Saturday, September 22, 2012
My son celebrated his 11th birthday yesterday, September 21 at his favorite restaurant, Shiro of Japan, with all of us and his Godparents and a very close family couple. He was so happy he would do anything you asked of him. He was like the Godfather on his daughter's birthday; he couldn't refuse any requests made of him. I almost didn't make it to his birthday celebration. I was hospitalized on Monday the 17th. The day before, Sunday morning, I blacked out in my bathroom, twice (I sleep on a hospital bed in the basement). I was about to catheterize myself so I was sitting on a chair in front of my American Standard toilet (rather have a Kohler) but I never did it. There I was just slumped over on the chair. I woke up with the catheter still in my hand, unused. Worse yet I was paralyzed. I couldn't move my arms or my legs and my chin was in my chest (my skull felt like it weighed 100 lbs). I reached for the phone and then stopped. I felt like I was just gonna roll off, in slow motion, right into the toilet. It's tough enough for me to get off the floor after I've fallen. I don't want imagine what would have happened with my arms and legs barely moving. After a bit of time I took some breaths and tried again, real slow and got it. I used the intercom and called my wife. She came down and I asked her to hold up my head. She did. Now all this time I was feeling really light headed. My vision was very blurry. My vision is like looking at snow from the TV screen when there is no reception except its not moving. While she's holding my head I black out. She calls the ambulance and when they arrive I convince them to let me stay home and they do. The next morning I was sleeping upstairs with my wife. I went to the bathroom and was afraid I wouldn't make it back to bed so I asked Sylvia to help me back. Just as I'm about to get in bed my vision goes completely black. I laid down and felt such a relief and soon thereafter I was OK. Well, that was it, we called my autonomic neurologist and cardiologist. The cardiologist got back to us first and implored me to admit myself at Columbia ER. I did and lucky for me the surgeon was away. I say lucky because I want to do a thing or two with the family before I have open heart surgery. The cardiologist wants me to have the surgery sooner than later. God willing it'll be a non-event. I have a DNR statement for my healthcare proxy. But my autonomic neurologist doesn't think there's a concern with my breathing muscles once they take me off the ventilator after the surgery is done.
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Hi, I am Bern's sister-in-law, Sandy's Sister Maryann. I do so feel your experience, and pray that everything works out perfectly, whatever you decide. I wrote you an email (Bern gave me address) the other night but could not post it. I’m sure you’ve considered your options, but what comes to me immediately is my cousin's experience. Have you researched with other surgeons what minimally invasive procedures may be available for your condition? My cousin's friend was scheduled for open heart surgery a few years ago and came across an article in the newspaper about a new minimally invasive procedure. He called the surgeon, was approved, and avoided open heart. Why his surgeon claimed he was not aware of it beats me, because heart surgeons are very well informed of the latest leading-edge technology, as I am very well aware from working with medical specialists in the past. My own experience has revealed to me that hospitals, insurance, and surgeons make a great deal of money - but not all surgeons are educated on the same skills. For instance, a market that sells McIntosh apples, will not recommend Delicious if it does not sell them. Many times insurances are what drives what procedures you are given, as well. I would call others and ask what procedures are available for the same condition that are minimally invasive. And ask your surgeon directly why he has chosen open heart over the others. John Hopkins has this list of procedures (I don’t know whether it is a FULL list of all existing, or just the procedures Hopkins is skilled at): http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/heart_vascular_institute/clinical_services/specialty_areas/minimally_invasive.html
ReplyDeleteSometimes we are intimidated by authorities whom we are entrained to believe are beyond any doubt. Don't be afraid and ask ALL questions that come to your mind and demand what you instinctively feel is right.
With only good intentions...Maryann
Thank you Maryann. The Dr. did recommend a lesser invasive approach which boasted my trust in him.
DeleteMarco this is great advice from Maryann. I agree that options are limited by doctor's experience and knowledge and even worse I durance places more limited or "preferences" for doctors. God bless!
ReplyDeleteI durance should read endurance. Love Emilio
ReplyDeleteOh, wonderful!
ReplyDeleteKnow that he and the family are in my prayers. In addition to prayer, a powerful thing to do is to visualize LIGHT, the essence of life, from your heart… enveloping him – keep a constant vision of this, and sort of in the background of your mind when you are not doing it consciously. Some powerful experiences have come from this. A healthy cell emits a bright light, similar to the halos seen on Jesus and the Saints. Other family and friends may add to this as well. We are energy. We are spirit first.
I believe the info in the following links, which I included in my email, may be of great value, would help Marco to rapidly recuperate from his operation, but also to anyone reading this, in particular: learning problems (ADD, autism, etc), neurological problems, diabetes, circulation, thyroids…actually a host of other diseases, if not all – and you’ll understand why as you read Jon Barron’s site…I urge everyone to read his whole site; you will learn what took me 30 years to learn, all in one place.
Giving regular massages to the spine in an upward motion is also important in stimulating the CNS and brain (my daughter’s autistic, ADD, and aspergers symptoms began to change with this within 3 months– I believe hers was due to a Hepatitis vaccine, soy infant formula, and too much juice- that I thought were healthy for them, ha! Unfermented soy and High fructose corn syrup, in all juices, are endocrine – hormone – disrupters, they are also genetically modified. A 2 year study just released on Sept 19th on genetically modified corn resulted in multiple tumors in rats, confirming that GMO derived foods should not be eaten – the food industry and Monsanto are up in arms about it. Both my daughters also have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome = sugar, hormone, and cysts problems). But no doctor is going to tell you any of this, mostly because they don’t know themselves. The AMA detached themselves from what used to be natural medicine in favor of the new “technology” of the times: synthetic drug therapy. So that is what they know and do, and base their science.
Cont....
Ill health also took 10 years and more away from my life, until I found holistic (natural ) medicine (I believe I had mostly mercury poisoning – but other factors are involved as well, like that above). Some symptoms appeared similar to some of MS: numbness in hands to elbows, and face; twitching muscles in face, eyes, and various other parts; muscles spasms and Charlie horses especially at night, from calves, to eyeballs, to esophagus, to uterus, to root of tongue; a steady electrical vibration throughout my body; double vision; tunnel vision; “TV snow” vision; vertical “waves” vision; “dots” vision; memory loss; electrical shocks from head to toes or up from my toes, like lightening; electrical stabs at my back; muscle and bone pain; loss of taste and smell; dizziness; loss of equilibrium; some loss of motor control as in missing my mouth or reaching a glass and missing it; some incontinence of the bladder; I felt my-self in back of my body (yeah, that’s the strangest). Plus 30 other symptoms. I had severe bouts that would keep me bedridden for 6 weeks at a time. It was later labeled fibromyalgia – but that label did not encompass ALL of my symptoms. After 10 years, a chiropractor and a Neurologist-turned-holistic , helped me get my health back within 2 years, with immediate change in 3 months. I was feeling better since the age of twelve. Neurologist Dr. Martin Feldman in upper NYC (he must be eighty by now).
ReplyDeleteI don’t mean to make this my story. I list these to bring awareness to others who may be suffering similarly. With this same experience I helped my mom reverse her diabetes at age 65, which she had for 15 years, in 3 months. But she had gone back to PR where her loneliness and stubbornness took the better of her (you know - that Spanish blood, and now-denatured food). My daughter’s symptoms got a whole lot better and some vanished, like not being able to look at me in the eyes or be touched; she was able to sleep for the first time in 7 years (from only 2-3 hours in 24 hours).
More confirmation that I did the right thing came when my daughter came to me 3 years ago with a book she was reading for school, “Born On a Blue Day” autobiography by a savant, and said: “Mommy, read this book! He says things that I remember feeling and some I still do, but not like before.” There’s more that I could have done or could do, but between marital problems, no cooperation, and budget…they weren’t. I believe my father would still be alive if he let go of fear and tried to understand. It was hard for me visiting him every year in Florida knowing that if he did some of what I learned, he would be feeling better himself. But you can’t force-change beliefs on anyone.
Cont with links...
Here are those sites...and I do so with the greatest heart-felt intentions and desire that anyone may find within them that which may lift them from the darkness that I know any illness may befall upon one – and from an erroneous belief or two – and to the Light of well-beingness to… BE…
ReplyDeleteThese 2 focus on HEART health (but ALL is inter-connected)
http://www.jonbarron.org/heart-health/program-natural-alternative-problems
http://www.jonbarron.org/immunity/boost-immune-system-ms-multiple-sclerosis he also offers his book free as a download – I recommend it.
Trusted site, featuring Brain Surgeon- Neurologist Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride focusing on Multiple Sclerosis. Also MUST read her book “Gut and Psychology Syndrome” where she gives the entire diet she called GAPS that completely reversed her son’s autism and many diseases, I can send that to you if you’d like: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/05/12/dr-campbell-mcbride-on-gaps.aspx I can talk to you more about her.
This is another of Dr. Natasha’s book summary focusing on heart disease and cholesterol:
http://www.cocoscience.com/pdf/cholesterol.pdf and gives her websites.
MS as Mercury poisoning symptoms: http://imva.info/index.php/mercury-medicine/multiple-sclerosis/
This is another trusted site; this page focuses on an aspect of sunlight (and many good articles!):
http://www.naturalnews.com/028536_sunlight_multiple_sclerosis.html many free e-books here too.
Recovered from MS: http://www.katescounterpane.com/
You might also want to speak to this Dr. in NYC although he specializes in natural cancer therapy –he may know someone specializing in MS: http://www.dr-gonzalez.com/treatment.htm you can email him
These sites will immediately show you where you need to be and the resources to seek – a much shorter and direct journey than what I had to go through to obtain information. Had I known about them 30 years ago, I would have had a different life. I can go on, but that would be enough for now so as to not overwhelm ... so much : ). The first 3 give enough for this context here (but I would continue reading).
Another trusted site – all about GMO foods – a must read
www.responsibletechnology.org and must see movie: http://geneticroulettemovie.com
Another by scientists with scientific research that supports natural everything:
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/index.php
Love …Maryann
This is helpful information MaryAnn. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete