NOTE: In my interview of Emmy Award winning composer Jeff Beal (House of Cards, Monk, Pollock, Ugly Betty) he talked about composing music, his diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, and his success with the controversial (and non FDA approved) procedure, CCSVI.
Jeff Beal
Photo: amazon.com
It’s an uplifting story about a man born with the gift for making music, who wanted to overcome obstacles and continue to be a good husband, father and composer.
My family was eagerly anticipating a new television show about a famous San Francisco obsessive-compulsive detective who had an uncanny ability to solve hundreds of seemingly unsolvable murders. After an endless stream of commercials, the show was set to begin.
My first recollection of watching Monk was not of the show itself, but of the first few melodious notes played on an acoustic guitar that was reminiscent of Django Reinhardt.
Photo Credit: theguardian.com
The melody was instantly engaging. Deeply rooted in jazz, its sweet and tender notes seemed to guilelessly wrap themselves around the gentle yet tragic main character. In other words, the score was perfect.
How often do you watch a TV show and fall in love with the music?
There are a handful of theme songs that are memorable - Hawaii Five-O, All In The Family, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, I Love Lucy and Cheers.
After the first episode of Monk was over, I waited to read the end credits to see who the musical genius was behind the score.
Enter Jeff Beal.
An Amazon.com review of the Monk soundtrack said it best:
“Composer Jeff Beal picks up the many loose threads of the lovably obsessed gumshoe's personality and weaves them into one of contemporary television's most consistently pleasing jazz-rooted scores. Anchored by a jaunty, guitar-driven theme…that invokes the carefree verve of Django Reinhardt..”
I dug deeper to find out more about Mr. Beal. It didn’t surprise me to learn he had a long and varied list of musical accomplishments.
As a versatile composer of music, he combines different genres to write the soundtracks for films (Pollock, Appaloosa) and television shows (Ugly Betty, House of Cards, Monk). He also is a highly regarded jazz instrumentalist who composed music long before a request from Chick Corea came his way to score a concerto for bassist John Patittucci.
His first critical acclaim came from the musical score of Ed Harris’ Pollock, and has since been nominated for eight Emmy Awards, winning three of them with TNT’s Nightmares and Dreamscapes Battleground, USA’s main theme for Monk and the documentary Peggy and Dorothy which aired during the 2002 Winter Olympics.
He currently writes the musical score for Netflix’s original production of House of Cards starring Kevin Spacey.
Life was good for Jeff Beal.
In October 2012, an article in The New York Times appeared about a controversial Multiple Sclerosis “cure” called CCSVI (chronic cerebralspinal venous insufficiency).
Dr. Paolo Zamboni, an Italian vascular surgeon “hypothesized that the real cause of MS was something called ‘chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI).’” He contended that veins were being blocked, preventing blood from draining from the head, causing iron to back up into the brain and causing damage to the nerves that sends signals to the body.
Dr. Zamboni developed a procedure that would surgically open veins in people with MS, restoring normal blood flow to the brain. Some of the MS and medical community were up in arms over this new and controversial theory. MS has always been thought of as an autoimmune disease. This new school of thought was unthinkable. Many thought it was a scam. (NOTE: CCSVI is not FDA approved.)
Yet many patients began telling stories about the CCSVI procedure helping them regain the ability to walk and function more normally.
One of the patients quoted in The New York Times article was Jeff Beal.
In 2009, Beal began to suffer troubling issues such as brain fog, fatigue and difficulty when walking. He received the shattering news that he was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis.
Beal wondered how he would continue being a good father and husband to his wife, Joan. He felt his life was slipping away.
According to The New York Times article, “Jeff recalls that after his diagnosis, Joan immediately launched into hypervigilant great-wife mode and began researching the disease and interacting with M.S. patients online.” She wasn’t happy with the answers she was receiving from the medical profession, and was equally unhappy that no doctor was able to predict whether or not Jeff’s MS would become progressively worse.
After conducting her own research, Joan came across Dr. Zamboni and his “controversial cure.” Jeff became excited at the prospect of feeling better and immediately asked, “Where do I sign up?”
In May 2009, Beal became the first person in United States to receive the CCSVI treatment. He added, “I was awake during the procedure and it was incredible. Halfway through, I felt less brain fog, more clarity, less fatigue and more alert.” When the procedure was over, he was ecstatic. He began to feel like his old self again.
The Happy Couple: Jeff and Joan Beal
Photo: jeffbeal.com
This was great news for Jeff Beal. This quiet man who loves to work in his private music studio at home got a second chance at life. Now he’s able to spend time doing what he loves most – sharing quality time with his wife and children.
And, of course, composing and listening to the music he loves and treasures.
I look forward to listening to the next Jeff Beal composition. His journey has begun anew, with the gift of writing his own unique style of music fully intact, ready for all to enjoy.
What do you think about CCSVI?
Further reading about CCSVI:
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society
medpagetoday.com
CCSVI Alliance
Hurray for CCSVI/TVAM procedures!! Way to go!!!
Good for you for publishing this. I think controversial medical procedures and "cures" need to be publicized as long as there's full disclosure that they're not FDA-approved. For some people, these may be their only hope -- and they may actually work, as evidenced here! They may also lead to more research, more education, more possibilities. I'm glad Jeff is doing so well. This story may literally be music to many readers' ears.
It seems like scientists are continually discovering that they've come to inaccurate conclusions on the causes of various diseases. Last week, someone told me about PANDAS, which is strep infection that brings an acute onset of childhood OCD and anorexia. Years ago I read about chronic lower back pain - formerly treated only with surgery - also being discovered to have a viral cause. You'd think by now the medical community should be looking more closely at and for alternate explanations for disease, or even that the same group of symptoms could have multiple causes. The entire field is made up of stories of such discoveries. (Which is not to say that every alternative theory is true or every treatment works; sometimes it really is snake oil.)
I don't think that it's too controversial. I just think that it's really short and doesn't give a lot of information. That's probably why it was rejected. I don't feel like I know anymore about CCSVI than I did 5 minutes ago before I read the article. I just have one man and his anecdote.
This is a great story with a happy ending. No idea why HP would reject it. Thank you for sharing the life and career of Jeff Beal. I too can be very moved by hypnotic theme songs. M.A.S.H. was one of my favorites. Lovely post, Cathy.
I can certainly relate the that quest to take risks and try something new in the face of such an often debilitating disease like MS. I can't understand why Huffington Post rejected this given the varied level of content they publish--this is well written and tells a compelling story without sounding like quackery.
So glad the story has found a home.
Wow. Cathy, this is an amazing story. I am not sure why Huff Po rejected it--people with all sorts of debilitating diseases should know everything possible about alternative therapies. Perhaps Jeff will be able to give this some publicity. Great story.
Hi, I like inspiring stories about different treatments that have worked. Jeff was brave to undergo this treatment hoping for a good outcome, and he got it.
Thank you Kathy for sharing this story.
So many times we face information is blocked by those who stay stagnant,and choose to not share,as in news organizations.
So glad for Mr Beal,bravo,thinking outside the box takes a leap of faith.
These shares are the impetus to explore and keep up with other options for the many of us living with MS.
I think that Canadian Study that was published did a genuine disservice to the procedure and its positive implications in MS.
I read an extensive article countering that there was serious failure and flawed applications,of the CCSVI procedures done in the Canadian Study,.
That they failed to meet the Gold Standard in application,thereby falling short of how the procedure should have been carried forth.
To my laypersons perspective,it never made sense to me,that a Neurologist,learned the procedure in a one week visit to Italy with technicians supposedly familiar with the procedure.
I could never in my wildest dreams even conceive of a Neurologist deferring to a tech for any part of a surgical procedure,for those who might suggest the techs in the study were more familiar with Dr Zamboni's methods.
A genuine miss by the other so-called news organizations.
Makes me truly wonder about what and why they do ALLOW to be published.
I am most grateful for you going ahead with the article on your blog.
Lovely to know the great music of Mr Beal,will continue.
I think that this was a great post for you to share. Not only did I learn so much about a remarkable musician and a few of my favorite TV shows, but learning that there may possibly be a new treatment or cure for a condition that so many suffer from is amazing. I know that doctors like to be careful and not rush into new treatments without a great deal of testing, but Jeff Beal's treatment was 4 years ago. I don't know how he is doing now or if anyone has had it since, but assuming Beal is still doing well, I hope that this treatment is going forward.
No idea why this was rejected, but I'm glad you published it on your own blog. Thanks for sharing Jeff's story!
I don't think anybody ever knows with any certainty what treatments will work and for whom. I'm glad Jeff Beal was able to participate and improve his quality of life.
Don't feel bad about HuffPost. They've rejected pieces I've submitted that have left me scratching my head.
Good for him, and for you for interviewing him and sharing his story. The FDA standard is not always the end-all for everything. We ALL have to follow our own instincts and do what works best for ourselves. I'm glad he is feeling better and had such great results.
Totally befuddled as to why they wouldn't take this, but very glad this treatment seems to be effective for this very talented artist.
Yikes NO! Because some one has an alternative procedure and it worked for him, everyone knows with diseases that not every procedure works for every individual. Who could not feel happy for him whether you agree with the the treatment or not? Keep submitting Cathy!
I always learn so much from your posts and appreciate you publishing controversial and thought provoking topics. By putting this out there, you may inspire someone to research this procedure and perhaps change their life in a very meaningful way. You go Cath!
Who knows why HuffPo rejected it. It's such a subjective thing. I had a friend who had an article on adopting her daughter killed by the editor of a major women's magazine because the editor, who had assigned the piece in the first place, had issues with private adoptions.
I suspect Huffington Post may have rejected it because it is erroneous in several ways.
CCVI is controversial because Zamboni's method has not been subjected to scientific scrutiny.
MS doesn't prevent you from being a good father; either you're a good father or you're not.
MS affects every person in different ways. Most journalists do not understand MS and so they can't write authoritatively about it.
It's not a terminal disease (though sometimes you wish it was) and yet that's how it's sometimes described. Most people who have MS die with it, not because of it.
The web is full of anecdotal 'evidence' of miracle cures but that's all they are: anecdotes.
I found your article a little mawkish. Unproven medical procedures reported as miracle cures are bad science reported by bad journalism.
Some neurologists in the USA may get rich from drug company relationships but they don't in the UK, where there is no rush to embrace CCVI. And I doubt Zanboni's providing treatment altruistically.
Cathy.....thank you for your article. It was very inpiring and gives hope to those with MS and to those with other health issues. I don't think it's to controversial at all. It just goes to show that there are treatments out there that need to be researched more so that they can be available to the masses. Please do not take to heart comments from those individuals that like to split hairs, they speak for themselves. Jeff Beal was able to continue living his life, being able to be the husband and father he wanted to be. In his eyes, a good husband and father. Most readers understand what you meant. Keep up the good work Cathy!
Well, it seems like having another potential treatment for MS is a good thing, if it works for you. I hope the treatment is studied further for its effectiveness so more people might benefit.
What do I think? I think that at one time the most educated people on the planet thought the Earth was flat. Turns out they were wrong. Now for what I think about you Ms. Chester- awesomesauce, that all. Just plain old fashioned AWESOME. You're my hero. PS: I love the opening music for Boardwalk Empire- and House of Cards.
Cathy thank you making me aware of Jeff as a composer. I love the show "House of Cards." Now i will enjoy the music more because I feel I know that composer. As to his chossing to have a controversial procedure. That's non of my business. He has to do what right for himself and his family. I hope it works and lights up a diferent path for treatment. I applaud him.
I also love his music and am happy to know he's doing better. And bravo to his wife as well! You're so right that we must increasingly advocate for ourselves... And keep talking and learning from each other.
Thank you for telling Jeff's story.
First off, I loved the show Monk! The music was great, wasn't it? I for one think it's wonderful he found some relief and healing. There are so many healing modalities and procedures that are not covered by insurance or "approved." But I believe we need to be our own advocates when it comes to our health. Most of us have our own internal wisdom and we should let it guide us.
[…] I am super excited to have Cathy Chester from HEALTHLINE over today! It’s a great post with helpful tips and links. Be sure to check out Cathy’s blog - An Empowered Spirit […]
Thank you Cathy for linking to CCSVI Alliance’s website. The Beal’s have been an integral part of the organization. Joan is a founding and current board member and Jeff’s patient story is shared on this video http://ccsvi.org/index.php/patient-perspectives/living-the-experience/100-living-the-experience-jeff-s-perspective. For your readers who are interested in the latest research connecting vascular disease patterns to neurological symptoms, please visit our research database with over 200 peer reviewed studies and articles (both positive and negative) http://ccsvi.org/index.php/component/search/index.php?option=com_search&task=search