Day 1-Monday Sept 28,2009
At the clinic at 10am and met Dr Andrade who does all the Stem cell procedures for the MS patients. He said he will explain everything to us well in advance. Met again with Dr Andrade and he went over all the meds we get through today and tomorrow. We will also be seeing a Neurologist doc today. We will have chelation therapy and several drips to prepare for stem cell transplant Wed and Thurs. We also me Dr Varges who works here. The clinic is nicely done with really comfy recliners, nicely decorated and really clean and new looking! We finished the whole array of drugs administered to raise red and white blood cell count with the last dose given by 4:30pm and get to leave back to the hotel in Tijuana only 2 blocks away. So far I feel fine and let?s see what I feel like tonight.
Total Comments 7
Comments
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I'm glad to hear you are feeling fine. How's your friend Lisa holding up? Do all patients go through these same procedures that you are going through or are some specific to MS? Once your therapy is complete, have they given you a time frame that you might see improvements? Keep up the positive attitude and thanks for keeping us informed.Posted 09-29-2009 at 02:05 PM by barbara 
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Follow up on Barbara's questions below!
Quote:Originally Posted by barbara
I'm glad to hear you are feeling fine. How's your friend Lisa holding up?-Lisa is doing well also and will be posting here also as a piggyback to my post. Do all patients go through these same procedures that you are going through or are some specific to MS?This is a very specific protocol for MS and is also tailored specific to each MS patient's MS related issues.The other patients get other protocols based on their illness. Once your therapy is complete, have they given you a time frame that you might see improvements?I will learn more about that but before i came other MS patients I have blogged with said 6 weeks to 11 months to allow you new stem cells to meet your old stem cells and get real friendly. The doctor here also said we may see some small changes even while we are here. The Doctors herre are so attentative here, very concerned with your well being and results. Even just from the 9 meds we received yesterday, lisa has less tingleing in her hands and I have way more energy from the vitamins and chelation therapy. Keep up the positive attitude and thanks for keeping us informed.I will! I hope others blog here also so there will be a more central place to hear from all stem cell patients on the web. Barbara, could you make on the front page of the website a special button that is highly visable to a first time visitor that says "go here to hear stem cell stories from people who have had it done" or somthing like that?Posted 09-29-2009 at 02:26 PM by gator871
Updated 09-29-2009 at 02:41 PM by gator871 (make better) -
Go rich and lisa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HEY RICH, GLAD YOU ARE FEELING FINE AND HOPE LISA IS WELL. SINCE YOU ARE CLOSE TO TIJUANA CAN YOU PICK ME UP SOME TIQUELLA? ANYWAY THINKING OF YOU AND LISA ALL DAY....AEKDB COMMANDERPosted 09-29-2009 at 08:24 PM by GATORCOMMANDER
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TJ and tequilla
The clinic is in TJ Rob and tonight we ate with my uncle at a fabulous local seafood resturant that had a huge tequilla bottle with a snake in it, no worms here!Posted 09-29-2009 at 10:58 PM by gator871
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Lisa's update
LISA'S UPDATE
September 27, 2009
Well this Adventure started out really rough, our plane out of Orlando was a couple of minutes late leaving and then, when we got to Atlanta the plane at the Jet bridge we were suppose to park at was having some maintenance issues. So we were delayed while they had to get people to a new jet bridge. So our 50 minutes were down to 30 when the flight attendant said just wait they come with the wheel chairs last, we said no we can?t wait. We got up and started, Oh I forgot Bob sat down on the plane earlier and ripped his pants so his left cheek was hanging out showing his blue stripped underwear. But we needed to run from A terminal to B terminal, well so some smart ass decided to try jam in to the train so that cost us 5 to 6 minutes because they had to reboot the train. Then of course our gate was B34 could not have been any farther, so of course when we got there the plane was still at the gate, but the door was closed and they said no way they had already given our seats away. So now we had to rush to the club room to see when the next fight to San Diego of course the 4:20 flt had no room so we had to wait until the 7:05 flt, which was an hour late leaving because they had to repair an arm rest in the cockpit for the observer. The funny part of this is Bob running across the airport with his left butt pants torn pushing Lisa and Tank pulling. We got to San Diego found our driver got across the border got to the hotel we were booked in and they said no to the service dog. The General Manager had failed to inform the night crew a service dog was coming not a pet. So now we had to get a cab go to the Marriot get a room (an expensive one so the company setting this up could pay for our aggravation). Monday the correct hotel General Manager apologized for the confusion and set us up with a room that Tank can walk out of and do his business. Nice hotel beautiful courtyard with large trees and pool.
Sept 28, 2009
Got to the clinic around 10 am they started a lot of medicine to clean out the system and increase the red and white blood count. They give you a chemo to knock down the white blood cells at first then increase them with their protocol of meds, vitamins, etc?Feel pretty good today. Spent a lot of time talking to the doctors and learning how the procedure works. The Doctors are quite intelligent and have been working with Cancer patients for many years, so they understand how the Stem cells work as a unit to try to repair your system. They have been doing Stem cell treatment for many years in their cancer treatments and worked on a lot of auto-immune diseases. The last several years they have focused on MS, Parkinson?s, macular degeneration of the eyes, autism and have had some good results. We are positive and left for the hotel around 4:30
Sept 29, 2009
We got to the clinic around 10 pm more cocktails to increase the red and white blood count. At the end of the day Dr. Andrade asked how we were feeling if we noticed anything different. I was amazed looking at my right foot the all the swelling was gone and I could bend the foot at the ankle something I hadn?t been able to do for a long time. Very good day, we went out to dinner to a fabulous seafood restaurant and I wasn?t completely wiped out this was good.
Sept 30, 2009
Got up for a pick-up of 9 am moved around the room good this morning, we called for the wheel chair as our room is probably close to a 1000 yards from the front lobby, but we got someone who only spoke Spanish so we decided to try to make the walk. I was slow but able to pick my feet up and made it all the way, yeah!!! Got to the clinic to start our transfer of stem cells procedure, they started with Amino acid drip today and a blood test. The procedure to increase definitely works as my white count increased from 8400 on Monday before the meds to 22,000 today.Posted 09-30-2009 at 03:19 PM by Lacey1084
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Oh my goodness, this sounds like many trips I have made and will NEVER forget thanks to the airlines. I am so glad you finally made it and have enough energy to write in such detail about it. Looking forward to more. I got a great chuckle out of imagining him running through the airport with his pants ripped. I'm sure it was great entertainment for those that had nothing better to do, but for you guys, WOW what a rough start. Rest up now and soak up those stem cells.
Posted 09-30-2009 at 03:52 PM by barbara
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I forgot to mention this, but please encourage Dr. Andrade and any others that may want to to join the forum to please do so. If he might be interested in hosting an Ask the Doctor forum, please have him contact me via the forum as well.
Posted 09-30-2009 at 03:55 PM by barbara
