"My father, Merril Tittemore, is 81 years old and is today the picture of perfect health for a man his age; although this was not the case for so many decades prior to his initial consultation and subsequent treatment by Dr. Elizabeth Boham and Maggie Ward (nutritionist) and the many exceptional support staff at the UltraWellness Center!"*

Read the full story of Merril's healing from Ulcerative Colitis below.

October 24, 2012

My name is Bob Tittemore.  I am writing this unsolicited testimonial to share my Dad's success story following his treatment by Dr. Mark Hyman's UltraWellness Center in Lenox, MA in February 2011. 

My father, Merril Tittemore, is 81 years old and is today the picture of perfect health for a man his age; although this was not the case for so many decades prior to his initial consultation and subsequent treatment by Dr. Elizabeth Boham and Maggie Ward (nutritionist) and the many exceptional support staff at the UltraWellness Center!

This is our/his story:

Dad was first diagnosed with ulcerative colitis back in 1966 and was treated by several gastrointestinal specialists over the years. The doctors’ treatments including a plethora of pharmaceutical drugs and some “hit or miss” food restrictions; none of which resolved his digestive and bowel disorders.  Over time, almost any foods that Dad consumed caused some negative reaction…upset stomach, indigestion and heartburn and/or debilitating bowel irritations!

In spite of all of the treatments and medications, his condition continued to gradually deteriorate until the only effective relief from his colitis symptoms was Prednisone, a steroid drug that he was prescribed and took intermittently over a period of three years, beginning in 2007.  As soon as he would stop the use of the Prednisone, his symptoms would return with a vengeance! 

Over time his immune system became so compromised from the steroid use that he developed the shingles, which left him in severe pain and discomfort to the point that he was house-bound, with no quality of life remaining.  This is a very physically fit man who worked hard all of his life as a farmer and truck driver and has enjoyed his beekeeping hobby since his retirement in the 1980’s.

In December of 2010, Dad's gastrointestinal specialist, Dr. Alex John who practices in Burlington, VT, recommended a consultation with a general surgeon to discuss a colon resection to remove the diseased colon, since there were no other pharmaceutical drug options remaining to treat the ulcerative colitis that would not compromise his immune system; which would further exacerbate the shingles.  A consultation with the surgeon was scheduled immediately.

The general surgeon at Fletcher-Allen Hospital in Burlington, VT explained to us that Dad was not a good candidate for this major surgery due to his failing health and that he may not survive this surgery!  Dad has neuropathy and an aneurism in addition to his weakened immune system.  He further explained that he was reluctant to perform the surgery, which would have left Dad with a colostomy bag, because of likely complications and possible infections during and after the surgery.

He advised my father to go back to his gastrointestinal specialist to seek out any and all alternative options; and that he would perform the surgery only if and when there were no other options available to him.  We returned to see his gastrointestinal specialist, who explained that the only options remaining were experimental pharmaceutical drugs that he would not recommend due to Dad’s compromised immune system.

Two years prior to this series of events, I had watched a public television presentation on WMHT (Channel 17) featuring a Dr. Mark Hyman from Lenox, MA.

During his presentation, Dr. Hyman discussed how the body and mind are connected and how the food that we eat and how the pharmaceutical and over-the-counter medications that we ingest affects the “gut”; explaining “good bacteria vs. bad bacteria”; all of which is crucial to one’s good overall health.  As I watched this two hour presentation, I became convinced that the doctor was talking specifically about my father’s symptoms and his present condition.

I called Dad and asked him to watch this program, which he did.  We later discussed scheduling a visit with Dr. Hyman’s Clinic which is located about 15 miles from my home in NY; but Dad was reluctant to abandon his gastrointestinal specialist treatments at the time.

So fast-forward to this new juncture and the bleak outlook presented by his gastrointestinal doctor and the surgeon, Dad agreed to see Dr. Hyman as a “last ditch” option prior to scheduling the life-changing colon resection surgery.  I called the UltraWellness Center and scheduled an appointment for Dad in February 2011.

Upon arriving at Dr. Hyman’s office in the picturesque Village of Lenox, nestled in the Berkshires, my parents and I found the staff very welcoming and extremely responsive to our questions and concerns.  I have to admit that this “different approach” to health and treatment called “Functional Medicine” was new to us and we were all a bit skeptical at first; but comforted by learning that there are clients from all over the world seeking treatment at this facility and by the many success stories accompanying their treatments.

Our initial visit and consultation with physician Dr. Elizabeth Boham and Maggie Ward, the nutritionist was a very interesting and informative experience; consisting of a comprehensive discussion about Dad’s lifelong health issues and treatments, his current and past diet(s) and any environmental exposures that he was subjected to in his lifetime.

Following abattery of testing that included extensive blood work, urine and stool samples; Dr. Boham’s diagnosis was that Dad had was “gluten” intolerant and was suffering from a gut and yeast infection with severe imbalance of several health markers that were causing him to feel weak and ill.

The recommended treatment began immediately, consisting of a simple but effective toxic cleansing, a one-week treatment with two pharmaceutical drugs to treat the infections, and a regiment of vitamins and supplements along with a new gluten-free high protein diet; having an almost immediate effect within the first week!  Within the first month Dad was feeling much better, resuming his physical activities for the first time in months and within three months was miraculously without any colitis symptoms and feeling 100% better that he had in many, many years!

The subsequent “scheduled” telephone consultations were very helpful and the open access to Dr. Boham and Maggie via email to ask questions or get advise as Dad’s treatments progressed were invaluable.  I have to give Nurse Kelly Phair much credit for the many emails in this regard…Thank you Kelly for your prompt responses!

Today, Dad is completely free of any digestive and bowel issues and has stopped taking any pharmaceutical drugs for the maintenance of colitis that he had been taking for the last 55 years!

Dr. Alex John, the same gastrointestinal specialist that was treating Dad prior to his treatment by Dr. Hyman’s UltraWellness Center and who has continued to see him and was an “informed party” to Dad’s testing, test results and treatments recommended by Dr. Elizabeth Boham, is simply amazed at Dad’s health improvements and has scheduled any future appointments as “annual checkups”; stating that “there is nothing that he can offer to improve on Dad’s gastrointestinal health”!

Dr. Pamela Pedersen, Dad’s PCP with a practice in St. Albans, VT, who was also “kept in the loop” regarding the testing, test results and treatment received from the UltraWellness Center, is also amazed at Dad’s improved health and success!

Dad is also enjoying several added “side-effects” attributed to his new diet, vitamin and supplement treatments; benefits including no signs of the shingles, he has an energy level that he has not seen in years, his skin problems (psoriasis and toenail fungus) have disappeared and no signs of the neuropathy that prevented him from the physical activities that he was previously accustomed to.

He has now expanded his bee keeping hobby, producing several hundred pounds of his own honey and processing more than two tons of raw honey for family members and friends/associates last year; when just a few months prior, he was contemplating giving it up entirely due to his poor health!  He is doing what he loves most…and he is presently mentoring many new bee keepers (eager to learn from a man who was taught by his grandfather when he was very young and who has done this all of his life) in the northern Vermont area where he lives and remains active with family and friends.

My hat goes off to my father for his commitment to following the advice of Dr. Hyman’s UltraWellness Center staff and for making a drastic lifestyle change by accepting his new diet that proved to be the pathway to his renewed good health.  It is not always easy to “teach an old dog new tricks”, as the saying goes; but Dad has done this as if he wrote the book!!!

We are at a loss for words and cannot begin to express our family’s gratitude and appreciation for Dr. Hyman and his UltraWellness Center, to Dr. Elizabeth Boham, to Maggie Ward and all of the support staff for Merril’s successful treatment and continued good health that we have all enjoyed since our first visit there in February 2011…

YOU HAVE CHANGED OUR LIVES AND MAY HAVE VERY WELL SAVED HIS, AND FOR THAT, WE THANK YOU!!!  BEST WISHES TO ALL…

Sincerely,

Robert M. Tittemore

* Results may vary from person to person.