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Success with Dr. Enlander’s M.E. protocol

Dr. Derek Enlander (New York) diagnosed me with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis in January of 2013. I unfortunately wasn’t able to begin his M.E. protocol immediately because during his diagnosis phase, it was discovered that I was also in the early stages of developing prostate cancer. The cancer took an immediate precedence and six weeks into my cancer radiation treatments I suffered a stroke, which left me extremely incapacitated. Again, I had no choice but to delay beginning the M.E. protocol.

It was about seven months later, in July that I was recovering well enough to begin Dr. Enlander’s M.E. protocol. At that time, my M.E. pain and dysfunction were substantial and quite different from the effects of my radiation treatments and stroke. My exhaustion was multi-systemic and totally debilitating. I could function moderately well for approximately 60 to 90 minutes per day, the rest of the time I had no other option but to lie down and rest.

Dr. Enlander’s protocol began with me taking daily supplements that were specifically targeted to build my immune system, increase the level of my natural killer cells and decrease the level of my omnipresent pain and total systemic exhaustion. Within two months I was able to move around more and even go for short walks in my neighborhood. My pain level was slowly dropping and as the months passed I continued to make progress. By July of this year I was slowly getting back to some of my previous work, and I felt well enough to take daily walks from 1.5 to 3 miles.

I have never been a fan of taking medications or supplements of any kind and although I had been making slow but continued progress on Dr. Enlander’s protocol, I decided (after consulting him) that I would try and wean myself of the protocol to see if my immune system was strong enough to function properly without all of this supplemental help. For the next seven weeks I methodically pulled myself off of the daily supplements and I was encouraged by the fact that I wasn’t feeling any worse and that I continued to feel “better than okay”.

My final day of being completely protocol-free, was Monday, August 24th. I felt…okay. As the day progressed I began to feel less and less okay. The next day, the 25th, I woke up with a moderate to high level of total systemic pain, more than moderate cognitive impairment, and when I went for my daily walk, after less than half a mile, I ended up having to take a cab the remaining six blocks back to my apt.

In seven days I had reservations to fly (my first trip since the onset of my M.E.) to visit my family and I knew, that in my present condition there was no way I would even make it to the airport, let alone get on a plane for a three hour flight. I got on the phone immediately with Dr. Enlander’s office and said, “I need to get back on the protocol now”. I went in that afternoon and picked up all of the supplements I had previously been taking and started taking them, as prescribed, right away.

The next day, I was feeling somewhat better, but still nowhere near ready to travel. I stayed in a constant state of rest and continued with the protocol. Within 36 hours I was able to get up and move around with less pain and I was able to resume walking, just under a mile. After three days my pain level had dropped, to a low very manageable level, and I felt well enough to increase my walking distance and even do a few local errands. After seven days of being back on Dr. Enlander’s protocol I was at the airport ready to take the trip to see my family. I wasn’t quite at the level that I had been at before I quit the treatment but with constant vigilance of my condition, and a persistent adherence to Dr. Enlander’s protocol, I was well on my way to recovering the gains I had previously made in the past year.

I am presently continuing with Dr. Enlander’s M.E. protocol on a disciplined daily basis. I’m walking 2 to 3 miles per day and very slowly getting back to working and I’m finding that as long as I stay consistent with what Dr. Enlander has prescribed for me, I am continuing to make progress towards more and more normal functioning.

gsteb

http://www.enlander.com

Comments

I definitely want to chime in on this, as I have been a longtime patient of Dr. Enlander's, and I have found his protocol helpful as well.

I have been taking Dr. E's supplements for a very long time. I can say with 100% confidence that I find them helpful. That’s not an easy statement to qualify, but I remember how I was prior to starting them! I do think there's a noticeable difference in my blood work, which has stabilized over time to a point far more manageable than when I first became ill.

Interestingly, one of the main components of the protocol, Hepapressin injections (formerly Kutapressin), never seemed to do all that much for me. However, I have seen what I consider to be good results from the Lectrolyte solution and B12 oral spray. But what has probably helped me the most, is the MAF878 yogurt. Now, with ME, obviously there are no magic bullets. Six weeks after I started the yogurt my sleep started to improve, followed by a substantial boost in strength & stamina. 3 years ago I was in the midst of the worst period I've had in 15 years with this illness. The nearly 3 years since has without question been the best, most manageable, strongest. I would guess that I gained 10 points on the Karnofsky scale, within a few weeks, perhaps 15.

A lot of people have close ties to their doctors, and sometimes get defensive when others tout their own ME specialists. It’s worth pointing out that there is no ME-literate doctor who hasn't taken criticism from someone out there. But we're in a situation where maybe a dozen or two physicians on the entire planet seem to acknowledge, and attempt to treat, this illness. I don’t know who is the best, and it’s not a contest, but I believe strongly there’s nobody better, more knowledgeable, than Dr. Enlander, and I recommend him wholeheartedly.
 
i've been wanting to try one of those yogurts-his or the European one. Thanks for the reminder.
 

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gsteb
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