Think Outside the Box

The days after Jim's diagnosis with ALS went about as you would expect, and I'll spare you all the depressing details.  Jim and I did our best to keep our house a happy home for our children and enjoy the holidays as we always had.  We spent long evenings Christmas shopping and were grateful for the simple things in life and for eachother.  We spent nights discussing finances and what Jim's wishes were for our children. 

We were back at UCI for our follow-up appointment on December 18th, and Jim was expected to let the doctor know whether or not he was interested in the clinical trial or the drug Rilutek.  After meeting with the specialists, the doctor asked Jim of his decision, to which he replied he wasn't interested in either one.  Now I knew Jim had never been one to take medication, and I knew he wasn't willing to settle for a drug that increased his life expectancy an average of only 2-3 months, but what he was suggesting had me both worried and full of skepticism.  How could he possibly go against the advice of a doctor who is one of the top experts in his field?  How could he deny the only drug proven effective (although mildly) against the progression of ALS?  Jim's plan was to battle his ALS through Naturopathy.  Through WHAT?

So began our journey through holistic medicine.

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”
- Charles R. Swindoll