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annapurna
12-27-2011, 11:39 PM
We just returned from a stem cell harvest at Regenexx's office in Grand Cayman where they offer cultured stem cell reinjections. The whole discussion of what stem cells can and can't do has been covered elsewhere on this site so I thought I'd just confine this to the travel things we've learned.

Cayman Islands is pretty picky about bringing food onto the island. We were there over Christmas and Boxing Day and brought food for those days as grocery stores would be closed and few restaurants open. We were fortunate that all of the fresh veggies were eaten before we got off the plane or else those would have been barred.

We found a guest house, Eldemire's to stay at rather than a hotel. It was cheaper, the owner was willing to buy fresh food for us before the grocery stores closed, and they rented bikes for us. On the other hand, it was a somewhat run down house and had little hiccups like low flow in the shower and a toilet that needed the handle held down to flush. Nothing serious but little annoyances that could have added up for some people.

The swimming is the obvious attraction but we found that snorkeling was more than enough to get to see the reefs. Scuba wasn't needed. The bikes were helped getting around but there is a bus system to get up and down the island fairly easily. We learned about the buses as we were leaving so didn't get a chance to try them out. The particular bikes that Eldemires picked up for us to use were rather rusty and operated poorly, so the buses would seem to be a much better bet.

Regenexx offers stellar customer service. At no time did we wonder what was happening or feel out of contact. The harvest was handled very well and the discussions with the doctors were honest and informative without any feeling of being a sales pitch. The Cayman office COO is regularly in the office so even minor complaints get heard immediately by their upper management. We'll have to see how things go with the cell culturing and reinjection but the harvest was handled very well.

Pretty much the worst problem was the Cayman airport which was crowded, loud, slow, annoying, (pick your complaint). About the only minor annoyance they didn't have problems with was being late. Delta got us off right on time. Otherwise, don't expect your departure from the island to be a high point on the trip.

MtnRunnerChick
02-12-2012, 10:32 AM
Hi Annapurna!

I was THRILLED to find your post thru a google search, as I'm in the process of setting up prolo/PRP and stem cell for my left knee that has been a bugger since partial meniscectomy Oct. 2010. Also have L4-5 instability. I'm really lucky to live in Colorado about an hr or so from Dr. Centeno's clinic in Broomfield. The expense of SC is daunting but so is the lousy prospect of living with knee pain and major limitations at age 59. I've been a distance runner for 33 yrs, cyclist, XC skier, hiker, etc. and am fed up with the orthopedists party line (that hasn't changed for yrs.).

We are leaving on a Mexico vacation Friday so I can't schedule the trip until late March. Did they give you a list of reasonable lodging? Will you stay at the same place again? Did you find decent airfare? Are you having the prolo/PRP also?

Were there alot of other people there when you had the harvest? How uncomfortable was it? Were you sore after? When are you returning for the injection? Questions, questions!!! :jacks:

annapurna
04-25-2012, 09:06 PM
We're just finishing our return trip for Laura's stem cell reinjection into her knee. Across the board, it was definitely another success once we got to Cayman. The staff here is good. The hotel we stayed at, Eldemire's Guesthouse, is still a bit quirky but still a good place to go.

As it happened, Laura was being treated by Regnexx's Dr. Shultz who is a spine doc. He was willing to try a facetagram, in principle similar to a discogram where he injected into Laura's facet capsules to determine if her shoulder and neck pain was coming from irritated facets. I was also able to ask about stem cell treatments for DDD, not yet available, and was told instead they are doing platelet lysate in the disks. He even used the lysate for the facetagram so he was able to kick off some healing while doing the test.

One negative: as of now all Cayman information and scheduling is flowing through Regenexx's Colorado office. That office is not providing the high quality service this deserves. Fortunately, if you can endure their problems to the point where you're put in touch with the Cayman folks, things improve quickly.

MtnRunnerChick, if you see this, sorry I didn't notice your questions. If you still could use advice, feel free to send a private message. As a general statement, Laura's discomfort was fairly minor but she has had extensive prolotherapy and previous bone marrow draws so she really did know what to expect. Neither procedure is fun but Dr. Shultz is a heck of a needle jockey and really minimizes the discomfort as much as is possible.

MtnRunnerChick
05-20-2012, 09:45 AM
Hi and thanks for your message!

As may have mentioned, I'm being treated by Dr. Centeno for both OA left knee and L4-5/S1 related pain & instability. I've had 2 sets of injections (prolo + PL-Dex) to my knee & back so far. While there is a slight reduction in pain in my left knee, I'm not sure if it's just from not running since last Fall or from the treatments. I would love to see data from a randomized controlled trial...Am scheduled to return to Cayman in 4 wks. for my stem cell injection & have high hopes for that. As far as my back pain, can't say there's been an improvement yet.

I have another set of injections in 2 days (am supposed to have 4 sets), but am unclear whether we're doing another epidural with the prolo. This time I'm going to premedicate as it's been rough for me. Did Laura take anything before treatments??? I'm somewhat disappointed with the communication with the CO. clinic staff. Considering I'm paying for this out of pocket for the most part, going into debt, & am really stressed out from my limitations, that's disappointing. I'm a Nurse Practitioner so my expectations are likely higher.

Laura - did your knee swell alot after the stem cell injections series?

annapurna
05-20-2012, 11:21 AM
I don't have a sense for how aggressive platelet lysate is compared with dextrose only, morate, or PRP. I had about a dozen dextrose and dextrose/morate injections into my shoulder before the pain changed. A single PRP injection had as much effect on me.

Hopefully, they're not doing an epidural with the prolo. The anesthetic has been shown to break down tissue so it needs to be used sparingly when used in combination with a slow tissue growing technique like prolo. Often, a prolotherapist will use a little anesthetic mixed into the prolo mix, procaine, and a topical anesthetic to deaden the skin. I can't offer much about the pain of prolo, though. I've even had to cut a prolo session short and not treat areas because the pain got too much. Laura's never had to stop but has premedicated and demands a break mid-way through her sessions to let the pain die down a bit.

I'm really sorry about the bad communication with CO. We did everything we could do to pressure the Cayman folks, who mostly work for a separate company that licenses from Regenexx, to realize that the communication in CO is killing their business. I don't know and didn't want to know what they were going to do about it but they definitively knew that it was a concern for us.

Laura's knee swelled after each prolo session, regardless if it was dextrose, PRP, bone marrow stem cells, or morate. I actually travel with her because my knees don't need help so I get to carry all the heavy weight on the return trips, the BOB or beast of burden. Typically, she'll swell just from the prolo for about 2-3 weeks.

azennaro
07-09-2012, 08:19 PM
Hi
I have been doing som research on stem cell injections I have a 2 level ADR and a fusion at L5S1 and facet resurfacing at L4/5. I have terrrible SIJ dysfunction withn lax ligaments in the sacral area.
Coould you please give me as much information with regards to your dealings with regennexx.I would really appreciate this azennaro@optusnet.com.au
Thanks Anna

annapurna
09-22-2012, 01:57 PM
I've been a strong advocate of Regenexx, Stem Cell Institute in Panama, and Drs Hauser and Adelson in Chicago and Park City, UT, respectively. I'm disappointed to say that Regenexx just took a major fall in my eyes. We had a phone consult with one of the Regenexx doctors this past week to sketch out an approach that might help Laura. Unfortunately, the consult was riddled with guilt trip-ladden accusations and a general refusal to engage mentally to address the problem rather than offer canned treatments from their standard menu of offerings. I still believe that, for the right person and condition, they offer treatments that can be life changing. If you don't fall in the right category, though, they disengage and refuse to offer more than the skill of a needle jockey and stem cell technician, placing all of the thinking work strictly in the patient's lap. Either the mental climate has changed in their Colorado office or they are no longer interested in solving problems rather than offering treatments.

MtnRunnerChick
09-23-2012, 09:53 AM
Hi Jim & Laura,
I just read your post and am sincerely disappointed for you. I've also hit an impasse with my knee & back. Following 3 painful sets of knee & back injections with Regenexx-SD/PL/prolo, then cultured stem cell in the Caymans, and an additional set of SD/PL/prolo to my knee after the swelling and pain continued worse than ever (although not charged), I'm heartbroken. I was actually able to tolerate more with my knee after the 3rd injection set than I was after the cultured SC. They are blaming it on the L4/5 severe stenosis (which had minimal pain improvement) and referred me to another physician for the MILD procedure. It took some time to get in for the consult, and he advised another much bigger steroid injection with contrast under sedation to determine the stenosis' functionality before MILD is scheduled. I'm having that in 2 days. So ~20K out of pocket and 6 months later here I am. If the back is so crucial for success with the knee, why recommend the costly cultured stem cell in the Caymans x2 trips before it is effectively treated? Shouldn't an expensive supplement regimen & the nutritional approach be individualized upfront & discussed and not later as a by-the-way? I'm not a famous athlete, just a healthcare professional who was formerly very athletic & still not back to my sport.

annapurna
09-23-2012, 11:00 AM
We've come to the decision that the only way to deal with Regenexx is to use them as a medical services provider. Seek them out and get them to use their techniques to treat a specific issue or area but don't use them to make decisions about treatment beyond their little niche. For all that they guilt and criticize others, Regenexx isn't acting like a medical consultant that you could call and use their intelligence to put together a treatment plan. Basically, I'd suggest using Regenexx if you can sit down on your own and figure out how their treatment would fit into your overall treatment plan. If your situation is too complex for an interested and involved layman to think through, you might want to avoid Regenexx until your situation resolves a little.

MtnRunnerChick
09-23-2012, 11:26 AM
I tend to agree - it was suggested I return to the clinic after the MILD back procedure, but I'm not clear as to what further intervention or suggestions they would offer. Hopefully this procedure will help my situation. I am tempted to find a good local physical therapist & work on muscle strengthening & stretching again. PT guidance hasn't been a part of the equation at Regenexx - the IMS x4 was but didn't help me and was also out of pocket...