Testimonials

The Long and Winding Road - CTom Marshall - Testimonial

 

Even from an early age, Tom Marshall realized that he marched to the beat of a different drummer.

"When we're born, we enter the world, and there's a long path in front of us," he says. "Most people take two or three steps, pitch a tent, build a fence, and never leave that boxed-in area. However, the area outside is far greater than the one inside. I traveled along that path with my backpack."

Along the way, the businessman encountered detours, one leading to a serious substance abuse problem.

"At 14, I started drinking—almost a quart of Canadian Club liberated from my father's liquor cabinet," Marshall admits. "I swore I would never do it again and didn't until the following weekend. In high school, drinking a lot was very socially acceptable, and I was popular. When I went to college, I drank even more. Out of college, I drank even more. It was fun for a season, but then it became survival. As I say, any sin will eventually become bondage."

In 1972, Marshall was at a crossroads. He was a full-blown, chronic, two-quart a day drinker who decided it was time to stop. The question was how.

"I quit drinking in 1972," he recalls. "I put myself in a rehab center and locked myself away to dry out."

Armed with a firm commitment, Marshall explored his options. He tried Alcoholics Anonymous, attending meetings, giving talks and working the 12-step program. However, Tom found little relief. 

"I was miserable and terribly unhappy," he remembers. "One day on television, I watched a program that changed my life. The basic message was that accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior will change your life. So I did."

Not one to blindly accept status quo advice, he challenged the assumption by mixing a Scotch and water and drinking it: it tasted wonderful. He questioned whether the message and newfound spiritual acceptance would really work for him. However, the seed was planted, just waiting to grow.

"A few months later, I woke up and knew I was done with alcohol," he shares. "I stopped drinking, went into DTs, then back to rehab."

Like many addicts, Tom quit alcohol, but picked up an equally unhealthy substitute.

"I got into drugs—everything imaginable. I basically swapped one problem for another, yet I never got hooked on drugs even though I consumed an enormous amount. I thought ‘Why am I doing this?' I stopped the drugs and again went through heavy-duty withdrawals. I was seeing people who weren't there: it was wild. After quitting drugs, I really got involved with the Lord."

A New Path—Wellness

Never fond of conventional medicine or physicians, Tom always resisted traditional medical advice. An out-of-the-box thinker, he was actually feeling "fine" when his brother suggested a visit to Dr. Dale Guyer at the Guyer Institute of Molecular Medicine, who had a unique "out-of-the-box" approach that he thought might appeal to Tom.

"I wanted to see where Dr. Guyer was coming from," Tom says of his first visit. "Basically, he did blood tests and a routine examination, analyzed the results, and told me what bad shape I was in, adding ‘You have a lot of work to do here.' I told him ‘You're out of your mind: I feel fine.'"

However, detailed blood tests revealed pronounced nutritional and hormonal deficiencies—including very low testosterone levels—that required supplementation in order to restore Tom to an improved overall quality of life and wellness. At 63, Tom figured whatever deficiencies might exist were a natural part of the aging process.

"I'm 63 years old, so of course I'm low on stuff," Tom believed. "Dr. put me on a bunch of supplements, human growth hormone (HGH), testosterone cream, omega 3 fish oils, chelation therapy to help clean out my blood vessels among other therapeutic options. I was particularly concerned about my blood vessels, because several of my relatives died with poor brain function because they were not getting enough oxygen to the brain tissues. I began seeing Dr. Guyer last Spring, and I haven't felt this good in years!"

The renewed energy inspired Tom to address physical changes that had occurred over time.

"I was visiting Dr. Guyer and mentioned that the sagging skin on my neck was driving me crazy," he says. "I told him that I was going to see a plastic surgeon to have it cut off. Dr. Guyer mentioned that he would soon be doing a new procedure at the Institute called Smart Lipo that would address the problem, so I did it."

Smart Lipo is the latest method for removing fat with a laser. First discovered in Europe, the technique is now available at the Guyer Institute for Molecular Medicine. With the aid of laser technology, the procedure dissolves the fat and helps tighten surrounding skin almost anywhere in the body. The procedure is done in an office and does not require the use of a general anesthetic. Designed to treat localized pockets of fat in the waist, hips, buttocks, upper arms, face, and chin, it seemed a viable option for Tom.

"While it's still pretty early to tell, I can tell a difference," notes Tom. "One has to wait about six months to see maximum results, but there is definitely a difference."

The Journey Continues

Tom's chance meeting with Dr. Guyer definitely helped change his life.

"I have a lot more energy and don't have any joint pain," admits Tom. "When I got up in the morning, it took time to feel normal, because I was always stiff and achy. That doesn't happen anymore. I get out of bed and don't even think about it. I have a higher energy level. In short, I simply just feel better."

Tom decidedly unconventional approach to life found a kindred spirit with Dr. Guyer.

"The guy is brilliant," he readily says. "I have a lot of respect for him. For me to say that about a doctor says volumes. There are all kinds of options available to us. All we have to do is open our eyes and minds and being willing to look."

Today, Tom wants to share his renewed spirit and enthusiasm for life with others through a program he developed to aid others like him confronting addiction. Someone at Tom's church approached him about that starting an addiction program. He really didn't want to do it, but finally put together a 12-step program. However, the passion was simply not there.

"Last summer, I was at Lake Wawasee, staring at the water," he remembers. "I was trying to figure out why I couldn't get into the spirit of the AA program. I couldn't even get a meeting going. I had the brochures and everything else, but I couldn't get excited. A little voice inside me said, ‘You're an idiot.' The bottom line was that this program did not work for me personally, so how could I tell others about it. I am not saying it is a bad program—it just didn't work for me. I thought, ‘do what worked for you.' That's what I did, which is how I came up with the 11 steps. I sat down and came up with theses steps—as a result of a 15-year-process of trial and elimination. Now, I am not a recovering alcoholic: I am a recovered alcoholic. I don't drive by bars and want a drink. It's not a problem."

Tom eventually returned to his church, sharing his decision to rent a room and launched new program called Forever Free apart from the church.

"It was important to me to keep it separate from the church," he says. "I am having my first meeting the first Tuesday next month in March, 2008. I personally think it will go. The Lord has been telling me to do this your way for years. Finally, now we're talking."