David's Story

In 1975, I began my medical practice. My patients were people dealing with chronic diseases and life-threatening illnesses. My work focused on helping these people find inner resources and methods that would support them in their healing processes and live their daily lives in more joyful and fulfilling ways.

From the beginning of my practice I used biofeedback, guided imagery, meditation, and insight training to give my patients tools that empowered them and encouraged their own intuition and inner wisdom.

Time and time again my patients taught me that living one's heartfelt dreams is vitally important to well-being. Joseph Campbell's statement that we should "follow our bliss" became a central philosophy in my practice and my life.

Late in the 1970s, I began experiencing vague symptoms of poor balance and loss of coordination. By 1980, I had developed a weakness in my left leg, which for many months I rationalized away as being insignificant. Finally, at the urging of friends, I saw a doctor. After many tests and an examination by a neurologist, I was told that I had multiple sclerosis. The form of multiple sclerosis with which I was diagnosed would lead to my symptoms gradually worsening over time, until I died in a few years. I went to two other neurologists. They both agreed that I was dealing with multiple sclerosis.

A profoundly important period of my life was under way. My symptoms did worsen. I developed neurological pain, became easily fatigued, began having difficulty with bladder and bowel function. Eventually my breathing became affected and I had difficulty swallowing.

By the mid 1980s, my symptoms were so severe that I had to stop working. This required me to look at my life and who I thought I was. If I could no longer do anything, what value did I have? How was I going to live my life in a way that was meaningful and joyful?

I moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1985, and began pursuing many types of alternative and holistic treatments. My symptoms continued to worsen. In 1996, during a time of intense inner inspection, prayer, and meditation, I came to believe that if I cured my body but did not heal my heart and soul, I would still be an unhappy person. But if I healed my heart and soul, regardless of whether I cured my body, I would be well.

With this new awareness, I knew it was time to leave Santa Fe, and through an inner wisdom dialogue was guided to return to the Midwest--a decision that saved my life. This inner guidance led me to a new neurologist who discovered that I did not have multiple sclerosis, but a spinal cord tumor. In February 1997, I had an operation that removed the tumor.

Today I am continuing to regain lost functions and feel grateful for having the chance to live a second life.

I have begun new work that is manifesting with this Web site; a CD called "Sacred Medicine"; workshops and talks on finding the path of peace, joy, and purpose; and a book I am writing about the sacred journey that we all travel in our everyday lives.

David Kleier
December 2003