Hallwang

The time I spent at Hallwang tested me both physically and mentally. First of all, it is not an easy place to get to from Canada. A direct flight will take you into Frankfurt or a stop-over will get you to Stuttgart which is a bit closer. The location of Hallwang is beautiful...in the black forest, surrounded by big trees, nature and a tiny town. A 10 minute walk will take you to to a 2.5 km barefoot trail through forest and meadow which is truly spectacular. Unfortunately there wasn't much time for hiking or day trips a) because some of the treatments made me feel very ill and b) you are at the clinic every day for at least 3-4 hours.

We stayed in a town called Freudenstadt which is about 12 minutes away by car. It seemed as though most patients stayed at the clinic, however, that is much more expensive. Although the food is very good at Hallwang, I also liked the option of going out to different restaurants for dinner every night. This meant we had to rent a car but it was relatively cheap and allowed some flexibility.

The first day consisted of a quick tour, physical exam with one of the Oncologists, a blood draw that included 20 vials, and some infusions for liver and kidney support, antioxidents and vitamin C. It doesn't take long to settle into the regular routine which for me included showing up around 9am, having blood drawn, getting a concoction of infusions to support my immune system and then either an immunotherapy, hyperthermia or ozone therapy in the afternoon.

They are very flexible about what time you start and what treatments you have. On the first day I expected to receive a schedule showing what I would be doing for the duration of my stay but I came to learn that there are no set schedules at Hallwang. I like a plan so I ended up making my own little calendar to keep track of everything.  This also ensured that I was able to fit everything in as some treatments like hyperthermia are only available on certain days.

One thing I quickly noticed is that the staff at Hallwang are some of the most caring people I have met. There was no rushing you out of the room because they have other patients to see, all of my questions were welcome and the Oncologists provided thoughtful answers, when I called with a problem I was not re-routed to a call centre but rather a nurse answered right away. It also does not have a hospital-like feel. To be honest, I expected to see a lot of really sick people who have run out of options in their home country walking around in hospital gowns. It was not like that at all! All of the patients were so open and willing to share their stories about how thankful they were to have found such an amazing place that gives hope to so many people. I am certainly thankful I found it!