C5, 6 Incomplete Cord Injury Treatment for Dr. Biggs

Back from China!

June 23rd, 2007

Ni Hao Everyone!

I made it back safely from China last Wednesday and am currently chilling in the Bay Area until Saturday. I decided to spend some time recovering from jet lag by soaking at Harbin Hot Springs and receiving some much needed bodywork. It has been quite the journey! I apologize for not being able to send regular updates because as I discovered the Internet in China is heavily monitored and censored by the Chinese government making it very difficult to access the web and email.

Overall my trip was a great success! I feel much stronger and have more endurance than before. I also have better hand dexterity, upper body strength, better balance and core strength. I haven’t noticed any major changes yet in my sensation or functional movement, however it takes the stem cells 4-6 months to fully develop into neural cells so I should see continual improvements. I also was assessed by Dr. Perlman, a neurologist from UCLA, before my trip and will see her again in about a month to see what neurological and functional changes have occurred.

So here is the overview of my treatment. Shortly after arriving in Shenyang, I received my first umbilical cord blood stem cell injection. Basically I was rolled onto my side with my knees to my chest and then the doctor inserted a needle into my lumbar. Then five viles containing 10-15 million stem cells were injected directly into my spinal cord. The whole procedure took about 15-20 minutes. I could feel a warm sensation in my lower back moving towards my neck. Then I had to lie flat on my back for 4 hours allowing the stem cells to travel up and down my spinal cord to find the damaged cells begin their magic healing process. I had lots of energy making it difficult to sleep but feeling strong and energized the following several days. I received a total of five stem cell treatments so about one per week.

In between my stem cell treatments I received daily accupuncture, 45 minutes of standing, 1.5 hours of physical therapy, and 45 minutes of hand therapy six days a week! It was intense, but I could really feel changes occurring almost daily. Most of the Chinese do not speak English so I learned some basic Chinese phrases which put smiles on their faces when we interacted My therapists spoke some English and taught me as much Chinese! There were 5 other American patients in the hospital so we really had a great time hanging out, supporting each other, and going to Sunday brunch together.

I was very impressed by the optimism and ambition of the Chinese spinal cord patients. It is clear the Chinese medical community has a very different attitude towards recovery. They don’t tell their patients they have a slight chance of walking ever again, like they do in the US, but rather believe and are proving that profound recovery and walking again is most likely! I noticed that hardly any of the Chinese patients had muscle spasms and were able to sit and stand independently. I believe this recovery is clearly due to the patients receiving stem cells immediately after their injury and the combination of aggressive physical therapy and accupunture. If my improvements continue as expected, I am already considering going back next year for another round of treatments hopefully around the time of the 2008 Beijing Para Olympics. It is so unfortunate that I must travel half way around the world for stem cell treatment.

Well, that is enough for now. I have many other stories to share and several hours of video that I plan to edit into a documentary film of my experience. I want to thank everyone who supported me emotionally and financially on this journey. I finally want to express my immense love and gratitude toward my friend Dr. Frank Starks who accompanied and took care of me on this incredible adventure

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