His story

It was tragic, in 2010, to find out Fariborz had about 30% of his kidney function left. The cause, undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. It was a moment when our whole world changed.  He had grit. His positive attitude in the face of these circumstances was remarkable, but that just wasn't enough to survive on. 

He also started losing his color and general vision. The Stanford Eye Health Institute was able to use laser and injections to slow the vision loss with these treatments. Not all diabetics have such good results, many will eventually become blind. 

In 2012, he had to go onto dialysis. He crashed and was in the hospital for a week. They put a catheter in his neck and began treating the newly formed sores on his legs that were caused by severe swelling. 

Once home, he would not allow anyone to drive him to the dialysis clinic. It was something he tried to hide, his deep sadness. He would come home and be alone in the bedroom for hours. One day I had to ask him what was bothering him. He answered saying, " There are guys at dialysis that are younger than me, and I'm heartbroken to see them there". He was always concerned with how everyone was doing, and if he could help in any way. He was just that kind of guy. 

Then, we came across the information by Dr. John Mc Dougall on the internet. It was the gift of hope. He removed the plain yogurt and butter (saturated fats) and was excited to move forward to see what would happen by changing what he ate.  He was seeing a wonderful cardiologist in San Francisco, Ca. They would do lab work every 6 weeks or so because he had terrible metabolic numbers. His A1c was 9.3 and he was taking Glipizide twice daily and testing his sugars several times a day at home. The cholesterol was somewhere over 220, and the triglycerides were 400- very bad! The doctor said that he was going to add a cholesterol medication if the numbers did not improve. Well, the dietary change blew that all up in an amazing way. He was 100% compliant for the remaining 6 weeks before his next lab testing. In fact, when we got to his next appointment, they checked him in and stated that something went wrong with his lab work that he did a few days prior to the appointment, and they would be taking blood to do an in-office lab. It took all the creativity and energy that I could muster to get him to wait the additional 45 minutes so he could see the doctor and also have the lab work that they just ran. We got into the room and when the doctor entered, he asked Fariborz what he was doing. The doctor said WOW at least 5 times followed by " I cannot even get these numbers for my patients with medication". Here is what the beginning 6 weeks of that whole foods plant-based diet did- A1c 5.1(normal), cholesterol 180, (better and can go down more and did) and triglycerides 99(normal) but the biggest win was that he took Fariborz off of the Glipizide (diabetic medication) that day. The doctor also stated that if he was not already retiring that he would study this diet and its implications for his patients. Imagine a skilled cardiologist being completely gob smacked by the progress from a short 6-7 weeks. He said to keep doing what he was doing. We were so happy. Good news despite all the other issues. 

One evening we were going to watch a movie on television. I was getting some tea from the kitchen when I noticed he seemed to have fallen asleep. I came over to check on him, but he was not breathing. He had just had a massive heart attack. Immediately, I started CPR and mouth to mouth resuscitation then got 911 on my cell phone. The operator got the fire rescue on the way to our house. Then I continued while she kept reassuring me it would be alright to quickly get up and unlock the door for them. They arrived about five minutes later; thank God. They put the defibrillator patches on him and shocked him, but no heartbeat or breath. They continued working on him and packed him in ice in the ambulance for the trip to the hospital. After securing our pets, I made my way to the local emergency room. They were still working on him, about forty-five minutes now. Finally, Fariborz had this big seizure, and he was back.

He was taken to the ICU, but the news was terrible. He was in a coma now. They put him on a ventilator, and for three days, he was out. 

He finally woke up. He was disoriented, and very weak. The neurologist examined him, and the bad news just kept coming. Anoxic brain injury. The lack of enough oxygen to his brain. He was never the same man I knew just moments before his heart attack. 

He spent several weeks in hospital. He had an episode of delirium that lasted more than one week. The neurologist told me that he thought he would never be able to come home, and that he may have to live in an institution if he did not recover this time.

I actually saw this remarkable miracle happen. Just like waving your hand across your face, and he was back. He recognized me. How can anyone express such deeply mixed feelings? Being thankful was immensely humbling.

He finally came home, and we worked to get some normal back in our life.  You think things just cannot get any worse, but we were now facing a new situation.

His COBRA was now over, and the insurance broker for the Kidney Foundation had signed him up with several large known health insurance companies. Each one came back with a no. What now? Well, the California insurance pool. The monthly cost for him alone would be $1,000. a month, and a private drug coverage plan would be $350. a month! We could no longer afford everything we needed to just live. We started looking to other states to find alternatives.

We landed in Washington state, and they were starting Plan F, the affordable coverage for patients with critical issues, like his organ failure. You see The Affordable Care Act did not cover organ failure patients until 2017. It really did not insure everyone in 2013.

We were able to get on with our life. We put a down payment on a lovely fixer upper, and life was getting better.

Our next task was to find a state and hospital with a shorter transplant list. He did get listed at Stanford Medical Center, and the wait was estimated to be five to eight years. Just too long.

We went to Utah, and Nevada where the list is estimated to be from nine months to eighteen months. 

He also was working to complete the list of requirements for Swedish Hospital, Seattle.

Then it happened. He had gotten a crack in his heel. It was not what you may think as a life altering event, but for compromised people, it was the beginning of the end.

He was in the hospital again, in Bremerton. I got this call, and my heart sank. The doctor wanted to cut his leg off. He had gangrene in his foot, and there is really not much else you can do.

I was told about a vascular surgeon that might be able to save his leg. I called and immediately, she had him transferred to Swedish Hospital as her patient. He was there almost six weeks, many operations, bouts of mostly happy delirium, and terrible depression from the circumstances. This was our summer of 2014, and little did I know he would not live to see another year.

He spent most of the last six months in and out of hospitals, having procedures, being transported by ambulances, staying in several rest homes, and a week or two, here and there, being home.

He could no longer walk. He had become so weakened by everything. It was December, and he could come home on hospice. That day he just beamed happiness at the possibility to come home. 

We spent the next two weeks in deep conversation. He was pumping up my confidence, and I was terrified at the thought that he was going to die so soon. 

The most remarkable thing he spoke to me about was his concerns for other people. He did not want anyone else to suffer as he was suffering. He asked me to see what I could do to help make a difference. I assured him with my promise, "I will make a difference somehow, I promise you".

Fariborz passed away at 5 a.m. on December 21st, 2014.  He was just 58 years old. There was an unbidden peace in our home that morning. No more suffering. 

I miss the love of my life every day and would have done anything to save him. 

It took his life.

May the loss of his life be more than a death. May it be the catalyst for change.

WE CAN CHANGE THE FUTURE WITH YOUR HELP.

Please invest to educate our teachers, and college students with this nutritional scholarship opportunity. It will give them additional educational tools to help with the prevention type 2 diabetes.  

With sincere gratitude, 

Marie Youssefirad Founder/ CEO FYMHS.ORG 

SFSU Alumni, ACLM American College of Lifestyle Medicine member