The ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet was created, by Dr. Valter Longo, PhD, to correct and reset the body’s metabolic biochemistry, back to a healthy state. In addition, ProLon can stimulate the production of healthy stem cells, which then give rise to all the cells in the body.
About a month ago, I decided to go for some routine bloodwork, because, at the beginning of January, I had done another round of ProLon. After doing the initial first 3 rounds, I then wanted to keep doing it once every quarter. The week of New Year’s Day was the perfect starting time, to refresh and rejuvenate those stem cells and improve my metabolic biomarkers. Because I carry it here at my Center, it is very easy for me to do any time I need a refresh.
After doing a round of ProLon, I like to have my bloodwork checked to see how I’ve “moved the needle”back in the right direction. Because of the profound impact ProLon has on your biochemistry, it is advised that you wait at least 2 weeks from the time you complete the 5-day protocol, to let things “settle down”. And so, during the third week of January, I had the blood work drawn.
I only had a few things tested because, a month earlier I had had my annual physical, where we went fairly deep with blood work and other tests. One of the only numbers that was abnormal was my HSCRP (High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein), which is a marker for inflammation, because a month earlier, I had a really bad case of the flu. Recent viral and bacterial infections can and will inflate that number and mine was high at 4.31. I wanted to see what the impact would be of another month out from having the flu, as well as the impact of the ProLon, on my HSCRP. So, in January, we tested my CBC, IGF-1, HSCRP and my immunoglobulins (antibodies).
My results were really good, in many areas. My HSCRP went from 4.31 down to 2.6. It was going in the right direction but, I want it under 1.0. My CBC was PERFECT! Beautiful. I wanted to frame it. It is quite the achievement from 5 years ago. Next to all 20 items on the CBC was the word NORMAL. Given the diagnosis I had, almost 5 years ago, this is nothing short of miraculous. My IGF-1 was in a great place, as well, at 122. Also, PERFECT! Four out of my five immunoglobulins (antibodies) were still low however, only IGM was in the middle of the normal range. Overall, the results were good and I celebrated them. Until a week later when I got sick yet again. I am really getting sick of getting sick. It was a flu-like illness, … yet again.
There went my perfect blood work. I’m sure my CBC went out of whack, with my white blood cells fighting the infection I now had. My HSCRP was probably sky high, once again, because of the viral infection. I am three weeks out from when it hit me and I am still recovering. I am profoundly tired and still sneezing and congested. During the first week, my fever went up to 102F (which was much better than the 104F I had in November). I was achy all over, had a sore throat, not as congested, but now, all the congestion is working its way out. I lost 6 pounds because I was nauseous and could barely eat. There were a couple of times where I almost passed out. Actually, one time I did pass out but, I made it to the floor on my own before I fell. I tried to stay as hydrated as possible however, because, when you have the flu, the worst thing you can do is NOT stay hydrated and maintain the balance of your electrolytes.
So, why do I keep getting sick? The answer is that, I had very strong chemotherapy for my Stage 4 Mantle Cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma 5 years ago and that completely wiped out my immune system, including some of the stem cells. Now, it has to “regrow and relearn”. I basically have the immune system of a five-year-old. Kids are always getting sick and catching things, then they become immune to whatever they caught. My lifetime immunity was wiped out so, I have to start over again. It’s why I test where my immunoglobulins (antibodies) are at, all the time. These are the antibodies, made from certain white blood cells, that identify invaders, so your body can the attack them. Different types of antibodies recognize different invaders such as viruses, bacteria and allergens. If your body doesn’t recognize something as an invader – it will take over your body, as these flu viruses have been doing with me. My body is seeing these for the first time. Now I am immune to each one, after catching them. Next time I encounter a virus that I have already encountered previously, my body should recognize it and attack it. I have plenty of white blood cells, in which to do this, says my CBC.
I have to be more careful than most. I am in that high-risk immunity group. Until I get those antibodies back up to normal, I shouldn’t put myself in high risk situations, like restaurants, public transportation, crowded places, places with little children, and even doctor’s offices because, where do people go when they’re sick??? The doctor’s office. As the weather gets warmer, life will get easier as the level of illnesses goes down and there is more I can do outside.
I have to say that this is not only physically exhausting, but it is mentally exhausting as well. I will feel great, have great medical test results and then get terribly sick shortly afterwards. It takes me about a month to rebuild and get to some sort of normal. Then, the cycle will start again. It keeps me from living my life the way I would like to. I lose time at my business, I can’t go places where I’d like to go, I have to stop exercising, it’s hard to make future plans and I don’t like feeling out of control and helpless, when I don’t feel well. That last part is a similar feeling to when I was undergoing chemotherapy.
I guess this is the tradeoff, of saving my life 5 years ago, from what was an almost certain terminal disease for me. So, for now, this is my new normal.
