Where Does the Time Go!

My apologies for not bringing this up-to-date sooner.

Here is Jen on her new recumbent stationary bike! Dear friends donated this to her and she has been on it everyday! First it was just 15 minutes on the easiest setting and now she is going to 30 minutes! Already she has walked better after just a few days.

We have $2,200 in her health account, as we call it, and are starting the process of prioritizing her needs and then off we go. It is exciting for us to have this opportunity to produce a shift in her health though lifestyle. Thank you all so very much for your energy, donations, love, and support.

Next up date soon. Stay tuned for more up lifting news.

First Week

On the move!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Since we started we have received $1200! Your generosity has overwhelmed us. We can see light ahead. Bless you all.

Thanks to Costco we got a Vitamix 5200 for only $350. With the mixer Jen can now have her smoothies with a ton of greens and other veggies. She is very excited. The next item on our list is the tests that Jen needs to get done. We will be proceeding with that this week and will report the results when we get them. This is a big deal since we will be able to know if there are food items she is eating that are hampering her system in operating at its peak.

Jen is upbeat again about the challenges ahead thanks to your generosity. The future is looking bright!

Appreciation!

Since we have made the request we find it necessary to publicly thank some people. While we won't be naming names, since these people are not in search of recognition, they should be acknowledged.

One person stepped forward, unasked, and donated so that we could get the diagnosis. At the time we did not have the funds or insurance to afford the tests. It was a blessing to be able to know what western medicine had to say. That put us on this path and for that we are forever indebted.

Two others, have stood by and been there for Jen through it all.  Taking her out of this environment and out into the world. It isn't easy to be with someone who cannot walk without assistance, has cognitive difficulties, and other issues which these ladies put aside and have been by her side when it has counted.

Another, a dear friend of mine, unasked and unknown to him gave to us allowing us to provide some needed supplements and dietary needs we had just discovered. It came at such a time that we were overwhelmed by the generosity. In fact two people came through at times such as these.

While another person has been there supporting Jen's meds needs during the period of intense body pain. This has come when needed and without expense to us. Deeply appreciated!

To a doctor, who never saw Jen, gave his opinion as an expert and a human being. His humanity and selflessness have been so inspiring that we kept searching for a path to Jen's cure. We are forever grateful, and will share with him everything we learn.

And last, but not least, A deep thank you and blessings to the people, some of whom are mentioned above, have made themselves available to me for support, just listening, distraction, understanding, and love.

THANK YOU!

Jen's Next Step!

Summary Update, Jen's status:

Jen has shown improvement in a number of areas from being on the paleo diet for the past 18 months. What has happened lately, last 2-3 months, is that she has stalled. Jen is dealing with the following symptoms: fatigue, cognitive function (memory is difficult), lack of strength, poor balance, throat issues, some urinary tract issues, vision problems, and a bit of depression. Jen has to take two naps daily. Since eating paleo she has thankfully lost the body pain, choking, deep depression, as well as a couple of other issues. 
It is now time to go for the finish. To do that we need to put a new full protocol in place and we don't have the funds to do that on our own. Below are the details on what's needed.

The Request:

 We need your support and participation to follow the Wahls Protocol completely. Without going into all the details of the protocol I will provide an overview so you can see where we are and what we need.
  

The protocol consists of three areas:

      1. Nutrition - this is a modified Paleo diet high in fat (coconut & lean clean meat & fish), and high in green leaf veggies. Everything must be organic. On the meat side it must be organic, grass feed and pasture raised. Seafood must be wild caught. Costly, as you may know from experience.

     2. Exercise - Jen will be on an exercise regimen which consists of e-stim, (neuromuscular  electrical stimulation), whole body vibration, aerobic stationary bike, balance exercises, and stretching.

      3. Mental & Emotional Calm - This includes, yoga, tai chi, Reiki, & meditation.

There is also a series of tests to determine any foods that may be a detriment. Testing for any deficient vitamins which are needed. Then getting the supplements needed to insure a balance in her system.

The following item are on our wish list and we are asking for a donation of $25 - $50. If you can donate we will be forever grateful. This blog will keep everyone updated on our progress. Your help will make it possible for us to have the opportunity to accomplish Jen's healing. There have been those of you, and you know who you are, that have made a huge difference when we started on this journey and your generosity and heart supported us to get here, THANK YOU!

Here are the items and the general cost. We will do all we can to get the items at the cheapest price. If there are funds left after we get the items and tests we will stock our pantry since living on my social security is tight each month. Not much left with a week to go.

1 - Genesis Sport Whole Body Vibration machine - $2,500 - $3,000 (This machine has the 3 motions Jen needs. Most machines only have 1 motion.
2 - empi Continuum - e-stim machine - $2,200 (This machine has FEM & NMES which she needs)
3 - Vitamix Blender - $350 - $500 - we have been through 3 bar blenders since Jen's smoothies contain lots of veggies. This machine will blend almost anything.
4 - Recumbent Stationary bike - $200 - $500 Jen is unstable and needs to sit and get aerobic exercise in safety. The recubent accomplishes that.
5 - Food Dehydrator - 9 tray - $200 - $400 - These use radiant heat and are big enough for the volume we need.
6 - Lab Tests - $800 - these are not Medicare covered tests since we are using functional medicine and not the Big Pharma routine.

As you can see it is a large outlay which we do not have. Approximately $7,500. Please consider what you can. This approach will be a life long commitment for Jen. An entire lifestyle change that we hope will result in her defeating MS. 

To donate please send a check to:   Jen White

Address:  1125 Sumner Avenue, Aptos, CA 95003

You are welcome to comment here or email to Lilfaith.bw@gmail.com

Thank you for your consideration, love, thoughts, prayers, donation or for just being up to reading our story. I will keep you posted here.

Things have changed!

Well things have certainly changed for this guy.

We lost the diner in 2011. After the business suffered we noticed that Jen, my wife, partner, friend, companion, co-worker was having a hard time working. With the load getting to heavy for us we closed it up. After closing and going through that process, i.e., bankruptcy! We noticed over the next 6 months that Jen was not recovering from her exhaustion. In fact she was getting worse. Exhausted, trouble walking, the list began to build. Off to the doctor for a complete physical! Nothing wrong says her doc. By October 2012 it was obvious that something was wrong. We went back to the doctor. This time I went with a list of the things I saw. 10 minutes with the doc and we were off to the neurologist! By December, Merry Christmas, she was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis. The neurologist told us that there was no cure and the meds would run about $1200 a month and take about 6 months to even out the dosages. The list of possible side effects were enough that Jen said, "No way!" Now what? We went home rather down.

New day! We went about researching everything we find on MS. In one place we found that diet can help so we went paleo. After my initial trial of 30 days I lost 30 pounds! We thought I had something so off to the doc with me. After a complete physical, trip to the dermatologist, colonoscopy, etc. Nothing! Just the extra I was carrying was now gone. Back to my 30's weight. Wow. Jen jumped in.

We jump to March 2014. After a year and a half on paleo Jen was not progressing. In fact we had even eliminated a couple of symptoms. Jen was still not able to walk very far, cognition was not good, and we knew we had a long way yet to go. Now what?

I get an email from my soon to be son-in-law with a link to a TedX talk by a Dr. Terry Wahls.

http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxIowaCity-Dr-Terry-Wahls-Min

Wow! Here was a doctor telling us we were on the right track. Eating her way to wellness could work yet there was a lot missing. Here book came out and we got it the first day. That was in March. Today we are at a cross roads. We are taking our first steps in the Wahls Protocol.

Welcome!

I'm just a guy in a diner. Maybe you've heard that term maybe not. It goes that "a guy in a diner" doesn't know anything really, he's just a guy in a diner. Well I cook in a diner! It's my diner and I get the opportunity to talk to my customers, some of them every day. My point here is to pass on what I hear, see, and learn being a guy in a diner. I'm not a journalist nor am I a blogger, well maybe that now. I'm just a guy in a diner. Hope you enjoy this journey with me in my diner.