My Story

Here is my story.

In July 2007, I was a healthy 34 year old living outside of Toronto with my wife, dog and 5-month-old son. Life was fantastic; I was working out, eating properly and even gave up casual drinking to stay as healthy as I could for my son.

The first week of July gave me a 180 degree switch to my life. My left side started getting weak and I noticed my toes started buckling under my foot a little as I walked up the stairs. I thought nothing of it until, at the end of a long work week, I was carrying my son up the stairs and my leg and arm buckled to the point where I nearly fell and dropped my son- I managed to regain my balance before this happened.

We realized that something was really wrong and I got my son taken care of and headed to the hospital via ambulance

I was admitted that night and stayed for a week. After numerous tests, CAT scans and an MRI, I was told that I was experiencing demyelination on the right side of my brain.  At this point, I was dragging my left side behind me when I tried to walk.  I was confused and frustrated but knew that a loss of hope wouldn’t get me through this.  I didn’t care to see what I had, I just needed to focus on a game plan was to get me through this. It was after the spinal tap that showed inflammation in my spine and I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

MS is an autoimmune condition resulting in the degeneration of the myelin sheath. MS affects the ability of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to communicate with each other effectively. Conventional medicine teaches that this is an irreversible degenerative disease that causes sufferers increasing physical and cognitive disability. It is believed to have no cure.

I was told that within four months, I would no longer be walking potentially. This was not an option.

I got into physiotherapy the following day in a private clinic as I did not want to be on the hospital’s waiting list. I didn’t have time to wait. I knew if I waited, my muscles would be completely dead by that point. The therapy was the most intense training I had ever been through, but I just kept my son as my motivation to get through this.

As he neared his 6 month milestone – I vowed that I would be walking before him. With my therapy and my wife assisting me with my exercises, I started was walking again within the first week out of the hospital.

As I was on my road to recovery, Robin Sharma’s books really got me through the hardship as I connected with the characters in his story and realized that this was a learning lesson, if I chose receive it as that.  I then started reading everything that I could get my hands on to keep my brain as positive and strong as it could be and I do believe that this was the greatest medicine I  equipped myself with: the healing power of a positive mind and channeling good energy.

It has now been 10 years with my supposed “incurable condition” and I have been having great results every year and remain symptom free 99% of the time. 

I follow a stricter diet which involves cutting out most sugars, gluten, wheat, alcohol and other items that promote inflammation in the body.  I take supplements on a daily basis including multi vitamins and Omega 3 fish oils which have assisted significantly.  My MRIs get better every time.  I have actually regenerated nerve damage in my brain when conventional doctors told me it was impossible to do so.

I have never taken any medication to this date – just clean living and a very positive attitude.  I have learned not to let anything get to me personally and often say, “If you think this project is hard, try doing it without an arm or a leg and then you will see what is difficult.”

I often forget that I have a condition because of the strength I have built up in my mind and body.  I would have never been able to understand all of this unless I went through this challenge and I am thankful that I did.  I am stronger than I was even before MS and I hold down a great position as a Solution Consultant for an amazing B2B Technology Start Up in Toronto.  My personal slogan that guides me daily, “Without hardship, there is no learning”.

I have also since studied Neuro Linguistic Programming which is the study of how what we say and think affects our overall well-being and I use that to take care of myself with great results. I work with my Naturopath directly and she has been a fantastic doctor.  My mission on this earth is to help as many people to get out of hardship and back to smiling again, providing that they want to help themselves first.  As a personal mission, my goal is to help as many people out of hardship that I can and teach them to question what they are listening to.

I wish all of you much success and best of health.

“Love yourself enough to fight for yourself.”
~ MS Survivors