Some Things goiing on....

Here are a few photos of me..... the first is me try to balance on my knees with only one hand while i lift the other in the air and the second is me trying to crawl for the first time forward and back wards. This was very very very very difficult. Its a big learning process and a lot has to do with whether i have enough muscle function occurring and then trying to re-learn the control in the brain....
The second day i tried it was a little bit better. But its going to take a long while with some assistance.
Enjoy....

The Next Step

Hey Boys and Girls how is everyone goin? Salut mes amis du Canada! I have entered into the last 10 days and I know I have a lot of work to do before I leave Nu Tech MediWorld, Delhi, and India.
We are into mid October here and the days are starting to get noticibly shorter with the sun setting around six pm and its suppose to be getting cooler.... I would say its a little bit cooler at night sometimes but during the day its still around 33-36C depending on the day!!

Therapy continues with the same regular routine and things are getting more demanding with more exercises and with resistance and the activities are graded harder. I am also trying to walk further and further and to have better control along with better posture. With increased function in motor control in more and more muscles in different areas below my injury the more i can do and the more i have to practice.

Unfortunately, this week has started with some building problems as the lift broke down on Sunday night and they were not able to fix it (as any Indian can be a repair man :) ) So for two more days we had to wait up stairs and do the physio in our rooms and walk on the floor. A bit of a change is always good. However, by the 2nd day i was getting a bit restless and wanted out. On wednesday it was fixed and now we can escape!!!!

I had another procedure this past tuesday which was a DSM (Deep Spinal Muscle) injection and was a very simple procedure that only took about 30mins and i had to lay down for 2hours. Now i have wait and see what changes this will make.

The muscle contractions are getting stronger in the areas that have started and I am getting more contractions in areas such as my ankles, toes, hamstrings, and quadriceps.... as things become more definite and stronger I am thinking about how i will have to make them functional by putting the motions together. I have been trying to make movements and do functional activities when i am not in physio (eg. sitting on my chair without using the back).
I have now been able to extend my legs about 40 degrees while laying on my side with my legs bent at 90 degrees with by using my quadriceps. Basically extending my hips using a combination of muscles. But hey i will take anything as long as i can move things that didnt move before.
Any Canadians out there who will like to comment about the blog?
Later.....

This week on the Tuesday past I was back at the old hospital for what they call the Lumbar Puncture. It isnt exactly a lumbar puncture for someone like myself because they don't need to go that low.... However, it was injected fairly low down as my sensation is fairly low now. During the time in the OT. I was able to feel Ashish pushing his fingers about on my back to test me out to about T10-11 and then inserted some anesthesia. Then the puncture tap was inserted and fluid was drained and then stem cells were injected. After the injection I felt quite a few sensations such as heaviness throughout my body, seemingly feelings of connection of electrical currents were flowing through my lower have of my body, and of course there were a bunch of spasms. This time the spasms were not as much as the previous procedures.

The next 5 hours i was on my back laying motionless trying to not move my head while the bed is inclined with two bricks and the blood flowing to my head. The idea is to prevent oneself from getting a headache and nausea and the way to do that is to remain motionless as possible. Luckily I managed to get through the evening without any headaches, etc. After this time i was allowed to roll over to either side or lay on my back for the remaining next 12 hours (08:30 the next morning) with only one brick. During all this time i had an IV stuck into me with a drip that was replaced 3 times, which means i had 1.5L of saline pumped into me with multiple antibiotics to prevent infection.
It was a mental and physical challenge but i made it through the 24hrs and no complications! I was feeling quite weak and tired. The next morning i went down to physio and did some light exercises and standing along with walking. I still felt weak as one would after such a procedure.

After a good sleep the next day I was ready to work it out and see what happens...... Well, on Thursday I did a decent phsyio treatment with walking in the walker but no crutches since i wasnt over energised. There weren't any changes that i noticed because I was too fatigued to notice them.
Friday, and yes there are some changes which i am truly amazed with!!! Now i have to work on making them functional. I am talking about moving my quads and lifting my quads in an adducting movement which is against gravity... Pretty cool hey..... Well that is the latest speil...
I will keep on keeping on.

Over Half Way now

Now it I have been here for 5 1/2 weeks and things are moving right along.... After the procedure I didnt notice anything right away. However, there were constant spasms occurring in my abdominals and my bladder. This is a good sign but it makes it difficult to sleep and when I went to move I had to pause until the spasms subside.
After a couple of days post procedure i started to notice some more changes occurring such as: contractions and movement in both legs in the quadriceps, contractions in my hamstrings, increased strength and movement in my lower abdominal area, adduction movement from the end of range of motion on both sides. However, the right is weaker than the left and moves about 30 degrees and the left can move approx. 0-50 degrees. Just to let you know these movements are very weak and require some support from the Physio but never the less i am moving my body parts on command!!!!!!!
Unfortunately, my improvements have been under minded by a UTI, AGAIN! :( This UTI really sucks the energy out of you and since it has been dragging on I have asked to get the medication that i know will work for me. Now that I have received the right prescription i will be sweet!....
Something i thought i would like to point out, the physiotherapists and all of the staff are great here and are so patient and very dedicated to give the patient's to best opportunity to help with recovering from whatever there disability or disease. Geeta & Ashish live, breath and eat Stem Cell therapy..... so compassionate about their work/treatment and are constantly encouraging their patient's and try to explain what is going on with each patient's treatment. Even though Geeta is running two hospitals and doing research, etc she continues to come and see how the patients in the physio room are going. I am inspired to make sure that i am professional who will do the same with my patients.

So while i am here I will continue to push my body to see what will happen and make the most out of the treatment. I dont think i will get nearly as much support when i return and will do the majority of work at home. Go baby stem cells go!!!
By the way today is a holiday here in India, its Mahat ma Ghandi day, so no work today. But i did get up and walk down to the lift and back twice.

The Nu tech Mediworld 3 day Procedure

As many people before me have experienced having a 3 day procedure as part of the treatment course here, I have now completed the same, in order to receive a large mass of stem cells directly into the spinal cord. Its not an easy thing on the body (there are affects which can make one's body feel tired, put pressure on, cause pain, headaches, nausea, etc). Along with these affects come possibilities of infection due to the fact that a catheter being inserted into your spinal and left there for three days. Therefore, continuous antibiotics are pumped into your body to reduce the risks. People may or may not be aware that small changes placed on one's body can make major changes.... well these procedures make major changes on one's body in a matter of 3 days.

Once the intial insertion of the catheter is completed and the initial injection of stem cells are injected I was brought back to my room to lay on my back with my feet raised 2 bricks up off the ground while my head is sloped downward for 5 hours. This is the toughest part because your patience is tested to sit still in bed while the blood rushes down to your head.
During the 3 days, you are given two injections of stem cells into the catheter and in my case it was 50 million stem cells at each injection. The first one was with me on my back, the second was with me laying on my right side, then left side, then on my stomach and finally my choice of on my back again. (the reasons for these positionings are a little more detailed than what i want to write about but you can ask me later if you wish to really know). Before each injection you are given antibiotics....
During this time in the older hospital i was not allowed to leave the hospital for obvious reasons. Therefore, another challenge of this procedure is to keep one's self occuppied.... so i brought a book, watched movies and slepted of course. Having my friend around to talk to and have assistance is essential!! Thanks Erikk....
Of course, Geeta's staff are great and are constantly taking care of you and providing the best of care. Ashish Verma is a brilliant man who is a great anesthesiologist and takes no risks when it comes to treating his patient's. Not only does he have great skills and many years of practice he is a warm, compassionate man who is dedicated to his patient's and HESC treatment. I placed my body in their care with no doubts..... I had no thoughts of any anxiety towards concern with mal-treatment with someone like Ashish. Some people, including myself may have experienced other encounters with other health professionals where there are doubts about the competence of the physician treating them... in this case, there were none.
To tell you a bit about what feelings of changes that occurred during the injections over the 3 days, i will attempt to describe them....
The sensations varied but generally there were feelings of heaviness, spasms, contractions of my bladder, and tinglings from T5 (nipple line) right down to my toes. The feelings weren't the same each time the injections occurred. For myself, the most significant feelings came during the injections when i was laying on my back and i would get spasms that pushed on my ribs and constricted my breathing, pushed on my abdomen, and created heaviness on my legs all the way down to my toes. To me, this was a bizarre feeling and had never occurred to me since being injured. This is my proof that the stem cells are working.... The feelings would only last for a few minutes and therefore my breathing was not compromised.
I think that physical changes my take a day or two come out and be realised. However, i am finding already after less than one day that i am feeling that my core is contracting and i am able to sit with more stability and for a longer period time. I also found at physio today that my quadriceps are contracting with some limited movement when i am trying to push out my leg when bent at a 90 degree angle when Vardana held my leg. At the same time my bladder is contracting constantly and then I have to pee a short time later. Unfortunately, I still can't control it....
For me, this was a challenging 3 days and i was very fatigued after this procedure. At the same time i felt like i just got out of jail as i can't stand being confined for any length of time! Going back to the new hospital has its bad and good aspects and in some way it felt good to be back !
Now we wait to see what changes will occur??.....
Today i did two parts of physio right after returning and it wasnt too bad. I did feel that i struggled a bit with fatigue but it was glad to be on my feet and expending energy and not laying around on a bed for 3 days!!!!!!! Below are some photos to show you what the injections looked like:

The Struggle for Success

For anyone who has ever thought about doing this..... lets just say its not easy and success goes up and comes back and there are so many factors that impact on what happens. But still its all good mate! I guess i could describe the changes leading to improvement like going 3 steps forward and then 2 steps backwards. Some days are good and then some days are not so good. Then things will change again and improve more.
In my case the last week has been a bit of a battle with having an UTI which has delayed my first major procedure of a lumbar puncture almost a week. I am not sure when and if this will occur? Can you believe it, i am actually looking forward to having a lumbar puncture.....! This is a very painful event which can often leave one with a headache and nausea, or worse! However, with this procedure i was told that it may bring about a big change in function because it will bring in large amounts of stems directly into the spinal fluid in the spinal cord and go towards the injured site.

My body has continued to make small changes and i am definately getting stronger in the core of my body. I am continuing along the same direction but today I tried something new to advance to the next level. This next step involves walking without lateral support between my calipers and crutches.... this was extremely difficult on the balancing act..... but i did do some very small steps for a short distance inbetween the parallel bars. Before the previous week i was using the 'walkabout' which is a device that attaches to the calipers to help with movement in a foreward motion and helps with holding the calipers together to prevent lateral and medial motion and me swaying sideways and falling over. Last week i had been using the walker without the 'walkabout' piece to practice walking and learning to balance side ways. So now i am advancing to the next level and stepping away from the walker and going to the crutches. Its going to be a long journey for this.....
The more my little babies get into me and start working the more my body heals! Go baby stem cells and Go Baby Steps Go!!!
I am going to say see later now, as i need a nap after that big Physio session....Whew!
take care

The daily grind

Here i am part way into the 3rd week. Its a hard grind people..... the deal is that everyday you go through physio twice and grunt and push and hope the stem cells will help make connections and repair so that you can try to mentally make moves in your mind to get contractions or maybe even move some little part of your muscles that havent moved in years..... a cm!!

But don't worry boys and girls I am a hard case and i will continue to struggle for days and hours until those little tiny stem cells keep giving results.... Although i would have to say my little cells seem to be responding fairly well.... a few more twitches and slightly more moves and voila !!!! I am practicing with calipers and up on my two feet to try n walk backwards, mind you baby steps and very small steps and the latest today is side stepping in the parallel bars. Its all stepping stones....

Don't forget people this is a long slow process that doesn't really fully develop until 10 months. I am pregnant and don't you forget it!!!
Tomorrow i am off to have another procedure and won't be posting blogs for a couple of days.

One thing i am reminded on a daily basis is how amazing this invention and process is and how the vastly the different types of people with different disabilities and how HESC could possibly change or cure all these problems! Its truely insane and almost unbelievable, but its REAL!!!!!!!

LITTLE BY LITTLE / PEU PAR PEU

We have been busy workers and not doing much updating, sorry.... With Physio 2x day and yoga in the late avro, its constant. This is a 6 day a week job. Then there's injections twice a day and of course got to feed those babies to feed... the stem cells of course! With all the physical work and the growth and repair with millions of stem cells growing inside of me I am very tired. So after i write this brief posting i am going for a nap!

Since i last wrote I had what they call a procedure. This was the first one. We have to go to the other older hospital where i go into the operating room and have freezing put into my lower back and then i received 3 large injections of stem cells into the Caudal region (around S5). This was the weirdest feeling.... as i thought that i wouldnt feel anything....WRONG! I felt a sharp twinge and my body spasmed big time and each time they made the injection. These cells are being placed directly on the nerve fibers and hopefully will have a more direct route to my damaged area from the bottom. Then after the procedure it was back to room where i had to lay with my bed cranked up to brick levels up and my head down laying on my back still for 4 Hours! Talk about a head rush after!!! And in this old hospital the power kept going out and aircondition was very weak and it was atleast 35C! I was sweating like crazy. I couldnt tell if it was from the head rush or the heat.
But the staff here take good care of you and they gently got me up and within 30 mins i was up and feeling a little weak but ready to go back to our room at Green Park (the new hospital). By that time it was almost 11pm.
The next day I was very tired but it was back at the physio.

Generally i am told that things take a long time and if changes are to occur they are very small and you have to make a big effort to see anything. This is very true. As i have mentioined a few days ago that i began to see some toe movement, I can now add to that with a list of other motions or contractions occuring. I can now wiggle a few more toes on the right foot, still little contractions on the left, I can bend my lower legs when lying down on the bed about 7% increase from nothing, I can Abduct left leg when straight, but not the right and hardly any adduction on both legs, i can externally rotate my right leg when bent at 90 degrees when laying down and i can somewhat hold the leg in place without any assistance (the left has some movement but it is minimal), I am getting some movement and power with my quads in both legs (however mostly with right), I am getting some of my lower abdominals working and we are working on my core strength. For those of you who know me, if this seems unreal to hear, i can tell you it feels unreal to see!
Now i am beginning to put some of these motions together and i am attempting to walk with calipers for support. We began trying to walk forward and backwards. It may seem like a simple thing but let me tell you.... it is not! The hardest part is not being able to feel the ground below you and be moving and standing!
But it feels GREAT!! Here is a little view of me above....
Thanks for watching everybody. More stuff later.
Kev

Trip to the Red Fort, Delhi

Delhi is an adventure in its self. Getting to and from the Red fort was a million experiences and all the eyes could absorb.... the photos will speak for themselves. Photo with bike rider with flax piled up high, locals want a pic with Kev... money please $$$, military guard is a poser, who is the better attraction Uli or the Red Fort, how to drive in Delhi (with kids on daddy's motor bike while the traffic closes in on you!!)
So there is a taste of our first outing
Kev & Uli

P.S.: Hallo Doris!!! Viele Gruesse nach Regensburg!!!

Physio

Dr. Geeta Shroff and Kevin meet in the physio room.

CHANGES!!

Well things are a happening...... Did i tell you or did i not tell you that something was going to change?? I wasn't thinking something would happen this quick but it has. They are just very small changes but something is occurring. Some slight toe flickers are occurring and that is not just reflexes but it is on my command. Along with some contractions in my legs... you will just have to wait and see if it materialises into some thing else.

In this picture you see the Yoga instructor dealing with Kevin's toes.

Uli speaks for the first time

Hallo zusammen!
Jetzt bin ich mal dran. Soll ich auf Deutsch oder Englisch schreiben? Da die meisten Leser wahrscheinlich besser Englisch als Deutsch sprechen, I will continue in English. Living in one room with Kevin is fun, hold, we are three actually. Has Kevin ever told you about Genius? He has four legs, big antlers and sits on the bedside table and watches over Kevins sleep. He is real and very furry. We are getting used to the daily routine now, with sisters in pink and white uniforms coming into our room with intruments to measure Kevins pulse and blood pressure. And then there is a lady in green, she is supervising a man in red and blue doing the cleaning. They all have very difficult names, so between the two of us we speak of them in colours.
Today we were out shopping. It was sooo hot. Have a closer look at the picture, the heat does not come from the iron....
This afternoon we will be going to join the yoga class. We are beginners...
That is it for now, bye-bye

Well something new is occuring....

Well another hot an steamy day in Delhi and so we are off to adventure for as long as we can handle it.... each day it has been at least in the low 30's C and very very very very humide. today is no exception with the sun out and predicted to be 35C. what is it in you country? Canada or Australia?
So if you want to know what is transpiring, write into this blog and maybe you just might get a suprise response....????????
More later...
Kev

First injection

So it has begun, i have had the first trial dosage of stem cell injections! A photo is attached.
Take a look.

India arrival

Hey everybody,
Uli and I have arrived...... barely! Well what an intro to Delhi for Uli! My flight was delayed coming from Sydney and then we missed the connection in Singapore... and then it all began!
When i didnt arrive for 3 hours later Uli reacted and decided to go out and find the Hospital! Oops big mistake.... her taxi driver didnt even know where to go!! But when i finally arrived i found my pick up person we called Uli and found her, Yahooooo! Then i was taken to the hospital at 6am and i tell you what an Eye opener! Cows in the middle of the road, dogs in streets, and in the way on the road and people driving the wrong way on the same side! Yikes! The pollution as we drove away from the airport was terrible, it was like a dust storm... the roads were like a bunch of holes put together.... people sleeping in the streets on wooden racks on the side of the road.... I even saw a guy sleeping on his motorbike parked on the side of the road!! CRazy crazy! Uli even saw people across the street in a hut where they polish cars, living there and bathing half naked, nice hey! Its so polluted here with garbage everywhere and broken down vehilces left where they broke down.
The ultimate arrival to India... when i was at the customs desk, as i handed my passport over, a Cockroach passed by!! WELCOME TO INDIA!
But we survived and now we are settling into our new home :) Look for more news as we get over jetlag and begin our therapy program tomorrow.
Kev and Uli

The count down is on....

It won't be long and i will be off on the adventure of a life time!! I say you can never gain success if you never take risks. So if you never never go, you'll never never know!
And i am going for it......

Geeta Schroff /Amanda Boxtel website

To find out more info on the India experience follow this link