Stephen L. DeFelice
An idealistic young medical doctor, Giancarlo Avellino, inspired by a radical colleague, Sigismondo Malatesta decides that the biological hands of time can be scientifically reversed in the elderly, making them young again! Convinced that a combination of pharmaceutical compounds and nutraceutical dietary supplements may be one of the keys to the fountain of youth, he boldly decides to prove it, clinically treating five aging physicians and a sixth surprise volunteer.
The results of the treatment at first seem promising, but then a mysterious death occurs, jeopardizing the program. The police and the FDA become involved, paving the way for the U.S. Congress to enter challenging the will of the young doctor to continue his couragous endeavor.
Primarily conversational, the bulk of the story is concerned with addressing how people deal with this bold effort, describing their thoughts and their individual reactions to the turning back of their hands of time.
Stephen L. DeFelice, M.D., the founder and Chairman of FIM, the Foundation for Innovation in Medicine, has had a very long, distinguished and varied career in medical research and discovery. He was part of the team that brought lithium to the U.S., and it was thanks to his perseverance and research efforts that the life-saving substance, carnitine, first became available.
It was back in the late 60’s that Dr. DeFelice first deemed aging to be a disease, and thusly treatable not only in terms of slowing it down, but actually reversing it—a radical thought until very recently.
Dr. DeFelice is currently considering a clinical study to attempt to reverse some common mental and physical manifestations of the aging process through the use of a rational mixture of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.
Sigismondo asked, “How long is the clinical study that you have
in mind?”
Giancarlo answered, “Six months.”
Sigismondo said, “How long will it take to administer the
intravenous solution?”
Giancarlo answered, “About two hours twice a week. The oral
substances will be taken every day.”
Sigismondo said, “I hate to tell you this, my friend, but I do
not think that your patients will take the intravenous dose twice a
week for six months, even if they have healthy veins. Patients fi nd
it diffi cult to stick to relatively easy therapeutic regimens, let alone
difficult ones.”
Giancarlo answered, “There can be a once-a-month remedy-free
holiday. These substances do not have to be given precisely twice
a week in order to get the job done. Also, we can give some by
intramuscular injection.”
Sigismondo said, “You know, Giancarlo, last night I was watching
a video celebrating Senator Strom Thurmond’s one hundredth
birthday. He certainly looked a hundred. But the crazy thing is that
I met him about three years earlier, and the guy was in real good
shape, both physically and mentally. He looked about seventy or
seventy-five. And then suddenly—wham! He aged rapidly.
“I believe aging, like growth in babies and teenagers, occurs in
spurts. It would be ideal to give your mixture just before the aging
spurt begins. Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing when this
happens.”
“We will see,” said Giancarlo. “Now, Sigismondo, I’m going to
do this study in only six medical doctors.”
Sigismondo commented, “Bravo, my friend. After thinking
more about your idea, I believe it is a good thing for doctors to do
for their patients. It just makes a lot of sense. Hopefully, six doctors
will be enough to prove your point. The clinical effect, however,
will have to be dramatic to show an effect in such a small number
of volunteers.”
As Giancarlo continued to expound on his bold adventure,
Sigismondo suddenly and quite firmly grabbed his forearm, looking
toward the entrance to the bar. Giancarlo sensed that Sigismondo’s
passionate interest in conquering disease had suddenly vanished,
and he also knew that there was only one thing that could have had
such a sudden and dramatic effect—a woman.
Standing before him was a very old and shriveled man who wore
thick-lensed glasses and had a hearing aid. Giancarlo was taken
aback by this vivid example of an aged person. He estimated him
to be in the mid to late 80’s, and was almost sure he would not live
much longer.
Dr. Smolowitz had soft, kind eyes, and invited Giancarlo to sit
on a very old sofa, which Giancarlo thought was as old as the good
doctor. He quickly gave a clinical eye to the surroundings before
seating himself. It was a small, cluttered apartment. There was a
small kitchenette with books and papers sprawled on the tiny kitchen
table as well as on the stove.
Giancarlo concluded that he never ate at home and always ate
out or ordered take-out food, or did both. He looked for bottles of
booze and saw none, which, however, didn’t preclude the idea that
the bottles of firewater were somewhere in the apartment.
But Dr. Smolowitz came from an era when few Jews were
drinkers and many Jewish families hardly thought of the stuff.
Except for wine, the same was true in the old Italian neighborhood
in which Giancarlo was reared.
Giancarlo remembered something his mother once told him. Up
until her mid-forties, she was an abstainer. But then, for no specifi c
reason that she could remember, she took to daily daiquiris and,
after awhile, also wine with her dinner. She said, “Alcohol makes
me feel good. I’m sorry I didn’t drink during the earlier years when
times were tougher.”
Giancarlo hoped that Dr. Smolowitz was also enjoying the
stuff.
There was an understandable silence for understandable reasons.
The occasion was a unique and serious one, and Dr. Smolowitz
obviously wanted to avoid his soon-to-arrive, inevitable rendezvous
with death.
Even before the first word was spoken, both seemed very
comfortable with each other. The “chemistry” was there.
Dr. Smolowitz began, “You know, you’re a fucking crazy dago.
Do you know what the hell you’re doing? You can get your ass in
big trouble.”
Giancarlo appreciated his consideration. He liked the guy’s
openness and also the message behind his remarks. Giancarlo knew
that he was going to volunteer come hell or high water, even after he
explained to him the risks involved.
He laughed. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m not here to
convince you. I’m here to know why you want to volunteer, and to
be sure you understand the information that I sent to you.”
Dr. Smolowitz, suddenly energized, responded, “Are you fuckin’
blind? Look at me. At my age and given the shape I’m in, I may die
tomorrow, the day after, or next year, but not much later than that.
My genetic clock has run down and, frankly speaking, I hate this
goddamn biological clock. Besides, what you sent me about your
theory and your mixture makes a hell of a lot of sense.”
Giancarlo’s judgment was on target. There was no need to
push him to volunteer. But Giancarlo felt he was obligated to be
explicit. “Look, I’d like to repeat: Be sure you understand the risks
and potential benefits of the elixir.” Beholding the man, Giancarlo
wondered what decision he would have made if their positions were
reversed.
Dr. Smolowitz giggled a little and asked, “What are you, a lawyer
masquerading as a doctor? I’m volunteering for your project for the
simple reason that I don’t want to die, and I think your treatment
offers hope. I’ve got lots of problems: a high PSA, high blood
pressure, weakness and all the rest that comes with getting old. I
want to get rid of it all and be able to climb stairs easily. Maybe even
make love again. Put yourself in my place. I’ve outlived everybody.
All my close family and relatives are gone, either with Yahweh or
someplace else like cremated ashes in a goddamn jar sitting on
somebody’s shelf over the fireplace. I’m living here in this stinking,
small apartment, waiting for death to knock at my door. What do
I have to lose? You know, I’m not one of those who is inclined to
commit suicide.”
