Help for the Hertzler family.

5.8.22 Update:

This post is a long time coming. You’ve done been warned. Why Mexico? Why not chemo? Maybe you’ve been wondering these questions. Talking about stuff like this is hard. Especially when you’re in the minority. But I feel like it needs to be addressed. I have friends on both sides of this—friends who have lost loved ones to cancer, friends who have been healed of cancer (by doing chemo). I truly believe there’s no one right answer when talking about cancer. What works for one person, doesn’t for the next. There’s no easy option. And I’ve learned in this journey not to cast judgment on anyone’s choice. It’s their decision. The reason why we’re in Mexico seeking alternative treatments for Mitch’s stage 3b colon cancer is because we’ve run out of options in the US. It blows my mind that in this land of excessive options (e.g. cereal aisle, Walmart), Mitch was presented with only ONE option from his oncologist and surgical oncologist (second opinion). They won’t touch Mitch without his having done chemo first. Mitch currently has 4 enlarged lymph nodes in his abdominal area. Our question was if they could go in and remove them. Or at least biopsy them. (They don’t even know if they’re cancerous…it just looks like it to them.) The quick answer was no. Without doing chemo first. So what do we do? This is where we pray. Ask God for wisdom. Ask Him to guide us and lead us where He wants us to go. Open up doors. And He did. We were sensitive to His voice and kept walking through the open doors. When looking at our medical system in the US, it doesn’t take long to realize you need to be your own advocate. Prescription drugs are written up and passed out like candy. Is this the only solution? Why is almost everyone ON something these days, including children? There’s got to be a better way. That’s literally how this whole things started. About 2 years ago, Mitch had strep throat. He was given a normal prescription of normal antibiotics (that literally everyone has taken). It was immediately after taking these antibiotics that he started having issues. (Granted, he stopped and started this prescription. Stopping after 3 days, then finishing up after the strep came back.) After months of having intestinal issues, he started seeing a local D.O. who sat on his hands while Mitch was having major digestion issues. This dr literally gave Mitch 3 different prescriptions to “try,” saying he could take them all at once if he wanted to, to rule out either yeast, bacteria, or inflammation. Thankfully Mitch only tried the 2 drugs for yeast and inflammation, to no avail. With no answers and him being in immense pain, we went to the ER. And the rest of the story you know. Strep—>antibiotics—>colon cancer. When I asked the head of gastro oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center if this could possibly have happened, his response was, “We’re learning that there are repercussions to the overuse of antibiotics.” He confirmed what we knew in our hearts had happened. So do we go with the broken system just because it’s the only option? No. We’re here in Mexico where Mitch is receiving unconventional, non-invasive treatments to hopefully repair these lymph nodes. He gets treatments like high doses of vitamin c, and vitamin b17 (which is illegal to purchase in the US), weird stuff like blue scorpion venom (seriously), hyperthermal treatments where they raise his body temp to 108 degrees, among other treatments. There’s logic, science, and testing done on all these treatments. Unconventional? Yes. Apprehension? Yes. Hope? YES! If you made it to the end, you’re a champ. Thanks for the love, prayers, and support you’ve given us. This road has not been easy but we know the Lord is walking right alongside us every step of the way. Love you all! (Pictured here eating lunch, with fresh juice, a shot of apple cider vinegar, and some kind of vegetable soup. Nutrition is a HUGE factor in our health. When Mitch asked his doctors in the states what he should eat, they said, “whatever you want! Go to McDonalds every day if you want…as long as you’re eating and keeping it down, that’s all we care about.”)

Original post:

Hi, my name is Calvin Steidler and I’m setting up this account to help Mitch Hertzler and his family during this very difficult time.

Mitch was recently diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer and will begin 6 months of chemo treatment in about 3 weeks. He has been hospitalized for the past two weeks and remains at Lancaster General Hospital at this time.

Mitch and his wife Kat have 3 young boys Ryder (13), Bryce (11), and Finn (8). All funds raised will go directly to the Hertzler family to assist with upcoming medical bills and overall life expenses.