April 10, 2014 by

“I am riding my bike 10 miles a day, swimming, walking…all virtually PAIN FREE!” – Debra Deuble

We received this message from Debra Deuble yesterday. Debra gave us the ok to share it with everyone.

“I am a stem cell recipient from your clinic in Panama! I am grateful every day that I had this done. It has been over a year and I have not been on any medications and I feel great! I am riding my bike 10 miles a day, swimming, walking…all virtually PAIN FREE! I feel like I have had the fountain of youth! I was diagnosed with severe Rheumatoid Arthritis. I was 37 when I had symptoms and 46 when diagnosed. Was on meds for 7 years and nothing helped. So glad I found your website in my search for a cure!!”

Filed Under: Autoimmune Diseases, Patient Stories, Rheumatoid Arthritis Tagged With: , , , , , ,
January 8, 2014 by

Stem cell therapy for COPD

Email from a COPD patient on Jan 8 to Dr. Paz. We have removed this patient’s name since she has not yet informed her doctors in the US about her treatments in Panama. She received multiple intravenous injections of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells over the course of several days.

From: REDACTED
Subject: Re: Surveys
Date: January 8, 2014 at 7:48:49 AM EST
To: Jorge Paz Rodriguez

Dr. Paz,

I definitely feel there is an improvement from the 1st to the 2nd treatment. I feel much stronger and feel that I am able to function with a better quality of life. Prior to my 1st and 2nd treatments it was hard for me to keep up with the housekeeping, cooking, laundry and going out to the store for groceries was very hard for me to do. I have more energy to complete the task at hand now. I am able to walk longer distances without having to sit and rest and not getting as winded walking. Going up and down stairs is easier for me to do. I do feel I am making improvements with each treatment.

I have health insurance again and the Dr. here was wanting to do a physical with a chest X-ray to see the change in my COPD since my last X-ray a couple of years ago. I thought I could send you the X-ray on CD so you could compare the X-ray to what I originally sent you. I have not shared with the Dr.’s or anyone here about my treatments in Panama.

Please let me know about the Survey and if you think I should do the X-Ray and send it to you.

Thank you,

REDACTED

Sent from my iPad

Filed Under: COPD, COPD, News, Patient Stories Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
December 10, 2013 by

Stem cell therapy for traumatic brain injury – Oswaldo Tapanes

Oswaldo Tapanes received multiple injections of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells and his own bone marrow-derived stem cells over the course of a month both intrathecally (into the spinal fluid) and intravenously at the Stem Cell Institute in Panama. Here is what Mr. Tapanes had to day about his progress thus far:

My name is Oswaldo Tapanes. I have a traumatic brain injury; diagnosed in June 2005.

What symptoms did you have before stem cell therapy?

I couldn’t move my left arm. My vision was pretty bad. My speech is worse than it is now. I could only make sounds. My balance was very, very bad and that’s about it.

What improvements have you noticed since your stem cell treatments?

My speech is better. My eyesight is better. My arm coordination is better. My balance overall and better overall well-being.

How has this treatment changed your life?

It improved my quality of life, so much so that I’ve returned now for a second treatment.

What would you tell others who are considering this treatment?

I would say obviously, do your own research but from my point of view, it’s very safe. The medical science is explained. Everything is there on the web site if you look at it and do your homework. I wouldn’t hesitate coming. If I knew before, I would have came earlier.

Filed Under: News, Patient Stories, Patient Testimonials, Stem Cell Therapy, Traumatic Brain Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, Video - Stem Cell Therapy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
December 5, 2013 by

Heart failure patient has 3 normal EKGs after stem cell therapy

I was diagnosed 20 years ago. My heart was stopped up. I have 11 stents in my heart. When they put in (stents) nine, ten and eleven they blocked an artery and caused me to have a heart attack. Then 4 years later, I went to the doctor and he did an EKG and he said he needed to do a nuclear scan. That was in May 2011. In July of 2011 he did a nuclear scan and then called me and told me there was nothing else he could do for me.

A friend of mine in Corpus Christi told me about stem cells in Panama. So I checked into it and I came down in October of 2011 and had a treatment.

[Mr. Gray received multiple doses of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells over the course of several days.]

I didn’t feel anything for 30 days. Then I started feeling better and really felt good. I went to the doctor in January of 2012. He did an EKG and walked in and said, “What have you done?” I said, “What are you talking about?” He said, “You have a normal EKG. You’ve never had one of these before.“ So I asked my wife, “Do you think I ought to tell him?” This was in St. Dominic’s Hospital in Jackson Mississippi; the one that had caused me to have the heart attack. So I asked her, “Reckon I ought to tell him I had got stem cells?” She said, “Yes.” So I told him. He looked like I had cut his throat. He was white as a sheet and he wanted to know, “How did they do it?” and I told him.

Since then I have had 3 normal EKGs. The last one was about 2 months ago.
Well, I had another treatment about 11 months later and it fixed my kidneys the second time. The first time it fixed my heart. It didn’t do anything else but then the second time it fixed my kidneys. I had horse shoe kidneys and I was operated on when I was 33 years old, 35 years old and now I’m 69. My kidney had grown together and my kidneys have been bad my whole life but now they’re fine.

Filed Under: Heart Disease, Heart Disease, Heart Failure, Heart Failure, Heart Failure, News, Patient Stories, Patient Testimonials, Stem Cell Therapy, Video - Stem Cell Therapy Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
May 1, 2013 by

Stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury: The Spinal Cord Journey

A short film about three spinal cord injury patients who share their stories of tragedy, hope and recovery following stem cell treatments for spinal cord injury at the Stem Cell Institute in Panama City, Panama. See them demonstrate their improvements by lifting themselves up, standing and even walking after stem cell therapy.

Filed Under: Patient Stories, Patient Testimonials, Spinal Cord Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Video - Stem Cell Therapy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
April 1, 2013 by

Stem Cell Therapy for Heart Failure – Lillian Rowland

Stem Cell Therapy for Heart Failure patient Lillian RowlandLillian Rowland is a 79 year-old [former] heart failure patient from Ohio. She was diagnosed with heart failure in March 2012. Her left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at that time was measured at 25%. Normal LVEF range is 55% – 70%.

Lillian’s cardiologist recommended an implantable defibrillator. At the time, she did not want to go through the implantation procedure so she declined. Lillian decided to go to the Stem Cell Institute (SCI) in Panama for human umbilical cord-derived stem cell treatments after hearing about it from her son Jay Lenner who works for SCI as its Public Relations Manager.

Below is a brief interview with Lillian in March 2013. Today, her heart is back into normal range (LVEF = 55%) and her cardiologist told her that she no longer needs an implantable defibrillator.

What was your diagnosis?

I was diagnosed with heart failure.

When were you diagnosed?

I was diagnosed in March 2012.

What symptoms did you have?

I couldn’t breathe at night. I was sleeping and I had to get up. I was gasping for breath.

Why did you choose the Stem Cell Institute?

Because my son works in stem cells and after I got out of the hospital in Arizona he wanted to take me down to have stem cells to see if it could help repair the damage to my heart.

How where the doctors at the clinic?

The doctors were very nice and there’s really nothing to it. It’s just an injection that goes into [a catheter placed into a vein inside] your hand. It’s not like they are operating on you or anything.

How was the clinic?

The clinic is very clean and sterile and the people are very nice.

Do you have any symptoms now?

It’s been a year since I had the stem cells and I am symptom free.

I had an echocardiogram a year after the stem cells and when they read it my ejection fraction was 55%. They wanted to put a defibrillator in me and the heart doctor came up and said, there’s no reason to put one in now because my heart was OK.

Would you recommend that other heart failure patients go to Panama for treatment?

Yes I would.

Do you think this changed your life?

Yes. I don’t have to worry about having a heart problem!

The umbilical cord stem cells we use are recovered from donated umbilical cords following normal, healthy births. Before they are approved for use in treatments, all umbilical cord-derived stem cell samples are screened for viruses and bacteria to International Blood Bank standards.

Filed Under: Heart Disease, Heart Disease, Heart Failure, Heart Failure, News, Patient Stories, Stem Cell Therapy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
March 27, 2013 by

Stem Cell Therapy for Heart Disease – Jim Parker Attorney at Law and former Texas State Legislature Member

Stem Cell Therapy Heart Patient Jim ParkerJim Parker, Attorney at Law is a former Texas State Legislature member who was treated with umbilical-cord derived stem cells for heart disease at the Stem Cell Institute in Panama in March 2011.

Jim was kind enough to answer some questions about his condition before and after treatment. He also discusses his trip to Panama, the clinic and its staff.

What is your diagnosis and when were you diagnosed?

Exactly what my diagnosis was I cannot say in medical terms. Factually speaking, I had five (5) by-passes in 1995 (or thereabouts) and then had nine (9) stents added over the next 13 or 14 years. I began to experience severe angina in January and February of 2011 and was hospitalized in February with a series of heart attacks. I had consulted my cardiologist in Abilene and had also gone to a cardiologist in Dallas who was supposed to be really good. They both told me that there was simply nothing else I could do. When I was released from the local hospital in early March of 2011, my family doctor gave me a bottle of morphine and a bottle of nitroglycerine and basically told me to make it as well as I could for as long as I could.

Panama did not exactly change my life. It literally gave my life back to me.

We had heard about the Panama operation (Stem Cell Institute) from local people who had gone for various reasons. Every one of them seemed well-pleased with the results they were able to get. After release from the local hospital in early March of 2011, I sent my medical records to Panama and arranged an appointment in mid-March. I traveled to Panama in a wheel chair because I was not able to walk in the airport.
Upon arrival in Panama the first day was spent drawing my blood for blood tests. The next 7 days the (umbilical cord-derived) stem cells were infused back into my body.

I found the staff to be very helpful and apparently knowledgeable. Our needs outside the clinic were well taken care of and we were very satisfied with our experience.

I steadily improved after Panama to the point where I have now resumed a normal life (at as normal as a 68 year-old guy can expect) and I am back at work. I have not had to use a nitroglycerine pill in over a year and, so far as I can tell, I have no immediate heart problems and but for the damage suffered from my earlier episodes, my heart would be in good shape. My longtime cardiologist will still see me but he believes Panama was some sort of voodoo and I have just been lucky. I continue to take a mild blood pressure medication and I do still take blood thinner. However, about 6 months after Panama my blood pressure got so low they had to cut down the strength of the medication.

What symptoms did you have before you cam for treatment?

Prior to Panama I had a series of heart attacks over a number of years and was eating nitroglycerine tablets like M&Ms.

Which treatments did you try in the U.S. first, and when did you know that you needed to find help outside of the country?

I tried every treatment available in the US of A. Had every test know to man. I mean 5 by-passes and 9 stents many not be a record but it has to be well beyond average.

Why did you choose The Stem Cell Institute in Panama for stem cell treatment?

I chose the Stem Cell Institute in Panama because several local folks had gone there and they were pleased with the results. And, I really had no place to go but the cemetery.

How were the doctors at the clinic? How were the facilities?

The only doctor I recall seeing was Dr. Paz. The facilities were at least on par with what you would find in the US and the staff was more solicitous and helpful than you would find in the US.

How are your symptoms now? How have they improved?

I have no symptoms now. (Knock on wood). I have some breathing issues but I am told that is COPD and it is not really all that bad. I could live another 100 years feeling as good as I do now.

Have you reduced or eliminated any of the medications you were taking before stem cell therapy?

I have cut way back on medication I was using prior to Panama and feel I could probably cut back some more; however, I have to give the local MD’s something to work on. And, by the way, I go to the doctor as little as possible now. Maybe twice a year at most.

How soon did you start seeing/noticing a difference? How was your overall experience?

I began to notice a difference (maybe it was just anticipation) about 6 to 8 weeks after returning from Panama. It has gotten better and better since then. Since I can move around, I have lost over 40 pounds and now am at 6 feet tall and 215 pounds, down from over 250 pounds.

How has this changed your life?

Panama did not exactly change my life. It literally gave my life back to me. I have been married to the same woman for over 50 years and we were able to become intimate again. I am out and about every day and pretty much do what I want to do and go where I want to go.

Additional Comments

Many people should know about this option. There are people dying here in the land of the free and the home of the brave each day that are in better shape than I was when I went to Panama.

And, by the way, I am not subject to flights of fancy and accepting things a thinking person might not accept. I hold a doctor of jurisprudence degree and have been a criminal defense attorney all my adult life. I am about as cynical and skeptical as you will find but I am a believer in your process.

Thank you,

Jim Parker

Filed Under: Heart Disease, Heart Disease, Heart Failure, Heart Failure, Heart Failure, News, Patient Stories, Patient Testimonials, Stem Cell Therapy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,
February 11, 2013 by

Allogeneic and autogolous stem cell therapy combined with physical rehabilitation: A case report on a chronically injured man with quadriplegia

Allogeneic and autogolous stem cell therapy combined with physical rehabilitation - A case report on a chronically injured man with quadriplegia

Daniel Leonard in Panama

This is a research paper written by Rebecca Johnston, Daniel Leonard’s sister. She recently graduated from a Physical Therapy degree program, and wrote her Capstone paper about Daniel’s stem cell therapy treatment in Panama.

Daniel is presented anonymously in the paper, but Rebecca and Daniel have given their permission for this paper to be shared. Daniel’s ASIA scores (pre and post treatment) are in the appendix of this paper.

 

Allogeneic and autogolous stem cell therapy combined with physical rehabilitation: A case report on a chronically injured man with quadriplegia

Abstract:

Background and Purpose: Stem cell therapy for SCI is a potentially promising treatment with increasing interest. This case report describes the use of a particular stem cell therapy protocol for a patient with chronic spinal cord injury, and describes his subsequent therapy and outcomes.

Case Description: The patient is a 29-year-old male who is chronically injured from a cervical spinal injury, resulting in quadriplegia. The patient was treated with a combined protocol of intrathecal (IT) and intravaneous (IV) allogeneic MSC and CD34+ cells and IT autologous BMMC at 6 ½ years post-injury. The results track the patient’s physical therapy progress until 6 months following stem cell treatment.

Outcomes: Recovery of strength in upper extremity and lower extremity muscle groups was noted, along with a functional increase in grip strength, ability to ambulate with assistance, and a significant decrease in daily medications.
Discussion: This case supports further investigation into treatment of chronically injured SCI patients with stem cell therapy followed by physical therapy.

Manuscript word count: 4321

A few highlights:

“After the patient underwent the stem cell treatment and returned to outpatient physical therapy in his hometown clinic in the United States, his MMT scores were tested over the period of 5 months post-stem cell treatment…. The patient did not decrease in strength in any of the muscles tested, and experienced improvements in 6/13 upper extremity muscle groups, and 8/9 lower extremity muscle groups.”

“The patient also had an increase in grip strength. His grip strength was measured by his occupational therapist to be 5 lbs on the right and 25 lbs on the left at one month before his stem cell treatment. Six months later, his grip strength was measured to be 22 lbs on the right and 36 lbs on the left. The patient reported that this increase in grip strength led to functional improvements, such as being able to self-catheterize, which he was completely unable to do since his injury.”

“The patient was also able to ambulate for the first time in 5 years at approximately 4 months after finishing his treatment. He was able to ambulate in partial weight bearing with the harness and max assist of two for 40 yards at .5 MPH.”

The original post on Daniel Leonard’s blog can be found here.

Filed Under: Adult Stem Cells, Bone Marrow, Cord Blood Stem Cells, News, Patient Stories, Spinal Cord Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Stem Cell Research, Stem Cell Therapy, Stem Cells Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
December 24, 2012 by

Stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury: Daniel Wiest

Filed Under: News, Patient Stories, Patient Testimonials, Spinal Cord Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Stem Cell Therapy, Video - Stem Cell Therapy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,
December 6, 2012 by

Stem cell treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome: Susan Lucey

“First I must say I have been steadily getting better. Everyone notices it. My long distance friends have all commented on the vitality and clarity in my voice. So much is changing in my body for the better. I can’t thank the staff at the SCI enough for saving my life. And of course, my beloved Dr Cheney, who knew better than anyone how sick I was … I feel such gratitude.

I was slipping into dementia from severe and unremitting CFS. I was desperate for help and when Dr Cheney invited me to go there in May, in my heart I knew I was going to get my life back. I was so sick that almost any quality of life was gone for me and I either wanted to die or get better. I was at the end of my rope as I was in constant and unrelenting pain, slipping away with dementia and fully bed-bound and home bound for several years after being vibrantly alive, loving life as an artist and a professor at the University of Minnesota, mother, wife and lover of life.

“I’ve regained peristalsis after 13 yrs. No more falling! No more chest pain, no more visits to the ER! I wake up the each day full of energy, not crashed. Thank you from the bottom of my heart… “

Although I state very enthusiastically my improvements, I still have a way to go; but because the improvements have been so marked I feel like there has already been an amazing transformation. Here are some of the improvements:

  • Anyone who speaks to me on the phone comments on how well I sound. Lately, I have heard in my voice an “authority” and sense of articulation that I once had when I was a professor and artist. My brain is healing and I have energy everyday. I still must rest most days but I want to get up and begin to rebuild my life. Incipit Vita Nova- Here begins the new life! I feel inspired! Before stem cells, I spoke often in a whisper as my vocal cord were weak and I would quickly tire, slur my speech and need to stop talking as it would exhaust me. I easily crashed from less than 10 minutes of phone conversation.
  • Comments from friends regarding getting well- ”woo yaa! Susan, you are lucid!” “You are back!…”look at you, your cognitive function is so much better.” I hear these comments everyday.
  • I was able to titrate from 40 mg to 5 mg of Cortef shortly after my 2nd visit to Panama. Now I plan to titrate off Cortef completely. With that, the bloating and weight gain is finally coming off my body.
  • I’ve regained peristalsis after 13 yrs.
  • No more falling! My balance is good and am able to climb out of, for example, a bath tub – I’m getting stronger! Falling was a constant worry and I did eventually fall and break my back recently. That was the final straw and I developed PTSD. I feel less pain now in the area of the herniated discs and I wonder if the stem cells will repair such injuries . Falling was a constant worry for my husband, there was a sense that my feet were not connected to my brain. Now that worry is in the past.
  • No more chest pain, no more visits to the ER! (15 visits last year!)
  • Fat turning into muscle, I can now stand up from a sitting position without the help of my arms pressing me up. My family comments on my form transforming.
  • Overall, more resiliency, vitality and cognitive improvement.
  • I am able to organize. I’ve been able to declutter and organize much of the piles of paperwork and miscellanea that have been piling up for a decade. . CFS made organizing impossible for me. I’ve heard that this is not uncommon.
  • I now have the energy to stay focused for 2 – 4 hrs at a time sitting in a chair doing paperwork or some task ( I have not had the strength to sit in a chair for 5 – 6 yrs. I wake up the each day full of energy, not crashed. Although I do feel muscle and joint pain from moving and so still need pain meds. But the most important thing is I rarely crash. I can be modestly active every day.
  • Memory! Although not perfect (I believe in part due to morphine) I am so much better. I can remember combinations of numbers on the spot. I know what I did the day before, the week before and what is planned in the future. I can remember what I wanted to do from day to day.

I am able to feel inspired and that is carried through the day to the next and the next. No amount of occupational therapy with strategies to support my memory ever worked. It’s hard to explain how far gone I was. I was lost to myself and I think it was the most terribly painful part of my experience of CFS. Regaining myself did not begin until after I was home from the 2nd stem cell protocol. And I am certain I needed the 30 day MS Protocol. None of these brain problems improved the first time and I could feel I was on a slow and disappointing slide backwards.

I wanted to thank you for all you have done for the benefit of myself and my family. My daughter, who moved home to help me out, has tears well up in her eyes regularly when she sees me interact with her in ways I haven’t since she was 14. You have been a bright light in the dark and desperate days of severe CFS. Thank you from the bottom of my heart from me and from that of my beautiful family, Chris and Christina.”

– S.L.

Filed Under: Autoimmune Diseases, Chronic Fatique Syndrome, News, Patient Stories, Stem Cells, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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