het verhaal van Eric
ERIC VS. ALS...ERIC IS WINNING!!

We had wonderful news...let me tell you about it. Some of you may know that Eric is in an 18-month test drug program for a drug called Sanofi. He has been on the program for five months now. Part of the participation in the drug study is a monthly evaluation by the ALS doctor running the study.

Last month, the doctor said he felt Eric had stabilized...it was wonderful to hear, but as usual I'm a skeptic. Wednesday, February 11, we journeyed to La Jolla to the Sanofi office for the usual evaluation..the doctor was amazed. Eric is absolutely stable and continues to improve.

Eric has known that he has been improving for several months. Doctor Smith determined from the muscle strength testing that Eric had absolutely improved over last month. Now, for the first time, we have measurable, factual, third-party confirmation of improvement. Now that is exciting to me and Eric. Now the first thing some MD's will say is "incorrect diagnosis"; but that is not true. Eric has all the classic symptoms of ALS and has been diagnosed by three neurologists in addition to Dr. Smith in La Jolla. For the benefit of all our PALS, we want to share as much information as we can. The following is Eric's experience with ALS. This is Part One and we will follow with more information in Part Two another day.
Glenna Edney

MY FIVE YEARS WITH ALS
This is my personal experience with ALS. Let me start by saying that we are all different. What works for me here may not work for you. You have to find your own way. Maybe my pathway will help you find yours. 1990 My wife and I went on a 10-day dunebuggy trip all over Baja, Mexico. During that trip, I picked up a parasite in my intestines Entomeba Histolytica. My first doctor prescribed Flagyl; a drug to kill the parasites. It didn't work. The fourth doctor and two years later finally gave me the correct program to eliminate the parasites. It worked, however, I had taken Flagyl which is a poison four different times. I mention this because I am certain that the drug Flagyl caused my ALS condition.
1992 First symptoms of ALS: My right hand became very weak.
1993 My right leg and foot became weak. Later that year the doctor diagnosed Motor Neuron problem. He didn't say ALS but I think now that he knew.
1994 Dr. Steenblock recommended multiple vitamins and minerals, including 3600 units of Vitamin E daily. Under this program, I had no further degeneration. However, I didn't get better either.
JULY 1995 Had surgery for full hip replacement due to an injury to the hip joint. Immediately following surgery, in the later half of 1995, my ALS condition worsened. It now moved to my left arm and left leg (trauma affect?).
They had me on morphine as a pain reliever following surgery and I think that was the primary cause of the increase in ALS symptoms. I continued on my vitamin program and from then on I didn't get any worse or any better.
SEPTEMBER 1996 Went to Loma Linda Hospital to an ALS specialist and finally diagnosed with ALS after EMG, bone marrow biopsy, and spinal tap. Again, I immediately got worse and I think it was the trauma for sure. My swallowing became very difficult with a lot of choking. My entire body became much weaker. My speech became difficult. I also lost about 14 pounds with a lot of muscle atrophy in my arms. I was really going downhill fast.
NOVEMBER 1996 I finally decided I had enough and I was going to go all out to see what I could do to stop this ALS problem. I went to Deborah Pomije, RN for colonic irrigation to detoxify. Additionally, she helped me with nutrition and vitamins. I continued Vitamin E and all the others but I added 200 mg Grape Seed Extract and some things to reestablish the integrity of the intestines. I sold my house and business and moved to the desert where the air is clean and the water is so pure they don't add chlorine. All toxins are now being avoided. We threw away the cat and dog flea collars, for example, as they are toxic. It is my belief that all toxins must be avoided and for another example, I don't even pump my own gas anymore so I can avoid breathing the gas fumes. Toxins are in the air, the water, and the food you eat. To avoid all preservatives and food additives, I began a strict diet. I ate nothing but fresh vegetables and some fruit, primarily apples and bananas. I gave up beer, coffee (even decaf), ice cream, sugar, salt, pepper, bread, and all dairy products except butter on my veggies and eggs.
APRIL 1997 No further degeneration. ALS symptoms seem to be stabilized. Swallowing and choking is improving.
FEBRUARY 1998 It has now been a full year since I started my program. I am absolutely certain that within this last year I am no worse than before in any area. My overall strength in my torso and arms and legs has all increased. I had my second hip replacement in July of 1997 with almost no ill affects (no morphine). My swallowing is now almost normal. I have good strength in both legs and both hands and arms. I am not as strong as before because of muscle atrophy. Any improvement is very slow but I am happy for any improvement.
ERIC VS. ALS...ERIC IS WINNING!! PART TWO
THEORY AND TOXINS (INCLUDING MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE)
you know that I have been on the Sanofi drug since October 1997. You also know that I was improving before October. If my theory is correct, and who knows, there will never be a cure for ALS in a simple pill. I believe there is a problem that must be corrected first. It is my belief that ALS is caused by toxins. Therefore, we must eliminate all toxins to which we may be exposed. As you probably know, all of us are exposed to many toxins everyday. They are in the air, the water we drink and the food we eat. Your body, including your motor neuron brain cells, has a natural protection against minor toxins in our bloodstream. However, once your body has been damaged by toxins, creating an ALS condition, you now have what my doctor calls "sick tissue" and now even minor toxins can seriously harm you. Your goal should be to make your body as pure and pristine as possible by avoiding toxins.
The following is a general outline:

1. Eliminate the toxins that cause your problem (if that hasn't already been done).
2. Avoid ALL new toxins. Drink pure water: no tap water. Avoid all insect sprays and things of that type. Read the label on everything and anything you apply to your body. The simplest way to avoid all toxins in your food is to eliminate all canned, frozen and other processed foods. The only relatively safe food to eat is fresh fruit and vegetables. If you can get organically grown fruit and vegetables, that is the best. If not, wash them with a fruit and vegetable rinse such as "Healthy Harvest" which can be purchased from a health food store.

Monosodium Glutamateor MSG is, in my opinion, to be avoided at all costs as it is probably the worst toxic additive that you find in almost all of our processed foods in the market. And if you question this at all, I suggest you read either or both of the following two books, both written by medical doctors:
a. "EXCITOTOXINS" by R.L. Blaylock, MD
b. "THE TASTE THAT KILLS" by George Schwartz, MD
These two books will tell you that MSG and aspartame (nutrasweet) kills motor neuron brain cells.
Now, friends, what causes ALS? You are right, something is killing our motor neuron brain cells. Additionally, there is a group called National Organization Mobilized to Stop Glutamates or "NoMSG." I would urge you to join them and you will receive their newsletter.
Write to NoMSG,
P.O. Box 367,
Santa Fe,
NM 87504 to join.
Send them a check for $25 for one year.
There is also some good information about MSG on the computer...the URL is as follows: http://magicnet.net/~btnature.
There are 12 pages which include such topics as "Is MSG Your Trigger?" "Hidden names of MSG", "Symptoms of MSG Sensitivity", "Tips for MSG-free diet", and "Eating in Restaurants". The avoidance of MSG in your diet is probably the most important thing I can tell you to do.
3. Find yourself a health practitioner that works with alternative treatments including colon hydrotherapy irrigation and herbs and is a nutritionist. Note, most medical doctors are not nutritionists. The first step here is to detoxify the body. This can be done in one or more ways: Sauna treatments, colonic irrigation or colon hydrotherapy, and drink lots of water.
4. Supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals including large doses of Vitamin E and Grape Seed Extract.
5. Avoid all drugs and over-the-counter medicine as most, if not all, have some toxic effect. The sole exception might be an ALS drug. I take no drugs, not even aspirin, with the sole exception that I started on the Sanofi pill in October 1997.
6. Pray. You must believe that what you are doing is going to work for you. You must maintain a positive mental attitude. I recommend a prayer. I have prayed not for God to cure me, but I asked him to help me help myself by finding a way to correct my problem.
AMALGAMS (SILVER AND MERCURY DENTAL FILLINGS)
While we are on the subject of toxins, I have some information that I would like to share. Perhaps this will clarify the issue on this very controversial subject. Here are some excerpts from a "TOXICOLOGICAL PROFILE FOR MERCURY" published by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Public Health Service, Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry:
1. "Immunological and Lymphoreticular Effects The immune reaction in humans to mercury exposure appears to be idiosyncratic, with either increases or decreases in immune activity depending on individual genetic predisposition. Therefore, it is not surprising that several studies of workers exposed to elemental mercury vapor have failed to show consistent or marked changes in immune function parameters in large populations."
2."Among a group of ten patients who reported adverse effects associated with dental amalgams (the route of exposure is probably a mixture of inhalation exposure to mercury vapor released from the amalgams and dermal exposure to the amalgams), three had increased antiglomerular basement membrane antibodies and two had elevated antinuclear antibodies. After removal of one amalgam, there was a significant decrease in IgE (it is unknown whether other amalgams remained)."
3. "Other experimental evidence suggests that mercury can alter a number of parameters of the host's immune system and lead to increased susceptibility to infections, autoimmune diseases and allergic manifestations."
4. "The central nervous system is probably the most sensitive target organ for metallic mercury vapor exposure."
5. "A primary source of mercury exposure for many populations is through consumption of methylmercury-contaminated fish and shellfish. Another common source of human exposure to mercury is dental fillings that contain metallic mercury as part of the amalgam. That such exposure can contribute to the existing body burden of mercury has been well documented in the scientific literature, but whether such exposure by itself presents a significant health risk is still a matter of some scientific discussion." Draw your own conclusions.
ERIC VS. ALS...ERIC IS WINNING! PART THREE
The purpose here is to tell you everything I did; my complete program. Let me first remind you that my condition was going downhill fast in late 1996 and that is when I started this program. Since then, I have had no worsening condition of any type and my strength and swallowing is much improved. I am a 68 year old man and I have now had ALS for over five years. You need to be working with a nutritionist preferably someone who understands detoxification and dietary supplements. By following a program like this, you are eliminating most all new toxins such as MSG and other food additives. We are all different. I would not recommend that you follow my program. It should be modified to suit you. For example, you should have a blood test before adding DHEA to your diet.
ERIC'S PROGRAM COLONIC HYDROTHERAPY
Two treatments a week for two months. Then, twice a month for two months, and now I continue one a month. Additionally, I did a liver detox by taking 2 oz. virgin olive oil and 2 oz. of fresh lemon juice the night before a Hydrotherapy treatment. This was done twice about two months apart in early 1997.
INTESTINAL PARASITES
My nutritionist suspected that I had parasites in my intestine because I had a mild diarrhea problem for some time. She recommended an herbal treatment that I took in conjunction with Hydrotherapy. It worked. After four years, I finally had normal bowel movements.
INTEGRITY OF THE GUT
It is absolutely imperative, in order to have good health, that your digestive system be functioning normally. The third step for me to do this was to take Ultra Flora Plus DF by Metagenics to reestablish the good bacteria in the intestine.
FRESH VEGETABLE JUICE
We make 15 oz. of fresh vegetable juice daily. Typically one apple, two carrots, two celery stalks, 1/4 bunch spinach, 1/4 bunch parsley, and one clove garlic. We add all of my vitamins to this juice in a blender. All vitamins are purchased in powder or liquid form. A couple of pills are in capsules and we pull them apart and dump out the powder. Two other tablets we grind into a powder. I drink about 40% of this in the morning, 35% at lunch and 25% at dinner.
The following is a list of vitamins and supplements:
Vitamin A 25000 iu
Vitamin E 2400 iu
B Complex with Vitamin B-l 50 mg
Flax Seed Oil 14 g
DHEA300 mg
Vitamin B-l 200 mg
Selenium 100 mcg
Calcium-Citrate Calcium 1000 mg
Magnesium 500 mg
Vitamin D 100 iu
Grape Seed Extract 200 mg (Pycnogenol) Metagenics
Ultra Potent Vitamin C 1000 mg
Lipoic Acid 100 mg
Ginkgo Biloba Extract 60 mg
Multigenics Powder by Metagenics - Multi Vitamins & Multi Minerals 10 g
Ultra Clear Sustain by Metagenics (Sustained Nutrition Beverage Mix) (Gastrointestinal Support Program) 60 g
Buy the best vitamins money can buy. Get natural instead of synthetic whenever possible. Metagenics products can only be purchased through a professional nutritionist. We buy ours from our nutritionist who is listed below. You can call her, place your order and she'll have it drop-shipped to your address:
Deborah Pomije, RN C.C.T. Phone (760) 325-2757
For the Health of It 340 S. Farrell Dr., Ste. A-110 Palm Springs, CA 92262

Here is the rest of my diet:
BREAKFAST Two poached eggs (no bread, coffee or salt & pepper) or cereal from health food store with a sliced banana (no dairy milk; use rice milk) or all natural cooked six-grain cereal from health food store.
LUNCH Mixed nuts, raw pumpkinseeds and maybe an orange, apple or a banana.
DINNER A pot of steamed vegetables such as asparagus, cauliflower, yams, potatoes, green beans, squash, cabbage, Brussels sprouts & broccoli. We cook at least five or six all in one pot for one meal. Occasionally a separate bowl of all natural brown rice or beans. I avoid fish because of possible mercury. The only beef I eat which is only occasionally is Mannings. It is supposedly free of all additives. It is expensive, but very good and I think reasonably safe. I follow this program, and I have for over a year, to the letter. It won't work if you cheat. Every time I have tried cheating, my body tells me about it. For many years, I would eat ice cream in the late evening after dinner. I had to give that up along with a lot of other things that I used to enjoy. For a late evening snack, I now eat fresh grapes or dried fruit (no preservatives) like apricots. Fresh dates are pretty good. I have recently added Creatine Monohydrate (5 g) to my vegetable drink.

According to the medical profession, there is no cure for ALS. Well, I'm here to tell you that I am absolutely improved from a year ago by following my program above. It may not be a cure, but it is the best thing I know of. It would be my greatest pleasure to see anyone else follow a similar program and obtain the improvement that I have enjoyed. I invite anyone to let me know your progress and I would be happy to answer any questions.
Lots of luck,
Eric Edney
ALS vs ERIC.....ERIC IS WINNING! PART FOUR

AMALGAMS (SILVER AND MERCURY DENTAL FILLINGS)
If you read the first three parts of this article, you know that my theory is that ALS is caused by toxins (poison) accumulating in your system. Mercury is a poison. I sincerely believe that if you want to make any attempt at extending the life an ALS patient, you must first eliminate all toxins including amalgams. There is a lot of controversy about dental fillings. I would like to share with you my opinion based on an accumulation of hard evidence. Here are some facts.
Fact #1 Mercury is toxic. Now why anyone would want to put that in your mouth in a dental filling is beyond me. Mercury fillings are illegal in three European countries.
Fact #2 Mercury in your system attacks your nervous system.
Fact #3 According to a recent U.S. Government report, amalgams do release mercury in your system. By gnashing of teeth and drinking hot liquids, you increase the amount of mercury going into your system by as much as 500%. The amount might be very minute but over a period of years it can amount to a great deal.
Fact #4 People with mercury poisoning develop ALS symptoms.
Fact #5 Again from the Government study, there are two major sources of mercury poisoning from other than the workplace. They are fish and amalgams.
Fact #6 Mercury is found in greater quantities in fish further up the food chain. Therefore, the bigger fish have more mercury. The obvious reason for this is that mercury stays in your body. It doesn't just pass through.

Now the rest of this is my opinion based on the above facts.
The reason there is a lot of controversy about amalgams is because ALS patients have had their fillings replaced and they didn't get any better. This is a little bit like having a bathtub overflowing with water. You shut off the water, but you haven't solved the problem. You still need to drain the tub and mop up. The problem with the mercury is you have ten or twenty years of accumulation in your body. Now you remove your fillings and again all you have done is stop the source. You must do something to remove the mercury from your system. There is one thing I know for sure about ALS having had it for six years, and that is there is nothing for sure. Amalgams may not be the cause of every ALS occurrence. However, if you want to get well, I think the first thing you have to do is get rid of the fillings. There is one more thing. There seems to be a direct relationship between the number of fillings and the age of onset and the speed of progression of ALS symptoms. Most people don't get ALS until age 55, but if you have a lot of fillings, it may occur earlier and progress more rapidly. It may interest you to know that amalgams have been around since the 1850's. ALS was first diagnosed in the 1890's. Think about that for just a minute. It looks like it took about 40 years for the mercury to begin taking effect. I only had two fillings to replace and I didn't get ALS until age 63 and my progression has been fairly slow. Therefore, my program of diet and supplements is working for me. Others of you may have to take more drastic measures to eliminate mercury. I would suggest you look into chelation therapy. I'm not a medical doctor or anything like that. However, I am totally convinced that what I have written here is of tremendous importance to all you ALS patients. It is my greatest hope and prayer that I can influence even some of you and that this will help you extend your life.
Best regards,
Eric Gredney
ERIC VS. ALS...ERIC IS WINNING - PART FIVE

It has now been six months since I wrote four-part article about my successful treatment of my ALS condition. I write this update for the purpose of encouraging other PALS to follow a program similar to mine. It has now been a total of 21 months since I started my program and I continue to improve. I started my program November 1996 and within four or five months, had a great deal of improvement in swallowing, eating food, weight gain and overall strength. The rate of my improvement seemed to slow down after that. When I started on Sanofi in October 1997 I noticed no change at all. Please note that I had this improvement even though I had two amalgam fillings. Along toward the end of 1997, I became dissatisfied with my improvement rate. My improvement had slowed down to a snail's crawl and actually my left arm was getting worse, but only my left arm. Overall strength was improving and walking got a little easier but the improvement rate was slow. My speech during this time did not improve at all. Conferring with other PALS, primarily Roy, I became totally convinced that amalgam fillings must be eliminated. There really shouldn't be any question or discussion about this. The simple matter is amalgams are 50% mercury and mercury is 100% poison. I have a U.S. Government report that states clearly the following:
1. It is well-documented that amalgams cause health problems.
2. The two major sources of mercury poisoning are fish and dental amalgams.
I finally found the right dentist to replace my two amalgam fillings in March of 1998. About ten days after that, my speech began to improve. However, it was short-lived. My speech is better now, but it would come and go during the last few months. I now speak well enough that I recently gave a speech that lasted one hour to a group of other PALS. I was pretty happy about being able to do that. I could not have done that prior to the removal of the amalgams. Additionally, changes occurred in my mouth. I used to have lower jaw drop, i.e., I would catch myself with my mouth hanging open on its own. That doesn't happen anymore. My ALS doctor says the atrophy that was previously noticed in my tongue is now gone.
Now here is one for you that really surprised me. I mentioned my left arm was getting worse. I not only had increasing weakness in my left arm, but I had arthritis in my left shoulder joint. The medical doctor x-ray'd it in late 1997 and said I needed a replacement joint. I have had arthritis in both hip joints that occurred after I got ALS. I had one hip join replaced in July 1995 and the other one replaced in July 1997. Now here is the surprise. The arthritis in my left shoulder has improved beyond anything I could have imagined or hoped for. Following my July 1997 surgery, I didn't drive for six months. When I began driving, I was shocked to learn that I couldn't even raise my left arm high enough without severe pain to pull the turn signal handle. I could not use my left arm for steering at all. It simply didn't work and there was a great deal of pain if I tried. I can now work the turn signal without pain or restriction and I can steer with my left hand almost as well as my right. I am certain I won't have to have a replacement joint now. Again, this change occurred after the removal of my dental amalgams. Please keep in mind that the removal of amalgams in itself may or may not help. The problem is the mercury has gone into your system for the last ten or twenty years from your amalgams. Therefore, normally you need to follow a two-step process:
1. Removal of amalgams.
2. Detoxify the body of mercury. This can best be done through chelation therapy. Normal chelation therapy is done to improve your circulation. It depends on what elements are used. There is an element that can be used in the chelation process that binds with mercury and then carries it out of your system. Anyone interested in finding a physician trained in chelation therapy can contact the following: AMERICAN COLLEGE FOR ADVANCEMENT IN MEDICINE
23121 Verdugo Dr.,
Suite 204 Laguna Hills,
CA 92653 Phone (714) 583-7666
or Toll Free Outside CA: (800) 532-3688
Since I only had two amalgam fillings, and had been improving even before I had them replaced, I decided not to do chelation therapy immediately. Instead, I had a hair analysis done which will give you a clue as to the mercury content in your body as well as a host of other things. I would recommend you do that. It is very interesting. My is not fast enough. I guess I should not complain about that. I would also encourage you to visit the following websites which of course support my theory.
"THE MERCURY CONNECTION" http://www.iinet.com/users/royden/index.htm
"THE JOURNEY" http://www.shoptown.com/dean/The_Journey.htm
"ANTI OXIDANTS & ALS" http://www.goulburn.net.au/~shack/mystudy.htm

According to the medical community, there is no cure or treatment for ALS. I can't claim to have a cure for ALS, but my program is sure as hell working for me! I am 1000% happier than I was in November 1996 when my ALS specialist medical doctor told me to go home and die. I am sure glad I did not listen to him. I don't pay any attention to W. Sampson either. He just doesn't understand. If any PALS reading this has any questions or if I can be of any help in any way, feel free to contact me at my e-mail address. I encourage all of you to not wait for the cure. I don't think it will be coming soon. You better help yourself now.
Best of luck to all of you,
Eric Edney
P.S. Don't forget to pray!!
ALS & Vitamins

You asked about vitamins. I buy most of my vitamins through The Vitamin Shoppe. Here is there website address link: Vitamin Shoppe The cost is much lower for name brands than in the stores. However, quality is more important than cost. I prefer natural vitamins. The most important vitamin I believe is vitamin E.

According to what I have read, E can be made three different ways. The best vitamin E is "non- esterified-All Natural Vitamin E Mixed Tocopherols Hypoallergenic". The one I use is made by Kordial Products, 1701 W. Walnut Hill, Irving, TX 75038 Phone 800-527-9512. I use "E-400 MIXED WITH SESAME." Kordial Product number is 984OL You can use Mastercharge to place order. It is important to take vitamin E through the day with meals rather than all at once. I'm currently taking three capsules with each meal. That means I'm taking a total of 3600 units daily. I have taken this vitamin E before, but I changed a few months ago. I am now changed back to this vitamin E and I do believe I am feeling more improvement daily since I changed so I would recommend these wholeheartedly.
Best regards,
Eric Gredney

Hairanalysis indicated that my mercury level was only borderline. Remember, I only had two fillings. Coincidentally, I read about cilantro and its ability to remove mercury from your system. I have added a handful of cilantro to my morning drink. That is, I run it through the vegetable juicer. I only started this recently so it's a little early to draw any conclusion. However, I do have some indication that it is working and my gut feeling is the same. Since the removal of my amalgam fillings, my overall condition is improving at a more rapid rate than before. There is nothing else that I can attribute this to. I have made no other changes in my program. I have been following my program religiously for 21 months now. Of course, there is a downside of this. I have worn out two vegetable juicers, one blender and one caregiver wife!! I could not begin to thank my caregiver wife enough for all that she does to help me on my program. She did it without complaining even though in the beginning she thought I was nuts! She now realizes I am only half nuts!! Ha ha ha I really wish I could encourage all of you to follow a similar program.