Patience. Determination. Perseverance.  I think that is what has been guiding me through this process among other things, and my whole life really. To say, my heart beats to the sound of it’s own drum is an understatement especially when it comes to gaining more mobility and independence. I have never been one to agree with traditional medicine. Why? It does not make sense to me. I firmly believe the body can heal itself. In other words, the body “knows” what it needs in order to be able to return to balance. What would a drug be able to do that the human body cannot? What makes giving a person a drug the correct answer, or the best choice? Being a preemie, I was given so many drugs to keep me alive affecting my system; I could not handle it. Made me more sensitive in some respects. As if that was not enough, having my parents’ second daughter be diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy at eighteen months, and son with autism at two-and-a half-years-old did not help things either, as they were not getting the answers they wanted turning attention to my mother.  Told by countless doctors, “Your daughter will never be able to walk, or talk” for instance, did not sit right with her. So she took elsewhere, turned her back on traditional western medicine and began looking outside the box. Went on a quest to save her children. To her, there had to be something out there.  I think this is where my love for my alternative methods comes from  Is it any wonder why from the things I’ve described?

Being intuitive, I have always done things my own way, in my own time. I am not like everyone else, and never have been. Meaning, I am not the type of person who will do “anything to help” me heal/ balance my body, unless I agree, or know it will assist. That being said, one could guess, I was never interested in looking into any invasive surgeries when offered. Botox is an example. But that is only putting lightly. In all truthfulness, I fought my parents. As a child, I knew it was not going to work, and most of the time, I was right.  Now that does not mean I did not check out other things thrown my way, but anything involving knives, needles, drugs and the like, I dismissed. I understood there was something else out there to help me walk (aside from not being ready) I just had not come across it yet. And it was not time, knowing I would come across it later. The answer: Stem cells.

How I found out about the procedure: My mother was at a conference last June when she heard from one of Doctor Steenblock’s colleagues, and renowned physician, Dr. Todd Ovokaitys, speaking about a stem cell treatment working with cerebral palsy bringing incredible results. I did not even think twice before saying yes when she mentioned it to me. I had a gut feeling so to speak, and knew I should look into it. Reading the papers, and watching the news regarding research being done with stem cells, cancer and recently autism motivated me even more; gave me hope. With that, I began making contact, and took it from there. I was on my own having my mother’s support of course, but if I wanted to do this, it was my responsibility. Seemed reasonable since I am twenty, almost twenty-one.

The Treatment: The day finally came when miracles began to happen, and I mean miracles (no exaggeration). On October 2^nd, 2012 I came in confident. Feeling a sense of gratitude for this opportunity, I met with both Dr. Steenblock and Dr. Todd ready to get the show on the road. Originally, the plan was to have the cells injected into my spine, but because I am healthy, the plans changed, now for them to be injected intravenously. Approximately two thousand stem cells were given to me. To assist the cells in terms of directing them in all the right places more easily, a laser used by Dr. Todd, went over all sides of my brain, and down my spine. And soon after (thirty minutes) magic began to happen!

Now for the fun part: Describing the results so far!

I will not go into explaining everything I have been experiencing as there is quite a lot, only the highlights over certain periods of time.

Day of procedure: While I had intentions, (the most important wanting to walk independently), I have to be honest and say I was not expecting to notice results if not (within thirty minutes).  Or the type of results anyway. I began noticing my hands felt much softer, more relaxed, and I was able to extenuate my fingers on both hands; something I have never been able to do. Even my legs felt softer, softer than they have in a long time, which was encouraging. The best part: I was able to breath; my diaphragm was not so tight. I could finally take a deep breath. The observations kept coming. When I arrived home, I noticed it was easier for me to get up the couch using my left leg (my left being my weaker side). Family members could understand me on the phone; my speech was clearer.

Day after treatment: I used to use so much energy throughout the day to do tasks, to get around even. When night came, I was exhausted only to feel tired the next morning. Well, the morning after my treatment, I woke up alert and refreshed, a feeling I have not experienced since I was a little girl. My legs felt even more relaxed, and I began to take notice of when I became tight, being able to release some. A huge step, as I always took my spasticity for granted, only paying attention when it became uncomfortable.

One week: Understanding this was a process that would take time I was shocked when I was able to extend my legs to ten degrees while having a massage. Having the ability to stretch to that extent seemed obtainable, while by the same token, a thing of the past seeing the last time I reached this point, I was twelve! My vision began to improve in my right eye as well. For a girl who often gets headaches, I found I was not experiencing them as frequently due to eyestrain and weather to name a few reasons.

Three weeks: I began seeing my trainer at the gym again at this point. Testing the amount strength in my legs, he asked me to stand up once with support and once without. Standing up with support was a piece a cake. However, I was not sure how standing up by myself would be. To my surprise, I was able to do it having more strength than I thought Around this same time, I became more aware of just how tight I actually was in particular areas of my body. While I was “softer”, not every area had gotten the message to relax. One day I would observe my hip was tight. The next day my back. Varying from day-to-day. Again, I never payed attention, and to have the ability…Wow! My walking too improved quite a bit (when using my walker), as my right foot was able to go all the way flat.

A month-and-a half: Getting in the car was a bit of challenge, as one may be able to imagine. The left side was avoidable as much as possible. I often would catch my foot on the runner of my mom’s Suburban, and one day, the habit broke taking a much shorter amount of time. Continuing training at the gym, I finally was able to take a few steps independently, but not very far. Still, an accomplishment. Which leads me to explaining how I had more energy in being able to walk (with my mom’s support) all the way up to the front steps of an individual’s home without becoming tired.  Walking a few feet to be in fact. When walking in this fashion, I could not take many steps without wanting to collapse. So it is appropriate to say I reached yet another milestone. To add to that, being the veracious reader I am, it was difficult for me to read a few sentences aloud without having to stop in order to take a breath. Get the words out. I would skip sentences, pausing often. Now that is not as apparent, but once in awhile, I will jump a sentence or two

Two Months: I kept making progress, but this time in the area of swallowing pills. Growing up, I struggled with this until about a year-and-half ago. Taking time to work up to two pills and so on. With the help of the cells, swallowing two pills has become second nature. I am currently working up to three. Even my posture is better, and people, who have not seen me and/or did not know I had a treatment, are noticing this, and I was told I am much more clear when talking on the phone. One more thing: Traveling and my spasticity went hand in hand making it inevitable. Simply put, I would be the tightest I have ever been. This was just how it was, or so I thought until I took a trip last month. On the last flight home then, I did not tighten up until about half way through! Another huge, but small improvement.

Three Months: We have reached present time. Does not seem like it has been that long since this journey began. While it has been a step-by step process, the other day, I was able to achieve something so arduous: Putting on/tying my shoes (without my leg braces) in less than fifteen minutes. Strenuous as this was, I could not use both my hands, having to use one in the act of loosing my balance. I was looking at fifteen to thirty minutes of pure struggle. My shoe would fall off. It would be on the wrong foot. I was not able to tie my shoelaces with it on. Yes, I still used one hand, and hoped I put each one on the correct foot (I think I did), but nonetheless achieved. In other news, my mother and I have been stretching every day, and my right leg is almost, if not completely straight. My left leg however, is having more of a challenge, but it will happen. All in time. All in time.

While all of this exciting, there is one thing I feel stands out among the rest: My legs finally feel connected to me, as they never used to believing there were two separate parts. Pretty extraordinary. And to think, there is more to come