Update: RA Spes

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Hi Gang! Geoff Crenshaw here.

Well it's going on 2-1/2 years now so I guess it's time for another

update on the RA SPES. I started this stuff back in July of 1998 when I

was in very dire straits and not long for this world, expecting fully to

be examining the roots of daisies and not the morning sky come

Christmas. The turn around was quite dramatic and I went from crippled

with wheelchair duty and failing fast (as in by the hour) to being able

to walk barefooted, washing cars - even picking up my kids with my

hands. I started at 2 caps/day in the AM, then split the dose because I

had too much " morning lag time " before it kicked in after ingestion

(roughly 4-6 hrs.)

Splitting the does did the trick, at 1 am/ 1 pm. But the effect still

wasn't " tailored " to me. I tried 3/day (2a/1p) then 4 (2/2) then 6

(3/3). I saw no gain at 6, dropped to 5 and noticed no difference, then

to 4 -- same, same, then to 3 and aha! There was my " ideal " dose. At 3

the effect was lessened, at 5 it was unchanged from 4.

I stayed at 4/day (2a/2p) until around Jan/Feb of 99. By then the

softballs in my wrists were gone (yes -- softballs -- the very large

variety) I could walk, etc., and was better than I had been since 1986 -

even better than while on the 85mg of Prednisone.

I started cutting it back a bit and began the AP (I had not started it

yet and was acting as sort of a guinea pig for the group, myself and my

doc. But me mostly because I've been around the block too many times now

and want to know exactly what is doing what.)

AP in hand at 200mg Doxy daily (yes I know, very high -- but I was able

to tolerate with no " apparent " problems) any " herxes " were handily

dispensed by the RA SPES.

Ultimately for the AP, in consultations with Ethel it appeared better

for me to deal with some yeast issues before going any further and thus

it was and has been suspended even as I write this. However, the RA SPES

continued.

I now take 1-2 capsules daily and eat pretty much whatever I want within

a reasonable balance -- as contrasted to the severe reactivity and

flaring I had before. Flaring does occasionally show through and I am

not very comfortable if I am wholly violative of an " RA Diet " and off

the RAS for say a couple of days. (An example of an egregious violation

would be the eating of a half-gallon of chocolate ice cream plus

chocolate candies and breads and beef in one day. Which I suppose should

make anyone sick but I used to do it with abandon all of the time and

neither suffer nor gain weight. Oh well. Not anymore!)

I have no insurance, and thus no HMO nor PPO dictates what I may or may

not take, nor what physician I see. But my purse does -- alas. I and

others in this group were able to take advantage of some special pricing

for this very expensive herbal concoction reducing the price from $60 a

bottle to $45 a bottle. In retrospect, it is not as much as one might

think.

That price drop allowed me to stay on the RAS, which subsequently

allowed me to gain back 80 pounds I'd lost (putting me at a normal and

healthy weight of #220 at 6'4 " tall), got me out of a wheelchair, got me

onto my rowing machine, allowed me to celebrate not just one but two

more Christmases with my children and bride, returned me to my " normal "

work week of approximately 75 hours per week and inspired the

undertaking of an enterprise I would not have considered before.

My costs thus far come in approximately like this for the RA SPES:

Jul - Dec 1998: $1,181 (roughly $197/mo)

Jan - Dec 1999: $1,522 (roughly $127/mo) Q1/2 higher, Q3/4 lower

Jan - Oct 2000: $ 675 (roughly $ 68/mo) taking about 10/wk

(1-2/day)

As to Doctors visits, I have had three and 1/2 in this time regarding

the RA that I recall off-hand. (?) One to the Homeopath who started me

on the RAS and one by follow-up phone call with him (that's the 1/2)

plus two to my local Rheumy for the Doxy (who, BTW, told me Dr. Brown

was a quack back in '87.) For me a visit to my Homeopath (In Las Vegas,

Nevada - I am in Central California) costs me well over $1,000 all by

itself, the phone call runs about $80 - both with no medication, etc.,

and the Rheumy is about $85/visit. So from the perspective of an

" uninsured " person (would self-insured be a better term?) the remedy is

quite inexpensive compared to the " advisors. "

I have enjoyed likening it to this (per month):

Daily newspaper $35

Daily coffee 45

Cable TV 50

Dinner out once/wk 120

----

TOTAL $250/mo

Obviously these are higher for some people, lower for others, and for

still others they are simply not applicable and therefore ridiculous.

But for me they contribute something very, very important: PERSPECTIVE.

What price my health? I can do without all of these things without

reducing the " quality of my life " and I can cook an incredible dinner

for two for far less than $30 a pop (you'll notice I did not include

child care.) But I cannot justify indulging in these fancies at the

expense of my health and the pain and grief a lack of health brings my

family.

So there you have both parts -- the cost/benefit analysis (very rough, I

grant you, but it still helps put things in perspective) and the

subjective analysis (I am T-O-N-S better!)

I find it interesting, in retrospect, that as I get better I am able to

make some money while at the same time my medical costs are decreasing.

Such is the " reward " of improving health, tenuous though it may well be.

I have had no side effects, nor have most people I know of that have

used RA SPES. There have been questions posited about such things as

licorice, and ginseng, and even no small degree of vitriol and

outlandish accusations about adulterated formulae. Those are posted at

http://www.healingyou.org if you are curious.

I feel confident in saying this remedy has two overriding issues

attached to it and no, cost is not one in respect of my now " lengthy "

experience and what shows above...

Issue one: It works dramatically, and continues to help for

an extended period of time, though the " drama " lessens

along the path of the last half of a bell curve

Issue two: It is NOT a curative for RA. Arthur is still with

me and continues to bless me with his unwelcome company.

The bottom line? I am still intent on pursuing the AP after regaining

gut integrity and will continue to use RA SPES, especially to manage the

sometimes violent and exquisite reactions described by Dr. Herxheimer

Regards,

Geoff

Nonprofit for nonRx Herbals, Homeopathics & Supplements near/at/below

cost

http://www.healingyou.org

Why do I have hope?

Because I am under the blood of the Passover Lamb.

EXO 12:7-3 / MAR 14:24 / REV 12:11

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