I met with Dr. Mary Ellen Kirwan in early March in a group session where she gave the facts and details about stem cell. She explained what stem cell regeneration can do, gave realistic expectations and explained the procedure in simple terms. I don't mean she talks down to you, but, rather that she doesn't explain it to you in a way it's too difficult to understand. While I'm well read, I'm certainly not a doctor or a scientist. I appreciate having it broken down.
Where do the stem cells come from? While some parents pay to save their baby's umbilical cord blood stem cells, others donate them so someone like me has a chance to use them to get back the active life they want. The important part to a lot of people is that they come from live births — not aborted fetuses.
How do they get where they are needed? I brought them x-rays from my orthopedist showing the condition of my knees. Anyone thinking about a knee replacement would have those. The person who would perform the procedure, a nurse practitioner who specializes in stem cell therapy, would examine the x-rays to determine the best way to go about injecting the cells. During the actual procedure, she would use a sonogram to identify the exact spot.
I'm excited about what is coming and to meeting my new life. I fully expect the transition from grabbing for support to stand to standing without thinking about it to happen. I hope to get back to snow skiing even if only the easy blues.
I'm also looking forward to life without invasive surgery on both of my knees and months of painful rehabilitation.
Let's do this thing.
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