Yvette is a wife, homeschooling mother of 6, professional writer, herbalist, amateur musician, and cultivates a deep personal interest in natural medicine. The name "msquill" has double meaning. Most relevant here, the ms part of msquill stands for multiple sclerosis.

Over 20 years ago, at the ripe old age of 17 years, msquill experienced numbness, tingling and burning in her left foot. The sensation was intermittent, but persistent. When she mentioned it to her doctor, he blew it off as nothing. Several months later, msquill started feeling a tightness around her chest. The feeling was so intense, she, and several doctors, mistook the squeezing as part of an asthma attack.

Anyone familiar with multiple sclerosis probably knows the rest of the story. Symptoms that came and went, doctors, friends, family and co-workers who thought it was in her head. She was young, strong, and outwardly seemed physically healthy, so no one took her seriously.  Many of you understand the frustration, anger and confusion. Finally, in 2000, after an episode that left her entire left leg completely numb, a neurologist in Phoenix, AZ said, "I can't be sure unless you have another attack, but I think you might have multiple sclerosis." 

That was the beginning of a solution for msquill. She researched m.s, and found there was nothing medical science could do, except possibly slow the disease down a little. Divorced, with two young children, giving in to multiple sclerosis was not an option. msquill began researching natural health and alternative medicine in relation to the immune system and health in general. She became vegetarian, and gave up the obvious processed foods. She began meditating and affirming her health in the style of Charles and Myrtle Filmore. And she began to heal.

Attacks became less frequent. Instead of having something "funky" happen with her body once a month, attacks stretched to twice a year, and then once a year. She began to regain some of the feeling in her left leg, had more energy, could think more clearly, and her coordination seemed to improve. She had a son, and went on with her life.

In 2004, msquill met her partner and best friend. They merged their families and decided to have a child of their own. They could not have been happier.

Until msquill started having severe memory lapses, problems with coordination, stuttering, hearing difficulties, and a return of the numbess that had been gone for so long. She lost enough vision to Optic Neuritis that driving became impossible, reading and writing were frustrating and tiring activities. msquill had to give up a comfortable writing business because she could no long see well enough to work.

All these things occured quickly. In the amount of time it takes to watch a movie, msquill's life changed.

Several MRIs, Evoked Response tests and many other tests later, the conclusion was drawn that msquills previous relapsing remitting ms had changed. She now had secondary progressive ms. Doctor's recommendation? Get your life in order, choose your nursing home, and spend every moment you can with your husband and children because in two years you will probably need full care.

msquill and her husband began learning everything they could about alternative and natural medicine relating to the nervous and immune systems. Together, they faced this head on. They listened to others with ms, and learned what worked and what didn't. They learned about diet, fasting, herbs, supplements, accupunture, digestion, chemical reactions in the body and a slew of other things. Some made sense and msquill put those into action. Others seemed broad, or too difficult to manage in the reality of life, so those suggestions were cataloged for future reference.

Slowly, msquill stopped losing function. Her brain cleared and she could think again. With the increased clarity, she increased her research. Her vision, speech,and balance cleared. She was able to return to writing and driving. Eventually, she regained most of the feeling she had lost to ms, becoming fully functioning again.

Today, msquill leads an active, full life. She parents and homeschools 6 children, ranging in ages from 15 years down to 3 years. She actively plays clarinet in two community bands, plays saxophone at home, and goes hiking with her incredible husband. Plus, msqill maintains an active writing career while attending college to become a Master Herbalist and earn her eventual Ph.D. in Natural Health.

It is msquill's sincere hope that you may take the fruits of her research, personal experience, and classroom studies and use that information to improve your own health and well being.