 6 month and 1 year MRI's. I have had a Relapse after I had my 6th baby via C-Section; which caused me not to walk and agonizing pain in my legs, and have multiple Flare-ups when my kids share their germs with me and I catch a fever...heat is still not good for MS and I can't change that. Things happen, I will not lie and say that I am perfectly normal and no affects from MS in my life thanks to Foot Zone Therapy; I have a wheel chair in my closet, a walker in the garage. I have had to cook dinner rolling around with a baby on my lap when I have Flare up and can't walk, but the difference is I can roll around for one or two days and then usually be back on my feet again, where it takes people weeks to get back on their feet, I know I have been there....months of slowly getting to where you were, only to fall again.
I have been Zoning my feet regularly for the past 4 years. It has been life changing for me.
I have 6 kids; 11, 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2. Foot Zone Therapy has enabled me the ability to be a mother again! The one thing that I thought was taken away almost five years ago.
I was again reminded of the simple power of Foot Zone Therapy a few weeks ago:
I woke up on Friday morning, August 8, 2014. I opened my eyes and I knew this was going to be a very bad day. I closed my eyes as the room was spinning out of control with them opened. I reached for my cell phone, and called my husband who was downstairs. He came right up and helped me to the bathroom...well he more carried me, because my legs were not working at all, and the world was spinning out of control causing me to get nauseous....VERTIGO gone WILD with no leg ability....it was scary. I immediately texted my friend, a fellow footzoner that I had Zoned before she became trained, and she was unavailable at work. I called my mom, who was leaving for a funeral, and was an hour away. I said, "I need you, I need you now," and she missed her funeral to come help. Thank you so much mom!! I lie in bed that hour, called my local Neurologist, who was on vacation; called my specialist at UCSF, left messages for the nurse. I prayed. I could not move, I couldn't reach my feet to do anything, because if I lifted my head I would vomit; I was trapped.
In normal situations like this, I feel like I have control over it; I know I can always work on my feet and it is usually quickly resolved. But this time, I couldn't move my head up to see my feet, and I had no strength to bring my feet to me. My husband had come back up stairs, he prayed. I lay there.... I remember telling him, "you will learn how to Zone Feet, you could help me right now, I can't." He carried me to the bathroom once more. My mom arrived and he put me back in bed and she started the Zone. The classic places were swollen as with any Flare-up, they were noticeable on my face as well as my feet. She gently eased into Zoning my feet. By the time she had finished the right foot I had my head lifted up off my pillow. Upon completion of the both feet, I got off my bed and walked to the bathroom. I walked. My husband had carried my an hour ago before the Zone started. I did rest the remainder of the day, as my body was fatigued by what had happened. I walked downstairs to eat, I walked to the bathroom several times. I hugged and read books to my kids. I walked. I walked because I was blessed with the healing power of Foot Zone Therapy. A miracle had taken place for me again that day, and it was by the knowledge of Foot Zone Therapy.
If I had to pay the young woman who called me four years ago for the gift of Foot Zoning that she gave to me, I would forever be in her debt. Foot Zone Therapy has allowed me to live again!
Mariah
