Our family lived with a very limited income, but we had a garden, a cow, chickens, fresh seafood, home grown pork and such fruit as figs, pears, grapes and sometimes apples. We were able to buy oranges and bananas from the grocery store. Even with all of this diet, I was stricken with pellagra.

In spite of my bad health, I became a nineteen-year-old bride. Our first baby was born when I was twenty-one. Our baby girl was beautiful but my delivery was tortuous and too long. Nausea, extreme vomiting, and nose bleeds and weight loss during my entire pregnancy had preceded this.

In 1969 I was employed at the County hospital as a cashier and insurance clerk for six years. Because of my continuing to feel tired and almost listless, I sought medical help. Despite my EKG's done, nothing was ever detected or so I was told.

Since I had access to medical records, I decided to take a peek into my own. "Heart Murmur" in the records had not been voiced ever to me by any of the doctors.

This was in the late sixties and early seventies that I made the discovery about the "murmur". I decided to ignore it even though I had suffered through more than several D & C's. After all I trusted my "Doctor". The doctors seemed determined to perform a hysterectomy due to uterine ulcer that would not heal. At that time I was only twenty-eight years old, but I refused to let the hysterectomy be done until I was age forty-three.

Due to the constant hemorrhaging I consented to the operation. My doctor insisted I go on premarin. I had a reaction, so he took me off of it. For ten years I did not take it. (My belief is that God protected me at that time because the doctor did not know what was wrong with me.) When I was fifty-three a good gynecologist told me that it was ridiculous that a person could be allergic to premarin. People don't become allergic to premarin, he said.

At age forty-seven, an orthopedic surgeon employed me. He examined me one day when I was feeling very weak. In the meantime, he took my blood pressure. He sent me home and to bed.

The next morning he advised me to see a cardiologist. The appointment was set up for me that day, June 10, 1979. I knew I had a grave problem. On June 20th the doctor told me I could no longer work because of my heart condition. I was devastated!!

At Chapel Hill hospital on July 3, I was put on Inderal. "Zombie" described me best as I tried to work my way to a dosage large enough to accommodate my heart. The diagnosis was "Idiopathic Hypertrophic Sub Aortic Stenosis (I.H.S.S.)

This was the beginning of many woeful days for me. There have been more than twenty operations varying from heart problems to total hip replacements.

The following catalogs painful and dreaded chemicals and operations. My visits to the hospital were almost a weekly routine -- sometimes daily. Needless to say so much medication and cutting caused other health problems and ailments:

1. Stomach upset
2. Degenerative joint disease
3. Congestive heart failure
4. Asthma
5. Hyper and Hypo Cholesterol
6. Cardiomyopathy
7. Hypertrophic hiatal hernia
8. Esophagitis reflux
9. Acute cystitis
10. Pyloric Ulcer
11. UTI Pyuria bacteria
12. Vaginitis atrophy
13. Incontinence
14. Uretheral Stenosis
15. Hyperflexed bladder
16. Morton's Neuroma - bilateral
17. Hemorrhoids
18. Dry eyes - severe 19. Hypoglycemia

I've had several MRI's, hundreds of x-rays, many lab work-ups, three heart catheterizations, eight plus upper and lower endoscopies.

All of this required medications simultaneously. I was on antibiotics for a year at a time. I could not remember things such as appointments with the doctors. Chemical medication was destroying me. 1975 - hysterectomy - total oopherectomy 1981 - same day. hemorrhoidectomy, bilateral Morton's Neuroma surgery, bladder tuck, four operations under one anesthetic. Anesthesia was devastating to my heart. 1982 - Crushed (L) knee - things were looking bad. 1989 - Open heart surgery (Duke Hospital) Myoectomy via Aorta. (I went in with one heart problem and came out with three). 1992 - July broke (L) hip (broke ball). In surgery they had to use local anesthesia because of my heart being so bad. Bi Polar Component. Six months later the operation had to be redone, wrong component. This time the situation called for a total hip replacement. 1995 - Gall Bladder operation. Hiatal hernia wrap.

Between 1979 and 1997 I was hospitalized more than twenty-five times. Craven Regional, Chapel Hill, Duke and Morehead City Carteret General.

I was informed that there was a greater possibility my heart would explode rather than my dying a natural death (Very slim chance).

1996 Because of my many medications prescribed for my diseases and ailments, the doctor diagnosed another one still, Sjogren's Syndrome, relapsing polychronditis, and costochondritis of the ribs. Deterioration had really set in. During all these years these diseases and prescribed treatment turned me into a monstrous pain. My immune system completely broke down.

I joined the Sjogren's Foundation and from their newsletters I soon learned there are thousands of suffering people with no help in sight.

My hair and nails were thinning badly. My right thumbnail was surgically removed two times. The surgeon informed me that chemicals were the cause of the problem.

In 1997 I asked my doctor what we could do about my Sjogren's Syndrome. "Nothing" seemed to be the answer. I prayed for God to show me the answer, something so I could feel better. Since I was always conscious of the value of good nutrition, I would read vitamin books and buy things to take. But this proved unsatisfactory. I'd get discouraged and quit.

In June 1997, God opened up a better way of treatment by herbs. My niece from Alabama, Kim Piner, came for a visit. When families get together, there's not much time to do anything but visit. Kim has a wonderful testimony herself on hormones and Thyroid. She told me a little about taking herbs and her great success with them.

After she returned to Alabama, she called me and told me about Enrich and that Marla Ostrosky was coming to my house in November of 1997. My brother, my husband and I made up the audience. The others invited did not come. But that was also ordered by God, I believe.

Marla told us the good news about Enrich. Our little meeting ended at 11:30 PM. Because there was only "us" in attendance, Marla could answer all of our questions. Thank God for Kim & Marla. Most of all thank God for my recovery and better health.

I also thank God for the medical doctors and their commitment to the healing process and their untiring hours and their knowledge. But chemicals tend to have bad side effects. Side effects were killing me.

In June I did not have any fingernails, they were soft and chipped to the blood. My nails are now beautiful to my eyes. My hair has thickened and grown so much.

My heart murmurs have quieted very much to the delight of my doctor and me. My cornea is healing and my eyeglass prescription has been reduced three levels. I am not taking all of those medicines anymore except for one heart pill.

When I had surgery they mistakenly clipped my electrical system, my mitral valve was damaged also, which gave me two more sicknesses besides the one I already had.

Herbals have made a great difference in my health. Although I have had some of the best doctors, they don't deal with nutrition. My doctor told me they're not required to study it. Herbals are primarily food supplements.

At the last meeting with my heart specialist in May 1998, he listened to my heart and exclaimed, "Gloria, your heart sounds the best I have every heard it." I've been seeing him for nineteen years. He was really bragging about my improvement, then I told him about the herbs and gave him some literature. He was very congenial and pleased about my improvement. My next appointment, the longest I've ever had in almost twenty years is with him in January 1999.

In June I went to see my eye doctor. For twenty-eight years, my eye care came from this same group of eye doctors. I was told many times they were doing all they could do. My eyes were so dry, sensitive and painful that I wore dark glasses inside. I couldn't even read anything well.

He checked my eyes even though my glasses were only six months old. His exam showed that my lenses were too strong. I had to change my lens even though six months earlier I had paid $300.00 for new glasses. The new lenses enabled me to read. He reduced my lenses three levels for the better. His surprise came when he examined my badly damaged cornea. He told me it looked real good.

However, I was somewhat skeptical about new lenses. The optician had always said of my eyes, "Dry as a desert." He questioned about using the drops and ointment he prescribed for me. I told him I had not used the drops and ointment, because I had started using herbs: cata, bilberry, castor oil for ointment. He wrote it in my chart and told me to keep using these things.

For years my eyes had been so bad that I had to tape my eyes shut at night. The muscles of my eyelids were so damaged that my eyes could not stay closed. That made them worse. Am I ever thankful for the herbals! I believe God has led me in the alternative help from Enrich.

In all of this my tolerance was so low I was on a cane walker and scooter car for sixteen years. I also have my own personal trapeze to help me out of bed. This durable equipment is stored and my scooter car is in its garage next to my bedroom. If I want to take a run through the flea mall real fast, I use it sometimes. I don't have to.

I went back to my Cardiologist January, 1999, and he is still praising my success. My heart murmur is still sounding good.

My eye appointment was also in January, 1999. He is very proud of the success with my eyes and asked me for literature on what I am using for my healing. I proudly presented him with an herbal brochure with all the products listed.

To God be the Glory for all He has done for me. I thank Him and love Him supremely.

Gloria Mann, January, 1999