ONE YEAR SINCE STEM CELL TREATMENT

It's hard to believe one year has already passed. I am frustrated with my health.

The stem cell treatment worked amazingly well. I still do not have any pain in my right knee. However, I'm starting to feel some tightness and occasional pain in my left knee and hips. I still can bend my left knee - I'm not fearful of falling down stairs (except for my clumsiness). I was feeling healthier than I had been in years - - - until October when my feet gave out. (See previous blog)

I'm wondering if I hadn't had problems with my feet, if the pain I'm starting to feel now would have occurred? It's hard to stay healthy if you don't move around. Many days I do not walk 1,000 steps. My walking is awkward - sometimes limping, sometimes just taking careful steps. I am sure this awkward uneasy steps is impacting my knees and hips.

I am very thankful that I did the Stem Cell Treatment. If I had proceeded to a knee replacement, and had the new problems with my feet - I wouldn't have been able to do the necessary exercises. It is my understanding that people who have knee replacement and don't do the necessary exercises often have continuous problems.

I considered another round of stem cells to try to buy time before the ominous knee replacement. This is the notice that is on the Capri Clinic website https://www.capriclinic.ca/

This is disappointing.

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Capri Clinic day one

May 23rd. My friend Sharon agreed to drive me to my appointments. We travelled on Monday to her sister's home in Beaumont, Alberta. We stayed overnight and left for LaCombe in the morning as my appointment was scheduled for 11:30am. We found the clinic after we drove by it a couple times. Shortly after 12noon I met Dr. David Playfair. He reviewed my xrays with me asked me some questions about my pain. He appeared interested in the soft lumps on my ankles. He asked about previous xrays and treatments I had. (None). He suggested that it might be something called Sinus Tarsi Sinus tarsi syndrome (STS) is the clinical syndrome of pain and tenderness of the lateral side of the hindfoot, between the ankle and the heel. Imaging often demonstrates the ligaments and soft tissues in the sinus tarsi are injured. He injected a freezing agent into the lump on my left ankle and told me to do some walking today. If less pain occurs the it may be Sinus Tarsi...

Two weeks since.....

It's been two weeks since I had the stem cell injections. Today is the first day for me to start the exercises recommended by the Kinesiologist, perhaps a better description would be stretches. Until today it was recommended that I carry no weight and my only form of exercise was to walk and to walk daily. Back to the stretches, there are 16 different ones. To do all of them in one sitting it would take more than an hour. Most of them are required twice a day. Luckily there are five stretches that are only once daily; but saying that... they are 3 sets of 20 repetitions on each side. A couple stretches are every other day. So.... at least two hours of exercises per day, as well as walking of at least 6000 steps a day. This is more than I can do if I have any other tasks to do beyond going to work. I'm so pleased with the result of the stem cell injections so far. No pain in my ankle or right knees at all. My hips still have some pain but significantly less. My left knee was...

First few days

I didn't know what to expect for the first three days. I heard of people having immediate relief. I heard of other having greater inflammation in their joints, sometimes lasting for a few weeks. Our drive home was 650kms. So with some stops, we left LaCombe, Alberta just before 11am and got home to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan at 7pm. As mentioned in the previous blog, I experienced some pain for which Tylenol was strong enough. However I was slow moving and each step seemed unstable. The first few stops for gas and meals I used my cane. In Battleford we stopped for gas and I didn't use my cane and as I stepped into the store I felt like I staggered and was awarded a strange stare by the gas station attendant. I'm sure he thought I had been drinking. Sharon's car was very comfortable for travelling. I was able to recline the seat and turn the heated seats on low. My recovery instructions stressed I am not to use any anti-inflammatory pills or lotion for fo...

My Journey with Arthritis and Stem Cell Rejuvenation

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