“Play the Ball Wherever the Monkey Drops It”

Dear Dr. Smothers:

As I sit here reflecting over the last month, I wanted to take the opportunity to THANK YOU for putting up with me and for all of your understanding, support and knowledge in getting me back on track.

As you know, up until late May of this year I had settled into the reality that the rest of my life was to be played out at a much slower gear than I had planned. It had been my diagnosis of Fibromyalgia in September that started the ball rolling and I accepted a life either in pain or highly medicated. Now at 34 years old this really scared me- what about my five and three year old and my relationship with my husband. Prior to this diagnosis, I had spent numerous dollars, time and effort trying to figure out why I could not be the “old” me and it was draining me financially and spiritually.

During my diligent research to discredit the physicians who put the label over my head, I came across some information about increasing energy through B-12 shots and remembered a kind Doctor I had met the year before and decided to make a call. When I had met with you before I did not take you seriously but I realize now it was because I had been brainwashed to think, If it cannot be filled at a prescription counter then it probably had not much merit and if anything the “NATURAL” approach would just be a side item or extra in regaining my health. On that early morning call to your office, I look back upon now as the day I got my life back.

“I need B-12 shots and that is it, can you help me- Oh and by the way when I do get there I do not want any tests or anything else so do not try and SELL me anything- just the B12 shots and that is it”, I barked at you over the phone. Luckily because of your patient and understanding heart, you said, “Come on in”. If I knew now what I did not know then, I would have stayed the course with you the year before and saved myself the pain and struggling of trying to “FIND OUT” on my own why I hurt so bad and why my energy level was gone completely. I hope you understand my short temper and lack of listening came from seeing dozens of doctors and having every test known to mankind to get to the bottom of things. By the time I called you I felt like I had been burnt and just wanted to want what I wanted- If that makes any sense.

The diagnosis and treatment regiment I received was nothing short of a miracle. Your knowledge and his holistic approach to healing and treating the whole body instead of the symptoms is what I needed to hear and understand. You assessed my needs and right away began my program. In addition to providing me with direction in what supplements I lacked, your availability by phone calls when I felt discouraged or needed a touchstone to stay the course was something I was not used to with the Physicians I had been seeing. I will say at first it was not easy but I can say now one month into seeing you I am pain free, symptom free and actually instead of being my “OLD” self, I am a new person with a perspective that what I put into my body and what I do not put in can make the difference between being alive and the walking dead.

The quote at the top of this letter to you, “Play the Ball where the Monkey drops it”, comes from a Sermon I heard on Easter Morning of this year (20 days into seeing you). Hopefully being a golfer yourself, you will find it as amusing and insightful as I did. The story goes something like this:
There was a golf course somewhere in Africa that was being taken over by monkeys. You see every time a golfer hit the ball a monkey would swoop down and move the ball. A shot in the fairway could end up being moved into the rough or a ball way out there could end up with a straight shot to the hole. The owners of the course where trying everything to get rid of them but they failed. The tried leading the monkeys out of the jungle but new monkeys would take their place. Feeding them full of bananas so they would not go after the ball only made hungry monkeys. A fence was tried but the monkeys would just climb over it. Finally, the owners of the course came up with a new rule, “Play the Ball wherever the Monkey drops it”.

My minister is a genius in my mind as this sentence to me says it all. But I think this is what you were trying to tell me in so many words as well. Basically, I learned, you need to be happy and not worry about things wherever you are in your life. What I am trying to say is that in addition to the services received at your office, I learned that yes I need to supply my body with the necessary nutrients to keep it in check but also I need to make time for relaxation, time in prayer and to be happy wherever I am in life. Worry, lack of nutrients, and an overload of the “WRONG” foods led my body to crash at the age of 34. Thank you for leading me to the water and standing back as my hard head made the decision to go ahead and DRINK

I am on the journey to a new healthy life and I pray every day that I will continue to feel like I am FIVE years old. But, I know now if I do get sick or start feeling bad, before I run off and get a diagnosis, I need to consider what am I putting into my body and how am I treating myself. And when these things come up, I need to remember there is an alternative outside of masking the symptoms. From someone popping 5-15 pills a day for over six years this is a dramatic change but to me it is going to be the only way.

My goal is to rekindle my running career that was shortchanged over six years ago. Of course I need to be patient and listen to your guidance to wait until my nutrients are in check (so I will continue to walk). But I tell you what the minute you say GO; I will be running my heart out up and down the street like a crazy person. As I sit back and read the sentence I just typed, a tear comes to my eye. It was only eight months ago that I had subsided to a life of pain and just being able to do enough to get by. THANK YOU DR. JOHN SMOTHERS FOR FOLLOWING YOUR CALLING!!!!!!!! I can only imagine what and where I would be had I not made that call demanding “my way or the highway”. I think most professionals would have either given in or told me to take up kite flying. But I guess you put up with me because you have seen the frustration a million times over with people like me who have been through the ringer.

My husband, family and friends cannot believe I am symptom free. But even more they are amazed at how energetic I am and how each day is not started with where do I hurt but what new thing can I do today. AGAIN- thanks for your guidance in my road to recovery. My only hope now is to get the word out to all that I can and hopefully through my journey, give someone searching like I was, a story to hang on to and a big shortcut on there road to obtaining optimal health.

Thanks,
Sandy