In Limbo

“It was time to raise the bar higher, or lower if you’re doing limbo.”

~ Tre Cool

Thank God and thank Germany we received an extension! Christine and I remain in our little room above a garage in a Bavarian village close to Milz-Bieber clinic, where she had another FMT treatment (still restricted in the USA).

Thank you to so, so many who ask how Christine is, who pray for His healing hand, and who send positive thoughts to her. We have until August 30th to figure out how and where to access reliable healthcare for Christine.

We are in limbo as I contact clinics and hospitals worldwide to confirm whether private FMT is available. You can follow progress on reitler.com/fmt as I update my findings. Then of course we just have to find a way to get residency nearby.

These past 2 months Christine has been bedridden 95% of the time. She was able to get 1 of 2 treatments, but seizures have forced us to reschedule multiple times. The C Diff bacteria in her gut are less toxic, but never gone. C Diff Infection (CDI) hit poor Christine 9 times in 2 years, but thankfully private FMT treatments have tempered the danger since her heart stopped in Prescott July 2, 2024 (I’ll never forget).

We have left the apartment together 3 times in 2 months. Christine amazes me with her strength and spirit – she continues to taper off pain medications and adapt spinal cord stimulator (SCS) settings. The neuropathy in her legs is worse, making it hard to walk more than the one step to her commode by the bed. We experiment with different foods in her C Diff Diet as her biome and taste change often. We practice patience through constipation, migraines, pain, tremors, and more. Sweet and strong Christine is an inspiration of persistence and positivity. Thank you again, family and friends, for your love and support of this most amazing woman I’m blessed to call my wife.

Know any good movies and shows? 📽 😁 We cuddle and watch a LOT of content these days. Comment, DM or email any shows you’d love to share.

Enjoy some photos of beautiful Bavaria, including 2 days my beautiful angel pushed through and enjoyed a view outside our little room.

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• Antibiotics Increase Odds of C Diff 7x to 10x
• 1 in 5 Americans with C Diff Get Re-Infected
• C Diff Costs $5.4 Billion Annually in the USA
• 500,000 Americans Infected Annually
• 30,000 Americans DIE Each Year

In 2025, the FDA restricted FMT – the C Diff treatment with 90% efficacy.

FDA approved less effective treatments that cost $20,000. These are Rebyota by Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Vowst by Nestlé Health. Neither treatment helped Christine’s C Diff infection. Neither has the history, efficacy or safety of FMT.

• Americans lost access to safer, more effective C Diff treatment.
• FDA is restricting naturally occurring, screened feces, not drugs.
• FMT stool banks closed. Now only the rich in cities have access.
• Children under 18 with C Diff cannot take Rebyota or Vowst.
• FDA “Revolving Door” is real – regulators take Big Pharma jobs.

Tell your representative to support the Safe Step Act (H.R. 5509/S. 2903), since it’s real, current, and bipartisan, and would reduce insurer-imposed delays for therapies including FMT-adjacent products. Use Congress.gov to contact them!