I had some of the most toxic chemotherapy one could have to rid myself of Mantle Cell Lymphoma in 2015. Seven of the most brutal drugs infused into me with significant side effects attached, not to mention other medications and treatments. I walked away from that experience with very few complications. It has been really miraculous.
Later on I will explain why I have a picture of goats. Bear with me – the explanation is coming…..
However, sometimes things are below the surface that aren’t apparent right away, or found in standard medical tests. Several years ago – I started working with a Functional Medicine doctor to see if there were things going on below the “obvious” in my body because of the harsh chemo I had. I figured something had to be damaged or changed in some way because those drugs carry several serious complications with them. One of the many tests done was for allergy and food sensitivities. The results came back 0 for everything. I didn’t have even the slightest reaction to any of the several hundred items. That is unheard of and because of this – he thought the chemotherapy I had for the MCL wiped out my antibodies (AKA immunoglobulins) and therefor there were no antibodies to react to anything.
Antibodies are proteins made by certain white blood cells that help protect the body against “invaders” such as viruses, bacteria, pollen, pet dander, etc. Some of these substances are not harmful per se, but the body thinks they are and mounts an attack against them – the antibodies go into overdrive to attack the “invader” and an allergic reaction will happen. There are 5 classes of antibodies (or immunoglobulins) IGA, IGD, IGE, IGG and IGM. IGG is the most common/numerous one that binds to infective agents or allergens which then helps identify them as problematic so that the body can mount a response and get rid of the problem. In testing me for presence of these antibodies we found very low levels of IGG as well as IGA, IGD and IGE. My IGM was normal and somehow not affected.
So without much IGG – my body doesn’t do the best job of identifying harmful substances that try to enter my body. Not having much IGG leaves me open to serious infections that otherwise would be easy to rid my body of. The infections have more time to take hold before my body realizes I have to mount a reaction. From February of 2019 through February of 2020 I had the flu 3 times, a sinus infection, a UTI and several other upper respiratory viruses. It was horrible. I was sick more than I was well that year. Now from March 2020 until now (March 2021) I have not had so much of a sniffle because of all the COVID precautions I and most other people have been doing. No one I knew had a cold/flu/bronchitis/sinus infection. Maybe for subsequent flu seasons we need to keep going with the precautions so we’re not sick all winter like we usually are? If I have to wear a mask around other people in crowded places to not get sick I’ll do it. Gladly.
So I knew I had a compromised immune system but although I was sick all the time, I would come out of it fine although it would take me longer and I would get sick often. Once my body recognized the invaders it was strong enough to mount a good response. At leaset that part of my immunity was working well. Every so often I would test my immunoglobulins/antibodies and they would continue to be low except for IGM.
With COVID and the vaccine being distributed I started to ask myself if I were to take the vaccine would it even work on me since they work by “tricking” your body to think the vaccine component is COVID-19 and so when you are actually exposed to COVID-19 your body now recognizes it as an invader and attacks it before it can take hold. And what primarily mounts this response is IGG. That’s how most vaccines work. So the question is – if I don’t have much IGG will it work on me?
This question led me to a recent consult with an immunologist. Based on previous testing and my history – he diagnosed me with CVID (not COVID) which is Common Variable Immunodeficiency Disorder. So now I have a diagnosis of a situation that I have been essentially walking around with since I finished chemo in August of 2015. It’s one of those “invisible” disorders. I look fine in person and looking at standard medical tests they come up normal but when you dig that one layer deeper – you find that I am a significantly immunocompromised person that can’t fight off infections like “normal” adults can. This is a scary diagnosis.
Oh and people with CVID are more likely to develop lymphoma. This is ironic given the treatment successfully given to me for lymphoma can cause lymphoma.
The Immunologist wants to see me for a full workup and in person exam (the consult was through telemedicine). He also said that ANY vaccine that I may have had as a child may be null and void. He will test to see if that is the case. He said I am prime for getting pneumonia, sepsis and any other miserable infection you can think of. It makes what I went through in 2019 that much more amazing since although I kept getting sick – it always stayed neck and above (upper respiratory) – didn’t go into my chest and become lower respiratory. And he did recommend any type of COVID vaccine although he said in me it probably wouldn’t be very effective. So why would I get it if I have to still live my life like COVID is a major risk for me?
Once he confirms my suspected diagnosis – the treatment for people like me could include monthly infusions of gamma globulins for the REST OF MY LIFE. Once you have a medical situation where they say you need to do thus and such for the rest of your life to live normally it knocks the wind out of your sails. It’s hard to accept this and I am hoping for a miracle that somehow my body starts making the immunoglobulins I need again and I won’t need to get this significant medical intervention. It will also allow me to live normally in the world after COVID, when things get back to a more normal state. But if not – I will be one of those people that herd immunity protects. I will be one of those people that needs to wear a mask when around other people. I will be one of those people that may not be able to be in crowded situations with lots of people such as indoor concerts, parties and restaurants. Outdoors could be a different story. That is unless I can get my immunoglobulins (primarily IGG into the normal range). In one way or another.
OK so HERE is where the adorable goats come in. I know you’ve been wondering. There is a substance called colostrum that is produced in the first few days after a baby is born, that is a component of breast milk. This colostrum contains the antibodies/immunoglobulins that I’ve been speaking about. It seeds the baby’s immune system after birth and helps to build up its immunity in the first few days/months of its life. Then the baby’s body takes over to produce them. This is one reason why there is a big push to breastfeed, at least in the beginning – for the immune system benefits. Goat milk/colostrum is the most similar to human mother’s milk of any animal. This goat colostrum contains plentiful IGG in it. People supplement with goat colostrum for the immune building benefits and there are those who have taken it who say they used to get sick all the time and since taking it they haven’t been sick since. These are situations that are pre-COVID so that the lack of sickness during COVID precaution times is not a factor. I am going to try this. If it works then I just saved myself from monthly infusions and from becoming deathly ill to something that would normally not be so serious otherwise. I will test myself before and after to see if my IGG levels have moved upwards.
I am a person who is 95% plant-based (for ethical reasons originally and then health reasons as well) and the only animal products I consume are occasional ghee, yogurt and goat cheese. Not in large quantities by any means but enough to give me fats and protein that sometimes I lack (also shown through bloodwork). I do supplement with plant proteins and eat high protein plant foods like beans, legumes and nuts but sometimes it’s still not enough for my particular biochemistry. While I don’t love the fact of having to add another animal product into my diet, I feel as if I have no choice but to try it. I’ve made sure it’s produced as ethically and “cleanly” as possible and the animals live a well taken care of life. These issues are important to me. If my bloodwork one day shows that I can sustain without any animals products in my diet at all then that’s the day I stop.
So I am going to try this and see if it moves the needle. I’ll report back on progress after my visit with the immunologist next month after I get my results for all the deep dive testing. I often use myself to experiment on certain things such as supplements, foods, intermittent fasting and the ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet. This will be interesting to see what happens.
But for now, as an immunocompromised person I need to take the COVID precautions seriously. I am one of those people not only being protected by my own actions but by the actions of others. By the others in the “herd”. Herd immunity helps people like me. Sometimes our issues are not visible to the public but they are there. And there are many more of us than you realize. Sometime I wonder if the seemingly healthy people who had a devastating response to COVID could’ve had CVID as well and didn’t realize it yet? That’s a thought for another time…
Wishing you good health and a great life-
Sheryl
