Today I want to share the story of my friend, Mary McAlary’s fight to overcome Multiple Sclerosis. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a devastating disease and told there is nothing you can do- please read on….

Mary is a fighter and she proved that what we eat, do and think matters. Despite what you may have been told, you can heal, there is hope and food is your most powerful drug.

As an integrative health coach, I witness stories like Mary’s daily. So many are suffering needlessly but when given the right food and “medicine”, they are literally rewriting their future- living better, healthier and longer than they could ever have imagined.

If you would like support, I offer, free consults here– – I have limited space available so reserve a spot soon! I would love to chat with you and learn more about your health goals and challenges.

Mary’s Story

In June of 2004, I was on a vacation with my mother and her sister. During the trip, I noticed that my neck was constantly hurting. I figured it was just stress or maybe I had pulled a muscle.

The night after I returned home from this vacation, I awoke with tremendous pain in the back of my head. The pain radiated down my entire left side, leaving me unable to move or even blink my eyes.

I was taken to the nearest hospital. The EMT’s feared that I was having a heart attack or aneurysm. The pain was unbearable. At the hospital, I was given opiate pain medication, muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory drugs to try to relieve the pain. Hours later, I was sent home with a diagnosis of a pinched nerve.

I knew there was something more going on here, so I followed up with my doctor who sent me to a neurologist for further testing. And so the story began…..

At the age of 55 – I was told that I would have to “Get ready to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair.” My doctor informed me that I had an incurable, terminal illness and that my quality of life would start to deteriorate. Basically, life as I knew it was over. I was stunned and frightened as the doctor described my treatment options and the dismal side effects that I would have to endure.

How could this be happening to me? I was a pretty healthy person or so I thought. I exercised regularly, ate healthy food and never smoked. I was basically an active wife, mother and grandmother.

At the time, I knew very little about MS, but I knew there was no way I was going to spend the rest of my life confined to a wheelchair. I pledged to myself that I would do everything in my power to search for answers and beat this disease.

Diagnosis be damned. The fight was on!

The six weeks following my diagnosis were grueling. I was hospitalized for five days and put on an IV treatment of prednisone to treat the inflammation that was contributing to my pain and numbness. I immediately had an allergic reaction to the medication and was given Benadryl and Ativan to help me tolerate the prednisone. It was a nightmare!

When I returned home, I was put-on powerful, immune-suppressant medications that I would inject into my body every other day. They made me very ill with nausea, extreme fatigue and flu-like symptoms.

I hated the idea of feeling so sick every day, but surely the doctors knew what was best for me.

I spent most of my waking hours, lying on my couch, feeling hopeless and defeated. My life as I knew it had been abruptly taken away from me. I was a fragment of my old self. I wasn’t living, I was merely existing! It had to change…

My body couldn’t tolerate the injections anymore. I stopped taking them and sought out a doctor who would listen to my concerns and help me find better answers. I saw five different Neurologists during the course of my search.

There is a lack of knowledge about this disease that made those treatment discussions with my doctors even scarier. They gave me a choice of the latest medications on the market and that was all they had to offer. How was I supposed to know which treatment I preferred?

That’s when I realized my health and my future was all up to me. I found a neurologist who finally listened to me and took my opinions and decisions seriously. I was determined to approach this disease by first strengthening my body with whole foods, exercise and meditation.

As I gradually began to implement these healthy lifestyle changes-filling my body with healing foods, water and thoughts, amazing things began to happen! I got stronger, the excruciating nerve pain and muscle spasms began to subside and with my doctors support, I was able to get off of the pain medications within a year. I was getting my life back, one step at a time! (Never discontinue medications or treatments without working with your Doctor).

Fast Forward:

In 2014, my diagnosis was changed to “benign multiple sclerosis”, therefore, I did not require another MRI. My neurologist told me “to keep up whatever I was doing” and to check back with him if necessary.

It has been years since my diagnosis, and no wheelchair in sight– a blessing I never thought was achievable when I was diagnosed 14 years ago.

I continue to live a healthy, positive lifestyle and to learn all that I can to maintain the precious gift of good health. I am aware that this is a lifelong journey to insure that symptoms of this insidious disease will not return. I maintain healthy eating habits, exercise and stress management. I have learned the importance of listening to the messages my body sends me if I stray from my path. Our bodies are amazing creations and know how to heal themselves.

My mission now is to dedicate my future to helping others develop the fighting spirit, believe that there is hope, to have faith in their bodies to heal, and to understand the importance of good nutrition and having a positive attitude.

Mary McAlary is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Inspirational Speaker and Author of two books, “Go Green for Wellness” and “The Fighting Spirit-The Art of Winning Your Fight” (available on www.amazon.com or www.marymcalary.com). Mary is currently working on an interactive children’s book about making healthy food choices. “You are never too young to learn to eat well. Why not give our children a great start by teaching them to eat the best foods possible.”