It has taken a long time, but I finally seem to be making headway on my road back to health. I have had problems with my digestive system for as long as I can remember, I am sure more than twenty years. I found myself constantly plagued with heartburn, excessive gas and frequent diarrhea. I lived with a bottle of Tums at close hand. I enlisted the assistance of a noted gastroenterologist who had me admitted to the hospital where my digestive system was examined from one end to the other. Nothing was found. He prescribed a pill that was to reduce the acid in my stomach and another pill that was to calm the intestines in order to help the diarrhea. It seemed apparent that some foods bothered me more than others, but often it appeared that anything and everything that I ate would give me a problem. I have to admit that my diet was very poor. Some mornings at work, coffee and doughnuts were not only my breakfast, but lunch as well. Strange as it may seem, the doughnuts seemed to give me less problems then other foods that are considered healthy.

In the mid 90s I enrolled in Clayton School of Natural Health to obtain a Masters in Holistic Nutritional Healing. What I learned was a real eye opener. The school gave me a very intensive education on natural healing and I went on to receive my Ph.D. in the same field. During the six years it took me to obtain my degree, I struggled to find anything that would help my digestive problems. Changing my diet to avoid combining starches and proteins helped me resolve my heartburn, but the food intolerance remained. I learned that raw food is very healing, however, I found that my system could not tolerate it. Due to the constant battle with diarrhea, my weight dropped at least 25 pounds. I was already lean and could not afford to loose this much weight.

During this time I developed a condition known as Raynaud's disease, where my fingers and toes would turn white or blue at the slightest chill. I was constantly tired. I went to a holistic medical doctor who recommended a hair analysis, blood tests, and a Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis (CDSA). Results from the hair analysis indicated an excess of lead and uranium in the body along with a deficiency in most minerals. Although a moderate amount of mercury showed, the large number of mercury fillings in my mouth led me to believe mercury was part of my problem. I had all the mercury removed except any that might be hiding under gold crowns. The CDSA indicated problems with yeast and low levels of "friendly bacteria" along with other indicators of poor digestion and malabsorption. The blood test revealed low iron levels as well as Helicobacter pylori (H-pylori), the bacterium that causes some peptic ulcers. The doctor gave me a prescription for the yeast and an antibiotic for the H-pylori along with a recommendation of numerous supplements. After the end of the prescription medication treatment, I experienced no improvement. I tried acupuncture for over a year and a half which also proved to be no help. I took a multitude of supplements to include enzymes and Betaine HCI Pepsin. The digestive aids seemed to help but the real break through came when a friend told me about a product with soil based organisms. The brand I took is Primal Defense that I obtained at a discount through the Internet, however, there are other brands available. I began taking this supplement and noticed an improvement within a few days.

During this time I also worked with sound and color therapy. Depression had plagued me throughout my life and I found that a type of color therapy called Syntonics resolved my depression better than any medication, prescription or herbal. I found both color and sound to be two of the most powerful healing agents. These modalities gave me relief from many of my medical problems without the side effects of prescription drugs. Sound therapy from Sona Soma resolved a painful neck problem.

Working with a local health care practitioner showed me that 93% of health problems are emotionally related. I worked with several practitioners and by myself in freeing myself of hidden emotional blocks. I am still working on this.

This past winter, 2003-2004, I finally found myself free of Raynaud's disease. I have gained back approximately 15 pounds. I am still taking the soil-based supplements. My system now tolerates raw food and I am drinking several cups of raw vegetable juice daily to help build myself back up.