My daughter, Tammie, at the age of 17, was finally diagnosed with endometriosis after many years of severe period pain. This required numerous laparoscopies and after the last of these Tammie developed severe abdominal infection (peritonitis) for which she received a total of 17 drugs within a 14 day period.

About 3 months later, she developed allergies, which she had never had in her life until this time. She would have allergic reactions to bee stings, aspirin products,  Yellow 5 and cottonseed oil, just to name a few.

Finally Tammie underwent a hysterectomy and a year later she had her gallbladder removed.

Periodically, she would have unbelievable allergic reactions until it was suggested that she see an allergist.  Every time she received an injection to test for an allergy, she would have a violent reaction and it would be 3 to 4 weeks before she could go back to the allergist; obviously this would never work for her, as her underlying liver dysfunction was really the root cause.

Her immune system and liver function were compromised; this overload was causing all the allergic reactions.

Tammie entered a 4 yr college program and obtained a teaching degree.

In March 2009, she had become so exhausted and pale looking and went to her family doctor.  He ran a battery of routine tests and when the results came back, he said he needed to do one more test but was sure it would be negative. This was after seeing elevated liver enzymes.  Well, it was a test for the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and unfortunately, it was POSITIVE.  He wanted her to be seen by a hepatologist (liver specialist) at one of the medical centers.

Initially we took the route of the hepatologist at a university hospital in May 2009, who ran tests which determined that Tammie’s viral load (the active amount of virus in her blood) was 14.5 million, which is considered very high. Her liver enzymes were abnormally high, showing liver inflammation and liver damage caused by the HCV. The type of HCV she had was Genotype 3.

The specialist’s tests confirmed the suspected diagnosis of Hepatitis C infection.  Before we had received the test results he suggested that Tammie have a liver biopsy.

I was very afraid of a post-op complication and her ability to tolerate antibiotics for only 5 days, as well as, her body’s weak condition.  He also presented a daily chemotherapy treatment plan with anti-viral drug capsules and 2 to 3 shots of Interferon weekly for a period of 12 to 24 months. When we questioned the possibility of allergic reactions to these strong drugs, he suggested that she could be admitted to the medical center for 3 months so they could monitor her for possible anaphylactic shock induced by the drugs.  We asked about liver scans such as ultrasound and MRI scans, which were risk free, but we were told it was not necessary.  We asked if there was any other treatment they could offer that was not so risky and unpleasant.

By this time, I had been checking on testimonials of people who had gone through this type of treatment and the side effects and reactions they had to tolerate.  I knew Tammie was in no condition to be able to withstand these adverse reactions.

We wondered - How did Tammie contract the hepatitis C virus? She had no obvious risk factors such as blood transfusions, body piercing, tattooing, or IV drug use. Thus the doctors attributed the HCV infection to her last laparoscopy in 1999 and the fact she developed post-operative peritonitis.   They told us that in about 30% of the cases it is never determined how the individual got the HCV.

The specialist suggested we wait for 2 years until the new treatment drug came out, which could be better.  But with no energy, pallor and extreme fatigue, waiting for 2 years was not an option we could afford to entertain.  We made a follow-up appointment for October 2009.  This was scary business.

As I researched things, I found there were over 300,000 million cases of infection with the HCV worldwide, with only 3.5 million cases documented in the USA. In the vast majority of Western countries the ONLY treatment offered was this chemo plan of anti-viral drugs.  Could it be the USA was not on top of this disease? - I felt so. I also wondered how doctors would cope with treating the new cases of HCV that were surely going to be coming in the future, with all the tattooing and piercings on children and people using drugs in the USA.

When I asked what the treatment plan success rate was, the hepatologist told us it was 40%.  What he did not tell us was that there was a 25% relapse rate, which means the cure rate comes down to approximately 15%, and at what cost to the patient?

So, I searched and found “The Liver Doctor” in Australia, Sandra Cabot MD who previously worked in OB/GYN, but became side tracked by liver research.

Dr Cabot appeared to have a total (holistic) understanding of the liver and its huge importance to the immune system, general health and longevity.

Dr Cabot and I communicated by e-mail, which was rather strange to start with, but the results speak for themselves.

In June 2009, my daughter changed her diet to eating organically as much as possible, using foods with no additives and choosing cage free, grass fed poultry and meat.  We found just the grocery store, which would be safe for her, Whole Foods Grocery Store.   In July 2009, we started her on Dr. Cabot's recommended supplement program which consisted of LIVATONE PLUS capsules, SELENOMUNE capsules and “MSM Plus Vitamin C” powder. Dr Cabot’s associate, Victoria Taylor ND was extremely helpful, as is all of Dr Cabot’s knowledgeable and caring team.

Because of Tammie’s allergies, we had to move very slowly, as she would have a rash or maybe bumps and we would back down, and then slowly move forward.  Victoria had a complete understanding of these allergic reactions Tammie was going through.  Each time a bump or a patchy rash would come, I was fearful that this would not work for Tammie but Victoria was so reassuring and confident that we could get through this but it would take longer for her to be able to tolerate the supplements at the strength she needed to be on.   It was that reassurance from Victoria Taylor that kept us on track and also the results that began to appear in Tammie’s energy level and appearance and the slow but steady ability to increase her doses.

Over a period of a few months, she was able to build up her tolerance and take the total supplement doses.  Because of her allergies to fish and seafood, she had to use flaxseed oil to supplement for Omega 3's. Dr Cabot also told us we could purchase whole organic flaxseeds and grind them into a fine powder and store in the freezer – this could be taken in a dose of one tablespoon daily.

Her energy level continued improving, no more naps after working or when riding in the car, her color came back, she was not looking sickly, and she started to take an interest in her life again.  So to me, her Mom, this was a major improvement, but we also needed the blood work to prove we were on the right track.

We went back to the university in Oct 2009.  The hepatologist was still insisting on the liver biopsy. I fought against it initially because Tammie needed time for her body to get better before such a procedure was done, plus the good results that we were beginning to see made me even more reluctant to have an invasive biopsy.  We needed new blood tests to provide the proof we were headed in the right direction.  We were hoping for a change in the viral load of anything, one million less would have been terrific, as I felt this was going to be a slow steady process.  The hepatologist finally agreed but told us since Tammie was not on a treatment plan, they did not feel a viral load test was indicated.  Of course, I understood that nutritional medicine is a treatment plan!

Finally the results of Tammie’s tests came in - they showed her viral load had dropped to a total of 1.5 million in just these 4.5 months.  However, the specialist did not think this was great, because Tammie was not on their prescribed treatment plan.  But we were ecstatic! – Tammie’s viral load had dropped by 13 million !!!!

Three weeks later, on November lst, Tammie was diagnosed with Swine Flu. She did not have the Swine Flu vaccine.  Her family doctor wanted her on Tamiflu but it was too toxic for her.  Dr. Cabot assured us that it would take her about 3 to 4 months for a full recovery from swine flu to occur naturally. We added additional supplements and it did take the full 3 months until February 2010 for her to recover. My mother died in March 2010 and this, too, caused a setback, which took time for her to recover from, as Tammie was very close to her grandmother.

Neither of us wanted to return to the university, as we knew they did not like the approach we had chosen.   But I believed that Dr. Cabot’s plan was the best for Tammie; it would help her get her whole body in a better place, she would get stronger and we were seeing some positive results. To us, the university options would only be as a last resort.

During this time, her family doctor was aware of the progress that Tammie had been making  and said he would take over monitoring her and run whatever tests Dr. Cabot wanted.  So a new viral load was run in July 2010.

Once again we were ecstatic – her viral load was now down to only 344,000; that is equal to a drop of 14.2 million in a year!

A liver scan was done and blood liver enzymes measured.

As a matter of fact, her family doctor has asked for a copy of Dr. Cabot's book, The Liver Cleansing Diet.  What he was unaware of was that pending Tammie’s results, he was going to receive a copy anyway!

In August 2010, Tammie’s new results were faxed to Dr Cabot and she too was excited about the tremendous drop in her viral load.  The scan, however, revealed a mild case of “fatty liver” which is totally reversible through dietary adjustments, which should speed up her recovery even more so.  The scan showed no masses, no tumors and no cirrhosis. Dr Cabot discovered that Tammie was low in vitamin D and iodine through testing the blood and urine. These deficiencies were very important to detect, as both vitamin D and iodine help the immune system to reduce inflammation and fight chronic viral infections. We were told to supplement with vitamin D3 and iodine.

I am aware that the HCV can be a precursor to liver cancer, which could result in a liver transplant. How could someone like Tammie, who cannot even tolerate antibiotics, get a transplant that requires huge doses of anti-rejection drugs; this would never be an option for Tammie.

WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK!

The excellent progress, thus far, is overwhelming to us. Tammie is totally functional, energetic, has great color and optimism for her future.  In this past year, in addition to working, she volunteers with a special needs young adult program, is a wife and mother of 2 teens, works with a homeless shelter for the county, is VP on the Board of Directors for a local chamber of commerce, and is involved in many community events, some of which she organizes. Without the program from Dr Cabot, the Liver Doctor, this would not have been possible.  We have been so blessed to have found the Liver Doctor and her wonderful knowledgeable staff and her website www.liverdoctor.com.

Finally after all these years of struggling, 2010 has been a great year for Tammie and her family!

We are sharing our good fortune and new knowledge with people in similar circumstances who are battling liver diseases such as hepatitis C and B.   We are educating ourselves about the vital part the liver plays in the well-being of our body. Most of us know very little, and although the liver is designed to be robust – we cannot take this powerful organ for granted.

The greatest gift is the fact that the liver can regenerate itself given the proper diet and supplements. It is easier to make an informed decision when you know the facts and the options available.  We have not reached our destination yet, as the journey still continues to get to a healthier liver.

I hope you find this story inspiring!

From a concerned mother living in the USA, who is in a fight for her daughter’s life and liver!