My appointment is at 9:30. I went to the same location as the previous day and was told to go to bay one, just a couple doors down the small mall. The door at bay one lists five the doctors names and the Kinesiologist.
I got there at 9am and was taken into a treatment room almost immediately. In my brief time in the waiting room another couple emerged from a treatment room. The man was moving around, pacing and making statements about being stiff. I said "you are making me nervous I didn't think the stiffness was to occur for a few days ". He responded that it wasn't bad, but he had five joints done - and didn't take any laughing gas. He had a 9 hour drive ahead of him.
In the treatment room the RN Linda took my vitals signs and explained what would be happening this morning. She answered all the questions I had. Linda was very warm and friendly and it was easy to share all my concerns. She indicated that the pain usually is not too great for most people but if I was uncomfortable or unsure, laughing gas was available. Linda also made sure I didn't have any unrealistic expectations. She said that Stem cell treatment can help grow cartilage, but it is immature cartilage. Usually it is recommended that the patient return in 6 months for injections of platelet rich cells. Bone on bone arthritis usually needed more than just one treatment. My bp was 130/78 which was a little higher than the previous day. After she was done I returned to the waiting room.
I was back in the waiting room for less than 5 minutes before I was called into a different treatment room. Dr. David Playfair and Nurse Corrine were here. Dr. Playfair gave me another opportunity to ask questions.
The first step was to remove the stem cells and blood rich platelets. I laid face down on a bed similar to a massage table, with my face in a hole in the table. The area on my lower back was swabbed with something that I assumed was a disinfectant - possibly just an alcohol swab. Then a needle was inserted to freeze the area right to the bone. A special double hollow needle, called a trocar is used to extract the stem cells.
A trocar is a medical device that is made up of an obturator (which may be a metal or plastic sharpened or non-bladed tip), a cannula (basically a hollow tube), and a seal.
This needle is then inserted to the bone and a mallet is used to break through the bone. Because the area is frozen, I did not feel any pain at this time but it was a weird feeling to feel the pressure and hear the doctor using the mallet on the needle. After several blows I wondered if my bone was too dense, then I thought about the possibility of the pelvic bone shattering (I have no idea if that is even a possibility), a few more hits with the mallet and then the needle was through. Then comes the uncomfortable part. Inside the bone is not frozen. The needle is used as a syringe and the bone marrow is sucked out. Because of the change in pressure this feels crampy and uncomfortable. Just when I felt this might be too much pain Dr. Playfair would stop. I would breathe again and then he would do it again. I had forgotten that nurse Linda had indicated that they most likely would be taking about 60 mls. or 6 vials. Each time Dr. Playfair would stop it was to change the vial. The doctor actually withdrew 45mls. The marrow was then put into a centrifugal devices to separate the stem cells, blood plasma and other cells. The doctor seemed pleased that 32mls of good stuff was available. They made the choice to inject 9mls into each knee, 5mls into each hip and the remaining into the foot.
The treatment room was a comfortable area. Music was playing through the speakers. We discussed previous holidays and t.v. show The Voice finale.
A gauze patch was placed on my back and I was told to keep it dry for at least 24 hrs. Just to remind readers - The injection to the knees were to assist with the pain and inflammation caused by arthritis. The injections in the hips was to assist with the healing and pain caused by damaged ligaments. The foot was injected to reduce inflammation of a condition called Sinus Tarsi.
My knees were done first. Dr. Playfair uses an ultrasound to guide the needle. The ultrasound is shown on a monitor on the wall as well as a smaller monitor on a table beside the therapy table. I could see the needle going in and freezing the area. The needle is left in and the stem cells are then injected through the same needle that had just administered the freezing. It appeared to me (with a non medical eye) that he was injecting it into a"space". It was a black hole (area) on the ultrasound hips were done next with the same method however he moved the needle around more to disperse the stem cells over a larger area. The area on the top of my foot again appeared as a black hole. Be. Playfair said he was attempting to spray the stem cell mixture into the area. The time was 10:20am. I was almost done. I got off the table and put on my shoes and socks. It wasn't necessary for me to wear a gown. I had light lose fitting pants that were easy to pull down around the hips and above the knees. Nurse Corrine and Dr. Playfair made this as comfortable an experience as possible.
I had a brief wait in the waiting room and then met with Loren the Kinesiologist. Loren took my vitals again (b.p. 117/77) and reviewed the recovery process. He gave me several pages of exercises. Basically I am to do nothing for the next two or three days. I'm to avoid standing or doing to much. For the first two weeks I am to do no weight bearing activities but to start walking after the first couple days. At two weeks I'm to start doing the exercises he provided me. The Capri Clinic will call me to get updates of my progress at 3mths, 6 mths and 1year.
I left Loren's office paid, got a prescription for a narcotic pain killer and was in the car by 10:40am and was ready to start the drive home.
The cost is not covered by the government or my private insurance as this treatment is considered experimental. It was $2000 and an $100 for each extra injection site - total $2400.
I was feeling some pain but nothing too great. However I was feeling very unstable. My joints felt swollen and stiff. I was walking very slow - it was difficult to get in the car - not sore but the fluid injected into me was making my joints feel awkward. I felt like I was walking like a penguin.
I took Tylenol right away and took it again at 6pm. Although I filled the prescription I did not need to use it - at least this first day.
I got there at 9am and was taken into a treatment room almost immediately. In my brief time in the waiting room another couple emerged from a treatment room. The man was moving around, pacing and making statements about being stiff. I said "you are making me nervous I didn't think the stiffness was to occur for a few days ". He responded that it wasn't bad, but he had five joints done - and didn't take any laughing gas. He had a 9 hour drive ahead of him.
In the treatment room the RN Linda took my vitals signs and explained what would be happening this morning. She answered all the questions I had. Linda was very warm and friendly and it was easy to share all my concerns. She indicated that the pain usually is not too great for most people but if I was uncomfortable or unsure, laughing gas was available. Linda also made sure I didn't have any unrealistic expectations. She said that Stem cell treatment can help grow cartilage, but it is immature cartilage. Usually it is recommended that the patient return in 6 months for injections of platelet rich cells. Bone on bone arthritis usually needed more than just one treatment. My bp was 130/78 which was a little higher than the previous day. After she was done I returned to the waiting room.
I was back in the waiting room for less than 5 minutes before I was called into a different treatment room. Dr. David Playfair and Nurse Corrine were here. Dr. Playfair gave me another opportunity to ask questions.
The arrow shows where the stem cells were extracted.
The first step was to remove the stem cells and blood rich platelets. I laid face down on a bed similar to a massage table, with my face in a hole in the table. The area on my lower back was swabbed with something that I assumed was a disinfectant - possibly just an alcohol swab. Then a needle was inserted to freeze the area right to the bone. A special double hollow needle, called a trocar is used to extract the stem cells.
A trocar is a medical device that is made up of an obturator (which may be a metal or plastic sharpened or non-bladed tip), a cannula (basically a hollow tube), and a seal.
This needle is then inserted to the bone and a mallet is used to break through the bone. Because the area is frozen, I did not feel any pain at this time but it was a weird feeling to feel the pressure and hear the doctor using the mallet on the needle. After several blows I wondered if my bone was too dense, then I thought about the possibility of the pelvic bone shattering (I have no idea if that is even a possibility), a few more hits with the mallet and then the needle was through. Then comes the uncomfortable part. Inside the bone is not frozen. The needle is used as a syringe and the bone marrow is sucked out. Because of the change in pressure this feels crampy and uncomfortable. Just when I felt this might be too much pain Dr. Playfair would stop. I would breathe again and then he would do it again. I had forgotten that nurse Linda had indicated that they most likely would be taking about 60 mls. or 6 vials. Each time Dr. Playfair would stop it was to change the vial. The doctor actually withdrew 45mls. The marrow was then put into a centrifugal devices to separate the stem cells, blood plasma and other cells. The doctor seemed pleased that 32mls of good stuff was available. They made the choice to inject 9mls into each knee, 5mls into each hip and the remaining into the foot.
The treatment room was a comfortable area. Music was playing through the speakers. We discussed previous holidays and t.v. show The Voice finale.
A gauze patch was placed on my back and I was told to keep it dry for at least 24 hrs. Just to remind readers - The injection to the knees were to assist with the pain and inflammation caused by arthritis. The injections in the hips was to assist with the healing and pain caused by damaged ligaments. The foot was injected to reduce inflammation of a condition called Sinus Tarsi.
My knees were done first. Dr. Playfair uses an ultrasound to guide the needle. The ultrasound is shown on a monitor on the wall as well as a smaller monitor on a table beside the therapy table. I could see the needle going in and freezing the area. The needle is left in and the stem cells are then injected through the same needle that had just administered the freezing. It appeared to me (with a non medical eye) that he was injecting it into a"space". It was a black hole (area) on the ultrasound hips were done next with the same method however he moved the needle around more to disperse the stem cells over a larger area. The area on the top of my foot again appeared as a black hole. Be. Playfair said he was attempting to spray the stem cell mixture into the area. The time was 10:20am. I was almost done. I got off the table and put on my shoes and socks. It wasn't necessary for me to wear a gown. I had light lose fitting pants that were easy to pull down around the hips and above the knees. Nurse Corrine and Dr. Playfair made this as comfortable an experience as possible.
I had a brief wait in the waiting room and then met with Loren the Kinesiologist. Loren took my vitals again (b.p. 117/77) and reviewed the recovery process. He gave me several pages of exercises. Basically I am to do nothing for the next two or three days. I'm to avoid standing or doing to much. For the first two weeks I am to do no weight bearing activities but to start walking after the first couple days. At two weeks I'm to start doing the exercises he provided me. The Capri Clinic will call me to get updates of my progress at 3mths, 6 mths and 1year.
I left Loren's office paid, got a prescription for a narcotic pain killer and was in the car by 10:40am and was ready to start the drive home.
The cost is not covered by the government or my private insurance as this treatment is considered experimental. It was $2000 and an $100 for each extra injection site - total $2400.
I was feeling some pain but nothing too great. However I was feeling very unstable. My joints felt swollen and stiff. I was walking very slow - it was difficult to get in the car - not sore but the fluid injected into me was making my joints feel awkward. I felt like I was walking like a penguin.
I took Tylenol right away and took it again at 6pm. Although I filled the prescription I did not need to use it - at least this first day.
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