help me help her

Hi, !


First off, I think it's awesome that you are wanting to help your cousin improve her health. I think your passion and determination show how much you care about her.


That said (and I am sure you know this), you can't make her want to take a proactive approach to improving her health. You can do everything possible (make healthy, appealing meals, act as a personal trainer, etc) and she still may not be interested.


Some of our members have had some levels of success with various diet protocols, but, like every treatment for MS, what works for one person may not work as well for another. Since you specifically brought up supplements, I thought you might appreciate this info -- https://multiplesclerosis.net/natural-remedies/vitamins-supplements and -- https://multiplesclerosis.net/mental-health/coping-complementary-alternative-therapies. There are supplements and minerals that can help!


Also, you didn't mention fermented foods, but I thought you might find this article on health gut biome and mental health interesting -- https://multiplesclerosis.net/living-with-ms/fermented-foods-mental-health.


I haven't heard much about calcium being an issue for folks with MS, but maybe that's more of an issue with Grave's? But, greek yogurt is almost always a good option in almost any healthy eating plan.


I wish you the best of luck and I hope your cousin starts seeing improvements in her health.


Best, Erin, MultipleSclerosis.net Team Member.

thank you for your time. I know you can lead a horse to water but cant make it drink. I am just hoping the horse was too tired and beat up to look for water. The state of "the best" medical care in the world applies to those with money. Its so disgusting and beyond belief the ineptitude. She has Graves because of their negligence. the most recent was a switch to a different thyroid med that gave her heartburn, to which they prescribed her heartburn medication. Until she reached out to a retired provider who was kind of enough to let her know that generic wouldn't due in this circumstance and she needed a particular drug. she got it, heartburn gone. this is what she has been up against her whole life and I do not blame her not for a second for her learned helplessness. many people just dont understand, they think "MD" and "god" are the same and getting through to people they are fallible and wrong is hard, even harder to get through you must take action yourself.

First, you rock! In all the years I’ve been involved in ms stuff I’ve never heard someone ask such a detailed caring question. She may not care, may get angry or maybe, just maybe with baby steps, she will start to improve. I’ve had ms since 95’. I have great difficulty eating because I’m not hungry and only eat when I am. Weight 107-143lbs depending on the day. There are so many groups, websites, well meaning people, societies, blogs, podcasts, etc.. Overwhelming. Does she want to feel better? Does she have any interests? A lot of us get sucked into tv/games and isolate. So true about medical care, or lack of. Being on disability is a full time job. Has she tried marijuana yet? It’s worth the hassle. I wouldn’t sleep or deal with occasional anxiety without medical marijuana. It takes biggest chunk of SSDI money but literally couldn’t function without it. I’d be in a facility. That’s enough for now, too long already. Pretty please let us know how you are doing and thank you for caring. Hoping today is a good day! 🫧✌🏻🌎

thank you for taking the time to share such a thoughtful message. Its wonderful to hear that this post came through with such care and authenticity. It sounds like you've been managing MS for a number of years now, almost 20!, and dealt with a lot in that timeframe. You clearly have developed a lot of resilience through it all, and have learned what works best for you to get through the day to day.
Thanks again for being part of this community and the conversation.
Best
Alene, Moderator