The voices behind liberation therapy for multiple sclerosis treatment are growing louder, and now include another local woman.

Diagnosed with MS more than 22 years ago, Vickie Jackson said she thinks the MS Society, as well as provincial and federal governments should do more to support the controversial therapy.

Jackson was involved with the MS Society and helped raise money, but said she has distanced herself from the organization as they have been taking too much time to support the treatment, despite the number of success stories.

"They didn't support us and that was hope for us," she said, adding it has been frustrating.

The first signs of MS for Jackson, who lives on a farm outside Kitscoty, was when she began to have problems with her vision, which led to a series of tests and a diagnosis six months later.

"I think because I was so young, and because I had family members with MS I had seen deteriorating, I was scared," said Jackson, whose daughter was three-years-old at the time.

"When I first had flare-ups, it was bad because I was a young mother and had a young child. But you just carry on and you do what you have to do whether it's fun or not."

Jackson described 10 years of day-to-day life as an emotional roller coaster, as she experienced everything from depression and anger during bad days to feeling optimistic on the better days.

But two years ago, her symptoms began to worsen into what she called a downward spiral.

"Just things like my walking started getting worse, my balance, stairs, I had a hard time doing stairs without someone being there with me," said Jackson. "Life was going downhill, I wasn't enjoying it and I couldn't enjoy it."

After the possibility of getting liberation therapy as treatment became an option, Jackson headed to India last August where she was diagnosed with chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) and given the treatment soon after.

As she was still lying on the table, she noticed her colour vision seemed more vivid and brighter than before.

The next morning, she got out of bed and ran to the bathroom without realizing what she'd done.

"No cane, not hanging on to walls, nothing, I just gave 'er," said Jackson, adding it was her friend that pointed it out.

"Since then, I've been out playing with my horses, I can shovel snow. If I stay home three days of the week, that's a lot. I am living my life."

As a breast cancer survivor and an MS patient, Jackson said she fought with the same choices when deciding about liberation therapy as she did with surgery, chemo and radiation to rid her body of the cancer.

"It was the same thing, do you take a chance? Yes, I want to take a chance because I want to live and have a good life," she said, adding she quickly got to the point with MS where you will take any risk to find a cure.

With first-hand experience feeling relief from her MS symptoms, Jackson said the MS Society has no excuse for stalling when it comes to supporting the treatment.

Through a personal network of friends and contacts, Jackson knows more than 25 patients who have been treated in the area, all of which have seen a reduction in their symptoms.

"What do they need for proof? Their research, have we not done it for them? I want them to approve this."

http://www.meridianbooster.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3038791