Great Progress With Week One

Well, week one is in the books and i have to say it's going great so far. We arrived Wednesday evening sometime around seven. It took us a bit to get everything settled into place, but since this is our third trip it didn't take long at all. On Thursday we didn't really get a chance to sleep in because I had to be down in physio by nine forty-five for my evaluation. Didn't quite make it in time for that, so it was postponed till two-thirty. That was fine with me, it gave me time to go outside and suck up some sunlight. I hate to rub it in, but the weather is beautiful over here right now. About seventy-five to eighty degrees with the sun shinning. After lunch I headed sown to the physio room for my workout and standing. I showed improvements in every department. My upper body strength has increased noticeably, especially in my triceps. Core strength is all better. This allows my balance to be much better. It also allows me to be more upright in my wheelchair and promotes better posture. In my lower limbs I still have slight function in my quads and glutes. My adductors have really came online and strength has increased in them as well. My hip strength is also alot better. As far as foot and toe movement it is still there. I'm not sure if the movement has increased much, but my control is definitely better. With my standing I have been able to increase the number of repetitions i'm doing with all of the different exercises. So, in all the doctors and the therapists are very pleased with my progress. The weekend finally came , which was greatly needed because my father and I hit a brick wall called jetlag. We were informed Saturday afternoon that I was going over to the other hospital for a procedure on Monday, so we took advantage of the weekend, layed around and got rested up. Monday we headed over to the other hospital around one-thirty. I would be receiving the epidural procedure, which consists of one puncture into the epidural space followed by millions of stem cells shot into that area. I was informed by doctor Ashish that he would be entering the epidural space around the t-9 vertebrae. With this procedure he was hoping to get some new stimulation as well as function in the lower part of my body. As I received the injections, sensation overwhelmed the lower part of my body. First, a heavy, tight feeling starting at my bellybutton working it's way down to my toes. It was followed by an almost electric sensation all in the same area. It is hard to describe and put into words the feeling my body gets when I receive these injections. It is almost unbelievable. After the procedure of course it is back to the room, where the bed is elevated and I am to lay flat on my back for four hours. With this procedure it is not required for us to stay overnight. Dr. Ashish stops by the room for a short visit, we watch some television and eat dinner, and before you know it we are on our way back to the clinic. I am excited the next morning to get down to physio to see if these new stem cells have found a new home in my body and are ready to bring new life. As I am being stretched out in my legs, what do you know something new. I am now able to feel my calf muscles and my glutes being stretched out on both my legs. On my left leg there is a noticeable increase in strength with my leg extension. Where there was slight movement, now it is definitely noticeable. Very exciting stuff. The doctors are pleased as well as myself. Since Tuesday I noticed a few other changes as well. In my fingers, the flexsion has increased as well as some new extension. In my hips, my adduction seems to be a bit stronger. Also, while laying in bed sitting up, I was able to move my toes down on both feet quite a bit stronger. I tell you there is life in these legs and they will not be denied. So far it's been a great trip. My father and I have adjusted very well and are getting along great. I know there will be much more exciting news to come, but that is all for now.

India Trip Three

Well, it's back to India more millions of new stem cells. The last four and a half months have been a little bit of a struggle for me. First, it was a number of different UTI's I fought for the better part of three months. Lots of days fighting fatigue, sweating, and headaches. I finally shook the bacteria three or four weeks ago and have been feeling a lot better in that department. Than came the nerve pain. At first, I thought it was my seat coushion that had worn out, because I had also been experiencing some redness and iritation around my coccyx. The coccyx area is where I have been experiencing all of my pain. I never had any skin break down, but was stuck in bed for the majority of a week because the pain was so bad. This gave me some releif, but at times even getting off my butt didn't help. I purchased a new seat cushion and that helped, but the pain was still at a level that was becoming hard to live with. So, a week ago i visited my doctor and he prescribed lyrica for my nerve pain. This is a medication that takes time to work into your system, so I haven't noticed anything quite yet. The pain has gotten better and I haven't noticed any more irritation on my coccyx. All these different issues have affected my therapy off and on if you can imagine. I have still managed to get stronger and make some noticeable improvements. Some good finger movement off and on. It seems like it comes andf it goes. My stomach muscles have gained some good strength as well as the surrounding core muscles. My balance has increased as well. The strength in my hips as increased as well as in my aductors. Also, I can feel the connection between my mind and my legs the best I have since my accident. It's hard to explain, but it just feels like I'm ready to move my toes any day now. So, the progress is there but sometimes it is hard to notice. I notice it though and my family does as well. This is why we have chosen to make our third trip to India. We will be leaving on Tuesday morning and staying for another month. We can't wait to get there to enjoy the beautiful weather and take in some new stem cells. I will keep everybody posted. Hopefully I haven't ran everybody off by not posting very often. Sorry for that. Lucas Smith