2nd Multiple Sclerosis Inclined Bed Therapy IBT Pilot Study Results

God bless you Roger Kirk, Monday 30-Oct-2000 19:15:46,,Roger Kirk
a good friend and fellow engineer has sadly passed away and will be
missed by many particularly as Roger was the first pioneer of the
inclined bed who had multiple sclerosis. In addition to ms Roger had
received a kidney from an eighty-seven-year-old lady and he had also
combated MRSA bacteria and won on two occasions.
Rogers's brother Brian who helped Roger a lot called today
following my call to him asking why I couldn't get hold of him by
phone.
He died in Torbay Hospital from a blood clot.
Roger like myself had an engineering background and understood the
principles of the new paradigm in science and enjoyed many positive
changes in his medical conditions. Given the fact that he had been
living with multiple sclerosis for some 33 years any changes would be
easily recognised. When he summed up the extent of his improvements we
counted no less than sixteen including feeling the floor beneath his
feet and the restored sight in his "irreparably" ms-damaged eyes.
Ironically his eyesight improvements led to his demise as he could
now work for long hours at the computer often sitting in his wheel
chair for eight hours and more while trying to set up a printing
business. I often told Roger that he should use his standing frame more
suggesting that he should use the keyboard while in the standing
frame. But as he lived alone it was just too difficult for him to lift
himself up into the frame on his own and his home help assistant was
not allowed to help him into the standing frame.
Roger had badgered the health authority for a comfortable seat /
cushion for his wheelchair but to no avail. Furthermore the
wheelchair he had was too small and the inevitable development of a
pressure sore led to him developing septicaemia and he almost died.
Roger being a fighter begged for his bed to be raised in hospital and
at one point I also asked the nurses. Ironically Roger ended up in the
same room that his mother had died in. Perhaps this encouraged him to
fight harder which enabled him to eventually return home.
I visited him several times only to find that he had a new hospital
type bed which was observed to be flat. I suggested that he should
raise his bed but could tell that he no longer had the will to fight
on and I did not have the heart to keep badgering him. I made several
more attempts to see Roger who was in and out of hospital a lot during
the last year of his life. He eventually developed a blood clot and
died.
For the record: Rogers's report dated 17th October 1997
"On the 12th October 1997 I had cause to attend a business meeting
at Birmingham Indoor Arena. After rising early at 4.30 hrs from a
sleepless night I prepared for the day being picked up at 06.00 hrs.
We travelled to Birmingham.
A brief stop at services on the way just before Birmingham we made our
arrival some three and a half hours later at approximately 10.00 hrs.
Where we parked the car and I had to transfer to my wheelchair. This
was made ready for me while I composed myself for the transfer. I
placed my legs outside the car turning on the seat and raised myself
pushing on the seat back and the door.
This I found to be extremely easy without stress pain or trauma as
would normally be the case. In fact the manoeuvre was most comfortable
and with great ease whereon I took two steps towards my chair taking
balance from the door and sat with extreme control without actually
thinking exactly what I was doing. My amazement was mentioned to my
colleagues but they were unaware of my normal difficulty transferring
as it happened with such ease and without fuss.
This seems now just a dream and I cannot reason why all was so easy
after such a bad night and long journey seated in a car which usually
leaves me spastic and paralysed. It is even more surprising as I have
suffered from multiple sclerosis since 1964 some 33 years and have used
a wheelchair intermittently and elbow crutches up to 1989 when I
suffered kidney failure and started dialysis. This caused me to use the
chair for mobility from then to the present date.
Conclusion
One conclusion is that I was at rest in the car although definitely
enthused by the expected meeting. Another is the air humidity was low
at the time being a fresh and dry sunny autumn morning after a slight
frost.
Or thirdly I am however carrying out a research therapy project with
my bed raised at 150mm at the head end and have been doing so for over
18 months and furthermore taking bee pollen (high protein) as
recommended alternative therapy for about seven months. Or it could be
a combination of all possibilities.
Yours Sincerely
Roger J Kirk
God blesses you Roger how could you have known where this was leading
you had nothing but logic to drive you into exploring the benefits of
the inclined bed. So many people owe you and many hundreds of thousands
will be in your debt forever as I will be eternally grateful for the
trust in your heart and the logic in your head.
A brave and gentle gentleman who needs not to fight again. Andrew,