Valley Health War Memorial Hospital Internal Medicine 3774 Valley Road, Berkeley Springs, WV 25411

"I've been going to Dr. Hashem for 30 yrs now. I won't go to another group until he is too old to see me, and then I will see Brenda until she refuses to see me. These 2 wonderful healthcare providers saved my life by not giving up when other doctors did. I heard this often "I don't know what's wrong with you. Or you have to get diagnosed to be seen here" My ENT said to my face, "Your throat and nasal cavity are slowly dissolving, but I've never seen this before. I've seen similar in 20yr Coke users. Do you do it?" I went for 3 more years, Dr. Hashem said he was the best ENT in our area and that I should ignore his drug comments. I did so because he did the surgery I needed, up through my nose and down the back of my throat, and once he was done, I felt betterfor@ 2wks. This no-name disease/virus/bacteria/cancer or whatever it is no one could tell me was killing me and my relationship with my wi My infectious disease doctor put me on new meds every week. I'd take one for 7 days. If there is no change in how I felt, it changed. No one knew what I had or what it might be so medicine roulette it was. Some of it did nothing at all, and some did horrible things to my body like turn it against itself and I'd vomit for hours making the things that hurt, hurt 5x more, One medication I took was awful. Amphotericin is green and looked like antifreeze & felt like battery acid going in my veins. I had to be given different meds before I got it because it's such a nasty medicine that it makes your muscles constrict to the point they feel like they are snapping. Next was I.V's of Vancomycin. The only thing I worried about with it was taking so much of it for so long. I was taking it twice a day for a total of 8 weeks at 4000mg a day. What worried me is I might not be able to use vancomycin again in the future if I built a resistance to it now. This was the only antibiotic I had heard of that worked on penicillin-resistant infections, But once again, Dr. Hashem sorted me out, soothed my fears, and got me appts with doctors at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Oh, who had agreed to see me without a diagnosis. Unlike the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins and several others that would not help me figure out why I was in so much pain nor why my throat and sinus cavity were slowly, but faster than I wished it to be, rotting away. I had already lost my teeth; half had shattered while slept and/or ate, the other half, I had a dentist pull'em to stop the pain of broken teeth adding to the pain I already endured every minute of the day the last 7.5 years. Dr. Hashem got me set up with a new ENT and a new infectious disease doctor, who also set up appts with other doctors. ENT took me away first for a once over, then while the ENT set up a surgery suite to get a clearer picture of the problem and clean me out again, for the 15th time, The infectious disease doctor was next, and she took photos samples, and blood. Then after 12 months of 0 answers, the Top Docs on my case unlocked it so all M.D" in their groups, and after 8 long years of constant pain, having to use dentures, my epiglottis rotted off, most of the back of my throat and sinus cavity eaten by fungal infections. Then 1 of the Fellows (Dr.) a 5' Korean lady whose name is spoken at all my Thanksgivings, took a look at my info and knew it was Rhinoscleroma. It's found in places of poverty, with people living on top of each other with goats or sheep as well (I was in Iraq; @1yr , I was home 6 months b4 getting sick) It takes @9months to mature enough to be a problem and is easily misdiagnosed as common ENT issues at 1st. (Had them. After nearly 9 full years of dealing with the mystery illness,it took 1 Korean lady Dr. 23minto figure it out and start the proper meds 6 months later I was playing outside with tour dog. Dr. Hashem never stopped looking for a treatment or for someone who might be able to help me get better, and he got me fixed. 11 years later, I have 3 10yrolds and the same wife as 17yrs ago. I never would have guessed I'd have lived thru it all! And have a great family!!"

"Competent & caring. Have been a patient for 4 years"

"The fitness center has some of the sweetest and most welcoming people."