Previously, I wrote a post pointing out several suspicious sites that were offering natural cures for shingles, GERD, ulcers and genital warts, all written by the same person. It was ranking pretty well on Google for about a week or so, and then suddenly my rankings vanished. I couldn’t find it anywhere on Google, no matter how many different combinations of relevant keywords I used. Meanwhile this motherf-, excuse me, this dude continues to litter the first page search results for the same keywords.

Ahhh, Google, that ever eternal gatekeeper for quality content on the Internet.

I’m just trying to do a good thing here, trying to help people avoid getting ripped off, and then these anal Googlie Wooglie fartbags had to go breaking my blogging balls.

Ironically enough I stumbled across yet another version of those “natural cure for shingles” sites, this one on the same simpleshinglescure domain, but with the page title saying “Natural Cure for Acid Reflux,” and the author here is an Aaron D. Smith, rather than the Aaron E. Smith shown on the other sites. Different picture too. So there are two Aaron Smiths now? Both hawking cures for shingles?

I have a headache.

Update 10/6/08: I received an email tip that strongly suggests this scammer may be operating out of Singapore.  In addition, one of the aliases being used, Aaron Smith, is an actual real person living in Australia.  He is NOT the scammer, but is in fact a victim of identity theft unfortunately bearing the brunt of harassment by those who have been swindled and believed him to be the actual perpetrator.  DO NOT CONTACT HIM if you managed to find his contact info, as he is NOT the one running these scams.

Update 8/30/08: The Washington State Attorney General’s Office recently visited this site, indicating that the complaints about the spammer are at least being read.  I don’t know if they’ll take action since the Washington address itself may be fake, but it’s good to see they’re at least looking into the matter.

Updates: I received several helpful email tips about the following sites in question, including:

1. That the “pictures” of Aaron Smith vary with each site.

2. That he is apparently based in the Sydney suburb of Cronulla (Australia).

3. There is a known glitch on his sites where you can download all the eBooks without paying for it. (Simply add “/download.htm” after the root address of any of his sites, and the link to directly download the eBook can be obtained.

4. The scammer also uses “Sharon Kresler/Sharon Cresler” as an alias to sell “natural cures” for diseases that afflict women in particular.

There seems to be an insane number of these types websites, all with the same modus operandi, all touting natural cures for various types of diseases, but what’s truly sad about it all is that this only reflects the work of one possible scammer.

As always, exercise due diligence before spending your precious money online. A simple Google search was enough for me to uncover the suspicious nature of dozens (if not hundreds) of these eBook sites.

Original Article:

I was googling around for information on acid reflux, and what kind natural remedies there might be to alleviate some of the symptoms, when I stumbled on to this site.

The author promises a natural cure in less than one week using nothing more than common grocery items. Sounds awesome! Here’s a short quote where he introduces himself:

Hello, my name is Aaron Smith and I’ve been exactly where you are now. I’ve experienced GERD and the feelings of extreme pain, burning, nausea, depression and anxiety that often accompany this condition.

But wait a minute, he has another site, this time relaying his problems with ulcers:

My name is Aaron Smith and for about 2 ½ years I suffered from the pain and discomfort of ulcers every single day of my life. At first, I lived with the pain by taking over-the-counter antacids - lots of them! If you saw me during that time of my life, you would have sworn I owned stock in the big antacid companies. I was popping Tums and Rolaids like they were candy and using Maalox and Mylanta to wash them down - that’s how bad it was!

But wait a minute, he has yet another site, this time sharing his story on how he cured his problem with shingles:

You see my name is Aaron Smith, I live at 300 Elliott Ave, Seattle, WA, USA and I have been exactly where you are. I had Shingles for 3 Months - and they were the most painful months of my life… which is why I was so lucky that I stumbled upon a simple, unique home treatment that I used to heal my shingles in 6 days.

But wait a minute, he has yet ANOTHER site, this time touting a natural cure for genitals warts. I won’t even link to this one because of the graphic images contained therein.

Well I smell a rat, how ’bout you?

Either this guy is one of the most unfortunate (and subsequently LUCKIEST bastages ever) to have endured all these major illnesses only to cure them all with simple grocery related remedies, or he is one scumbag of a scammer trying to rip you off.

I vote on the later.

Each site hawks an eBook that you have to pay 25 bucks or more for, even though they probably contain nothing more than the words “SUCKERS!! HAHAHAHAHAH!!”

If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s these blood sucking pieces of amphibian crapballs who have the gall to try scamming those afflicted with serious physical problems, desperately searching for relief. May the Egyptian plagues of old descend upon them.

After tracing the domains, it appears that all the websites have been registered and hosted via Go Daddy. I’ve sent them an email complaint along with a list of the websites. Hopefully they’ll get back to me and these sites will soon be taken down. If not, then I’m dumping their affiliate program, and they can just find somebody else to pimp their services for them.

Update: I received a response from GoDaddy, but they will not do anything about these websites and indicated the burden of ascertaining whether these sites were scams or not belongs to law enforcement.

I dunno, I guess it’s possible that one guy managed to find a natural cure for ulcers, GERD, shingles, genital warts and more, all in one week’s time and using nothing more than common grocery items. Stranger things have happened, right?

For now I would strongly suggest you not do business with any of these websites. In the meantime I’ve dropped Go Daddy’s affiliate program, since they seemed to show little concern over the issue.

The week is finally drawing to a close, and I’m stuck here at work for a few more hours with no one to talk to, and no one to chat with on my instant messaging list. Evidently the rest of the world had already made plans for Friday night that didn’t include me.

What a week too. From problems at work to struggling with my acid reflux problem, I’ve seen better days for sure. January was largely a crappy month, and so far 2007 is shaping up to be yet another crappy ass year. I’m fighting to change that though, but some days I feel like I’m not making any headway.

It always seems to be this time of week where my depression suddenly descends over me like a dark cloud, and I feel the full weight of the world on my shoulders. I guess I can understand why though, because of my work schedule I’m usually working Friday nights by myself at the office, so while everyone has an early jump on their weekend, I’m pretty much left here all by my lonesome.

It is then that a deep melancholy settles in when I realize I won’t be getting any calls from any good friends, nor will there be any surprise drop-ins from a loved one just to keep me company. I am a forgotten man.

How did it get to this point? I blame it largely on my health, which has deteriorated over the years because I’m not man enough to deal with my stress the right way. Sure, I’ve had some hard times in the past, even awful times. But I’ve only prolonged my misery by not rolling with the punches. I just let myself be beaten down by life, and it’s a miracle that I would still have some willpower left over to get up off the mat and try again.

But this time I fear I may already be down for the count. This acid reflux issue has me thinking I’ll never be healthy again, not without risking major surgery, and it’s completely draining my resolve. Only God can pull me out of the abyss, and it remains to be seen whether I’ve exhausted all of His grace to no longer be worthy of His aid, or whether His mercy will save me yet again.

I’m tired. I want to go home and sleep, sleep until I can dream those dreams where my life had taken a completely different path than the one it’s on now. A life where where I learn how to make good friends and keep them. A life where I finally meet my soulmate and better half. A life where I can and do make a difference. Such dreams are lovely, dark and deep…

…but I have miles to go before I can sleep.

I finally found a use for the Restatements of Torts and Contracts that I bought to help prep for law school.

I put some of the books between my mattresses to boost my bed at an angle, which should help with my acid reflux.

It seems fitting too, because I simply don’t give a crap about law school anymore until my chronic acid reflux/heartburn is completely healed. I’m beginning to realize attending law school this year is going to take a miracle anyway, beginning with my health problems going away, dropping all the excess weight I’ve been carrying around, and seeing all the pieces fall into place, from my class schedules to being able to prep enough material in advance of school. Then of course there’s the money involved. I have tentatively decided I will not attend law school until and unless every dime of it is already paid for. Ironically enough I would probably end up being more useful to the human race being debt free and without a law degree, than I would be if I were a newly minted attorney who also happened to have a $100,000 loan he’ll have to repay for the next 30 years.

Oh well. I believe in miracles, so it can all certainly happen in time for autumn, but if not, I could always fall back on my original career plan: winning the lottery.

There’s nothing more frustrating than having to fight an illness that manifests itself for no other reason than because I was a stupid dumbass.

For years I developed the extremely bad habit of eating too much, at too late an hour, so much that when I went to bed I could feel the stomach juices sloshing around as my digestive system bravely tried to make sense of the mess I just inhaled. I knew it was unhealthy, everyone else reminded me that it was unhealthy, and yet still I kept doing it. Over the years it was clear that I was an emotional eater, taking solace in the joys of chowing down during those times when everything else in my life amounted to crap. Which was usually most of the time.

Food was my companion. It was my friend. When I dined in a restaurant, alone as I usually did, the food would always be there to lift my spirits.

But now food has betrayed me. Or rather, I betrayed myself. During the past few months I’ve been suffering daily heartburn and acid reflux, though fortunately not the kind that makes me scream in agony the minute it hits me. Still, it was the bothersome kind that created a dull burning sensation in my chest everytime I ate. And yet, unbelievably, until only recently I ignored it. I just figured it would quickly go away once I dropped a few pounds. But then I continued to eat and eat, which would make any rational person wonder: when exactly would I knock it off and drop those few pounds like I promised myself I would do?

Eventually I had to come to terms with my eating life. I had been so used to getting pre-prepared foods either from the market or from the drive-thru, that I was completely unaccustomed to cooking and preparing my own meals. It was a skill I was going to have to relearn if I was going to nip this problem in the bud and prevent similar problems in the future.

In the meantime I still had to deal with my heartburn, which has now progressed into giving me that wonderful “globus sensation,” the feeling that there is something stuck in my throat. It is a GODAWFUL feeling, almost as if someone were gently choking me, and I feel it all day long. The good thing is that I can still swallow and breathe easily, though I noticed after I get up in the mornings and blow my nose, a little bit of dried blood comes out. It’s obvious the reflux is aggravating my sinus areas as well, though the damage is only minor (compared to the horror stories I’ve heard from other people who suffered acid reflux problems). I’ve used Mylanta, Pepto-Bismol, Tums along with certain supplements I got from the Vitamin Shoppe to try to alleviate the symptoms, but they’ve only had a minimal impact on the heartburn issues.

It’s funny how quickly one remembers God the minute we get physically ill. I knew I had to repent and confess my sins, and I suspected God was allowing this to happen to shake some sense into me. I only hope it’s not too late, since chronic acid reflux can be a sign of GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), which is usually due to the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) no longer closing properly to keep the acid from entering the esophagus. If that’s what I have, and the LES doesn’t eventually straighten itself out, I am so screwed. I’d have to rely on medicating myself one way or another ad infinitum, or having major surgery done to artificially correct the LES so it closes properly again.

It’s been suggested that losing weight may eventually clear up these problems, so I’m hoping if I drop enough pounds and enough time passes, my digestive system might return to normal. It will require my finally abandoning my gluttonous ways, finding a new and healthier way to eat, and eventually finding an exercise regimen that I can actually stick with. And then, should I be able to accomplish all that and be rewarded for it all by still having problems with heartburn, then like I said before: I am so screwed.

I had to appeal to God for his grace and mercy. Yet it seems stupid to ask Him not to endure the consequences of my own stupidity, but I knew (at least I hope) that I was genuinely sorry for living the kind of lifestyle that I did. I regret what it did to me, and I regret it more because in this condition I am of little value and use to God, or anyone else for that matter. I needed another chance to make things right. So I prayed. And I pray continually, asking the LORD to forgive me, to give me the grace to accept this burden that I brought on myself, and for Him to eventually heal my digestive system.

In my heart I knew that conventional medicine would not bring the cure I was looking for. For people who suffer chronic acid reflux or GERD, the host of treatments available generally only masks the symptoms rather than cure the disease. Of all the drugs out there designed to treat GERD, the most powerful are called PPI drugs (proton pump inhibitors), such as Nexium. They function by basically shutting down the stomach’s ability to produce acid, which in turn alleviates heartburn. All well and good, except that we kinda need that acid. The stomach acid is what breaks down foods for digestion, and yet the typical doctor/pharmaceutical industry’s answer to curing heartburn is to turn off that very acid, the one thing that makes it possible for us to absorb the essential nutrients we so desperately need. Brilliant. And yet despite the warning on the label indicating that such drugs should not be used for more than a couple of months, I’ve heard of people who have been using them for YEARS.

There has to be a better way. I believe with all my heart that if God wanted to, He could cure me, but there’s something I need to learn in this before that happens. Scripture warns of us catering to the flesh, but it also has a promise:

Galatians 6:8-9 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

In the meantime, I’m praying for the wisdom to find the best medicinal aids I can find in order to give my esophagus a chance to heal itself. As agonizing as this search has been, I’m realizing that some answers just don’t come easy without a lot of seeking, asking and knocking. It’s so against my nature to behave this diligently in seeking the help I need, but I’m left with little choice. But as I continue to search, seek and knock, I’m slowly beginning to uncover a few of the gems that God has brought to my attention, buried in the mountain of disinformation that exists on the Internet.

One, there is an orange peel extract available (called Citrus sinesis) that’s been reported to help alleviate heartburn. I just started using it last Saturday, and the effect has been amazing. My heartburns haven’t disappeared, but they were significantly reduced after just taking two capsules over three days. This thing did what gobbling and downing Tums, Mylanta and Pepto Bismol couldn’t do all put together. I’m supposed to take them every other day for 20 days, so hopefully my symptoms will improve even more by then.

Two, DGL (Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice), which can coat and soothe an esophagus suffering acid reflux, as well as promote healthy digestion. I haven’t taken it yet, but plan to tomorrow, since I heard it can also relieve the globus sensation (the lump in the throat feeling) that I’ve been getting.

Three, a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice has also been reportedly helpful. Since I’ve had a habit of flavoring my water bottles with lemon juice anyway, this will be pretty easy to add to my regimen.

Four, a garlic supplement every day. I bought this on a whim at the vitamin store, and completely forgot about it until now. It has plenty of benefits, but it’s also been reported to have positive effects against acid reflux. I have a feeling about it, so I’m going to start taking it and see if it helps.

Five, of course would be to lose the weight. LOSE THE WEIGHT. GOD**** MOTHER****ING LOSE THE WEIGHT. It’s destroying my health, not to mention that a) I have no energy because of the extra baggage I carry around, b) no women on this planet will ever possibly love me because of it, c) no fancy clothes will look good on me, and d) I will forever and truly be deprived of a normal, active lifestyle until I get up off my fat ass and STOP trying to slowly commit suicide, which is what I’ve been doing for far too long.

So now, the climb out of the deep and dark abyss begins. Only question is, am I too far down to get out?

I finished cleaning up my blog and watching my shows, so I’m left here surfing the Internet to nowhere in particular. I can still feel that annoying lump in my throat (caused by my acid reflux) and an occasional heartburn, all of which has considerably darkened my mood. Yet as late as it is, I have no desire to go to bed, even though I really am tired, and the only time I get relief from my acid reflux issues is when I finally turn in. It’s also the time where I get a chance to fantasize about the girl of my dreams, conjuring up all kinds of scenarios on how we might first meet, fall in love, and develop that “perfect” relationship.

But for right now, I have only the glow of my monitor to keep me company. It’s times like this when the reality of my solitary existence really hits me, yet once upon a time I actually used to like being alone. I could do what I wanted to, when I wanted to, and I didn’t have to worry about accommodating or considering other people’s feelings. My life was my own.

But ever since my best friend and I have parted ways, I also have no one to talk to either. No one to my share life experiences with, watch a movie with, have dinner with, or just hang out with. Part of it has just been the circumstances of life, but part of it has been my own doing as well. Now that I’m in the process of picking up the pieces of my broken life and trying to put it back together again, I’m hoping this time around things will be different. But I also know it takes time to build relationships and friendships, and wisdom to know how to build them with the right kind of people. I don’t know if I even have what it takes anymore to get out there and connect with the world again. But I do know I can’t live the rest of my life as a virtual hermit either.

So what to do? Just take it one day at a time, I guess.