Just a quick update.
It has been nearly 18 months since Craig's second injection, and he is still doing well! Sometimes he does have minimal pain, but it is usually short lived, and essential oils lavender, peppermint, and a few others usually take care of the pain quickly.
About one month ago we went to an amusement park, and he was on his feet all day long. After about 7 hours I noticed that he was still walking well with no limp!
Talking to him, he says that he sometimes aches but he wouldn't describe it as "pain". He isn't,t ready for a follow up injection yet!
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Friday, May 8, 2015
An update
April 2014 Craig went in for a second injection. His ankle had begun to hurt again, and we knew this was going to take more than one injection. The second injection was a little different because I was pregnant and couldn't be with Craig. He said it was more painful than the first, but he said that maybe it only seemed that way because he wasn't in as much pain initially. This time after healing from the injections, his pain diminished even further.
It has been over a year now and he hasn't felt like he needs another injection. We are hoping it will be another year or more before we go back in. We know this is going to be something we just need to save up to pay for, so we are. It is sooooo much better than the alternative of ankle fusion. Last month I even saw his junping in a trampoline! I wasn't sure he would ever be able to do that again! He is able to walk without a limp most of the time.
So far we are so pleased with the results of the cct. It hasn't been a 100% fix, but it has made a huge difference, and it has given Craig his life back!
It has been over a year now and he hasn't felt like he needs another injection. We are hoping it will be another year or more before we go back in. We know this is going to be something we just need to save up to pay for, so we are. It is sooooo much better than the alternative of ankle fusion. Last month I even saw his junping in a trampoline! I wasn't sure he would ever be able to do that again! He is able to walk without a limp most of the time.
So far we are so pleased with the results of the cct. It hasn't been a 100% fix, but it has made a huge difference, and it has given Craig his life back!
Thursday, February 6, 2014
The stem cell injection procedure
The morning of December 13, 2013 we drove down to Park City Utah for a consultation with dr. Adelson. Thankfully my aunt had agreed to watch our children for us while we went to the appointment. Dr. Adelson reviewed the MRI and X-rays of Craig's foot and ankle. He told us more about the injury, and what he suspected had happened in the accident. Truthfully it was nice to have someone explain why bone on bone arthritis is not uncommon after a traumatic joint injury. He told us about the combination cell injection procedure, and what results he has seen in patients with injuries similar to Craig's. He made no promises that it would heal Craig, but he was optimistic. He asked us if we were interested in going through with it, and we agreed. Ten minutes later Craig was face down on the table being prepped. The room was clean and neat. The equipment was in good condition, and it felt like an appropriate environment. Bone marrow was aspirated from Craig's hip bone via X-ray guidance. Fat cells were taken from his lower back via liposuction. The materials were prepped appropriately and then injected into Craig's ankle in four different places. Dr Adelson used X-ray and X-ray detectable dye to ensure that the cells were injected into the right places. Craig said that that part of the procedure was by far the most painful. Afterward, his foot was wrapped up and he was told to use crutches for a day or two. A few minutes later we headed out. No cast, no boot, no long painful drawn out recovery. He just couldn't drive for a few days since it was his right foot.
The first 24 hours were pretty painful, but by day three Craig had noticed a significant change in the pain. Previously he had felt a "grinding" pain, and by day three is was as he described it, "a bulging pain". He said it felt as if he had gone from walking with an ice pick shoved up his leg bone, to walking with a marble in there. Two weeks later the bulging pain was gone, and he was doing quite a bit better. He said that the pain level had decreased by at least half.
Now it has been almost two months since the procedure was done. Before the procedure Craig had constant pain even when sitting or laying down...it was awful for him just to walk on flat even ground, let alone grass or a field. There was no hope of climbing, running, or jumping, or even standing on his tip toes. If the kids accidentally bumped into his leg it would send excrutiating pain through his whole leg, Now he says that he has no pain when sitting or laying down. He has no pain when the kids bump his foot or climb on him. He says that walking isn't painless, but it is minimal compared to the pain of walking before. He recently started physical therapy.
We feel like we are on the road to recovery, and hopefully actual regenerative healing.
The first 24 hours were pretty painful, but by day three Craig had noticed a significant change in the pain. Previously he had felt a "grinding" pain, and by day three is was as he described it, "a bulging pain". He said it felt as if he had gone from walking with an ice pick shoved up his leg bone, to walking with a marble in there. Two weeks later the bulging pain was gone, and he was doing quite a bit better. He said that the pain level had decreased by at least half.
Now it has been almost two months since the procedure was done. Before the procedure Craig had constant pain even when sitting or laying down...it was awful for him just to walk on flat even ground, let alone grass or a field. There was no hope of climbing, running, or jumping, or even standing on his tip toes. If the kids accidentally bumped into his leg it would send excrutiating pain through his whole leg, Now he says that he has no pain when sitting or laying down. He has no pain when the kids bump his foot or climb on him. He says that walking isn't painless, but it is minimal compared to the pain of walking before. He recently started physical therapy.
We feel like we are on the road to recovery, and hopefully actual regenerative healing.
What I know about stem cell injection therapy/cct
Most of what I know about combination cell therapy comes from various internet sites. I have read numerous articles and animal studies on the subject. Harry Adelson ND described the theory well and susinctly on his web site. http://docereclinics.com
Partly because of proximity to our location, but mostly because of his experience and training, we chose Adelson to do the procedure on Craig's ankle.
The theory behind the procedure sounded right to us. We knew it would be a risk, but when the only other option is a radical fusion surgery, it was a risk we were willing to take.
Partly because of proximity to our location, but mostly because of his experience and training, we chose Adelson to do the procedure on Craig's ankle.
The theory behind the procedure sounded right to us. We knew it would be a risk, but when the only other option is a radical fusion surgery, it was a risk we were willing to take.
Monday, February 3, 2014
The injury that got us here
I am going to try not to be bitter as I tell this story, but the truth is that that dang motorcycle wreck ruined so many things for us. I use to tolerate, and even like motorcycles, but that is over now. I am soooo over the motorcycle.
July 10 2013, we were on a family camping trip. It was fun, except that I was pregnant and anxious and sick. We had enjoyed swimming, four wheeling, hiking, camp fires, and all sorts of fun things..,but it all changed when my hisband Craig took an evening ride on his brother's new dirt bike. He didn't even tell me he was going, and he didn't tell anyone where he was headed. He says that he wasn't going very fast, maybe 25 or 30 miles per hour, but when the bike hit a rut his hand jerked back the throttle and the bike spun out from under him. He doesn't remember exactly how he got injured. He says that he remembers the tire spinning out from behind him, and then sliding down the road on his back side. He was able to stand up...kind of...and hobble over to the motorcycle. He says that he was able to pick up the bike and try to start it, but his ankle was hurt badly, and the bike would not start. He knew how foolish it had been to ride alone, and he knew that no one knew where he was. It was getting dark, and he knew that he had to get back to camp, so he bagan to limp began lomp his way down the road.
By some amazing power of inspiration, our brother in law chose to go looking for Craig, and he took all the right turns until he found him. Together they were able to get the bikes back to camp, where I was so sad to see him hurt. He had bad road rash on his leg and arms, and his ankle was swelling fast. Thankfully he was wearing a helmet (as he ALWAYS does on a motorcycle). He was lucky not to have been hurt worse, but we were in the wilderness away from cell service. One of our children was on a hike with other family members, and Craig needed to get to a hospital. In the end his dad took him to town, and I stayed with the kids at camp. In the morning I drove to where I could get cell service and called Craig. He hadn't been released from the hospital until well into the night. He was told that no bones were broken! He was given a walking boot and crutches, told to ice it, elevate it, take ibuprofen, and take it easy. He was also advised to see a specialist the next week.
Our anniversary was the next day, and it was destroyed. Craig was in a lot of pain, and I was sad with a pit in my stomach. I had a bad feeling about the whole thing. His ankle and foot swelled to the size of his calf, and the entire thing was black and purple, and it hurt fiercely. When we got home from our camping trip he started to use essential oils on his leg and foot. Within about a week the bruising and swelling had diminished significantly. Within 10 days it was looking pretty great, but it still hurt to bare weight. He saw a foot and ankle dr who did more X-rays, and told us that bad sprains take a LONG time to heal, but that the ER had been right about no bones being broken. Again he was told to ice it, elevate it, use ibuprofen, and tale it easy. Two weeks later Craig was still in excruciating pain. He went back to the specialist, where more X-rays were taken and we heard the same thing over again...and the dr gave Craig an extended prescription strength note for ibuprofen. We were not told anything else about what could go wrong with healing, or what to expect in the future.
Four months later Craig had made no progress in healing. He could barely walk. There was no hope of running or hiking, or doing most of the activities we use to do. I was frustrated, because chronic pain was changing his personality. He had no patience with our children. Our daughter had been stillborn, and our lives just plain sucked.
At the beginning of November, Craig went to see a different specialist. More X-rays, and an MRI confirmed that while no bones had been broken, there was very little cartilage left in the ankle joint, bone spies had developed, and he was diagnosed with severe bone on bone arthritis. We were told that there was no hope of healing naturally, that cortisone shots might relieve the pain for awhile, but that the only way to find relief from the pain long term was an ankle fusion. We asked what Craig's abilities would be after he healed from the fusion, and the dr told us that Craig would be far better off than he was at that point. I won't go into detail, but the surgery wasn't just sugar coated, it was thrown into a pool of sugar. We scheduled the fusion for two weeks later.
After we got home from the specialist office, I began to look for accounts written by people who had had their ankles fused. I had no idea that an ankle injury often leads to arthritis and fusion. There were a lot of accounts of life after ankle fusion surgery to wade through. We found that most people are not as satisfied as the specialist had led us to believe. We found that many, if not most, still had pain to varying degrees, and they were severely limited in their abilities. It was then that we fully recognized that the motorcycle accident had left Craig permanently crippled. It was a hard blow.
As I read account after account, I found one man who mentioned that he was looking into stem cell injection therapy. I was curious. What was it? Why had we not been told about it as an option? As I researched, I became more intrigued, and we started to look into the procedure very seriously.
July 10 2013, we were on a family camping trip. It was fun, except that I was pregnant and anxious and sick. We had enjoyed swimming, four wheeling, hiking, camp fires, and all sorts of fun things..,but it all changed when my hisband Craig took an evening ride on his brother's new dirt bike. He didn't even tell me he was going, and he didn't tell anyone where he was headed. He says that he wasn't going very fast, maybe 25 or 30 miles per hour, but when the bike hit a rut his hand jerked back the throttle and the bike spun out from under him. He doesn't remember exactly how he got injured. He says that he remembers the tire spinning out from behind him, and then sliding down the road on his back side. He was able to stand up...kind of...and hobble over to the motorcycle. He says that he was able to pick up the bike and try to start it, but his ankle was hurt badly, and the bike would not start. He knew how foolish it had been to ride alone, and he knew that no one knew where he was. It was getting dark, and he knew that he had to get back to camp, so he bagan to limp began lomp his way down the road.
By some amazing power of inspiration, our brother in law chose to go looking for Craig, and he took all the right turns until he found him. Together they were able to get the bikes back to camp, where I was so sad to see him hurt. He had bad road rash on his leg and arms, and his ankle was swelling fast. Thankfully he was wearing a helmet (as he ALWAYS does on a motorcycle). He was lucky not to have been hurt worse, but we were in the wilderness away from cell service. One of our children was on a hike with other family members, and Craig needed to get to a hospital. In the end his dad took him to town, and I stayed with the kids at camp. In the morning I drove to where I could get cell service and called Craig. He hadn't been released from the hospital until well into the night. He was told that no bones were broken! He was given a walking boot and crutches, told to ice it, elevate it, take ibuprofen, and take it easy. He was also advised to see a specialist the next week.
Our anniversary was the next day, and it was destroyed. Craig was in a lot of pain, and I was sad with a pit in my stomach. I had a bad feeling about the whole thing. His ankle and foot swelled to the size of his calf, and the entire thing was black and purple, and it hurt fiercely. When we got home from our camping trip he started to use essential oils on his leg and foot. Within about a week the bruising and swelling had diminished significantly. Within 10 days it was looking pretty great, but it still hurt to bare weight. He saw a foot and ankle dr who did more X-rays, and told us that bad sprains take a LONG time to heal, but that the ER had been right about no bones being broken. Again he was told to ice it, elevate it, use ibuprofen, and tale it easy. Two weeks later Craig was still in excruciating pain. He went back to the specialist, where more X-rays were taken and we heard the same thing over again...and the dr gave Craig an extended prescription strength note for ibuprofen. We were not told anything else about what could go wrong with healing, or what to expect in the future.
Four months later Craig had made no progress in healing. He could barely walk. There was no hope of running or hiking, or doing most of the activities we use to do. I was frustrated, because chronic pain was changing his personality. He had no patience with our children. Our daughter had been stillborn, and our lives just plain sucked.
At the beginning of November, Craig went to see a different specialist. More X-rays, and an MRI confirmed that while no bones had been broken, there was very little cartilage left in the ankle joint, bone spies had developed, and he was diagnosed with severe bone on bone arthritis. We were told that there was no hope of healing naturally, that cortisone shots might relieve the pain for awhile, but that the only way to find relief from the pain long term was an ankle fusion. We asked what Craig's abilities would be after he healed from the fusion, and the dr told us that Craig would be far better off than he was at that point. I won't go into detail, but the surgery wasn't just sugar coated, it was thrown into a pool of sugar. We scheduled the fusion for two weeks later.
After we got home from the specialist office, I began to look for accounts written by people who had had their ankles fused. I had no idea that an ankle injury often leads to arthritis and fusion. There were a lot of accounts of life after ankle fusion surgery to wade through. We found that most people are not as satisfied as the specialist had led us to believe. We found that many, if not most, still had pain to varying degrees, and they were severely limited in their abilities. It was then that we fully recognized that the motorcycle accident had left Craig permanently crippled. It was a hard blow.
As I read account after account, I found one man who mentioned that he was looking into stem cell injection therapy. I was curious. What was it? Why had we not been told about it as an option? As I researched, I became more intrigued, and we started to look into the procedure very seriously.
The purpose behind our creating this blog
Before we ventured into the world of stem cell injection therapy, aka combination cell therapy (cct). I scoured the internet searching for first hand accounts written by real people who had undergone the procedure. I wanted to know what really happened and what their experience really was from a first hand account. It was very difficult to find anything except reviews that were tied to either a dr or clinic that was selling the procedure. I wanted to know what a person would say about their experiences with cct if I were talking to them without the filter of the clinic. Over time, as we have seen what the therapy has done for our family, I began to think about the need to publish our experience for others like me who are searching for first hand experiences like I was.
In an ideal world, my husband would be the one creating this blog, because then it would truly be first hand, as the experiences in healing are his. Reality is that he isn't much for blogging, and I have been blogging for years. I will try to get him to write the story from his view from time to time, but when that doesn't happen, I will try my best to quote his answers to questions directly when applicable.
In an ideal world, my husband would be the one creating this blog, because then it would truly be first hand, as the experiences in healing are his. Reality is that he isn't much for blogging, and I have been blogging for years. I will try to get him to write the story from his view from time to time, but when that doesn't happen, I will try my best to quote his answers to questions directly when applicable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)