"You're not Superman anymore."

When the ground shifted

Before his diagnosis, Andrew was the guy who made hard things look effortless. A strength athlete and self-described biomechanics nerd, he was used to pushing his body to the limit and having it respond.

Then things changed. He'd stand up and lose his balance. He'd walk and feel unsure of his own steps. It wasn't getting worse, but it wasn't getting better, and he didn't understand the tools he had to help himself. He describes what he was feeling as weakness, fear, and a loss of confidence — things you don't exactly bring up with friends.

A conference, a conversation, and a lot of prayer

After his diagnosis in 2023, Andrew started looking for answers. He'd already seen the power of high-dose vitamin D through the Coimbra protocol — and it had stopped all disease activity on his MRI. But when he asked his neurologist about it, they acted like they'd never heard of it. That was a turning point.

He found David Lyons, who invited him to a conference. That's where he heard Melissa speak. A lot of prayer and a lot of thought later, he reached out. He wanted to learn about parasites, minerals, and how to get his body ready — not just throw supplements at the wall and hope something stuck.

Not a protocol. A guide.

What made Andrew say yes wasn't a sales pitch. It was Melissa's demeanor — accepting, warm, and grounded in her own experience. She'd been through it herself. She wasn't just selling a protocol; she was teaching people how to understand what their body needed and why.

Andrew had seen the other side of the wellness world, too. People on social media doing parasite cleanses while still eating fast food. Friends throwing anti-parasitics at the problem without preparing their body first. He wanted someone who could help him navigate the chaos with precision and understanding.

"I remember the day I realized it was working"

Andrew remembers the exact moment. They had started oregano oil, and one day he noticed he could do something he couldn't do the day before. Then a week later, it was clearer: the unsteadiness when he stood up was gone. Something in the plan was working.

It wasn't a dramatic overnight transformation. It was a quiet shift — the kind you almost miss if you're not paying attention. But Andrew was paying attention. And the body was responding.

Learning to listen

When asked what made the biggest difference, Andrew's answer isn't a supplement. It's a way of living. Giving in. When you're tired, sleep. Don't overuse coffee. If you stray from your diet, keep it short — and pay attention to what happens in the day or two after.

Most importantly: don't panic. When symptoms show up, trace them back. Had ice cream on Sunday? That's probably why Monday and Tuesday felt rough. That awareness — the ability to connect cause and effect in his own body — changed everything.

Two years later

Today, Andrew is grinding in his career, earning another master's degree, and living with the same work ethic he's always had — just channeled differently. People come to him now to help read their bloodwork. Friends who are starting families ask him about fertility and hormones. He's become the person others turn to.

He maintains his health with periodic cleanses and stays connected to the fundamentals Melissa taught him. He doesn't live in fear of the next relapse, because he's learned to read the signs his body sends long before things escalate.

Looking back, he says this is one of the most favorable experiences of his life — and he's glad it took two years to have this conversation, because he talks about it differently now than he would have then. What started as a search for answers became the foundation of a confidence he carries every day.

What he'd tell you

Andrew says the message he'd give someone standing where he used to stand is simple: don't panic. Take a breath. Sleep when you need to. Stop fighting so hard to be better and just get comfortable for a second. Then fire.

And when you're ready, find someone who's been through it. Not someone selling you a quick fix, but someone who can walk beside you through the layers — a big brother, big sister who understands how to navigate this and can say, with honesty: it's going to be okay.

In this conversation

• "Not Superman anymore" — life before
• A conference and a lot of prayer
• Why he said yes
• What almost stopped him
• The day it started working
• Learning to listen to his body
• Two years later
• What he'd tell someone where he used to be