http://www.drudgereport.com/flash2.htm

THE WOMAN WHO STINGS HERSELF WITH BEES TO CONTROL MS

Daily Mail
Wed Dec 29 2004 22:36:14 ET

SHE admits it hurts. But Paula Cooke believes allowing herself to be
stung by bees every day is helping in her battle against MS.

The 40-year-old mother of two has been stung up to six times a day
after spotting the unconventional treatment on the Internet.

She has live bees sent by post to her home where she carries out the
treatment with the help of her mother.

Although bee stings can be dangerous - killing up to nine people a
year through allergic reactions - Mrs Cooke is convinced they are
making a difference.

'I have 110 per cent faith in the bee sting treatment working,' she
said.

'I have the worst form of MS which gets progressively worse but this
has given me real hope.

'I have had MS for 15 years, and have always had to keep my left eye
closed because it was all blurry. But all of a sudden I can see out
of both eyes.

'I can also move some of my toes for the first time in years and can
relax my hamstrings enough to put on a pair of jeans. I know the bee
stings won't ever make me fully better but it seems to be working.'

Mrs Cooke has been having the stings for four months after her
father discovered the treatment, used by some alternative
practitioners in the U.S., on the Internet.

But the recent cold snap affected the delivery of the bees and she
had to stop. 'I was having bees sent from a woman in London but the
Christmas post and the cold weather meant they were dead when they
arrived,' she said at her home in Terrington St Clement, Norfolk.

'It meant I wasn't able to have bee stings for two weeks and so it's
set my treatment back.

'I've now had to start building up the number of bee stings I can
have at one time again because it hurts so much. I had built up an
immunity to the pain.'

Mrs Cooke's mother, Jillian Fisher, collects the bees from a local
beekeeper.

'I get them out of the jar with a pair of tweezers and place them on
Paula's legs and back where they sting her and then they die,' Mrs
Fisher said. 'Before she is stung we put ice on her skin to help
dull the pain.

'At first I hated it but you get used to doing it and I know it's
helping Paula.'