Update July 2010

Two years and eight months since my bone marrow stem cell operation and things are changing fast.
I feel this is because  my operation cite at my c7 vertebra is calming down (the swelling is going down and the spinal shock is calming). My theory behind this is that if the stem cells do their job in healing the cut and damaged nerves. I will not feel the benefit of this until the swelling calms.
My physiotherapy program is intense,

I am sure that my legs are starting to move.
20 years of work outs things are changing.
I feel the weight shift from one leg through to the other when I move or lean forward in my chair.

The tension in my legs is more powerful, my legs are changing colour yet again.
My legs now look natural, hairs have grown back in many places and I get cramp in my toes. Some time when I transfer from chair to bed/car/beach or shower seat I feel my legs trying to lift me, it’s as if they are taking some of my weight.

After 20 years could I really have this chance of what I spent the last 20 years dreaming of ?

Update March 2010

It now been five months since my last update and the last point of my diary of recovery, twenty seven months on and my trunk muscles are now functioning really well they give better balance and movement. This has improved my posture and stability (my body is healing, progress is still being made).

I felt some change in my legs I could not be sure as to what it may have been. It is difficult to describe the sensations I was feeling, a combination of electric tingles and muscles pluses. Before my bone marrow stem cell implants I had sensations of pull in my legs but never the sensation of tension that I feel now, for years I worked hard with the sensation I had before but never got passed a certain point of recovery but now its as if my boundaries have been lifted and each week I feel a little stronger. I worked hard through the winter in my gym every day and each evening used an electronic body toner on my legs.

The muscle tone in my legs seems to be changing, I can not as yet physically move my legs but I feel them trying, it’s like they are just very heavy. I have to confess I promised myself I would keep an open mind but I have become very excited at the reality of walking again. There are days when I feel the strength returning in my legs and other days they feel weaker, I put this down to the spinal trauma caused at the time of my corrective surgery and bone marrow stem cell implant.

I feel connected to my legs for the first time in since my accident a good example of this is that when I am on my peddle machine I can feel my legs follow the peddles round. I am confident that what I am now feeling is the early stages of leg movement, this gives me a positive mind and encourages me to work even harder in the gym. I intent to update my website again soon to keep all informed of my latest progress.

Stem Cell up date 18 months - implant November 21st 2007 to date - July 30th 2009.

My rate of recovery is hampered by the corrective surgery carried out at the time of my implant needless to say it is pointless implanting stem cells unless the spinal canal is clear. My C7 vertebra was split open and the top fragment had entered the spinal canal blocking and compressing the nerves cutting into the spinal cord by around 45% of the canal.

The protruding bone was cut and removed thus making a small hole where the surgeons drain fluid, defeathered the cord, removed the scare tissue and implanted my bone marrow stem cells.

This was indeed a difficult proceeded and could have resulted in the loss of the movements I had gain over the past 20 years, I always felt that this was a mission on faith and after Dr Geffner and his team had explained the possibilities of the pluses and the minuses of the operation I was still determined to proceed.

Since my last website up date I have made further improvements how ever my recovery is still subject to the spinal swelling that accrued at the time of my operation this in its self could take any thing up to three years to calm. This in fact means that I could well have nerve fibres repaired from my stem cell implant that I will not feel the benefit of until the spinal swelling (spinal shock) calms. This explains the reasons for sensation of touch and movement that come and go, this is very frustrating but at the same time encouraging. My thinking is that if the sensations come and go this must mean that some connection is being made and my hope is that as and when the operation site calms the sensations will all return, lets not forget nerve repair under a microscope may be understood as nerve repair at the point of injury within the spinal cord but this may not have the text book affect at the muscle.

My truck muscles are now strong enough to be of use to me, I can now sit up right, don’t fall across the passengers seat when turning a corner driving my car. When sitting up right on my work out bench with my feet on the floor I can hold my back in sit up straight and come off the point of balance slightly and correct my posture
With out falling over, the strength I have regained also helps with breathing allowing me to take deep breaths.

The feelings in my legs comes and goes the colour in my legs shows redness an indication of good circulation and not the white ghostly affect that they had at the point of my accident and up to the time of bone marrow stem cell implant. At the time of my accident the hairs on my legs stopped growing below my knees and within days after my operation in Ecuador they started growing again and to this day they are still growing.

Ecuador November 2007

In September 1988 I had a fall and broke my neck at c7 level, at the time of my accident I was left paralysed from the chest down this included the loss of movement in my hands. There was never any operation to correct the fracture however after three months some movements and sensations began to return, so much so that with daily physiotherapy I regain limited hand and finger movement, some trunk muscles and the ability to lock my knees allowing me to stand in parallel bars with all my weight going through my arms.

I became frustrated with the consent promise of a cure for spinal injuries; however it soon became apparent that stem cell implants were a promising way forward. I began to study reports from around the world on stem cell progress, many countries were offering implant with promising results.

I contacted most of the organisations asking questions of my concerns and the success with patents to date, most seemed reluctant to give evidence and those that did tended to be shallow all except Doctor Luis Geffner and his team. I was given a full insight to work carried out but patient confidentiality was respected, an M.R.I scan was requested of which I prejudice and based on the information and my history of medical condition Doctor Geffner and his team made their assessment and gave me the fully aware of the possibilities and the risks involved.

As a result of my research I felt the best treatment available to me was with Dr Geffner and his team. I traveled to South America and planned on a three week stay giving me enough time to recover from my operation and prepare for the journey back.

After an intense examination my bone marrow was taken, stem cells where harvested and implanted at the time of my corrective surgery. I was discharged from hospital two days later to rehabilitate in my hotel room with regular visits from Dr Geffner. I returned home feeling very weak and spent the next few months recovering from my operation before starting my intense physiotherapy program.

The first thing I noticed was that my legs changed colour circulation had improved and strangely enough at the time of my accident that hairs below my knees toped growing but within 2 months of implant they started to grow back after twenty years. My back muscles returned and strengthen within three months so much so that I could sit up on my work out bench with no back support. Sensations and muscle tensions are moving down to my toes, I can feel my legs in different areas.

I do not have any regrets about having the operation or stem cell implant the improvements are mind blowing and I have more to work with now to improve my quality of life. I am working towards walking again as now I feel it’s a strong possibility thanks to the work of Dr Luis Geffner.