Progressive supranuclear palsy, or simply PSP, is anything but a simple diagnosis. This Parkinson’s-like illness affects thousands of people and it appears to be more common than ever.
Let me tell you how my life was dramatically changed by PSP.
My Dad
My father, Dr. Paul Wolfson was my hero. I wanted to be exactly like him when I grew up.
His childhood was not easy, being the son of a meat butcher in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
No one gave him anything and he worked/borrowed his way through college and medical school. He would become the first Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) at the Cleveland Clinic and the University of Iowa. Next, he was selected as the head of cardiology in a Chicago hospital, publishing many scientific papers and lecturing all over the world.
His motto was work hard and party hard. Along with my mom and my two younger siblings, we partied hard. Travels, meals, cars and a beautiful home was my childhood. It was magical.
My dad was the life of the party. Everywhere we went, people gravitated towards him. He had it all—family, friends, professional success, and money.
Sickness
Given my dad’s amazing life, it was absolutely shocking to us when, in his mid 50’s, he became depressed. No longer was he telling old stories and the latest jokes. No longer was he interested in parties or travel. Most amazingly, the man who LOVED being a cardiologist was now despising “going to work”.
What could this guy be depressed about? As I stated, he had it all.
As a family, we tried to get insight as to why he was so despondent. He couldn’t articulate why he was depressed, just that he didn’t feel right. So we did what any family would do, took him to see a psychiatrist. That doc tried him on meds, but there was no change.
The End
Then we noticed something different. He began to have problems walking and frequent falls, one time fracturing his ribs and suffering from a punctured lung. He also had a blank stare all the time. So we took him to see a neurologist who labeled him with a Parkinson’s-like illness. Not classic Parkinson’s, but similar. He was started on Parkinson’s meds, but there was no response.
Finally, we took him to the Mayo Clinic where he was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. He exactly fit the description of PSP, but unfortunately, there is no treatment and there is no cause (according to Mayo and mainstream medicine). They told us he would die within 3 years. And he did.
The Beginning
Around the time of my father’s Mayo Clinic visit, I was introduced to a young woman. She was a recent graduate of chiropractic school and just starting her office practice. She rocked my world right from the start.
First, she told me exactly why my father was sick and dying. Dr. Heather taught me that he was eating the wrong foods, not enough of the right foods, and living a toxic lifestyle.
In short, the Mayo Clinic had no idea why my father was sick and dying, and this 29 year old chiropractic doc had ALL the reasons why.
Second, she told me I would follow in his footsteps if I didn’t change my life.
And I started to listen very closely. I saw the sickness in my family and in all my patients who were suffering in the current medical model.
I changed my personal life and I changed my professional life.
A Review of My Father
Here is what we think destroyed the health of my father.
Violations of Eat Well, Live Well, Think Well.
Here are just some of these violations:
- Drank artificially sweetened beverages with aspartame and acesulfame. Artificial color and flavors too
- Drank too much alcohol
- Drank and ate pesticide food
- Ate unhealthy animal foods from grain-fed tortured animals
- Rarely got sunshine as Chicago-based doctor
- Poor sleep
- Radiation exposure on the job
- Chemical exposure on the job
- Mold exposure at home from water damage
- Other chemicals
- Stress
- Lack of movement/exercise
- Poor dental hygiene.
- Lack of chiropractic/osteopathic care
How to Avoid PSP (or slow down the progression)
We have a lot of information about the following strategies on our website.
- Eat Well
- Live Well
- Think Well
- Test, Don’t Guess
- Evidence-based supplements
- Biohacking strategies
If you are looking for help and guidance, we are here for you. If you have PSP or are concerned about developing this devastating condition, we can help.
The best thing is to start with a free coaching call so we can determine your needs and provide the next steps.
Let’s work together to avoid the devastations of PSP and everything else.
