LARRY K, 71
Retired IT Manager
San Francisco, CA
“After having his prostate removed due to cancer, Larry’s doctors put him on a strict diet. The rigid diet, combined with severe depression and anxiety, manifested itself in the form of an eating disorder. He got severely sick and at one point his 6’1” frame got down to a meager 106 pounds. Larry became so frail his doctors feared he was near death and several times was admitted into the hospital to try and regain some weight and his strength.”
I would have nothing for breakfast, maybe a few vegetables for lunch and a little bit of protein for dinner. It got to the point where I was so weak that I couldn’t even dry myself after taking a shower. I literally had to sit down and it took me 10 minutes to dry myself.
I’ve had a number of falls over the years due to how frail I had become. I’ve fallen in the middle of the night on the way to the bathroom as well as outside on my way in and out of the house. My wife has had to call 911 because I would black out. My head and face have gotten injured from the falls and I’ve had to get stitches.
There was one point in a couple’s counseling session where my wife started asking where I wanted to be buried. Our therapist agreed that it was a very valid question, based on all of my doctors telling me I was going to die. I refused to answer them.
I tried a variety of medications, as well as psychiatric and hypnosis therapies. But nothing ever worked with any consistency or for any period of time. For several years I was in and out of doctors’ offices and hospitals and even had a few hospital stays that lasted for several months at a time.
My wife heard about ketamine treatments and we decided to see if it would help. I remember after the first infusion I started to feel a little different right away. And when we got home to have dinner, I was still hesitant to eat but I ate more than usual. After each infusion I felt more and more like eating. By the time I finished my infusions, I was ready to open the pantry and make myself pancakes with syrup. It was pretty immediate and I was able to block out all my eating disorder thoughts.
I have gained about 75 pounds over the last year alone and I’m back to a very healthy and happy person. I no longer worry my kids. I don’t worry my wife. I don’t worry my friends. I am totally happy with my life and don’t have a single complaint. And it’s energized me. I have a great outlook on life and am enjoying retirement and spending time with my family.
We had to cancel a few cruises in the past because of my poor health, so I think we’re going to try and take some of those trips now that I am feeling better.
