| Robyn Stewart, Calgary AB Canada |
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"I went into your clinic with a list of physical health concerns and came out at the end of the summer with a feeling that I was a better, stronger, and happier person for having gone through the whole experience. My state of health prior to visiting the Hoffman Centre for Integrative Medicine was very poor. I was frustrated with my medical doctor who had failed to diagnose my condition. She suggested I might have ovarian cancer, but she couldn't or wouldn't take any further steps until I either experienced more serious symptoms or returned in six months for an ultrasound to determine if it was a tumour. My symptoms had been going on for six to eight months before I came to the Hoffman Centre.
My healing program at the Clinic was very holistic and started with an important lesson from Dr. Hoffman on the 7 Stages to Health and Transformation, which characterized the treatment regime that was prescribed for me. Had I not adopted holistic health as my new lifestyle wholeheartedly, I would have never had the chance to free myself from the cyclical patterns of Cystic Ovarian Disease (COD), which can lead to more serious conditions. I found that I was empowered most by the lessons I learned from the staff and resources about mental, emotional and spiritual health and well-being. Today, I am much healthier and happier than when I first arrived at the Hoffman Centre. I have kept up with my regime of supplements, diet, and stress relief work, and consequently regained my menstrual cycle. I have a great deal more energy, I am no longer in physical pain or suffering from depression. And most importantly, I have the strength and resolve to deal with the difficulties of life that contribute to my illness. It has truly been a special experience in holistic self-improvement."
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| Nicole Lavoie, Victoria BC Canada |
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"After having my first child, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Within eight years, I was having problems controlling the condition. I would shift from hypo to hyper and was having my medications adjusted every few months. Eventually, I started to get scared as my digestion would slow down to the point where I was physically toxic. My family doctor treated the condition by adjusting my medication accordingly. I heard that Dr. Hoffman was coming to Victoria to host a workshop on integrative healing. I learnt some wonderful skills at the workshop (daily meditation, yoga, massage and Ayurveda) and was introduced to integrative medicine. Bruce suggested I check out a couple of different books and a desiccated thyroid medication, and within a few days of taking it, I started feeling normal again. I continued the daily meditation, yoga and massage practice that I'd learned from the workshop and within less than a month I felt 100 per cent better.
Dr. Hoffman is a gifted healer, but he is also an inspiration. It is through connecting with him that I've been introduced to various wonderful healing practices such as Dr. John Demartini's work and Ayurvedic medicine. How are things different? I see health as a holistic experience. I take the time to observe and listen to my body's wisdom, and I'm not afraid to ask questions and educate myself. I see illness as an opportunity to learn more about myself, my environment, and how I live my life". |
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| Michelle, Mike, Lucas and Jordan Mazier, Calgary AB Canada |
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"We came to you about a year ago for help with Jordan. His eczema was worse than anything I had ever seen. I actually felt ill looking at his raw, swollen, oozing skin. I had tried other doctors - ND's, MD's, brain gym - anything I could think of. I told myself we could come to you as a last resort. I knew it would cost quite a bit of money and had a lot of skeptics surrounding us. You didn't really promise us anything, but I felt I had to take this leap of faith, because I would forever wonder. So we did all of the testing, gave away our cat, and implemented the diet and supplements you (and your team) suggested. About four months later, Jordan improved DRAMATICALLY! This was to me truly a miracle. Still, I encounter skeptics, who say he probably just outgrew it, etc. Even my husband is a little skeptical, but admits he would do it again and do anything it took. We are forever grateful for your help. I think about you every day and thank God for somehow leading us to you. And I'm sure one day Jordan (now at least 98% better) will thank you too." |
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| Debi McKenzie Watson, Calgary AB Canada |
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"I was forty-nine when I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. I will never forget that evening as Bill and I processed the news while trying to explain to our little girls (Morgan age 7 and Taylor age 5) why we were crying. To them it was something about good cells and bad cells.
We have come a long way since then. Although my oncologist recorded a risk of recurrence at 10 years would be in the area of 15% at most, I surprised them three years later, with metastasis to my lung, lymph and bone. After intense rounds of chemotherapy, I was initiated into the roller coaster ride of a lifetime. The next five years were spent experimenting with many different types of chemos, between periods of reprieve. Needless to say, the emotional ups and downs were horrendous. Hope would flit in and out of my life, like a butterfly.
I turned to complementary medicine early in my journey. I explored accupuncture, supplements, many kinds of energy work, essiac tea, lymphatic drainage and more. I read any book I could get my hands on. I benefited from all of this, however, the more I learnt, the less I was able to pull it together and apply it to daily life. I had difficulty molding all my information and experience into a plan of action.
In the spring of 2001, I attended a talk by one of my favourite authors, Deepak Chopra. Dr Bruce Hoffman introduced Deepak and it was then that I decided to make an appointment to see what he [Dr Hoffman] could offer me.
When I first met Bruce at his office, I knew he meant business. He very calmly and confidently explained that, if I proceeded, we would share a partnership in my health. I would have responsibilities within this partnership. I immediately sensed the compassion he has for his patients and the commitment I needed to help me sort out my plan of action.
He then helped me gain more knowledge of myself and of breast cancer. This part of my jourhey is ongoing, very rewarding and life changing! After more reading, a workshop on "Creating Health", learning about meditation and taking part in Dr Demartini's Collapse Process, I have become wise about my mind, body and spirit. It has meant juggling these three areas while exploring my questions and feelings, and then applying this knowledge to my life.
Fear is a huge issue when living with cancer or any life threatening disease. It is very difficult to not let it take over the life you have left. It seems to me to be such a waste of precious time to let it consume your days. I had to really explore the whole concept of death and what it meant to me. I thought about the BIG picture and where I fit in. The workshops and reading really helped and I can now say that I seldom face fear any more, or maybe it has just been replaced.
A transformation has taken place from within. I feel gratitude and appreciation every day. I don't try to feel this way. It just seems to happen! I find life quite comical and laugh a lot. I guess this means I don't take life as seriously as I used to. I don't put off anything that I want to do, and we have lots of family adventures and fun. Most of all, we roll with the punches and enjoy everything we can.
Don't get me wrong, there are sad times. Huge sadness when I think of Bill, Morgan and Taylor and how desperately I would like to be part of their lives forever. Sadness for all the people with cancer, and for their families. Sadness for all children who have to watch a parent or close friend die and sadness for parents watching their children dealing with this unforgiving disease.
Then I look at my family and friends, and again, gratitude and love fill my heart. They are all benefiting, in different ways, from my journey. When I look around, there are so many different things to be grateful for. Maybe they grab my attention so I can live each day to its fullest, which is really what all this is about, no matter who you are, or what challenges you may have. It is not what you have that counts, it is what you do with what you have.
I am especially grateful to Dr Bruce Hoffman for offering me the opportunities that have changed my life. He has helped me to replace fear with hope and confusion with understanding. He has enabled me to feel gratitude daily, and see how this experience fits into this lifetime.
Thanks, Bruce, for sharing this expertise, vast knowledge, and most importantly, for the commitment that you have shown to me and my family". |
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| Rob Willis, Angela Boyd, Calgary AB Canada |
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"Because of the level of support, education and understanding you and your staff have so graciously offered us on our journey to wellness we feel compelled to write a short testimonial. Our message to any new prospective patients reading this would be to convey to you that you are unquestionably in the right place.
The world of functional medicine has given us concrete answers and solutions, whereas years of allopathic testing and treatments (drugs) only lead to much frustration and the realization that suppressing symptoms was not the answer.
If you want to finally identify what is making you sick (i.e. environmental triggers), discover what your actual nutritious status is (i.e. biochemical defects) and learn how to support your body, mind and spirit then we implore you to take the time and invest in yourself.
We found it a bit overwhelming at first but the support we received made the transition much easier and now it has become our lifestyle". |
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| Marie Matiaszow, Calgary AB Canada |
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"When I first came to the Hoffman Centre, I had a multiplicity of problems, from painful rheumatoid arthritis and high blood pressure to a whole host of digestive problems and continuous infections. I was in constant pain and was taking so many medications the side effects were creating new problems faster than I could clear the old ones. I was depressed, discouraged and demoralized.
After a thorough diagnosis by Dr Bruce Hoffman, I feld ready to tackle the leaky gut he felt was at the bottom of many of my problems. Under Amy Bondar's tutelage, I went on a specially designed diet, eliminating many of the foods I showed a sensitivity to and taking the anti-inflammatory and digestive supplements recommended by Dr Hoffman.
After only three months of changing my eating patterns, I have lost thirty pounds (without really trying), been able to stop taking all of the anti-inflammatory drugs and the pain killers I was taking, eliminated stomach medications and cut my blood pressure medication in half.
The nausea, stomach cramps, gas, and irritable bowel I experienced before have disappeared. I feel so much better, my depression has lifted and I feel in control of my world and my health for the first time in years. I am also starting to clear the toxins out of my house, I am trying to follow the basic rhythms of the day and season and have started meditating daily. I am also exercising regularly four to five times a week and am looking for a yoga instructor who will help me adapt the yoga positions to accomodate the limitations of my rheumatoid arthriritis.
If this is the result of only three months of eating properly, think about what could happen with the rest of my program". |
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| Ruth Wahl, Calgary AB Canada |
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"I had gone to see Dr Hoffman because I was exhibiting a number of symptoms, one of which was my failing memory.
After some testing he strongly suggested that I have my amalgam fillings replaced.
At the first appointment the right side of my mouth was done, one upper and three lower teeth. I felt improved after that. A week later, the left side was done, this included five fillings and one extraction. When I got home, I felt some discomfort as the anesthetic wore off, so I took an Advil tablet and went to sleep for an hour. I woke up feeling fine.
I was scheduled to be at a prayer meeting that evening, and felt well enough to go. When we got home, I felt so well I thought I would probably not be able to go to sleep again so I took another Advil tablet and went to sleep immediately. The next morning I woke up thoroughly rested and feeling great. I literally bounced out of bed. Blood was still oozing from the extraction site, but I felt good, so I carried on my usual activities all day.
I am hard pressed to describe what was different. I felt a lightness, and a sense of well-being in a physical way, that was not unlike the tremendous release I felt in my spirit when I went through the experience of being born again into the kingdom of God. At that time, I felt so free, so at peace and so elated it was like my spirit was soaring. To this day, I can return to that place. Now, in the physical the heaviness, the depression is gone. At this point, I can't say that my memory has improved, but my alertness certainly has, and I'm grateful for that". |
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| Annabelle Bondar, Calgary AB Canada |
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"My first appointment at the Hoffman Centre was on February 17, 2003 to have my blood tested at the cellular level. I was looking for an alternative method to reach optimum health and wellness. The first meeting with Dr Hoffman was brief and it was the beginning of an incredible journey. As an everyday person, just like you who will read this testimonial, I have learnt to honour the difficulties in life, as well as the successes. I am a woman with compassion and gratitude.
Over the past years, Bruce has encouraged me to look at myself in the mirror. I have looked at my most important values, my mission and my passion. Nutritionally, Bruce has encouraged me to look at the idea of what is eating at you, not what you eat. By eliminating sugar from my diet, as well as desserts and bread I am no longer insulin resistant. By eating more green vegetables and proteins, I hope to reach my goal weight in just a few months.
Bruce explains the essence of the supplements and the testing he does in order to measure alkalinity, age, heart rate variability, mercury levels, the correlation between teeth and health, and the detoxification process to eliminate heavy metals and toxins. Bruce is so giving, and yet so humble. He is always working, learning, studying, and caring for his patients. His knowledge is vast. He uses many different mediums such as chelation, Ayurvedic and holistic practices.
The Hoffman Centre is like my second family. It is because of you, Bruce, that I am where I am today. You said I am a self-actualized woman and I can feel very grateful for all you have done. The program at the Hoffman Centre is about you, Bruce, your vision, your passion and your many years of hard work. You are definitely a master healer". |
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| Rina, Calgary AB Canada |
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"Everyone will want to start down the road to longevity, once they take your workshops. Extraordinary seminar on functional medicine, providing valuable information for patients, health care providers, families and friends of those affected by complex disorders. The 7 Stages to Health and Transformastion seminar is the key to recovery; understanding the many factors of one's condition and treating each one with appropriate therapy means no more fear, anger or frustration. Thank you again for charting my path enabling me to add life to my years, not just years to my life". |
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| R.A., Calgary AB Canada |
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"Dear Amy,
The diet you gave me is working! Results are mainly lots more energy, sleeping at night and a great recovery after exercise. Giving up coffee was hard with massive headaches after three days. I'm now swimming 1km in 24min which is my previous peak performance! It would normally take me 6 weeks to build up to this. The best part is that after the swim I still have the energy to jump into the whale tank and join J. and friends for 30min of deep-water aerobics. We are targeting to do this now 4 times a week. Muscle and joint pain is minimal when it used to be a big limiting factor. J. has seen this as well - we do this together.
Coffee is no longer part of my life and I don't miss it. We do have chai tea in the morning and green and various herbal and ginger teas throughout the day. You are a goddess and I eat by your command". |
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| Dr. John Demartini, Author and Philosopher, Huston TX USA |
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"I have come to know a lot of medical physicians and other health specialists in my travels, and many of them are great at what they do, but no one I know has been able to touch Dr Hoffman's degree of dedication and insight... The people of Alberta are very privileged to have such a professional right in their own backyard". |
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| Sherri-Lee Parsons, Calgary Alberta Canada |
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April 8, 2008
It was August 2006. Always keen for a new health kick and a new way to lose weight I decided to try out the cayenne pepper cleanse. The cleanse involved drinking a mixture that contained cayenne pepper. I was doing this for about a week when one day I was laying in bed just about to fall asleep and I noticed my feet had fallen asleep. I was a little annoyed because there was no reason and it’s a bit of an uncomfortable feeling: pins and needles and a bit of numbness in my feet.
The next day I woke up and my feet were still numb. Thinking it must be a pinched nerve I went to my chiropractor and asked her to make things better. She did an adjustment and expressed a bit of concern that both feet were feeling numb. I told her about the cayenne pepper and she told me to stop taking it.
I did stop taking it but to no avail. 9 days later and feeling very fatigued I decided to phone Health Link. After giving the nurse my symptoms she asked me what I thought I should do. I told her I’m sure it’s not a big deal. My feet are simply numb and I’m tired I told her I would just take it easy. Unfortunately she didn’t agree. She suggested I go to the closest emergency as soon as possible. I took her advice.
Even at the hospital I kept thinking this is ridiculous. I simply have numb feet and I’m tired. After 7 hours of waiting I was finally seen by a doctor. The doctor was perplexed and made a referral to the urgent neuro clinic. I was seen a few days later by a neurologist. I was devastated when she mentioned Multiple Sclerosis. This had entered my mind but I was sure it was just the cayenne pepper. It couldn’t be MS.
The neurologist wanted to monitor me a few months before she made a diagnosis. First was an MRI of my back and neck which showed plaque that could be a result of the MS. She wanted to do another MRI in 3 months.
In the mean time my husband and I went on an extensive tour of Asia: 5 countries in 3 weeks. I was exhausted when we came home in the middle of October. I thought I was just suffering from jet lag and couldn’t seem to recover. I just couldn’t stay awake at work. I knew that fatigue was a side effect of MS so I contacted the MS clinic but they weren’t very helpful. I was prescribed a drug that would help keep me awake during the day but it was dreadful for trying to go back to sleep at night. Finally someone at work who knew I was suffering mentioned the Hoffman Centre. I called and set up an initial consultation. My first appointment was in the middle of December just before I was to leave for a Christmas vacation.
Before going on vacation I completed all of the initial testing, I had my initial consultation with Amy Bondar, the dietician. I would receive all of my results when I returned in the New Year. As soon as I got back I would also have a private MRI so that we would know what we were dealing with.
January 8th was the day I received my MRI results and the day I would start my journey with Dr. Hoffman. I had received my MRI results in the morning and when I went see Dr. Hoffman in the afternoon I was still in tears. The MRI had come back with a diagnosis of MS. 3 lesions were identified on my brain. Dr. Hoffman was very encouraging. He made me believe that if we couldn’t cure it we could certainly put it in remission for a very long time. He appreciated how exhausted I was. He told me that this was actually adrenal fatigue and something I could overcome. That day I started a 5 month leave of absence from work so that I could work full time on my recovery. I really needed that time off. Getting healthy really is a full time job.
On that day in January my symptoms included fatigue that was absolutely disabling, both of my feet were numb and I had electric currents running up and down both legs. I can’t tell you what an uncomfortable feeling this is. And mentally it’s a constant reminder of the disease. On January 8th I started the supplement program, I changed my diet and stopped eating foods that I was sensitive to and foods that trigger MS. (I found out that I was allergic to cayenne pepper and this was contributing to inflammation) I started meditating and doing yoga and I rested a lot. I just had to let my body recover from some of the stresses it had experienced in the last couple of years. In addition to being diagnosed with MS I had also just been diagnosed with a serious case of abnormal cervical cells and I had chronic bladder infections. In order to deal with the bladder infections I was actually taking an antibiotic daily to try and prevent them. Doctors had been telling me it was simply something I was going to have to live with. In February and March I had my amalgam fillings removed by Dr. Evans. Once this was done I would be able to start the chelation process.
I did everything Dr. Hoffman asked me to do and it worked!!!!!
By March I was symptom free. I still had some fatigue but it had seriously improved. I was off of work until May when the fatigue had subsided enough for me to return to work. It is now 15 months later and I haven’t had a recurrence of a bladder infection. My abnormal cells were removed and at my 6 week visit the Dr. told me I looked like I had been healing for 6 months. I am still free of ALL tingling and numbness. Everything is looking up.
Dr. Hoffman talks about the 7 levels of healing. By doing the meditating and participating in yoga like Dr. Hoffman has suggested and by taking supplements that help my anxiety I have been able to significantly reduce my stress level and stress that I do have is much better managed. I have seen Dr. Baker to clear some of my emotional issues and she has been amazing. I tell people, because of work that I have done with her, I feel so much more calm, serene and together. The change that I feel is absolutely amazing. I am very grateful for everything that both Dr. Hoffman and Dr. Baker have done for me. My journey will be lifelong and it is manageable knowing that I will always have support at the Hoffman centre. The whole team at the centre is amazing and I am so grateful for having my health. I think we take our health for granted until we don’t have it anymore. I treat myself and my body much better now.
Sherri-Lee Parsons
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