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A few months ago when I learned to make a short motivation video for my personal use I showed it to friends and everyone wanted it.  Out of that came the idea of offering them as a premium when someone made a donation of $25.00.  I then spent many, many hours for three months developing five of them.

I call them LifeDesign Videos, and when I introduced them a couple of months ago the response was very gratifying.  Each video is from 3-1/2 to 5 minutes in length and incorporates affirmations and appropriate images, backed up with motivation music. The five videos available are:
                            
                Health and Weight Loss
                Spirituality
                Designing My Abundant Life
                Daily Lifestyle - Lady
                Daily Lifestyle - Man       

You may mail your contribution to Iams House, 139 Inner Circle, Davis, CA  95618, or use credit card or Pay Pal at my on-line shopping cart here.  When making your contribution through the shopping cart, please indicate under "shipping instructions" which video you would like to receive. The on-line shopping cart makes it very easy.  If you send a contribution by mail, please be sure to include your e-mail address.  YOU make the website and this newsletter possible. If you made a donation in recent weeks prior to the availability of the videos, please let me know and I will send one to you.

1. Archives of recent issues of Journey to Wellness are always available here. If you are a new subscriber I suggest you take one archived issue each week and really study the material covered.  Over a period of a year Journey to Wellness covers just about every aspect of the healthy natural lifestyle that I recommend for MS. 

2. If you wish to send an e-mail to me, please be sure to use the following as the subject: From a Newsletter Subscriber and your e-mail won't be lost in the never-never land of spam.  

    

If you truly wish to change your life, in any area, then one of the most important things I can share with you is encouraging you to develop a daily ritual.  I first learned the power of that ritual, repeated every day at the same time of day, when I was a resident patient at Dr. Deepak Chopra's Center for Mind Body Medicine for one week, shortly after I was diagnosed with MS. 

At that Center I began a daily meditation practice, as well as being introduced to both Qi Gong and Yoga.  I was still a very busy marketing executive at that time, and in order to continue with that ritual after I returned home, I had to get up an hour earlier every day.  It was not easy getting up at 5:00 a.m., but I did it, so I know it can be done.

My ritual today, 16 years later, is somewhat different.  Now that I am retired I no longer need to arise so early.  But I still do half an hour of meditation, followed by deep breathing exercises, followed by watching my Spirituality and Health and Weight Videos a couple of times.  All together that ritual takes about an hour, and I conscientiously follow it every day before breakfast. 

I have another end-of-the-day exercise practice with half an hour of Qi Gong before retiring in the evening.  I do not mean to imply that your ritual should be the same as mine, but I do want to stress that an unchanging daily ritual is an important part of changing any area of our life. 

I do absolutely know for sure that before you can make whatever changes you wish to make, something INSIDE OF YOU has to change first.  Because you are the one in control of your life. You're in the driver's seat, and unless and until you understand that - REALLY GET IT - your life is not going to change.

I find it really cool to know that I can consciously make a difference.  That to me is very empowering.

Believe in yourself and your amazing
power to create your reality 

"A recent Stanford University study concluded that more than 95 percent of all disease is created by stress. While that's probably no surprise to you, it should concern you. When you're subjected to stress day in and day out, your body begins to break down, eventually to a point beyond repair."  

Didn't we all know this already?  There is seldom a week that goes by when I don't receive an e-mail from someone, usually newly diagnosed with MS, who doesn't ask me if I believe that stress is a major contributor to the development of MS.  The answers are YES, YES and YES!

For years I have been convinced of the truth of the ancient Chinese medicine belief that blockages in the flow of our chi (our body's natural life-force energy) is responsible for dis-ease in our body.  It doesn't matter what doctors call that dis-ease , , , they are just labels to describe symptoms. 

My devotion to Qi Gong is because it's basis is the ancient healing Chinese arts.  Seldom does a day go by that I do not credit Qi Gong as playing a major role in my recovery from MS.

Here is another jewel I found surfing the Internet.

DE-CLUTTERING YOUR CRANIUM . . . MAKIN' ROOM FOR THE GOOD STUFF!

Step One: Identify what your belief is. What are the negative things you think, say or feel about yourself? What do you tell yourself you CAN NOT do? Think of the ways you put yourself down.

Step Two: Declaring The Limiting Belief a Lie.

Step Three: Rewrite Your Mental Script.

Step Four: Write Affirmations to Support Your New Script

Step Five: Visualize the New You

I believe that YOU are the master of your own health. If you feel defeated, you are defeated. Even if you are healthy, your body can become diseased simply through the inappropriate unconscious control of your emotions. But with the right belief systems, you can use your conscious mind to create a life of health, happiness and love—minus the unnecessary drugs and treatment.

Unfortunately, Western medicine has yet to acknowledge that the universe we live in is made out of energy. It still clings on to the belief that everything is matter, and comes up with ineffective treatments based on this archaic model.

One of my favorite authors is Lynne McTaggart, author of the groundbreaking book THE FIELD, which I highly recommend for anyone wishing to learn more about the links from physics/science to metaphysics.  This quote from Lynne is very powerful, and gives us much food for thought.

"For many years, I’ve studied evidence of how profoundly and quickly the brain alters its function and even its physical structure from mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation is more than just relaxation. It creates a profound change in your worldview: an acceptance of ‘what is’ in the current moment without a judgmental overlay.

The research on mindfulness suggests that our physicality is like Play-Doh, to be molded from our conscious thoughts. Form follows function. If the brain can be physically revised throughout life just by thinking better thoughts, so too can the rest of the body.

Indeed, the dynamic plasticity of the body — its ability to go from ill to well overnight — demonstrates how deeply it is a maidservant of consciousness."

Pasted from <http://www.theintentionexperiment.com/the-cancer-in-your-soul.htm>

I have been watching the video several times every day for about six weeks, and I know that it is changing how I feel about myself and my MS.  Blessings to you for all that you do.  May you continue for many years to come.  /s/ Thomas K.

Thank you so much Tom.  I just keep doing "my thing," and slowly but surely the truth of the adage, "When the student is ready the teacher will appear," always occurs.   And of course we are all teachers and we are all students.  One important thing to remember is that in order to develop new beliefs and attitudes (both very important for healing to occur), we must first release our old beliefs and attitudes.  That is why I include releasing negatives in the video.  Thanks again Tom for your note.  It truly warms my heart.
 

  Hi Betty.  I hope you had a nice Christmas.  We are still digging out from the blizzard that buried the northeast.  I just wanted to tell you how excited I am about my Health and Weight Loss Video.  It is really cool.  I am in awe that you learned how to make them.  I watch it every day and love it.  Thank you so much.  Keep up the good work.  It always seems like when I get notice of a new newsletter it seems to contain just the information I need.  Thanks for all the CCSVI information.  I hope you have a Happy and Healthy New Year.  /s/  Holly S.

Thanks Holly.  I'm so glad you like the video. New Year's Best Wishes are being sent your way! 

   Betty,

I hope that I am using the correct email address to contact you and express an opinion on CCSVI and more.  I've been a reader for several years.  My diagnosis with MS came in 1995 and after an intensive and conscious period of change I emerged symptom-free, never having taken any of the recommendations of the mainstream.  My experience of living with a registered nurse and hospital administrator who had MS in my 20's allowed me to see what the "convention medical wisdom" did.  I began to research effective alternatives, she wanted none of that and after 5 years I left her home where I had been helper and at times driver.  I made a decision then that if I ever faced something like MS I'd do it very differently.   So in 1995, at age 36 my choices were based on earlier awareness and I went to work.   Your story and recommendations are very much my own.  When the CCSVI idea came to the forefront I thought this made sense to me and it would be consistent with my own "what I know is true" that MS disposed folks have issues with fat assimilation and need to do it differently.  What Dr. Swank pioneered was foundational, but there has been so much more since.  Udo Erasmus wrote, "Fats that Kill, Fats that Heal" and I met him in person on the trip my now husband of 11 years asked me to marry him.  The next year we had our son who is now 10.   I have never had another attack of ocular neuritis and though I have some vertigo/balance on stairs if I try to carry things I am otherwise fully able.   At 51 I'm living a more full life than many of my peers.   I do pilates at home, garden a lot and mostly pursue activities that support Heartwood Montessori school where our son is a student.  I teach gardening, help with a MS writing program, and do the outdoor environment ecology aspects.  I believe the most important key to my health has been a willingness to listen to what was truly important to me and then to change accordingly.

Louise Hay, well know author and New Thought teacher and publisher says of her own cancer, "you can get it out, but if you don't change it will just come back again."  /s/ Mary Collins, Cary, NC

Hello Mary.  How nice to get your note this morning.  It is always interesting to me to compare my MS experience with those of others.  Unfortunately there are not a lot of us out there who have stopped MS in its tracks.  Congratulations on your positive experience and for sharing your story.

As you know from my newsletter, I too totally reject conventional medical wisdom regarding not only MS but also most other things.  I think our medical schools in the last 2-3 decades have just become tools of the large pharmaceutical companies.  I also agree with you about CCSVI.  It amazes me that people will complain and fight to get the so-called “liberation” treatment, but they won’t make lifestyle changes that would allow their body to overcome the problem.  My grandson has a favorite saying, “Go figure.” 

   Spotlight on CCSVI

Over the last year I have attempted to keep you up to date on everything related to the CCSVI story.  It now seems apparent that Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency is a major contributing factor to what doctors call multiple sclerosis. 

For the purpose of review, CCSVI is described as a chronic problem (ongoing) where blood from the brain and spine has trouble getting back to the heart. It is caused by a narrowing in the veins (stenosis) that drain the brain and the spine. Blood takes longer to return to the heart, and it can reflux back into the brain and spine or cause edema and leakage of red blood cells and fluids into the tissues of the brain and spine.

Blood that remains in the brain too long creates a delay in deoxygenated blood leaving the head ("slowed perfusion"). This can cause hypoxia, a lack of oxygen in the brain. Plasma and iron from blood deposited in the brain tissue can also be very damaging leading to iron along with other unwelcome cells crossing the crucial brain-blood barrier.

I continue to communicate with quite a few people who have now successfully had the corrective procedure done.  Many of you help me keep up to date with the latest medical reports. And I also follow many blogs and related newsletters.

Here are some of the references sent to me:

CCSVI Alliance (click here)-this is a new organization devoted to helping further research and learning about CCSVI and its treatment. Although only a few months old, the CCSVI Alliance is already starting to see its presence felt, and is sponsoring events such as a CCSVI Walk-n-Roll in Tampa Florida (click here), and a learning symposium at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts (click here).

Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (click here)-often referred to as BNAC, the center is currently conducting numerous CCSVI trials, including ongoing imaging studies and one of the few CCSVI treatment studies currently underway. BNAC is home to a dedicated group of CCSVI researchers, led by Dr. Robert Zivadinov, a world-class research neurologist.  BNAC has until January 1 to reach a fundraising goal of $150,000, which will be matched dollar for dollar by a grant from the Direct-MS Foundation.   BNAC offers some innovative fundraising options, including the hosting of MStery parties (click here), which have been held around the country.

Denise Manley posted the following on her Facebook page:

Where has all the money gone that the NMSS supposedly put into research???

by Denise Manley on Saturday, December 18, 2010 at 11:42am

The money allocated by the NMSS of the 2.4 million to research CCSVI supposedly went toward everything but the testing and treatment of CCSVI in people with MS. If you look it up on their web site where all the money went it was to neuros. Now take a look at the names of each of the studies, not one to test and treat and not one of these studies to date even has government approval for trials! 

Here is the page that tells you about the 7 studies... http://www.nationalmssociety.org/news/news-detail/index.aspx?nid=3339 

Here is the Government web site for clinical trials... http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/home

Denise also asked me to include the following:

The Hubbard Foundation in CA has an IRB data registry that many doctors across the US are participating in. While MS patients are treated for CCSVI their medical data is being collected and studied. There is also a registry for those of us tested and treated on line that we can enter our own information to that is being used to keep track of. http://www.ccsvi-tracking.com/ 

Karen also asked me to include the Siskin's studies fundraising page one more time for me....this is the one that is near and dear to my heart.  Help goes DIRECTLY to the patients. The doctors themselves are picking up the extra costs.  This is the Government trials page...any of these contacts can tell you how to donate.

http://clinicaltrials.gov:80/ct2/show/NCT01201707?term=ccsvi&rank=1

A VERY INTERESTING CCSVI REPORT

For you left-brain types who are just interested in facts, I strongly encourage you to take a few minutes and go to this referenced website.  The subject report is by E. Mark Haacke, director of The MRI Institute for Biomedical Research and Director, MR Research Facility, Wayne State University, MI, USA.

CHRONIC CEREBRAL SPINAL VENOUS INSUFFICIENCY IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS 

http://www.expert-reviews.com/doi/pdf/10.1586/ern.10.174

If you are only going to explore one CCSVI report, please make it this one.  This is a very well-done and extremely interesting discussion of everything we know about CCSVI.  This video is the most complete discussion I have heard, by Interventional Radiologist, Dr. Salvatore Sclafani who practices, I believe, in New York. If you seriously wish to learn more about CCSVI, please take the time to watch this video:

http://www.wheelchairkamikaze.com/2010/12/video-interview-with-my-ccsvi-doctor.html

The following is quoted from CCSVI Locator on the Internet.

Year End Thanks to the CCSVI community by Arlene Pellar Hubbard

(Posted December 24, 2010)

Dear friends,

It's been more than a year ago, December 4, 2009 to be exact, when the Hubbard family received the devastating news that our dear Devin had Multiple Sclerosis.   Many of you know the story of what happened next but I would like to summarize yet once again.

Dec 4th 2009 Dev began experiencing numbness from his feet to his torso.  I thought this was probably what I had initially feared in May...MS.  He already had a brain  MRI in Nov and he had a scheduled appt with his neurologist .   He was referred for a spinal MRI. Follow up appointment he was diagnosed with MS and given literature on disease modifying drug, Rebif.

As a mom and an occupational therapist, there was no way I would just accept the standard care without investigating what else was out there.  I quickly made the internet, Google, my friend.  I read all I could about bee sting therapy, stem cell replacement, hyperbaric chambers and a new theory called CCSVI (chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency).  Dr Zamboni, a vascular surgeon had studied the use of angioplasty (venoplasty) on MS patients.  I read his research paper and attempted to get David to read it, as well.  David, in distress over Devin's diagnosis and fear of what the future yielded for our dearest son wanted nothing to do with some "hokey" theory.  I waited to speak with Devin's neurologist at our next appointment.

12/16/09  Took Dev to his neurologist....asked her about Tysabri,  Asked about CCSVI  and if she could order the specific ultrasound.  She said the CCSVI theory was interesting but Devin did not have that kind of MS.  She also said no one in town is doing the test and even if there was no one is doing the procedure!  All I could think of at that moment was "keep your cool, Arlene".  This is going to be an uphill battle worth fighting.

That night I printed out Dr Zamboni's research paper and while David was on his computer looking at neurology journal articles on MS I handed him the paper and said" read this, and if you think it's hokey...I'll back off".  David  was skeptical but said he would research this further.  I quickly researched all the names I had seen associated with CCSVI and noticed a web site  for Dr Haacke( a physicist at Wayne State Univ.) who developed sequencing to look at the neck and chest veins in MS patients.

David is the director of an fMRI facility in SD so I figured these two should, at the least, communicate.  I noticed that in a few weeks Dr Haacke was having a meeting with all the scientists and doctors involved with CCSVI in Toronto.  I said to David, you need to get yourself invited.  That night David emailed Dr Haacke and received an immediate response.  David was invited to be part of this consortium. 

David flew to Canada not knowing what to expect.  We were cautiously hopeful as the science seemed credible.  Anxiously, awaiting a call from the meeting, I became a Facebook fanatic. CCSVI in Multiple Sclerosis was a site where i could ask questions about CCSVI and tell my story.  This MS community made me feel safe.  I was on the right track.  After the meeting David called.  With tears and a crackling voice he said "Arlene, this is it". My husband never says anything that he doesn't believe.  From that moment on we moved rapidly.  David went to Wayne state to receive training on the Haacke protocol.  He bought the necessary sequences from Seimans and he hired an MRI technician to actually do the test.

Devin was the first subject.  The results showed severe internal jugular stenosis.  Now our job really began. How to find an interventional radiologist or vascular surgeon to do the procedure. David and I discussed the politics.  There was a storm brewing between neurologists and doctors wanting to perform the simple angioplasty.  We put Devin on a waiting list for a study that was going to start at Stanford in the near future.  Dr Dake, who was the first surgeon in the US to perform this procedure on a patient with MS was going to do this study.  He had treated several people months before but he was shut down, like many other centers in the US and Canada. As of July 31st the study has not begun.  Neurologists are demanding double blind placebo controlled studies. 

We needed to be very careful about finding the right person to treat Devin. David, on one phone, and I on another started cold calling interventional radiologists.  Many of them had not heard of CCSVI. At one point I watched David's facial expression change. He looked almost optimistic.  The secretary at the other end of the phone told David she would have to call back in a few minutes.  David and I sat by the phone planning our strategy.  As the minutes turned into an hour David seemed concerned.  I needed to keep positive.  I told David that the doctors are probably meeting because they have heard of this and are getting excited.  Sure enough, David received a phone call from the IR himself an hour later.  As David paced the floor, excitedly, I knew we were going to get our son treated.  The doctor said he had heard of CCSVI, knows Dr Dake and he would read Dr Zamboni's research.  Within the next day David sent Devin's images to the doc and a few days later an appointment was scheduled for Devin to undergo and angioplasty on May 6th!  Almost exactly a year since his first episode!

LIBERATION DAY:  David and I took Devin to the hospital.  Devin was taken to the OR and David had to go back to the fMRI facility as Msers were being tested for neck and chest venous obstructions.  The procedure took 45 min.  I was with Devin when he was brought to recovery. I was anxious to know if he felt any different.  He had color in his cheeks which I hadn't seen in a while.  He said he had less "brain fog".  The doctor seemed quite pleased.  He said Devin had severe jugular and azogos stenosis which were treated.  He had to stay on bed rest for 5 hours as Dev has not had that much blood flowing in/out of his brain for a very long time.  The doctor told David, later that he saw everything Dr Zamboni said he would see. The doc was "on board" to be part of a study on angioplasty for MSers with CCSVI.

Over the next days/ weeks all of Devin's symptoms resolved.  He regained his balance, he was able to read without the words looking grey and hazy, the numbness was gone.  The most noticeable change was his behavior.  Months before Devin's diagnosis his behavior was combative and inappropriate.  He had fits of anger that would come on unexpectedly (for which we sought out psychological counseling).  He regained his charming, even tempered personality.  This was the most amazing change.

Now we were real believers.  David wrote a study proposal  to submit to our local hospital's IRB.  We wanted to make sure we would not be one of those centers to be closed down. David, a brilliant and forward thinking scientist, developed a test using his fMRI machine to look at the hemodynamic response before and after angioplasty.  As Devin was the test case compared to a "normal" volunteer we needed to make sure there was a difference.  Devin's pre angioplasty response was abnormal and the after angio. test was normal.  June 10th David presented his research protocol to the IRB at the local hospital and he received immediate approval. The study continues and we are moving forward .

December 23,2010. We have now helped more than 130 pwMS get tested and treated for CCSVI. Our entire family is involved in the day to day operations.  Devin is the president of the Applied fMRI Institute and schedules and manages the operation; Alexandra is the president of the Hubbard Foundation and is often the first contact people have with us. She manages our web site and e mails and speaks with MSers and their families daily.  Alexandra is implementing new ideas to help the Hubbard Foundation become a center of excellence.  We will be sponsoring our first conference in May in San Diego. David... what can I say about my hero!  He is moving CCSVI testing and treatment by leaps and bounds and received national IRB approval for a Multicenter Registry to study CCSVI and is the treasurer of the newly formed ISNVD.  As for me I e mail,

face book, and talk with  many MSers and their families to give support, answer  questions and listen to their concerns.  Families often feel lost and alone when caring for a loved one with MS. I go to the office a few  times a week and chat with as many people as I can. We are all in this together and I now have a very large extended family. David and I discuss CCSVI from the moment we awake in the morning till the time we go to bed.  Our life has taken on new meaning!

I want to thank Dr Zamboni, Dr Haacke, Dr Dake, Joan Beal, Ken Torbert, Ashton Embry,  Dr Terry Wahls, Drs Ponec, Gooding and Saxon and especially all the MS pioneers for filling our lives with optimism, amazingly detailed information and the challenge to move forward.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year,

Arlene and the rest of the Hubbard Team

http://www.facebook.com/notes/arlene-pellar-hubbard/year-end-thanks...

PLEASE NOTE:  The husband "David" that Arlene refers to is David Hubbard, M.D., a neurologist in Poway, California, a nearby community to San Diego.  If you do a Google search in Dr. Hubbard's name you'll find lots of information.

This is a great deal of CCSVI information and a lot to wade through, I know.  But judging from your e-mails that is what you wish to receive.  I hope all of this helps you move ahead to decisions about pursuing CCSVI treatment. 

   Featured Books, DVD Exercise Programs and Videos

My wish for each of you, wherever you live on our globe, is that you have a Happy, Healthy and Abundant 2011.  We seem to be dealing with extreme weather issues all over our globe at this time.  Winter has been extremely difficult all across Europe, as well as many parts of the United States.  International news services also indicate major flooding in Australia.  Whatever our challenges, my years of experience have taught me that "this too shall pass."  Please remember to keep smiling . . . it helps us deal with whatever life experiences come our way.

If you have a favorite personal story or recipe you'd like to share, or a question or something you'd like me to address in the newsletter, please send them along.  And if you have a photo, send that along also and I'll include your photo with whatever you are sharing.  

Big New Year smiles and {{hugs}}.  I send you all a beautiful bubble of love.

Betty

TO BETTY'S HOUSE