To whom it may concern:

 Candy Mercer has asked to write a letter of recommendation, and I am more  than happy to do so.

First, let give you background on myself.  When was very young, I injured my left knee in a horse-riding accident The resulting nerve damage to the knee meant that it was much easier for me to twist or wrench my knee. As a result, over the years, I reinjured my knee many times, creating more stress on my other knee and both ankles. As a freshman in college, I began experiencing arthritis in both knees. Around this time, I sprained one ankle badly, so was on crutches for several weeks. By my sophomore year, my joints were so bad that I would literally collapse without warning, falling to the ground.

Physical therapy helped some, but I continued to experience frequent pain and weakness in my knees and my ankles and I  also began developing chronic back pain. Over the years, back pain worsened. In law school, I tried physical therapy, massage, painkillers…all would provide a few days of relief, but then the pain would return.

After law school I began to develop numbness in my hands. At first, I chalked it up carpal tunnel from too much work on the computer, but it grew worse.  I got to the point that I was dropping things-keys, glasses, etc.-because my hands simply would not close. So here I was at 25, arthritis, chronic back pain, and some unidentified problem with my hands.

That was when I met Candy Mercer. Initially I assumed she might be able to grant a few hours or days of relief from the tension and pain, but nothing more  than what you’d get from a competent  massage therapist. The first time she worked on me was an amazing experience. Rather than focusing on the points I said were in pain, she evaluated my entire body, trying to determine the underlying causes for these problems, Due to her training and close observation, she was able to pinpoint problems I had not even mentioned to her. For example, I had told her about knee and back problems, but I had not mentioned the growing problems with my hands because I assumed were nerve-related. When she worked on my shoulders and armpit area, she said, 'Your tissues are horribly contracted. Do you have any numbness in your hands?' I responded with surprise that I did. She then asked if I had ever been on crutches, explaining this could cause the contraction. I responded that I had. After that one session, all the numbness in my hands disappeared. I cannot tell you the relief I felt. As for my knees and back the difference was amazing. The arthritis I had suffered from for 7 years was gone, and it has not returned in the years since that first session. I am sill careful not to stress the originally-injured knee, and my back gives me the occasional twinge, but I feel better than I have since I was 16.

A year later I was in a minor car accident. A few hours after tie fender-bender, my neck and left shoulder began to hurt. The pain increased quickly, growing severe. Candy worked on me for approximately 3 hours a few days later.  I slept for several hours after she finished, and when I awoke, the pain was gone. Some minor pain appeared in the shoulder the next day and persisted for a few weeks. Candy worked on me again, and I have had no problems with the shoulder since.

Feel free to call   me 512/ 484-8821 if you have any questions. I have found Candy Mercer to be an amazing woman. I have encouraged family, friends, and coworkers to approach her regarding their problems, and they have all been more than happy with their results

Sincerely,

Judith McGeary