Who am I?
AKA: Code Peptides Origin Story!
Thanks for looking at my page! I am a 50-year-old Spanish and Bio teacher in Saginaw, MI. I have been teaching and coaching for almost 30 years and was recently, prescribed Zepbound by my endocrinologist. Within weeks, I started seeing posts about possible shortages of both Mounjaro and Zepbound–along with the back order issues with Ozempic and Wegovy. It really stressed me out. Why all the stress? Because…
I have battled back and forth with obesity for my entire life. I remember dieting as a child and working to manage my weight in High School as well. I continued my struggles through college, but “kept a lid on it” for the most part. When I entered the work force, I jumped up to the mid 300’s. By 2008, I was bouncing between 400-450 lbs. I yo-yo’d up and down losing 50 here only to gain 70 there. It was brutal, but I never stopped fighting against my brain and body. I got quite a lifeline in late 2012 when I underwent VSG bariatric surgery. I got down to around 220lbs, and kept it off (mostly) until 2017. Then I started gaining, losing, and gaining again. The sleeve gave me a better tool to cope, but all the food noise and addictive feelings were creeping in. The cycle was returning. Despite my surgery, I was still addicted to food AND LOVED bourbon. It's fair to say that I was shackled by food addiction and issues from a very young age and never stopped. It’s also fair to say that my battle with food addiction felt like the greatest failure of my life.
I had seen all the commercials for Ozempic and Mounjaro, but never really thought about it as a possible tool for myself until Fall of 2023 when I saw the health and weight loss of a family member in just a few months on Wegovy. I asked my family doctor about it at my physical, and he referred me to an Endocrinologist. I asked him for Wegovy and he told me that it was plagued with backorders at most dosages, but a brand-new medication, Zepbound, was available. Thus began my Zepbound Journey–kind of.
I took my first 2.5mg dose on a Sunday evening. In three days, I had hope that this was the game changer of my life. There were side effects! Oh yes, there were side effects. For the first three to five days, I was making multiple bathroom trips for lower GI issues, visiting the restroom just to urinate about ten times a day, and was immediately full after just a few bites of my meal–no matter what the time of day was or how hungry I was “supposed to be.” Yes, I was obviously one of those highly sensitive people whose body was crying out for this med. I was pushing over 100 fluid ounces per day, getting 100 grams of protein and trying as hard as I could to get in calories. I got over 1000 cals in per day that first week, but it was a challenge.
Speaking of that first week, a little magic happened. While following all health and nutrition protocols and best practices, all the pain in both my knees (I”ve had multiple knee surgeries) went away–like, completely. I had been a bourbon/ beer drinker for decades, but all thoughts (alcohol noise) completely went away. Incidentally, I haven’t had a drink of any alcohol of any type since I took that first shot (pun intended). Like I said, this was a game-changer. I lost seventeen pounds that first week. No, my results weren’t typical. Yes, anecdotal evidence of this happening to others is EVERYWHERE in social media.
Anyway, after looking into the matter further I realized that there was a massive Tirzepatide (Mounjaro/ Zepbound) medication shortage coming. Plus, I was worried about continued insurance coverage and cost. I looked into compounding pharmacies (which get a bad rap due to a few bad actors) and, eventually, I stumbled onto research peptides. Once I realized that many compounding pharmacies just buy their Semaglutide or Tirzepatide and reconstitute it for their patients, I simply asked the next logical question, “What’s keeping a highly-motivated individual from using the same sources?” Incredibly long story a tiny bit shorter, I have been establishing relationships with reputable suppliers, obtaining certificates of analysis, and using their product on my “research animal.” Let’s call him MM.
I have since decided that the industry-standard for GLP-1 medications both at the pharmaceutical level and even at the research peptide distribution level is fiscally unfair and unhealthy. I completely understand the safety and redundancy of our current pharmaceutical protocols; it's just a shame that the very system that claims to support health and safety is gamed to prevent access to the health and safety that these meds provide.
Should you be interested in taking this journey with me either by “researching” for yourself when the big manufacturers fail (which they often do and are currently), I will help you do it at a fraction of the cost. If you need it and I don’t have it, I will refer you to larger companies that are also reputable–despite their higher price point.
Well that’s a little bit about me and the inspiration behind this group. Obviously, I know there’s more to me than my battle with obesity–as is the case with all of us. It doesn’t completely define us. As we continue to lose weight, it will continue to define us less and less. Hopefully, we can share in the journey together.