Dr. Marcus Ettinger – Black
Patient – Blue
Friend of patient – Red

One year ago I gave my regular Wednesday night health class, as I had many times before. In attendance was a German born Ph.D. He grew-up in Brazil and moved to America to start a engineering business. The company he built grew and thrived until an accident required him to have surgery on one of his legs. The surgery failed and as a result created a condition called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RSDS). In my opinion, cancer is easier to treat and more tolerable then RSDS. To try to correct this and handle the 24/7 pain (VAS pain scale 9-10/10), Rxxx underwent 87 surgeries, ketamine infusion therapy, synthetic morphine, vicodine…. Rxxx lost his (7 figure/year business), home and quality of life and almost his sanity. When we had our initial consultation Rxxx told me that he would not be upset if I was unable to help him, but would give my suggestions a try. I only saw Rxxx twice. I laid-out a plan based on what I would do if it were me in his shoes. I have not heard from Rxxx since the second visit. One year later I received this e-mail. It took him a while to confront my suggestions, but he eventually did. The reason I’m sending this out in an e-mail is to let you know that no matter what you are experiencing with your body, THERE IS HOPE AND HELP! It only takes a desire and commitment to get better, along with the realization that drugs and surgeries are not the answer to true and durable healing.

Here is the complete e-mail thread. It’s well worth reading.

Dr. Marcus Ettinger

On May 2, 2014, at 7:41 AM, Rxxx Fxxxx < xxxx@xxx.com > wrote:

Dear Sister and Brother’s in Christ,

Blessings to all of you in the name of our Lord Jesus!!!

It’s been a long time since I haven’t heard much from you, so my first goal was just to say a ‘Hi!’, and send you some warm greetings and Brazilian ‘abracos’! 🙂

On this end, I’m making some big improvements in my health, thanks in much, for a new Integrative Doctor that Txxxx has introduced me last year. In short, I’m undergoing a new radical, natural treatment to reduce the neurophatic pains and reduce my dependency on surgeries and drugs. It’s a very hard approach, but after completing my first month of ‘added sacrifices’, it’s starting to show some positive results – thanks to God!

It’s not that radical or hard, but when asked to do 180 degree lifestyle change , it seems hard at first – Dr. E

So friends, in the spirit of giving back, and making a (small) difference, I have started to help out in a couple of fronts and had a ‘particular burden’ to go back to the ‘Grandma’s House of Hope’ in Anaheim…. (e-mail continues)

PLEASE PRAY ABOUT IT, AND SEE WHAT GOD TELLS YOU!

Many blessings & abracos,
Rxxx

Hey Rxxx,

Long-time no talk. Glad to hear your pain is better. I’m curious as to what the treatment was. My health took a drastic turn for the worse last year and one of the effects is that I now also suffer from extreme neuropathic pain.

Bxxxx

Sent from my iPad

Hi Bxxxx,

It is good to hear from you, even with the news of your additional Health Issues. God knows I know too well about chronic pain…

Bxxx, the new natural plan to fight chronic pain (and its associated side conditions such as depression, fatigue and anxiety) that I’m now following has been designed by local integrative MD that our dear friend Txxxx Vxxxxx introduced me to at the Cohn Health Institute in Costa Mesa (http://www.cohnhealthinstitute.com/). Every Wednesday night they have a free introduction workshop at 7pm there. That is where Txxxx first took me. Dr. Marcus Ettinger was the MD that hosted it on that evening, and he then give you a free follow-up individual initial evaluation. I did that too, and since then I’m in touch with Dr. Ettinger. He also practices in Orange and you can find him at: https://advancedhealing.com/.

Now I will be 100% honest with you Bxxxx. I too looked for many excuses not to try this radical program, and went back to my traditional pain management treatment (with more than 87 surgeries and pain procedures over these last 5 years!). So, you know I have real practical experience here…

Bxxxx, these new health programs, Dr Ettinger introduced me to are integrative, that is they involve everything, starting with your diet, exercise, mind, spirit, etc.. So, for instance, I’m now for more than a month on a juicing diet program (see the awesome documentary “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” – http://www.hulu.com/watch/289122), and on top of it, I’m walking every day as much as I can – yes, every day, no matter how painful or hot it is out there!!!

The diet part is also really not as bad as it may sound Bxxxx. Just after a couple of weeks you won’t be even carving all the normal stuff. In the first weeks, I was mixing juicing with one healthy meal a day, and once in a while, I still do a light meal. I don’t believe in radical programs that people cannot keep for long. In the first days, I could walk less than 1/2 mile, but just a month later – in this past week, I was able to do 5 turns around the Irvine North Lake (~5 miles)!!!

Bxxxx, during and after each walk, my pain goes through the roof (VAS 7-9), and my legs swallow like tomatoes and burn like a frying pan, but the difference here is that each day I’m improving a little bit – I’m getting lighter: dropped almost 20lbs in the first month, and have therefore less pressure on my legs. Mostly, my body is getting stronger and I’m sleeping better and having less chronic fatigue!!! So, even if the pain is still there, I’m starting to live again, and be able to do things around as you could see from my attempt to help the “Grandma’s House for Women“. On top of it Bxxxx, after almost 5 years, I started reducing my use of the traditional pain drugs too, so my body is also slowly detoxing. A small miracle, hum?

So Bxxxx, I know you are a very intelligent person and you know me well from the past. You can get the whole picture here – doing the same old things will not help us. Drastic circumstances require drastic measures. Traditional Medicine is not the way to go, and it will only rob you from you taking responsibility for your own health. I don’t have all the answers either my brother in Christ. All I’m doing is sharing with you what I’m doing. As in the past, I still would like to sincerely help you, but you need to make your own decisions for a better physical, mental and spiritual future.

It all starts with you Bxxxx. So, pray about all that I told you, and give yourself a chance and contact Dr. Ettinger, ok?

Blessings & Abracos,
Rxxx

PS: I will continue to pray for you!

On May 3, 2014, at 7:00 PM, “Dr. Marcus Ettinger” <info@advancedhealing.com> wrote:

Rxxx,

Thank you for including me in this e-mail stream. One correction is that I and everyone at Cohn Health Institute are chiropractors, who practice integrative/holistic medicine. 95% of traditional MD’s only cut, burn and poison. Per the FDA, only a drug/medicine can treat, cure or prevent a disease. So by their own definition, Christ, water, the Sun, fruit, vegetables… can’t be used in the context of being able to help anyone – for – anything.

I am so glad you stuck with the program and are doing better. It does take getting your own personal ethics and responsibility in – you did that. It is going to be an on going journey, but a journey toward life and less pain.

I’m now exclusively in my Orange office. Driving in traffic and such was taking too much extra time out of my day.

I hope Bxxxx (included in this e-mail) finds inspiration in your success. It’s not me that did it, but you. I was just your coach. Also, it would be a good idea for you to get in for a check-up to fine tune your program.

I hope to see you soon.

Dr. Ettinger

Thanks for the note, Dr. Ettinger!

Sorry for the lack of feedback in the past months, but I thought there was no point in just letting you know that I was still miserable in bed, and that I couldn’t start your program yet… So, after all your caring first help, my plan was to first show some real commitment and results, before sending you a complete report. Then, Brett (old brother from church contacted me), and I immediately wanted to share with him my experience (and your info), in the hope that I could also incentive him to start to change his life with a similar program. I hope he does…

Yes, as you should come and see you. I’m still at the beginning here (just closed my first month), but despite the heavy pain during and after the exercises, I can already see the benefits – specially in terms of energy, less fatigue, better sleep and finally, less of the anxiety and depression stuff being outside more regularly. Two days ago I was even able to put some brand new running shoes for my walks (no running yet…)!!! Haven’t been able to wear shoes for more than 5 years now!!! Incredible…

So dear Dr. Ettinger, I will definitely make the appointment to see you soon so you can get a better picture of where we are, and give me the next steps as you recommended.

Once again, thank you so much for your past and present support and faith, and thanks also to our friend Txxxx Vxxxxxx for putting us together, right? She is an awesome friend and professional PT too!

Blessings,
Rxxx

Rxxx Fxxxx, Ph.D.