We had an opportunity to sit down and talk with Robert Taylor, a former prostatitis sufferer, to hear about his journey to healing. This is Robert’s story.
“I suffered from prostatitis for probably the better part of two and a half years. I have to be honest with you, I would rather be stabbed again as a police officer in the line of duty than deal with prostatitis.”
Robert Taylor laughed at his own comment, amused that such an absurd statement could be the truth, but for Robert and many like him, this was the truth. Robert is a retired police officer and veteran of the military, and he had suffered with terrible pain from prostatitis for what felt like an eternity. He had also dealt with the hopelessness of being told that there was nothing that could be done.
On this day he sat down to tell his story to Grant and Kristie from MicroGenDX, to share with them how his suffering is now a thing of the past thanks to a physician who was willing to listen, utilize new technology, and also thanks to MicroGenDX.
“There’s nothing else we can do.”
“It’s a very unfortunate condition,” Robert continued. “I had seen four other physicians before my wife finally found Dr. Hlavinka. These four physicians used the traditional methodology in testing with urine analysis and I did blood work and everything, PSA levels were fine. These physicians put me on Ciprofloxacin (Cipro). It seemed to be their “go to” antibiotic and found it to be very ineffective.
“I literally had one of the leading urologists in San Antonio, look at me and say, “There’s nothing else we can do.” That, was very deflating.”
“When your pain threshold is between a seven or eight on a daily basis,” he explained, “it affects every aspect of your life. You can’t travel, you can’t go out. You’re constantly looking for a restroom.”
“For a moment I thought I was a wuss. Because, Okay, I’ve gone through all this extensive training. I’m supposed to be a tough guy, but I’m crying. Literally, physically crying because the pain is so intense.”
“Somebody has got to be able to do something. It was literally…I say this with some hesitancy but there’s also some legitimacy…. It hurts so bad. There was no quality of life. I was literally at the point of suicide.”
“[Dr. Hlavinka] actually took the time to listen.”
Robert’s journey out of the darkness of despair came when his wife began searching for help and discovered a physician who has embraced new methods of diagnostic technology that other physicians had yet to discover. “My wife got on the good-old world wide web,” Robert told us. “I believe she typed “best urologists in San Antonio” and Dr. Hlavinka’s name came up. From the first meeting with him, it was different. That’s why I say he’s one of my favorite people on the face of the Earth, because he actually took the time to listen.
“He, of course, was going through his traditional questions for me, “What did the previous physicians say? What kind of treatment plan did they have you on?” He approached me very clinically at first but at the same time, he kind of had this abstract mindset.”
Robert recounted the conversations he had with Dr. Hlavinka where he learned about MicroGenDX. “There’s this new technology that we’re working with,” Robert said, recalling what Dr. Hlavinka had told him. “It’s at a next generation DNA level of testing. We’re finding now, through this testing mechanism, that we’re finding multiple organisms that are the problem and not just a singular one. So you may be treating one with one antibiotic but that antibiotic has no positive outcome with the other.”
The technology sounded like something Robert was familiar with, due to his career as a police officer. He told us, “With the MicroGenDX when we first did it, having been in law enforcement for 25 years, I know what DNA does for us. I was like, “It only makes sense that it’s helping the medical community now.” These doctors kept telling me there was no pathogen in any of my specimens and, quite honestly, you start to question your sanity.
“I’m like, “Am I making this up? What’s wrong with me?” So when Dr. Hlavinka got the first test results from my MicroGenDX sample, and there was actually something there that was causing this problem, it was like I won the lottery! It was like there was this weight lifted off my shoulders, saying, “Hey, I’m not nuts. I’m not making this stuff up.”
“I think that’s a big part of a treatment plan,” he said, “is knowing that you’re not crazy. “There is something there. We now have a suspect. Let’s prosecute that suspect, for lack of a better law enforcement analogy.”
“It is a complete and total 180 from where I was.”
“When he was able to start to treat me with an antibiotic that worked,” described Robert, “my symptoms started to improve. “It is a complete and total 180 from where I was, and I attribute it to Dr. Hlavinka’s abstract mindset and the new tech with the MicroGenDX.”
“It took the right physician.”
Robert expressed his gratitude at having found a doctor who was willing to give this level of molecular diagnostics a try. “Dr. Hlavinka was it,” Robert said gratefully. “He found the right technology, he believes in it, and it helped. It really truly helped.”
“It’s been a journey…”
“It wasn’t overnight, but he also told me that it wasn’t going to, more than likely, happen overnight. With those expectations being set, within, I’d say, six to nine months, I was–Like I’m sitting now, I’m talking to you from my living room at a family home and 18 months ago, I wouldn’t have been able to do that. I would’ve had to have been just sitting on a heating pad, or walking around, or laying down.
Robert paused thoughtfully. “I have been stabbed in the line of duty as a police officer,” he said quietly. “And I would have much rather have that a thousand fold over than have the pain that I did from the prostatitis…” he continued, “because it’s in a very unique place and it’s very uncomfortable.”
“It’s been a journey but it was one that quite honestly if it wasn’t for MicroGenDX, I really don’t know where I would be. I really don’t.”
“I don’t think, saying something like “making a difference in someone’s life” is strong enough,” Robert replied. “I would say, “it SAVED a Life.”
“It’s a pleasure to share my story because it’s 100% true. I have no reason to use dramatic license, I have no reason to leave anything out or add anything. What I told you is legitimate, it’s what happened.” Robert added “If that’s not a testament to the technology,” he said, “I don’t know what the hell would be.”
“I’m going to tell you, Robert,” Grant said, “that’s why we do this everyday. We’re really excited to hear success stories.” Kristie closed by saying “I hate that you went through this and I hate that you had that kind of pain, but I’m really happy that we’re part of a laboratory test that makes a difference like this in peoples lives.”
To learn more, visit https://microgendx.com/
Hear what Dr. Timothy Hlavinka has to say here:
