My Story!

In December 1986, I started taking Plaquenil, along with Naprosyn, and by the summer of 1987 I was able to walk again and do part time work. Over the next 3 years I recovered enough to be able to carry on a relatively normal life with only occasional flares.

In the summer of 1997, I began to feel sick again, but it didn't seem like being RA sick. My doctor and I first thought I had a bronchial inflection and then allergies. Then a few days before Thanksgiving, I was taken to the hospital with acute congestive heart failure (CHF).

When I was released after seven days in the hospital, I called my rheumatologist who had literally saved my life with Plaquenil in 1986 and he advised me to get off Plaquenil immediately. He also sent me an case study from the New England Journal of Medicine (vol. 316, No. 4 Jan 22, 1987) involving two people on Plaquenil who suffered the same CHF that I had experienced.

Without Plaquenil, by February 1998, I was a basket case as I was back to being systemically sick and crippled by my RA. Not willing to give up any more major organs to toxic DMARD drugs, I began to search the "Internet" for any natural supplements that might help. It was there that I found cerasomal-cis-9-cetylmyristoleate (CMO).

Like most people, I had grave doubts about the claims then made for CMO, but having no where else to turn, I tried CMO out of desperation.

It took me a full six to seven weeks to realize that the CMO was doing "something" positive. With that ray of hope that some good was coming from CMO, I ordered and took a second bottle. This time, within four weeks, the changes were very dramatic. I began to be able to dress myself, go up and down stairs unassisted and feel well enough to start part time work again.

In June, a month after taking a third bottle of CMO, I really felt that a weight was lifted off of me systemically. I no longer felt any sickness and my joints kept getting better and better, with the exception of my right knee which I had severely twisted slipping on ice in the late winter.

Feeling about 85% better, in September 1998, I took another bottle to see if I could improve my knee. I noticed no further improvement at that time. In early November 1998, I went to the Cardiology Department at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital in Hanover, New Hampshire (not my original emergency room doctor in another hospital) to see if my heart had improved after a year of being off Plaquenil. To everyone's delight and surprise, my heart tested in the normal range and I was taken off all CHF medications

At this meeting, my cardiologist saw my swollen knee and referred me to the hospital's Rheumatology Department. I agreed to go, as I knew from prior experience that I probably needed the fluid drained and a shot of cortisone. I was also quite curious as to how they would react to my lack of other RA symptoms.

After reviewing my history and records, plus listening to my CMO story, three doctors proceeded to check all of my joints, poke and prod me everywhere and repeatedly ask me detailed questions in their attempt to find additional RA symptoms. In the end, after draining my knee of obvious fluid, they permanently excused me from their department somewhat incredulously.

The result was that with that fluid gone from my knee, I felt even better and then rated myself at 95% going on to 100%.

I can honestly tell you that CMO allowed me to overcome sixteen years of RA hell in less than one year. I do not know whether the CMO had anything to do with my heart going from being quite swollen with two leaky valves back to normal within one year, however I thank God every day for my blessings in both areas.

In the Spring of 1999, I discovered blood in my urine. On the advise of my GP I scheduled a cystoscopy to find out I had bladder cancer. As soon as possible, I scheduled surgery and thankfully the cancer was low grade and non invasive. The stress of knowing I had the big "C" and the surgery precipitated some old familiar RA symptoms. Once I was assured that my cancer was the best kind to have and was out of me, I proceeded to take two more bottles of CMO to combat what I call a stress reaction for RA sufferers. Within weeks I was back to my new normal self and again counting all my blessings.

In the summer of 1999, an old rheumatoid nodule emanating from my right elbow began to grow, scaring the hell out of me and interfering with the use of my arm. After the cancer scare, I immediately sought out an orthopedic surgeon who confirmed, as best he could, that it was an old rheumatoid nodule that had indeed was growing and should be removed. As it seemed not to be life threatening, I schedule the operation for November 1st, 1999, not to interfere with the late summer and beautiful fall that we enjoy here in New Hampshire.

By November the nodule seemed to have doubled in size and enveloped all my forearm muscles and nerves to the point my arm was almost useless. See what procrastination can do! Long story short, the operation took 2 1/2 hours with a nerve block, but was totally successful. Non cancerous, thankfully, but I sport a 10 inch scar from bicep to mid forearm.

Rehab has been another story, as those muscles have complained bitterly about being stretched and strengthened. But I have persisted and my arm is back to normal size and function.

The spring of 2000 brought me an opportunity to put together a fairly complex and highly stressful financial deal (my main business) that required long, frustrating and tension packed weeks to see the deal consummated. Tired and stressed out again, my RA symptoms again raised there ugly heads. I wasted no time taking two more bottles of CMO and again warded off the RA devil and had a wonderful, active summer.

I have since come to the conclusion, that I need to replenish my system with CMO II's nutrients on a regular basis to avoid relapses. Therefore I typically take two bottles of CMO II twice a year as maintenance which works for me in my circumstances.

Fast forwarded to June of 2008

Last year we left the shores of Lake Winniepasukee in New Hampshire to return home to Connecticut. The very, very, long and dark winters of New Hampshire have lost there luster for this aging body.

We now live in a very nice retirement community called Heritage Village in the town of Southbury where I still practice my main business as a Commercial Mortgage broker called CMS Funding.

The point of all this rambling is that at age 68 my heart is still fine and my bladder cancer free, but my aging body requires more CMO II to keep the twin devils of RA and Osteo arthritis at bay. At this time I am taking 2 capsules per day of CMO II which is keeping me drug free, erect, mobile, fully fuctional and thankful for my blessings.

Obviously, I am very thankful that the Lord introduced me to Dr Sands CMO ten years ago and I have not forgotten my promise to Him. I will, as long as I am able, maintain this web site and continue to strive to help others similarly challenged.

Thankfully,