Good News
Quick update: I’ve now had three stem-cell treatments, the first two in my arm and the last one via a lumbar puncture (which sounds as pleasant as it is). The idea behind the lumbar puncture is that injecting the stem cells into the spinal fluid is a much more direct route to the brain, which is where we want these little suckers to end up in first place.
In each case, and particularly in the last case, I have felt some immediate energy shifts within my body. At first it seems that my balance was off, but in reality it was just a redistribution of energy and musculature that I had to get used to. In fact, immediately following the last procedure I was able to walk relatively smoothly and with a fair amount of balance without using my cane.
But the most exciting news of all came during my semiannual visit to my neurologist last week: he did a thorough top-to-bottom analysis of my condition and found that in a number of cases what was once a muscle strength of “0” was now a “1,” “2,” or “3”!
I am fortunate to have a neurologist who is open to new ideas, who is in favor of anything that will help his patients – so he has been following my case closely and has been very positive about what I’m doing. (Typically with my condition, there is no course of action, no medicine – thank goodness – in the world of traditional medicine, so our encounter every six months is more of a fly-by joke-fest.)
I wish I could tell you that I threw away my cane and danced out of the treatment clinic, but at least I don’t have to report that nothing is happening. I’m making steady progress, and I hope to have more treatments in the future to increase the rate and magnitude of my recovery.
I can’t stress adequately the gratitude I feel for your contributions, whether they be in the form of thoughts and prayers and well-wishes, or something slightly more negotiable.
Good News by Jay Mitchell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Someone has to be first, as something has to work, sounds really great on how it is all going. Be out there chasing women in no time. 🙂
Dear Mr. Mitchell,
I look forward to each new chapter of your blog (what is the origin of that word?). I’ll Google it, as I do so many other things.
Again, you are such an inspiration. No, I have no major health issues. But being past “retirement age” I’m sure something is around the corner ….lurking.
You make me smile. And, I do so wish you continued improvement!
Keep those blogs coming!
Thanks again for all you do, and write, to inspire us – your fans!
Looking forward to your next writing,
Sincerely,
Karen
Henderson, TX