A Personal Story about taking vitamin supplements

Introduction: My mother, Donabee, recently had this experience (and revelation). I asked her to put it to words. She wanted to share it. Like most people we have faith in the belief that taking supplements was necessary for health. But how do you know which one to choose? A few years ago two friends introduced me to a couple of companies that had what they considered to be top products. I investigated them and agreed. But it was still a leap of faith. After all, you won't know you are taking a good one until it is too late. Religiously she and I have taken our supplements. Good things did happen but it wasn't until she had the doctor appointment she talks about below that confirmed our selection of products.

Donabee's Supplement Story

My son has been after me for years to "take better care of my body". I thought I was, but he wanted me to make sure I ate the right foods, exercised and took a better supplement. I knew he was right, but - who has time??? And it is hard to change your lifestyle.

A few years ago I did start taking his supplements. Nothing earthshaking happened, but I kept taking them somewhat haphazardly for a while.  Then I realized I WAS feeling better so I got more serious about taking the supplements.

In the meantime, I had some water damage in my house that apparently produced mold, I started to have serious bronchial problems which eventually led to my MD agreeing that I needed some pulmonary rehab. They put me on a treadmill and bicycle-type exercises and an old problem cropped up. My hip had bothered me for years especially while walking a distance. The rehab nurse insisted I make an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon to see if I had a serious hip problem that could be damaged even further or maybe even require surgery.

I set an appointment with Dr. Frank at 2:20 pm. I arrived at 2:10. The doctor was having a conversation with two gentlemen about fishing. I was taken into a broom closet size room where the nurse-receptionist helped me fill out a new patient form. She said "I also need the list of your meds in case you need surgery." When the forms were completed, she asked for my 'list of meds'. I gave her the Combivent , an inhaler, which I had been using very occasionally. She asked for the rest of the list again. I told her 'that is all I take' - no prescriptions, no pills… She checked my age (75) and looked at me as if to say ' I know you are lying, but I will go along with it.' and left the room like an angry mother telling the Doctor will want an X-ray of my hip. I reminded her there was a previous hip X-ray in my file.

On a desk in the room was a huge clock. Beside each hour number was a smaller number - 5, 10, 15, etc. My first thought was ' this man can't count by fives - so what am I doing here?'. I waited… 10 minutes, 15 …My appointment was 2:20. It was now 2:45. Was he still fishing just outside my door. I decided to wait until 3:00 then I was going to walk out.

At 2:56, this gigantic man who looked like Michael Moore walked into the room with an X-ray file in his hand. He said off-handedly, "We really DO need a list of your meds." He put the X-ray on the viewer, and said (wringing his hands as he looked at his next car payment…) "OOO, bad. Look at the damage around that hip joint. But this X-ray is nearly 2 years old. We need a new one to see how much more damage we have here." So I took a trip to the Radiology room while he counted his newly found pay check..

When I walked back with the new X-ray of my hip area, Dr Frank attached it to the back lighted viewer. He got this really weird look on his face. His first statement was, "These two X-rays are not from the same person. The X-rays must have been mixed up." Of course, both had my name attached. Then he decided the dates were wrong. The one with the 2005 date was actually the last one not the first one. I asked what was going on - He looked at my original file and asked my birthdate, my address, etc. and saw it was actually my file.

He said, 'This doesn't happen! These can't be X-rays from the same person." I asked him what the heck he was talking about. He explained the two X-rays to me. The original X-ray showed somewhat severe and obvious damage around the hip joint. The current X-ray showed a hip joint with new bright white bone and no jagged edges around the hip joint. He said, "this hip joint is perfect - not a hip joint you would have at your age. Is this a picture of your hip? Was someone else there? Did the lab mix up the X-rays?" He obviously didn't believe me when I told him this is definitely my X-ray. Puzzled I asked "What are you saying? How could you explain this? What do I do next?" He didn't have any answers. All he had was this puzzled look on his face.

By this time, I was having fun with him, because I knew the answer he should have been searching for. You could see it on the X-rays. He looked me right in the face and said, " This is a picture of a perfect hip. If you still say it is yours, then get out of my office!" He didn't get it…

Of course, I am extremely happy to hear this from a bone specialist. Thank God I am not going to have to have surgery on my hip. Somehow, my body corrected and healed the damage to my hip. You could see it on the X-ray. The new bone was solid white  and dense on the X-ray. Dr. Frank didn't have any explanation as to how this could have happened and he didn't ask me if I could explain it. I think he thought he was being put on like on Candid Camera. He wasn't. I would like to say I have done an incredible job of taking care of myself. I haven't. I do sort of watch my diet, it's not as bad as most people's. The only factor that it possibly could be is the supplements I take. Perhaps that also explains why I rarely need my glasses any longer and the puzzled look on my optometrist's face when he cancelled my cataract surgery.

Addendum to my story:

I continued to have a pain in the hip area of my leg when walking and working out. We knew it wasn't my hip anymore so my Doctor had me see a pain specialist. This specialist immediately suspected a possible pinched nerve but wanted to take X-Rays. After he viewed the X-Rays, his nurse called me and said I had an abdominal aneurysm and I needed more tests and to see my Doctor right away. The next day, Friday, I was having an ultrasound and scheduled an appointment to see my Doctor on Monday. I was in a panic. People die from aneurysms. That was the longest weekend I ever had. Monday afternoon, with baited breath, I talked to my regular MD. I asked "Tell me about this aneurysm. Is this serious? Am I going to die? Can surgery save me? How bad is it?" He smiled at me and said. "It's smaller than the last time I looked at it. It was 4 cm and now it's only 3.5 cm. It has gotten smaller." Was that good news? He knew all along I had an aneurysm and never told me and now he is saying it is smaller than the last time he looked at a picture of it. Well at least now I understand why he was having me take all those different tests over the last year. He said he didn't want to worry me. The point of me adding this to my story is I now know I do have an aneurysm. I'm not happy with my MD. But I asked him if it is common to see an aneurysm shrink? His response was it is real unusual for that to happen. Myself, I again chalk it up to the supplements and functional health beverage I am taking daily. I wish I had started using these supplements in my 40's or 50's if not my 20's.

Donabee

Side Note: Those are not the only positive affects I have gotten. What got this whole supplement thing going is I had a car accident about four years ago. A woman pulled out in front of me and I hit her broadside. I pushed on my brake so hard I fractured my right foot, just under the ankle. Not a good thing to happen especially when you are in your 70's. I know my son was really worried about me. I was worried about me. Was I ever going to walk again? It hurt too much to walk on it. I got a cane from my MD and a box of multivitamin supplements from my son with instructions to use both. He also shipped me a case of Magic Juice. It was amazing. My foot did not heal over night, but the pain all but went away. I could get around using the cane. It healed very quickly is the best way to describe what happened.

When I first started taking the supplements three years ago I also had arthritis. It was getting so bad in my right hand that I could barely make a fist. I was real surprised when it went away within six months of starting on the supplements.

Going back about ten years, I would develop bronchitis every winter. It turned into pneumonia one year and put me in the hospital. I would be sick for weeks. Flu shots didn't help. I have not had bronchitis for the last seven winters. I really haven't had a cold either, but if I get symptoms they don't last but a day or two.

I mentioned above that my eye sight has actually improved. I only need my glasses now to read. I have had two new prescriptions in the last three years due to the changes in my eyesight. After all these years of wearing glasses and getting eye exams, my eyes are not getting worse, they are getting better. What I didn't say above is three years ago, my optometrist told me I was developing cataracts in both eyes and that I would no doubt need surgery on both. When I went back for the scheduled appointment to evaluate the progress, believe this or not the cataracts were gone. This occurred during the first year of taking the supplements.

My blood pressure is perfect. My O2 levels are where they should be. They put an EKG on me probably to make sure I didn't die on the treadmill. The technician couldn't believe the readings. She told me they are too good to be true. They should be all over the place as I walked. They weren't. She told me I had the readings of a much younger person.

Again let me say I do not take any prescriptions, except that inhaler thing my MD gave me. How many 75 year olds do you know that do not take a handful of prescriptions?

So am I a believer? You bet. I have seen the miracles. When my son first sent these new supplements to me, I told him I'm taking vitamins and I was. I bought them at the drug store. He insisted I change to his new supplements. So I did finally to humor him mostly. This was when I had my car accident. I didn't see what difference it would make. I am so glad he insisted. I believe I would not be here today had I not changed. I had too many things going against me three years ago. By the way, we have introduced others to this line of supplements. They all have similar stories.