Same and Different

Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

On September 13, 2011, eleven months to the day and hour, I had a cell extraction in preparation for a stem cell transplant.  This event will be different in some ways.  To begin with, I am having the procedure in Houston, Texas, rather than Tijuana, Mexico.  The extraction here was from the fat cells in my stomach rather than the marrow (blood) from the tibia bone in my leg.  After the procedure here, my cells will be cultivated and grown for 4 weeks rather than infusing them immediately and then injecting more 24 hours later like in Mexico.  Two different doctors and medical teams are involved.



Dr. Andrade, Debbie, and Larry in Mexico

 Dr. Jones and Debbie in Houston



Although the cities and methods may be different, the purpose is the same – to alleviate symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis and bring healing to my body.  Knowing the procedure made a difference before, I am hopeful that this next round will be even more successful.  I so want God to be glorified through this and to even use this method to bring healing to others as well.  Both times we have needed and felt God’s blessings and provisions because you have prayed for us. What a gift of encouragement that has and continues to be.  Dr. Andrade and Dr. Jones are both believers who desire for God to use them to bring about healing.  Dr. Jones had the same procedure I am having in Houston, in South Korea, two years ago.  Even though he could have very easily come back to his medical practice as usual, his passion for healing has led him to fight battles to offer the same treatment and hope here.  This method has been successful with auto immune diseases such as Parkinson’s, arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis as well as others.  And Larry was allowed to be in the room with me for both procedures!

Below are the comparisons of the two procedures, along with the schedule of the treatment here.

       

  

Schedule:

Blood Work

(Wait one week for results)

Extraction of cells   

(Wait four weeks for cells to culture/expand)

Treatment #1 - Injection and infusion of 200,000,000 cells

Week later treatment #2 - 200,000,000 cells

Week later treatment #3 - 200,000,000 cells

(Wait six months for cells to mature)

And now we continue to believe, trust, pray and wait upon the Lord for healing!

                   

                     Comparison for Stem Cell Procedures

	Tijuana, Mexico	Houston, Texas
Cells	My Own	My Own
Type of Cells	Hematopoietic Blood Stem Cells	Mesenchymal Fat Stem Cells
Extracted from	Bone in leg	Stomach
Amount extracted	Several tubes	2 teaspoons
Cell Expansion	24 hours	4 weeks
Infusion	Injection and IV	Injection and IV
Procedure Time	5 days	2 month period
Number of Cells	500,000,000	600,000,000
Maturity for cells	6 months	6 months