35: Medical

This week I started my NAD+ routine. I received a package in the mail containing three vials of NAD+ (freeze dried powder) and three vials of reconstituting liquid. Also three long hypodermic needles with which to suck the liquid out of bottle one (reconstituting liquid) and into the NAD+ vial. There are a bunch of alcohol swabs and an additional thirty needles for the actual subcutaneous injection. It’s a damn good thing I’ve still got my (alleged) mental capacity, because - unless you’re a skilled nurse - it’s a little complicated. But I got one bottle properly reconstituted, and gave myself my first injection. I can’t say I felt any positive effect. But I’ll keep up. It’s early yet - for both the exosome and the NAD+ to show any signs of helping.

But here’s the thing - I had a phone conversation yesterday - and I’ll go into further detail later on this - in which I articulated that I’m not actually looking for any short term help. I’m looking to not get any worse, so when the cure comes (and it will come, despite the very real threat of all funding for research being cut under this short-sighted and cruel administration’s agenda to defund everything but tax cuts for the most wealthy) I will be in a state where it will help. I can’t imagine how awful it would be to sink so far into the disease that the cure would make me static in a state that is untenable. So despite the tremendous financial burden and time put in, my litmus is always to not be any worse. And that’s a sad state of affairs, friends. In some ways, that’s still succumbing to a fear based life, which I really don’t want to do. And yet, I maintain that all of that effort is completely worth it. I can see no tangible change, and therefore what I’m doing is working. It’s a perverse logic, I know, but that’s what I’ve got.

So… The phone call: I mentioned earlier in this blog that I had purchased a 40Hz light. This one. I use it nearly every night. It’s a passive device - not like the one I got from the Northeastern folks from the trial that I use every morning without fail (well, I’ve failed a few times!) along with my daily focused listening - that I’ve been reporting on for the past months. I know I promised to tone down the music reviews, but I am going to keep you up to date with the listening I’m doing because it’s therapeutic. And if anything is really worth you checking out, I’ll let you know. This has been a rather underwhelming week including some great disappointments (looking right at you Mr. Wilson).

For those of you who are interested, here it is:

Futuropaco - Fortezza di Vetro, Vol. 2 (2025)

Steven Wilson - The Overview (2025)

God Is An Astronaut - Live At Dunk!Fest, 2023

All Them Witches - Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA 10/5/14 - (Bootleg)

But still, it’s an essential part of my day. And I digress, yet again. The Beacon 40 light folks contacted me and asked if they could do a check in call - for marketing purposes mostly - and offered a second light (which syncs to the first so that you can extend the range of the treatment, which is good for me because the space I use it in is just on the border of the recommended distance for use). I spoke with a very nice person from the company, who asked about my needs, why I chose the device and whether or not I found it helpful. The interesting thing here is that she asked me whether or not I took any over the counter supplements. Completely forgetting about my daily dose of lion's mane, I mentioned my Sister-In-Law’s herbal tinctures and teas as the only oral supplements I took. She was curious as to why, and that’s when I came up with what I said above - I’m not really looking for that. Unless someone is offering some sort of regenerative therapy (NAD+, Exosome and Lions Mane fall into that area) I’m not interested. The music and lights and word puzzles and PEMF and writing are giving me (and I KNOW this to be true) all the immediate brain stimulation I need. At some time, surely, that will change. And I will deal with that when it does.

The reason for her question, it turns out, is that the company is investigating inroads into supplements. I told her that I was always interested in slowing or stopping the disease, and if anything they came up with even hinted at that, I’d be on board in a hot minute. I’m certainly not implying that this is the best course of action - just that this is what I’ve chosen for myself. They are also looking into other forms of light therapy devices - and I sent them the information about my clinical trial and outlined my daily use of the lights (and showed it off). Finally, we agreed to reconnect in a few months for another follow up.

Beyond all that, it’s been another frustrating week of cancelled appointments, long hold times and reminders of just how frustrating the medical industry is. It’s all working out in the end, but the effort it takes is just ridiculous. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for those who don’t have a Wendy covering their six. Leqembi infusion number 15 went off without a hitch. Vein pop on the first attempt! I will say that I felt a bit dizzier than normal and my blood pressure went through the roof. But I’m fine now. I’ve added Hydrochlorothiazide back into my routine and my blood pressure was pretty decent this morning. I’m still freezing cold all the time, but yesterday was quite nice, and Wendy and I took the grandson out for a walk. Well, we walked and he rode his scooter. Until he didn’t want to any more, and then we carried it while he ran. The perks of a (nearly) four year old. But it was nice to get outside for a change and not feel like I was being sliced open by razors because I was so cold.

Thanks for sticking with me!
Dy