What 8 Years of Holistic MS Management Have Taught Me 💡

“It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” 

I’ve been telling myself this from the beginning. After 8 years of managing my MS holistically, I can say one thing for sure: that mindset was the right one.

Because no one lives in my body but me. No one feels my symptoms. No one knows my limits, my signals, or my reactions better than I do. I’m the one doing the work. And over time, the results speak for themselves.

After 8 years of holistic MS management, here’s what works for me: regular osteopathy, an approach to food that fits my body, medical cannabis with the right terpenes, and supplements added one at a time. It’s not a miracle product. It’s consistency. It’s patience. It’s listening.

Coffee & medication in the morning

“I’ve never seen you this well”

Last October, my osteopath — who has been following me for about 8 years — looked at me walk and said, “I’ve never seen you this well.”

After 8 years.

That sentence meant a lot to me. Not because it points to some kind of perfect outcome, but because it shows that I’m maintaining. That I’m not declining. That everything I’m doing is working together.

He also told me I’m his most aware and motivated MS patient. Well, I’m knocked out for two days after my treatments, but I still like him anyway.

A protocol that keeps evolving

What matters most is this: my approach is not fixed. It evolves with me. Because my body changes, my needs change, and my choices have to keep up.

I started with the Wahls Protocol, with its nine cups of vegetables a day and all the discipline that comes with it. For a while, it helped me. But over the years, I realized my body and vegetables were not always the best match. Constant bloating, discomfort, unnecessary stress.

So I adjusted. Today, I’m closer to a carnivore approach, and it works better for me. Less bloating, less stress, fewer symptoms. For me, it’s that simple.

Medical cannabis as an ally

I’ve had my medical permit for 6 years, and I grow my own plants every summer so I can stay self-sufficient for most of the year.

Summer 2025, my trains for the year are Super Boof, Cherry Garcia, and Freeland. I’m mainly looking for the terpenes that help with pain and stiffness: myrcene, beta-caryophyllene, linalool, and humulene.

CBD alone doesn’t do much for me. I need THC, and more importantly, the right combination of compounds to feel a real difference. For me, the entourage effect is what matters. I use my PAX vaporizer, and it has become an important part of my routine.

Adding less, observing more

When it comes to supplements, I follow one simple rule: one at a time.

I don’t want to stack ten things at once. I want to know what actually helps me. Right now, I’m taking NeuroPrime, D3-K2, bioidentical hormones, and I’ve just added Lion’s Mane. I take my time to find the right dose before changing anything else.

A friend who also lives with MS recently mentioned niacinamide, with impressive results. I’m keeping it in mind, but I don’t need to try everything at once. I observe. I integrate. I adjust.

Because if everything changes at the same time, there’s no way to know what’s really working.

My real indicators

I’ve also chosen to let some things go. MRIs, for example. After 8 years, I made the decision to stop doing them.

Why? Because at this point, they don’t change my day-to-day approach. I look at what really matters:

• Am I walking better?

• Is it easier to get up?

• Is my body holding up?

• Am I maintaining instead of declining?

Those are the signals that matter to me. Not images that stress me out for nothing. And when you live with MS, stress doesn’t help.

The message underneath it all

What I’ve learned is that a lot of people want to fix everything right away after a diagnosis. They try ten things at once, get discouraged, and give up because they’re looking for a perfect, fast, dramatic solution.

I chose the opposite.

I moved step by step. I refined my cannabis routine over several years. I stayed consistent with my osteopath. I adjusted my diet instead of forcing myself to stick with something that didn’t fit. I added supplements slowly and intentionally.

I know full well that some parts of my MS will always be harder than others. But my goal is not to control everything. My goal is not to decline. And so far, I’m maintaining.

For anyone living this too

I’m not here to tell you what to do. No one lives in your body — not even me, with 8 years of experience behind me.

I’m simply sharing my marathon, in case it gives you ideas for yours. Because sometimes, what makes the biggest difference isn’t speed. It’s consistency.

And you — what’s your approach to managing MS?