Cicero
I Was Losing Myself. Now I’ve Got My Life Back
For a while, I thought I was just clumsy. I was bumping into things, knocking over glasses, and misjudging distances.
I brushed it off as stress or maybe poor eyesight. Deep down, though, I sensed something was off — and I was afraid to say it out loud.
My wife started noticing the changes before I fully did. But during that time, she was struggling with her own health crisis, and honestly, we were both just trying to get through the day. It wasn’t until she began to recover that we both realized something more serious was happening to me.
I was forgetting things — not just details, but entire conversations. I confused memories with reality. I became irritable, paranoid, and defensive. I didn’t feel like myself anymore — and I was slowly making life harder for the person I loved most.
The turning point came when I finally said it aloud: “I’m having trouble remembering things.”
That simple, vulnerable sentence set everything in motion.
A Root-Cause Approach to Cognitive Decline
My wife, who works in functional medicine, had just received an email from Dr. Dale Bredesen’s team about a clinical trial for people experiencing early cognitive decline. She asked if I would consider enrolling. I agreed — not because I had high hopes, but because I didn’t know what else to do.
What happened next changed everything.
This trial didn’t rely on a one-size-fits-all pill. Instead, it took a root-cause approach to brain health. They ran what’s called “Neuro Quant MRIs” to assess brain volume. They looked at metabolic function, inflammation, dental health, nutrient status — all the things traditional medicine often overlooks when it comes to cognitive decline.
They found issues that made sense in the context of my symptoms: inflammation, infections, and metabolic imbalances.
Treatment began with lifestyle and integrative therapies: Ozone therapy. Carefully addressing chronic infections. Detfrom mold. Neurofeedback sessions to help retrain my brain. I adopted a ketogenic, anti- inflammatory diet. I lost 40 pounds I did not know I needed to lose. I began to feel sharper, lighter — more like myself.
Recovery, One Step at a Time
The change wasn’t immediate. But about two-thirds of the way through the trial, something clicked.
- My coordination came back.
- My moods stabilized.
- I stopped blaming, snapping, forgetting.
- My old personality returned.
- And then — my memory began to return.
Before the trial, I was hiding symptoms at work, terrified someone would notice I couldn’t remember key tasks or conversations. I recorded meetings. I took notes obsessively. I carried a notebook everywhere. I lived in fear.
By the end of the trial, my Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score went from the low 20s to 29 — almost the perfect score of 30.
But more importantly, I could feel the difference in real life. I wasn’t just surviving. I was functioning. I was thriving.
Why This Story Matters — to All of Us
- For patients: If you feel like something’s wrong, trust your intuition. Don’t wait. Early intervention is everything.
- For family members: You may notice changes before your loved one does. Be patient, be persistent, and don’t let fear silence action.
- For clinicians: Cognitive decline has many causes — and many solutions. Look beyond the symptoms. Dig deeper. The tools to slow or reverse decline are already here, but they require a systems-based approach.
- For donors and advocates: Your support helps bring awareness and practical information to people like me, guiding us to treatments that truly make a difference.
Today, I’m living proof that cognitive decline does not have to be a one-way street.
It takes work. It takes support. It takes courage. But recovery is possible.
If you’re reading this and wondering if there’s hope — there is. But you must act early.
Screen. Investigate. Intervene. Because the sooner you do, the more there is to save.