Friday, March 1, 2013

The Story of Thomas James (Tommy's Story)

NOTE:  Everyone is different. Each person’s body will react differently to certain things. It can be a heart transplant, liver transplant, lung transplant, cancer, diabetes, medications, blood transfusions, and yes, even metals. You can have one person on a certain medication and give his/her brother or sister the same medication. One may react just fine and the other may find they have a bad reaction to it. The same goes for implants and other foreign objects.  One person’s body may react just fine, while another may have an allergic reaction.  There are no two people built the same. My point is, if you haven’t had any reaction to implants used in your body that is great news, but please keep the list of symptoms I have provided on this site for future reference. People don’t always have an instant reaction to these things. My daughter has titanium in her ankle; she fell the week before Tommy. Once a month she has major headaches and dizzy spells. Also, you may want to have your doctor start doing random blood testing every 3-6 months to make sure that the shavings from the metals haven’t gotten into your blood stream or to just do a blood count and make sure your numbers are normal.   If they are and you are still having symptoms, I would also check to see if you are having an allergic reaction to your metals.  Those reactions can occur at any time; right away or years down the road.  Example: Metals in your mouth may be fine or they may start causing headaches a few years later.  Please, just be safe. Don't over look anything when it comes to your health.  More needs to be done when they put these foreign objects into our bodies. They do testing every few months when you have cancer, heart transplants, and diseases of all kinds. Why not for something this major?  The family should be made aware and told what symptoms to watch for. No more shoving it under the rug. Let these people know the real stories of what can possibly happen, so they will know what to watch for.  KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

 To all:
This is the story of my Tommy.   I wanted to get this out there to all of you so that it may answer some of the questions you may have.  I have been trying to write this for the past few weeks now.  I don’t want to leave anything important out.  (Released on the 4th of January 2013 – Tommy’s Birthday)


Tommy loved life more than most.  He came into my life on June 5th, soo5.  He was the most wonderful man that I had ever known (aside from my dad).  Being with me, he also took on my three teenage daughters.  You ask, “Who in their right mind would do that?”  Tommy would.  Even though they tried to scare him off, he didn’t budge, which made them love him all the more.  For those of you that didn’t know (and many do), I am just a tad bit older than Tommy was.  When I found this out, I broke it off with him instantly.  Well, he wasn’t having that either.  He pulled that, “Age is just a number card” and I quickly fell for it.  Needless to say, that breaking if off only lasted about two hours.  Thank God!!! 


Okay, here goes… 


In 2009 Tommy had an accident at work.  He had fallen from a ladder and shattered his femur bone, also the bone leading from the femur into his hip and six breaks in his wrist.  When the rescue squad got out to the location to pick him up to transport him to the hospital he was still leaning against the ladder he had fallen from.  The female paramedic kicked the ladder out from him not realizing that he had actually propped himself up on that ladder to wait for them to get there.  She apologized and they loaded him on to the gurney to take him to the hospital.  Once he arrived we did a lot of talking about what had taken place.  He said he couldn’t remember if he had hit his head, but he had blood around his mouth and on his lips.  He also had a small bump on the front of his head and had broken his glasses.  He said he didn’t think it knocked him out but that he wasn’t 100% sure.  The doctors would need to do surgery on two separate occasions.  One to fix his femur right away and the next would be a few days later to fix his wrist.  His hospital stay lasted nine days and the doctors told him it could be up to 18 months before he would be back to a somewhat normal life.  Well, Tommy being a strong soul wasn’t going to let those words determine his future.


One day while I was sitting up there at the hospital he was complaining about the pain he was having around his lower abdomen, genital area and down through the top part of his legs.  He told me he wanted me to look at something, so I walked over to him and lifted up the sheets.  At that point I realized his skin was turning a black color.  He was so bruised from having the catheter in and that was causing him all that pain.  I called his nurse in to show her and I asked her if it was supposed to look like that and she assured me it was not.  She had to call the doctor to make sure it was alright to remove the catheter.  She came back within about 10 to 15 minutes and took it out.  She said she didn’t realize his skin had turned black like that.  I’m not sure anyone had even checked on him and the catheter.  They then gave him a urinal to use because he still couldn’t get up from the bed.  It took almost four weeks for the bruising to go away.


On the day I went to the hospital to take him home I noticed he was a greenish color.  I told the nurse there was no way in the world I would take him home looking like that.  He could barely move.  She ordered some blood work and found that he was not only very anemic but had been even when he was first admitted.  She said that she was shocked that it was overlooked and that he had even made it through two separate surgeries without them giving him a blood transfusion.


At that point they ordered him some blood and kept him long enough to administer it.  His color got back to normal (actually better than I had ever seen his color).  He told his brother Larry that even though he was going to be in a wheelchair for a while, he had more energy than he has had in a very long time.  He said he felt as if he could go outside and leap over cars.


When they released Tommy from the hospital we took him downstairs and got him in the car, we drove about five blocks away before noticing that he still had the IV stuff hanging from his arm under his sleeve.  I was like, “Oh shit”…  I called up to the hospital at the same time I was turning the car around.  The nurse came down to the car and took the IV out right there in the car.  She apologized and told me that she had been on night for the past 10 years and that Tommy was her first releasable patient.  We both told her not to worry about it and went on our way.

I had to administer shots into Tommy’s stomach for a couple of weeks so that he wouldn’t get any blood clots from the surgeries.  The doctors sent home pain pills for Tommy to take for the pain.  He only took them a few times.  I still have them all.  He didn’t believe in prescriptive medications.  He said he would only take it if the pain got bad enough that he couldn’t tolerate it on his own.  We had to go back for several follow up appointments after he was released.  I remember on one visit his color had gotten greenish again.  It was the follow up appointment where they were going to remove his stitches.  He told the nurses that he felt like he was going to faint.  They told him even the biggest and toughest guys get weak when it comes to taking out little stitches.  He just looked over at me like these gals were nuts.  They had to sit him back in a chair and keep him there for about a half hour and give him water and crackers so that he wouldn’t faint.  Not once even at that follow up visit did they mention they might want to test his blood levels for any metal poisoning or any of the things he had been flagged for from the beginning.  They had his charts right at their fingertips and not one word was mentioned that his blood levels had been flagged when he was first admitted the day of his fall.

Tommy couldn’t move from the couch for the first month except with help.  He couldn’t get into the bathroom because our door wasn’t wide enough.  He was determined to show those doctors that he was going to get back on his feet sooner than they thought.  At that point the most important thing to him was not letting his bosses down.  There were so many people who told him to milk the Workmen’s Comp and stay down.  That wasn’t how Tommy rolled.  He always said, “There is someone out there that has it was worse.”  He felt as if being away from work was not fair to the guys he worked with.  I had never met anyone like that.  He was so honorable.  In all honesty, he would have made more money being on Workmen’s Comp than he did working, but to him that was stealing and Tommy was not a thief.  He believed if you had the ability to work, then you should be working.  So, I watched him work his ass off every single day, learning to walk all over again and strengthening his hand.  He would use that walker to go up and down the hallway over and over the entire day while I’d be at work.  He showed me what it meant to be able, when disabled.  I was so proud of him.  

Tommy was released to go back to working half days exactly four months from the date of his accident, December 7, 2009.  He was so excited to get back to a somewhat normal life.  All of those that had been around him knew that this was a big accomplishment.  Once again, he proved he was the strongest man I had ever met.  I watched him struggle every single day for four months straight and never heard him complain about it, ever.  He knew what he had to do to get where he needed to be and that is exactly what he did.

About two years after his fall (September 2011) he started to experience some very excruciating pain in his hip area.  It was bad enough to drop him to his knees.  This went on for a while before he asked me to make him an appointment with the doctor that had performed the surgery on his leg.  We got that appointment and spoke with the doctor.  He did some x-rays and told us all the metals and bolts were in place and all was just fine.    He suggested that Tommy go through another six weeks of physical therapy again to see if that would help.  Again, no one mentioned any allergic reactions to metals or bothered to offer to test his blood levels for any metal poisoning or any of the things he had been flagged for from the beginning.  He just simply told him that he didn’t have enough fatty tissue around the area and that might be causing the pain.  Two years later and this is what he comes up with.  I remember telling Tommy on the way out of that visit that none of that made sense to me at all. 

Tommy went through the therapy and it helped a little.  On his follow up visit they talked a little about removal of the metals down the road if it got bad enough.  When we left from that appointment Tommy said, “Well, I guess this is just the pain I will have to learn to live with.”
Around the same time, Tommy started complaining about forgetting things.  “Simple things”, he called them.  We went to Walmart and purchased some over the counter Ginkgo Biloba.  He had tried this a few years before (he took if for about a week back then but didn’t seem to think there was any results) but thought he would give it a try again.  He was told it was good for memory loss.  We thought because it was all natural it wasn’t harmful.  This time he took it for a few weeks and decided the same thing.  Tommy’s was a believer in taking pills of any kind, prescriptive or over the counter, unless they were vitamins or all natural, because he said he always felt like too many doctors pushed too many pills on people. 

Every single night when we sat on the couch after work Tommy would do his leg stretches and use his hand weight to flex his wrist.  He never missed a night unless we had to go somewhere that kept us out too late.  Mind you, we didn’t drink, so it wasn’t too often that we weren’t home.  Tommy worked really hard on trying to keep himself healthy.  He even encouraged me on doing the same thing all the time. 

Throughout the winter of 2011 to 2012 the weather was pretty nice.  We went for a lot of walks just to get the exercise for his leg.  We rode our Harley’s on the weekends and sometimes he would even ride to work.  Around late May, early June 2012, he started complaining about dizzy spells.  He wasn’t able to sleep at night; therefore, he was always tired.  We thought that maybe if we got a new bed that would help, even though the bed we had was barely two years old.  He thought maybe it was too soft and we needed something a bit firmer.  So we went out and bought a new bed.  It didn’t fix the problem even a little.  Within a few weeks, I’d say around late June, Tommy started telling me he was forgetting things again.  Easy things like why he walked into a room or what he had just read.  I told him it was all about age.  I said he was catching up to me.  I mean that’s what we are told from the time we are children.  As the weeks went on it started to get worse.  He would sit up in bed and just be sitting there.  I would wake up and ask him what was wrong and he would just say he didn’t know.  A few times he had gotten up to let the dos out and he would have to sit right back down because he would get so dizzy that he would almost pass out.  Looking back now I remember his color changing.  He had a gray tint to his skin color.  His hair line started receding back really far also.  He said he felt like he was aging quickly.  We just let it go. 

On July 15th we went swimming at his mom’s house.  All the kids were there and it was Ashley’s birthday.  He stood on the edge of the slide and did a flip into the water for all the kids (show-off).  They all thought this was pretty cool and kept yelling for him to do it again.  I got upset and reminded them of the accident Uncle Tommy had had a few years before and told them how we didn’t want him to get hurt again.  They all agreed and he got down.  Within about 20 minutes he said, “I really shouldn’t have done that, I feel kind of sick.”  Everyone that knows Tommy also knows that he had motion sickness ever since he was a child (which leads me to believe maybe it was always more than motion sickness).  So at that time, we chalked it up to that.  He was sick for two days straight from that flip.

For the next few months there were more symptoms added to the list, but we thought it was all those small things that people overlooked and go through with age.  There were a few times that he had gotten really bad chest pains.  He started taking aspirin daily, and then only a few days here and there when the pain would come on again.  The dizziness never did stop.  In August 2012 he told me his hands had been going numb once in a while.  This is something he knew I could relate to from a car accident I had been in a few years before I net him.  Mine was the right hand and he said his started to become both and not just the one he injured.   We had a long talk and decided we were going to sell the bikes.  He was really worried that if we were riding and his hands went numb he would wipe us both out.   He said those bikes weren’t worth our lives.  Then he added we couldn’t put a baby seat on the back of them (we had just found out we were going to be grandparents).  He said he was going to be called G-Pa.  He even posted it on our Brittney’s post on her Facebook page.  He was thrilled about this.  He said he could teach this child baseball because he was damn good at it.  He said we could invest in an older car that wouldn’t take too much to fix up and then when we would get to the red lights, we wouldn’t have to scream so loud to hear each other like we did on the bikes. 

Looking back now, so many things were missed.  I had to go to Virginia the last week of September for work.  He called me and told me he had finally gotten called up for a new position with the Union.  It would be with Baxter.  He said he felt bad for the way he had to leave CEI without a two weeks’ notice after being there for 10 years, but he knew he was doing what was best for our family.  I will not get into all the different things that had been happening at CEI; it is not my place to do so on this blogspot or the website.   One day while I was still in Virginia after an all-day meeting I tried to call Tommy; he didn’t answer.  I tried about 10 times.  I was extremely worried because this wasn’t like him at all.  We always talked every half hour or on a daily basis.  It’s just how we were.  I got so worried that I called the girls.  Finally I tried one more time and he answered.  He told me that he was sorry he didn’t answer and that he wasn’t feeling the best and must have fallen asleep.  Tommy was the lightest sleeper I had ever known.  So this wasn’t normal.  So for me to have to call him over and over I was concerned and started asking him simple questions, like isn’t he hear the phone ringing and was he feeling better.  He just said, “I’m so sorry babe, I feel so out of it”.  It was only 4 in the afternoon.  I told him to go back to sleep and call me when he woke up.  I still hadn’t heard from him and it was almost 7 P.M. so I called him back again.  He said he had just been sitting on the couch doing nothing.  I found it so odd that he hadn’t called me back.  He always called back.  Not once in all the years we had been together had he done something like this.  I asked him if he was alright and he said yes.  It wasn’t until after his passing that Ashley told me that the night I had been trying to call him, she had come home from work at 7:30 that night and was going to go out but she saw him curled up in the corner of the couch and she had never seen him like that so she decided to stay home with him and they just sat around and watch television.   She said looking back it had really scared her and she didn’t understand what was wrong with him.

I came home on Thursday night, September 27, 2012.  My flight had been delayed in Chicago.  I called him and told him so he wouldn’t have to be sitting at the airport waiting for me.  He told me that he had nothing better to do and just wanted me home, so waiting wasn’t a problem.  He was always like that.  Then we even sent text messages as I was landing and pulling up to the gate.    His text message said, “I see you.  Well, not you but your plane.  I’m so glad you’re home.”  When I walked up to him he seemed a bit out of it but I figured he was just tired.  Again I asked if he was alright.  He said yes and that he was just a bit tired.  We went home and stayed up chatting for a few hours even though it was already late.  I had taken the next day off to hang out with him since he was going to work a night shift for the new company.  We hung out the whole entire day doing a whole lot of nothing.  We loved those days.  He went to work Friday night and again on Saturday.

On Sunday I was walking into the living room and he asked me to sit down for a minute.  As I started to sit he said, “Babe, I want to tell you something but I don’t want you to freak out.”  As a wife and this being my very best friend, as soon as those words came from his lips, I freaked out, not even knowing what he was about to say.  This wasn’t something that he had ever said to me before, so I knew it wasn’t going to be good.  This was on September 30, 2012.  Same day as my father passed away on 1998.  Not a day I personally cared for to begin with.

Tommy sat me down and explained to me that while I had been out of town for work he had suffered from a delusion of some sort.  At that point I didn’t know what that really meant.  The only thing I knew what it meant you saw things on the walls and stuff like that.  I was 100% wrong.   At any rate I was freaked out.  He told me it had happened the day I was trying to call him over and over.  He said he didn’t hear the phone and he wasn’t sure what had happened in that few hours.  He said he had no memory of it.  It was like he was seeing things and then he was out of it and couldn’t move.  He then asked me if I would call our doctor on Monday and make him an appointment.  He specifically said, “I am NOT DEPRESSED babe.  I can’t sleep and I keep getting dizzy.  There is something really wrong with me.  I don’t want pills, I want answers.”  He was worried because our last family doctor believed in pills cures all.  Everyone must be depressed and let’s give everyone a prescription.  I reminded him that was the reason we changed doctors.   He said to make sure they do a test on his head.  He was genuinely scared and I had never seen him that way, so it scared the heck out of me too.  When you are married to a man that refuses to go to the doctor for things and then he asks you to please make him an appointment, you know something must be wrong.

I called our insurance company on Monday to find out that our insurance had expired the day before on the 30th, 2012.  We would have to wait for the Cobra to kick in since he hadn’t been with the Union long enough.  We could still get in but we would have to pay and then get reimbursed once we signed up for the Cobra Act.  We figured if it got worse we would just go to the ER.  The papers came on Tuesday or Wednesday so we were good to go.  However, before the papers came I had called Brittney and told her what was going on with Tommy and she said she would meet me at the house right after work.  This was on Monday, October the 1st, 2012.  Brittney and Derrick showed up at the house around 5:15 P.M.  We all sat down and started going over all the symptoms that he had been having for months.  We literally were trying to remember and list each one that he or I could remember.  Below is a list of most of them.

1) Fatigue

2) Dizziness

3) Fainting Spells

4) Shortness of Breath

5) Chest Pains

6) Heart Palpitations

7) Little or No Appetite

8) Numbness in Hands or Feet

9) Delusions

10) Hallucinations

11) Loss of Weight

12) Pail Skin Color

13) Aging Rapidly

14) Difficulty in Concentrating

15) Memory Loss

16) Laps in Time or Even Days

17) Weakness

18) Itching and Rashes

19) Irritability 

We had decided that since we weren’t sure what was all going on we were going to have him stop drinking soda (he drank a lot of soda) and start drinking even more water and Gatorade.  As we were all sitting there he made a few calls to the guys he used to work with.  One was to his old boss.  When he came back in from talking to Gary (one of his old bosses), he just sort of stood there like he was in some sort of daze or trance, lost in space.  I called out to him like 4 or 5 times and then he looked like he was looking right through me.  This freaked me and the kids out.  I told him to come over and sit down.   The kids had never seen him like this.  I had been seeing it a lot over the past few weeks only never put it with something being wrong with his health.

Later that night we had gone and got him bottles of water, Gatorade, fruits, more healthy foods.  We even picked up a new bottle of that Ginkgo Biloba for the memory loss, in hopes that it would work this time around.  We also got him his first laptop.  He was really excited about that.  This way he could track everything and chat with me on Facebook.  So along with his daily Men’s Vitamin, a Vitamin C, the aspirin and the Ginkgo pill, we really thought we had everything covered that would matter until he could get to his doctor appointment.

Tuesday he went to work and wasn’t feeling well.  The lady he was working for hadn’t given the mandatory 15 minute breaks the Union requires or even let them take a lunch break.  He was not happy about this at all.  I told him to leave and go back to the hall and get back on the list and hope to get on over at the Google job.  He left there and came to my work.  I didn’t know until after he passed away that one of the gal’s I work with said that while Tommy was there that day, she had said hello to him and he walked right by her as if he hadn’t heard her at all.  Tommy wasn’t like this.  He always went out of his way to say hi to everyone and people knew that about him.  He was very well liked by everyone that ever met him.   Even now looking back on that same day, he sat down in the chairs by the window and I thought he was reading a book and just waiting for me, but when I asked him what he was reading he didn’t answer me.  I asked him 5 times.  I walked over there and he said he must not have heard me.  I was only 20 feet away from him.  This was all abnormal looking back now.   We went home and just hung out all night.  It was a good night.  He had Wednesday off.   We chatted back and forth on Facebook all afternoon.  He had dinner ready when I got home and we talked about what he should do until he got called back up off the bench.  He decided to go to work with his brother temporarily.

The next morning (Thursday the 4th day of October 2012) we woke up and he told me that he hadn’t slept well at all and was so tired.  I was lying on the couch with my legs on his lap.  We talked until it was time for me to shower and get ready for work.  I left about 6:30ish.  We were used to leaving at the same time together every day.  We had done that for all the years we had been together.  He walked me to the door and gave me my kiss.  He said he had better get in gear before brother Brian got there to pick him up.  He asked me if I wanted him to start dinner or just go set gas for the lawn mower if he got home before I did.  I told him it was completely up to him.

Here was a man that had so many things going for him.  He loved his family.  He had his house the way he wanted it.  We had just gotten the windows and doors, the house painted and the new walk done.  He loved his truck and ha loved his life.  He was so excited to be back in the Union.  That meant everything to him.  He was so proud of that.  I was so proud of him as well.  It was a decision we had talked about for months.  He knew he wasn’t going anywhere with his old company and this was going to be good for him.

On Thursday morning, October 4, 2012 I had my happy go lucky husband and within a few hours of me leaving for work he was gone.  Some people said maybe he had been depressed and to this I only need to say he wasn’t.  If you had even been around him for any amount of time you would have known how happy he was.  So I no longer feel the need to explain that.  Perhaps it will be a section in the book.  But as for here, I knew him better than anyone.  Depressed was the last thing Tommy was. 

I can understand it though.  When I tragedy like this happens the first thing we are taught as children even is that someone must have been depressed.  They don’t think it could have been an allergic reaction to the titanium metals put in his body that were supposed to make his life better,  They never told us what to watch for.  Since this has happened I have learned more than anyone person should have to know.  This is something the doctors should tell people while they are shoving these foreign objects in to people.  While they are making billions of dollars a year to do so.  I have lost family members to depression.  I have lost many friends the same way.  I would have stopped a long time ago had I thought for even one second that depression was what killed my husband Tommy Harvey.  I know differently.

The sad part is, we saw all of these symptoms for months and never thought for a second that it could have anything to do with the metals they used to cure his breaks.  Had I known anything I would have had my very best friend at the ER as soon as the first symptom hit.  It wasn’t until know that I have had so many others come to me with the same symptoms and the same problems that I now know the cause of my husband’s death is due to the lack of care from his doctors and all those involved in his care or lack of.

My main concern now is to help others.  To bring awareness to these things that are going on and have been for so many years.  The doctors have known about these symptoms and have been shoving them under the rug for years.  Too many years to let it continue.  Laws need to be changed.

Tommy Harvey was that guy that always said, “There is always tomorrow.” Or “Someone always has it way worse.”  Even a few weeks before this happened we went on the Suicide Prevention Walk.  Suicide was something Tommy didn’t believe in.  We talked about it openly.   I will never call his death a suicide.  I believe he couldn’t have been in his right state of mind when this happened.   I believe he had to have gone into a hallucination state of mind at the time.  He was dressed and ready for work.  He had the house all locked up, alarm set and the couches coved.  He was ready and excited to be going to work with Brian. 

The police that were here at the time promised they would check his blood levels in the autopsy for anything out of the ordinary.  We had told them all of what had been going on with Tommy.  This was said in front of a house full of family members.  They said they would make sure this happened.  It did not.  Family members even called down to the place where the autopsy was going to take place and they also said they would take care of it.  They did nothing.  The only things they tested my husband’s blood for was drugs, tobacco and alcohol.  The three things Tommy Harvey did not use.   The lead detective was on vacation a few weeks after Tommy’s death when I kept trying to call him.  I think he may have been getting married.  So his Sargent told me that they had 7 suicides that month and were very busy, but that they saved me a sample of his blood.  They were kind enough to give it to me 7 weeks post death.  All the companies I called to have it tested told me that if the coroner’s office wasn’t going to do what we asked as a family then they should have had that sample to us within 10 days of his death.  They knew this and just didn’t care because when I called the coroner’s office the day before Thanksgiving to ask why they didn’t do what we asked, the guy on the phone just kept saying the death was obvious.  No matter what I would say after that, he just kept saying, “Yea and”, over and over until I hung up on him.

I just want them to be responsible.  I want blood tests made mandatory for people with implants of any kind.  Not everyone will have an allergic reaction, but some will.  Tommy did.  They make enough money off of this; they need to take it more seriously.  Human lives are valuable.  Our loved ones matter.
Blood work should be done every 6 to 12 months to check for corrosion and or shavings of the metals into the blood stream.   They check every 6 months for cancer patients.  These people should be considered just as important.  This is traumatic injuries that require these implants.  It needs to be taken more seriously.   I have found in so many cases that these implants cause major headaches, dizziness, discoloration of the skin and so many other problems.  Once removed, the symptoms are going away, all of them.

So if there is anyone out there that is going through anything like this, please keep a list of the symptoms with you.  Make a chart and keep it on your Fridge.  Put a check mark next to whatever symptom you may be having and always mark the date.  This way you have something to refer back to when you go to your doctor.  If your doctor tells you there is no way that it could be related to the metals, please get a second or even third opinion.  I have looked into so many sites and chatted with so many hundreds of people that have been through this and their symptoms were shoved under the rug until now.  Please check out the different sites I have added to Tommy’s Blog and Website.  Please don’t give up and know that even though you may feel you are dying or the pain is something you will have to live with for the rest of your life, it just is NOT true.  I am here is you need me as well.  Always.



I know I didn’t owe any of you an explanation about Tommy, but I felt I needed to speak for him since he was my best friend.  I also did it for all of you that truly loved him.  I wanted you all to know that Tommy wouldn’t have left all of us if he had the choice.  He loved life and all the people in it.  So when you’re reading this blog or website today, just know that Tommy was sick and didn’t even know it.  Please take the information I have given you and try to help another person that may have the same symptoms.   There is one thing I am certain of and that is, I will never give up on him.  I knew him and how he felt about life.  We were so open with each other on every topic that could come to your mind. 
Some have asked me if I think it’s possible to have a reaction to the titanium after 3 years, my answer to that is YES.  100% yes.  I personally think Tommy had a reaction every time his blood counts were off.   So we didn’t know what the cause of each symptom was.  I think they should have tested him within a few months of his surgery and every few months after that.  I also that when we went back in 2011, complaining of being in so much pain they should have done more for him than a few x-rays and a few weeks of therapy.  They had his charts, they knew what those blood levels were from the very beginning & they knew people all over the world had been complaining of these same symptoms.  I have paper work dating back so far it would shock you.  It still shocks me.   If we had been told about his blood levels from the beginning, we certainly wouldn’t have been giving him aspirin for chest pains and the Ginkgo Biloba for the memory loss.  Instead we would have been tracking his blood levels and we would have known how serious all of these symptoms really were.  We would have also known that people that have anemia or other blood disorders and take these medications on top if it can and have caused hallucinations and suicidal tendencies.      


You can contact me on here or in a personal email that is set up to accept emails for Tommy's Story. Below is the address:


Laura - Tommy's wife

I want to thank all of you that have taken the time to read this and to those that have shared it with others. Between this Blog and the Website, there were over 35,000 hits. It has made it to 64 different countries. There has been so much response. We need to keep getting it out there. We need to make a difference. Together we can do it. I believe the good Lord is working through all of us. Someone has to make a difference. These innocent people need to be taken care of and not just pushed to the sidelines after surgeries like this and others. Those that have blood disorders of any type need to be told about them so they can do follow up testing that might just save their lives.  Again, I can’t thank you enough for taking the time from your day to either read & or re-post.




Update below on 5/17/2013:
When people ask me how I can post Tommy’s Story every single day, my answer is pretty simple; because I have to.  If posting can save just one life that will mean that Tommy’s being taken so soon wasn’t for absolutely no reason at all.  Tommy would have wanted to help others.  I would have preferred a different way.  If me getting this information out to another family who might not have known before Tommy’s Story was written (just like we didn’t), then all of my efforts and the efforts of Team Tommy will have been worth every letter typed, every post that was posted, every shirt made, every bumper sticker stuck, every endless sleepless night, every tweet ever tweeted, every email received and every one sent with information back in return. 
  

When I said I do on June 17th, 2006 to my best friend, I meant I DO FOREVER!


For better or worse – this has been the worst and I still must push forward and share what happened to him.

In sickness and in health – he got sick.  I must tell how that happened in order to stop it from happening to someone else.

Until death do us part – he has gone home by no choice of his own, but I am still here.  Only now it is for the both of us and I will honor that and carry on until I meet up with him once again on the day that I take my last breath.  So death doesn’t really part us at all.  It’s just a temporary delay until our eternity together.   Please know I do what I do because it is who I am.  I hope all of you have a wonderful day. 

Laura

Here is the link to Christa David's story about her mom: 
  http://www.steelstandingbook.com

Visit Tommy's Memorial Page at:
  https://www.facebook.com/TommyHarveyMemorial

Follow updates to this blog on twitter at:
  https://twitter.com/Tommys_Story

 

Please feel free to leave comments below!

42 comments:

Unknown said...

I just want to thank all of you that have taken the time to read this and to those that have shared it with others. Between this Blog and the Website, there were over 1,100 hits on Saturday alone. It made it to 4 different countries. There has been so much response. We need to keep getting it out there. We need to make a difference. Together we can do it. I believe the good Lord is working through all of us. Someone has to make a difference. These innocent people need to be taken care of and not just pushed to the sidelines after surgeries like this and others. Those that have blood disorders of any type need to be told about them so they can do follow up testing that might just save their lives.

Again, I can’t thank you enough for taking the time from your day to either read & or re-post.

Laura

Unknown said...

Tommy's Story was posted for the 1st time on March 1, 2013. Since that day it has hit a total of nine countries on the Blog Spot alone. I don't even have the number of countries on the Web Site yet. How amazing it is that? This would not be possible without all of your help posting this story. It has made its way around the world. I wish I knew exactly how many people’s lives it has impacted. I have been blessed so deeply, through what I call the worst tragedy in my life. I am honored to have all of you on my path. I could never thank you enough. God is good.

And this is why I will continue to post…

Kelly said...

I do know of people who have had knee/hip replacements, or metals of some sort put in their bodies. They, too, have said they had the same symptoms, or felt like they couldn't go on anymore. I never knew the metals could afflict the brain. I am very grateful to you for putting this information out-it CAN help someone.

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for sharing Kelly. The more people that come forward publicly can and will make a difference. I have so many private emails and will keep them confidential until those people grant me permission to make them public. So, thank you so much!!
~Laura

Anonymous said...

First let me express my heart felt sympathy for this family. May God give you all the strength needed to heal and to have peace in your hearts. Second I would like to thank you Laura for sharing such personal details of Tommy's life to save others. It must be so difficult. It shows how giving you are as a wife and mother. Third I would like to say that this story brought tears to my eyes and an awareness that I have never believed possible. So many people have metals put into thier bodies. So many returning soldiers have simular stories that are attributed to PTSD, maybe there is a connection that is being overlooked by the medical industry. The magnificance of this tragedy is too large to not warn others. If you have read Tommy's story please post your thoughts and publish so that Tommy's death will not be in vain. God Bless, M

Anonymous said...

Thank's for sharing your story...I am a recipient of a titainium knee. I to have had many of the above mentioned symptoms! My doc has me pegged as a person who has fibromyalgia. I now know what questions I may want to ask during our next visit. I live with constant pain and I take many medications, I am trying to wean off some of them. I will definetly take this info into consideration and speak of it with my Dr's. A.S.A.P.

Anonymous said...

My husband took his life and I do not believe it was it was intentional at all. He had many of the symptoms you describe but no implants. He has a bullet in his leg from when he was a kid and accidentally was shot. He had recently been very sick with a virusor something similar to the Hatra virus and was hospitalized for 4 days. His blood pressure had gotten to 260 over 185 by the time I got him to the hospital and he was so dehydrated from vomiting all day - they thought stroke, heart attack but a doc ran blood tests after I told them we had cleaned out an old mouse ridden farmhouse and found the cause. He went back in for a stress test but due to weakness he had to have the nuclear chemical injected instead of actual running (he had went and bought a new running suit and was excited for this test - he was a very fit 55 year old man who ran and powerlifted competitively. Just 1 month after the stress test he had a few drinks and became overly intoxicated for the amount of alcahol he drank and within a couple hours was gone. He had fillings and his teeth were bad as well. He NEVER would have taken his life. Our life was just getting great and things were looking good. I am so sorry for your loss and your desire to find the real cause. Thank you

Unknown said...

Thank you for taking the time to read Tommy's story. I am so sorry for the loss of your husband. There are so many unanswered questions that you rightfully have. I had so many myself and that is what started Tommy's story. I knew there was no way he was capable of this. It was something (along with everything) that we talked openly about. I wouldn't have ever know how everything and every symptom he was having would fit together had this horrific tragedy not taken place. Had we of known what I have learned since that day, this wouldn't have ever happened. Please know that even though I don't know you, I will say a prayer for you and your family. Again, I am so sorry for the loss of your husband.
~Laura

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for such kind words. I can only hope it touches enough people and saves lives. My goal is to reach as many people as possible. There have been many people to come forward that lost a loved one and had no idea why. They said after reading Tommy's Story they have new reasons to believe there was more to it. They said their loved ones had the same symptoms and they didn't even realize it. My honest hope is for more people to become aware of this and be able to watch their loved ones a little closer and get them to a doctor ASAP if they have a case like Tommy did. I also hope this is give them the tools to ask their health care professionals the right questions to get them taken care of in the right manner and not have things pushed under the rug. Their symptoms are real and so many go left undiagnosed due to the fact they aren't given enough information on what to watch out for or they just simply think it's so many little things that nothing is linked together because again, they aren't given enough information when they have these foreign objects placed in them or they have a blood disorder to begin with. In my husbands case, it was both. Thank you also for your support. I am truly blessed to have some many helping to get his story out there. God is good and has started opening doors everywhere for people that weren't even aware of what they were going through and thought they were alone in this.
Thank you.
~Laura

Unknown said...

I am so happy that you have had the chance to read his story. I hope and pray that your doctor will take care of you and look more at the foreign objects they have placed in your body, rather than deciding that something else must be causing your pain. Please keep me posted on what happens to you in the future with this. There is an email address listed above. I will keep all things confidential unless given permission to share. I also have been approached with a book a daughter wrote about her mother when they had placed foreign objects in her and then she had started to go downhill and they diagnosed her with so many different things before they started putting it all together and removed the metals. Now her mother is amazingly healthy. The book is called Steel Standing. I can send you a link. All I know is that some people's bodies can handle certain things while others simply cannot. That is why each one should be handled and observed every 6 months or so after surgery, just as they would with a cancer patient. This is why we pay for healthcare. To be taken care of.
Thank you again for taking the time to read his story and please keep me posted.
Best of luck with your doctor. Don't settle for unanswered questions. Always get another opinion.
~Laura
Here is a link to her story that was sent to me in late March. http://www.steelstandingbook.com

Anonymous said...

I read your story and kept thinking of a man I knew who had the same symptoms but never had a replacement. He had a stage 4 glioblastoma, brain cancer, the most severe. I kept reading wondering why the doctors never did an MRI. I am floored that this was due to the metal replacement and my heart goes out to you. Thank you for sharing your story. ~ Jen

Unknown said...

Jen,
When Tommy first fell they did do an MRI and said it was all fine. I am finding more and more people are coming forward that say their family members did have certain metals in them from when they were younger and hadn't even thought about how it may have been a contributing factor to how they may have died. I will keep everyone posted on certain things that I am learning about through all of this. Thank you for taking the time to read his story. I appreciate all feedback. May God bless you.

Unknown said...

To All:

There are many updates to come on Tommy’s Story!
I have had so many responses that I am currently trying to get back to each and everyone. If I haven't gotten to you just yet, please note that I will. I also want to thank you so much for taking the time to ready Tommy's Story and even repost it to your family, friends, loved ones and co-workers. What a blessing you all are.

Laura
P.S. Again, if I haven't gotten back to you just yet, I promise I will very soon.

Michael Hanson said...

From: Michael Hanson - Some folks tolerate allergens very well, until their body says "Enough!". The body may react immediately, or wait until the levels overpower the body's defenses over time. I myself have been having problems for two years, but changing Doctors got me back to feeling normal. Old Doctor said I'd have to live with it. New Dr. said he'd have me like new. New Dr. made me a new man. 5/2/2013

From: Michael Hanson - Tommy's Mother Linda and I are First Cousins. Our Families are closer than many siblings are, within their own families. So, when I heard the news of our loss of Tommy, it was near unbelievable, inconceivable that Tommy would take his own life. Something had to have been definitely WRONG. Depression? That's what we all thought, at some time, but if that was the case, what caused it?

Now, I'm not saying that depression was the cause, but I know that comes with long-term illness. What's the illness and it's cause? I've been seeing Drs. for two years and the one question each asked was "Have you been feeling depressed?" They even asked if I had ever had thoughts of suicide. Yes, to both questions. Being constantly sick and wondering when the next bout would occur had been on my mind. Once, I was on the floor of my bedroom for 5 hours in the most excruciating pain. I couldn't move, couldn't talk. The bed was on one side and the gun cabinet on the other side. I couldn't reach either one. Raised as a Christian, suicide was not something I wanted to do, but I thought "I know now why some people would take a gun to themselves". Still, I'm not saying that was Tommy's way out, by choice. Something must have caused him to not be himself, the happy, always smiling, sweet guy we all knew so well.
For myself, my Doctor said my problems were pretty well permanent, that I'd just have to live with it the rest of my life. After the 5th hospitalization in less than two years, I met another Dr. who was of a different mindset. He said he'd have me fixed up like new. I changed to him, and he redid me, 3 procedures at once! That was a couple months ago. I haven't felt this good in years! I am so thankful.

So, what I am telling you is this...keep searching for the reason, the truth, the Doctor that will LISTEN TO YOU and DO HIS BEST! Keep Looking for The Answer. Someone knows more and will do more to find what ails you. I hope this Blog and our Testaments will help others who are about to, or have, given up hope of getting better.

Thank You, Laura, for making this avenue for people who have a problem, with no solution in sight. Tommy's Story may just be an answer to what ails them, too. Let's Hope So. 5/3/2013

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for sharing your story with all of us Michael. It shows that some people are depresssed and some are not, but still without the right care it can turn into something that could have and should have been avoided. Doctors are so busy that they just take a quick look and say, "Here you are, this is the problem. Sorry, but you have to live with this"..... When if fact, had they looked a little deeper, or did a few more tests or maybe even asked a colleague, they may have came up with a better/life saving solution. In Tommy's case, no one did a thing. I am so happy to know that in your case someone stepped up and did what it took to help find a solution. Love you and thank you for being brave enough to share your experience with the world. You are amazing.

Dena Berger - denaberger@yahoo.com said...

Dena Berger writes:
First of all I am so sorry for the loss of your husband and best friend. I have never heard of such a thing happening because of a metal implant, but it makes sense to me. Blood poisoning can lead to horribe effects. I hope that your family finds answers and peace soon.



Unknown said...

Thank you so much Dena for taking the time to read the story of my husband/best friend/soul mate. My goal is to spread awareness to the world. People have the right to know what is going on in their bodies after the so called miracle fix. It may work on some people and it may not on others. Either way, they should be more responsible with the care for these patients. They need to have a follow-up plan put in place for each and every patient that goes through any of these surgeries. It should be no different than patients with cancer, leukemia, heart attacks and so on. They need to make sure and monitor all of these people and also give them a list of the possible side effects just like they do with medications. I just don't want any other family to pay the price we had to pay in order to get these laws changed. You can't just take money (billions of dollars) from people and their insurance companies to do the these procedures and not be responsible for the side effects that come later.
Again, thank you so much for taking the time to read this and hopefully pass it on to others.
Laura

Deborah Hamilton said...

Deborah Hamilton - 03/26/2013 11:01am - catcrazyrescue@gmail.com

My first husband had a metal plate in his head.He is now with the lord.I am so sorry for you loss.I have to agree tommys death was not his fault.Dont give up.Find your answers for tommy,for you,and for all those you are helping with your story and the answers I am positive you will find.

Unknown said...

Deborah,

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to respond. Your message was filtered into the unknown folder that I didn't know existed. I believe these things have been going on for a lot longer than we've even known. I am so sorry to hear about your first husband. I believe I have already found all of the answers I was supposed to find. Now I am just trying to help others so that they won't have to go through what our family has gone through. Thank you again for taking the time to read Tommy's Story. Please let others know and help me to bring awareness everyone. Thank you so very much.

Lauralee Harvey

Tina Argo-Life said...


Tina Argo-Life - April 26
My name is Tina, I have hardware in my back and left hip.. I have chronic pain everyday, just recently I found out I have over a dozen staples in my pelvic area. My doc was baffled by the finding as well. I can't do any kind of work., I lost my job in March of 2011 because I couldn't go back, but before that I was reassigned a position within the company that could not accommodate my needs... I am so sorry this had to happen to your family.

Unknown said...

Thank you for reading Tommy's Story. Please keep a list of the symptoms with you always. That way you will always have something to refer back to. I know there are more symptoms to add to that list for different allergic reactions but I haven't had the chance to update it all just yet. I also have a link at the bottom of his story with a web address that can give you even more information. It is about a story of something that happen to another family and the daughter wrote a story about it and how they helped her mother. You should check it out to.

Again, thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you will be alright. I would totally appreciate it if you will keep me posted on how you are doing. I worry about every single person that writes in to me. I will pray for you and your recovery. My daughter also has a titanium ankle. She fell the week before my Tommy did. I watch her like a hawk now.
~Lauralee

Linda Nelson said...

Linda Nelson - Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 8:01 AM


Dear Laura

I am so sorry for taking such a long time to get back to you. I have finally had time to read through your long letter. First of all, I am deeply touched and incredibly sorry for your loss. I think Tommy's metal implants could have been behind the symptoms which appeared after the operation. I know of depression and suicidal thoughts caused by mercury containing "silver" fillings, which have disappeared after safe replacement with non-metallic fillings. I know of serious health problems which have developed after orthopedic implants in patients with metal allergies, which have disappeared after removal of the implant or replacement with non-allergenic metals.

I know you want to prove this was the case with Tommy, but I am not sure it is possible. I admire your determination and strength.

You might be interested to read about a similar case on http://www.steelstandingbook.com. The author behind the website, Christa David, has written a book about how her mother's health deteriorated after she received a hip implant, and how she managed to find that metals in the implant was the culprit. She is now lecturing and trying to spread awareness. So maybe you could contact her and share your story?

If there is anything we can do to help, please get in touch.

With best regards
Linda



Unknown said...

This was the response I received from a lady at a clinic that read Tommy's Story in the United Kingdom. I am going to be ordering the book that she talks about in her email back to me. I don't feel there is anything I need to prove that hasn't already proven itself. I suggest you all check out the link she sent to me and if you are having any doubts, please order the book for yourself. It may help you to know that if you are suffering from any of the things mentioned, there may be a cure. It may be as easy as having metals removed or replaced. You may be having a reaction to the implants that have been placed in your body.

There is also a doctor that sent me an email that states you can become allergic a day after you receive your implants or a month, a year, two, four or ten. The same way goes for medications. You may be fine taking them for years and then all of a sudden out of nowhere, you become allergic. It is the body’s way of rejecting it. It can happen at any point and if you aren't given a list of those particular side effects, you may just think there is something else wrong with you. Please, just take time to listen to your body. If you know something isn't right, then go with what you know. Always get a second and third and fourth opinion if that is what you need to do.

Unknown said...

On Thu, Mar 21, 2013 at 12:18 AM,

Laura,

I understand your pain of not having answers. My brother took his own life 4 years ago. I saw many similarities in your story as to what we went through. He also was not the type to take the easy way out. I was with him hours before and would never have imagined it was the last moments that I had with him. My family and I will never believe that he did it intentionally. He did not have any implants so I don't have answers for that but he was on medication that has since been noted to cause suicidal tendencies. I hope someday that you will find the answers and make a difference in the lives of others. I just want you to know that you are not alone in the suffering, whether that is the right word I'm not sure, but there are many survivors out there. I hope that peace finds you.

Jaime White

Unknown said...

Reply - March 24, 2013

Jamie,

Sorry it took so long for me to write back to you. Thank you so much for taking the time to write to me and share your story with me. I am so sorry for your loss. I feel like there are so many unanswered questions. The doctors give medications, quick fixes, and yes even put implants in people without knowing what the impact on that particular person might be. They don't do the necessary blood work or even let the families in on what the possible side effects might be. Then when things like this happen, they have no one to answer to and they just shove it under the rug. We are just supposed to go on with our lives and chop it up to a suicide, when in fact we know better. I just need to speak up for my Tommy. At least that is what I believe. I don't think I will ever be able to just sit here. I pray every day for God to guide me and help me to help others. Again, thank you for taking time out of your day not only to read Tommy’s Story, but to also write back to me. Please let anyone you come in contact with that has had any kind of implants done or even any kind of blood disorders know about Tommy’s Story. Also, if you want to bring awareness to medications and the side effects of what happened to your brother, I will post it for you on my Facebook page as well.

Thank you again,

Laura

Unknown said...


Date: Sat, May 4, 2013 1:08 PM





Hi Jamie,

It has been a while since I last wrote to you. I was wondering if it would be alright to make your email to me public on the BlogSpot? I can understand if you choose not to. I have had more feed back by having others post to the blog and have noticed it has helped so many others. I know that your brother didn't have implants but you still understand the pain of losing someone due to lack of knowledge about medications. It is the almost the same thing. When they give us these medications and or these implants without knowing or without making us aware of the possible side effects it is the same thing as saying we didn't count. They need to have more information out there and be responsible to give us that information when they put people on meds or even put foreign objects in their bodies. I will understand if you want to keep your comment private and I promise no hard feelings. I just had to ask. I know that other people may have suffered a loss similar to your loss and I want them to be made aware of all the possible things that are going on as well.

Thank you for your time.

Laura

Unknown said...

Reply - May 4, 2013
Laura,

I have no problem with you posting my brothers story. I would be quite honored for you to get the story out there. It is unfortunate that so many of us have to experience this but I agree the more the word is spread that eventually it will help and hopefully prevent others from going through this.
I was actually thinking about you the other day and wondering how you were doing? I know everyday is hard and learning to live again is harder but you have incredible strength.

Jaime

Unknown said...

Happy Sunday! Rain and all....

So I have been up since 5 A.M. I pulled out some of the material that I had looked up from last October until now. I have been going through it all once again. I have been back on the forum sites, different blogs and looked at so many questions and concerns from thousands of different people all around the world on the same things I (we) have been trying to spread awareness about. There are so many people with the same unanswered questions about what is happening to them. So many with the same symptoms that Tommy was suffering from. So many of their doctors that have told them there is no way they could be having an allergic reaction to titanium. Go figure.

Then there are people that have answered back on these forums that have had those metals replaced or completely taken out and they are doing just fine now. You may think I am just looking for a cause and that is it, but the honest truth is I already know the cause. I always knew it had to be something else. I never gave up on him because I knew him. I knew of all those symptoms he would tell me about. We just never put them all together until it was too late. I WILL NOT SIT BACK AND LET THIS KEEP HAPPENING. I refuse to. What happened to my Tommy shouldn't have ever happened. I am not trying to prove that to anyone. I don't need to. I knew him better than anyone and I knew he wasn't capable of this from the very beginning. So many people have been in doubt and thought, but what if? I simply refuse to give up. I know that Tommy Harvey wouldn't have ever given up on me had the tables been turned. That is because we knew each other so well and kept NO secrets. When either of us was in pain, we talked about it (any type of pain). You had to really know the two of us and be around us to understand what I am talking about. Those of you that didn't will always have those doubts. I’m okay with that. I don't need to make you believe. I believe and God knows that is all that matters. I have more information to back my Tommy up than any one person needs or should ever have to know. I'm not a doctor but in the past 7 & 3/4 months you'd think I should have stepped into that line of work. My research isn't complete yet. It may never be, but at the same time, I will not stop. If you just had a portion of what I have learned in your head you would be on Team Tommy 100%. Then again, God only puts the people on your path & through your journey that you will need to become successful at what you are trying to accomplish. I'm not sure why my family was picked to make this happen. I don't have any clue why the good Lord picked Tommy. I'm not sure why he picked me to do what I am doing either, but who am I to question what my destiny is? Our path is already chosen before we are born. I believe that with my whole heart. Okay, enough of the morning posts for all of you folks. I have so much love in my heart for people that I don't want any other family to experience what our family has experienced. I will keep pushing on with this until the final door closes (which I just don't think is going to happen anytime soon). Thank you all for your continued support. I hope those of you that are walking around blind through this have at least read the story in case something of this nature ever arises in your family or one of your friends lives, then you can refer back to what I was trying to say all along. I will still wish this on NO one ever. And that is why Team Tommy continues to push this story from country to country.
Have a Blessed day. Keep God in your life.
Lauralee

Below is that list of all the ways to help get Tommy's Story out to others.

http://the-tommy-harvey-story.blogspot.com
www.tommys-story.com
https://twitter.com/Tommys_Story
https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/118431578345051887098
https://www.facebook.com/TommyHarveyMemorial

Anonymous said...

Thursday, March 14, 2013 at 8:09 AM, From: Mandy

First of all, I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope God blesses and watched over your family. You asked if anyone else had a similar story. My father passed away nearly two years ago. The official cause of death was suicide, brought about by benzodiapene/opiate withdrawal syndrome. However, my dad’s story has a common thread with your husband’s. About 15 years ago, my dad had back surgery where a titanium rod was implanted to stabilize his spine. He was never the same after that. He aged 30 years in the space of just a few years. His back and hips hurt constantly. He had to retire early. And then he started taking pain medication just to function day to day. To make a long story short, he decided to go “cold turkey” off his medication and experienced a psychotic break with reality. I’ll always wonder if the back surgery was the one thing, that if it had gone differently, may have made the difference in his life.

Mandy

Unknown said...

Mandy,

Thank you so much for sharing your story. I am so sorry for your loss. My prayers to your family. We are working very hard to try and help as many people as possible. So, any help at all will help us to show others that what they might be going through could be something similar to that of someone else.... It also helps them to know they aren't alone.

So again, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.

~Lauralee

Anonymous said...

I went to JR high with Tommy in 03. I am living in SD now, but was sent a message about him passing. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe the stories. Although popular, Tommy was never one to look down on others or make fun of them. I left before 9th grade, but I always remember Tommy being such a nice person. I am glad that I have read this, not because I judged Tom or you, but because I have two sons that I would die for. My greatest condolences to you and all the family.

Unknown said...

I'm not sure who you are, but thank you for the kind words about my best friend. He was just as wonderful as a grown man as he was as a young child. Never a mean word about another person. Always respectful to everyone. I miss him with every part of my soul. I will until we're together again.
I hope you have a wonderful day & again, thank you.
~Lauralee

Maggie W. said...

Thank you so much for sharing your story. My husband of 10 years died in 2008. While he did not experience the same symptoms that Tommy did, but went through doctors always pushing pills, take one, then take another to help with symptoms from the first medication, then the snow ball effect was in full rolling mode. I know he had pain, he had 4 back surgeries his first at just barely 19. He did suffer from depression from time to time, there again more pills to 'fix' the first problem, and then more and more pills. I went as far as to call his doctor and threatened to sue them if they gave him one more pill. He died in bed next to me the night after Thanksgiving. He went to sleep and never woke up, so sounds, so movement, just went to sleep. He was on a pain patch medication, and he over dosed no fault of his own, corners report was accidental overdose. I was 31 years old when he passed, now almost 5 years later, I am raising our son only, he is 12 and knows and remembers what his dad went through. Ron was 46 when he passed.. My prayers and thoughts are being sent. Maggie

Sammie Falls said...


Sammie Falls shared Laura Lee Harvey's status.

Yesterday 6/15/2013



This is the most amazing woman I have ever known! This story is worth sharing over and over again! She has put herself, her family, friends and the tragedy of needlessly losing her soul mate out here for all to see in hopes of saving someone else the pain and anguish they all have gone through over the last 8 plus months.


Laura - You are my hero and a true inspiration! There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think if you and Tommy and what you have with each other. I feel so blessed to have known you both!!


I need to admit that I kept going to Tommy's website and found myself re-reading his story over and over again. For some reason I kept being drawn to it and didn't really understand why. That was until a couple of weeks ago. I kept going over the list of symptoms again and again trying to figure why I couldn't shake the feeling there was something really important I needed to find, but just kept missing. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks!! As you know, I have been having health issues for a long time now. It started with me being diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis over 13 years ago. Approximately 3 years after that I had to have part of my neck fused because of a compression fracture and had a titanium plate and screws put in. About 5 years later I had that plate removed and 2 new plates and screws put in. Within 2 or 3 years I started having memory issues, extreme fatigue, seeing flashes of light that seemed to hit me right between the eyes, travel threw my body making me really dizzy, and a general feeling like I had the flu or something. I felt like total crap. Living where I did in Houston I was exposed to heavy metals in the air the chemical plants in and around the area spewed into the air. Since we moved away to Seattle I have steadily felt better. We still don't know why I had all of the symptoms I did but after talking to my neurologist and sharing Tommy's story with him, he told me that it is a very real possibility my symptoms were due to all the heavy metals I was exposed to in the air combined with the metal in my body. He took some blood samples and had it tested and it was positive. He compared the levels to what they were when I lived in Houston and they had dropped significantly. Now that I was away from the constant exposure the heavy metal levels in my body are starting to decrease so I'm feeling better. He will continue to monitor the heavy metal levels in my body to ensure they stay low. If it wasn't for your never ending persistence getting Tommy's story out there I might never have put it all together. I love you so much! Thank you just falls short of how grateful I am that you never gave up!!! XXOO

Margaret Welwood said...

Thank you for sharing this. As you said, if it can save even one person . . .

Unknown said...

Thank you very much for writing down your story! Its so sad to read that your tommy died in such a way!
I think I will show this story to my uncle! He had 7 month ago a hip surgery( but I dont know if they use metal) he feels actually not so well,he got bad headaches and he cant sleep propperly and other things! His doc gives him several different types of pills but thats it!

I will show him your story and hope he goes to the doc and tells him about this! And I hope they look at his blood, just to make shure it is not from this surgery, or if, they can do something!
Thank you very much for your story and I wish you and your family all the best!

Anonymous said...

Laura, i am truly sorry to hear what has happened to your family.i can feel the life love pain and suffering in every word of your story...to lose a soulmate issomething words can not express...your one of the strongest ppl ive ever read about you are one of lifes true fighter and such a loving soul...you reaching out to help others is an amazing act of purity. your husband endured great pain that no one should have to go threw. i pray for your family and hope that doctprs and medical companies see it in themselves to genuinely read this and realize no amount of profit is worth a life...i wish only the best for you and thank u for being strong enough to send awareness no matter what it takes you are truly amazing...keep fighting...lives have been changed by your words and i know that no thank you could ever make your lufe complete again but without your words so much would be lostso many lives...there for you are owed. i will put this story out therethe realization of devasation thats caused by medical industries needs to be seen acknowledged. sorry for the pain and hurt u have endured of all you two souls shouldve been helped and been able to live your lives full of happiness..true fighters are what makes a difference in this world...doll you ARE what makes a difference in this world. your bravery had saved more then u could ever know..thank you and never stop fighting for what is right.

Unknown said...

Below is the current list of countries on the BlogSpot! This does not include the website.

1) United States
2) Canada
3) Germany
4) Norway
5) South Korea
6) Morocco
7) Madagascar
8) Peru
9) Malaysia
10) Egypt
11) Greece
12) Italy
13) Netherlands
14) New Zealand
15) Singapore
16) Pakistan
17) Colombia
18) Australia
19) Austria
20) Guam
21) Bulgaria
22) Denmark
23) United Kingdom
24) Japan
25) Russia
26) Djibouti
27) Finland
28) Hungary
29) Kazakhstan
30) South Africa
31) Latvia
32) Belgium
33) Croatia
34) United Arab Emirates
35) Venezuela
36) India
37) Sweden
38) France
39) Turkey
40) Philippines
41) Ireland
42) Spain
43) Poland
44) Brazil
45) Switzerland
46) Mexico
47) Romania
48) Sri Lanka
49) Saudi Arabia
50) Qatar
51) Indonesia
52) Serbia
53) Kenya
54) Argentina
55) Algeria
56) Ghana
57) Slovenia
58) Kuwait
59) Slovakia
60) Zimbabwe
61) Bosnia
62) Herzegovina
63) Ethiopia
64) Dominican Republic
65) Uganda
66) Jamaica
67) Lithuania
68) Oman
69) Portugal
70) Tunisia
71) Saint Kitts and Nevis
72) Thailand
73) Georgia
74) Albania
75) Bosnia and Herzegovina
76) Costa Rica
77) Nigeria
78) Taiwan
79) Iceland
80) Israel
81) Cambodia
82) Ukraine
83) Tanzania

Anonymous said...

I am sorry for your loss, but I guess I don't understand why he wasn't in the ER many times if he was feeling like that. I would of been there demanding to have blood work and lots of other things done and would not of left until they did all those things. The way he was feeling wasn't normal and someone should have known that.

Unknown said...

Thank you for your comment. When Tommy was having the different symptoms throughout the time span from his surgeries until his passing, he did mention them to his doctors. They didn't seem at all concerned and told them it was just something that he would learn to live with because of the new hardware added to his body. At first the symptoms mentioned were NOT so close together and he didn't realize that some of them were even related to an allergic reaction. It wasn't until they all started to come on more often that we were more concerned. If we had known there could have been a reaction we would have taken him to the ER. It is something I will have to live with for the rest of MY life. We did make him an appointment a few days before he passed away. He just never made it to that day. If I could go back, I would have been in the ER the day he told me about the hallucination, instead of waiting for a doctor to tell me it was all probably related to the metals in his body. Since then I have met and talked to many people that this has happened to and they have told me that Tommy's Story has probably saved their lives. Again, thank you for your comment.

akansha said...

Thanks laura for sharing your personal detail and it can help some one.thanks again for sharing.
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Patriciathegrandma@blogspot.com said...

Why didn't someone demand the doctors to check blood levels? My doctors check mine for simple reasons. I think in a situation like this I would have demanded to have blood work done every so often