Well, there are three readers I know of–who have each inquired if I am okay, for which I remain grateful. Truth is, I’ve been better, but so it goes as one gets on in years. (No wonder Linda Ellerbee & Kurt Vonnegut said that phrase so often….)
I am in the middle of undergoing what’s known as stemcell regeneration therapy, on my knees. The Ortho docs (who are well thought of & enjoy a solid reputation–after all, the Yankees sent Derek Jeter here) told me I needed to have my knees replaced. And while the “idea” of surgery does not frighten me, the lack of any sort of guarantees bothers me, as does the price (upwards of $80,000 each~!~). Granted, insurance would cover a large portion of that, but still, I need something other than a smile to convince me it would be a good path for me to follow.
This local outfit had a seminar explaining the stemcell procedures, which I attended. And if they are charlatans or otherwise trying to pull the collective wool over everyone’s eyes, they deserve Academy awards for acting. Plus maybe a slap in the face, indeed. Their success rate (although it’s still an on-going research project) is high, the price is very reasonable (covered by Medicare, too) & as I say, they seem like truly nice folk. Right now, I am in the prepatory phase, getting hyaluronic acid shots prior to the actual stemcell injections.
These weekly shots (I have two left) are easy to get, despite the 1/8-inch diameter needle that’s four-inches long. The freeze spray is a miracle invention; I would love to have a can of it simply to spray on certain folks to shut them up….ok, I’m kidding, but the aftermath of these shots in pretty daunting. It’s about all I can do to gimp into the house after driving home. And the pain does not abate until at least four days later, meaning I feel pretty good today. But after tomorrow morning’s shots, I won’t…
They take a myriad of shots of my knees on some sort of digital device–they pop up on the computer screen seemingly at once, no waiting around for X-ray development, etc. And they point to certain areas of my knees, claiming I am an ideal candidate, & will enjoy success once the cells regenerate what’s worn away inside my knee joints.
Here’s hoping. And my apologies for being absent so long.
stay tuned…
