Not so tiny bubbles...

John and I both went to the BioFit Center again on Friday. While I worked out John met with the program director, Javier, to go over his tests. John said this is the most sophisticated system he has seen regarding health and nutrition. John explained how Javier used all the components of the blood test and the stress test to determine what areas needed improvement to stay fit and healthy. John said he has to start doing a little more exercise than just playing golf a couple times a week. After his meeting with Javier, John met with Anna, the nutritionalist, and she used the results of the two test to make up program to follow for meals. Javier also said they could get John in the gym with one of the instructors to work up an exercise routine for him. In my three weeks here I have found the people at BioFit to be very nice and very professional. For some reason they did not do the stress test on me, perhaps it isn't included because so many of the MS patients are not physically capable of doing it and Bill Cortright, the company's founder, told me that they already knew what I needed due to the disease. The only thing I can see that would improve on their program is to do a food allergy test so people will know what foods their bodies cannot tolerate and that contribute to disease and failing health.

The time for my afternoon pick-up was moved up an hour so it was a quick turn around from the time we arrived back at the hotel from physical therapy until the time the van showed up to take me to the Royal Center for my injection. It was only the one injection in spine this time but I still get nervous and apprehensive. The picture above is the parking lot of the Royal Center, and the clinic we go to is on the ground floor back under the covered parking. Dr. Hernandez was there when we arrived and we had to wait for Dr. Pichel. I began asking him the questions I had written down earlier in the week. We talked for awhile about the doppler proceedure for my bad leg to check my veins and arteries. He didn't seem to think there was a physical circulation problem even though it is always cold. He said it was a matter of restoring the nerve connections so the brain could send the signal to pump more blood down that leg. He didn't seem to think the doppler exam on my leg was necessary.


I asked Dr. Hernandez about getting an MRI with the contrast dye and he advised me to wait for several months before having the dye injected into my system. I asked him again about he lumps under the skin of my stomach and he said it would take a couple more weeks for them to fully dissapate. I still would like to have Dr. Crespo, the plastic surgeon who preformed the lipo, check me out before I leave. I told him I had talked to Vicky earlier in the week and she didn't seem to know about wearing the girdle for three weeks and said they had not given her very much post operative info. Dr. Hernandez assured us that he told her what she should do and I made the comment that it is important to write everything down for the MS patients because we have a difficult time remembering things. John said that we all suffer from CRS. Dr. Hernandez gave a little smile which quickly changed to puzzlement as his memory banks searched the medical acronyms stored for meaning. "What's CRS? he asked. With a straight face John said, "Can't Remember S#@t." Dr. Hernandez laughed for about a minute, but I told him it was true.

John asked about other patients going through stem cell therapy and Dr. Hernandez told us about a young boy who had muscular distrophy that had been treated earlier in the day. He said that they gave the boy allogenic stem cells intravenously and several shots right into the muscles of his arms and legs. Jerry Lewis should put some of his energy into investigating this treatment for his kids.

Dr. Pichel arrived and we set up in the little examination room for the injection. I was told the injections would get easier and so far this seems to be the case. I felt the slight bee sting of the anesthetic needle. John said as the numbing fluid goes in a bubble the size of a half-dollar forms under my skin, then the doctor massages the area until the bubble dissapates. The picture above is the anethetic being injected into my back. I feel no pain after that. I can feel the pressure of the larger needle being inserted but I don't feel anything as the long skinny needle slides into my nerve system. Today I only felt a slight pressure in my hips as the stem cells were injected. After removing the needles Dr. Pichel cleans my back with alcohol and water then I'm done.

The driver told us he had to stop by the Stem Cell Institute on the way back to the hotel to drop off some paperwork. John and I went into the office even though the driver said we could wait since he would just be a couple of seconds.  Dr. Paz happened to walk in at that moment and we talked with him for a few minutes. Dr. Paz said that when they drew blood from me last time that they didn't get enough to do a blood test because it was all needed to make serum for the stem cells. I said, "You're not getting any more," and Dr. Paz said he knew that but would really like to have that information. John said that I would give more blood if necessary and I reluctantly shook my head in agreement. Dr. Paz thought about scheduling and decided to have me come in early on Monday before physical therapy. Something else to look forward to.

Back at the hotel I rested and entertained myself with Spanish television for the remainder of the day.