The UltraMind Solution

Jackie's Story

I've been a very high-achieving, Type-A person my whole life: Top of my class in high school and college, a high-level litigator, and a very successful sports attorney–I represented the Women's Professional Tennis Association.

So you can imagine how I felt when, at the age of 40, I developed a stammer, lost my short-term memory almost entirely, and thought I had Alzheimer's disease. To put it mildly, I was devastated.

Though it took me some time to realize this and make all the connections, the story of my problems actually begins in my childhood.

When I was young I went through so many traumatic events that it's hard to describe them all. At the age of 14 I was hit by a car as a pedestrian and got a severe concussion. Two years later I was caught in a terrorist attack on a trip to Israel. When I came back, I went to see a school counselor, who diagnosed me with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I went through a lot in my teenage years.

But even before all that happened, I can't say I was a happy child. I never felt comfortable in my own skin. Part of that was due to the fact that I was obese until I was about 14 years old. At one point I reached 180 pounds.

Another part of it was that I came from a family who didn't believe in getting psychological help–that was for crazy people. As a result, I often felt as though I suffered alone.

By the age of 20 my physical health began to deteriorate, but I always pushed down or band-aided the problem somehow. I had surgeries or therapy, but whatever was ailing me I dealt with in isolation. I rarely, if ever, asked for help from my friends or family, so many of them don't even know what I went through even though the traumas kept piling higher and higher.

At 27 I underwent ACL reconstruction on my knee. One or two weeks later I developed a pulmonary condition that nearly took my life. I was literally on my deathbed in a hospital, and a radiologist told me so. I miraculously pulled through but went into a deep depression due to my experience. I dissociated. I was diagnosed with PTSD again...

Then 9/11 hit and that was probably the straw that broke the camel's back. I didn't lose anybody close to me, but I live in the New York metropolitan area and my husband was in the city that day. He saw the planes hit. It rocked my world... Even though I wasn't personally affected by the tragedy of 9/11 like so many others were, I think it was magnified in my mind because I had this long history of trauma that had never been resolved.

As you might guess based on my history, I've struggled with depression my whole life. I never took any medications, but after 9/11 I was so depressed and had so much trouble functioning that I decided it was time to try some antidepressants. I went on Wellbutrin and Celexa and stayed on them for a couple of years. Even though they helped, I still felt like I was going down the tubes.

"As my mental health declined, my physical health went downhill too."

I was physically uncomfortable, my joints hurt, and I was tired all the time. I also packed on 30 or 40 pounds, which seemed strange to me because I remained active even at my worst. My husband and I are both athletically oriented, and even at my lowest points I pushed through and kept up my exercise routine. Even so, the weight stayed on. It was like I blew up for no reason.

I wanted to make a change, but I felt like I was stuck. I didn't want to be on the psychiatric medications I was taking, but I couldn't seem to get off them. My body felt worse and worse all the time. It was like I was in a downward spiral–emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

"What finally made me seek help was the feeling that I was losing my mind."

I knew my body was falling apart. But when my cognitive ability started to fail–when I began having a hard time forming words and couldn't remember what happened on a day–to–day basis–that made me stand up and take notice. I've always been able to count on my mind, my intellect, my ability to speak–and then suddenly I couldn't.

I went to several doctors and had a bunch of tests done. I felt sure I would be diagnosed with Alzheimer's and rheumatoid arthritis, because that's what it felt like I had. But all the tests came back negative. I felt more lost and confused than ever...

Eventually, my husband suggested I look into the work of Dr. Hyman. We knew of him from trips we made to Canyon Ranch when Dr. Hyman worked there.

Dr. Hyman's work inspired me so much that I decided to go see him. I contacted his office and spoke to his secretary, Nina. I told her about what was going on and asked if she thought coming to see Dr. Hyman would help. She said, "Absolutely. You should come out here for five days. We will set you up with all the right appointments and tests. We're going to find out what's going on for you."

My first appointment with Dr. Hyman is something I will never forget. Within 10 minutes of talking with him, he said, "Well, there's a lot going on here. That's clear. But one thing I can tell you for sure is that it's not a question of whether or not you have mercury poisoning&ndashl;it's a question of how much."

That was before he had even performed the test. When my mercury tests finally did come back, the line graph they were measured on literally went off the page. I had mercury levels in the high 60s-70s. Normal is less than 3. I was completely blown away.

"Virtually every system in my body was shutting down."

It turned out mercury poisoning wasn't the only problem I was facing.

• My detoxification system wasn't working at all (I thought it was normal to go to the bathroom once or twice a week).
• My ion panel basically looked like I was dead.
• My mitochondria weren't functioning.
• My body was extremely inflamed.
• I was the definition of adrenal burnout.
• I had a low-functioning thyroid.

I was depleted of everything–my magnesium levels were especially low. And I had major food sensitivities. I found out I was allergic to wheat, dairy, and chicken. Chicken!

Who's allergic to chicken?

Though we had to deal with the problem in layers, the program Dr. Hyman put me on was basically exactly what is outlined in The UltraMind Solution. Following his recommendations I was able to get the mercury out of my body and begin to heal step-by-step.

I started with detoxification, because it was pretty clear that getting the mercury out of my body would make the most difference for my condition. I began taking a very similar supplement package to the one outlined in The UltraMind Solution, including those designed to boost the detoxification system. These supplements would give me the nutritional support I would need for the next step in the process.

Though many people can detoxify and heal with medical intervention, my case was so bad that I needed to undergo a special process called chelation. This is where you are given pharmaceutical medications that bind to the metals in your body and pull them out through your stool and urine.

At the same time I changed my diet and went on a strict gluten- and dairy-free vegan eating plan. It was a little more rigorous than the one outlined in the book, but the basis of it was the same–no gluten, no dairy, no processed foods, instead just real, whole-plant foods.

In nine months my mercury levels dropped significantly, and I began to feel better.

"Once I changed my diet and got the metals out of my system, I was immediately able to think and see more clearly."

I dropped 40 pounds and I came out of my brain fog. I was able to think and see more clearly. My short-term memory returned. It was like my brain suddenly came back on line. It was amazing.

I wanted to make this change last, so I continued to work through the program. With Dr. Hyman's help I identified a low–functioning thyroid that was contributing to my problems. I went on thyroid replacement medication to boost my levels. I also knew stress was a major factor in my life and that I was going to have to do something to about it.

So I made some hard decisions and chose to change my life. I quit practicing law. I became a certified yoga instructor. Now I practice yoga and meditate every day and also do some healing touch work. This was a big evolution for me, because I was never interested in those things before, but I can't tell you the difference these choices have made in my life.

"Today my life looks entirely different than it did four years ago.

I'm lighter than I was in college and healthier than I've ever been in my life. I enjoy the blessings of helping people learn how to meditate and do yoga. I maintain my gluten- and dairy-free vegan diet to this day. I am very conscious of everything I put in my mouth now. My whole relationship with food has completely changed. It's like I'm a different person.

When I first found Dr. Hyman's work I was at a point where I felt like I had to plan JUST to get ONE thing done a day. I was so exhausted all the time. I felt like I had been hit by a truck and simply getting out of bed was difficult.

"Now I have more energy than I did even in my adrenaline-pumped, type-A days."

And it's a lasting energy. What blessing! It allows me to do what I want every day–to travel with my family, or do yoga, to think see and think clearly. I am so happy and so grateful just to be able to do these things. My entire mind-set has changed to one of gratitude for what I have–for my health, for my children (whom I can enjoy so much more now), for each day that I am alive and my mind is clear. I enjoy my life. What better gift is there?

I like to talk about the first half of my life and the second half of my life–and let me tell you, the second half is a much better place to be. It's been a journey of transformation. I'm a completely different person today. And Im thankful for it.

Jackie Tepper
Stamford, CT