Written by: Lars Friedrich, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
After a desperately needed kidney transplant aged 50, I committed to a recovery journey to regain full health that led to a story of taking on self-leadership fuelled with determination, discipline, faith, persistence & resilience while facing doubt, failure, pain, setbacks & turmoil.
Without going into too much detail, my kidneys slowly deteriorated because of my professional & personal background.
And after having been on a waiting list for a donor organ for 6 1/2 years, I was blessed with receiving a kidney transplant on the 30th of April 2021.
My recovery journey resulted in a full and, as the nephrologists phrased it, "impossible recovery" and started after I left the hospital.
It is an ongoing & daily journey of biohacking on many different levels while organically adapting to the situational needs of my lifestyle.
And when writing "impossible", it refers to not only beating the odds of living a normal & unrestricted life – well, I'm still on a very minimal dose of daily immune suppressants, but that's the next step – but also on all currently available medical statistics of other transplant patients.
Because I'm surpassing all measurable markers that determine kidney function & overall health, regularly confirmed during monthly medical checks with all the collected medical, health & fitness data.
The secret to recovery
In short, I beat all the odds because of my mindset, willpower & determination!
And those were and are based solely on my intrinsic motivation, built on the foundation of my professionally acquired knowledge and first-hand experience of endurance, persistence, perseverance & resilience.
Amplified by my spiritual approach, attitude & perspective on life after 42 years of continuous immersion & training in traditional Japanese martial, medical & spiritual arts.
A very male approach
So let me tell you what I did and still do to get my biohacking to the next level, leaving my nephrologists stunned & speechless to date.
And while reading this, please remember that my approach is very male energy-driven – Yang – and really nothing I would recommend to women, who should stay more their natural Yin energy. So please feel free to transfer the given information to your individual needs.
I will refrain from going too deep into too many details, but please feel free to connect for more specific information on the following points.
Investing into professionals
Besides the already mentioned willpower & determination, I invested and still invest in myself - emotions, energy, time & money - to get the best available services, tools & treatments performed by professionals – a sports doctor, a psychoanalyst, a nutritionist, a physiotherapist who is an osteopath too, and a personal trainer.
All are proven experts in their fields, walking their talk, driven & passionate about what they do.
And no, that sadly doesn't include the nephrologists who, to date, like to remain specialists without any interest in cooperating with others and have become a service provider for monthly blood results solely.
The hell weeks
After some work to re-establish my basic fitness & health, accompanied by a much-needed phase of rest, healing & recovery directly after the operation - all physically, emotionally & spiritually - I booked myself into a beautifully located & award-winning retreat with an affiliated clinic for six weeks.
Looking back, I consider those six weeks as my 2nd "Hell Weeks", referring to an American military selection course, and when the alarm went off at 6 am, it felt like "Groundhog Day"!
Physical
The daily various & intensive physical treatments of all kinds, which were closely medically supervised, pushed me far beyond my limits and helped me to rebuild my physical strength & stamina and regain full stability & function of my physical body despite the deep cut in my lower belly.
The measurable results of strength & functional mobility plus the bi-weekly gained information of the data from my blood at the end of each week helped to modify & adapt the training & treatment plan with the therapists & doctors.
Nutritional
Of course, this was accompanied by a nutrition journey for a gut-healthy life that was and still is a crazy ride, and I won't go into more details here.
But if you're into biohacking, you might want to do more profound research on intermittent fasting, its biochemical processes and the health benefits it can bring.
Because eating healthy according to your specific situational needs is important on your way to recovery.
Like the physical training & treatment plan, it was adapted weekly.
Rest & Recover
Needless to say that getting enough rest and giving the body & mind all needed time to recover was another essential part of my health journey.
And as the retreat/clinic is situated at a lake in the woods, I enjoyed many outdoor activities in nature, plus getting grounded (barefoot does the trick for me) with lots of fresh air, natural light and sometimes even sunshine, which directly influenced my mood.
Faith & Believe
Most importantly, I want to emphasise the importance of keeping the heart & mind balanced during that time and knowing my "Why".
Because there were many setbacks, lots of turmoil, with lots of pain along the way, and besides the sheer willpower & determination of "pushing through" and "bouncing back", relying on my emotions filled with self-love and an open mind full of gratitude & belief, I wouldn't have been able to face the numerous storms I encountered.
After the retreat
Eventually, the sum of all the described approaches in the different areas are still part of my daily life & routine but, of course, not as crazy & intense as they were during those six weeks and now adapted to my often changing specific situational needs.
Today, the team of experts & professionals I built at the beginning of my journey to recovery is still with me, and we're constantly working on pushing the "impossible" a little further to “I'm possible!”.
Your takeaway
Transferring my personal experience and very male approach to a more general one, the next time somebody tells you something in your life is against all odds and “impossible”, smile and make it your challenge & priority to beat them.
The odds, of course!
Your healing depends on your mindset, willpower & determination!
But also know by heart that we all heal at our own pace!
So don't rush your healing journey!
Instead, when experiencing setbacks – which will always happen – pick yourself back up, dust your shoulders off, straighten your crown and push yourself beyond your (perceived) limits as you prioritise your health & recovery because you know and are 100% clear about your "Why".
Remember that no one else holds the same magic and burning fire inside, the zest & lust for life, and that's your superpower.
Fuelled by that, you can do amazing & impossible things!
Even if you don't see it – yet!
Lars Friedrich, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Lars Friedrich is an expert in personal & professional leadership transformations refined with a touch of Zen. As a former Officer & Special Forces Operator, executive in international & intercultural corporate positions and founder of his boutique business, he has vast accumulated experience, expertise & knowledge in leadership, resilience, endurance, commitment, persistence & dedication. Furthermore, Lars Friedrich trained in traditional Japanese Martial Arts for 42 years and frequently travels to Japan for his ongoing tuition, which amplifies his experience. With family ties & homes in Australia, Finland & Germany, he is proudly serving & guiding male & female leaders via shared knowledge & passion.
