I LOST MY EMPLOYER-BASED HEALTH INSURANCE AND FOUND MY HEALTH
BY TRACY KEIBLER

Tracy discovered the Daniel Plan when searching the Internet for information on Dr. Mark Hyman. Since starting the plan, her lifetime of health issues that required an “arsenal of medications,” has turned around. Tracy’s story is about the kind of total transformation God desires for each of us.

A Tough Beginning

As a child, I had eczema so badly that I could not walk on my feet. I had to walk on my very tippy toes. My hands were so badly affected; nurses and doctors would take hold of my hands to examine them, and then suddenly drop them in shock.

Twenty years ago, after the birth of my daughter, my doctor told me he did not know if I would ever walk normally—or even walk at all—again.

In my thirties, I’d had two polyps removed from my colon. My doctor told me I needed to change the direction of the train I was on, or I was headed for some serious trouble.

The discouraging news from my doctor came at the same time my husband lost his job. Our savings were tied up in stock options that disappeared overnight. I’d been told the polyps I’d had removed were the type “guaranteed to return” and that left me as “uninsurable”—without employer-based group coverage.

Turning the Train Around

It was the biggest crisis of our then-twenty-four-year marriage, and certainly not the easiest time to make big lifestyle changes—but there really was no other choice. The alternative—a serious health crisis—was not an option either. We made the decision to begin the journey toward health as a family.

By the time I heard about the Daniel Plan, I had a number of chronic conditions: asthma, gastro-esophageal reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic indigestion.

The Daniel Plan offered me the ability to enjoy a level of health I had not ever experienced before. It gave me health and energy, and the support programs available online from Saddleback helped make prayer, Bible study, and quiet time an integral part of my daily life.

I admit it has been a rough few years. So many people have said things like, “I can’t believe all losses you’ve gone through and still you exude excitement, joy, and hope.” When I hear comments like that, I know it is a direct answer to prayer. God is so amazing, I could write a book on this alone.

Blessed to Be a Blessing

My family, of course, has been my biggest source of support. But it also comes from the lives I am able to touch through a nonprofit organization I lead. We work with faith communities to help meet the needs of older adults struggling with chronic health problems and other issues associated with aging. I have also teamed up with a functional medicine physician to teach nutrition classes.

Breathing in and Breathing Out

I have a breath prayer that I pray a lot. When I breathe in, I think about the Holy Spirit filling me. When I breathe out, I say, “perfect love casts out all fear” or “more of you, less of me.” That has kept me grounded.

God continues to show Tracy that she can and does make a difference in another’s life. Her hope is to bring improved health to as many older adults as possible, or in Tracy’s words, “that keeps me keeping on.”

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