DOUG KAUFMANN SAVED MY LIFE!

Doug Kaufmann is making a presentation in Harbor Beach on Thursday, November 2, 2006, and Cindy Goniewicha of Harbor Beach is excited about his visit. Cindy met Doug Kaufmann on his first visit to Harbor Beach in June of 2004. The experience is forever engrained in her mind; Kaufmann saved her life.

Cindy's health problems date back to the mid-1980s when she was hit with an attack of what she thought was walking pneumonia. Difficulty breathing and extreme coughing topped the list of symptoms that sapped her energy and, in an effort to get well, Cindy began the first of many trips to the doctor.

Cindy's original attack occurred in the spring of the year, and it was decided outdoor allergens might be the reason for her discomfort. Armed with a handful of prescriptions, Cindy made her way to the drug store. Antibiotics, nasal sprays and decongestants would surely be the answers to her prayers.

But Cindy didn't get better. Back to the doctor she went, and upon stating she couldn't breathe - she felt like something heavy was pushing against her chest - x-rays were ordered. Her lungs, according to the test results, were fine. After two months - eight long weeks - Cindy slowly began to feel better, and she assumed it was just a one-time thing.

When December rolled around, Cindy experienced another attack. Still focusing on the allergy angle, out went Cindy's live Christmas tree and, playing it by the book, she ripped out her carpets, which were surely contaminated with dust mites. That didn't help either. Two more months passed, and again, Cindy began to slowly feel like her old self.

Cindy's two-month attacks came on about twice each year, and she thought maybe another doctor and a new set of eyes would see something different. Cindy grew to dread the future. But Cindy wasn't going to give up; she wanted to feel good again.

With each passing year, Cindy traveled from one allergist's office to the next, and when that proved fruitless, she ran the gamut between specialists in the ear, nose and throat field. Steroids, antibiotics, nasal sprays and decongestants - they were deemed the cure-all, but when Cindy explained she'd already tried those measures without success, a different brand of the drug was prescribed. Each new drug was supposed to be better; each new drug was supposed to fix what ailed her. None of it made a difference though, and Cindy's quality of life declined in the process.

In the mid-1990s, Cindy made an appointment with a dermatologist who diagnosed her with rosacea. A low-grade antibiotic was prescribed, a drug she would be on for the next two years. Cindy experienced her "usual" two attacks during the first year she was on the low-grade antibiotic, but during the second year her condition worsened. Cindy was now sick all the time.

Her days consisted of summoning enough strength to get out of bed to make it to the chair. And back again. Gone was the joy in her life. Severe headaches, heaviness in her chest, difficulty breathing and a nasty post-nasal drip plagued her days. Exhaustion was taking its toll. Depression followed. Why couldn't all of these very intelligent health professionals tell her how to get healthy? She gained weight and her body was swelling. She could no longer hear out of her right ear, but when the doctors looked inside, they could see nothing wrong. Cindy was in serious trouble.

Cindy struggled to hold down a part-time job. On those days when she did have to leave the house to go to work, Cindy struggled with severe coughing. Her job was a split-shift, so she had a few hours off between her morning and afternoon duties. During that time, Cindy hauled herself to her car, and there, she slept.

Summer had always been one of Cindy's favorite times of the year. Not anymore. She couldn't breathe. The humidity made her fight for every breath. Locking herself inside, Cindy set her indoor temperature at 65 degrees and limited her time outdoors to no more than two minutes at a time.

Her life was spiraling downward.

Still, she fought the good fight. She went to the library, researched and studied. She thought maybe her condition was linked to the foods she was eating. Cindy began a diet but only stayed on it for a month. It didn't seem to be working. In retrospect, she knows she was on the right track; she just hadn't eliminated enough foods.

Back to the doctor - again. This trip, though, would become the last straw. The doctor wanted to prescribe anti-anxiety medications; the suggestion was made her ailments were all psychological. Cindy knew better and, this time, the prescription did not get filled. Cindy knew something was wrong with her body, and it had nothing to do with her head.

Angry and frustrated and depressed, she couldn't believe her life was going to end like this; she was dying. Cindy couldn't get out of bed, and the mere thought of visiting one more doctor was too exhausting. It was all pointless anyway. She wanted to abandon medicine as she felt it abandoned her.

Cindy made out her will. And waited to die.

Cindy's mom called one day to tell her she read in The Lakeshore Guardian Doug Kaufmann was coming to town; maybe he would have some answers. Cindy had read about his upcoming presentation in June of 2004 as well, and decided she needed to summon the strength to go.

During the course of Doug Kaufmann's presentation, he asked for a volunteer from the audience who was experiencing health problems to come on stage. Hands shot up throughout the crowd and when Kaufmann pointed in Cindy's general direction, Cindy immediately stood up and made her way to the stage.

"I don't know if Doug was really pointing directly at me, but I was going up there!" recalled Cindy. "I needed help."

After Kaufmann and his team asked Cindy a series of questions and reviewed her list of symptoms, Kaufmann suggested she follow the Phase I diet recommended in his books and to continue her quest to find a doctor she believed in. Cindy held onto the book outlining the diet Kaufmann gave her as if it were a life line.

"I started the diet the next day," said Cindy. "Within two weeks, I could tell a huge difference. I was breathing better and feeling better overall."

Remember Cindy's right ear that was plugged? That, too, returned to normal in a short period of time.

In less than six months, Cindy shed 40 pounds.

"The weight flew off," said Cindy, and the fight continued.

After nine months, though, Cindy had a set-back. She had followed the Phase I diet faithfully; her current problems had to be linked to food.

"I found a company that tests your blood to see what foods you're allergic to, and I was allergic to 26 things. I took those out of my diet and started to feel good all over again," recalled Cindy.

Cindy's diet was very basic, but she was feeling better. So much success did she have with the Phase I diet, she was scared to venture into eating other foods.

Being human, Cindy did stray from the Phase I diet on occasion.

"At first I wondered what eating a sub sandwich would do - it put me in bed for three days," said Cindy.

When she had the food allergy testing done, Cindy was referred to a doctor in Lapeer, who prescribed Diflucan and Nystatin for a period of time. Gone are the three inhalers, two nasal sprays and two decongestants. Her drug regime now includes the Phase I diet (food is medicine), an antifungal, acidophilus and an herbal supplement. And while Cindy admits she still tires easily, she's quick to say she feels a whole lot better than before.

"I like my doctor; he was great the first time I went and really listened to me. He's the kind of physician who wants to get to the root of the problem - to find out what's really the cause - instead of prescribing another pill to mask the symptoms," Cindy said.

For those experiencing their own health problems, Cindy offers this bit of advice: "You know your body and how it reacts to what you put into it. I did so much reading and researching, but if it wasn't for Doug Kaufmann I don't know if I would have ever really found out what I needed to do. Don't accept everything you're told; ask questions and keep searching for the answers. Don't ever give up."

Cindy encourages everyone to attend Doug Kaufmann's presentation in Harbor Beach on November 2, and she hopes to return to the stage - this time for a different reason.

Added Cindy, "I'm looking forward to seeing Doug. I want to thank him for saving my life!"

*Disclaimer: The above article details one woman's journey on her quest for better health. The information presented is not meant to give medical advice or prescribe treatment; the information has not been scientifically validated or approved by any government or regulatory agency. Rather, the recommendations made by Goniewicha are based solely on her own experience. Consult your doctor, and start asking questions!