Letters of Healing and Recovery

My name is Maksim! I’m 28. I was born in Belarus on 30th of May, 1986. When I was a small boy I clearly understood what I wanted to get after growing up! First of all I dreamt about full family because my parents were divorced and I needed father who could defend me. I tried to be strong and fight with bad boys who had the same age with me. Honestly talking, I was afraid of elder bad boys… Anyway, after my 9th form I entered the prestige high school and majored in history with foreign language. I stopped to like history but enjoyed all of lyceum friends. After graduation I entered capital University and majored in hated history again! So, living in far Minsk I couldn’t care of myself and immediately got MS in April 2005. I couldn’t understand its meaning and continued to live with bad habits. It means I smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol. In 2006 I moved for living to Czech Republic where my health condition got the worst and from 2010 I live in Belarus. I very hoped to come back to my free independent life but after my father’s death I live at home with mommy. It was the greatest stress for me to hold such clumsy life that is why I tried to find the way to be healthy. By chance I found and read the book by Eva Marsh named BLACK PATENT SHOES Dancing With MS. Intuitively I felt it but my glad happiness was broken by my relatives. They always could say as if I already used to my bad health and other horrible things. At the same time I noticed that I could increase the way of my daily strolls. As a result of this work i improved my stamina, deep sleeping, peristalsis and appeared confident! The most important for me was stop to care of other opinions and people mind! I usually walk three times a day. I pass four kilometers. I enjoy my healing and know some people who have the same experience as I do. Movement is the way for being healthy!

I had a routine neuro appointment this past Friday and as usual my neuro was negative and his thought process couldn’t expand beyond the small box of medicine. At the end of the appointment I stood up from my wheelchair and put on my coat and buttoned it while standing. He was surprised and said “I’ve never seen you stand and put your coat on before. That is so unusual”. I told him there had been many improvements that I’d noticed ever since exercising and doing yoga and riding my stationary bike.  He just kept repeating that the brain and spinal chord aren’t that great at remyelinating and that he doesn’t really buy all these stories of recovery. Earlier, I also had a re-evaluation with my PT and she was amazed at how much stronger I was. Every muscle group was stronger and I can also walk further with the walker and walk more upright now. I just wanted to let you know about my progress and thank you once again for being such an inspiration in such a negative world. Every time I am down, I run to your book or revisit your website.  Sehrish – Connecticut USA

I have exercised as you suggested ( FAQ) and it is so much more improved. I have lots of movement in the ankle (in fact I have much more than my husband has in his!) I still have a slight limp, but that is down to the fact that my knee doesn’t always want to bend when it should … but I am getting there. No new flare ups either! Christine Cowx, Ireland

I was excited to stumble on your website. I was diagnosed 1993?? and aside from occasional self-pity-parties, I haven’t stopped. My kids were little (18 months, 5, 9) and I was a stay-at-home mom who thought the diagnosis meant I would never work again! I went back to work in 1997, have been in several “careers” since and am pursuing an additional bachelor of fine arts in painting. I started acupuncture and massage therapy a couple of years ago. Acupuncture is not covered by insurance and was costly but the holistic, former traditional doctor-turned eastern medicine practitioner, recommend high vitamin D supplements and the massage really helps. I love reading stories about women like you who have lived so long with this diagnosis. My daughter gets married next October and my husband and I are taking dance lessons!!!! good news, huh? Nancy M. Dudek, Office Coordinator, Physical Therapy Department

This morning, I was waiting in line at the grocery checkout when a woman in her 70s, who has suffered ms all her adult life, told me that she suddenly found herself standing across the room getting a book she wanted out of the bookcase. She was shocked to realize that she had lifted herself unaided, out of her wheelchair, and walked to the other side of the room – and has been walking since!! She asked me if I had any idea how this could have happened?   EM reply – Every cell retains the memory of movement,  and if we find a way to release ourselves from the control of thoughts that “paralyze” us, the body remembers how to move. Sometimes we call this a “miracle.”  Could it be that this woman’s strong focus on getting a book, released her from the control of deeply held beliefs that she couldn’t walk?

I was at your presentation on March 17.  At first I didn’t want to go as I thought it would be too depressing…it was quite the contrary.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself and loved your talk.  You are an amazing woman.  In my head, I can visualize you crawling around on the floor with your little daughters.  Also, I can relate to soooo much of what you said.  I didn’t have such a devastating disease as MS, but  two years ago, I had a very similar experience in  a lot of the things you said.  …especially when dealing with the doctor’s and drugs.  Also, I want you to know that I am healthy and happy today, because I did my research (on the net) and book store, and discovered what caused my disease (very rare reaction to a malaria drug, Malarone)…almost overnight, within 2 months. I developed a case of severe psoriasis. Psoriasis doesn’t sound bad, but in some cases they give you 2 years to live.  I had 3 forms of it. It covered 95% of my body.  I thought my life as I knew it was over.  I am a very active person, climbed Kilimanjaro, ski, sail, swim, love biking.  For a while, I couldn’t walk.  It hurt too much. I spent 6 months visiting doctors, specialists and using steroid creams and lotions constantly.  When I asked if there was a cure and why should I get it so suddenly at 50 years old, I was laughed at.  I was told to ‘learn to live with it’! They did nothing to alleviate my agony.  I was on fire…at one point, my skin (covering my whole body, except the palms of my hands and soles of my feet and most of my face) became hard and ‘shell-like’.  I called it my ‘turtle’s shell’.  The next step was chemotherapy.   Yes, they use cancer drugs for psoriasis! I decided I was getting no-where and had to do something myself.  Well. to make a long story short, I knew that taking drugs got me into this mess and  I read and read (similar to you), and went to workshops and naturopaths and developed an email relationship with a lady like yourself who wrote a small book (called ‘Healing Foods’)  .  She still emails me and lives in the Texas.  She is an inspiration as she  suffered in hospitals for years as a child. Eventually, She ‘cured’ herself and gave me hope. You remind me of her. Ok, this is my point.  YOU give people HOPE.   Sometimes that’s all we need.  To see that someone else can overcome this awful thing, especially when the doctors say, no, there isn’t any hope. I started creating and collecting my own ‘recipe’ book as diet is critical to controlling Psoriasis.  I totally believe now that it can be cured. Also, you have to be patient.  A ‘natural cure’ is slow..not like the ‘overnight’ drugs that are given. It took me exactly One year to the day to be 100% free of the disease. I found a naturopath who worked with me and he asked for before and after pictures as he was thrilled with my recovery.   I took before pictures.  Mine were worse than any others that I’d seen in books, so I deleted them. I never showed them to anyone.  I wish I’d kept them now.  They may have helped someone. At one point, I couldn’t  walk and couldn’t wear clothes as they hurt my skin too much. The vacuum was kept beside my bed. Eva, I loved hearing your story.  It makes me believe that there is a whole other approach to ‘life’ out there.  It just confirms my ‘new’ thoughts about medicine and doctors. I’m not a scientist like you, but I can read and learn and had a skin specialist tell me that she was learning from me. I was shocked.  It actually depressed me that she knew so little about my disease.  It gave me no hope.  Now,  it’s like my eyes have been opened. Today, I am fine.  Close to 100% of the psoriasis is gone.  I’m back to biking and enjoying life.  I also love to dance and plan on joining back with ‘The Oakville Cabaret Dancers’ next September.  I had to stop dancing with them.  They didn’t know why. Thank you again for telling your story. More people need to hear of stories like yours.  You are very brave to tell it.  Catherine, Ontario Canada

I am very happy that you liked my letter and certainly use it as you wish.  I am thrilled if it could be of help to someone else.  Psoriasis is a bit ‘taboo’.  People don’t usually talk about it as it is extremely embarrassing.  It’s actually nice to be able to tell my story to someone who understands the ‘fight’.  My husband knows..he had to help take care of me at times.  However, even my 3 kids don’t know the horror of it.  They never really saw it.  It was therapeutic for me to write that letter to you. Thanks again, and hope to see you at another speaking engagement.  Catherine Dunn Oakville Ontario Canada

I want to thank you for sharing your inspiring story with us (Bridgepoint Health Centre, August 2007.) Your indomitable spirit and perseverance are second to none. I have read two other stories recently that speak to the regenerative capabilities of our bodies. One was about a man who suffered a severe stroke. He also started his recovery by crawling. The medical profession had given up on him, and recommended that he be put in a nursing home. He was a professor, and was able to resume his work, his recovery was so complete! Another story was about a man who was hit by lightening. He was paralyzed, but realized he could move some toes. He started his recovery by studying human muscles. He moved his toes, which in turn started the movement to adjacent muscles. By concentrating on each muscle that was attached to the ones he could move, he gradually strengthened the muscles up his legs, to torso & arms. He also found crawling helpful to regenerate muscle & nerve activity. In both incidences, the men were able to walk & resume a regular life. I read Eva’s book because my friend has MS and my mother has Parkinson’s. I can see how your experience crawling to recovery, has helped in both these situations. Sharon Foster, Ontario

I just finished reading your book. I have read many positive motivational books, taken many courses, delivered many seminars and I have never been as moved as I am now. Thank-You, Mark Ironside, Director / Producer, www.newMediaSTAR.tv

I write you to thank you for publishing your encouraging book. I read the German translation, and I found so many common elements in your biography with the one of my wife Justine, that I was very astonished. To begin with the title: my wife was a dancing teacher working in her own studio. She is born in San Francisco, she moved to Switzerland when she was 20 years old, and has 3 sons. Her first clear ms-episode was in winter 2003, she was 50 years old then, but retrospectively fatigue was present since 2001 at least. Diagnosis was made in 2004, but her approach to deal with  the problems evolved already before diagnosis. She was in her 4 years of Feldenkrais training then and she used these methods and techniques very successfully to recover and get the security of movements back. It seems, that you discovered similar patterns, specially learning from babies (crawling etc.) is one of the most important things in Feldenkrais method. And of course “sensory awareness” is important. There is a German ms patient: Sonja Wierk, who recovered from a very bad state by working with Feldenkrais techniques and developing them into a specific form of ms “treatment”. As she was unable to move her extremities at beginning, she just imagined movements so intensely, that they came back. She is an old lady now, but she still offers courses. It is interesting, that people with completely different backgrounds came to similar ideas and results! I am a doctor of family medicine in the Swiss mountains. It was never my goal to be an ms specialist … but of course I had to read a lot of articles about ms in the medical literature and in the internet.The ongoing campaign of the pharmaceutical industry (interferon for all ms patients!) together with prostituted doctors is scandalous in my eyes. I don’t know if this e-mail is interesting for you, but after [reading] your book, it seems to me, that you know quite a bit (which is another compliment for the book).  Lorenz Brassel, Switzerland

How could I let one more day pass without wishing you the best for 2006…. calm, peace, strength and wonder for the New Year. You made a great impact on my life in 2005. [workshop] I often think of you… your words of wisdom, your model of determination, your persistence and positive energy… and smile. Hope all is well in your world. With love and thanks Marlene Kouri, Ontario, Canada

I was diagnosed with MS in 1995. I am now 40 years old and living a normal life. When I was first diagnosed my health started deteriorating, but when I got on with my life and understood more about MS my health started improving. I found your book interesting because it made me want to read on further each time. Your book gives me more will power to carry on with my normal life. Rose Hamilton, RR 1 Fergus, ON, CANADA, N1M 2W3

I was nervous about going to your presentation, but I knew after being recently diagnosed with MS that I needed to do something different. Well I can say that I’m more than glad that I did. The first thing I must thank you for is your inspiration to live, and I mean really live. Number two is that MS is not the end of you as the person you were or are. Three is follow that little voice inside that says “You Can,” not “You can’t.” Four is take charge and know what your talking about, as you progress through this setback and don’t just accept other peoples interpretations ( Neurologists, Doctors, Family, Friends) of what they think you have or what you should do about it. Five would be do the best you can with what you have, at the time you have it. Six would be “Follow Your Gut”. This list would continue for days based on the hour and a half you shared with all of us. Listening to you and now having read your web pages, I am going to do the simplest of things to get really started, drop a check in the mail for a very special book. Personally I think it’s gonna be a great place to start. Thank you again, as meeting you was my pleasure. Looking forward to learning and hearing more from you. Faithfully Yours Mike McArthur, 110 Cedars Lane, RR # 4, Box 67, Flesherton, ON, CANADA, N0C 1E0

The day I received your book is the day I read it from cover to cover and I cannot think of anything to say except WOW!!!!  You certainly are an amazing lady, definitely an inspiration to many and not just MS sufferers. I am so glad you wrote your story in this book, it will help many people who are suffering from MS attacks. I have been one of the fortunate ones, I suffered an attack 30 years ago just after I had my 2 little girls and when I left the hospital the specialist told me that I have either MS or a tumour in my brain that will gradually deteriorate my brain. The MS did not scare me as much as the tumour theory. Thank God nothing major happened to me after the initial attack which did take me months to get over and I actually had forgotten all about ever even having had MS until it showed up in an MRI I had a month and a half ago. So you can see that I have definitely been one of the few that have an attack and then no more. Reading your book has truly inspired me and I could relate to you in many of the things you wrote about your attacks, I really admire you in the way you have dealt with your illness, you have had to go through much, may God continue to bless you and keep you in His care. After about 3 years after my attack and making sure in that time not to have more children (because the doctor said I would have more and worse attacks), my husband and I went to get a second opinion from a doctor my  cousin worked for at the time. You would like this man, wow, what an optimistic, encouraging, inspiring doctor who told us not to worry about an attack that might never happen. He asked me if I was worried about the possibility of leaving his office and getting run over at the intersection which of course I was not. He also informed us that out of all his MS patients there were only two elderly that were in a wheelchair. He also mentioned that getting pregnant, the baby would in no way suffer from me having MS. You can imagine that we felt much better and more relaxed with this MS thing and in the next couple of years were blessed with two sons. I have thought about you many times since I read your book. I am sure I told you already that I was very much impressed with the way you handled your MS attacks and worked so hard each time both physically and mentally to get well. I do think that the doctors are a lot wiser about this subject now then back in the early 70s, my doctor at that time said that I would have further attacks and get worse and worse until I was in a wheelchair eventually, quite the encouragement eh? Funny thing though, when I was 6 weeks old and had the croup, the doctor told my mom that I would die and if I did make it I would have a weak chest for the rest of my life, neither happened. I really think that your book will have helped many people realize that they should not panic and give up when MS strikes but to fight back because recovery is possible, you have definitely proven that. Thanks again for sharing your story and I will definitely read your second book also as soon as it is published. I wish you all the best and may God continue to bless you as you continue to be a blessing to the many who read your books and hear you speak. Blessings, Hilda van Drongelen St George Ontario CANADA  EM Comment  – I have found more articles suggesting that 50{69b4c995f5f4d85381c0f9d2ef1be6f5720f583e5205e1bda5cd84f701c379d2} of people with ms, have only one serious episode of symptoms.

I had a very busy autumn starting with hiking down a local mountain during a Huckleberry festival, 3 years after the MRI indicated MS. You had inspired me to be able to try that. The next 3 months were filled with much work and activity. Long story short, my husband and all three of my sons had the flu during December and then two of them got it again right after Christmas, but I kept plugging away during the holidays. On January 2, 2003, I was assisted into the doctor’s office for a script to help rid me of what I perceived to be vertigo, which was actually the first unsteady step into a deep bout of the flu. Within a week, I was having a great deal of difficulty walking upright and climbing the stairs was very scary. On Jan. 13th, I was barely able to get out of bed and stumble to the bathroom. We have a 2 storey house and I ended up spending a week upstairs, using a borrowed wheelchair to get into my one sons room just to watch TV. When I wasn’t laying in bed or sitting in front of the tube for an hour or so, I sat reading. The book I re-read was your Black Patent Shoes: Dancing With MS. This time I took much of what you wrote as an instruction manual. When I couldn’t bend my legs or walk without my toes pointing and bending under, two things kept jumping out from the pages. The first was “No negative thoughts allowed” and the second was exercise, exercise, exercise. I ended up with rug burn on one elbow as I kept losing balance while trying to crawl, but crawl I did. I also kept telling my worried and willing husband to let me try to do whatever I thought I could. Helping me, wouldn’t necessarily be helping me. By January 23rd, I felt stronger & borrowed a walker and started walking about downstairs and then practiced climbing the stairs whenever anyone could stand by to assist if needed. Each day I improved a little physically and a lot mentally. I am very happy to say that by February 2nd, I went back to work. Walking is still a little jerky at times, but I believe that your words of incredible wisdom and perseverance throughout your own struggles, inspired me to work for recovery. I thank you for sharing your experiences so thoroughly and I now know first hand that this disease may cause the odd bump in the road but it only slows us down, it doesn’t have to stop us from living. Thanks to the first reading, I ended up going back to work part time and after readingyour book the second time, I missed less than a month of work. When first diagnosed, the neurologist didn’t care about my med sensitivities, just pushed the injectable of “his” choice. That medical pessimism encouraged me to learn how I wanted to manage the disease without drugs. I believe strongly in the Body, Mind, Spirit connection so I am still managing my MS with diet, some vitamins and as much exercise as I can handle. I have an appointment at the MS Clinic in May (to satisfy my GP because I haven’t seen a neurologist in over 3 years.) Thank you again. Peace and love always, Tally in Alberta

Thank you Eva.  Tears flowed with amazement and my jaw rarely closed. You are the first to justify my experience of the last seven years. Thankfully I’ve had good neurologists who chose to say positive things to me. Dire predictions for my future were kept to themselves. My full recoveries, due to normal living and exercise when I was able, were self diagnosed as “I’m just lucky I “; I had an exacerbation this past October but went to work during it, which, in time, caused my first depression. I had finished an eight month computer program course two years prior, obtained the job, and was NOT going to quit now. I did not get any better, as I normally did after a few months, and continued to work and wore myself down. For the first time I was losing hope. I began expecting less of myselfphysically. I finally quit work  and regrouped. What I feared the most was quitting but  once I did and began taking care of myself all was well. Then I got Black Patent Shoes from Laura. A signed copy.My husband read the book in two sittings, as I had, and it touched him greatly. I’m very interested in everything you have been involved in and Dave, my husband, told me he immediately looked for a web site. I will continue to be inspired and encouraged when I look up this information. I’m now, thanks to you, starting the process it takes to be accepted into UBC. It is very important to me to train my mind so I am able to organize my thoughts,  slow down, think. After 16 years of wonderful motherhood it’s time to concentrate seriously on my challenges. I believe again in my future. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Sandra Godkin BC CANADA 

hope this finds U doing well. over the heat wave and humidity too! just wanted to share some good news with U. after all, it was U that made me think about controlling my own life! I went to see my specialists that treat me for Crohns and Dystonia. both doctors said they couldn’t understand what was going on with me, but … both illnesses are in remission! They cant understand what i am doing, but they want me to keep it up. And … the best news! I never have to see either one of them again. just keep in touch with my family doctor! thanks again for the kick Eva. keep on Dancin’ my friend! love Trish Ontario Canada

I have just finished reading your book (about 3-4 weeks ago). I have MS, not as severe as you do, but severe enough. As I’m writing this I’m smiling with the irony of my comparison. My relapses never paralysed me, but the disability of my MS has been worse than yours – until I read your book!Over the past few years, I have learned the secret of acceptance over things I cannot change. The peace this has given me has been wonderful. When I was diagnosed I with MS in 1998 (although I had known it was MS for years before), I applied the same acceptance to my MS. I have been “handling” it remarkably well, from an emotional perspective. But the “relapse” in 1998 was frightening. My relapse in 2000 was even more disabling, and again, I “accepted” my MS. Then, a cousin sent me your book. Now you must understand, as I’m sure you do, that I was a little tired of yet another anecdotal “cure” being offered to me. Everybody seems to have one – or knows someone who has one. Bee venom, mushrooms, herbs that purge the system (read exlax), herbs that strengthen the system: the list seems endless. My attitude has been one of patience but scepticism. To my mind, your book was no different. One evening I sat down to look it over. I had to force myself to put it down! I started exercising immediately (at the first sitting). I was so excited!Your message has hit home with me. MS is not something I have to accept! I can fight it with exercise! This makes an incredible amount of sense to me. That our bodies can rebuild the myelin sheath in the same way that they do in the first place makes sense! So I’ve started exercising. With me, my left side is affected. As I am left handed, this has been a real problem. I’m handwriting this letter to exercise my hand. I’m sure you can see it needs it (smiling). Last night (Saturday), and the night before, my wife and I went dancing! And just a few short months ago, I was forced to use a walker during my last relapse!! I am gaining strength everyday, and with it, my energy level is soaring! So I’m writing you to let you know you’ve made a difference for me. As I read your book, I recognized the emotions you described. With each relapse, the fear of your not knowing what was going to happen was familiar to me. Can I make it through this? Will I be ever be able to work again?Will I have to use this walker for the rest of my life? Will I end up in bed for life? Unlike you, I treated each relapse with acceptance. Putting faith in the Cosmos (my word for God), Emotionally it worked and worked well. But now I’m refusing to accept it! I caught your infectious will and desire to live a full and physically healthy life. My friends all seem to be nodding and smiling as I describe my exercise with just a little sadness – just a little “we’ll be there for you when it fails.” I tell them about you, about your paralysis, about your victory over it. I think most of them are afraid to believe it works.   Maybe I’m reading too much into their lack of excitement. But you know, last Friday night, when Kate and I were dancing jive and cha-cha, one of our friends told her between dances that to see me up there dancing, to know and remember me using that walker, is for him an incredible sight. He said I have just the attitude required to beat MS! When Kate told me that on the drive home, I knew my friend understood! Part of my attitude comes from you. Thank you! Dan from Calgary, CANADA 

I just want to say how invaluable your book has been to me in dealing with the health care system recently and now. I have had the worst MS exacerbation of my life to date – couldn’t even wiggle my toes or feet –and ended up in emergency via ambulance with severe back spasms. The doctor on call as he stood by my bed wringing his hands said he didn’t know what was wrong, didn’t know what to do, didn’t know much about MS! I had to tell him what needed doing! and the tale of horror goes on! Thanks to having read your book recently I was able to “hang onto my will to get better” and tell them I was the one in charge of my health care and that I needed a team with doctors, physio, nurses, and alternative therapists etc on my team but that I would be the one making the decisions! I was labelled as “uncooperative and stubborn’ Only my doctor believed that I could walk again and I shall. Can stand now and pull myself up to the counter! It WILL come! He told me to “do whatever it takes to get better. The long term care and physio and nurses just told me to “be realistic. This is where you are going to be forever. MS is a downward spiral.” I told them I was being realistic and that I WOULD walk again! Been such a horrendous experience dealing with the “system”. Have written letters to the powers that be (the heads of all three) locally and regionally voicing the shortfalls/pitfalls in the system, the negativeness, and offering suggestions to improve.! (I am trying to make a long story short here!!) Anyhow, without having read your book I am not sure I would have been able to stand up to what I knew to be right for me and would have become “squished” by the system and persuaded that I would never walk again. “Let us do what is best for you.” So thank you thank you thank you, Eva, for the excellent book! We are recommending to the health care people here that it be compulsory reading! Aileen, CANADA 1999 

Turmoil of emotion your book brings … have just retired as Sports Physiologist, but have never crawled through the literature to focus on my own illness. You have precipitated some real heart searching … diagnosed in ’78 … by ’94 in a wheelchair. But now with your inspiration, I pray that I have the courage, determination and perseverance to go beyond the maintenance physio program. I intend to read and inform myself. From now on it’s up to me. Brian, UK, 1998

Several years ago my husband was told he had MS. That day he went out for a jog. He still jogs, rides his bike and goes for long walks. The pain in his legs was unbelievable but he would not stop jogging. I believe, like Eva, his inner strength has helped to keep his MS in remission. He has very little patience with those who get a case of “poor me.” Nicky, CANADA 1997

I was diagnosed in 1965 and the doctor told me that nothing could be done, not to have children and that I would be bedridden in 15 years and dead in 20. I am somewhat stubborn and my daughters were born in 1968 and 1970. They both married in 1995 and I danced at their wedding. I, too, have black patent leather shoes. I am a fellow non-victim of MS. Jennifer, CANADA 1997

I have been doing your ankle exercises for just 3 days and have stopped using my walking stick. I am a pianist by training and until I heard your tape I thought I’d never play the piano again because of my useless left hand (like spaghetti fingers). Now I know I must simply start practising again.Bryan, UK 1997

I’m fascinated and overawed by the possibility that it is in my hands to get better Im going to buy a book on yoga, which I have done long ago and follow the crawling instructions. I’ve re-read your book, it was all fascinating to read again as the first time – a real who-dun-it. I have also lent it to my physiotherapist daughter and she was equally fascinated and amazed as me at myelin regeneration and she’s just finished an update course on MS. Nobody has recognized remyelination in the CNS that I have read about, including my own neuro-based doctor … 1st letter Patrice, UK 1997  EM in 2005 I had lunch with Patrice and her husband in Heathrow airport and tears ran down my face as I watched them walk in arm in arm! 

In the three weeks since beginning the crawling and resumption of yoga there have been a couple of occasions where I felt something improve. I did my housework in 1 day instead of 2 and walked a couple of yards unaided. My husband keeps a diary and helps with exercises too. I will write again, and thank you for everything. Its lovely to have something to work at that’s positive.  2nd letter Patrice, UK 1997

In the 6 or 7 weeks since I read your book, I’ve had no major improvements BUT my stamina has definitely gone up and my foot raising (lying) is really quite good and when my physio daughter checked my ankle reflex in the front (sitting) she said she could feel the muscle trying, though I can’t lift the toes yet (sitting). I think she was impressed although she was in ‘physio mode’. 3rd letter Patrice, UK 1997