Insight on stem cells and Panama

For some reason the days here in Panama seem to go by slowly, but here I am in the third day of my last week of treatment. I'm feeling almost normal today after my super-sized injection on Monday. John went with me to the Bio-Fit Center and he purchased additional suppliments that Dr. Paz recommended and he talked to Javier, the program coordinatior, who told him they would set up a trainer for him to work with to develop a routine he could use back in Hawaii.


I still feel as though I'm not back to where I was physically before the lipo surgery. My stomach is still sore and tight. My right leg has not cooperated at all this week and I'm  having a difficult time walking.  I think this might be due in part to the pain associated with Monday's injection. During my research before I came to Panama, I discovered that there was a common thread among MS patients that had felt immediate relief from the treatments. It seemed that those patients all had a good deal of inflamation. Stem cells will go immediately to an area of inflamation and start to repair the damage. I sensed that my inflamation was very low and I knew I might have to be patient for much longer than many of those treated for results to manifest.  My blood work that we went over with Dr. Paz yesterday did show that I have very little inflamation.


When we arrived back at the Hotel I went to the Men's Spa next door and made an appointment later that afternoon to get my haircut. John was picked up by Dr. Paz and wisked off for golf.


John said it was good to get back out on a golf course after not playing for almost a month. He said it was even better golfing with the lead doctor of the Stem Cell Institute here in Panama. They talked about many things from the future of stem cells to my case in particular. On the issue of inflamation and stem cells, Dr. Paz confirmed that what I had sumrized from my research was correct. John asked if Jimmy, the patient that left here the week we arrived symptom free, had any signs of inflamation. Dr. Paz indicated that Jimmy had lots of inflamation. Dr. Paz said that even in cases like mine that they always see improvement down the line.


They talked about how the protocols used here in Panama and Costa Rica are leading the field in stem cell technology in large part thanks to the brilliance of Dr. Niel Riordan in Costa Rica. Dr. Riordan is the one who developed the protocols used at the Stem Cell Institute.  Dr Paz told John that China has been doing stem cell treatment for much longer than they have in Costa Rica and that they have really good marketing, but that they are now looking at what is being done here and in Costa Rica and they're recognizing the advanced technology. It brings to my mind the Chinese doctor who observed my first interthecal injection a few weeks ago.


John learned that the government in Costa Rica is only tolerating the Stem Cell Institute there while the government in Panama has sanctioned it here, and that this along with the new facilities being built will set Panama up as the premier location for future stem cell treatments. Dr. Paz said that they haven't even scatched the surface of the anti-aging aspects of stem cell therapy. Have a little tennis elbow or hearing loss, come on down, loose a few pounds of fat and take care of those things that you didn't have to deal with ten or twenty years ago. This may be the future of stem cells but for now they have their hands full dealing with people like me.


John said the golf course they went to was a private course up in the hills above the city and that it was a little soggy but it only rained on them for about five minutes during their round. He said that his game was not very good but that he putted well and enjoyed being out there chasing the little white ball. He also said he saw the largest Iguana that he's seen on three trips here and that it looked to be about five feet long. I would love to be here with better mobility so that I could experience more of the rain forest areas and wildlife.


John didn't get back until after sunset and I had been relaxing and writing post cards for most of the afternoon. We went downstairs to the La Esquina Van Gogh Restaurante and had fish for dinner. We have been here for almost a month and discovered from our new friends Connie and Chris that this is the restaurant that furnishes room service to the hotel. Sure enough, under the phone book in our room, we found the laminated menu.