My name is Jack Shelburn. I live in Northern New Mexico. My story begins
about 36 years ago, when at the age of 11 I became a Type 1 Diabetic. The
doctors assured my parents and me that with proper care and regulation of my
blood sugars, I would be able to lead a normal life. In those days, the
methods for monitoring blood sugars were sketchy at best. Blood sugars were
monitored by urine, which showed a reading from 6 hours earlier, and only
gave general levels (low, medium, high, and very high).
When I was 25 complications from the diabetes began to appear. My lower
extremities began to hurt and ache excessively due to poor circulation, a
common complication of diabetes. Doctors and specialists in diabetes
treatment informed my wife and I that I would have to learn to live with the
pain. My wife refused to accept this diagnosis and proceeded to search her
books on nutrition for an answer. She was searching for Noni even then.
Happily, even though Noni wasn't available, she was able to relieve all of
my symptoms with a combination of vitamins, minerals, and herbs.
At 29 I was afflicted with abnormal blood vessel growth in both of my eyes
(medically known as Diabetic Retinopathy). Untreated, blindness would
result. This necessitated 14 laser treatments (9 in the right and 5 in the
left). Though I lost some of my visual acuity, the danger of blindness was
averted.
In the latter part of 1995, my doctor informed me that my kidney function
was declining, indicating that my kidneys were failing. He hoped that my
recent bout with the flu and pneumonia were the actual cause. After more
tests in February of 1996, he informed me that I definitely had ESRF
(End-Stage Renal Failure). He immediately advised me to become listed for a
kidney transplant and informed me that if I continued working, I could
expect to require dialysis within 6 months. If I would retire from my job, I
could possibly prevent the need for dialysis for 2-3 years. Reluctantly, I
retired on March 31,1996 at age 44.
The next 2 years were spent arranging for the transplant. After the first
acceptance for kidney transplant I became aware of a new procedure, which
would require a dual transplant. One for the kidney, to save my life, and
another for a pancreas to end the diabetes and, hopefully, prolong the life
of my new kidney and improve my quality of life. I became officially listed
for the dual transplant, and began the long wait for the anticipated call.
In the meantime, my health gradually deteriorated to the point where I could
barely function. I would sleep 10-12 hours a night and then take naps during
the day for an additional 6-8 hours. I could barely walk, and helping around
the house, making repairs, or anything else became not only difficult, but
impossible. I became very depressed. I had been active all of my life and
had worked hard all of my life. I felt my life was over, and that this was a
fate worse than death. I thought increasingly more often of suicide.
It was then that Noni miraculously entered my life. My wife, Stella, had met
Susan LeCompte once at a meeting for some other health-oriented company
almost a year before. One day in November of 1997 Susan called my wife and
asked her if I was still sick and feeling bad. My wife confirmed that I was.
Susan then told my wife of Noni juice and the benefits it could bring to my
life. My wife never hesitated, and told her to bring some of the juice to
her to try. The next day Susan arrived with the juice that proved to be the
miraculous turning point in our lives.
For two days I took the recommended dose of Noni (1 oz.) and became so ill
that I had to stop taking the juice for two days thereafter. But an amazing
thing had happened: I was no longer suicidal. I wasn't even depressed any
more! Two days later I started with a much smaller dose and gave my stricken
kidneys a chance to expel the toxins from the detoxification process, as
they were able to. After a week I needed only 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night.
I quit taking naps. After 2 weeks I awoke one day, cleaned my workshop,
straightened my tools, and began to finish my projects and make needed
repairs on my house and cars. My blood pressure, which had elevated to the
level of 200-230 over 90-110, in spite of 6 different medications from my
doctor, who had run out of any other drugs to offer, began to decline. A
month later it was down to 140 over 85, averaged. (Normal levels are 120
over 80.)
My blood sugars, which had been fluctuating from a low of 20 to a high of
600 mg/l, sometimes in the time span of 30-40 minutes, were stabilized,
first at a high level and then tapering off to a lower insulin requirement
for control. Control of my blood sugars was so much easier because the
drastic swings from high to low were corrected.
Although Noni helped me feel better and improved my overall quality of life
during this period of time, it could not stop the progression of my kidney
failure. Kidney function is monitored by a blood level called creatine. A
healthy person's creatine level is 0.8-1.0. When my creatine level reached
2.0 my doctor recommended transplant. When a person's creatine level reaches
5.0 dialysis is required. As my condition progressed I knew that if I did
not receive the transplant that dialysis would be unavoidable. At this same
time my younger brother was already on dialysis because his 15-year-old
kidney transplant was failing. When I would visit him at the dialysis
clinic, the nurses who were aware that my creatine level was 12.5 would
wonder why I could even stand up, much less drive myself everywhere, walk,
climb stairs, work around the house, mow the lawn, and help my brother with
his work (his creatine level was 5.5).
In spite of my amazing results on Noni, I was unable to convince my brother
that natural products such as supplements, and especially Tahitian Noni
Juice, would make a difference in his health. Unfortunately, when he finally
realized the importance of Noni it was too late. Though it did bring him
relief from the pain and suffering of kidney disease and dialysis, he passed
away from complications on March 24,1999.
But let us return to February of 1998. Because of an injury to my leg from
working at home, I was hospitalized for a build-up of fluid inside a muscle
(called compartment syndrome). Though I resisted, the doctors would not
allow me to leave the hospital until I agreed to start on dialysis. This
process did not agree with me at all. To cope with it, I turned to the only
source of relief I could think of: Noni. The medical staff were skeptical,
but I continued to take increasingly larger doses of Noni in order to endure
this ordeal. During this time my normal dose of 6-8 ounces of Noni juice
increased to a minimum of 16 ounces a day, and even more on extra-bad days.
My reaction to hemodialysis was so negative that in the first week of June,
the doctors began to consider changing me to another form of dialysis,
called peritoneal dialysis. After an especially bad episode of dialysis,
which put me in the hospital with a dangerously low calcium level, my wife
and I prayed that some alternative would be found. Remember that much
anticipated call I mentioned earlier? At 9:30 on Sunday, June 7, it
arrived....there was a donor! We had only a few hours to pack for the trip
to Minneapolis to receive my transplant. Of course the most important item
to pack was 3 full bottles of Noni juice!
We drove the 75 miles to the airport in Albuquerque and caught the flight to
Minneapolis at 1:40 PM. We checked into the hospital at 6:20 PM, and I was
immediately prepared for surgery. Surgery began at 9:00 PM, and 8 1/2 hours
later I was put in recovery. The doctors told me to expect to remain in the
hospital at least 14 days. I took Noni every day, much to the chagrin of the
nurses. My doctors did not object because I provided them a list of all of
the mineral, vitamin, and chemical components of Noni, which showed nothing
objectionable. They deemed me to be in the best of health, especially for
someone with a history of 37 years of diabetes and kidney failure, which I
attribute, of course, to Noni.
My recovery was better than expected. I was released from the hospital just
9 days after surgery, and the next day I boarded the plane for the trip home
to New Mexico. I was told the staples in the incision from my surgery would
have to remain in place for at least 3 weeks. After 2 weeks my family doctor
told me that the incision was healing over the staples and they would have
to be removed.
In August, 1998, I was privileged to attend an international convention of
Noni distributors in Nashville, Tennessee, just 11 weeks after my
transplant. (You may have heard our story during Dr. Neil Solomon's
presentation we were the couple who rode on the bus with Dr. Solomon.)
My doctors in Minneapolis have run blood tests 3 times a week for 2 months,
2 times a week for 2 months, once a week, once every 2 weeks, etc. Now I go
for labs only once a month. According to the doctors, my blood levels for
kidney function and blood sugars are the closest to normal of the more than
5,000 patients they have followed. The only difference between them and me
is Noni juice.
It is now 14 months since my dual transplant. I continue to take Noni
daily?only a minimal dose now (4-6 oz.), every day. I feel great, and every
day I feel better, thanks to Noni and modern medicine. I owe my life to
both.
Jack Shelburn, Espaņola, NM
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