SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE - 'LETTERS'
CARL I. "KIP" PETERSON

    Until March 1994, 1 was dying from
    Lou Gehrig's disease.  ALS is a
    degenerative, fatal disorder with iio
    medically acknowledged cause,or
    cure.  For those not wishing to live on a
    ventilator and feeding tube, 50
    percent die within two years, 90
    percent within five.  From the time I
    was first diagnosed in November
    1990 I'd tried virtually every alterna-
    tive healing therapy available.  I'd also
    participated in two FDA-sponsored
    drug trials (Verapamil and CNTF)
    through the University of Colorado
    Health Sciences Center. By February,
    I was in palliative care in residence at
    the Porter Hospice in Denver.  Since
    I'd decided I didn't want to use a venti-
    lator and feeding tube, I was waiting
    for the disease to run its course. 
     In March, I learned of and began
    therapy that saved'my life.  As I
    mentioned, ALS has no medically
    acknowledged cause or cure; yet since
    March, I've regained sensations in MY
    legs, regained girth in my arms andk
    shoulders, and retained weight.  The
    disease has stopped.  I'm getting stron-
    ger every day.
     The therapy I'm under is metabolic
    in nature.  It presumes the body can
    heal itself if given and made to assimi-
    late the necessary natural ingre-.
    dients.  The protocol consists of a high-'
    ly regulated diet, plus oral and
    injected vitamins, minerals and
    enzyme supplements.
     No physician I know of has ever
    prescibed metabolic therapy. That 
    may because none of these supple-
    ments currently require a prescip-
    tion.  It may be because no pharma-
    ceutical company currently manufac-
    tures'these supplements. Whatever
    the reason, neither the ALS Associa
    tion nor the MDA are interesed in
    this therapy because no physician is
    involved; yet the medical community
    still claims there's no cause or cure.
    What I find frightening is Congress'
    willingness to restrict and regulate
    our access to these supplements.  I
    worry about how far the AMA, FDA,
    pharmaceutical lobby (and hence
    Congress) are willing to go "to insure
    our welfare."
      Do you still wonder why you haven't
    heard of this therapy?  I learned about
    this therapy through pure dumb luck.
    It's scary for me to think how close I
    came to dying.  If it weren't for my
    mother's dentist's receptionist's
    friend's husband whose ALS was
    healed by this therapy ... It shouldn't
    have to happen that way.  Neither
    ALS, Alzheimees, nor other 'termi-
    nal" diseases need be fatal or debili-
    tating.