Dennis’s Diagnosis and Treatment Journey
Dennis is 43, an army vet, and was a bodybuilder before he was diagnosed with CIPD—a rare autoimmune disorder characterized by a gradual weakness in the arms and legs.
When Dennis turned 40, he noticed that his legs and feet would go numb, his arms would ache, he fell a lot, and he’d get fatigued. He thought he was just “getting older.”
Dennis got Covid for 33 days. For about two-thirds of that time, he had a fever of 102.5. He didn’t know it then, but he had an autoimmune disease, and that’s why it took him so long to recover. Covid, Dennis also learned, is probably what accelerated the progression of his CIPD.
Dennis went to a Crossfit class and tried to deadlift 135 lbs, which used to be his warm-up weight. He couldn’t do it because he didn’t have the balance—his calves were paralyzed. He could barely lift the bar. “It was a huge shot to my ego,” acknowledges Dennis.
Dennis went to the Michigan Institute of Neurological Disorders for evaluation and had a nerve test. He watched the screen as the nurse did the test, and “nothing in my lower body was firing at all.” He was diagnosed with CIPD in Sept 2021.
IV treatments cost $20,000 dollars for an eight-hour IG infusion every four weeks “for the rest of my life,” Dennis explains. His first treatment in November of 2021 made him miserably sick. “I had never felt so close to death in my life,” says Dennis. He had a terrible migraine, couldn’t walk, and had to crawl to the bathroom.
The IG infusions would help for about three weeks, and the symptoms would subside but never go away completely.
Two months later, Dennis’ insurance denied treatment, saying he needed more tests.
Dennis’s Carnivore Diet Journey
He researched autoimmune diseases and diets and found Michaela Peterson’s Ted Talk and Dr. Shawn Baker’s podcasts with Joe Rogan and learned about the benefits of eating a carnivore diet for autoimmune diseases.
Dennis’s last IG infusion was Jan 2022. On Feb 1, 2022, Dennis started his carnivore journey and has been eating a carnivore ever since. He started with beef, water, and salt and currently also eats a stick of Kerrygold butter each day. “By Feb 3, I had zero symptoms of CIPD,” reveals Dennis. When he woke up symptom-free after two days of eating this way, Dennis says he felt great.
Dennis’s Progress and Results
Since the beginning, his mood, productivity at work, and strength have all improved. He does Crossfit, which helps with mobility, and although he has to modify movements because his calves remain paralyzed, he can deadlift 365 pounds and bench 315 pounds.
On Feb 3 of this year, “I’ve been CIPD symptom-free for a year,” Dennis recounts. “I feel better on this diet than the infusions ever made me feel,” he continues. Mentally Dennis says he feels very grateful for every day. “ I can move. I can walk. I’m gonna go to the gym later. That’s amazing.”
Dennis sums up his story with, “This diet has given me my life back.”
