It's been one month

It's been one month now since we've been home from Panama. I've noticed a lot of spots filling in that I couldn't feel at all. My legs are starting to get feeling especially my right one I can feel some feeling all over the upper part of my leg and the lower part of my leg. My left leg is just the upper right now. I can't feel my feet or toes at all. Physical therapy has been a little tough with all the snow. I will do leg exercises and walk in my braces and my legs will burn for two days. It definitely makes it hard to sleep. There's no doubt you're giting feel back when you hurt that bad from working out. I've been working on gitting off a little more of my baclofen I take 70 mg right now I'm trying to get that to 60. That a long way from 120 mg a day but the less medicine you take the more pain your in. People that are not paralyzed could never understand the amount of pain a paralyzed person can go through or the amount of helplessness what would take two minutes might take me two hours and that is just using the bathroom. Any paralyzed person just able to get their bowel and bladder back with the amazing.

The Intrathecal Needle

Check Out This Syringe

Wow! Biggest syringe I've ever seen...54cc's of Bone Marrow in one shot! A bit nerve racking!

Meet The Team At The Stem Cell Institute

This is the Great Team at the Stem Cell Institute who gives me the Intrathecal and IV Stem Cell Shots!

                       
Back Row From Left To Right: Samantha, Dra. Mariola and Vivianne

The Ladies to my left and right are The Stem Cell Institute's wonderful Patient Cordinators. Even when my bed was too hard they fixed it! The lady in the center is the anesthesiologist also in the above photo. Thank you ladies!

Pictured above is Patient Cordinator Melisa Cristaldi. She can help you with anything from planning your trip to Panama for stem cells , where to stay, airport pick up, etc.

Another Day In Panama

.Check out the picture of the needle that they use in my spine for the intrathecal injection of stem cells. This is a two-part needle they use the shorter bigger needle first to enter my back and then they put the longer thinner needle through the first needle to inject the cells. Ouch! If you don't like needles don't look! Today I will be getting my last injection of umbilical cord stem cells. This will be a maximum dose, much more than the last ones. Tomorrow I will receive two separate doses of bone marrow stem cells plus a booster. Will be flying home Saturday. We will be glad to see our baby. For those who do not know, Bonnie went into the hospital yesterday morning. Please call her say hi and wish her well if you can. Thank you.

Panama

.Hi everyone. It's been a few days since I've been on Facebook. I have been busy with stem cell treatments and therapy. The doctor told me yesterday that they would probably only get 5 to 6,000,000 stem cells from my bone marrow because it had a blood clot in it when they extracted it. It turns out that they are getting 40 million stem cells out of my bone marrow. Instead of spinning it in the centrifuge 5 times they spun it 12 times and ended up with more than they originally thought. The doctor was pretty excited and so am I. Tomorrow I will get one intrathecal shot(in the back) and one intravenous shot. Friday I will get my bone marrow it will consist of two separate intrathecal shots. Check out the pictures I posted of the syringes, this is what I have been receiving each day since last Wednesday. I got one of the needles today that they had in my spine. I will post that picture later. We'll keep you updated.

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Panama

Yesterday I got another stem cell shot everything went great. This morning I got up at 530 and went to the hospital to get bone marrow drawn. That will be a new experience. The doctor told me yesterday that what they knew in Costa Rica was so little compared to what they know now. I am so excited. I'm getting more shots than I ever did in Costa Rica. I ran into a friend I met in Costa Rica that was shot in the back he's walking and bending his knees. You would never believe it. With assistance of a walker. But he was hurt far worse than me as far as a spinal cord injury goes. I will try to take some pictures of Panama and upload them. It is a very busy place. Bye for now.




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Panama

Hello everybody second day of stem cells went very well. Slept well last night. I went to therapy this morning & it went very well. I get my third stem cell shot today in the spine and in the arm. I Hope everything goes well. If it doesn't cost too much me and Leslie will go see the Panama Canal tomorrow or Sunday. I guess they dug 80 km of land to make the canal. I thank everyone for writing me. I sure appreciate it. By for now.




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Panama

.Hi everyone today is my fourth day in Panama. Yesterday I got my first intrathecal shot of stem cells and two intravenous stem cells. The second IV of stem cells made my chest tighten and I could not breathe. After 30 min. I was fine but had a painful night. It was scary. But, it was just as painful in Costa Rica. I am hoping the same thing does not happen today. I will be getting the same treatment today and tomorrow. Goodbye for now.




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