Watch my friend Donna, who I went to india with, take her first steps in ten years, the day after the liberation treatment. She is now regressing but still hopeful. See full interview: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/videos/Health/video.html?embedCode=E0YmZnMjr9WxntkpmFzvKnSVnXf1hvec
Posts Tagged ‘Crystal Patches’
Interview with Donna
Tuesday, May 17th, 2011
One Year Drug Free!!!
Sunday, May 1st, 2011
One year ago today, the urge to treat my MS 100% naturally had built up enough for me to get off the daily injectable I was on for 5 years!
At this time last year, I also lost vision in my left eye so the decision made a few friends and family members a little nervous and my doctors very nervous.
My neurologists wanted me to go on steroids and a new injectable drug that may cause liver damage. One of my neurologists even painted me this pretty picture: “You’re disease is very serious, it’s progressing and it only takes one lesion to flare up and ruin your life. I don’t want you wheeling in here in a wheel chair next year and tell me that you wish you did everything you could. I strongly suggest you try these new drugs.” hmmm some encouragement that was! The thought of pumping my body full of poisons that will give me flu-like symptoms for months, possibly destroy my liver and trusting this negative neurologist who was chugging diet pop throughout our entire meeting was WAY scarier than the “risk” of going drug-free. My diecision was made.
With only a minor relapse in the winter (double vision for 4 days), this last year has been my healthiest year since my diagnosis 6 years ago AND my MRI in January showed no disease progression. It has been win-win for both my health and my career. Working as a Natural Nutritionist and continuing my studies in herbal medicine have really helped me stay encouraged and confident to stay drug free and the fact that I feel better doing my natural thing keeps me encouraged to stay on this same career path.
I would also like to add that my “natural thing” does not not include some magic supplement or secret diet plan. It is simply enjoying a fresh, wholesome diet and thinking healthy thoughts.
So the only wheeling I’m going to be doing this year is on my road bike in Panorama for the Branch Out Bike Tour ;) https://www.2mevents.com/pledge/249
Cheers to a healthy future!
Crystal
A Millions Medical Tests…
Thursday, April 14th, 2011
Hello!!
You would think after skating season finished a few weeks ago, I would be less busy not having to train 4-6 hrs a day. I worried about that since I seem to be more stressed out when my plate is not full. Thankfully, The Branch Out Bike Tour project (www.branchoutfoundation.com), working as a sports nutritionist at Athletes-Nation, continuing my herbal medicine studies at the Wild Rose College, moving, and getting a million medical tests done by Dr. Bruce Hoffman is keeping my plate full 
Since going drug-free last May, I decided to continue my healing path, the natural way. I was referred to a private medical doctor, Dr. Bruce Hoffman (http://www.hoffmancentre.com/), who just happens to also use herbology, nutrition, homeopathy, meditation, vitamin/mineral therapy, aromatherapy and energy healing in his practice. Surprised I chose him 
?
The good news is that Dr Hoffman is a Doctor who is open-minded……crazy right!!? The bad news is the price tag. As holistic as Dr. Hoffman is, he is still very scientific and, therefore, has his patients (especially me) get a million tests done here and ships the samples of, well, you name it and I gave it, to some of the top labs in the world.
By million tests, I mean 16, but still.
Here is the list of tests I got and the hefty price tag that comes along with them. Not exactly your regular GP tests….
Physical Exam and CLS Review- $150-$300
Calgary laboratory Services tests (blood, urine, ECG)
Heart Rate Variability
Heart Rate Variability/Valsava Test-$120
Body Composition Analysis-$60
CD57 (Blood)$200
MRT- Food Allergy Testing-120 foods and 30 chemicals (blood) $550
Hair Toxic Elements Exposure Profile-20 (hair) $275
Individual Optimal Nutritional Profile-20 amino acids (blood and urine)
GI Effects- gastrointestinal Function Profile (stool) $690
Full Panel-E2, t, D&C 1-4 (saliva) $475 (hormone testing)
Neuro screen basic (urine) $495
Stimulated Comprehensive Cytokine Profile with PHA-LPS-Candida (blood) $110 (check for yeast overgrowth)
Complete Lyme- Western Blot IgG&IgM, IgG/IgM/IgA IFA and PCR (blood) $800
*It is very common that MS patients are misdiagnosed when they actually have Lyme’s*
Methylation Test (blood) $625
A couple visits with Dr. Hoffman- $500
This comes to a grand total of $5200 + tax, and that is before treatment!
Thanks to continued support through the Crystal patches campaign, I was able to cover all these costs and finished getting all these tests done last week. On one testing day, I filled 18 vials of blood after food fasting for 13 hrs prior and was only able to drink two cups of water! No fainting, but close.
I am now waiting for my results and treatment plan which I am hoping I’ll get in the next month or so. As for my health right now, I am feeling great with just a little numbness/burning sensation in my left leg.
Cheers to a healthy future!
Crystal Phillips
www.crystalpatches.webnode.com
First Drug Free MRI results….
Sunday, January 23rd, 2011On January 3rd 2011, I went in for my 8th MRI since my diagnosis in 2005. This was also my first MRI since going off drugs in May 2010. All of my previous MRI results leading up to this one have either shown progression (new lesions in my brain and spinal chord) or inflammation on the original lesions.
Lesions or “plaque” found in the brain and/or spinal chord in MS patients represent damage to the myelin sheath. This damage is what slows or delays message transmission causing a large variety of symptoms. My most severe symptoms to date have been numbness/burning/tingles/weakness in my left leg, loss of bladder control, fatigue and loss of vision in my left eye (most recent). The only symptoms I am experiencing and have been for the past year is some vision loss in my left eye and minor numbness/burning sensation in my left leg. The fascinating thing about this disease is that no two MS patients are ever the same.
I am very happy to announce to you today that after 9 months drug free and 6 yrs since my diagnosis, my MRI showed no inflammation in my current lesions and no newly formed lesions. This is my best result so far and I’m sure you can guess my answer when my neurologist asked if I wanted to go onto Rebif, an interferon injection with a risk of liver damage.
What an MRI looks like:
Crystal Phillips
Motivational Talk at “Skate Like a Girl” part 6
Tuesday, October 26th, 2010Crystal Phillips Motivational Speech-Part 6-Choices.mov
Oopsies…. 4 months and not 3 months off medication (at the time of the speech).
Thank you to all those who watched my videos. I definetely bounced all over the place throughout the talk but look forward to continueing and improving my public speaking skills and hope I was still able to get my message across. Any constructive critisism is more than welcome!
Cheers to a healthy future!
Crystal
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