He’d had a long career in Medicine and Molecular Biology. After graduating he’d specialised in Obstetrics and Gynaecology where he’d focused on the ageing process in the Female Reproductive System; and had, as they said, proceeded to a PhD with a Thesis titled ‘Mitochondrial DNA Strand Fragmentation In The Ovarian Stroma’.
For many years he’d split his time between his Gynaecology Practice and the nearby MRC Molecular Biology Research Laboratory, as he continued to explore the ageing process in females.
His basic thesis was that Ovarian DNA Fragmentation due to advancing years, was at the centre of the ‘Female Ageing Process’, and could potentially be reversed with appropriate Female Hormone Supplements, and multiple dosages of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound; simple, no surgery, no dangerous radiation, simple, simple, simple.
Of course it was never going to be that easy; each patient would have to have individualised therapy, multiple hormone level checks, and the treatment would need to be spaced out over a number of weeks to ensure that reversal of the ageing process proceeded gradually, as a rapid regeneration could potentially impact multiple organ systems, and not in a good way.
The experimental treatment had worked successfully in the laboratory setting, and now the team were gearing up to try out the therapy on an animal model, but the hold up was the inevitable and indeterminate wait for the appropriate Home Office Inspection and the granting of a License in accordance with the ‘Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986’.
Once they had cleared that particular hurdle but only if the outcome was effective, then and only then, could they possibly consider commencing clinical studies on selected volunteers, but that was some way off.
Impatient as always, his idea was to try out the rejuvenation process on his old Labrador bitch; Emily the faithful family pet, was now fifteen years old, slow and clearly past her best, maybe the treatment would give her a few more healthy years?
He’d bought an excellent new High Intensity Focused Ultrasound machine together with a number of ultrasound probes from eBay; and the hormone supplements whilst plentiful and available in the laboratory, could also be purchased directly from a whole variety of pharmaceutical companies.
He watched as his Lucy his wife; a retired X-Ray Doctor expertly handled the ultrasound probe as she scanned their pet Labrador. He’d met his once blonde now grey-haired partner when they were both at medical school, and together they had advanced their studies in their own specialties, no children just a succession of dogs during their marriage. She groaned as she straightened her back, ‘I hate getting old, everything aches and creaks,’ she muttered. ‘Right it’s very straightforward,’ she continued, ‘I can pulse the Focused Ultrasound for thirty seconds to each Ovary, and you can inject the Hormone cocktail and we repeat it, how often?’
‘Every seven days for the first month, then monthly for the next three months,’ he answered, and added, ‘it can’t be rushed, we need time for the ovarian cells to regrow and by six months we should see a significant rejuvenation. Happy with that? I’m off to the conference in Rome next week, will you be OK to repeat the dog’s treatment while I’m away?’
‘No problem,’ replied his wife.
For the next few days their pet dog showed no signs of ill effects; it seemed she was more alert, ate more, and seemed more mobile, or was it just the effects they had hoped to see?
The following week he attended the two-day Conference in Rome where his team were presenting a number of research papers, and on the final evening before the conference banquet he phoned his wife.
‘How’s Emily?’he asked.
‘Doing fine,’ she replied. ‘All going well. I did her second treatment this morning, Oh, and by the way, there’s a surprise package waiting for you at home. When are you due back?’
‘First flight out in the morning, so I’ll be home early afternoon. See you then.’
As he entered the house, it seemed very quiet, Emily the Labrador ran up to greet him, she definitely seemed younger and fitter, ‘Lucy I’m back,’ he called out.
‘In here,” came the reply from the living room, as he entered he was confronted by what looked like an eight year old girl sitting on the sofa.
‘It works, your treatment really works,’ said the little girl.
About the author
Henry is a retired Surgeon and member of the Canvey Writers Group. He has published a number of stories on the CafeLit site.
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