“48 Hours to Live” How Vitamin C and Orthomolecular Medicine Saved my Mother’s Life
Patrick Moore, N.D.
My mother was given two days to live by the medical team at Yale-New Haven Hospital’s Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU). She had entered the hospital three weeks earlier for surgery to repair a broken hip. She was seventy years old, in poor health, partially disabled, and sub-clinically malnourished from poor lifestyle choices. She quickly picked up infections from the surgery and rapidly declined. As her respiratory system failed, she was intubated and moved to the MICU. She continued to deteriorate as her body broke down and infections spread.
The medical team performed a tracheotomy and put her on a life-support ventilator. It didn’t help. Her decline continued. They said she had Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome, a complete failure of the respiratory system. Her body’s organs were inflamed, infected, not getting enough oxygen and were shutting down. The ICU medical team informed us that my mother was extremely sick, near death, with maybe two days to live. They said, “We’ve tried everything we know to save your mother. Nothing has worked. There’s nothing more we can do. We’re sorry.” It was then that I asked the medical team a simple question: “If you’ve said you’ve tried everything, and that there is nothing more you can do, I’d like permission to try something. After all, what do we have to lose?” I was convinced that more could be done and that my mother was suffering from “Immune Starvation Syndrome” (my term). I fervently believed that if we could supply my mother with optimal nutrients, her body would have the natural intelligence and potential to heal and repair itself. My passionate plea and explanation of my ideas positively impressed the medical team. Perhaps they felt sorry for me and thought by allowing me to use some “harmless” Vitamin C, it would at least give our family closure. They approved the “C” but didn’t realize what I had in mind.
I was able to get the ICU nurses to start my mother on 500mg of Vitamin C every two hours. That totaled 12,000mg per day. After two days, my mother was still with us. Day 3, she improved slightly. Day 4 thru 6, steady improvement as measured by daily labs and blood/gas measures. The ICU medical team was amazed!
By Day 7, I proposed and they approved my second nutrient request and they added L-Glutamine, 15 grams twice-a-day. Glutamine is the key amino acid that fuels the immune system. On Day 10 they approved my Probiotic to balance the side effects from all of the antibiotics being used. My mother was now becoming alert and the medical team commenced weaning trials to get her off the ventilator.
Over the next few weeks, I was able to gain approval to add over ten more supplements to my mother’s nutritional regimen. My conceptual framework for nutrients selected to address my mother’s condition entailed the following criteria: what could enhance the immune function; quell inflammation; improve circulation and oxygen flow; and fight infection. Supplements approved on the formulary included: digestive enzymes; omega 3 oils; n-acetyl-cysteine; co-enzyme q-10; zinc citrate; vitamin E with selenium; germanium; ginger; garlic/onion; B-12 and B complex; apple cider vinegar and cayenne. All were in capsules, liquid and powder form and mixed with water and given through a stomach feeding tube.
Of note, when my mother strengthened to reach 8 hours/day of weaning off the ventilator, a Doctor suspended the nutrient program due to an elevation of liver enzymes, assuming it must be the “vitamins,” not the drugs they had prescribed. After only two days off the nutrient protocol, my mother weakened and couldn’t do more than 20 minutes off the ventilator. After 3 days, the program was resumed and my mother continued to strengthen. She was now up to an impressive 18 hours/day off the ventilator. But once again, another Doctor suspended the program due to mild pancreatitis (of course, the vitamins were the suspect). Within two days, my mother weakened and she could do no more than one hour off the ventilator.
At this point, it was obvious to the medical staff that my nutrient protocol was the difference-maker. I urged the staff to resume my mother’s “Nutritional Life Support” program (my term). By now, all of the ICU nurses were backing me. They could see the program was working. The program was immediately restored and my mother continued to improve. After a few more weeks, she was off the ventilator and out of the MICU to a step-down pulmonary unit. After a few more weeks of getting stronger, she left the hospital for several weeks at a rehab facility. And then she came home!
Thanks to orthomolecular levels of Vitamin C and selected nutrients, my mother went from a “48 Hours to Live” diagnosis to achieve another 12 years. Thank you, Linus Pauling!!
Patrick Moore, N.D., has a Doctorate in Traditional Naturopathy along with a Master’s Degree in Nutrition. He is the Director of Nutritional Science Associates and the creator of the nationally acclaimed anti-aging skin cream, Florencé. He has conducted seminars on natural wellness and optimizing health for the nurses at Yale-New Haven Hospital for the past 14 years. He is also the producer and host of a TV program called Health Buzz which can be found on YouTube. You can contact Dr. Moore at Samoapat@aol.com or 203-645-9657.
