***Information about claiming benefits is now on our Information Page*** ***Thank you to the lovely Hann-FX and Jordy-MC - talented, local hip-hop outfit, who donated a portion of their busking money to Without Wings*** ***Tale of the Unexpected: Healing Against the Odd - FULL REPORT BELOW*** ***Important Disclaimer*** ***Without Wing's ethos is compassion and respect for people living with these illnesses - hence our counselling and home help initiatives, and the whole purpose of the charity's existence. The topic of natural healing, especially within the emotive arena of food and movement can, for some, be stressful or upsetting. Without Wings respects this. Inspirational talks such as these do not necessarily reflect the views of the charity. We have designed them for those sufferers - or their loved ones, for whom natural healing plays an important role in how they deal with their diagnosis, and who want help sifting through and exploring the conflicting information. Without Wings accepts no responsibility for how people choose to manage their condition as a result of these talks. We also strongly advise that if you choose to follow any such regime, you do so in close partnership with your healthcare practitioners :) *** Without Wing's first ever big event last Sunday was a HUGE success! Thank you so much to everyone involved who helped us with the organisation, especially Hann-FX and Jordy-MC on amplification, Heidi Danaher on Thermomix demonstration and smoothies, and Emma Lynch from Flour Power, the Vegan Bakery in Port Erin. All these services and the food were provided free of charge. Thanks also to the wonderful Noa Bakehouse for providing such a great venue, to our speakers: Danny Preil and Andy Swarbrick and our wonderful audience - the atmosphere felt really positive and friendly. This was a real privilege to see given that these illnesses can be incredibly challenging. The venue was packed out - far exceeding our expectations, with something in the region of 90 tickets sold. We hadn't anticipated it being such a huge success and hope everyone eventually found somewhere to sit! It was brought to our attention that for future events of this kind, people who are really suffering need access to more comfortable seating. This request has been noted and in future - if we use Noa, which we would like to do, we will reserve comfortable seats for people who need them. There is too much to report here regarding the actual contents of the talks. For those interested, the event was videoed and we are hoping to attain a copy. Danny and Andy have also offered to forward their power point presentations which we will load somewhere on the site in the near future. Here is a basic synopsis: 1. The programme our speakers follow is a low-fat plant based diet that is designed to heal the gut. It was developed by Australian RA sufferer, Clint Paddision. 2. Intricate record/ chart keeping and food testing helped with recording progress, identifying trouble foods and/or external stressors. These charts also acted as important motivators. 3. Both speakers experienced significant additional benefit when they added in intense aerobic exercise. For Danny this has been swimming. For Andy, bikram yoga. 4. There were set backs for both during their healing. Both also worked in close partnership with their hospital departments and closely monitored their blood test results. This is not a programme that is against medication. Its primary purpose is to lower inflammation in the body and meds are recognised as an important tool during this process. Danny and Andy have only lowered their medication when it was agreed safe to do so by their rheumatologist. They continue to monitor their health and blood tests. 5. Neither speaker claims to be 'healed' or 'cured'. Both are off medication, symptom free and now eat a wide range of plant based food, but they still monitor their bodies and treat them with respect. 6. This is a holistic approach that involves not just food and exercise, but minimising stress, obtaining correct medical support, goal setting, constant exploration of what works and what doesn't, and motivational chart keeping. A support system is also essential. Highlights of the evening! Andy's bikram yoga demonstration! At 65 Andy has suffered from various forms of arthritis : psoriatic, rheumatoid and also osteo, for over 40 years. Prior to changing to a low fat, plant based diet and attending 90 minute bikram yoga classes (which he regularly does back to back - once for 4 classes in a row!) He was wheelchair bound, waiting for knee replacements and in the process of purchasing a motability scooter. He also has extensive damage in his right elbow. After seeing photographs of him bed and wheelchair bound with huge swollen feet, we watched a demo of eagle and balancing stick yoga poses. He also showed us his newfound ability to kneel - something he hadn't been able to do for 40 years. Danny's stool discussion! We bet that when Danny was a child and asked what he would like to do when he was older, he never said "stand up in a packed room and discuss my bowel movements!" Yet that was precisely what he did last Sunday! Fun - but intriguing too - seeing lab results that provided first hand proof of just how much bad bacteria he had in his gut when he was very ill. We were also blown away by how well he managed to deliver his entire presentation in English! A mighty feat! Without Wings is very grateful to all the people who filled out questionnaires, and/ or came to speak to us at the end. Andy has said he's happy for us to hand out his email if people want to know any more so please message us privately if you would like this. Here's a breakdown of the 24 completed questionnaires we received: 14 responses were from people with some form of autoimmune arthritis, 4 were from people supporting loved ones, 6 were from people interested in prevention or general health. Every single response said the event had been helpful or inspirational and that they would definitely like more events of this kind. All comments were positive with one request for more comfortable seating for sufferers and another request for audience questions to be repeated - so sorry! In future, yes, we will keep this in mind. There were extra positive comments regarding the food and also two offers of help - thank you very much to these people, we will definitely be taking you up on this offer in the future. We will also begin to send our blog posts out via email to people who left their addresses, so everyone can be kept informed about future events. Cost: 19 responses said £12 was about right, 5 said it was 'a little expensive'. This has been noted. We felt the cost was about right. However, we had no idea the event would be so well attended - £600 was needed to cover our speakers' travel costs and venue hire. Ticket costs were based on what we thought to be a rather hopeful prediction of 50-60 attendees. Selling the tickets via Eventbrite to give people easy ticket access also incurred a cost which the Trustees had agreed was acceptable. In the end the event cost the charity nothing and made over £300. This will now go towards our counselling initiative. As such talks are part of providing positive information, it might be acceptable that future events can be subsidised for people living with these conditions. This is to be discussed by the Trustees, but will also depend on funds as currently our counselling and home help initiatives are taking priority. Our guests had a fantastic time and absolutely loved the Isle of Man! They have actually asked to come back for our next event of this type - but in a supportive role. We are therefore currently looking into holding a similar talk next year featuring female 'recoverers,' to provide a perspective on natural healing from a women's point of view. We are also considering other compassionate and positive events for sufferers and their loved ones, such as a Complementary Health for Autoimmune Arthritis day. This would be subsidised for sufferers. Many thanks once again to everyone for your amazing support. If anyone has any good photographs of the event, we would love to see them. Ours will be launched on the homepage.
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***This Sunday, July 23rd, 7.30pm at Noa Bakehouse*** Without Wings will be hosting our first major event... Tales of the Unexpected: Natural Healing Against the Odds. ***Tickets still available on our Facebook page*** Or just turn up and pay on the door. Natural healing is a sensitive topic. There's masses of information available nowadays, but with so much of it being confusing and conflicting, those who want to give it a go often stumble at the first hurdle. Without Wings therefore decided to make it our mission to source real life success stories from people with proven results. Incredibly, we found that we easily sourced not just one, but TWO speakers, who, crucially have both recovered from Rheumatoid and Psoriatic Arthritis, USING THE SAME PROGRAMME! As ex-sufferers, Andy Swarbs from the UK and Danny Preil from the Netherlands, will be with us this Sunday, we therefore thought what better way to introduce their event, than by actually interviewing the devisor of the Paddison Programme for Rheumatoid Arthritis himself, Clint Paddsion!
Here it is! Without Wings... Hi Clint! Thank you so much for speaking with us today. This is such a fantastic opportunity for those people on the Island with autoimmune arthritis who really want to take control of their situation. We hope you enjoy us picking your brains! So for the first question... Low fat, plant based diets in general seem to be taking the natural healing world by storm. You tuber, ‘Healing Josephine,’ has just declared she’s off all medication, and even Venus Williams is using LFPB to manage Sjogren’s Syndrome. However, there are thousands of healing programmes out there, from deep liver cleanses to paleo or grandma’s honey and cinnamon recipe. Is plant based just another trend? Are these success stories luck? Or is there some real science behind this? Clint… Yes low-fat plant-based diets are certainly taking the world by storm as we begin to understand the power of this way of eating. There is no luck involved in getting well from a chronic disease. It requires a tremendous amount of determination, patience and discipline. When I was going through my own journey with rheumatoid arthritis, there was very little information available for me. Trying to work out what foods I should be eating and how I should be exercising, was like searching in the dark. I was determined though, and was very lucky in that I have a scientific background. This gave me the confidence to read and interpret medical literature, then apply the principles of scientific research to my health journey. This is how I devised the Paddison Programme. Now if people are looking for something that actually works, it’s much more straightforward to access the right information. Without Wings… On the topic of determination, you’re often quoted as referring to RA as being “the worst disease on the planet.” There are of course, lots of terrible diseases. What is it about RA that made it such an awful experience for you and made you so determined to get well? Clint… Rheumatoid arthritis has a way of reducing your hope and your happiness and completely suppressing your quality of life. Even at a maximum tablet dose of 25mg/week Methotrexate, I was in agony for years with severe inflammation in my jaw, chest, elbows, knee, wrists, ankles and feet. As I’m sure you yourself know, some mornings it was impossible to get out of bed. And if it’s not bad enough having a disease that creates such pain and disability, the medications suggested for this condition can have serious side-effects. Most commonly we hear about fatigue, nausea and ‘brain-fog’. However, there are also hidden side effects and one of these includes a worsening of the actual underlying cause - the condition of our digestive tracts. It wasn’t until I got my diet and exercise right that my blood-work began to normalise and I was finally able to safely get off my medication. Without Wings… Ah yes, the topic of medication. It’s an interesting one. Medications, as I’m sure you’ll agree, are usually absolute - if not literal, life savers. However, toxicity aside, many people with autoimmune arthritis are desperate to get off these meds because of the side effects. When people commit to the Paddison Programme, at what point do they know it’s safe to begin to lower their meds? Clint… Firstly, thank goodness for medications. Without them I would never have recovered from my rheumatoid arthritis. In Australia the max Methotrexate dose is 25mg/week. I needed to take this amount of Methotrexate for several years just to get me through the days. Without it I would not have had the quality of life to work on my diet and exercise. Plus, inflammation begets inflammation, so we certainly need to see medications as an important tool in the toolbox that can give us significant symptomatic relief. If a rheumatoid arthritis patient is looking to get off medications entirely then they need to hit a sequence of important milestones in order to do so. They must also work closely with the Rheumatologist to hit these milestones. This will vary from Rheumatologist to Rheumatologist, but mine required me to hit perfectly normal monthly blood inflammation levels, pass physical assessments of swelling and inflammation, and have an overall feeling of well-being. Once I hit these markers, we tapered my Methotrexate down bit by bit and kept an eye on my progress month to month. Meanwhile, I adhered to the Paddison Program closely, so that I didn't inadvertently trigger more inflammation. Without Wings… So clearly the Paddison Programme is not just about food, but other elements too - such as the exercise you have mentioned. What type of exercise do you recommend? And is there anything else we need to know about that contributes to success with the Paddison Programme? Clint… The Paddison Program is a holistic approach. It addresses not just diet but also intense aerobic exercise - of which Bikram yoga is my preference. It also focuses on stress reduction, and some optional supplements. Mindset is important too. I encourage everyone who follows the programme to write out 5 reasons why they MUST get well, and pin these somewhere where they’ll see them everyday. Keeping charts are also vital. Monitoring your success and your triggers is a powerful motivator. In addition to this, a medication review is essential. Many of the medications themselves contribute to the disease as I mentioned above. Without Wings… Your programme sounds very exciting, but what if I’m not ready for such a huge lifestyle change? Or what if I’m just looking to prevent illness? Are there any small changes you might suggest people make in order to see a difference? Clint… Two simple tips I tell everyone, not just people with rheumatoid arthritis: 1) Eat more greens. These leafy greens like bok choy, cos lettuce, romaine lettuce - anything that is leafy and green and grew in the garden. These are wonderful for alkalising the body and are rich in minerals. Of the highest importance, they are ideal food for your gut bacteria. If we concentrate on creating a wonderful environment so beneficial bacteria can thrive and exist in great diversity, then we are going to receive optimal health. 2) Finish your meals by 7 PM at night. Our digestive juices are optimised with daytime rhythms and our ability to digest food peaks at noon. So we should eat the greatest quantity of our food around lunchtime and we should not eat long after the sun has set when digestion is weak and the body begins to enter its resting period. Without Wings… This is wonderful information Clint and so inspiring. We would also like to say a huge ‘congratulations!’ Because we’ve heard that you’ve been safely off meds now for over five years! That must feel incredible. Can you please tell our readers how you are now? Can you eat whatever you like? Do you still have niggles or set backs? Basically, are you better? Clint… I'm great. Niggles come only from some structural alignment issues I have with my left knee and my elbows as over the course of the illness these became significantly damaged. I’m working hard to rehabilitate them through Bikram yoga or working out at the gym. Through Bikram I have been able to develop more flexibility and structural alignment. The gym has allowed me to strengthen my major muscles and create a stronger self-confidence in my body. As the connective tissue around the joints (the ligaments and tendons) have been strengthened my joints have improved and give me very little problem - as long as I don't try and push them too much through running or ball sports (tennis/golf) which require heavy use of my elbows. If I don’t do my preferred exercise, or if I sleep awkwardly, I occasionally get uncomfortable in my damaged joints, but these are non-inflammatory issues. I see them as a motivator to keep me being disciplined about continual improvement. My diet is now standard whole food plant based, without restrictions on fat content. I'm thriving, inflammation free, and loving it - and have been for years. Energy levels are normal, even though I have two young girls who get up early! They are the greatest gift from this journey into wellness. They are my world. Lot's of good times ahead for the Paddisons now, sharing the healthy path forward for others, and trying to help as many people as we can who are ready to help themselves. Without Wings… Go on then Clint, if you were to give us ‘5 top tips’ for our Inspirational Stories page, what would they be? Clint…
Without Wings… Go for it! Clint…
Thanks for that great plug Clint! And thanks so much once again for taking all this time to answer our questions! Clint… Thanks to you, and good luck with Without Wings. These illnesses are so tough. It’s a fabulous initiative and you're going to positively influence the lives of many people! ***ROLL UP, ROLL UP! IMPORTANT NEWS*** ***Tynwald Day Report*** ***Tales of the Unexpected: Healing Against the Odds - IT'S NEARLY HERE!*** ***Important information on benefits for those currently too sick to work*** ***THANK YOUS*** Welcome to Without Wing's latest blog! We have SO much information to share with you! First up - TYNWALD DAY REPORT! It was AMAZING to have so many people approach us at Tynwald. A real privilege. This charity was designed so that people living with these illnesses could have a powerful point of support and representation. We want people to therefore feel free approach us, to share with us their inspirational stories, and, if ever 'without wings,' either physically, or emotionally, to know that any request for compassionate help is completely confidential. We raised £146 at Tynwald Day through smoothie and no junk energy snack sales, our decorate the Lula Comp (in which we had 18 entries!), and the Big Ball Balancing Game! This was, of course, fantastic and made for a very busy and exciting day! However, we are still finding that these diseases are misunderstood. With these illnesses affecting so many people locally (approximately 1-1.5% of the adult population, 1 in a 1000 for children), and most commonly first striking at working / child bearing age, Without Wings is working hard to challenge common misperceptions. We therefore hope that we also raised a ton of awareness - something we will continue to do as the charity grows and develops. The Decorate the Lula comp proved too much of a challenge for our wonderful judges! The final decision was that they couldn't choose a winner because each entry was "so individual and demonstrated a high level of effort." We will therefore be featuring each entry in turn as our Facebook profile picture over the coming few months. A splendid solution! The Big Ball Balancing was intended to highlight both the importance, and the challenges of movement. Anyone who balanced over 6 seconds won a prize, though by the end of the day there were a few entrants who had mastered the art so well that we ran out of prizes and had to be reward them with extra time instead! It was a lot of fun but apologies to all the stall holders close by as we were quite noisy! So whilst we're on the subject of movement... Movement can be a sensitive topic for people living with autoimmune arthritis. There can be a lot of grieving involved, and a lot of frustration when told how important it is to exercise - especially if joints are severely affected. However, the fact remains that it is crucial to move those joints - move it or lose it so the saying goes. Yet what is the best way to keep our joints as healthy as possible? Without Wings therefore recently approached local naturopath, Jamie Wray, and asked him to write us a blog on the subject. Jamie is one half of husband and wife team, who, amongst other things, (like Jacqui Kelly's incredible massage skills!) are yoga experts. We've received the draft and are very excited to say it is super interesting, treating the subject of movement quite differently to how you might expect! It'll be launched as a blog in the beginning of August, so please keep a look out. And although the blog is not actually about yoga, whilst we've loosely mentioned the word... ***Tales of the Unexpected: Natural Healing Against the Odds!*** IT'S ONLY A WEEK AWAY! Here at Without Wings we are so excited! One of our speakers, Andy, is now an EXPERT at bikram yoga and he has promised a demo during his talk. We hope he keeps to his word too because Andy, who has a diagnosis of both PsA and RA, was, not that long ago, wheelchair bound by his disease. He is such an incredibly inspirational person and of course will be joined by the gorgeous Danny Preil from the Netherlands. Danny's story can be found under 'Inspirational Stories'... IF YOU ARE DRAWN TO THIS EVENT IN ANY WAY, PLEASE COME! Tickets available on the link above. There is so much conflicting and confusing information regarding natural healing out there, and practically everyone with these illnesses gets fed up with annoying advice from well meaning friends and relatives. Here at Without Wings we are interested in exploring one thing and one thing only : RESULTS. What is fantastic about these 2 guys is they've both been very sick, have followed the same programme - The Paddison Programme for Rheumatoid Arthritis, have had ups and downs in their healing, and they've both had to work hard. We are desperate to pick their brains. How hard is it? How easy! Is it just about food and what challenges have they met along the way? Most importantly, is it for everyone? Having them over to speak was too good an opportunity to miss. If the event proves a success we will invite other speakers in the future. The talk is entirely not for personal profit. The £12 ticket fee is to cover costs only. And hot off the press! The lovely Emma Lynch of Port Erin's vegan bakery, Flour Power, has offered to donate plant based snacks for everyone to enjoy at the event! You can find out more about her venture by clicking the link below. This event is going to be great! AND ALSO HOT OFF THE PRESS! We've managed to secure an interview with Clint Paddison himself, devisor of the Paddison Programme for Rheumatoid Arthritis!!! In order to recover from his own RA, Clint spent 5 years perfecting the programme that Danny and Andy follow. He is now doing very well indeed. More about Clint though on Saturday when we'll LAUNCH THE INTERVIEW HERE in an extra special blog!!! In other news... BENEFITS! We said we'd get this info up on our information page a while ago, so HUGE apologies. It's taken longer than expected. It'll be loaded today, so do have a look if you are currently in that situation. One of the things that seems to be stumping people is how to get these forms filled in and processed efficiently. We have therefore contacted social services and have a located a number people can phone to gain access to help with filling out their forms. It will all go on our information page. We really hope this is useful. It would appear that there are several types of benefits so finding the right one is obviously important.
And last but by no means least, Thank you to Inner Wheel, Douglas Golf Club Ladies and Manx Telecom, who have all donated to Without Wing's recently. We are so grateful. Our services are being used now, so every bit is very valuable to us. Many, many thanks. |
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January 2018
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