This story is about loyalty. And loyalty usually goes hand in hand with trust. And trust is something that is earned. Earning one’s trust takes one simple encounter or years of continued relationship. Even in patient doctor relationships, trust and loyalty are also key factors in a long and healthy connection.
This is about our patient Mr T, and his wife Mrs MT. I encountered them on my first ever clinic day in the Center (now TLC) in 2008. They were pleasant folks, and happy people. Formerly an accountant, Mr T is a people person, and would make jokes all the time. They made me feel at ease right there and then. His veins were so thinned out, and the nurses would swear that they would have many many tries to get an IV cannula successfully in, every visit. By stroke of luck, when I stepped in to help, I was able to use his single bulging vein in one of his fingers. And that moment probably endeared me to him and his wife, and the event when I gained their trust. After that, they would schedule their visits to my clinic days, and ask for me to insert his IV. Through the years I gained their loyalty. I probably inserted his IV for years until about 2 or 3 years ago when I directed the new nurses to try, and with his consent and cooperation, were able to successfully cannulate that single vein as well as deeper ones in other areas.
Mr T probably is one of the few patients that I know of that has been doing chelation therapy for almost 20 years. He suffered a cerebro-vascular accident (CVA) or stroke in 1998. He was left with paralysis of the L side of his body and slurred speech. 2 years after that incident, he knew of chelation therapy and started doing it but by then the paralysis was irreversible. It was with another doctor in another clinic here in Metro Manila. He never regained ability to use his left arm and left leg but his speech improved. His strength and immune system improved, and he was able to perform some activities of daily living on his own. He was even hooked on Facebook for awhile.
In 2007, he was diagnosed to have coronary artery disease (CAD) or blockage in his heart vessels but without an angiogram, it was not determined how many vessels were involved. He refused angioplasty or a coronary bypass and instead continued his chelation therapy. I met him in 2008, and by then he was on maintenance chelation therapy, coming in once a month. He was in stable health, have normal blood pressure and other vitals, would have occasional mild chest pains relieved with massage and rest, and some aches and pains.
Mr T’s story is not one of overwhelming results but stability. In all these 10 years that TLC doctors have been seeing him, he was not hospitalized for any illness. He was hospitalized once because he cannot endure fasting for 10-12 hours at home in order to be able to provide for blood sample for blood tests so it was recommended that he stay overnight in the hospital. Since he is already there, it was also recommended for him to do an executive check up. That was in 2012.
Here are 2 pictures of Mr T and Mrs MT with the TLC staff. The first one was in 2010-11 and the second, a more recent one taken in 2017. Mrs MT looks almost the same although Mr T has lost weight, and weaker these days. He will be 81 years old in October. Photos taken and posted here with their consent.
Five years ago, Mrs MT also started having her own preventative chelation therapy sessions. Encouraged by the doctors and nurses, we made her understand that being the primary caregiver of her husband, she must also be at prime health, and she should start taking better care of herself. Their children are on board on this, and Mrs MT would come at separate occasions to do her chelation sessions. Since then, she has brought a few relatives, kumadres and kumpadres, and friends in her church and neighborhood to try chelation therapy, and her very strong testimonial story is a very big factor in their trust.
These days, Mr T does not come as often, and I believe, is already on the sunset of his life. He has lived far beyond his expectation, and he has seen his children and grandchildren grown. He tells me, “Pagod na ako Doctora” and I have told his wife in one conversation, “Okey na yan nay. Mahaba na rin buhay niya at napagsilbihan niyo na siya”. But I always remind her, now 76, that she, on the other hand has so much so see and experience, and because she is of good health, can still make a lot of great memories with her children and family.
For this couple, TLC has become a refuge. Mrs MT would call for occasional consult on simple symptoms of her husband (when he is too weak or intolerant of the heat to go for consult). Sometimes, Mr T would choose to visit TLC instead if given the ultimatum to be admitted to a hospital. “Kay Doctora Belle na lang”. These days, we try our best to make their visits happy occasions, so that he will be encouraged to come more often. Yet in my heart, I treasure every visit because I know he may just sleep anytime and go to His Creator.
We have a list of loyal patients, including this couple, long time clients and new ones who have endeared themselves to our team. These are patients that have shared information regarding their health, as well as their personal and family life, without much prodding. They shared because they felt comfortable in the company, and they trusted the people they were with. In the course of the conversations, sharing can offer a lot of benefits, physically and emotionally, cathartic even for some.
These patients, and then some, have brought in friends and loved ones because they want to share the therapy that have saved their lives or has helped them in achieving health. They would want their loved ones to experience the same benefits. And we at TLC value that. That for me is the best compliment, of service well rendered, when patients bring in family and friends, or refer our Center to people who come in who in not so many words speak, of our good results.
We hope to bring more people in to be loyal clients, to trust our Center — for our Doctors and staff to be their partners, in achieving health and longevity in many years to come. And we hope to stays strong and stable, and with longevity too as a company, who’s primary goal is to “add more years to life, and more life to years”. Thank you for reading!
By:
Dr. Glorybelle Molano
Lead Physician
The Longevity Center
The Longevity Center 