142 Achieving pH Balance to Treat Specific Ailments
Staphylococcus bacteria in the soil where she was planting fl owers had
gotten into a joint in her fi nger, probably through a hangnail in the
cuticle, and meeting no resistance from her immune system, had mul-
tiplied so fast that were it not for the antibiotics it would have overrun
her entire body within an hour. Stephanie had no apparent aftereffects
other than a deformed fi nger.
In her late thirties Stephanie became pregnant for the third time.
During the second trimester of her pregnancy, her spleen, programmed
to fi lter parasites from the blood and get rid of worn-out red blood cells,
devoured the healthy red blood cells instead. Stephanie’s red blood cell
count fell drastically, her complexion turned a waxy yellow, and her
gums were gray.
Stephanie had become the victim of an autoimmune disorder. The
spleen, a fi st-sized organ located behind the stomach, is an incredibly
rich source of powerful immune cells called monocytes. The mono-
cytes are programmed to fi lter dead red blood cells from the blood,
along with other debris. Stephanie’s monocytes were acting in reverse,
destroying her healthy red blood cells (the spleen’s monocytes also heal
damaged hearts and other injured tissues). When cortisone injections
failed to stop the irrational behavior of the monocytes, the surgeon in
residence removed her spleen. The next instant Stephanie’s face and
gums turned a healthy pink. Four months after her operation, she
delivered a healthy, full-term baby.
The removal of the spleen would seem to have put an end to Stepha-
nie’s autoimmune disorder, but at the age of fi fty, her immune cells
were once again attacking her body. She had developed rheumatoid
arthritis. The arthritis started with the swelling of the joints of her
fi ngers in both hands; the pain and swelling gradually extended to her
wrists and then to her back. An MRI showed that the cartilage between
three of her vertebrae had worn away. The pain she felt when she laid
down was caused by nerves that were pinched by the vertebrae rubbing
against each other. Stephanie underwent an operation to have the ver-
tebrae fused. The operation relieved the pain somewhat, but she still
had to wear a brace in bed to prevent severe back pain.
Medical scientists blame autoimmune reactions on overactive
immune cells. Stephanie’s staph infections, however, would seem to
indicate that, at least in her younger years, her immune system was