I always considered myself a “healthy†kid growing up – athleticism was my proof. In the fall of my senior year of high school, I made the All-Cobb County High School Football team. I was literally on top of the world – Sports were at an all time high, just got accepted to the University of Georgia, wonderful family, great girlfriend, plugged in at church; what could possible go wrong in my life?
Spring of 2004, my little world was rocked as I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis; little did I know that I would quickly lose my football physique. I lost 45 pounds in 4 weeks. I missed 45 days of school (17 of those in a hospital). In the meantime, I also became anemic and developed 2 blood clots.
When it a hit a daily cocktail of 27 different medications, my parents took me to get a second opinion at the Mayo Clinic – where the doctors still didn’t know why I had gotten sick.
I eventually was able to “mask†my symptoms with the medications I was on. By God’s divine power and grace I graduated from high school on time and headed into my first year at the University of Georgia. Life went on this way for several years…in and out of the hospital a week a time. Could this be how my life was going to be spent?
Finally, in 2006, after countless suggestions from meaningful well-wishers and a third opinion from the University of Chicago, I was told that surgery was probably the only way for me to be healed. This is where I knew something had to change – and preferably, not by the removal of my colon.
The paradigm shift of how I viewed health was taking place; it was exciting, scary, and very unfamiliar territory. Sports had made me disciplined and competitive and I was determined to take this new challenge and run with it successfully.
My body was and still is the Lord’s Temple – I was literally destroying it with the choices that I was making.
The biggest change occurred when I started receiving on-going chiropractic care and a total overhaul of my diet. I had gone to the chiropractor before to “feel better†(don’t get me wrong, it did make me feel better), but I needed to be more consistent and disciplined.
I had to remind myself that “slow and steady wins the race.†Over that time, I had been able to come off 22 of 27 medications. Praise the Lord! My anemia had diminished because I was putting good nutrients in my body through diet and supplementation. And, the Ulcerative Colitis was going into remission.
For the first time in two and a half years, I felt that I was putting a frontal assault on my health as opposed to a cover up approach of the symptoms. I continued receiving consistent chiropractic care for the next 2 years and was able to stay out of the hospital.
In 2008, I was able to graduate from UGA…on time, marry my high school sweetheart, get a job with a great employer, and feel great while doing it! A lot of things went into the mix of my health success – Prayer and support from family and friends, proper supplementation and diet, exercise, and on-going chiropractic care.
For one thing, going to the chiropractor was beneficial because the office was always encouraging me to keep going in health and wellness. Not only did going consistently treat the root-cause of my disease, but it also acted as an accountability group for me.
It’s now 2011 and I’ve been in remission for three and a half years. Well, that was true up until about the middle of January. I had my first flare in January 2011. Looking back on the events leading up to that, I realized that as I had gotten into the working world, some parts of my health had taken a back seat. One of those was chiropractic care.
I had continued eating well and using supplements, but when I had gotten married and moved, we had never located another chiropractor that had the same ideology as my other chiropractor. My prior chiropractor had been a Maximized Living Coach – Fred Roberto. I went to him and asked him for a recommendation in my area. He was the one who told about Health Sprout and Dr. Eric.
Was I disappointed that the flare came up? Yes. Was there something that I could do about it that was outside of the world of medication? There was. I believe that there is a time and place for the medical world. But, after 7 years, I wanted to seek after care that would allow my body to heal itself – my lack of consistency in the last 2 ½ years had slowly depleted my body of the progress that I had made in the prior years.
Like Dr. Eric says, you can’t expect to stay in shape or build muscle mass without exercising. It is the same with chiropractic care. Consistency and discipline will help bring about the results that some many people desire to see.
I’ve been receiving on-going care from Dr. Eric since the end of January. I have gone back into remission, increased my energy, and am actively pursuing health. I even did the Body By God 40-Day Challenge. Dr. Eric has become a great asset to my wife and my health and wellness as he coaches us in decisions about food, supplements, exercise and other random questions you get when lying on the adjustment table.
I believe in chiropractic care and my wife and I now both go together. It is easier to do something when you have a teammate to cheer for you. In the bible, there is a verse that says “As iron sharpens iron, so another man sharpens another man (Prov. 27:17).â€
My prayer for you is that you will be challenged and find health for you and your family. Jesus told us that He came to the world to give us a life and give it to us in the fullest! May God sharpen you and inspire you to live for him and make wise decisions so that you may live out your fullest God-given potential.
Dr. E – patients getting well, those who feel well getting really well, and living full lives… that is something to get excited about!
See this and other testimonials on our Testimonial Page