COURAGE vs. CULT

Without belittling the courage with which men have died, we should not forget those acts of courage with which men have lived. The courage of life is often a less dramatic spectacle than the courage of a final moment; but it is no less a magnificent mixture of triumph and tragedy. A man does what he must—in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures—and that is the basis of all human morality. In whatever arena of life one may meet the challenge of courage, whatever may be the sacrifices he faces if he follows his conscience—the loss of his friends, his fortune, his contentment, even the esteem of his fellow men—each man must decide for himself the course he will follow. The stories of past courage can define that ingredient—they can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul.~ John F. Kennedy


Recently an article by an MS blogger named Trevis pointed fingers at CCSVI activists for crashing an MS Walk and showing off their improved health from the CCSVI treatment. I saw clips on the news and I thought it was brilliant but apparently some folks who are not on the CCSVI bandwagon felt like they were being attacked and belittled for not believing in the treatments benefits. I know one of the ladies who was part of this publicity stunt and I can assure you that was not her intention or any of the others involved either. They simply wanted to show the world the benefits they obtained from treatment and mock the MS Society for their laughable contributions to research and treatment of blocked veins.


What struck me during this debacle was Trevis, who apparently has MS, would rather sit on the sidelines and wait until he has been handed concrete proof that MS and CCSVI are linked. Where is the proof that MS is auto immune. The reason I chose to be treated was because my health was declining and I could not bear being disabled to the point where my quality of life was severely impaired. I didn`t just jump into having the treatment either. I dont recommend anyone doing that. I did massive amounts of research for months on end and I was still not convinced 100% until after I had the treatment and started noticing the benefits. Perhaps Trevis is at a point in his life and disease where he can afford to wait and see. I have no qualms with that. Our lives and our health are very personal and we should all have the choice to be treated or not. What I wonder sometimes, though, is fear the real reason people like Trevis want to cling to their disease. Is the relationship between MS and the patient like the kidnapper and the victim. After spending so much time together a bond forms between them.


I have always denied my limitations. When someone says `you can`t do that.`I take it as a personal challenge and endeavor to show them I certainly can and will. Perhaps for some people, fear of the disease must be greater than fear of the unknown treatment. Is it a sign of a weak mind to want to be told what to do by the neurologists. I think not. For years the neuros were all we had. They were our life line and they did the best for us that they could based on the current understanding of MS and the treatments available. I get that. Now, however, a new paradigm in the cause and treatment of MS is emerging and not only Doctors are balking at it but MS patients too! Sometimes I cynically think that this is all part of natural selection and the stronger, more adaptable species will prevail. The people that refuse to leave the burning building will perish in the flames and the ones that got out will live.


I applaud the group in Seattle who staged that publicity stunt. They have overcome their fear of the unknown. They have made the conscious choice to throw off the shackles of MS and break free from their kidnapper. To me this is one hell of a courageous act and I am proud to be a CCSVI activist.