I was a backcountry hiker, swimmer, runner, and exercise workoutaholic! . Someone who thought her body was invincible.

And then it wasn't.

In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on my full Inclusion Body Myositis journey — not the polished version, the real one. From the moment I couldn't get up off the floor, to sitting in an infusion chair for two consecutive days every four weeks, to a syncopal episode that landed me in the emergency room — this is what living with IBM actually looks like.

I walk you through every test I had, what my muscle biopsy actually showed, what my enzyme levels have looked like over two and a half years of treatment, and exactly what goes into my IVIG and Rituximab infusion protocols — the drugs, the doses, the rates, the reactions, all of it.

Because when I was first diagnosed, I was starving for this kind of information. And I couldn't find it.

IBM is rare. The community is small. And too many of us are navigating this alone, piecing together information from medical records we barely understand, sitting in waiting rooms, wondering if anyone else knows what this feels like.

I do. And I'm done staying quiet about it.

Whether you're newly diagnosed, years into your own treatment journey, caring for someone with IBM, or just trying to understand what this disease actually is — this episode is for you.

You are not alone in that infusion chair.

In this episode:

1. My full diagnostic timeline — EMG, muscle biopsy, MRI, genetic testing and more
2. What my biopsy actually showed and why the diagnosis wasn't straightforward
3. My complete IVIG protocol — Gammagard 10%, 50g, every 4 weeks, now into Cycle 34
4. My Rituximab (Riabni) protocol and what happened when my BP crashed post-infusion
5. The post-IVIG migraine that led to a syncopal fall and an ED visit
6. The Benadryl reaction that changed my protocol permanently
7. What CK and Aldolase levels actually tell you about disease activity
8. A free downloadable IBM Treatment Reference Card — link in show notes - right here! 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E9P7H6uLhkkVwko4IQuq9Q6_YQfb4ncu/view?usp=drive_link

Alicia D. Polak
Chief Enabled Officer
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @aliciathedisabledcompany.com
Website: www.thedisabledcompany.com

The provided texts offer information on experimental or alternative health treatments, juxtaposed with a government resource for established supplements. One article focuses heavily on the peptide BPC-157, detailing its potential benefits for healing, muscle recovery, and anti-aging, while acknowledging its lack of FDA approval and discussing dosage and side effects. Another source is a PubMed review on Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN), presenting it as a promising, safe, yet limited therapy for various rheumatic diseases like fibromyalgia. In contrast, the MedlinePlus source provides an alphabetical index of common, federally referenced herbs and supplements, highlighting its function as an official government resource for known dietary products. Finally, a personal account describes a company founder's journey with Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM) and her dedication to sharing her own experiences with supplements and prescriptions to help others navigate their diagnoses.

Alicia D. Polak
Chief Enabled Officer
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @aliciathedisabledcompany.com
Website: www.thedisabledcompany.com

Is NAD+ the real deal—or just another overhyped trend in the chronic illness space?

In this episode of The Talk by The disABLED Company, we dig into the science behind NAD+ and its potential role in treating muscle-based autoimmune diseases like Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIM).

We break it down:

• What NAD+ is and how it works
• What current research says about its impact on inflammation, energy, and recovery
• And whether this treatment is worth your time (and your money)

💡 Created with support from Google LM to help synthesize research, but the real voice? That’s all me.

👉 Listen now and decide for yourself: breakthrough or just buzz?

Alicia D. Polak
Chief Enabled Officer
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @aliciathedisabledcompany.com
Website: www.thedisabledcompany.com