FIVE YEARS FLOXED: TALIA’S HEALTH JOURNEY, RECOVERY, AND RESILIENCE

Added: 2026-05-05

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[00:01:16]Hello everybody. Welcome to This is Floxed on the USA Global TV and Radio Network. This is Floxed is dedicated to raising awareness for fluoroquinolone toxicity syndrome, which is also known as being floxed, which means that a person is experiencing the adverse effects of a fluoroquinolone antibiotic like Cipro or levofloxacin and many others. For those that don't know me, my name is Talia Smith. And this month is my 5-year floxiversary.

[00:01:45]In 2021, I took three pills of a fluoroquinolone antibiotic called ciprofloxacin. My adverse reaction was so severe and my decline was so rapid.

[00:01:56]And after a life of being fit and healthy, I ended up becoming a frequent flyer in the Western medical system pretty much overnight. And instead of getting the help I needed, I was gaslit, treated like I was less than human, and like I was crazy when I have an actual physical illness. 5 months later, I was admitted to hospice weighing only 60 lb.

[00:02:19]Yes, 6 0. It is truly a miracle that I am still here to tell my story. And while I'm no longer on hospice, I am still bed-bound, on palliative care, and need 24/7 care for my survival.

[00:02:33]I'm super floxed, and I'm still telling you all that there is hope that we can get better. I might not be where I want to be, and I still have so far to go, but I'm also not on hospice. I've said it so many times, it's not just the person that gets floxed, it's not just the person's suffering that gets floxed, it's the whole family that gets floxed as well. So today, my special guests will be those that have known me, have taken care of me, and have experienced at least part of my journey with me.

[00:03:03]They will tell my story through their eyes and their experiences, what happened to me, how have things changed, and how it's affected them as well as me.

[00:03:13]So, to kick off the show, I'll welcome my first guest, Ryan McGill.

[00:03:21]Hey Talia. Hi Ryan.

[00:03:23]Good to see you.

[00:03:23]>> So, Ryan is a pilot, veteran, realtor, and pretty much a jack-of-all-trades.

[00:03:32]>> [laughter] >> Um Ryan is like a brother to me and my husband. He was there during my husband's accident and when I got sick. So, my first question to you, Ryan, is can you explain what I was like before and after I got floxed, and how my subsequent absence from the real world has affected my loved ones, including yourself?

[00:03:55]Talia before, Talia after. So, uh Talia, I knew I met Talia um when Tim was first dating her.

[00:04:06]Uh she was she is still. Sorry, I'll say that, but at that point, she was full of life.

[00:04:16]Um was like a kangaroo jumping everywhere. And I mean, she was she was everywhere. And we would go I remember a little story about when I uh first met her, we were all at a uh at a club together and having a good time.

[00:04:32]And Talia had a uh we used to call her Tequila Talia. She she drank She'd have her tequila and she was just full of energy. And uh one night, we're out there, I'm on the I'm kind of on the dance floor, I believe, and out of uh the air comes Talia jumping from a a bench or a uh a knee-high wall and jumps from the bench onto my back. Like a spider monkey. And I and just with her uh her her laugh was so uh What would say What's the word I'm looking for? It It just made you want to laugh. And so I she jumped on, she's laughing, we're having a good time. That was Talia. The life of the party. She was I mean, a exact replica of uh Lady Gaga during Halloweens. I mean, that was her.

[00:05:31]She She'd put on the tattoos.

[00:05:33]Uh she had the exact tattoos where they needed to be and everything.

[00:05:38]Talia, that was Talia. She was always there. She was always kind, always looking to support everyone else. Her parents, her grandparents, Tim, me.

[00:05:49]She was She's amazing cook. She made these wonderful uh uh Oreo cookies that she spent years uh making, but they're uh perfecting, but they're about this big with like that much cream.

[00:06:05]So, she was an amazing uh baker.

[00:06:09]Um and then she got sick.

[00:06:14]She Well, let me take it one more step back cuz there's more to it. She was brilliant at her job and what she did.

[00:06:19]So, she she worked with computer applications and were some type of budgeting system that only uh few people in the in the world uh or in the country uh worked with.

[00:06:31]Uh that including the federal government. So, she was the go-to person for this uh this system.

[00:06:37]So, she's brilliant baker, amazing person, fun, full of energy.

[00:06:44]Um extremely smart. You can tell she's uh what by what she has done since being sick.

[00:06:51]Um and motivated.

[00:06:54]Talia then gets sick, and it was it it was unimaginable. I couldn't not I when I came to visit and I saw her, cuz I you know, you don't know until you see uh the actual effects. And when I saw her at 60 lb, she was bone. Skin and bone, that was it.

[00:07:15]Um little story I mean, in in in that and I was sitting [snorts] there with her um and even a sneeze would affect her. And I ended up sneezing loud, and I just got at that point I It was a side eye. Uh she couldn't do anything else, but I could tell it was it was painful and she and she wouldn't be uh she wasn't able to handle it.

[00:07:42]So, that was where it went from from being the spider monkey to 60 lb.

[00:07:49]Now, after uh as I've seen her progress, it's been it's been amazing I mean, it's been an amazing change, transformation from 60 lb to what she is now, and I know it's not even uh it doesn't probably seem like a lot to her, but from my perspective where I saw her, um it's a huge transformation.

[00:08:12]So, it kind of went on uh a little bit, but is there what else do you think, Talia, should should I add to that?

[00:08:18]I think that's good.

[00:08:19]>> [laughter] >> I didn't know I was going to tell my spider monkey story.

[00:08:24]Okay, spider monkey.

[00:08:26]That's me, though. That's me.

[00:08:29]You You just referenced something that said, you know, I was skin and bones, but really just bones. So, um the other thing that you had the unfortunate experience to do was go to the funeral home for the planning of my funeral. So, with Tim. So, what was that experience like for you? I mean, like you said, I'm jumping from the ceiling one moment, and then all of a sudden, you're at the funeral home.

[00:08:58]That was That was unmanageable uh that was unmanageable. Having to sit there with Tim, even with your your dad, and uh picking caskets and looking at the plot.

[00:09:14]And and having to make those choices, well, they're they're more your choices, but going through it and and having to go just go through the process of doing that was uh was heart-wrenching.

[00:09:30]And I couldn't I I remember sitting there saying, "This is this can't be right."

[00:09:39]What What do we This is no.

[00:09:41]I And I I got little I I remember saying, "No, this is not good. We're not going to do this." And we even You even had your Talia being Talia, she loves everything shiny and blingy.

[00:09:55]She's like she picked out her her the dress that she was going to wear that she wanted to be buried in and she said she told Tim and I she's like, "You're going to bury me in those Jimmy Choos."

[00:10:10]And I I remember being like No, this is not going to No.

[00:10:17]Uh you're going to wear those.

[00:10:19]You're going to You're wearing those for many years.

[00:10:22]You're going to wear that dress up many years.

[00:10:25]I remember saying that. And uh it's you know, and then you had you had a lot your discussions with Tim and and I think I don't know where the the change was, but you you you know, you decided you somewhere after that like no, you know, I'm going to I'm going to fight this and you did.

[00:10:44]But it was I can tell you it was one of the hardest things to watch Tim and to watch your dad and even cuz I I had no no say in it. I just there to support, but it was uh it was bad. It was really bad.

[00:10:59]Yeah. Yeah. It It was for me, too. I was trying to make things easier when the end came.

[00:11:09]But yeah.

[00:11:11]Well, I haven't worn those Jimmy Choos yet. My only pair of Jimmy Choos, fancy shoes.

[00:11:18]Uh so, maybe some New Years I'll be wearing them and I'll stick my legs up and take a picture when that happens.

[00:11:26]So, um before I move on to Erica, the moral I'll come back to you after is that you know, you are so close to me and Tim. You know that one of my biggest fears was something happening to me so that I couldn't care for Tim. Obviously, I didn't think this would happen.

[00:11:45]But you're always someone you're just like born that way, I guess, that finds a positive in everything with your love of abundance. You You know what I'm talking about. Right. So, being that way and seeing like Tim's accident and mine, it's like do you see anything positive from this situation? Like what spin can you put on that, you know?

[00:12:06]>> Well, you're here.

[00:12:08]And what I can say, right? We We had the conversation the other day is that uh you know, I don't know there's a lot of things I don't know that I don't truly trust and believe. However, I do know that there is I'm starting to believe there's no coincidences.

[00:12:32]And you being here, you being the person like we you had said, you being the person that is leading the charge to in inform everyone about flox fluoroquinolone toxicity flox is it's got to be uh what your mission is now.

[00:13:02]So, the positive thing I think I can share is that you're alive.

[00:13:07]You're sharing your story.

[00:13:09]>> [snorts] >> That every uh every day, you know, may it maybe it's not seeming that way that you're you're you're progressing in some way.

[00:13:22]It shoots you're you've become an expert uh >> Yeah.

[00:13:27]at at this. I think you're more of an expert than any of the doctors uh many doctors that you you've encountered.

[00:13:34]So, the positive thing I I I can spin on this, you know, and put on this is that you're the voice.

[00:13:41]Uh you're the inspiration. You're the motivation behind hopefully changing uh well, you have changed, but continuing to change how medicine and medical uh practices is done with people.

[00:13:59]And and concerning Cipro and all that crap.

[00:14:03]I know. Crap it is.

[00:14:05]Thank you, my friend. I love you. I love you, too. I'll be back in a few minutes to ask you another question. All right.

[00:14:13]So, with that I want to bring on my second guest, my former aide Erica Silvestri, who started out as a caregiver for my husband and then ended up taking care of me. So, welcome, Erica.

[00:14:27]Hi, Talia. Thank you.

[00:14:30]So, you were there for me during my absolute worst.

[00:14:37]And nobody other than my husband saw me closer to the end than you.

[00:14:42]Can you describe the pain I was in? It's very hard to for me to describe it and how it made you feel especially when sometimes nothing you could do could ease my pain. We had just such horrible times. So, can you explain how you know, that made you feel in the experience? Yeah. Yes. Um I mean it it obviously seeing you in pain was hard for all of us it um it broke my heart especially since like Ryan was saying before this all happened, you were this like force of nature, this force of energy and um to see you stopped in your tracks like that was really um hard, life-altering, you know, for all of us. Um And you know, you were always going out and going to concerts and cooking for us and making the best the best cookies for all of us and seeing you weighing 60 lb and needing help with literally everything was just um Yeah, I mean it it just makes me feel so emotional thinking about it. Um It was really hard and um you know, there was a long period of time where even just a a sound or somebody bumping the bed or touching your skin um was so painful for you and it really changed the way that we lived, the way that we were in the house and the house used to be so full of like hustle and bustle and music and cooking and talking and sharing and eating and you know, just all of this energy and love and it it sort of halted everything and and put a big pause button on it and we had to change the way we moved in the house and change the way we opened doors and and change the way that we took care of you and and even the way that we love you had to change. Um because we couldn't touch you and couldn't hold your hand or hug you.

[00:17:03]Um So, I think that we learned other ways how to be there for you and how to be there with you and to be present with what was happening and a lot of times what that turned into was just us sitting together.

[00:17:20]Um Not even talking most of the time at the hardest parts and the the worst moments.

[00:17:27]Um >> [clears throat] >> I think it just became more about being near you and letting you know that we were here. And we weren't going anywhere no matter what was happening that we were here with you for all of it.

[00:17:48]It was quieter, but we were all you know, it was so much love.

[00:17:53]It was just a lot quieter.

[00:17:57]I felt it, though. Just so you know, I felt everybody's love even in the moments when I couldn't speak.

[00:18:03]>> [snorts] >> I'm glad.

[00:18:06]And I try to tell the story about, you know, like not the story, but the reality of being floxed and it's something I don't talk about a lot in my journey, but sitting in my bed with sunglasses on. Do you remember?

[00:18:20]>> Yeah.

[00:18:21]Sunglasses on with the lights off and nobody being able to make any noise.

[00:18:25]It's a horrific way to live, absolutely horrific. And there are thousands, millions of people sitting in bed with sunglasses on not able to make any noise and that could be from being floxed or ME/CFS or whatever it is. It's just it's I just never thought I would experience anything like this.

[00:18:46]Um I also wanted to ask you because you said I was doing so good.

[00:18:52]>> [laughter] >> Um you said every day when you came to work like again, you saw the worst of the worst. Yeah. You were so scared because you didn't know if I was going to be alive when you showed up. So, can you talk a little bit about that cuz I didn't know if I was going to be alive the next day, either. Yeah. [snorts] Um that was really scary.

[00:19:15]>> [snorts] >> You know, I wanted to just stay here 20 >> [laughter] >> 24/7 with you. Um because my I guess my worst fear in this was that you'd be alone if that happened and I didn't want you to be alone for that.

[00:19:30]>> [snorts] >> For any of it.

[00:19:32]Um you know, I definitely as I would get closer to your house, I would get more sort of just that feeling of nervousness in my chest and wondering, you know, am I going to come to say good morning to you today and see what you need. Are you actually going to be here? Are you going to be breathing, you know, and and also because at the beginning before I started sleeping here, before anybody started sleeping here, it was >> [snorts] >> you and Tim at night. And um he couldn't get out of bed to help you either and that was um that was really hard to to see and I can't imagine what that felt like for either one of you. Um >> [snorts] >> But again, I think it all came back to just knowing that how I got through it was just I'm just going to be here no matter what unfolds right now and um >> [snorts] >> I just I just wanted you to know that you weren't doing this alone by yourself. That um no matter what was happening, no matter how horrible it was, no matter what happened, that you know, there were several of us here that were just ready to hold that space for you and to hold you through whatever unfolded.

[00:21:01]>> [snorts] [snorts] >> You, similarly to Ryan, have a very positive outlook on life, but one of the things you do is you always seem to be like, whether you're looking for it or you just find deeper meaning in things.

[00:21:22]What do you think the deeper meaning is in all of this, in your opinion?

[00:21:30]I don't know. I think um I think it's hard because I think sometimes as humans we try to hyper analyze that and try to find the beauty immediately in things and try to find the positive spin and and while I do believe that eventually that you'll be able to see those positive pieces sometimes and there are clearly positive things happening like you are changing the way that the medical world addresses fluoroquinolone toxicity and how um the insurance companies work and how people can now have a code. I forget what it's called, the the code that >> ICD-10.

[00:22:16]>> ICD-10 code. Um That's huge. That's a a amazing, beautiful, positive thing that's come out of this, but you know, I think that we try to look for why did this happen or did I do something that made this happen or, you know, is this just bad luck, etc. All these things and you know, we try to make sense of it and we ask all those questions and I don't know that there are you know, necessarily answers to that and I I think that it's brought all of us um and I see it with you too. It's it's sort of brought everybody to a place of having to have a lot of intention around who we are, what we're doing, how we are being in the world, how we're being with each other, how we're being with you. Um so I think that >> [snorts] >> it's shown all of us a lot of in- intention and how to stop, how to get off the get out of the race, step out of the race a little bit and be quiet and be present Yeah. to what's going on, what's happening and and what we need and um you know, and and what each other needs and how we can support each other.

[00:23:37]Yeah.

[00:23:38]Yeah. Well, thank you, my friend. You're welcome.

[00:23:41]>> Um I'll be back. Okay. Love you.

[00:23:43]>> Love you. Want to move on to Carla now if she's available.

[00:23:50]Hey, Carla. Hold on, I lost connection again.

[00:24:04]So, I'll have to go back to Carla, I guess.

[00:24:09]Um Sorry.

[00:24:11]Technical difficulties. Can you hear me?

[00:24:14]I can again. Yes. Hallelujah! So, Carla, It keeps going out. Yeah. My friend from almost my entire life and she's also a registered nurse in the Western medical system. So, can you briefly, I know people have been hearing it already, so can you briefly explain what I was like in bef- before and after Cipro?

[00:24:39]You were full of life.

[00:24:43]Always full of life. Always the strongest person I've known. I think I've told you that a hundred times.

[00:24:48]You're the strongest person I've known even before floxed.

[00:24:52]Um you were the kind of person that always showed up for everyone.

[00:24:57]You had so much energy. Your spark was physically and mentally.

[00:25:02]You were just always there for everyone.

[00:25:06]Whether it was your friends, your family, you took care of your grandparents.

[00:25:11]I know they your world.

[00:25:16]Yeah. And you also taking care of other family members. You always made sure they were taken care of, they had food. Whether you were taking care of somebody else, you were always making sure the other person was taken care of. Um just throwing up being little, getting ready every weekend for roller skating. I remember you get ready at you would be the first one to get ready at 11:00 in the morning even though it wasn't till 7:00 at night to go roller skating.

[00:25:49]Your eyebrows, you had to get your eyebrows perfect.

[00:25:53]>> [laughter] >> We've come a long way from that, haven't we?

[00:25:58]Yeah.

[00:26:00]>> [laughter] >> And then going wrestling, and you would always dress up for wrestling.

[00:26:04]>> Wrestling.

[00:26:05]Yeah. Um Monday night wrestling is at your dad's house.

[00:26:10]We'd always leave What was it? The yellow popsicles that everyone hated?

[00:26:13]>> [laughter] >> Yeah.

[00:26:15]Yeah. Poor dad. He gets stuck with them cuz nobody wanted them.

[00:26:20]>> [laughter] >> Um And you can't forget your Halloween parties that you threw. Everyone loved your Halloween parties.

[00:26:27]Yeah, my parties generally Yeah. Between the decorations, your costume, always like the best.

[00:26:36]Yeah.

[00:26:37]>> [snorts] >> So, what did you think, I mean, you're a nurse. This is like your world. What did you think when I got sick? Like and have you ever seen anything like so crazy?

[00:26:49]When I heard you were floxed, I'm like, floxed? I had no idea what floxed meant.

[00:26:56]Um I looked it up.

[00:27:02]I was horrified seeing you go through what you were going through.

[00:27:07]Um I never knew of the black box warning.

[00:27:14]I never knew what people were going through or what you were going through.

[00:27:18]No, I cannot say as a nurse I ever knew about this.

[00:27:23]I'm not saying for other nurses, but for me, I never heard of this or even seen anything of of it. Mhm.

[00:27:33]Well, now if you ever see it again, you know.

[00:27:35]>> [laughter] >> You know, oh god, this person's floxed.

[00:27:39]And Yeah.

[00:27:40]This has been quite the experience. Like you know, you said I've been there for everybody and you know, like my my grandmother always used to say like what you give to the world is what you get back and I found that isn't always the case, but I have been lucky enough to have a small group of people. Obviously, you all are here today. You, Ryan, Erica and there are others that aren't on this call that actually stood by me the whole five years. Not the first month or two, like like all the way through. So, and I I can't thank you guys enough for that, but seeing all of this happen in the change, I mean, you've helped me with everything. Moving into my apartment, packing. Like this girl, like I cannot tell you has been there like whatever you need, she will drop it and be there for me to help me. Like is is there anything you learned from all this about yourself, about whatever? How did this change you, this experience?

[00:28:48]Definitely wasn't eye-opening.

[00:28:50]You know, but we're like the same age. We were together practically our whole lives.

[00:28:55]Like known each other. Um you know, going to your house and, you know, you're having me pack your clothes and doing stuff like that and you're wondering if you should just give them away or sell them and I'm just like, no, you're going to fit back into them. It It It was It was Being upstairs alone, packing your clothes was the hardest thing I probably had to do.

[00:29:18]But I would pray and I'm like, no, this isn't She's going to pull through this.

[00:29:24]Everything like that.

[00:29:26]Um I've learned don't take life for granted. This could happen to anyone.

[00:29:32]Look how healthy you were. You're going to the gym. You're eating good. You know, you're taking care of your husband.

[00:29:39]Everything and then look what just three pills.

[00:29:43]Something simple. Just And now what?

[00:29:50]It's hard to put into words, I know. It is. It's like my life literally literally changed overnight.

[00:29:57]I would drive to by Lasalette everyday.

[00:29:59]I don't know if Lasalette's a shrine or a Catholic shrine church type deal for the most that don't know, but I would drive by there everyday and say that little prayer every time I drive by for you when you're on hospice like no, this can't be.

[00:30:14]Like why? Why? Like I'd ask God why out of all people Tahlia's been there for everyone. She's she's an angel.

[00:30:24]What how can you do this? And I just pray that you'd pull through and he heard he heard my prayers.

[00:30:31]Yeah, he heard all of your prayers. All the people that were praying for me and thank you for everything, my dear. And uh I'm going to go to my next part, but I'll be >> Oh, I know that. I know that without a doubt. I'm going to go to my next part, but I'll be back. Get ready to answer again.

[00:30:51]So I usually end every episode with a message of hope.

[00:30:56]But for this episode, I'm going to ask each of my guest and Dr. Jacqueline at the end to say one thing in closing that you want the viewers to know, whether it's a message of hope or not. Like whatever is on your mind about this situation and this journey. So I'm going to go to Ryan first.

[00:31:21]So what I would say and what I'm practicing everyday, it's not always easy is find joy in the present.

[00:31:33]The moment this moment.

[00:31:35]Take a moment. For me, I take a moment to just listen to the birds chirp and be to be grateful that uh I have this moment.

[00:31:46]Whatever that may be.

[00:31:48]Cuz to to 10 seconds, 2 seconds it's not uh you know, that something can change.

[00:31:56]So what I all I have to say right now and I'm it's it's been a constant practice more recently for me is having gratitude and being finding the joy in the moments.

[00:32:05]So I could say the joy in the moment is seeing uh you Tahlia beautiful face.

[00:32:11]Uh I love you very much. And just yeah, that's that's what I got to say.

[00:32:17]Thank you. You're welcome. Ryan and What is what is the saying? Uh the Korean saying? You remember? Oh, no. Damn it.

[00:32:26]Well, we'll we'll figure it out. Did he say yo or something? Yeah, him they say yo. Yeah. Him they say yo.

[00:32:33]And you know, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being here.

[00:32:36]Everything you've done for Tim and for me. We just love you so much.

[00:32:42]You got it, pal. I love you.

[00:32:44]Love you too, Tim.

[00:32:45]>> [laughter] >> And Erica you're next.

[00:32:51]Um You know, [snorts] the tears I've shed with you, you could fill buckets. I could fill buckets.

[00:32:58]Same.

[00:33:00]Same.

[00:33:01]Um even when I'm not with you.

[00:33:04]Yeah.

[00:33:05]>> [snorts] >> Um you know, I think that as your friend and as a a caregiver and as your caregiver, um I just my hope for everyone is always that we feel safe enough to to talk, to share, to um you know, to to speak what we need to to speak and say what we need to say and know that there's someone else out in the world that is going to hear that and you're doing that right now and that's such a beautiful gift that you're giving to the world right now even in the midst of all of this chaos that you're going through and this pain. Um you know, you are bringing that message of hope to everyone and I always hope that everyone knows that they're never alone and um and I think that's that's what you're doing too and I'm I'm watching that in action with you.

[00:34:03]Yeah. Yeah.

[00:34:05]Yeah, definitely. So thank you as well for everything you did. Yeah. All the sleepless nights and the crying and the pain like you couldn't even believe it's real unless you experienced it and you have, so >> It's true. thank you for everything and for still being here all these years later.

[00:34:25]I love you.

[00:34:29]Carla [snorts] I'm back. [laughter] Back. So what do you want to share?

[00:34:35]Anything? One thing.

[00:34:36]>> I'm sorry about my dog.

[00:34:37]Um just remember you're still the same person down to the core. You're still that strong, resilient, fighting through something incredibly difficult.

[00:34:46]Whether you're a healthcare provider a family member, a friend, don't be quick to dismiss someone just because their experience isn't what you expected. What they are feeling is real to them and that matters.

[00:35:00]Just keep advocating for yourselves.

[00:35:03]Tahlia, you're doing a great job advocating. I'm sorry this is how it has to be.

[00:35:08]But look at you. You're spreading the word.

[00:35:12]You've come a long way. You've come a long way in the five years. Just look at the pictures.

[00:35:17]>> [laughter] >> I know. I know.

[00:35:20]I just often say like I wish I didn't have to suffer so much to do it, but I I don't think we'll ever find those answers.

[00:35:29]I know.

[00:35:31]Thank you.

[00:35:31]>> You're just the most beautiful friend I've ever had.

[00:35:34]Me, too. From this big to now. Um I love you so much. Thank you for everything. I love you so much.

[00:35:43]And now if Dr. Jacqueline could come out, you know, I I say that you know Dr. Jacqueline's always going to be a part of my story. 50 years from now like whatever. She saw something in me that I couldn't even see and put a little more spark underneath me and I will always be thankful for that and for this opportunity and for her genuine care of me, not just because I'm a host on her network. So Dr. Jacqueline, your turn.

[00:36:18]Wow, what a show filled with love. It's unbelievable. Thank you, Tahlia, for having me. It's very emotional. And I have to say before I met you I had no idea about Cipro and what the side effects could be. My own family members had taken Cipro for many years and had a lot of health issues. My dad who's not here anymore and I kind of think now I you know, wonder what the impact was of that. I had never heard of fluoroquinolone toxicity before and I had no idea that people would go to see a medical doctor and be completely disregarded because they thought they had mental problems when they had real physical problems that they they didn't want to actually look into and and treat people like humans. So the knowledge information that you have given to me and to our network is is unbelievable.

[00:37:13]And I want to thank Julianne Mihia for introducing us and I don't remember how the two of you met, but I know when you did your interview I saw something in you and I thought this woman is unbelievable. Like you have this passion and this energy. And so when you first started on our network, I was just in awe of the fact that you were doing your show from your hospital bed. I mean, it was just I'm in a full studio with lights and everything else, makeup. Like I can hardly get it together. I don't know how you were able to get it together. And so you kept showing up week after week, month after month, whatever the case was. Then we had personal conversations as well and I thought you are like this bright light amongst all this darkness and I think you were chosen as as I know you don't want to hear that, but it's like you were chosen to break through these barriers that are impacting people all over the world. And then the guests that you've had and the stories that they've shared. And when I actually was producing, sometimes like behind the scenes, I'm like sobbing thinking like I got to get it together. I hope I don't hit the wrong And I thought you know what, it's not about me. It's about the fact that you, Tahlia, have given people a place to share their story. And so in addition to all this, all the posting that you do, all of the work that you've done to advocate for you're not sitting there going oh, woe is me. Oh, woe is me. I'm not going to do anything. I'm just going to feel sorry for myself. And I really admire that. And I said to you, can I come and meet you? You could have said absolutely not. Like I don't want to let you into my inner sphere. But you said yes. And so Julianne and I came to meet you and I'll never forget. I was really excited and I was also nervous because I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable, but I just wanted to give you a hug. And so I think you are one of the strongest people I've ever met and I see you on stages giving keynote speeches.

[00:39:24]That's where I see you. I see you with a book. I see you doing everything that you and I have talked about because you have that drive and I know that you will be in those cheeky shoes shoes shoes again. Maybe not being Spider-Woman jumping. I don't know, but I'd love to be there if you are and I'd love to go dancing with you in your Jimmy Choos.

[00:39:45]So, I think you have turned a major corner from when I met you last summer.

[00:39:51]I see a huge improvement in you. So, I want you to keep believing in yourself because there's so many of us who do believe in you and you are taking fluoroquinolone toxicity from something that was obscure and unknown and not talked about and it's on the front page just like your People magazine article and the other places where you've been.

[00:40:11]So, I love you. I appreciate you and I'm always here to support you whether you're on this network or you're not. I see you as the woman you are.

[00:40:19]Thank you, Dr. Jaclyn for everything. I love you, too.

[00:40:23]I love you, too.

[00:40:26]>> [snorts] >> So, I'm going to do my close out, but before I do that, I just want to say, you know, something that my caregiver Erica brought up was saying that, you know, the life with the house was so full of life and everything and then it just stopped. And for all of you that your life has just stopped remember me and my story and don't let it stop there. Keep going and don't give up because you never know where your story is going to go.

[00:41:01]So, I do have to do a little spurt about fluoroquinolones. I can't live with myself if I don't say this. So, fluoroquinolones, what everybody needs to know about them. There are many brands of fluoroquinolone antibiotics.

[00:41:16]Ciprofloxacin is just the one I took.

[00:41:19]So, just don't think because it doesn't say Cipro that you're safe. There are other fluoroquinolones you need to be aware of. You can develop fluoroquinolone toxicity from any form of fluoroquinolones. That's pills, injectables, eye drops, ear drops um IVs, too.

[00:41:39]>> [clears throat] >> And as reported by the FDA, this class of antibiotics has the most adverse reactions of any drug on the market and as a result so many black box warnings have been issued since 2008. The most severe warning was issued in 2016 stating that fluoroquinolone antibiotics should not should be used as last resort only when no other treatment options are available due to permanent and disabling side effects. So, if you are a patient and you are prescribed a fluoroquinolone antibiotic not as last resort, your prescriber is doing you a huge disservice and you need to ask for an alternative if there is one.

[00:42:25]I share my story not to scare people, but to make you aware of the dangerous nature of this class of antibiotics and to let you know you have a choice and you have the power in any medical treatment that you receive like asking for an alternative. You have that right.

[00:42:43]I hope you will remember me and my story and that in turn will mean that you will never have to have a floxiversary like me.

[00:42:53]Before I end I want to give my thank yous.

[00:42:57]>> [snorts] >> So, thank you to all of my guests for being here today. I love you guys so much and I'm sure you everyone has seen that love.

[00:43:05]Thank you to Dr. Jaclyn Ker- Jac- Dr. Jaclyn Kerbec who saw something in me and made the show possible.

[00:43:13]Thank you to my husband who's literally my ride or die.

[00:43:17]My additional thank yous. My stepchildren and to those family members who are still with me 5 years later.

[00:43:25]To the company that I used to work for that tried to hold on to me for as long as they could and they still check in on me to this day.

[00:43:34]To my brother-in-law who cooks my five foods every week that keeps me alive.

[00:43:40]To the man on Reddit to the man on Reddit. I wish I could say your name, but I can't >> [snorts] >> who helped my husband save my life with mast cell medications.

[00:43:53]>> [snorts] >> You really turned things around for me.

[00:43:58]To my caregivers past and present who are with me 24/7. I literally wouldn't be here without you.

[00:44:05]To my [snorts] hospice and palliative care team to the handful of alternative medicine doctors who cared, who listened to me, and who had a hand in saving my life.

[00:44:16]And last but not least thank you to my flox community and for lack of a better word, the chronic illness community >> [snorts] >> and my social media family who has supported me since day one. I am truly grateful for all of you. Thank you.

[00:44:34]And I don't know if we have any time, Dr. Jaclyn, um or if we just want to cut it off from there. Um that's entirely up to you, but I am so grateful to still be alive and tell my story and I want everyone going through the same thing to know you're not alone.

[00:44:52]I'm here. There's a whole community even if your friends and family don't understand you, there are people that will even if you have one person, it makes a difference. It don't give up.

[00:45:05]Please.

[00:45:06]Thank you.

[00:45:10]My tummy hurts by Dr. Jaclyn Kerbec.

[00:45:13]Meet [music] Jackie. She loves recess, running with friends, and laughing on the playground. At school, Jackie tries to play like she always does, but suddenly the pain comes back.

[00:45:26]Lately something feels different and her tummy hurts sometimes a little and sometimes a lot.

[00:45:32]With the help of a caring teacher, a nurse, her mom, and a kind doctor, Jackie [music] begins to understand what her body is trying to tell her.

[00:45:40]Sometimes tummy pain is more than a simple belly ache.

[00:45:44]Some children live with conditions like ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.

[00:45:49]Jackie listens to her body. She asks for help. She knows she's not alone.

[00:45:56]And Jackie finds her way back to running, laughing, and being herself.

[00:46:01]My tummy hurts, a kid's guide to belly aches and bathroom troubles by Dr. Jaclyn Kerbec, available on Amazon and in fine bookstores around the world.

[00:46:11]Thank you, [music] viewers and listeners of USA Global TV and Radio for joining us today. We're honored to have your time [music] and attention as part of our global community. At USA Global TV and Radio, we believe [music] in the power of authentic conversations, meaningful connections, and creating a world of possibilities together. Want to be part of something bigger? Join our team of elevated listeners at usaglobaltv.com, [music] a space where your voice matters and your ability to listen transforms relationships. Stay connected with us across all our platforms for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and empowering [music] stories. Subscribe to our channels at youtube.com/c/usaglobaltv.

[00:46:58][music] Follow us on social media and explore the endless opportunities we're creating for growth, learning, [music] and inspiration. Together, we're not just broadcasting, we're building bridges and changing lives one conversation [music] at a time. For inquiries, contact us at [email protected].

[00:47:22]Produced by executive producer and director [music] Dr. Jaclyn Kerbec. Voiceover by Mike Porter. Creative direction by Paul Garcia. All rights reserved. Visit [music] our full terms and conditions.