Publisher’s Note: I am a very private person. I’ve never opened up about certain challenges I have had to face—except to a very tight circle of family and friends. I’m not sure I’m ready to be this vulnerable, but I feel compelled to share my personal journey because, after many years of seeking, I finally found something that changed my health. I share it with you because it has so profoundly blessed my life. The following is a first-person true story.

I got the call on a Saturday evening that you never want to get: “Scot, Dad’s had a major heart attack. He’s in intensive care at Utah Valley Medical Center. You probably ought to come right now.”

We told our tribe of children where we were going, letting them know that this was very serious. Our daughter Laura was going to be married in 25 days and we had just started Meridian 99 days before. It was a time of high stress.

Maurine and I jumped in the car and made the 45-minute drive to the hospital in about 30 minutes. It was already late in the evening but, of course, Mom needed our support and we were there for her. My Dad also had a heart attack on the day of my brother’s funeral 9 years before. That led him to five-bypass open-heart surgery a couple of days after. It saved his life, but changed his and Mom’s life forever.

The doctors’ news was not good about my Dad.

I talked to the doctors and nurses who had been attending to my Dad. Generally the news wasn’t good. “He’s releasing a lot of enzymes. The damage is pretty extensive. At his age (80) and with his history (he’d also had a stroke some 18 months before), things are not very positive. You need to prepare for the worst.” I had no idea what that statement really meant for me.

You know those settings where you’re in a holding pattern at the hospital. There is no progress. There is no new information. Things are somewhat stable but could change any second. You talk a great deal. You share stories and hold hands and shed a few tears. That’s what we did for four hours.

We could finally see that there was not a lot more we could do to help Mom at that moment. Dad was in good hands and we thought we should encourage Mom to get some rest and left the hospital. We, too, were exhausted.

The Coming Shock

Of course the children were all asleep when we got home at 2:30 AM. We had some short prayers then talked for a few minutes while we lay there exhausted and unable to go to sleep. “Do you think Dad will die tonight?” “How did you think Mom is handling all this?” “Boy, these things just come out of the blue, don’t they?” You know the kinds of things we were talking about. We finally dozed off. Little did we know we were not going to get a decent night’s rest.

At 4:36 AM I awoke with a truck parked on my chest. I could hardly breathe. I did not know what was happening at first, but quickly came to full awareness. I awoke my wife with a start: “Maurine, I think I’m having a heart attack.” My wife was up in a flash and went into complete, calm task-mode. She immediately called 911. The emergency operator that night was our daughter Julie’s best friend. Although she never identified herself, we knew her voice. She stayed on the line with us the whole time. Maurine ran down to the basement and awakened our son Eliot out of a deep sleep, “Eliot, I need you right now. Dad’s having a heart attack and he needs a blessing.” What a shock for a son who had just returned from his mission to Ukraine 8 months ago. He tried to refrain from panicking, but he was so nervous and full of concern he could hardly give me a blessing—but he did.

The 911-phone line was still open with our friend patiently encouraging us to hang on. We could hear the sirens in the distance but it seemed like it was taking forever for the paramedics to arrive. I took three baby aspirin as a preventative. I got up and went to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror and saw how ashen my face was. It was a look I had never seen before.

I laid down again, the truck still parked on my chest. I started to see my life flash before my eyes. It was a fascinating experience. My main focus was my family and all the love I had for them. I was 42 years old and I had been promised “a long and productive life” in my patriarchal blessing. I was counting on that promise. The images of all our 11 children went flashing through my mind. I could see my Dad in the hospital bed in Provo. I could see my Mom so clearly. I saw my brother’s accident on the river replayed that took his life, and the severe blow that was to our whole family. I could see my little four-year old daughter, Michaela and the long life she had ahead of her. I could not leave her. I thought of Lucy Mack Smith and the night she nearly died. She could almost see into the heavens, but she wanted to stay with her little ones and raise them. Most of all I could see Maurine and her faith, her resilience and her love. I had to stay. I just had to stay.

A Medical Reading and Life Decree

The hard knock at the door brought me out of my life gazing. The paramedics had arrived and came running up the stairs at our son’s direction. These guys were good at what they do. So good. They started calling out my vitals. I don’t remember each statistic (normally I would). Blood pressure is this. Pulse rate is that. Sats are this. Then one of them called out, “He’s diabetic.” “No, I’m not,” I retorted. “Oh yes, you are!” he assured me kindly.

So, as they were getting me onto the stretcher, with my hand trying to hold onto Maurine’s and these strong men all around me, and being carried out of my bedroom and down the very stairs that I had just been carrying all my children up to bed on, my future began to flash before my eyes.

I had a lot to think about as I was scurried from one hospital to the next.

“You have heart disease just like your Dad. You are having a heart attack. This is all real. You’re diabetic just like your Dad and his four siblings and Mother, and your own brother. This will change your life forever—if you even make it.

Maurine remained completely calm through it all. She never flinched. She didn’t cry. She didn’t scream. She didn’t even shudder. Everything was clear to her and she assured me over and over that all was going to be well. She reminded me in that tone of voice that only your soul mate can have, that she knew that the promise in my patriarchal blessing would be fulfilled and that I WOULD have a long and productive life in which to fulfill “all these things.” My last memory of her at the house was of pure peace, serenity and calm. This went through my whole being (as they closed the doors of the ambulance) as powerfully as the blessing I received half-an-hour earlier.

Should I Tell My Mom?

At the hospital, they did the angiogram to take a look at my heart. It looked bad. I had an 98% occluded main artery and about 95% in another artery. I had to be taken to a major hospital where the thoracic unit could be ready to do open heart surgery if needed.

There I was in intensive care in LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City and there was my Dad in intensive care at Utah Valley Hospital. Should I tell my Mom? We determined she had plenty on her plate and the news of this to my Dad might take him. We waited.

Here I am hiking around a mountain that we love so much.

I was blessed to not have to have open-heart surgery. I had angioplasty and had two stents placed in my heart. I stayed awake through the whole procedure and watched as they placed the stents. I was in intensive care for 6 days. We called Mom every day from my hospital room, hoping she would not hear the beeping monitors or the intercom saying, “Would Dr. Smith please report to…” type sounds. We squeaked through our time undetected.

Upon release we drove directly from our hospital to Dad’s. It was so good to see him. He was stable but very weak. Mom said to me, “You don’t look too well. Are you okay?” “Oh, I’m fine. Just a little tired, I guess.” That kept her at bay for three days.

A Lesson That Changed my Life

On day nine of my own ordeal, the moment arrived where I just had to talk to my Mom about my condition. I said, “Mom, let’s go to the cafeteria. I need to talk to you.” We left Dad and walked down the long halls and sat down at a table. I told her why we hadn’t come to visit for those six days, even though Dad was in dire condition. I, too, had been in dire condition. She just listened. I told her our whole story, not leaving out any details. She just listened. I went on and on and emphasized how really serious it was and all that I’d been through. She just listened. She finally gave me a compassionate but firm look that only a Mother can give. It was if she was gently saying with her eyes, “If you’re finished, I have something to say.”

Mom took my hands and looked me squarely in the eyes and said, “Well, Heber J. Grant said ‘If you want to live a long life, get an incurable disease and learn how to take care of yourself.’” She then said, “How are the kids?” “How’s the magazine coming along?” “What’s the latest with Laura’s wedding plans?” She just went on as if nothing happened. I was shocked. She never mentioned my heart attack nor my new-found companion of diabetes again. Never. It was a stunning lesson.

Though I had always been good at taking care of myself, from that moment I determined I would become a fierce advocate for my own health and I would do everything in my power to keep up with the latest research and figure out all the ways I could help myself. I was in charge (with faith and prayers) of me and my own well-being; I could not abnegate my position of chief attending physician to myself. I would follow my Mother’s admonition from that moment on. And I have.

Aftermath

My precious Dad passed away 12 days later. I never told him. Of course, he knew immediately upon passing, but at least I felt I didn’t add to his own burdens. Our daughter Laura was married on June 16. We buried my Dad on June 18.   It was quite a week.

So, what do you do when you now know you have arteriosclerosis and diabetes (kissin’ cousins) and you will have them all your life? You get with the program and become a fierce advocate for your own good health and well-being. And that’s what I’ve tried to do.

I’m on numerous email lists from various medical journals and online information sources. I’m constantly following medical news from great sources. I’m always watching for breakthroughs in medicine that may help me personally.

I watch what I eat. I exercise five or six days a week, 45 – 70 minutes a day. I take my meds religiously. I check my blood sugars almost too often. I’m right on top of all these things. I never miss.

I visited Prague to follow where my Dad had once been.

I study nutritional healing. I study supplements and herbal research. I watch for insights from all sources, both Western medicine and alternative approaches. I was fascinated when I visited a 700-year-old pharmacy in China where the methods and approaches to whole-body healing were completely foreign to our way of thinking. I wish I could have stayed there for days.

With all this intense interest in health, I realized that I was still not making the kind of progress I would like to make with my diseases. I guess I kept thinking I was going to wake up one morning and I would not have diabetes anymore. I thought that I would be able to go to the doctor and when she did an EKG, my myocardial infarction (heart attack) would not show up anymore. I kind of thought if I pricked my finger enough times I would finally stop doing that because I had done it enough. I thought if I took my meds long enough and faithfully enough, one day I just wouldn’t have to do that anymore.

Another Revelation

I learned that for some of us Proctors, building plaque was in the DNA. I found out many of us could have normal cholesterol and yet have triglycerides that are off the chart. I found out that diabetes is a progressive disease. I found out that you could have another heart episode.

I was quite discouraged about my diabetes one particular day so I went to the temple praying for understanding. I prayed in the chapel. I prayed through the entire session. I prayed in the celestial room. I listened and listened for an answer. It was not forthcoming. It was time to leave.

It was here in the Draper Temple I had that personal revelation.

I went to the dressing room and got to my locker where I changed into my suit to leave. I was a bit dejected that I had not had any insight or inspiration or even encouragement. I was just putting on my shoes and one sentence was given to me from the heavens: “This disease will not kill you. It will save you.” I was stunned! What was that supposed to mean?

I’ve pondered that for many years. “If this disease is supposed to save me, what am I to learn in the midst of having it?” “How can this possibly save me?” “What are the lessons of diabetes?” These and a thousand other questions have sailed through my mind.

Finally, Help is on the Way

At Meridian we are presented with a hundred times more material than we can ever publish. We are shown books and products and things that we can never get to or even mention in an article or even a short piece. We get emails by the truckload. We just cannot physically or practically answer them all. We have been presented scores of health products to consider for advertising. We have been given samples galore.

Since I am so interested in health and well-being, I am compelled to find products that would bless our readers. I know, first-hand, just how much your health matters for productivity. But I have never been willing to talk about a product before now, because I have never been so profoundly helped before now. I write this because I truly want you to know about it.

In those email piles, one particular one kept coming in from someone I had never heard of: John Hewlett. He had some product called Cardio Miracle. It took John close to a year to get through to us. He just wanted one hour of our time, no more. We finally agreed to a meeting in our home (so we wouldn’t have to drive anywhere).   Since then I have been amazed at how my life and my health have been blessed because of the use of this product, Cardio Miracle.

My Own Health Profile Changed

I know a lot about inflammation. It is miserable. I know so much about blood sugar highs and lows. I feel like I’m an expert on Hemoglobin A1C (or glycated hemoglobin). I know the benchmarks of LDL’s and HDL’s. I know where my blood pressure should be. I know where my triglycerides have been and where they are supposed to be. I have learned all about carbs and proteins and fat. I know exactly how many points my blood sugars change if I miss my exercise for the day.

Jumping for joy a few months ago in Norway because of my good health.

I’m always looking for things that will help my health. I have a wife and 11 children. I have 20 grandchildren and one in the oven. I have things to do—remember I was promised a long and productive life. As I mentioned, I have learned that I have to be the major player in making that promise come to pass.

I started taking Cardio Miracle about 110 days ago (as of this writing). During that time we have traveled extensively and, therefore, sometimes eaten poorly (wonderfully?). We led a cruise to Norway for 12 days (and spent an extra week in England). We spent two weeks in China (carbohydrate capital). We married our baby daughter off September 27 (yes, I had the amazing cobbler at the reception). We led a 15-day Church History tour where we eat more food than anyone should eat in a month. We’ve been through Thanksgiving. We’re heading into Christmas with all the parties and gatherings and treats. It was time to do my blood work to see if my taking Cardio Miracle did anything for my profile.

Doing what I love so much in the Yellow Mountains of China.

I would not publish this article before I got my reports back. I just got them back two days ago. Let me let you know my results.

The first thing I get done in my physical is my blood pressure. It has been steadily creeping up for the past three years—a common byproduct of arteriosclerosis. It was as high as 140/98 and I was concerned about it. I didn’t want to add another med. My blood pressure on this visit was 120/68. The nurse said, “That is fabulous.” “Oh, and your resting heart rate is 64. Your sats (oxygen saturation) are 97%. This is all fantastic.” I didn’t tell her anything about what I had been doing; I just was happy. Those were the initial profile changes.

The doctor came in and said, “Well, you’re A1C is 7.0. That’s where you were last time.” I was elated. I was elated because of the travel paragraph above and, what I did not tell him was that for the past four months I took exactly half as much of my diabetic meds (Metformin, glimepiride, Lantus and Novolog) as I have for the past many, many years. HALF AS MUCH! And that was during the horrible overeating months of August, September, October and November! This was all during the time I was taking Cardio Miracle.

I did a complete lipid profile. My results were wonderful. I have never before hit the right numbers (not once) for the good cholesterol (HDL or high-density lipoprotein), but this time I did. I was so happy. And my bad cholesterol (LDL or low-density lipoprotein) was just right. My total cholesterol was perfect. My Triglycerides were perfect. My vitamin D (which I had them run) was perfect. I was thrilled.

If you or someone you love is dealing with or may soon be dealing with diabetes, Please Click here.

If you or someone you love is dealing with or has a history of heart disease in their family, please Click here.

And How Do I Feel?

The bottom line is this: Since starting the regimen of Cardio Miracle, I feel significantly better than I have felt since I became aware of my two diseases nearly 20 years ago. I have more energy. I feel energized (like I am oxygenated). My peripheral neuropathy is slowly improving (it has always been getting worse). My eyesight is improving—truly, I can see better. I don’t use my optional driving glasses ever. Yes, all the numbers have greatly improved—and the bonus is I just feel better.

I will never go without Cardio Miracle again—not one day of my life.

How Does it Work?

Cardio Miracle stimulates the production of nitric oxide in the body.  As you may have already read here on Meridian, this particular gas was discovered by three brilliant scientists who won the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1998 for this discovery.

Exploring King Herod’s ancient water works at Caesarea Maritima in Israel.

Nitric oxide helps our bodies receive the micro nutrition that we need.  It opens the endothelial walls so they can absorb the oxygen we need.  It is something our body naturally produces but as we age, we produce less of it and without it, the aging process accelerates.  When we have a boost of Nitric Oxide, we feel better.  We feel more energy.  It helps us in our exercise and endurance.  It widens our arteries and capacities for increased blood flow.  It reverses plaque formation.  It lowers blood pressure (as noted with me) and LDL’s.  It helps regulate your own body’s natural insulin.  It reverses kidney disease and kidney failure.  It reverses cardiovascular damage and disease.  These are all clinically proven by thousands of studies from the top universities and labs.

Cardio Miracle is now proving from thousands of satisfied customers personal results like mine, but also in one of the top scientific laboratories at the University of Ohio that Cardio Miracle’s dual pathway nitric oxide delivery is the best and most therapeutic of nitric oxide available. That’s exciting and amazing.

When I say something is miraculous or amazing, I like to get to the base of how it works and help you understand that as well in layman’s terms.

Nitric oxide dilates the arteries so that they become more receptive, then they are able to absorb the vital nutrients and vitamins that you need. When most people take supplements, they just end up with expensive urine because the absorption in the body is so low. However, when you dilate with nitric oxide, this gas that flows through your body opens up the receptivity of the cells so they absorb more nutrients. That’s easy to understand.

When they discovered nitric oxide and learned that it could heal the arterial wall, the researchers connected the dots that heart disease was an inflammation problem, not just a genetic one. For years people thought all heart disease was strictly genetics, and if you had bad genetics, you were going to have heart disease. But you saw people who are runners and worked to keep in perfect shape, who then dropped dead from heart attacks. That knowledge is all good news for me personally.

To learn more about how this can help with heart disease, click here.

I guess the number one benefit of Cardio Miracle is that it fights and reduces inflammation at the cellular level. It also helps fight inflammation in the wall of all of the circulatory system, including blood vessels, veins, lymphatic, and nervous system; all of the vessels of the body. It helps reduce plaque, occlusions or the blockages that occur when inflammation gets too strong in the wall of these vessels. That’s great news for me, a plaque builder.

Also, nitric oxide dilates the vessels and relaxes the vessels, which allows for greater blood flow and greater delivery of oxygen to the cell and to the lungs. It means that you can actually breathe more freely when you’re under exertion or when you’re sleeping or any other time. I’ve noticed a big change in Maurine’s breathing during our hikes at the base of our mountains. Since taking Cardio Miracle she has not been winded as we hike from 5,100 feet elevation to nearly 6,000 feet elevation and back. That’s a very noticeable improvement.

What’s really great is science and medicine are finally acknowledging that inflammation is at the source of all chronic illness and nitric oxide reduces inflammation; that’s a plain fact.

I love teaching here at Mt. Precipice overlooking the Jezreel Valley and Nazareth.

In my case, knowing that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of adults in the world, I am comforted to know that, in layman’s terms, nitric oxide is a major key to long-term health. With my initial test of 110 days straight, never missing my morning and night serving, it certainly is a major key to my long-term health.

If you have a history of diabetes in your family, click here.

As I have studied Cardio Miracle and nitric oxide, I’ve come to know that this amazing gas prevents blood clots that trigger strokes (another kissin’ cousin with diabetes) and heart attacks, and regulates blood pressure and the accumulation of plaque in the blood vessels. It helps anyone who is dealing with (or has loved ones who deal with or a history of) Alzheimer’s, asthma, kidney disease, lung issues, high blood-pressure, neuropathy, nerve pain, age-related challenges, endocrine-related disease—the list goes on and on. I’m so glad to be on Cardio Miracle to do everything in my power to prevent them from happening in my life.

Remember what I said, “Be your own fierce advocate for your health.” If you are–it will give you a fighting chance no matter what you face with your health.

I whole-heartedly endorse Cardio Miracle to add to your health regimen.

In the weeks to follow I will publish more results from my own life, publish a frequently-asked-questions piece, publish pieces that have more to do with Alzheimer’s, neuropathy, asthma, lymphatic concerns, and much more.

I will do everything I can to let you know that good this Cardio Miracle has done for me with hopes that you will give it a try to see what kind of good it can do for you or for someone you love.

For help with Diabetes, CLICK HERE.

For help with Heart Disease of any kind, CLICK HERE.