Using your own stem cells to heal your body

stickywicket

Good luck, sturge, smooth flights and do keep all your meds in hand luggage in case they lose the hold stuff.

PatriciaH

Hi Sturge

Have only just picked up on your posts. How interesting and well done for being so proactive with research. I really do wish you well with your upcoming 'visit' to America. It all sounds very positive. Do let us know how you get on.

Have a good journey....x

skezier

Hi Sturge,

I so hope this will work for you and please keep us posted. Wishing you so much luck and as the others have said its fascinating..... and I so hope it will help you. have a good trip. Cris x

julie47

Hi Sturge

Just dropping in to wish you all the best, hope it works for you

juliepf x

frogmorton

Safe journey Sturge and all the very best of luck for your treatment.

Love

Toni xx

sturge8

Yeah, thank you for everyones support, regarding luggage, I am only taking hand luggage, much to my girlfriends annoyance as she keeps complaining there will not be enough room in her bag for all her stuff. Unfortunately all script meds are forbidden leading up to the injections and so is booze. I'm pretty having to lay off the sauce for 4 months in total.

I'll be in touch when i return for sure to let everyone know how it goes.

Marrow draw will be the most painful part I think.

frogmorton

Did you say no booze for 4 months? :shock:

Seriously though l do hope all goes well especially the marrow bit l agree it might be hard, but they are likely to be good to you there in terms of pain relief.

Love

Toni xx

sturge8

Hi, just got back from usa, I was impressed with the clinic and everyone there was really nice. Bone marrow draw was painful as to was the injections into my ligaments. 3-4 days after my stem cell injections were painful, but now things are improving. In the waiting room I met a guy from Aus and a guy from California, both were having stem cell injections into their knee joints. I need to give it 2-3months now to see if my ankle joint improves, at this point I have to decide whether it has worked, if I need a top up injection or it has been a failure. So I could have a good xmas present this year or not. I'll be in touch with my progress.

If anyone would like to try it and use the same clinic as I have, just let me know and I will help as much as I can.

stickywicket

I hope it works for you, Sturge8 and you do have a good Christmas.

frogmorton

Hi Sturge welcome back!!

Please do let us know how it goes....that will be roughly Christmas won't it?

Wow that would be fantastic, but perhaps no skiing this year

Love

Toni xx

sturge8

Looks like the UK are creating its own tissue engineering centres, http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/about_us/arthritis_news/press_releases/2011/tissue_centre_launch.aspx Hopefully in 5 years time I won't be needing to use America to regenerate cartilage using my stem cells.

hi Sturge, again the link has changed over time but it is possible to search from that page and find out what stem cell research Arthritis Research is doing. Mod YEH

sturge8

For those who are interested in how I am doing. It's now a little over 3 months since my injections, so if any improvement was to be felt. I think it should of happened by now. I'm sad to say that my ankle still hurts and I have seen little or no pain reduction at all. Believe me I am really gutted to have to write this, but i've not given up with the American clinic or stem cell or gene therapy as I still think in my lifetime this line of treatment will be my only option, if I want to avoid further surgery to my ankle. I certainly do not want fusion or an ankle replacement. My American dr would like to review my situation in another 3 months time. My present options are repeat the same procedure or wait for it to be improved. I have not decided which I will choose.

A little background into what I had. I had a PRP injection into my ankle which prepared the joint for the stem cell injection, I then had a bone marrow draw, this marrow was separated in a lab to leave on the stem cells and together with super platelet was reinjected into the effected joints on the same day. I also had a blood derived stem cell injection 3 days later which acted as a booster shot. Note, I did not have a cultured stem cell injection. The cultured injection is far superior, however costs 3 x times as much.

I may after xmas try the mbst treatment to see if that does anything to help while I decide if a returned visit to USA is a good idea.

I'll be back in touch March 2012.

frogmorton

Dear Sturge

l am so sorry that so far the stem cell hasn't helped you enough. Good luck though for the mbst.

Love and a Happy Christmas

Toni xx

Melrymax

Hi sturge.
I have began a little research on this kind of treatment and was wondering how you are getting on now?

resusjan

Hi Sturge,

How are you getting on, I've only just caught up with this post but have read it all the way through so am interested to know how you are now.

This is going to sound really wierd but ......... two years ago (before I was diagnosed with RA) my horse developed arthritis in her shoulder joint - it was really painful for her and she could hardly walk. The vet came out, gave her steroid injections into her shoulder, video'd her trying to walk and sent this off to a vet school in Liverpool. Liverpool came back to us quickly and she ended up having some "new" treatment that sounds a lot like what you had done. She had stem cells removed, cultured and then re-injected back into her shoulder a few days later. It cost me £3500.00 but - what a huge difference it made to her, she's only had to have it done once and is still fine, galloping round the field like an idiot. The treatment was called IRAP. The vets told me its commonly used in really expensive event horses, but due to the costs, not normally offered for everyday horses like mine. If they can do this for horses - why can't it be done for us mere humans???

NOt sure if thats of any interest to any of you but its always in my mind - I know it won't help me with my RA but wonder if there will ever be anything similar offered to us.

sturge8

Its a comfort to read that people are genuinely interested in this subject. Resusjan it's great news to hear the cultured stem injection worked for your horse and yes they can do it on humans. I couldn't afford that injection at the time and went for the cheaper Same Day injection. Perhaps this is why it hasn't worked for me. I can confidently say the SD injections which I had last year haven't helped, but I'm not put off returning and giving it another go. I'm just waiting for the clinic in America to release a developed SD injection, when that may be, it is hard to say. However I will continue to update this thread with any relevant news when it happens.

skezier

Hi Sturge,

Goosd to see you and yep very interested to me as well. Sorry it hasn't worked for you but please keep us posted us it is really interesting and does also offer hope. Cris x

Jan that's so interesting and glad it worked. I wonder if it can be used in sheep..... x

frogmorton

Hi Sturge

Good to see you and hear how you are and I too was heartened to see 'new' people interested in the research .

Love

Toni xxx

Melrymax

Am sorry to hear there hasn't been any further Improvement for you. There is a professor in Newcastle that is carrying ou the stem cell research and needless to say I have emailed him. Will let you know the response.

sturge8

I've recently been informed by the stem cell based musculoskeletal practice that they are due to clinically trial what they believe to be an improved same day stem cell injection procedure. They believe it is a major modification to their existing procedure. I'd be interested to hear what that is. As soon as I hear anymore from them i'll post an update.

Melrymax

Oooo thanks for the info sturge I would happily be a guinea pig lol. I have heard a thing from the email I sent. Wishful thinking I suppose.

sturge8

I didn't think you would Melrymax. I've never had any luck with UK stem clinics either. I don't think they're trying to develop anything in this field with much haste, so i think you'll be waiting a while for an answer. The useless Nhs love the old scope, replace or fuse techniques. Pretty archaic if you ask me. I've been recently told I will need my toe fused and ankle in two places. What are my chances of ever walking again after all that has happened. I don't think there is anything stopping you contacting them and asking to become a guinea pig.

frogmorton

Thanks Sturge for the update.

Will keep looking in.

Love

Toni xx

sturge8

Possible good news!

Yesterday I have been told by said clinic that my information has been put on a wait list for the 'modified Same Day' stem cell study. However no information has been given to me regarding the study's timeline or protocol. I may be an unsuitable candidate and not get asked, however if i am allowed to be involved, it would mean a partly free injection. Presumingly i'd still need to pay for flights and accommodation. However this news sounds promising and I now need to wait for scheduling to be established.

stickywicket

I hope it works out for you, sturge.