A True Story

 This is a true story. Names have been changed for privacy purposes.

Savannah has Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. She is already very sick and receiving treatment for that, aka CLL. Because of the CLL, Savannah took every precaution against Covid-19, She always wore her mask, she only went out when necessary and avoided other people at all times.

But, Savannah contracted Covid-19 despite her precautions. She had done everything the governor said to do, yet she still got Covid-19. She was worried because she knew her CLL made her more vulnerable,

She began to cough pretty bad and developed other symptoms. According to her, she "ran the full gambit of symptoms, you name it I've been there." 

Her doctor prescribed a cough medicine. It didn't help.

Savannah was really suffering, getting worse every day. She was so frustrated with her doctor because he would not prescribe help. She suffered with these symptoms for 10 days and they were very rough days. 

Her sister, growing ever concerned, recalled seeing an article on Facebook about a cure for Covid-19, and, looking it up, she shared it with Savannah. That article, and others, pointed them to America's Front Line Doctors. Desperate for help, Savannah made an online appointment. She said the doctor "was very thorough. She called in a prescription." She gave Savannah Hydroxychloroquine, Z-pack, 4 steroid pills, another antibiotic, an inhaler, and told her to also take zinc and vitamins C & D. 

Savannah took the meds and within a day, felt better, was able to eat and really turned a corner in her illness, despite her CLL. She was able to eat for the first time in 10 days.

It saved her life.

Her own words: "Why will the doctors here not do that?"

Good question, Savannah. Why won't they?

If you get Covid-19, there is help. Go to https://speakwithanmd.com/ and get the help you need. They will give you the needed meds. DO NOT WAIT! There is a cure. Get it.

There is a cure. It's best if given early, but, as Savanna's case shows, it's also good given well into the illness. 

There is a cure.

~Tricia

The Candace Owens Show: Dr. Stella Immanuel

Upside Down Medicine

A friend of mine is in the ICU with the China virus. It did not have to come to this. Had his doctors treated early with the many treatments available, he would likely be well right now, The main news outlets do not report on the cures for the China virus......they only report death and sickness. Just think of it, several highly effective treatments are available but doctors allow their patients to get very sick instead. Many have died unnecessarily.

When will it stop?

In the course of raising eight children, there were countless trips to the doctor and NEVER ONCE did any of the doctors tell me to take my kid home and see if they got worse. NO! They treated them for what was wrong. They treated them on suspicion of disease or infection. They did not leave them untreated.

But, the CDC, for the China virus, recommends waiting at home to see if you get worse. Look it up for yourself if you don't believe me.

What?

Who does that?

That's upside down medicine.

More than 20 studies have shown effective early treatment with a variety of medications. Why are people still getting deathly ill?

Because the media is withholding lifesaving information. The media is your enemy.

Our president got the China virus......and what did they do? They treated him early and he got better right away! He has advocated for early treatment......and the media has been silent.

If you get the China virus, don't wait to get worse. If your doctor won't give you early treatment, you can go to America's Front Line Doctors and get treatment. Do not wait until the disease worsens. Get treatment early.

If you do not have the China virus but are in a vulnerable category for it, you can get preventative treatment if you qualify,

No, I am not a doctor; I am referring you to the best doctors in America. They have saved lives. They will save yours.

~Tricia

Book Review - Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

I just finished reading Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly and I can't get it out of my mind. This book has stayed with me. An historical novel, it's based on the true stories of several women who lived - and didn't live - through the Holocaust. Their stories are followed from the start of WWII until long after the end. Some were killed; some were tortured; some were the torturers; some were simply bystanders trying to get through the day. All were affected. 

A few things that stayed with me and why: 

A common phrase, "For the greater good," was used frequently to gain control of people. But those people, no matter how complaint they were with this mandate, were killed anyway. It reminded me of 2020 in that people were forced to give up their livelihood and shut down "for the greater good." It gives me shivers. Just 2 weeks of shutdown? No...it wasn't true. They take your livelihood without a second thought. They will leave you in the hospital alone without a second thought. All "for the greater good."

The innocent were killed. Many, many women, children and men alike were killed for simply existing. It reminded me of abortion today. Many thousands of babies are killed daily for simply existing. 

Those who dared to speak out were quickly hushed by those who wanted to comply with the "new order." They were encouraged to tattle tale - and some did, to the detriment of their loved ones they tattled on. No one could be trusted as a result. 

The thousands of victims were lied to at every step and it sounded reasonable and plausible each and every time. Today, we are lied to on a regular basis by certain media and certain politicians who want their way. Pregnant women are lied to so they'll kill their babies. It's all lies, just like it was then. 

Read this book. See how things played out in people's everyday lives. Look at how "good" and "righteous" they made the compliance sound while they lined the compliant up, naked, at the top of mass graves and killed them all. 

Today, girls line up in a waiting room, repeatedly told that what they are doing in aborting their baby is "for the greater good" because it would be horrible to bring an "unwanted" child into this world who may end up in poverty. 

Those who work to protect individual liberties protect your liberties as well as their own. They don't bow to the "for the greater good" mantra because they already know it's a lie. Do not be fooled. There is no "greater good." There is only "good for me too bad for you" in the politician's voices. Not one politician gave up their salary for the shutdown. Not one missed a paycheck. You may scramble to pay your rent or mortgage but they never do. Nothing is for the "greater good." Nothing.

Let Lilac Girls be a stark reminder of how easily the people fell for the lies. I highly recommend this book. 

~Tricia

I Started taking Hydroxychloroquine - Here's What Happened

Because I had a mild stroke in April and I felt my body had enough to recover from, I asked my doctor for Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as a preventative for the Wuhan Virus. 

She said no.

I then asked my neurologist the same thing. 

He said no.

So, I contacted America's Front Line doctors at speakwithanmd.com and they, through a virtual visit, agreed with me and prescribed it for me. The pharmacy was only allowed to give me 11 pills. They cost $30.00. 

I took one a day for five days, then one per week. I take 200 mg once per week now. That's it.

Here's what happened to me since I've been on it:

    The arthritis in my right hand is no longer a problem. This hand was broken a few years ago, and even with a doctor's referral, an orthopedic doctor would not treat me. No reason given. So, I wrapped it up myself and after about three months, it seemed to heal but developed arthritis. It was so painful I had to wear a brace for over a year to be able to sleep and was taking Tylenol twice a day for the pain.

Since taking HCQ, my hand no longer hurts, no longer swells and has gained the strength it had lost. I can grip again....a feature I had lost.....and am able to move and use my hand like it never had a problem!

Based on that, I wanted to be able to keep taking HCQ past my 11 pills, but the governor of our state has put restrictions on it. However, the same doctor was able to prescribe it for me and give me more than a year's supply because he prescribed it for arthritis this time and we used a different pharmacy. Only two pharmacies in my city will dispense it.

I was able to get 60 pills for $85.00.

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The second benefit is, my severe eczema has cleared up. By severe, I mean at one point I had eczema from head to toe over 80% of my body. I tried all kinds of things over the past four years since it broke out and nothing provided lasting relief. While the 80% had finally cleared to less than 20%, it was still severe in that it would break out to the point where it broke the skin and was very painful and bleed. I thought I'd have to deal with it for the rest of my life.

Enter HCQ. 

I had no idea it works on severe eczema! My skin has healed and I have had no breakouts since I started HCQ. Sometimes I have a little itching, but NO breakouts! I am amazed. 

________________________________________________________________________

For my arthritis any my eczema, I hope to take this for the rest of my life.

Bonus: I'll likely never have a respiratory disease because of it, either! 

Win/win.

If you're worried about negative side effects, I have had none. At such a low dose, 200 mg once per week,  side effects are nil. As with any drug, a higher dose would be dangerous, but my low dose makes it safe and effective. The doctor who prescribed it is so pleased about the eczema because he told me he had no idea! It's nice to have a doctor humble enough to admit that.

So, that's my HCQ story!

~Tricia

My Stroke Story

 This is a recount of what happened to me. I do share some opinions of what happened but overall, but this is my experience. 

On Sunday, April 5, 2020, I had spent the day with my hubby. We had gone to Blythe Landing on Lake Norman, one of our favorite spots. He had stopped for a burrito at Chipolte, but I felt funny and didn't want anything. I didn't feel bad, just funny. No big deal.  

When we came home, I put a roast with potatoes and carrots in the InstaPot and dinner was all set. Around 5:45 pm, it was time to set the table for dinner, make the gravy and call the crew. As I attempted to get up off my chair to do just that, I felt extremely dizzy and my legs went very weak. I had to sit back down. At that moment, my son Marty came downstairs and offered to set the table. I tried to talk to him but my words were slurred. I tried to stand up but I couldn't. Something was wrong. Marty ran and got David, my hubby, his dad, and told him what was going on.

He said, "She's having a stroke! Help me get her to the car!" He got my other son, Myles, and he and Marty escorted me to the car. By this time, my words were no longer slurred and could walk fairly well with assistance. 

We got to the urgent care center and I had to check myself in because David was not allowed in with me due to a viral outbreak. They finally took me to a room and ran a bunch of tests, but the tests were inconclusive so they said they wanted to admit me to the hospital where better tests could be run. I was alone except when someone came in to adjust something or run a test. I had a video consult with a doctor and by this time I could walk and talk just fine, even going to the bathroom alone. The doctor said he thought I had a stroke but was sending me to the hospital for confirmation, etc. 

The only way to the hospital was by ambulance so I had to wait for that. I waited over and hour and was very hungry by this time. We had gotten there around 6:00 pm and it was now 9:00 pm. I asked for some food; a nurse found a frozen breakfast sandwich and microwaved it. It was very soggy. I couldn't eat it. 

Finally the ambulance came and two very nice young women took me to the hospital. We chatted on the way and they complained about wearing masks and I told them God loves them. 

David ran home and got a few of my things and tried to meet me at the hospital. He was stopped at the door where they told him he could not come in because of the virus and they would take my things and see that I got them. The room number he was given turned out to be wrong but my things did eventually find me.

I got to my room and was met by a male nurse who said he was my nurse for the night. He told me how lucky and fortunate I was to be walking and talking so well after a stroke. He told me how grateful I should be. Then he left the room and I never saw him again.

They gave me blood pressure medicine since my blood pressure was high. I was walking and talking easily and really just wanted something to eat. They found me a couple graham crackers. That was it. I was so looking forward to breakfast, which I ordered easily on the phone. My talking was fine by then.

The next morning, I was taken out of my room in a wheelchair to go for tests. I had an ultrasound of my neck, an ekg, and 2 MRIs. I was gone for two hours. I was so looking forward to breakfast when I got back to my room; by this time I was super hungry. 

I got back to my room and there was no breakfast. I called the nurse's station and asked about breakfast and they told me breakfast was over! I told her I needed food and she said she'd try to find me something. She brought a small box of cereal and some milk, but no spoon and no bowl. When I told her I needed a spoon at the very least, she brought a styrofoam cup and a plastic spoon. By that time the milk was rather warm and I couldn't eat it. I was so looking forward to lunch.

Besides the blood pressure medication, the doctor had me taking an antibiotic for a suspected "UTI" which I questioned but was told he felt sure I had one. I had never had a UTI in my entire life. But, having no one there to advocate for me, and dealing with the confusion of having had a stroke, I took it. It made me very sick and I was too nauseated to eat for my entire hospital stay. 

After my morning of tests, nothing happened, I was alone except for someone taking my vitals every four hours. My husband could not be with me. I was alone and they kept my door shut because of the virus. I was completely isolated and was not allowed to leave my room, 

They did not change my bedding one time while I was in the hospital. They did not give me a bath towel or clean out the shower for me to use (it was being used to store a bunch of stuff). I felt abandoned. A lady did come and quickly cleaned the bathroom sink at one point.

So, they kept me for a few days, even though I felt fine and wanted to go home. Finally, on Tuesday afternoon, they said I could go home the next day.

Tuesday night, in the middle of the night, I woke up with a start. I was shivering out of control so I called the nurse. I couldn't talk on the speaker to tell her what was wrong so she came to my room. I was very confused, was shivering and suddenly couldn't talk. I tried to tell the nurse something was wrong but she wouldn't listen. She checked the thermostat in my room and it said 55 degrees! I tried to tell her to please turn it up but she would not and said that "you get too warm." I tried to tell her something was wrong because I could hardly talk and she got up in my face and said, A "You brought this on yourself! Calm down or I'm going to give you some medication that will calm you down!"

Then I feared and said nothing more. In my mental state, I felt trapped. I suddenly couldn't talk to make my needs known and no one would listen, I know I could have called another nurse but I'd just had a stroke and was confused. I decided to say nothing more and just go home the next day. I needed an advocate.

When I got up the next morning, I had trouble walking. I was still shivering and could not stop. I made my way to the bathroom and got that done. I noticed when I tried to take my pills, I had trouble swallowing the water they gave me. I told her it was because I was shivering. She believed me. 

A physical therapist came in to make sure I could go home. My actions did not match up with a previous physical therapy report; I was much worse. I told her it was because I was shivering and she believed me.

Next, the doctor, a neurologist, came in my room. He asked if I was ready to go home and I nodded. I tried to talk a little, but I couldn't talk. He looked at me and asked what was wrong and I struggled to say it's because I'm cold and shivering, He shrugged and signed the papers for me to go home.

I went home. I could barely walk and could hardly talk,

I started physical therapy the next day.

The doctors had me go to a speech therapist. I needed my husband to help communicate with her. Not allowed. I struggled the entire time. She was wearing gloves, a long-sleeved gown, a mask and a big shield over her face. She tested my swallowing. She worked on her keyboard for a long time with those gloves on, then started to open a pack of graham crackers for me with those same gloves on. I stopped her and told her I would open my own crackers because I didn't know where those gloves had been or how long she'd been wearing them. I opened my own crackers while she promptly changed gloves. As a matter of fact, once she was aware, she changed her gloves 3 times while I was with her.

She offered me NO speech help whatsoever. She handed me a paper that was printed before I arrived. She asked me repeatedly if I was being abused. I left there with no help for my speech and she said he did not need to see me again. I was on my own.

I found a speech therapist on YouTube who was a tremendous help to me.

A few weeks later, I had an appointment with the neurologist. During that visit, I told him what happened at the hospital; that the nurse threatened me and made me feel unsafe. His response was that he does not deal with hospital staff; that's left to others. 

I filled out the hospital survey of my stay and gave them very negative points. It was awful. They had a policy that patient room doors had to remain closed and no one was allowed in, so I was isolated in a room with a closed door with no one to help me for 3 1/2 days. I could not wait to get home.

My recovery is going well. I had the best physical therapists you could find and they tailored my care to me, helping me recover "faster than they'd ever seen." I was so thankful for them!

I will never go back to that hospital for anything ever again. CaroMont Regional Medical Center. Every single nurse and CNA I saw complained about wearing a mask and they all touched it constantly. I was isolated from anyone who cared and spent all my time alone, too nauseated to eat. They would come in every 4 hours, take my vitals in a hurry and quickly leave all while complaining about the mask. 

Overall, I lost 35 pounds after this stroke. That, and meeting my physical therapists, was the good things that came out of this. At this writing, I am 95% recovered. I still struggle to type. I went from typing 90 wpm to about 30 wpm so that's a challenge still. But, I'll get there.

Thanks for reading to the end and for caring.

~Tricia

What I Knew Then

I was in high school when Roe v Wade was finalized and abortion was made legal. I was clueless and ill-informed, trying to get through each day as most teens do. My main focus was home, my seven siblings and a few close friends.

I may have been clueless and ill-informed, but even in my teenage state of mind, I knew unborn babies were babies. I knew abortion was wrong, had always been wrong and would always be wrong. Maybe it was that I was raised on a farm. I knew a pregnant cat would eventually give birth to kittens because her pregnancy was actually kittens growing inside her. I knew a new calf was the result of the pregnancy of the mother cow. I knew turtle eggs would mean turtles hatching, that robin eggs meant baby robins were going to hatch.

I also knew that destroying turtle eggs was the same as destroying turtles. I knew if one of the cats got to the robin eggs, they would be having unhatched baby robins for lunch. I knew this from observation and common sense (which my dad would call horse sense to this day). It was common knowledge to me that abortion meant killing a baby and killing a baby is wrong.

Imagine my confusion when I heard pro-abortionists argue that a fetus is just a bunch of cells and not a baby. At first I thought they were just clueless and ill-informed. I remember thinking that someone needed to educate them so they would realize abortion meant they were killing babies - and surely they would put a stop to it. In my young mind, abortion was unthinkable.

I knew what a fetus was - it translates "little one," and not just any little one - a human little one. A little human. Specifically, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, "a developing human from usually two months after conception to birth." Prior to two months after conception, the child is called an embryo. These are simply terms and they are describing different stages of life. Not one of these terms denies the humanity of a fetus/embryo/baby.

I knew abortion was wrong even in my limited understanding of things as a clueless teen. I knew!

Today, the Colorado legislature voted down a bill that would require doctors to provide medical care to babies who survive abortion. They voted it down. How can they think this is acceptable? The bill is talking about babies born alive. Think of it. A baby, born after a failed abortion, left to die of neglect. I shudder.

Just like that, abortion has transitioned to infanticide. It didn't really take that long, less than a generation. Other states have done the same thing. The stuff of horror films has been a legal reality for helpless babies since 1973. Horror. Absolute horror.

May God have mercy on their souls.

~Tricia

A One-Time Resolution to Last a Lifetime

Another new year.....and this time a new decade! I've seen many people summarize the past decade with a year-by-year recount of a major event for each year and it's a good idea to do that as a reminder of what God has done in our lives.

Do you make New Year's Resolutions? I normally don't because I find them confining and they interrupt creativity. However, there's one "resolution" I made many years ago that has stood the test of time and remains true for me today. This was not a New Year's Resolution, it was simply a resolution I made to myself in response to spiritual abuse and I resolved to never let that happen again.

My decades-long resolution: To never take anyone's word for what God's Word says; always look it up for myself.

God's Word is very commonly misused, misinterpreted, used as a weapon, and abused in many other ways. I have not found even one "Bible study book" that does not misuse, misrepresent and/or teach things that are outright against what God's Word actually teaches. I honestly can't for the life of me figure out why people buy and use so-called "Bible study books" since they are anything but.

Most abuses of God's Word are very subtle and hard to spot. Bill Hybels, in his book Simplify, misuses God's Word right in the introduction. He said, and I paraphrase, that if we fail to simplify our lives by cutting back on our hectic schedules, we run the risk of forfeiting the abundant life Jesus promised us in John 10:10. We cannot forfeit the abundant life promised in Christ since he's talking about quantity of life in this verse.....as in, eternal, everlasting, unending life. Bill Hybels is wrong, but without such threats to our very relationship with Jesus, Bill wouldn't sell many books. He has to keep his target audience under threat.

In nearly all her books, Beth Moore refers people to her other books telling them they "need" to read another one of her books to answer a particular question and she claims her books will change your life. She does not refer people to God's Word, she refers them to her own books. She claims that if she did not write her books, the rocks would cry out. She equates her books with God's Word in this way. Her books have been recommended to me by well-meaning friends, but I've yet to get past her introductions before I find her abusing God's Word. No, thank you.

I was once told by a pastor that he did not want me to teach the Bible in his church, but I was to teach a curriculum he chose, verbatim. When I told him I would not teach it verbatim if it had doctrinal errors, and that I would use God's Word as the final authority for all my teaching, he would not let me teach in what he called "his" church. Goodbye, dude, we have nothing more in common. If God's Word is not your final authority, you have bigger issues than a shallow curriculum filled with bad interpretations of Scripture.

My list of examples and encounters like this is nearly endless, but the bottom line for me is, I will not take anyone's word for what the Bible says. I will look it up. If I'm listening to you preach, I will have my Bible open and make sure you're staying in context and not using the pulpit to bully people or push an agenda. While I would never make a scene, I have quietly walked out of many services and never gone back when the preacher has violated the very Scriptures they claim to be preaching.

Looking things up for yourself creates discernment, confidence, and wisdom. This practice prevents spiritual abuse. It helps your spiritual growth. This is a good practice. Because of this resolve, I do not use Bible study books to study God's Word, I use the Bible. And my related tools are not commentaries, but a good lexicon. I use Logos software, which has lexicons and concordances built in.

A commentary is not a Bible study tool; it is simply someone else's study. Do your own study. Take no one's word for what the Bible says.

Happy New Year!
Happy 2020!
~Tricia