So much of life happens unexpectedly. For me, one unexpected turn started with a phone call from a friend of a friend who also had multiple sclerosis (MS).
At some point during the call, she began talking about alternative therapies. I have complete trust in Western medicine, so normally I would have dismissed all this, but she sparked my interest in the possibilities of holistic treatment when she said, “There are things out there that will make you feel better.”
Later, in a conversation about my recurring back pain due to a herniated disc, another friend said, “There’s a guy I go to when my back goes out. He’s a reflexologist.”
‘I’ll Get a Nice Foot Massage Out of It’
I doubted reflexology would help, but I had nothing to lose by calling him.
A man with a heavy German accent answered the phone. His name was Fritz. I didn’t say a word about my MS — because I didn’t feel there was any need to complicate the situation — but I made an appointment to see him.
When I arrived at his house, where he worked, there were two folding chairs opened and facing each other. “Well, this certainly is crazy,” I thought. I’d gone from being treated by some of the finest doctors in the most sophisticated medical facilities in the world, to sitting on a folding chair in a tiny house facing a 78-year-old man who was going to manipulate my feet. “At least I’ll get a nice foot massage out of it,” I thought.
He took my foot in his hands and began pressing. His thumbs were as strong as iron, and pain instantly rocketed through my body. Each time he pressed into my foot, I thought it had to be the most painful thing I’d ever endured — until he moved to the next spot and pressed there.
As he worked, he explained what he was doing: stimulating the nerves, which was why it hurt so much.
‘My Exhaustion Had Been Lifted’
I suspected this first foray into the world of alternative medicine would be my last, but when I got up from the folding chair, I was standing straight, which I hadn’t been able to manage without pain in several weeks.
“Well this is interesting,” I thought. “This actually helped me.” Later that night, as I was explaining the treatment to my husband, Mitt, I realized something far more exciting: My exhaustion had been lifted for a brief moment! I couldn’t ignore the fact that something had happened.
I went to see Fritz again, and I felt much more comfortable the second time. “Let me tell you something,” he said. “I get feedback from what I feel, and you’re not good — you’re all blocked up.” He started going through a list of organs that weren’t working right: My adrenal glands, liver, and kidneys were weak. “They’re all sluggish,” he said, and then looked up at me and asked, “You’re very sick, aren’t you?”
“I am,” I said.
He nodded and replied, “I treated another woman like you, and she had MS. These things I’m feeling, it feels like that. Do you have MS?”
“I do, yes,” I admitted. I was astounded. I started seeing Fritz regularly, at least three times a week. Having my feet crunched continued to be painful, but I always looked forward to our sessions. Over time, he began to include other types of therapy. We did breathing exercises, including: deep breath in through your nose, hold the breath, then deep breath out through your mouth. Repeat five times.
We also did very simple yoga poses. He would sit in his chair like a drill sergeant and direct me: Stand on one foot. Get your foot into a tree position. Spin in one direction five times.
I couldn’t do any of them. Spin five times? I could barely go around once slowly without losing my balance. If I moved too fast or tried to do too much, I would lose my balance completely. But when I’d regain my balance, he would say, “Good. Now do it again.”
We worked very hard, and it was so good for me. Within a short time I could stand on one leg, at least briefly. I could get into the tree position, and I could turn around two times, then three times, then four, five, and six times. Eventually I could turn 10 times without losing my balance.
‘I Felt My Days Begin to Expand’
There wasn’t a lot of medical logic to it, and some of it seemed silly, except for the fact that I was starting to feel better. Whatever we were doing was having a positive effect. I felt my days begin to expand. Sometimes I would go for a walk, trying to push just a little farther than I had the last time. I was making progress, taking small steps forward, admittedly — but at least I was moving forward.
I started to think of Fritz as my Opa: my dear German grandfather. When Opa passed away two-and-a-half years later, I was devastated. He’d been such an important part of my recovery and my life.
‘I’m So Glad I Pushed Myself Beyond My Comfort Level’
Gradually, reflexology, equine therapy (occupational therapy that involves working with horses), acupuncture, and a healthy diet improved my energy levels, which is what I needed to break through the block of ice I was stuck in. It didn’t happen all at once, but there were incremental improvements.
I’m so glad I pushed myself beyond my comfort level and tried new things; they’ve made all the difference in my recovery, and I’ll never forget those who encouraged and cheered me along. We all need people like that in our lives.
Ann Romney is the former first lady of Massachusetts, global ambassador of the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and author of a new memoir, In This Together. Her husband, Mitt Romney, was the Republican Party’s candidate for president in 2012.