If it’s of any interest I can report that I consulted John Coleman last December, after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s a month earlier and have been on the aquas and other supplements since then. I refuse to take the mainstream drugs and from the outset decided to treat Parky as a temporary condition until my body regains its overall health.
Although my symptoms have varied and my condition has gone up and down over the last few months I like to think that I am improving and am delighted that for the last five days in a row I have had next to no symptoms.I am so grateful to live in the same city as and have easy access to John, and I am also most grateful to you for the enormous effort support and dedication without which most of us would find life a lot more difficult. I wish you and all your subscribers health and happiness.
What follows is an e-mail I have permission to post from Bobby who has fully recovered. It is truly inspiring and reveals the reality of how recovery is a process.
I was just reading one of your articles about recovery is possible. Robert your articles are excellent and inspiring. There is no doubt that if one wants recovery and simply follows the suggestions you have outlined there will be recovery. This old paradigm of the diagnostic approach is sometimes hard to get around, people just don’t see the truth when it is in front of them. I wonder sometimes if a person has to have some sort of predisposition for truth in order to digest the changes in medicine. They are certainly taking place but never quickly.
Sometimes people write and ask me how I recovered from PD since I was diagnosed with advanced pd, I used to know what to say but anymore I am not sure. I want to say something that gives hope without concentrating on myself. These days I am starting to get a lot of professional types through the Bar Association and different doctors around here who knew me when I had the symptoms.
I was recently asked to speak to a group of doctors about my recovery, I am not sure whether I should or not Robert. It is a lot like practicing law, once you say something they hang their hat on that when recover is more a process than just any one thing that I did. Mostly I did many of the things you advocate, in fact I have not found anyone else who articulates the things I believe strongly in. All I know to tell you my friend is your teaching is wonderful. I consider myself fortunate to have crossed your path.
While I’ve had to just live with my symptoms sometimes, I’ve also made some good strides with the Bach flower essences–just two of them. I saw a list of 17 essences (in boiled liquid form taken in drops) in a book on detox by Dr. Patricia Fitzgerald. For my use selection, I used the light chair/heavy chair method, mentioned by the psychic woman a few weeks ago in your interviews, naming each one and then seeing what the chair response would be rather than figuring out intellectually what me emotional symptoms were. From her, Lenore, I learned that the universe is made a certain way, meaning that our steps are just before us. Although I’ve noticed these flower essences in my reading for some years, I knew nothing about them and didn’t care to–too complicated! When they were needed, I learned enough about them in just a few days to employ them exactly as I need them for benefit. A woman in a chat room I visited was schooled in Bach, and I asked her the questions that I needed to. I read on websites suggested by Fitzgerald and found a documentary about Bach on youtube that is out of this world. The universe is made a certain way.
I have a stone collection and inherited some of it from my Grandfather’s collection in 1998. I had put an opal near my computer monitor, just because I like having favorite rocks around. On a particularly difficult day, I thought, “doesn’t this stone have some particular type of energy? I wonder what it is.” (I used to be into the energy of stones). I looked for it in Love is in the Earth. Sure enough, this particular stone is called “fire opal”. It doesn’t have iridescence, but it is bright orange. The last item mentioned in the reference as far as energy is concerned was (is used) “to assist in the recovery from Parkinson’s disease.” This didn’t surprise me because “the universe is made a certain way.” What did surprise me was the language of “recovery from Parkinson’s disease,” language like you use, while this book is from 1995! I’ve decided to sleep with the opal, having it near my pillow.
I work in a church as a music director, and my symptoms are quite public. It was a victory for me tonight to take part in an annual potluck, be sociable with a strong enough voice, get up from the table, walk, return, and eat without anyone seeming to notice symptoms. All I ever say to questions is, “I have some problems in my nervous system, and I hope to recover.” Tonight, there were no questions. I know that I have emotionally changed for the better, and that has helped everything.
For those who might have questions, the Bach flower essences affect the emotions only with no guarantee that physical healing will result. It was Edward Bach’s genius to notice that one’s emotional disposition has a lot to do with the course of physical healing. This was observed when two people would have the same disease or two returning British soldiers would come back from WW I with the same type of injury. One would heal easily and rapidly; the other would have a difficult time in the healing of the same problem! Bach took his research into the emotional dimension of his patients to try to help those who had difficulty in healing. I am grateful to him.
I am also grateful to you for setting a style of research into the Parkinson’s recovery field.
So thankful for your site !!! It seems the drugs are surrounding me, wanting me to cave in and take them…..its like a cloud that wont go away Inspiration that comes from the other side of the coin is fewer and farther away.
A neuro that I saw yesterday, who disqualified me for a Q-10 clinical trial, just about persuaded me that I was doing disservice to myself by not beginning drugs soon. I asked him a stupid question about whether he knew of anyone who had recovered..He said no. I forgot that he is in the prescription business and that probably seeing my recovery symptoms would made him uncomfortable…
I am 6 yrs with unmedicated symptoms and doing just fine. I am focused on making new neural pathways for balance right now through specific exercise, visualization and emotional freedom technique. Every year that I am in med free recovery, I celebrate. It is hard work. Recovery is happening for me…
Pd is reversible, Yes, it is true! No longer a need to be sad or blue What works for me may not work for you We can recover when we try things new
Neurons firing as new pathways are made We all believe, feel secure, not let our hopes fade As our brains and our bodies change in so many ways Mobility, balance, joy, we will praise
Negative thoughts may creep in and creep out We can make it if we throw out our doubt Waking up, decided that this is all real No more worries about some crazy new deal
So goodbye Stalevo, Requip, C-R We will not need you, we know who you are Healing takes time, energy, and will We have learned the answers do not live in a pill
Science is searching, their motion is slow Look- we have things to do, and places to go Our journey begins now, for you and for me We simply can not wait till we are one-hundred and three!
New spirit, new hope, new habits!! Freedom!!, we will say! As the symptoms of Parkinsons pack their bags and go away! We will heal and recover the skies will be blue As we live in each moment, we will know that we grew!
Turtle
Thanks to Turtle for allowing me to post her recovery poem which
is an inspiration to us all.
On Parkinsons Recovery RadioI interviewed John Coleman, ND. John is a naturopath doctor from Australia who was diagnosed with an advanced stage of Parkinson’s in 1995, but is symptom free today. Here is a replay of my interview with him where is also discusses his 12 steps to recovery.
Below are questions from members of the Parkinsons Recovery audience that John answers:
1. I live in Brazil and my mother, 81 years old, was recently diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease. She has Polycythemia Vera too. I would like to know if I can give her B2 Vitamin (riboflavin), 20mg/three times daily, with no risk of increase her hematocrit (actual level is 46).
2. My wife has been slightly anemic for over 5 years, just after she was afflicted with PD. Her hemoglobin, iron content and % saturation have been all below the minimum recommended range, despite valiant efforts to increase it, like taking iron pills and eating iron rich foods. Her Dr says that taking FE pills is not efficient, as it is poorly absorbed. Apparently, a lot of PD patients have this problem. What steps should she take?
3. How do you deal with the orthostatic hypotension? I take florineff and midodrine. I hate them – side effects are horrendous.
4. I have tried almost every therapy and treatment over the past five years, but that darn PD still seems to progress. This included two stem cell treatments, UCB by IV out of the country…. Improved over the first six months, but them benefits faded away! What supplements have you fond help the most?
5. Could you tell me – have you come across very many people who can link their Parkinsonism to taking Lipitor?
6. How can I get the best movement possible with the least amount of meds?
7. What will c/l dopa help and what won’t it help? What can I expect to be improved?
8. Are there any preventive measures my Mum (who has Parkinsons) should be taking with regard to the swine flu?
9. What are the 12 steps to recovery that you recommend that support the recovery process?
My body is responding. Also, your suggestion for remembering the feeling from past times I made non wishy washy decisions and the outcome was never seriously in doubt. At first I couldn’t recall such decisions. Then it came later that I had indeed made 4 of them, all life and death decisions based on how I thought and moved in a very short time span.
In my experience as a helicopter pilot I had 4 engine failures over a 30 yr period. One from 500 feet with a student, one from 15 feet over a helipad one at night, over a city from 500 feet, and the last over the ocean from 200 feet with 6 on board. Each one the feeling deep down was that I knew the end result would be successful.
That same feeling is the same feeling I have about recovery. I also have been using the TV screen meditation with interesting, positive results.
. It’s all coming together slowly for me. Soon my Aquas will be arriving…
Monica
Response:
This is certainly an exciting report for everyone to hear. I am so happy to learn you found Five Steps to Recovery useful. Thank you for sending it me and giving permission for others to read it. There are clearly exciting developments happening in your life. When you are on the road to recovery, it becomes so clear great things are beginning to happen.
Energy is running. A new and powerful life force begins to re-emerge. Of course, the process is seldom smooth sailing, but at least you know something important is happening.
We all have a tendency to focus on symptoms that are troubling and do not celebrate improvement in symptoms that have resolved or become much better.
I tuned into the recorded version of your interview with Leif who discussed his life with Parkinsons disease. I could not listen to it for very long as the part where he experienced much difficulty moving around and talking, and when he apologized– it really bothered me. So I exited the show.
I can honestly say that he dashed my hopes somewhat. I felt somewhat frightened and depressed. I was hoping to hear the voice of the motivated, and strongly positive author, “Leif”. Didn’t expect ‘off times”. It recalled to me the supposed later stages of this condition, and of how dreary a future this condition could prove to be for me. ( Now maybe I should have stayed on line and listened to all — but I couldn’t.)
However a good thing. It re- emphasized to me how very important it is for me to listen to my own body and deal with it day by day, and not fixate on what may/may not happen to me in the future, down the road. Each case of Parkinsons Disease seems to be different depending on so many influencing factors. Everyone seems to go through this neurological condition differently.
Now for me after my diagnosis in’ 98, I am fairing well, all things considered. But it takes effort to stay well and it takes time, and it takes attitude! I used to receive mail from the Parkinson’s organizations here, inviting me to attend meetings having to do with: falling, drooling, freezing, depression, suicide, support for spouses, making a will etc. Talk about gloom and doom. So I unsubscribed to such mail.
I make a practice of staying away from websites, articles, presentations of the same persuasion, because they are not helpful at this time and may never be– who knows. It is just more positive for me to practice and adopt a lifestyle that channels my energy and thoughts in a more positive way, to surround myself with people and circumstances that celebrate life — sunshine, nature, spirituality, music, friends, travel, vegetarian food, exercise, breathing, laughing yoga. Some may say that I have my” neck stuck in the sand” , “to face the music”, “to accept my disease”. I think not.
In the days and weeks following my diagnosis in ’98, I spent many a day and dark hour, dwelling entirely on this “di sease”. I found myself buried in a very dark place, a deep hole, thankfully I was able to crawl out. I never wish to return there!
So sorry( my opinion), that Leif experienced ‘off times’ during his talk, because he had a wonderful message to convey. I did read some excerpts from his book, and I do share in, and believe in much that he writes. Now maybe the rest of the show was entirely different, but….
Just someone sharing her thoughts having and dealing with” Parkinson’s” recovery.
Linda
What a fascinating report of your reaction to my life with Parkinsons disease interview with Leif this week. at the time of the interview Leif had Parkinsons for 21 years. He leads a very full, rewarding, happy and joyful life. Since being diagnosed with Parkinsons he has started his own business which has become very successful. Parkinsons has transformed his life. A replay of my interview with Leif follows:
Your experience listening to the interview is a true testament to how easy it is to be sucked into the dark and dreary negative belief template about Parkinsons that continues to linger out there in the ethers. As you so eloquently describe, it is so easy to be trapped by the negative belief template. Crawling out of it can sometimes feel like the challenge of breaking out of jail.
I think the actual experience of listening to my interview with Leif patterns your same experience over the years since your own diagnosis eleven years ago. Deep depression initially followed by a determination to engage the activities that help you feel great everyday. You are probably wondering what happened in the second part of the interview?
Leif took a mere ten minute break in the interview to meditate by breathing and grounding. His symptoms vanished. When you hear the second part of the interview you hear a voice of strength and power (though of course English is not his native language). It is a true testament to the reality that by setting his intent to move out of fear and paying attention to his body, his symptoms vanished in a flash. Healing happens in the moment. You do not have to wait years.
His symptoms were up during the first ten minutes of the interview because it was a stressful experience. After all, he was not just have a friendly chat with me. The interview was being recorded. Thousands of people will hear the interview. Once he was able to relieve the stress of doing the interview, all of his symptoms resolved.
Listening to the process of my interview with Leif who discussed his life with Parkinsons disease is really the same experience you have had over the years as you successfully were able to shift from being trapped in the belief template of fear into a belief template of health and wellness. You both are doing quite well indeed now, but it was also a struggle for both of you in the beginning. I suspect this is a familiar process for many people.
Thanks again for sending in your thoughts. You have helped so many people by telling us all about your own experience with Parkinsons.
Just a note to thank you for putting out this program for Parkinson’s Recovery and the research that you are doing on it. I don’t know what I would do without it. You offer an alternative way of thinking. The path of recovery, as you said, is effortless. I have not found anything that hard to do. It may be hard to find out WHAT to do. I have come to the place of dealing with exercise. I found someone on-line to help me with that, at least help me to ease into weightlifting and bodybuilding again.
The person who asks what supplements to take haunts my mind. In this program, nobody is going to cure anything. What we are about is setting up the conditions for the body to heal itself, whether it is supplements, exercise, imagery, prayer, or counseling. Some of the resources will not be Parkinson’s-related but are good for the condition. My book on imagery for health by Belleruth Naparstek is excellent, but there is no mention of Parkinson’s in the book. All the principles and exercises can be applied to my or anyone’s condition of Parkinson’s.
As for me, I mention PD only when I have to refer to it to avoid ironing it in to my mind or anyone else’s mind. I have not told my closest friends. To those who ask, I say “I have a problem in my nervous system and motor control.” I avoid reading material on PD that does not have recovery as the underlying theme.
I already tried what I call “the medical model” for a year and a half: incurable disease with the cause not completely understood that will get worse. I received several healings by faith during that time, so I kept positive that way. However, I realized that I was living the medical model…and getting its results, too! I wanted something different, ways to help myself. Trying again, because my pastor told me to find a support group (which I didn’t want either), I found this website of Robert Rodgers on Parkinson’s recovery.
I thought that I should write this in case it will help someone.
Still going,
Alan
My thanks to Alan for sharing his experience with all of us.
In your travels you have ever met an individual who has totally recovered from Parkinsons Disease?
I am not quite sure what it would mean to be “totally recovered” from Parkinson’s. I do know people who are symptom free.
John Coleman, a naturopath doctor, is symptom free today. He does not describe himself as “fully recovered” and regularly adheres to his own health program. He sees recovery as a life time process which has no definitive ending point. The process ends when we die.
Nathan is also symptom free after engaging in a very focused two year program of recovery. I have interviewed both individuals. Stories of recovery are published in my two Pioneers of Recovery Books.
John Coleman reports evidence of five other people he has worked with who are symptom free today.
Others who Totally Recovered from Parkinsons
Many people I talk with are holding steady (i,e. not getting worse). An impressive body of evidence comes from people who are getting steady relief from their symptoms. In other words, instead of getting worse, they are getting better little by little.
Parkinsons Recovery sponsors an annual survey during each holiday season. Respondents are ask to report since the last holiday season whether they have been feeling better, the same or worse. Responses have been similar over the years. Seventy-five percent of respondents to the survey with Parkinsons symptoms report that they have been either feeling better or have been about the same since the previous holiday season.
If anyone reading this falls into the category of symptom free, please contact me. I would love to interview you!
