Treating the Cause, Not the Symptoms: A Listener's Life-Changing Lifestyle Story

Hey, it's me, Tyla. Bose open earbuds are stylish. The color, it looks almost like an earring. I feel like it could go with anything. The music I'm making right now feels like a holiday. I want to look like it too.

Check out Bose.com for more. Wakey Wakey. It's Sunday morning football.

In your face and live from London. Two sides take the field. Only one will emerge victorious.

Oh, he's got it. Watch live as Justin Jefferson leads the Vikings against Aaron Rogers and the Jets. Set your alarms because this waits for no one. Rise, shine football. Jets Vikings. Sunday, October 6th at 9 30 Eastern.

Only on NFL Network. The holidays are here and the Home Depot has everything you need to stay connected with smart home upgrades. Whether you're keeping an eye out for the big guy or keeping an eye on your family. The Home Depot has you covered with great tech like the ring indoor camera two pack with advanced motion detection, two way talk and color night vision. Plus get your smart home devices the smart way with free delivery. Get holiday ready with seasonal savings happening now at the Home Depot.

Subject to availability, see homedepot.com slash delivery for details. This is Lee Habib here. Do you wake up every morning dreading that first step out of bed because of foot pain? I know I used to. Then I tried Power Step. The number one podiatrist recommended insoles clinically proven to relieve pain. I was skeptical at first but from the moment I put them in my shoes I felt the difference. Support and comfort exactly where I needed it. Now I can go through my day pain-free. Go to power step dot com slash OAS and use code OAS for 15% off your first order.

Stay farm and DJ dramas from life as a gringo. No making smarter financial moves today secures a financial freedom for a successful tomorrow. Tackle these situations in stride and any of course be annoyed when an unplanned expense comes up but not let it be something that slows me down right. As I did with repairing my credit you know hiring somebody to do credit repair for me.

That was a gift that I gave myself that allowed me to then you know get my first apartment. Like a good neighbor State Farm is there. State Farm proud sponsor of Michael Tura podcast network. This is Lee Habib and this is our American Stories the show where America is the star and the American people.

Up next a story by Tim Hennessey. He's an IT professional from Texas and like so many families in America grappled with his own health issues primarily pain. Here is Tim Hennessey on the story of his own health journey. The late 90s I was in my late 30s and I had all kind of health problems. On the outside physically I looked pretty darn good. You know I worked out a couple hours a day. I played racquetball for two or three hours. I lifted weights so on the outside it looked pretty good but on the inside it felt like I was dying because I had chronic pains all day long.

My elbow, my knees, my back. I had a hard time sleeping. I had migraines literally a couple times a month. The kind of migraines where you got to shut the light out from your eyes. I used to put ice on my neck, lay down.

I had this pulsing almost like you hear a drum boom boom boom. I had higher blood pressure. I had skin issues. I would play racquetball and the next day I could barely walk down the stairs.

I'm in my late 30s thinking what's it going to be like if I make it to 50. So I was it was recommended to visit a doctor in Calabasas California where I lived and he was a pretty famous doctor. A lot of Hollywood people would go see him and he took a look at me and he basically diagnosed me with a form of autoimmune disease. When I looked at him I said to him, doctor could it be what I'm eating and drinking? Could it be my diet? Because I knew a secret that he didn't know.

I knew my diet was horrible. He kind of gave me an out. He says no Tim it's nothing you're doing that caused this. It's more likely hereditary. So I'm like oh good I'm relieved and he says these things kind of happen to people but the good news is we can control it and you know some people get heart disease.

Some people get cancer. You're lucky it isn't cancer as he pats me on the shoulder you know with his gentle bedside manner that he had you know and I wanted to believe him because I wanted to continue drinking my diet Dr Pepper for breakfast with four milk chocolate macadamia nut pepper charm cookies. That was my typical breakfast and I will alternate the next day. I'd have donuts instead of the cookies with my diet Dr Pepper. I wanted to be able to go to McDonald's or other fast food places at lunch time and I didn't want to think about what I was eating. So I didn't tell him that was my diet but I thought well good you can control this. I can continue eating crappy food.

Great this is awesome. Then he handed me a prescription. He said Tim why don't you take a look it's a new drug and I asked him well how long do I have to take this drug and he said most likely for the rest of your life. There is no cure for what you have and he said the best we can do is help control what you have and he said I'm pretty confident we could help you. So I drove home from the doctor's office with this prescription and I didn't know quite what to do at first. So I talked to my wife and I said she said how'd it go. I said well the doctor gave me a prescription for this drug and he told me to look it up and I decided to look it up.

The internet in the late 90s isn't what it is today but each company had a website. I went to this company's website and I looked up this particular drug. Yeah the funny thing is the first thing I noticed when I looked a drug up it said for the symptom of this for the symptom of that and what I was looking for and maybe naively I was looking for the word cure but I didn't see the word cure. I then saw the side effects and the first thing I noticed was it said lower your immune system. The second was potentially increased risk of heart disease and the third one was potentially increased risk of cancer. So I turned to my wife Deb I go wow what could possibly go wrong. I take this drug for the rest of my life and I have a lower immune system a greater risk of heart disease and greater risk of cancer but I got rid of my migraines and my pain. Needless to say I didn't want to take this drug. I wanted to see if I could find another way. Then there's a woman who came into my life through another friend of my wife's and she handed me this book it's called You're Not Sick You Are Thirsty by Dr.

Bat Meljhel and something it's a long indian name I call him Dr. Batman I think that's his nickname. So I decided I'm going to increase my water and get rid of my soda habit and I haven't had one since and that that was uh August 2004 and I have to tell you I haven't had a migraine I haven't had a headache maybe mild headache once in a while if I don't sleep enough. My blood pressure was back to normal and it continues to be back to normal. All my pains went away so I thought well what could I do if I change my diet. Here I am I'm in my 60s now here I am I'm in my 60s now I still have normal blood pressure I have no more pains in my knees back and elbow like I did in originally. I haven't had a migraine in 20 years I don't my diet's not perfect by any means but I know if I get a little bit off track I got to get back to the green juices and and making sure I exercise making sure I get vitamin D and sunshine so the proof is in the pudding.

I could have been 25 years ago on medication the rest of my life as I mentioned and who knows what my immune system would have been who knows if I'd still be alive today being on medication for 25 years with a increased risk of cancer increased risk of heart disease and a lower immune system. You know for me personally I have an open mind I'll hear both sides but let me decide as an American I should have the personal freedom to choose my doctor to ignore my doctor if I don't agree with him to choose an alternative health practitioner to ignore the alternative healthcare practitioners advice if I choose to let me decide what my health is and I believe that's what all Americans really want let us choose. And a special thanks to Greg Hengler on the production of the story a special thanks to Tim Hennessey for sharing his story and so many Americans grapple with these choices do I just work on my diet and health or do I go see a doctor and it's not an either or you need doctors and you need to eat better the story of Tim Hennessy's health journey the story of so many Americans here on Our American Stories. Lee Habib here the host of Our American Stories every day on this show we're bringing inspiring stories from across this great country stories from our big cities and small towns but we truly can't do the show without you our stories are free to listen to but they're not free to make if you love what you hear go to our americanstories.com and click the donate button give a little give a lot go to our americanstories.com and give.

At your job do you ever have to deal with a nose roller how about a snub pulley well if you're installing a new conveyor belt system dealing with the different components can sound like you're speaking a foreign language luckily you've got a team ready to help Grainger's technical product specialists are fluent in maintenance repair and operations so whenever you want to talk shop just reach out call click Grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. It's football season and Uber Eats is dropping undefeated deals on all your game day favorites. This week enjoy buy one get one KFC famous bowl combos only on Uber Eats.

Still craving? We got you covered with game day deals on pizza burgers tacos you name it all season long and only on Uber Eats. Official on-demand food delivery partner of the NFL. Order now for game day. Terms apply.

See app for details. Wakey wakey it's Sunday morning football in your face and live from London. Two sides take the field only one will emerge victorious. Watch live as Justin Jefferson leads the Vikings against Aaron Rodgers and the Jets.

Set your alarms because this waits for no one. Rise shine football. Jets Vikings Sunday October 6th at 9 30 Eastern only on NFL Network. The iHeart Radio Music Festival was a blast and Hyundai's EV lineup was there for every moment. In Vegas Hyundai took VIPs to the Speedway to test drive the 601 horsepower IONIQ 5N. On Friday the EV sessions winner was announced. Hyundai's music contest on Sunday was a blast.

The twist? Their performances were all powered by the all electric Hyundai IONIQ 5. How cool is that? And after the show fans got to check out the Hyundai dance floor at House of Music. Thanks again to Hyundai's amazing EV lineup.

Learn more at HyundaiUSA.com or call 562-314-4603. With Amex Gold you can experience the gold standard. You get access to exceptional dining plus four times membership rewards points on L.A. food, food, and more. Plus four times membership rewards points on eligible dining purchases. That's the powerful backing of American Express. Terms apply. Cap applies. Learn more at americanexpress.com with Amex.