Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group My brother's success: AS in remission....

Hi everyone,
My brother living in Auckland NS is fighting AS with all he has. I asked him to write about his path so that I can post it here. While he was writing about it, the pain returned. I felt quite sad about it, but looking at the positive side: this just confirms the whole process. While we are living AS and give it energy, it will stay with us. Hopefully he will soon get the whole process turned again and will succeed again... Here is his story:

"This is not the normal AS – horror story. This story is different! My name is Will Mostert, I’m 52 years old, I live in Auckland, New Zealand. I was diagnosed with AS in 2004. I went through all the pain – the blood testing – the finding of the HLA-27 gene – 3 days on a steroid drip – a name given to the sickness in my body – the doctors explained about the sickness and that there is no cure!! I found it difficult to accept. For about 3 years I tried to accept the sickness, unbearable pain, being negative, grumpy, couldn’t work properly, got divorced (“…sickness went to your head.”) Then I started to look for a solution. This is what I did:

I stopped talking about the sickness. Don’t feel sorry for yourself!
I did not accept the sickness in my life.
I stopped saying “my” AS – It’s not my sickness.
I stopped looking for sympathy from other people.
I started to swim. If I was in too much pain to swim, I walked. If I couldn’t walk I moved the joints I could and those I couldn’t but very gentle.
I try to keep every joint in my body supple.
A Korean doctor threw my Methotrexate tablets in the dustbin!! (2007)
I stopped to take the Diclofenac Sodium so that I could feel the pain – that way I knew which joint wants to fuse – I didn’t allow it to fuse.
I do a lot of gentle stretching even when it was very sore.
I don’t smoke. I have very moderate alcohol – nearly nothing! I couldn’t eat chocolates. The day after I ate chocolates I was in severe pain!!
I started to thank God for every place in my body that was without pain. I even thanked God for the pain – at least I was alive!
Then I told God I had enough of the AS and gave it back to Him.
I started to take power over the AS.
I started to study every possible way and book that could help me.
* Emotional Intelligence (Dr. Ronel le Roux)

* The Secret (Rhonda Byrne)

* I studied acupressure, massage, got attuned to Reiki.

* Emotional Healing (Valerie and Paul Lynch)

* Conversations with God (Neale Walsh)

* The Power Within You (L. Hay)

* The Reconnection (Dr. Eric Pearl)

I took control of the AS in my body. I believe everyone has the power to do it. I DON’T TAKE ANY PAIN RELIEF OR ANY MEDICINE !! And of course I eat chocolates again!! The pain in my body is less than 2 out of ten and that is just old age. Lol!! I have 3 toes that fused and I think I lost a bit of the curve in my lower back. I STOPPED TO GIVE THE AS IN MY BODY ANY ENERGY!! Feel free to email me at will.mostert@hotmail.com for more information."

Well, those who got to know me on this forum know that I am always talking about a miracle and believing that it is possible. I am not there yet, there is not a day I do not take pain meds and I am still on Diclofenac and Salazopyrin. But I am going to follow my brother's advice, everything to gain here.
Hopefully you will see it in a positive light and start to change your thinking patterns, even a little bit will go a long way. Let's do this.
Take care

What a wonderful way to make something good out of something that is bad.

I have no doubt that staying positive or striving to stay positive is a have to with this disease.

I know I have gone thru many emotions with this disease and feeling sorry for myself (I cant do this or that with my children anymore) then I started thinking well at least they still have their Mother, what would it be like for them if I simply wasn't here anymore.

I think we can all learn some lessons from your brothers wise and kind words.

Good luck,

Lisa

Thanks Lisa. Yes, I hope we can all benefit from what he has said and done.
I have also realised that I can still mean so much to my children. Just think what a role model I can be if I can turn this around by thinking differently. If we can do this with this illness, just think what we can do with other, less arduous, everyday issues!
All of the best to you.

Thanks for sharing. What a positive person. I try to live without being idenitifed with disease. I just don't want to be known at church or around town as that sick lady. I get up every a.m. and shower, do my hair, put on my makeup and dress as if I were leaving for the day. I look in the mirror and smile and try to keep that all day. There are days of pain that the smile won't stay with me unless I really think about it.

My hubby has so much pain with RA and getting ready to have a knee replacement that is one year old...replaced again! We try to not try to outdo each other with our pain stories. ) I might ask him how he is and he may respond with a number. He may ask me and I may tell him "kind of a brownout today" as opposed to a full blown blackout and we both know how the other is and we get on with the day. I try to help him and he helps me. If one is up, they get something for the other, etc. If one needs a back rub, the other does it; or feet, etc.

We just do better if we don't talk about hurting. When I really need to vent, I come here and I appreciate you all for always being here to listen.

I have some more thinking to do Ronel on all you shared. Thank your brother for me.

Blessings.
Possi

Possi,
Thanks for your positive reaction to this. I will let my brother know. Since I have posted this here, I try to get aware of my thinking. It is just unbelievable how much space this illness is taking up in one's (or my) mind. When I feel hungry, I wonder what I can eat that is not starchy... When I walk around I can feel what pain and what does not... When I see my children, I hope they do not get this... When I think about our coming summer holiday, I wonder how I would cope and would I be able to walk a lot...
This illness has taken over my mind!!!! I don't like it a bit and try to focus on other things now. But I guess awareness of how many thoughts are going that way is very important to start with. We can't change anything if we are not aware of it.
I have given this illness to God once again last night... surrendered to Him.
Keep well and all of the best to you and your husband. May there be some relief for you as well.

Thank you Ronel, and please thank your brother. That was inspiring and beautifully written. I have wondered how to ever mention here that sometimes I specifically need a break from this site for the same reasons. I love you all, I just have to make sure I don't abuse this drug...
cheers,
CC

Hi CC,
Yes, I have found that if I visit here too often, I'm feeling more down and afraid that everything what other people experience will be my experience too! Easier not to visit too aften and then to distance myself from the illness.
We will all be okay in the end, though.
Take care

Hi Ronel,

That's such a wonderful story to post. I'm really glad you and your brother shared that with us. In addition to an indomitable positive attitude, I think an approach that he uses is "do what you can" - I have always felt that this is incredibly important.

I think there's a lot of wisdom in your brothers approach. Ever since I read Norman Cousins' _Anatomy of an Illness_ I had given more thought to the power of how our mental and emotional approach plays in the healing process.

In my own introspection, I learned that I am afraid of failure. And my negativity early on, was a reflection of me not wanting to fail at beating something that was "incurable". Fortunately, I got really lucky with some of my treatments, and as I improved, I made a fundamental change in my attitude as well. I no longer talk about "if" I can beat spondy, but now talk about "when" I'm going to beat it. Also, I now believe and approach my rehabilitation as to not preserving as much of my function, but figuring out how I could be healthier and stronger than I was prior to my illness. Crazy? Yes. But better than the alternative.

Thanks so much for sharing! It's a wonderful story!

Freddie

Apparently I'm the only person having a different reaction to this, so I think I'll follow the old adage and just quietly go on my way. I am happy for your brother.

Brad

Brad I think I had the same reaction as you

but there are some good points in the post and some I find well never mind

May we all find relief in some way and to each their own way