Turningpoint Therapeutic Fasting

 

Martin Backhauß was just 24 years old when he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Severe exacerbations wore him down for years. After almost all conventional medical therapies had been exhausted, the Cologne-based multimedia producer decided to try alternative treatment methods as a last resort. The seven-week stay at Buchinger brought about the decisive turnaround. Since being treated with the Buchinger method, he is free of severe MS exacerbations and has developed a completely new outlook on life. In the following interview, Martin Backhauß speaks openly about his illness and his recovery at Buchinger.

 

Buchinger: When did you notice for the first time that you were seriously ill?

Martin Backhauß: It was in 1999. I can still remember the exact day when I first felt the effects. I was at a concert in Cologne, which I attended with friends. Back then I lived in Düsseldorf. Before the concert we met up and ate and drank together. I was 23 years old and lived the life of a „normal“ young man. A part of that life of course were alcohol, parties and long nights. On that evening I was planning to spend the night in Cologne and go back to Düsseldorf the next day. Suddenly at the concert I became very dizzy. My field of vision kept turning and it was especially bad when I jerked my head, when I stood up and then when I walked. I staggered like a drunkard, but I was sober. My friends made jokes and thought I had better go home. On the motorway it became even worse. Double vision and dizziness. I had to stop and vomit. At home it continued. I fell into bed and with every movement of my head I felt like I was riding the most violent roller coaster imaginable. I became really afraid and called the emergency physician.

He came, examined me and suspected food poisoning. He signed me off sick for several days. The symptoms went away soon afterward and I continued to live as I had before. Then one evening at the old-age home where I had a part-time job at the reception, I suddenly couldn’t say my name on the telephone. It was like I was blocked and couldn’t speak normally. I babbled - like a drunkard again. That’s when I noticed that something was really wrong.

 

Buchinger: What happened then?

Martin Backhauß: I went to the doctor many, many times. Lyme Disease or MS were suspected. I didn’t know anything about MS. During my civil service, a lot of children whom I worked with in recreational activities were bitten by ticks, so Lyme Disease seemed plausible to me. I was sent to the hospital and examined from head to toe. A spinal tap was performed as well as MRI’s of my head and spine. The ultimate diagnosis was MS. I didn’t know what to think about the diagnosis. Judging from my parents’ reaction, however, I could tell that MS was a terrible disease. As I found more and more pieces to the puzzle of my illness and the possible problems it would bring, the bottom dropped out of my world.

 

Buchinger: What treatment did you receive after the diagnosis?

Martin Backhauß: I lived through years of fear. I didn’t know how to go on living or how I should or could change my life. I kept on living as I had before and suppressed the illness emotionally. A long-term therapy with interferon was begun immediately after the diagnosis. After each injection, I experienced flu-like symptoms, including severe chills and headaches, so I had to take medications to deal with these side effects. The exacerbations continued to occur, however. During one exacerbation I was given three doses of 1000 mg of cortisone intravenously and in tablet form.

The cortisone made me aggressive and irritable. I was so charged up that I could work through the nights - it was like a constant surge of energy. Then came stomach problems which developed into cramps, headaches and the well-known side effects of cortisone. My hair fell out, my face swelled up and my eyes became glassy. The mucous membranes in my mouth dried up and my entire mouth and throat burned. After the cortisone came a phase of complete physical breakdown. My body tried to reclaim the energy it had lost. Constant tiredness, states of total exhaustion, pain, rashes, depression and extreme hoarseness were the result. The neurologist prescribed further medications. I ended up receiving injections, pain medications against the side effects of the injections, cortisone intravenously and in tablet form, stomach tablets, antidepressants, high doses of sleeping pills and tranquilisers. I lost complete control of my life.

 

Buchinger: What led you to try alternative methods?

Martin Backhauß: I was seeing a psychologist in order to deal with all of this. The exacerbations were occurring every few months and my condition was getting worse. I lost all of my friends and withdrew completely, was very depressed and often thought of suicide. Physically and emotionally at the end of my tether, I was advised by my neurologist to undergo monthly chemotherapy. That turned something around inside of me. I refused the therapy and it became clear to me that I alone had to take  responsibility for my life and my health. I pulled myself together after those six years and found out all I could about the illness and looked in the internet for people who had got their illness under control. There I found a site posted by Ivonne Radtke. Ivonne told me about the progress she had made at the Buchinger Clinic. I trusted her and applied

for a course of treatment. This was approved (by my health insurance) and soon afterward I was on my way to Buchinger without knowing exactly what to expect.

 

Buchinger: What was your condition when you began the treatment at Buchinger?

Martin Backhauß: The bureaucratic stress of getting the treatment approved in addition to my usual worries caused an exacerbation some weeks before my trip which was so severe that I had to use a wheelchair temporarily because my legs wouldn’t function. After this severe exacerbation, I arrived at Buchinger in the midst of another active exacerbation. I couldn’t coordinate my right arm or my fingers and I was in terrible pain, which is an accompanying effect of MS. This all made me very sad and worried about the prospects of success of the course of treatment.

 

Buchinger: Were you surprised at the therapy plan?

Martin Backhauss: After the physical examination, the therapy plan was drawn up. It was all new and strange to me, and I was confronted with things I had never heard of before. Fasting cures, enemas, intestinal cleansing, taking oils. But after all I was at the end of my tether and decided to do everything that was requested of me and to trust the doctors and therapists. I was completely open to everything, so I became involved in the entire Buchinger programme. I was given high doses of minerals and vitamins and followed the Kousmine nutritution programme with cleansing enemas and the intake of oils. In addition I received breathing therapy, cranial-sacral therapy, individual psychotherapy, Shiatsu, physical therapy and lots and lots of rest. I also got to know and

love the wonderful Buchinger cuisine. I was totally surprised at the possibilities that vegetarian cuisine had to offer. Every morning before breakfast, I went to the Zen meditation session, and I also attended all of the events and lectures that were offered.

 

Buchinger: What physical and emotional changes could you feel?

Martin Backhauß: Little by little, my strength returned and I trusted the Buchinger method more and more. I could shave myself again with my right hand and cut my food myself. Before the treatment I had made a decision to deal with my psyche. My feeling told me that this would be the most important step toward recovery. With the  psychologist at the Buchinger Clinic, I delved into the depths of my psyche and far into my past. Many connections became clear to me and I could deal with suppressed and painful experiences and eliminate emotional blocks. It was not an easy process, but indeed a very important one. Since the psychological work was incorporated into my therapy plans and the therapists worked hand in hand with the doctors, it was possible to

receive a holistic, comprehensive treatment. I made great progress and could feel how I was becoming stronger and more optimistic. Because the course of my illness had been well documented from the beginning and at the time of my entrance to the clinic, the doctors and nurses could see how the Buchinger concept definitely helped in my case.

 

Buchinger: What in your opinion was the key to your recovery?

Martin Backhauß: I could see how important it is to take responsibility for your own life. Of course you have to be willing to accept changes in your life and to make changes as well. There were also other MS patients at the clinic when I was there. I could see that although I was getting better, others were getting worse. However, these people were not willing to accept everything that was offered. You can’t expect that simply going to the clinic will guarantee your recovery. Someone who is not willing to give up smoking or change his or her diet or accept intestinal cleansing or integrate the therapy programme into his or her life will experience little lasting success.

 

Buchinger: You even tried a fasting cure. What was this experience like?

Martin Backhauß: Because I became involved in detail with the Buchinger programme, talked often with the doctors and could feel the improvements myself, I stopped taking the conventional medication – the injections. Prior to that I hadn’t had the courage to do so and wanted to think everything through very carefully. The success spoke for itself, however, and I wanted to begin a new life without old burdens. At this time I had the opportunity to try the legendary Buchinger fasting cure for myself. Up until then I had spoken with many guests and patients at the clinic who told of their success and how they were convinced of the fasting cure. It was also astounding for me to see the condition a number of patients were in when they came to the clinic and how much

better they were when they left again. I was careful, because I didn’t want to lose weight and had been warned by many that fasting could trigger an exacerbation. I wanted a new beginning, and the cleansing of the body plays a significant symbolic role here. The beginning was strange, and I became moody. Then after the third day, I felt a lot better. I lost weight quickly though. On the fifth day I felt ready to tackle anything - even save the whole earth –but the doctors ended the fasting to keep me from losing any more weight. Nevertheless it was a unique and important experience for me, one I wouldn’t want to have missed. Really getting rid of something and letting it go is a very beneficial feeling.

 

Buchinger: How did you feel when you left the Buchinger Clinic?

Martin Backhauß: I had regained my physical health, had a strong psyche, had gained a very good, positive attitude toward life, and had matured physically, emotionally and spiritually. I was able and determined to integrate into my life and to refine what I had learned at the Buchinger Clinic. I left the clinic thankful and happy, with many new realisations, attitudes and possibilities and have since strengthened these experiences here a second time. I have learned to understand my body and above all my soul. I can recognise the signals that my body and soul give me and take them into consideration in my daily life. If I don’t do this, my body uses the symptoms of MS as an aid to remind me what is really important in my life.

 

Buchinger: What is your life like now?

Martin Backhauß: I read a lot and can’t even imagine wasting precious time in front of the television. I live now without meat, alcohol and nicotine. At home I continue to practice the Kousmine Programme and I meditate every morning for 20 minutes. I have also learned that expecting many people to understand all that I learned at Buchinger is

simply asking too much. No one else can go through what I went through in exactly the same way. Everyone goes his or her own way and is responsible for him- or herself. Understanding this was a long and in my case painful process. MS is no longer just a terrible illness for me. This term is too negative. I see it as a companion. It came into my life to open my eyes. I think everyone should think about whether he or she is really living the life he or she wants. Illnesses are perhaps are way for the body to let us know that something is not quite right in our lives. Of course there are people who think this sounds hackneyed or arrogant. Critics and sceptics can go ahead and laugh about it. I can only say for myself that I have been happy and free of exacerbations for almost two years, and I am going to the USA for a long trip this year.

 

Buchinger: Herr Backhauß, thank you for sharing your story with us.

 

More about Martin Backhauß at www.ms-ratgeber.de/cgibin/kontakt.cgi or martinbackhauss(at)mac.com and at our website in the media reports, “Healthy Living” from February 2007.