Julia Schopick

I have created this website, HonestMedicine.com, in honor (and memory) of my late husband Tim Fisher, who has been my inspiration ever since we met over 25 years ago.

During much of our life together – from 1990 until his death in 2005 --Tim and I were to experience the medical system at both its technological best and its chaotic, uncaring worst.

Our medical odyssey began on September 15, 1990, with Tim’s first diagnosed grand mal seizure; two weeks later, he underwent brain surgery for a huge, cancerous tumor “the size of an orange.” This was soon followed by chemotherapy and radiation; and throughout the years, there were many complications -- seizures, stroke, more surgeries, etc. -- from these initial treatments.

Tim died by my side on November 8, 2005.

During those 15 years, most probably because we knew our life together would be shortened, Tim and I lived life fully and enjoyed some truly wonderful times -- interrupted, of course, by medical crises and lengthy hospitalizations.

Our odyssey through the medical system is what led me to my mission to change the way people interact with this system.

The day I realized that his doctors didn’t have all the answers was the day Tim and I started to work together to find treatments that might extend both the length and the quality of his life -–and by extension, our lives.

Fortunately for us, we both believed that several of the treatments we found lengthened Tim’s life by many years. (The truth is, he outlived his prognosis by at least 10 years!)

But the truth also is that, in far too many cases, his doctors (especially the specialists) were not at all open to the treatments we found. So, for much of the time, we were on our own.

Tim and I both came to believe that the medical profession (or “medical industry,” as we often referred to it) was in dire need of change. Naively, I vowed to be personally responsible for making some of these changes singlehandedly. In fact, one day, I confidently announced: “Before I die, I intend to change the medical system!!” To which Tim replied, with that wonderfully skeptical stare of his: “Jule, you know that’s ridicu. . .” Then, he paused, looking quite terrified, and said: “Knowing you, I think you may actually do it!”

I have long ago given up on the idea of changing the medical system. Frankly, I no longer think it’s possible. But many years after I made that confident (no, arrogant) statement, I still fervently believe I can help people by educating them and giving them confidence, so that they will be able to change themselves. If they become more knowledgeable, hopefully, they won’t need to use this flawed medical system so much; and when they do need to use it, they will be in a more educated, powerful position.

I have written a book--just published--also with the title "Honest Medicine." (Its subtitle is "Effective, Time-Tested, Inexpensive Treatments for Life-Threatening Diseases.") My book features four treatments, one of which saved Tim's life in 2002. The other three treatments have been used for many years to successfully treat serious conditions, including multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, pediatric epilepsy and liver disease. Yet, surprisingly, most conventional doctors prefer to use the more toxic, more expensive pharmaceuticals over the treatments I describe in "Honest Medicine." I hope that my book will go a long way toward changing that.

This is what I hope to accomplish with HonestMedicine.com, and with my book. Thanks very much for joining me!