Michael’s Quiet Fire

For Michael Reyes, inflammation wasn’t visible, it simmered quietly beneath the surface. He had lost his wife two years prior and buried himself in work to cope. Soon after, chronic pain crept into his joints, digestion faltered, and fatigue followed like a shadow.

His doctor called it 'age-related inflammation.' But Michael sensed it was something deeper. “It felt emotional,” he said. “Like my body was stuck in mourning.”

The moment came during a client presentation. Halfway through, his hands trembled so badly he couldn’t hold the laser pointer. Afterward, he sat in his car, heart pounding, wondering how he’d gone from unstoppable to unsteady. That night, he searched ‘emotional inflammation science’, and found Vitals Vault.

He ordered the Immune Balance Comprehensive Panel, curious but skeptical. 'If my body’s angry,' he joked, 'I want to see the receipts.'

His recovery began not with medication, but with mindfulness. Guided by his report, he added adaptogenic support, reduced sugar and alcohol, and began breathwork sessions. But what changed everything was therapy. 'Every time I released emotion, my joints hurt less,' he noted.

By Week 10, biomarkers began shifting: CRP 1.8, IL-6 3.1, Cortisol 18. He felt lighter, in both body and heart. He started swimming again, something he hadn’t done since his wife’s passing.

At month twelve, his report showed full recalibration. CRP 1.0, IL-6 2.0, TNF-alpha 3.2, Cortisol 16, DHEA-S 108. His doctor smiled, 'You’ve reversed biological inflammation by half.' Michael replied, 'I think I forgave myself, and my cells heard it.'

“Healing didn’t come from a supplement,” he said. “It came from honesty.”

Today, Michael teaches executive stress resilience workshops grounded in biology. He shares his Vitals Vault graphs, showing cytokine curves dropping alongside journal entries.