Disclaimer

When I initially started this blog, it was to record the changes I experienced in order to both remember them as well as share with friends of mine who have RP. I did not intend, at that time, for a wider audience. That is why I did not link to other blogs, etc.

The way things have evolved, it is now read by a wider group of people with differing interests. So, I feel the need to reiterate that nothing I have reported has been independently verified. These are just one person's perceptions at this point in time. It could be a real improvement or a psychological byproduct of simply wanting something so desperately to be true. Time will tell.

I plan on scheduling an ERG (electroretinogram) this summer. My last one is three years old, but showed pretty much nothing. So, short of a negative score, I do not know if using a newer one as a baseline would make much of a difference. Of course, I am not a doctor or a scientist.

Spotted Doors

Every morning I unload the dishwasher and put away the dishes. Usually, I make sure to close the doors on the cabinets each time I put away a dish. This way I do not hit my head on the corner. Today I noticed I can put away the dishes while leaving the cabinet doors open. I am able to spot the open doors and do not hit my head.

Now if I can actually have shins with no brusies on them that will be an accomplishment. Hey, I have nothing against looking like I play field hockey except for the simple fact that I don't. :)

Last night my husband and I went out to dinner. While seated at the table, everything began to flicker. It was like looking at a television set of really low quality. I asked him if he noticed it , he didn't. Later, it stopped. Since, it starts and stops at various times, but is not distracting like it was last night.

I also was able to spot curbs and stairs without looking for them.

Today I have the sensation of broader fields of vision. While my son eats breakfast in his high chair, I usually sit across from him and have my morning tea. I could look at him this morning and see the tea as I raised it to my face. Not only did I see the cup, but I could see the light reflecting off the tea inside it.

I remember experiencing visual field changes after receiving acupuncture, three times a day for two weeks. This is a similar experience.

In the past, the improvements have always been fleeting. So, it is with cautious optimism that I welcome these changes now.

Today the contrast does not seem so overwhelming. The colors still seem very bright, but it is not agitating.

My husband as well as a good friend mentioned that I seem more confident as I navigate my way around.

It is hard to believe.

Today I noticed the blue paint on my bathroom walls is a sea blue, not a gray blue. The sun streaming through the leaves of the trees is so starkly contrasted with the green of the leaves. I feel very touched by the grace of God. I never did anything to deserve this, that is for certain.

Sometimes the high contrast of things is almost agitating since my brain is not accustomed to it. It is going to take some time for my mind to catch up with my eyes and get used to actually seeing things as they are again.

Our world is so incredibly colorful and beautiful. This experience is like being in the grime of the inner city, with all its smog and pollution for years. Then, one day, you take a drive in the countryside and see just how blue and cloudless the sky can be.....It is a beautiful and blessed sight as well as a surprise to the senses.

Article about the Implant

The link below is to an article about the procedure I had done and Dr. Sapse.

http://www.transworldnews.com/newsstory.aspx?storyid=8154&ret=news.aspx&cat=business

The following link is to Dr. Gonzalez's website. He is the doctor who performed the implant procedure.

http://www.aculongevity.com/

Whip out the Windex

Today the sensation of everything seeming brighter continues. Things seem like they are in technicolor. Metals seem very shiny, like the fixtures in the bathroom. It is like someone took a bottle of Windex and took layers of grime off a window.

I am getting routine labs done once a quarter. This way my internist and I can keep an eye on anything odd that might crop up. As a friend put it, "Trust in God and tie up your camel."

Stem Cell Treatment

After traveling for microcurrent, Traditional Chinese Medicine, microacupuncture and receiving shots in the eye right here at home, my stem cell implant in Mexico did not seem like such a leap.

On April 18 2007, I crossed the border to get my implant. I have Retinitis Pigmentosa. This disease, in a nutshell, causes one to lose a little vision each year. So, in the beginning when one has normal vision, it is not a big deal. As you have less remaining vision to lose, it becomes a bigger deal. I have spent the past five years in full research and quest for a treatment mode.

Doctors advised me to get a cane and learn to adapt to blindness. I can live with blindness if it has to be that way, however to have peace I have to try.....and try. This way, if I wake up and cannot see my children I can have peace knowing I knocked on every door.

Matthew 7:7-8 - Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (NIV)

So, I received a stem cell implant derived from placental stem cells at a clinic in Progreso, Mexico on April 18th, 2007. This blog will detail my experiences after receiving the implant.

Initially, I was attracted to the work of Dr. Sapse after learning about his interest in autoimmune issues as they relate to RP. I then found out about the use of the implant for RP. The surgery was performed by Dr. Omar David Gonzalez.

The Sunday following the Wednesday implant, I was able to take communion at the altar of my church. Usually, due to the dim lighting, I must hold on to my husband's arm to get down the aisle. As I approach the altar, I scan it repeatedly, looking for a space to open. Well, I SAW the space as a lady got up!!! Not scanned and FOUND it, rather I SAW it with no effort. Fellow RPers will get this.

Monday I went to see my internist. His nurse brought me a cup of tea. Usually I make a mental note, "hot tea on table to left, at the approximate 9:00". This time, I just SAW it there out of my peripheral vision.

Walking my daughter home from school, I usually scan the fence for the door we walk through. No scanning, just SAW the door.

Tuesday I noticed that the plates I thought were a graphite blue are actually primary blue. The guest room I thought was a lovely sandy color with warm undertones looks like a gigantic peach.

I called Dr. Sapse on Monday, convinced this must be some sort of placebo effect. I mean, how could the cells do their work this quickly? Well, he assured me this has happened before. OH MY GOSH!!!

Is it this simple? All the research funding and the talking.....and the funding.......and more funding. Anyway, that is not the point of this blog. I am going to update it as I notice changes.