How in this day and age are we, the supposed rich and free country, having to go to a supposed third world country to get help with disease. I turn on the T.V, radio and Internet and their always begging for money to cure cancer, lupus, and aids and I’m baffled why do so many people believe in our medical system when they sit there and watch people dying and dying slowly and painfully, I cross over to Mexico and see people all over the world coming to Dr Castillo a fantastic Doctor who cares enough to keep his humanity and see people for who they are and do the research to help cure these patients no matter what it takes, He calls you at home he gives free advice over the Internet just to help as many as he can. When in time did we sink to that all time low of money over sympathy can we blame the Doctors  the insurance companies or all the frivolous lawsuits that make Doctors afraid of getting to involved. I certainly don’t know. But we can blame ourselves if we are so boarder blinded that we chose not to investigate other countries ways of handling diseases that are way better and less evasive. There are bad Doctors everywhere so check them all out talk to their patients ask questions interview them dig deeper find your Doctor it won’t happen by accident. Be bullet proof it means your life. But back to my stories…..

So I went through the 19 treatments and was about to do my next 3 when 9/11 happened and they closed the boarders for a couple of days then  I finished.  Back to my Dr in the United States and he can’t believe his eyes, he says it’s a miracle here’s  the girl that was sent home to die with a lifetime handicap placard and a life time get out of jury duty card(that’s how bad I was) is now walking into his office like I’ve never been sick a day in my life. He calls me into his office and asked me what happened. I tell him I went to see a Dr. in Mexico and unlike most Dr’s in America he tells me he wants his name and number he wants to talk to him and wants to know exactly what he did to make well. Then at one of the seminars he talked to  and actually he tested him by asking a question about a rare disease that he and some Dr’s were discussing and he gave him the symptoms and then Dr Castillo  told him what it was and how to treat it.  He then became a believer. He now tells his most serious patients to call me so I can give them the Dr’s info because he can’t refer out of the network of Dr’s and especially in Mexico. But one of the top collages for Dr’s is in Mexico City.

Dr Robio tells me that lupus is a mimicking disease which means lots of misdiagnosis, these are the most popular ones …pneumonia, autoimmune hepatitis, thyroid plus others but he warns me because his sister died from a lupus misdiagnosis , He explained that blood had memory so they had to retrain the DNA in my blood. I wasn’t sure about all that but I was willing to give it a try. After all it’s not like I had a choice I had run out of options and my family wasn’t about to let me go quietly. So I decided even though I really don’t believe what he’s saying, I would go ahead and do what he said. It starts with 21 treatments consisting Cheolation, live cell, vitamins and a few other things thrown in. So I start that day, and I can’t believe that within a week I’m walking and I don’t mean a few steps I mean all over I have energy and a whole new attitude. I end up talking to all the other patience getting treatment. They have everything from cancer to aids or should I say use to have everything from cancer to aids. They come from everywhere around the world (except Mexico) even Amish and Mennonites. The man with aids from Switzerland had a picture diary because his wife was pregnant and he knew he would be dead before he was old enough to get to know him… that was 7 years ago, I couldn’t even tell he was ever sick but the pictures he showed me were scary, he had the soars he was 6’3 and weighed about 120 pounds now he was very healthy and he told me his Dr can’t even find it in his blood it’s like he never had it.

So I get wheeled into this Drs office with the thought that they won’t know anything, muchless speak English.  I wait for about a half hour then I get called into a Dr who tells me in about 10 minutes that I have a very bad case of Lupus and that they know how to control it. Then gives me a one hour physical as he proceeds to type everything into the computer. I ask “why he doesn’t have someone else to type it in”  he proceeds to tell me that he is my Dr and he needs to commit it to memory  and if someone else types it in it doesn’t help him memorize my symptoms, yes that did impress me. I ask him how he knows what the other 50 or so Drs and specialist didn’t know in the last 11 years, he tells me he sure the other Drs diagnosed it, he looks through all the records and right there in the Loma Linda records there it was positive for Lupus, so I ask ” why didn’t they tell me” he shows me see all these test that they ran once they diagnosed Lupus they didn’t need these other test. He then tells me that the two leading desieases  in the United States is under insurance or over insurance and I’m over insured and when Drs see me they see money signs. Still a little hesitant I go and speek to other patients, which is welcomed in this office , which by the way is the cleanest office I’ve ever seen. He wants me off all the drugs the states put me on. I have to have 21 treatment. Why? That is for another day.

So I go to my primary Dr. who I had to be carried in to see. He was so upset because he knew I was dying, but even more so that the hospital did not send me home with any help. The next thing I know he has a nurse assigned to me 4 days a week and a physical therapist 3 days a week to work my muscles or lack there of. Then he ordered a wheel chair and a handicap placard. This was to make my last days a little more comfortable. I could not eat do to the fact that my throat was paralyzed and if I swallowed wrong it went into my lungs not to mention I had blisters all the way down my throat. Dr. Jacobson was just telling my family to be prepared for my death. It was a very bleak time for my family and I, I  was praying to die due to the pain and I didn’t want to be a burden to my family. There was no hope for me to get better I was just going to keep deteriorating, so why put off the inevitable. If I had Dr Kevorkian’s phone number I would have called. So there I am exhausted and in pain, that’s when a friend came over and told me about this Dr Castillo in Mexico that works miracles. I told her I already went to Mexico and I was allergic to the Hoxy tonic, which is their main cure all. She said this Dr. uses other things. I didn’t want to go, I was tired and I had already went to every specialist there was, I mean I do have lots of insurance so I can go anywhere, in the states. But my mother and family saw it as a last chance and why not. So she called the Dr’s office and they told her to bring all blood test, x rays, and any other test I’ve had done recently. So off we went against my will but for my family sake I went anyway. Right across the border here we go….

So I’m in intensive care, in pain waiting for my next prognosis. The Dr. comes in and tells me that things are getting worse, my body is destroying itself very quickly and it’s far beyond his capabilities so they need to move me yet again to another hospital in Pasadena by ambulance. I go there to another set of specialist that really don’t have a clue what is going on, so more test. I’m somewhat stable but the medication they have me on is causing high blood sugar so they want to put me on this diet of no sugar, carbs, or anything else good tasteing, yea I don’t think so. I told them I would check myself out if they tried that, Hospital food at it’s best is horrible then you want to make it worse plus the t.v commercials are all about ice cream candy, mouth watering food! They saw it my way. My daughter came to visit me I told her that I wanted fresh air so could she take me for a walk outside. Of course she was 13 years old and she did what I asked, we start going to the elevator when we were busted by a nurse telling I couldn’t go outside. Again I had to explain to her this was not a prison and if I wanted to go I would. She knew it was futile to argue with me so she said to stay close to  the hospital door I said  ok (all the while knowing I was going across the street for ice cream and snacks, If I’m going to die I’m doing it with ice cream) we get down stairs I then explain to my daughter that I want her to push me to the grocery store across the street. She objected saying” I can’t dad will get me not to mention the nurses. I told her I won’t tell but if she didn’t I would crawl there and that would really make dad mad. She gave in…so here we are her pushing me across the street with me holding my I.V. pole and pajamas shopping. I didn’t care because I was getting ice cream. Which I got plus some candy, cupcakes and a banana for good measure. I went back to my room and a great time was had by all, I did share with some of the nurses. Then the Drs. came in the next day to tell me there’s not much they can do, I just need to get my affairs in order and enjoy the last days of life. The Drs started argueing the first Dr. wants to send me home with a prescription of 180mg of pregnizone a day the other Dr, says no that that is to much pregnizone and will turn my bones into mush, amongst other things, the other Dr says ” shes dieing anyway this might give a few more weeks. This was going on while my mother are and I are deciding what to do. Well they wheeled me to my car two nurses lifted me into the front seat and buckled me in. I was so glad to be going home that I forgot to ask how was I going to get out of the car, I had no wheelchair no use of my arms and legs. So what did they expect…..

Yes, for the next five years or so I would be in and out of the hospital for a week or so just to  hear the words you’re an enigma, so many times. I had pneumonia, thyroid, liver count to high blood count to low another yatta, yatta, yatta. Then a turning point, I woke up one morning feeling great, fixed breakfast for the family then I started to feel a little faint and with a fever. So I told my husband I needed to take a little nap, which he had learned that if I stop moving like that there was something wrong, well in about 30 minutes I was burning up and on my way to the Dr. I get there and he takes me in right away. He says this looks just like pneumonia but it can’t be because you can’t get pneumonia in thirty minutes and since I was fine yesterday, even painting and decorating my new home. So, because Dr Jacobson is so carefull, he sends me to the emergency room with the final thought that it can’t be pneumonia.

I go into the emergency room where my Dr has called ahead so they take me in right away, whats the first thing out of the E.R drs mouth, oh pneumonia you have to be admitted right away and you need a blood transfusion, to which I say absolutely no whole blood they already had I given them my durable power of attorney and no blood statement of fact, which told them that I would accept  alternative transfusions. I was in a lot of pain but they told me I would have to suffer unless I let them give blood, I than stated that I needed to go to the bathroom that’s when this young male nurse yells at me that if I let him give me blood he would let me go to the bathroom, I told him I was going to the bathroom one way or another he just had to decide if I was going in the bed or bathroom needless to say I went to the bathroom.Since their threats weren’t to get me to take the whole blood a  nurse tried something different, so she  comes to me with a clear bag that looks like water, I knew I already had I.V solution going so I wonder to myself what is she doing, so I ask her what does she has in her hand she tells me “don’t worry it’s something to perk you up” I ask her again what does she have in her hand, she says don’t worry about it just relax, well now I’m angry and suspicious so I tell her not to touch me until I know what she has the she proceeds to tell me ” it’s just a little blood” what I say, get that away from me, then she says to just lay there and be still. Oh no she didn’t right, and here I am 105 fever, my blood count is below 5  and I can hardly breath but that was not about to stop me to from screening to my mom “get the liason committee fast”! I then  pushed her away my mother stood up got her out of my room. Within 30 minutes the liason committee were at the hospital and in the next few minutes the head of the hospital. He came into my room and apologized profusely for the nurse, the men in charge of my blood decision came and asked me which nurse tried to slip the blood to me I pointed her out , to which they told her you need to thank her she just saved your hospital a million dollars without even going to court. She smugly walked away to which they told the administrator never have that nurse work on any of they’re patients because she had no respect for them and they’re wishes. He agreed and off to intensive care I went. This was a long night because I was right by the nurses station so Of course I couldn’t sleep because they were talking and laughing all night long of course I don’t begrudge them any because they have a very stressful job and they need an outlet for all the pain they see. So now my arms and legs are paralized…what next

So I’m going around on high doses of  pregnazone ,Metrosilex, Harmon replacement therapy, Ulcer Medicine that was caused by the other meds, and a few more just for good measure. Mildly coping day by day periodically in the Hospital for a week or two. Then one day I was walking in the mall with my husband because it was his day off and I wanted him to enjoy it although I felt as if all my muscles had been on a marathon run all night but I had gotten pretty good at faking it so he was none the wiser …at least for a while then he stopped walking , he looked back at me and said “your walking like an old lady” that’s when I lied and said my muscles were just a little sore and I picked up the pace  that worked for about 30 minutes then my muscles gave me away because they started to freeze up and then I could hardly walk upright. So off to urgent care at the hospital so they took my blood and gave me moltrin and sent me home. I went out to a movie, I’m still in denial, of course my cell phone was off. By the time I got home my daughters were freaking out, they said the hospital called 2 hours ago and told them it was imperative that I get back to the hospital right away and go straight to the emergency room and that was 2 hours ago and they call twice. My daughters and mother have been around me and my hospital escapades long enough to know that if a hospital calls once and tells you to get there it’s bad when they call twice your dieing. So off we go to the hospital and to the emergency room give them my name and they take me in right away and a Dr comes in right away to tell me my CPK was at 750s and it’s suppose to be in the 30s and  to cover themselves because they let me leave their urgent care with this type of result, he says they must have had a bad blood test so they to retest it, so more of the old poking and testing, well the Dr doesn’t take long to come in and tell me that I’m to be admitted right away because now it’s at 2500s and since I’m already on pregnazone they can’t figure out why this is happening and they called in a specialist. Yea, that’s right, another specialist that will walk in my room say a name ask me a few questions poke here squeeze there and then say “you’re an enigma, this doesn’t make sense , have you had a blood transfusion lately” usually in that order. Then they will spout out a name scratch their head and leave with a questionable look on their face. Although some are better at hiding their expressions than others, that’s my world, and this time was no different. He came in asked me if I was a marathon runner or into extreme sports, well I said I do have 3 teenage daughters and that is pretty extreme with them all in high school. Why do you ask I say, because he says you have poliomyelitis and that is a rare disease that comes from extreme sports and over taxing your body or a blood transfusion. Hum, again with the blood transfusion, but he was surprized when I told him I was shopping earlier that day and was still walking around without  any strong pain meds but I reinforced  that I was use to pain but what I wasn’t use to was not being able to bend my arms and legs. He spouted something like be glad you have a high tolerance to pain and if my CPK  go up anymore I would have to go to another Hospital for more test. Low and behold my CPK  jumped to 55,000s so down the hill I went to my favorite caffeine free hospital but guess what they changed the rules now if your in the hospital you can have coffee with caffeine (I would like to think I had something to do with that but I know better). So more test and prodding, can you feel this squeeze this, push this, yatta yatta yatta, but now they want to do a muscle biopsy the tells me and that will mean about a .018 inch cut into my left leg and test it for positive results. I say ok whatever I agree so the next day I go into a brief surgery when I come to I feel like I have a chunk out of my leg but that’s impossible it was only .018 inch cut right , wrong, they took my bandage off and there is a  4 inch gap, so I asked the Dr what type of ruler were you using or should I say tape measure because that cut is over 4 inches and by my ruler that’s way different that .018 inch he quickly dismisses himself and another Dr comes in and I ask him ”how long would he say this cut is on my leg he discloses a little over four inches so we agree that my eyes aren’t failing me I asked him what happened to the .018 cut he explains that sometimes it takes more. I say are you kidding me that’s the best you can come up with, this is not my first hospital ride so tell me the truth, did he get a little excited and want to chew on my leg , I said relax if I  going to sue a hospital I’m not going to do it because you let a rookie Dr. try out his new little knife. Now that I have him flustered where it’s hard to think of an excuse, he tells me it’s defiantly poliomyelitis, well now I have living proof forever with 4 inch scar that I have a prognosis, not to sound arrogant as the Drs., it’s just that when you’ve been though the medical ringer as much as I have you can tell the difference between being hung out to dry and being cleaned out both of which are no fun. He does follow that with we have  a new experimental injection drug I want to try it’s been used in studies with promising results, I had to agree because what else is there. I was there for about a week I remember because of two reasons one the released me and it was thanksgiving day so they were having a potluck party and they forgot to take out my I.V. needle and I didn’t notice it until I was halfway home before I realized it (that’s when you know you’ve been in the hospital to many times) so I pulled it out myself second they gave me an experimental drug with strict instructions to make sure I took another shot the next day, I go to my neighborhood  pharmacy to get the prescription and he tells me that because it’s an experimental shot that he will have to get a special prescription and it will take 3  days so I called the hospital who prescribed it and they told me I would have to come back there and go  the emergency room and be admitted again to get the shot . Can you smell a money plot? I could so I called my pharmacist and he arranged to get it for me which meant he had to go down the hill and wait for the order, like I said find a good pharmacist who cares, who is willing to go the distance and care. I got the shots from him for a while until it stopped working then  off to the “specialist” again.

So I decided to try some alternative medicine, they can’t be much crazier, which included eyerodologist, chiropractic, acupuncture and others. The herbatalogist was very caring he started me on a vitamin routine, then a few days later I was so sick I called him in turn he called his Boss who said that I needed to stop all my vitamins and start eating chocolate drinking alcohol and anything else to destroy my immune system because they were building it up and that was killing me. I started to do that and got better right away. Back at square one,then I started to crave ice I mean the kind of craving that makes you drive to the best restaurant with crushed ice you can find. I was driving my husband crazy with the constant crunching on ice but I couldn’t help it .  Thats when I noticed a lump in my throat and it was growing quickly, I went to the Dr now he said it was my thyroid and he needed to check it out to see if it had cancer and since it was effecting my swallowing I needed to get half of it removed, back in the hospital I went.

I had part of it removed and gratefully there was no cancer and he told me I wouldn’t need to take thyroid medicine, My next Dr visit I told the Dr that I was gaining weight he told me to not eat so much, my husband had a cow because I already eat like a bird and I told the Dr I have gained 31 pounds in 28 days, he looked at my file and was shocked then put me on a thyroid medicine I lost the weight right away, so now what so far I have an auto immune liver disease, gall bladder, pneumonia, and now thyroid disease and I’m not finished yet because how does a seemingly healthy woman all the sudden get everything going wrong and why are all these Drs lost, but now with the  thyroid medicine my liver count is dropping , hymn what will the Dr say. Well at first he thought I was nuts but he thought he would play with me and test it out so for one month he put me on a high dose of thyroid meds, and then check my liver test then he lowered it for a month and retested it, guess what, I was not crazy it did help so now he asked if we could do it again for a medical magazine I said ok  so this went on for  4 months with the same results so he kept me on the higher dose even though it showed I had a higher thyroid count at least they weren’t talking transplant anymore, so whats next. I find a real Dr. who really cares he doesn’t always know whats wrong but if I need anything he’s there and takes care of me or sends me to whoever he thinks might help so to say the least I’ve been through all the specialist and universities on the east and west coast. I’ve heard all the talk from the Drs. saying how much they know and what they’ve done during their  careers but none of them knew what was wrong with me so I was always back square one. Except their was loyal and caring Dr. Jacobson to keep me going and ready to try anything to help and always researching for me. If it takes you firing lots of Drs to find that one special one that cares, do it , it means your life and it’s worth it. The right Dr. is a precious gem, treat him and his staff with all the respect and kindness you can because they a rare find, a needle in a haystack scenario. These types of Drs. aren’t worried about their egos or their pocketbooks only their patients.

So back to me, I kept having a high liver count, around 900-1200 so of course I was in and out of the hospital so I was told to go to Mexico to a clinic that they say could help me, well I thought I might as well try, so down I went to Mexico I met a lot of people with cancer that had been cured as well as other diseases. I went to one of the motels that would take me right to the Drs. office, so we have to be there by 7am fasting and they run test, discuss my test and come up with a plan. I would have to take some vitamins, a parasite pill for 10 days and a tonic. The parasite pill was a precaution because it is the most common illness. The tonic had a diet that I had to follow which consisted of no tomatoes, alcohol, vinegar, white flour ,pork and a few other things for  6 months to start. So I started the diet and tonic the next day, by the 7th day I started to break out in these large boils so I called the Dr who told me to stop taking the tonic. Which I gladly did because I hated the diet. I went to the Dr in america who tested my blood and my liver count was only about 200 so just that little time on the tonic had helped my liver greatly but the down side was the boils had gotten so bad that one I had to have surgery on and of course their not only on my legs one was in the worst possible place worse than a hemorrhoids. Ya that was fun, then I remembered the bible talking about Job sitting outside the gate with his boils, now I know why he was sitting when you have that many boils they go right to your bone and you can’t walk. But for a while my liver was looking much better. Then it started hitting my lungs, which they called pneumonia but surprise, their wrong again, but it would take longer and a lot more rides down the “ you’re an enigma” trail of  Drs to find that out. The next Dr was fun I thought he was nice until he went crazy and threw the filing cabinet through the window of his office and got arrested. So what else do I do? Where do I go next?