Jonathan Ball
Deland, FL
Arsenic Toxicity

Six years ago life changed for me. When you’re 20 years old you feel invincible, and you should. However, reality is not always kind. This is the story of my illness and the road I took to recover from it.

I was a sophomore in college, a very active sophomore in college. O.k., I was entirely too active. With that said, when I started feeling extremely tired during the day, I wasn’t completely surprised. I began to get to the point that I was so fatigued I couldn’t study, much less do the things that I enjoyed. I wasn’t depressed. I didn’t lack the desire to accomplish my goals, I just lacked the energy. So, I decided to take some time off from school. I decided to develop a regular schedule, which seems almost impossible to have in college. I moved from Fayetteville, Arkansas back to my home in Central Florida. I got a job, an apartment, and a girlfriend to cook for me. Somehow the cooking part didn’t really work out.

My problems persisted even with a regular schedule and non-cafeteria food, I still felt exhausted all day long. At work I would close the door to my office, turn out the light and fall asleep. I was your typical “nine to fiver.” I just slept on the floor, not on my feet. At this point, I realized there was more to how I was feeling than just lack of a regular schedule and fast food. I decided to seek medical attention.

I spent the next several years going to numerous doctors and specialists, including a short stint at the Mayo Clinic. The doctors found “minor” things, but nothing that could account for my fatigue. What bothered me was the amount of “minor” things. But no doctors could tie it all together, or had the desire to even try. I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue then put on anti-depressants. In fact every doctor that I saw seemed to have one solution for fatigue. “Try these anti-depressants.” I soon discovered doctors had a formula that they all share. If patient is fatigued, then patient is depressed.

If patient is depressed then prescribe one of the multitudes of anti-depressants available.

What was even more mystifying to me, was the fact that most of the anti-depressants available had a funny label on them. “May cause drowsiness.” Needless to say I was becoming frustrated with conventional medicine. The time had come to look into other avenues of treatment.

I was directed to Sierra Integrative Medical Center (SIMC), ironically, by an M.D. An M.D. who himself was treated at SIMC. When I first walked into the clinic, I was extremely skeptical. I felt like I’d just walked into a James Bond film.

During my initial appointment I immediately alienated one of the nurses. I think I was pretty fed up with doctors in general. After weighing the decision to undergo treatment at SIMC heavily, and with much skepticism, I decided to accept treatment. During the first few weeks at the clinic, I was amazed at how positive the patients were. I talked to several people who, like me, found no answers with conventional medicine. But here they had found answers and they had found a new life. It’s hard not to be positive, when you know you are being healed. It took several weeks to diagnose my problems, but unlike most doctors, the physicians at SIMC were unwilling to give up until they knew beyond a shadow of a doubt the reason for my illness. And they found it. I had unusually high levels of arsenic in my system. When I discuss the clinics findings with people the million-dollar question is always, “Where did the arsenic come from?” I’m not really sure myself. Perhaps my girlfriend really got tired of cooking for me. However, I think the real reason is the amount of pesticides I was exposed to throughout my life. I grew up in Central Florida where the roaches are known to carry shoes off. My mom, not being fond of roaches, had our house sprayed every month for the first fifteen years of my life. I also drank a lot of tap water. There are many studies showing the amount of arsenic in our drinking water is alarmingly high. I guess that my body doesn’t handle the disposal of arsenic as well as other peoples.

Now two years after my diagnosis of arsenic toxicity, my life is back to normal. I’m an Information Systems Manager for a manufacturing firm in Central Florida. I play in a band, and best of all I have energy.

If I hadn’t found the Sierra Integrative Medical Center, I’m not sure where my life would be. If the physicians at SIMC didn’t care so much about their patient’s welfare, I’m not sure what I would’ve done. At the SIMC I found healing, and many friends who had experienced the same things I had. Now I lead a normal life. And I know I’m not the only one, I’ve seen many people healed at SIMC.

If you would like to talk to me further regarding the SIMC and what the wonderful people there have done for me, please feel free to contact me. You can always reach me by email at jon@ballproducts.com. Good luck in your quest for healing.