Healthcare Hacks - The India Story

(Almost) Two Year Stem Cell Treatment Anniversary: Updated Improvement List

amybscher — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:53:13 +0000

As I sat down to write a new post for this blog, where I finally outline all the information everyone asks me for all in one place, I was inspired to update my improvement list. I fell upon the one I wrote in March 2008 and realized much has changed since then. The first thing people always want to know when they contact me is how I'm doing now...after all this time...today.... So, it seems it's time for a new list.

I knew when I got the stem cell therapy, embryonic stem cells take time to mature into their full capacity of repairing and rebuilding the body. Seeing how my improvement list has kept growing over the years is truly amazing and still shocks me in some ways - to me, proof that this is not an overnight miracle cure, but rather science that needs time to reach its full potential.

I'm just shy of my two year anniversary of my first treatment and was going to wait til then for a new list. But who says celebrations can't come early, so here it is.

I'm pasting my old list here and adding updates in bolded italics.

Normal walking balance (no more tripping, falling off curbs or bumping into objects)
Stable standing with eyes closed (Romberg test)
Body aches near absent (update: no more body aches!)
Muscle soreness gone
Joint pain only occurring occasionally but eases with rest (now I only have joint pain when I run too hard while exercising)
Tremors in hands improved (tremors gone completely)
Muscle strength improved
Vision much sharper (20/20 vision as of last eye doctor's appointment. Prior to my treatment, my vision was slightly impaired in my left eye and I wore glasses to read which are no longer needed).
No black floaters disturbing vision
Jaw pain gone
Headaches gone
Stabbing pain in muscles gone
Bone pain gone
Muscles more relaxed (upper body used to be tense all the time)
Skin hypersensitivity better (I don't have this anymore at all)
No muscle twitches
Pain and stiffness in neck better (gone!)
Less fatigue (no fatigue anymore except when I overdo it but that's normal)
Dairy allergies greatly improved (yay for ice cream!) (all allergy lab tests were negative at my last blood draw)
Menstrual cycles improved (despite history of endometriosis, cysts, etc.)
Brain lesions improved (last SPECT in July of 2008 showed two lesions completely gone and the last remaining one of an insignificant size. It's supspected the last one is completely gone now but a repeat scan is not recommended simply due to no reason to be subjected to the dye since I am symptom free)
Thyroid levels have returned to normal
No pain medication
No sleeping medication
No heart palpitation medication

As in the first post, I'm sure there are things I've missed, but this is the gist of it. Anything I can't remember even being wrong anymore, is just another blessing on the list.

If you'd like to read the original post in full, you can do so here.

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Running Toward Forgiveness – Another Lesson In The Healing Journey

amybscher — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:14:53 +0000

By amybscher

30,000 feet in the air is when I have some of my most pivotal emotional moments. The kind of moments where something you didn’t even know you’d one day understand, comes into clear. I’m listening to Jack Johnson’s “All At Once” on my ipod and reading Redbook on my short jaunt from Boston to New Jersey. I realized last night that my plan of running on the treadmill in my hotel, as I’ve been doing at home, will be failed for the next week because I forgot my running shoes in a plastic bag (they had sand all over them) in the car at home.

I’m surprisingly more upset by this than I should be. There is something about running I love and not doing it feels like a disappointment. It’s probably important to note here that I’m not one of those people who loves to exercise. I do it because it makes me feel better afterward. During, I find moments of energetic participation but mostly it's just clock watching to see when my time is up. I’ve come to a place in my life though where I accept that I want exercise to be a part of it, even if it’s not 45 minutes a day of absolute joy. But running is different. I listen not to my many excuses to skip it. I ignore afternoon urges to take a nap instead of go to the gym. I religiously go; and I run. And each day with the same suspicion as the day before, I wonder why it’s something I could easily not do; but choose to do anyway.

And today on the plane, it hit me.

I was reading an article about a 24 year old that had overcome cancer. The piece was well written and a distraction for the building turbulence during the flight. The girl had gone through 5 cycles of chemotherapy and was now running a marathon to support cancer research. One line in that article hit me hard, bringing me to tears. “Running made me forgive my body,” the author writes. I read it just as a flight attendant walked by to check seatbelts because the plane was continuing to bounce very roughly. She stopped to ask if I was ok assuming I was scared from the mascara stained tears on my face. I smiled and looked at her and said “great” with a smile. I was.

It never occurred to me that’s what this running thing is for me. When I was sick, I remember crying and literally begging my loved ones to cut my legs off. It sounds dramatic and irrational now but the pain in my legs from the nerve damage was so unexplainably horrendous that I wanted no part of them. I hated them and wished them away. With chronic illness, it is so easy to become disconnected from the body you live in – when that body causes you to suffer. My mental perspective was almost always strong, with the will to live propelling me into each new day. But my body, housing the terrible illness, became at times, my worst enemy.

I never really thought about it until today, right now in fact, how damaging to my healing that disconnect probably was; the urge to abandon my body under the premise it had abandoned me. It’s falling apart, I would often think. I wish I could just walk right out of it and leave the pain behind. My mind/body connection fell apart with the rest of it.

The running is putting it back.

It’s been nearly two years since my embryonic stem cell therapy began, and I have literally gone from endless pain meds and hardly walking at times, to running. I marvel constantly at what my body came back from – and the absolute strength it takes to do that, in every sense of the word. I momentarily regret that I didn’t see the disconnect before but am overwhelmed with emotion that I can look back with new perspective. I used to be angry that what seemed like hundreds of treatments I tried didn’t work. Now, I realize that my body didn’t fail me – it ultimately got me to this place of healing. This place of running. If not for those failed treatments, I would have never ended up in India, the most life changing event of my life thus far. Those treatments that didn’t work, weren’t meant to. The lessons of blame I put on my body for not being strong enough were all necessary evils, as I have arrived at yet another moment where I realize THIS is all part of the process. I have had to forgive doctors that have made mistakes, friends that jumped from my life, and a world that just didn’t understand me. But, I never really thought about having to forgive my body. I see that I do now. And perhaps the inability to forgive myself and the absurd responsibility I carried for so much in my life and in other’s lives, was part of that falling apart body in the first place.

Healing is hardly just physical. The process is a process – and the more I realize that, the stronger my body and mind both feel. And the more confident I am that I will always be healthy and strong. I truly believe that until you learn all the lessons you were meant to learn through any crisis, the crisis will not end. It took years and years for me, and my inability to see my responsibility in it all made the end so much further than it might have been otherwise. But this is my journey. I have finally arrived. My mind and body are both strong and full of life. Finally, after all this time, I feel like they are getting along.

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Global Post Article Talks About Lyme Disease and Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy

amybscher — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:20:17 +0000

By amybscher

Global Post writer Mridu Khullar nailed an article on Dr. Shroff's stem cell therapy in India, fairly telling the story and accurately covering the delicate issues that surround it.

My story as well as my doctor's comments were also included.

Thank you Mridu for going beyond what most of the media ever does -- and reaching a place where the story ends up telling itself.

Unfettered By Regulation, India Pulls Ahead On Stem Cell Treatments.

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My Biggest Post Lyme Disease And Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy Milestone Yet

amybscher — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 03:58:24 +0000

By amybscher

I am sitting on the living room floor where I’ve dumped out two boxes I’ve been saving. They have been two of the most important boxes in my life for much too long. They are the “just in case” boxes. They have been lovingly sheltered in the environment of whatever place I’ve been living in at any given time. I always know where they are. They are kept away from moisture and heat. I have made sure they do not get too cold. They are always on a low shelf, just in my reach. I have an almost maternal protectiveness over those boxes. Or at least, I did.

In them are syringes and suspension and tablet form of countless different medications I regularly used to take before my stem cell treatment, since the Lyme disease diagnosis I received in February of 2007.

In these boxes are enough…..

-needles to make a drug addict drool
-gallbladder pills to make even fish and chips invincible
-lidocaine to numb anything (four times over)
-injectible and intravenous antibiotics worth roughly who knows how much money, and months of a bruised butt from needles or a sore arm from IV
-standard antibiotics to cure a large family’s bacterial infections for oh….maybe years?
-‘big gun’ antibiotics to attack the world’s most random microbial invaders
-and the list goes on (but I will not)

And they are dumped on my floor tonight, September 6^th of 2009, because it is the last time I will ever see them.

It has been one year and nine months since my first human embryonic stem cell therapy session in Delhi, India – a time when I was going through the amount of medication in the two boxes regularly, only to be watching my health decline despite them.

Over the weekend, I had a type of testing done that I had wanted to have for quite some time. It is a bioenergetic analysis performed using a system of muscle testing which looks for various stressors in the body. These may include the potential presence of various microbes (infections like Lyme or the co-infections as well as viruses, fungus, etc.), heavy metals, and other toxins. The system also looks for organs that may be stressed.

Similar to standard muscle testing, the principle is simple, although the specific testing I had performed used an opposite response for good and bad. If the muscle was weak, it meant I was clear of the microbes, toxins, etc that were introduced around my body (usual via vials of the actual substance). And if it was strong, I was resistant to them, meaning I was having trouble with them. During my testing, another person’s arm was used to create better accuracy. He was gently touching my leg with one arm, and using the other for the practitioner to test on. However, I liked this explanation found on one website which explains what occurs in the body during this testing.

"Simply stated, the body has within it and surrounding it an electrical network or grid. If anything impacts your electrical system that does not maintain or enhance your health and your body’s balance, your muscles, when having physical pressure applied, are unable to hold their strength. (Muscle power is directly linked to the balance of the electrical system.) In other words, if pressure is applied to an individual’s extended arm while his body’s electrical system is being adversely affected, the muscles will weaken and the arm will not be able to resist the pressure. The circuits of the electrical system are overloaded or have short-circuited, causing a weakening of that system. However, if pressure is applied while his electrical system is being positively affected, the circuits remain strong, balanced and capable of fully functioning throughout the body. The muscles will remain strong, the person will easily resist and the arm will hold its position."

Source

During this testing, I had some of my biggest enemies introduced into my electrical system’s field – viruses, infections, and everything else galore (most of which used to be present in my body before my stem cell therapy).

I thought I might feel emotionally stressed by this whole process, but I lay on the table barefoot and as relaxed as ever, despite having no idea what the testing would reveal.

He tested for virutally everything and found……

Nothing.

Yes, I said “nothing.”

The practitioner could not get any of the vials of disease to cause a negative reaction, which according to this testing system, shows that your body is not stressed by them (aka, you don’t have them, or at least you don’t have them present in an active state which is all that matters).

He pulled out all his best tricks, using several vials at once to try to strengthen the energy of the bacteria, etc. in order to see if that would make a difference. But, still the same result. No stress.

My post report read:

Amy seemed to be testing very well. This appears to be a pattern emerging from those that have done the stem cell therapy. It is very exciting to see such good results.

In the past few weeks, I have felt a new sense of confidence and health emerge. I have no idea where it has come from. Perhaps it’s just part of the process of healing, or maybe it’s timing. Maybe it’s the numerous “tests” my doctor has put my body up to see if it is really as well as it seems. I’ve taken a couple of rounds of brand new antibiotics which if I still had any active bacteria, would cause a herx reaction indicating the disease still needed treatment. I’ve had zero reaction from any of these tests.

I have allowed myself to be a guinea pig of sorts to see how far I could be pushed and not relapse. I have exposed myself to medications that I was pretty sure my body didn’t need, just to ‘be safe.’ I have gone through times of worry for no reason. I had to get through the usual relapse triggers (like severe emotional stress or lots of travel and jetlag) to come out on the other side realizing how strong I was. The fact is, there was no other way to get to where I am – finally living without fear. And honestly, I don’t think it’s happened fully until very recently. It’s been a process……years of negative belief systems and imbedded fear that had to be undone. I am always the first to admit the tick bite is not the only reason so many suffer with chronic Lyme; the emotional component of why we hold onto disease is real (and I anticipate I’m going to get defensive e-mails about this but I’m saying it anyway). I lived in that place. I know.

I had one issue that was never resolved from my illness – a fungal infection (by the best guesses of many physicians, one that was coming from inside my body but affecting my nail) on my right thumbnail that caused a big hole in it. I’ve used every single prescription medication and tried remedies abound including bleach and tee tree oil but eventually gave up on them all as they made no difference. But last week, it suddenly decided to heal on its own. I can hardly stop looking at it lately, as it is almost impossible to tell it tortured me for all that time. I imagine my immune system just needed more time to continue to build, and it has finally reached a place where it can combat things on its own.

It is silly perhaps but the healing of that thumbnail is one of the most significant successes I’ve gotten to watch my body achieve. Because it was resistant to everything even though it was quite a small (in the scheme of things) problem, I always saw it as just another sign of my weak body. The healing of this last thing is a kind of closure difficult to put into words.

So, today, with my medication staring me in the face, I’m putting an end to this part of my recovery. The part where I let myself (or anyone else) wave doubt before me. I have passed the tests of numerous kinds. I have traveled far and wide with continued stamina and rock climbed with strength and eaten everything I used to be allergic to until my heart has been content. I have proven that although it takes time for the immune system, nervous system and body to recover from years of hell; it can. And, it will.

I turn 30 this month – an age I sometimes wondered if I’d ever see. Tonight I will put everything back in those boxes, label the inventory and tape them up. Right before my birthday, I will put them in the back of my car, drive to my doctor’s office and drop them off as a donation with my biggest blessing that they will help somebody else.

They were a good two boxes. They served me well and even comforted my fear in times of need. But I don’t need them anymore. My one bottle of multi-vitamins, the only thing I take anymore, travels well (and light!) and seems to like being the only pills in my life.

There comes a time when things just feel right.

Forget the BBQ’s and booze this Labor Day weekend. Sitting on the floor with this part of my old life for the last time feels like just where I’m supposed to be (although tomorrow is a new day and celebrating with a beer and a burger can't hurt, right?).

*To learn more about the type of testing I received, visit Dr. Klinghardt's site: http://www.klinghardtacademy.com/

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Moving Forward, Climbing Rocks

amybscher — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:14:18 +0000

By amybscher

I’ve been trying to update this blog for a few weeks now since I know some of you have been wondering what happened after my last post with the somber’ish mood. As a reminder, it was the one where I was consuming ridiculous amounts of food and trying to decipher if the short period of pain I experienced was instigated by an overzealous exercise program or possibly by a Lyme flare. I’m still not positive of what caused the very temporary (five-day) madness I experienced. Times like last month test me in so many ways, but ultimately it is the trust in myself I am reminded I must I hold tight to.

A few people last month commented on my reaction to what I went through as being a test of my faith in the stem cells, my health, etc. They have somehow decided if I were to even briefly consider that once in awhile, things may not be perfect in a body that has just recently stabilized from a living hell, I have lost faith or given into fear. I believe whole-heartedly that the only fear that can injure you, is fear that is repressed. Stare it in its face, acknowledge its presence and then let it go - and it will dissolve. Pretend it’s not there, and it will kick you down. Despite my amazing mind-body connection and the absolute confidence that I know myself better than anyone else ever could, I got well meaning advice galore from those around me who insisted it was definitely not Lyme, but rather one of various other possibilities from a long list (from the full moon to “retracing,” which is a process that can be likened to the healing crisis). Many people tried to lovingly reassure me (good) but there are always the 'know it alls' who are telling you (bad). It's funny how people can take such a defensive ownership...in someone else's life.

My default thought for times like those are.....'it's probably not Lyme, but what if it is?' I live by the motto, however sometimes lackadaisically, 'better safe than sorry.'

I kind of feel like this deserves an explanation to clarify the difference between post disease fear-driven paranoia and basic common sense. I do not constantly worry about Lyme. In fact, it rarely crosses my mind as an option for any physical symptom that may arise anymore. Headache? I must be dehydrated. Stomach hurts? Too much candy. Tired? I do too much and sleep too little. So, when I wonder about Lyme, it is because I refuse to be the hero that ‘missed all the signs’ because she was so busy trying not to worry about it that she lost all logic. I’ve met those people and they don’t win the race any faster. I had a short nine months of antibiotic therapy before I went to India for stem cells. I know people who have been on antibiotics for 5+ years that still have an active infection. It’s not unreasonable of me to consider that I might need more along the way to maintain where I am. I would rather be honest than stupid.

So, armored with ‘I know best’ ammunition, I ended up making an appointment with my doctor to decide what to do about the ‘whatever happened’ incident (which I have now officially renamed the entire episode). By the time I had the appointment, my only remaining symptom was intuition. It wasn’t necessarily intuition that the Lyme was back, but rather intuition that a short dose of antibiotics would be the right thing – protection IF there was a Lyme flare and peace of mind if there wasn’t.

Even with my doctor’s aggressive treatment style, it was decided I’d go on only 7 days of antibiotics a month, the week before my menstrual cycle which is when ‘whatever happened’ last month, happened. This month was a breeze – no symptoms, no reactions to the meds, no nothing. I am full of energy, still chasing random stem cell craving induced concoctions, and traveling and working without consequence.

Wanting to go back on meds brought me back to so much of how I struggled over the years with the concept that if I simply believe the Lyme could not conquer me, it couldn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea. I believe in it to a great extent; and live my life in a way where Lyme attacks cross my mind only very occasionally anymore, because I do believe a strong body and mind cannot be conquered. But, there is also reality. There is reality that I simply cannot forget (nor would I want to) how much of the disease is a part of me, in a historical sense really. How it has helped mold me into the person I am, the survivor I knew I’d one day be. Because of that, I have come to a place where I refuse to abuse this amazing blessing of health by simply ignoring the delicateness of it all. This is a brand new place for me.

Six months ago I had a scathing face anytime a dose of 'maintenance' or 'safety' medication was brought up, or I came to a situation where I didn’t think I was strong enough physically or otherwise. But one of the sweetest people in my life has recently said something to me that I'm not sure I've ever considered with my eternal stubbornness. She said that sometimes not being strong, is the strongest thing you can be. The inability to be weak has always been one of my greatest weaknesses but it suddenly seems so much less scary. It’s a lesson that no doubt is hard for me to swallow, but I get it. And coming from one of the strongest people I know, I’m going to take it as absolute truth. Thank you C for making me see things in a new light (we know it's a challenge).

So, I have decided this: I will do ANYTHING to never get back to where I once was. Let it be fueled by a healthy amount of fear that reminds me I am not invincible. Let it be powered by enough strength to let me live without the worry but also enough to admit when I do. But most importantly, let me be patient enough with others to just listen to them and realize they are well meaning but this is still my body and my life. I am thankfully grounded enough to continue on the path I am on despite the rocks in the road – for I have taken a few wrong turns but many many more right ones.

By my sister-in-law’s encouragement (ok, borderline nagging) one day while watching her at her rock climbing gym, I caved into her pleas for me to try it with a hesitant “okay, I will.” Fully unprepared in jeans, I put on the harness, listened to a quick lesson from her and went for it. I was floored by my ease in scaling up the wall even with my slight setback last month. I was totally fearless about the height despite being scared to dizziness on a gondola ride just weeks before at the Santa Cruz pier (albeit being securely fastened in the seat). I think it reconfirmed how much I trust myself (ok, and my sister-in-law too as she was holding the safety rope in case I fell). It reminded me that I am safe in my own hands; that I have gotten myself this far, to a place where I was pulling my own weight up a wall of rocks. The same weight that just a couple of years ago, I could hardly lift off the couch some days.

I know you need strength and balance to rock climb – two things I didn’t have before my stem cell treatments. But, it also reminded me of some very important lessons that perhaps are more instrumental than muscles and important for more than just times on a rock:

Try to reach the top, no matter how high it may seem.

Always wear comfy clothes so you are ready for whatever may come.

Never ever look down; it’s the wrong way.

Rock climbing video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvfbszjqSfY.

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Curry: The Ultimate Cure For Stem Cell Craziness

amybscher — Sat, 02 May 2009 22:28:13 +0000

By amybscher

These are not food cravings. This is food compulsion. I am convinced.

I am back in my pajamas at 2 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon watching the movie Seven Pounds (which makes me cry every time), and dripping in Indian food. It is the latest must have that strikes every couple of days like clockwork. Yesterday was Chinese food. The day before? Cottage cheese and chocolate; alternate bites. Afternoons bring coffee (decaf of course) desperation. It used to be one cup a week. Now, it's two a day with vanilla creamer in a regular glass, not a coffee cup. The intensity of the insanity comes in waves. There are times I can eat just anything and be fine. And then, there are the other times which belong in a category all their own. These times are ones like now, where I have curry much too close to my laptop, and enough food in the kitchen from an Indian restaurant I drove over 30 minutes in the rain to pick up food from, to feed four of me. These are ‘stem cell cravings.’ I have no one in my life these days willing to support my impulsive craziness for these needs. My family seems to see them as wants but it goes deeper so I am on my own – apparently in the rain and in the car and in my pj’s…just hoping no other urges strike tonight.

I have been riding an emotional (and possibly part hormonal) roller coaster lately. And in addition, my ankles and knees have decided to scare the hell out of me by hurting. I broke the one cardinal rude of Dr. Ashish’s which is most likely the reason for all of this: don’t overdo it. But alas, I never listen, and then I worry. I have an internal drive to overdo everything and anything because to me, that is the race to beyond post-Lyme. The finish line is the place where I almost can’t see it sitting in my past anymore; when I can get far enough ahead that the thoughts of what it could do if ever to return are gone, and I can feel totally safe. That point will be beyond a disease that destroyed relationships and my body and pretty much everything but my spirit. I have forgotten what it feels like to be sick. But, I still want more...to forget what it feels like to fear its return, even if the fear only visits on occassion now.

A couple of weeks ago, I started a new exercise program, in hopes of helping me sleep more soundly, and getting my body to a stronger place. Well, in true Amy style, I didn’t start slow – I jumping jacked and lunged myself a little too ambitiously perhaps, giving my body no time to adjust after years and years of tattered joints and tendons and destroyed muscles. I often forget how deconditioned I might be deep down on the inside. And I think I’m paying now. On the other hand, painful tendons and joints are one of my classic Lyme symptoms. And even though I started feeling the pain around the same time as I stepped up my exercise, it still pulls that part of me inside that….well, wonders ‘what if?’ The timing is slightly eerie as I’ve been feeling the invisible tug on my arm that tells me it’s time for more Lyme testing. It was agreed upon by my doctors not long ago that I’d do it again, around now. I finished a 6-week round of antibiotics about a month ago without a touch of a problem. No herx reaction, no Lyme? One would like to think. But I always toy with the question, “how much is enough?” Should I have done 8 weeks? Or another medication? And no one, even the best doctors in the U.S., have the answers.

As I was sitting and waiting for my Indian food drinking chai (offered to me by the owner after I divulged I’ve been to Delhi, three times now), I realized my cravings for Indian food represent so much more than just food. My body is craving the nutrients it needs to support my baby stem cells growth but also, it is craving more. It craves the absolute freedom and safety I feel in the other world I miss so much – India. I discovered so much of my life there – spirit, love, undying hope. Delhi is dirty and crowded and chaotic and everything I hate – but I am absolutely and utterly, taken by the city. I feel torn when I’m in the states, like something is missing. It can’t be explained unless you’ve been there, and maybe not even then. You either hate it, or love it. And even if you love it, you hate to love it. So unique, that even in its depths of despair and extremes, it has the most beautiful aura; one uniquely its own. Fellow patients and family members will be shaking their heads in agreement when they read this. The food, with it’s spiciness and sweetness and rich texture calms my cravings instantly, but also my soul. I feel at home. I am reminded that everything will be ok and that fear is no longer bigger than survival – of Lyme, or of anything else.

My energy and stamina are strong and although my ‘what if?’ worries fall by the wayside more and more with time, I realize I need reminders to keep them at bay. Sometimes it creeps in, at times like this. Times when I’m having trouble walking up and down the same stairs I was running on two weeks ago. Patients often ask me if I’m “totally normal” now and I, without thought, always say “yes.” But moments like today remind me I still have a little ways to go. This is a slow process and sometimes I think the body heals at a faster pace than the mind. Actually, I know it does.

I left the Indian restaurant with a box full of to-go food packed ironically, in a Corona beer box, and saw that I was getting a parking ticket as I walked down the street. In my chai induced state of bliss, I ran over to the officer and said “Wait….I was just getting Indian food. I really needed it. I miss India. I lost track of time.” She looked at me confused and said, “Well, your meter ran out.” I politely responded with, “I won’t try to argue. I get it. I really needed this food so I guess it's worth the ticket.” I put my hand out to take it. She looked at me with confusion, cocked her head to the side as if she were thinking deeply and bargained with me: “I’ll tell you what. I’m going to let you go but put some extra money in the meter next time, ok?” I thanked her and hurried into the car. While sifting through my wallet when I parked, I found more rupees than quarters, which is why there wasn’t more in the meter in the first place. I grabbed the garlic naan out of the Corona box, tucked it in the front seat with me for the drive home and giggled to myself, proud for having escaped a ticket. KARMA.

I am now fed and happy and re-charged. The Hindi music that was playing in the restaurant dances in my head. I still see the shades of pink and yellow that adorned the tables, and my answer of what to do next about the impending fear just came to me so clearly, it's like someone whispered it in my ear.

Her name is Neo.

I met her in India.

And it changed my life forever.

I know you want more, but I can't give an explanation that will do the experience justice at the moment.

She asked me the first time I met her what my biggest fear was. And I said, "Lyme returns," as if it is a horror movie which tries to keep itself alive with sequels. And she said two things with the most determined straight face:

"So what?? If it returns, you will heal yourself again just like you did before" and "the disease served its purpose in your life. You don't need it anymore so it has no reason to return."

They are the two most intelligent things anyone has ever said to me in all those years of struggle. Maybe the two most intelligent things anyone has said to me ever. When I remember her words and the absolute force in which she said them, my entire body relaxes into this safe place that I cannot even begin to explain.

Curry. A Skype appointment with Neo. And some more time in my jammies. Perfect.

If I can’t get to Delhi on this Saturday afternoon to bake in the humidity, marvel at the people packed streets where everyone still has room to smile, complain to Dr. Shroff and have her say “don’t worry, you are fine” in a tone that drives me crazy but screams you don't have to believe it but you do have to listen, and stop at my favorite flower stand for tuberose, then these are the next best things.

Oh yes. And one more plate of Indian food to seal the deal. Ahhh, I feel better already.

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Note: More information about Neo and her amazing EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) can be found here: http://www.astrology-neo.com/index.html

Also, please feel free to leave a comment or e-mail if you have any questions: editor@healthcarehacks.com.

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Surprise! More Embryonic Stem Cell Improvements

amybscher — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:04:27 +0000

By amybscher

As I approach the one-year mark of my return home from my first treatment in India, I am suddenly noticing more improvement – ironically, in areas I didn’t know I needed it. I jokingly refer to my stem cell therapy as the “gift that keeps on giving.” But really, it’s true.

Lately I have noticed memories, which seemed long gone from my brain, are flooding back to me. In the past two months, I have suddenly started remembering things that I haven’t thought of for years; a favorite quote, a memory of childhood, events that happened pre-illness or during, etc.

At first I thought it was a fluke, but as it continues to grab my attention, it has become very apparent that things are still changing in my brain. I knew healing had taken place because of my resolved balance issues, as well as the impressive changes in my brain scans (great scientific proof). But this is so new and exciting....and unexpected. In addition to my recent memory recollections, I have taken a renewed interest in reading; and I have just realized the reason. My reading comprehension has improved dramatically. I have had problems with reading comprehension since I was young and am very used to reading things several times in order for them to “sink in.” I am infamous for starting books and never finishing them. I can remember maybe finishing five books in my whole life. I used to write book reports for school from the back covers of the books. I’ve finished three books in the last two weeks; and I remember all of what I read.

These cognitive changes seemed to come on abruptly but I’m sure the changes in my brain from the stem cells have been “in the works” for quite some time. I love re-learning the lesson that just because you don’t see the manifestation of something, doesn’t mean it’s not happening (and that can go for any medical treatment). These changes have really made me re-examine the potential of hESC’s and the importance of the timeline of their growth in capacity. Patience is surely a virtue. It is amazing that it took a whole year for these changes to really take noticeable effect, but they are undoubtedly happening.

I continue to feel physically well despite having surgery yesterday to correct an issue associated with problematic menstrual cycles that make two weeks out of each month really painful and crappy for me. My confidence in my wellness has grown exponentially from even just months ago. It grows stronger every day. Any Lyme Disease patient (or physician) will tell you that any trauma to the body (surgery, or even something tiny like getting a cold, etc.) comes with the high risk of a relapse. Even Lyme patients who get well often live their lives like they are walking on a tight rope, trying every moment not to fall. But I have made a cognizant choice not to do that.

My surgery wasn’t an absolute emergency (yet), leaving some unhappy that I “took a chance.” But I have so moved beyond the fear, which is probably one of the most radical improvements to date. I deserve to feel great all month long. I don’t have to bargain for my health anymore. There is no safety or wellness trade off. I can have both.

Screw Lyme and all the fear that made my life so heavy on top of the actual physical illness. It was never welcome in the first place; and it certainly isn’t welcome now. I kissed it goodbye, good riddance and have already told it I’d never see it again. And a very strong voice inside me is telling me, I won’t.

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Another Lyme Disease Patient's Embryonic Stem Cell Experience

amybscher — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 06:00:00 +0000

By amybscher

After a recent discussion about stem cells and Lyme Disease on LymeNet, an online Lyme community, a fellow stem cell patient who underwent therapy in India chimed in to offer his experience for other people to read.

I am posting his experience here with permission. I have had many requests for other patient stories and I thank him for being willing to do this.

This post is a bit late because I was traveling back from India when all the activity was occurring. It is also a bit long. I was the third lyme patient to receive HESCs. I received treatment in New Delhi in July and August of 2008 and January 2009. Although I was still gradually getting worse at the time that I went to New Delhi in July, I felt my lyme was fairly under control.

Background

-My lyme story is like so many others: Many doctors, not diagnosed for about 8 years, and misdiagnosed…etc.

-Symptoms resemble MS: loss of balance, strength, coordination, endurance. Lot of muscle tightness and pain.

-On Antibiotics for about 4 years

-Babesia coinfection.

-Lesions on brain and spinal cord

That should provide enough of a picture.

Results of Treatment

The results have been life changing for me. Instead of existing, I’m living. I went on my first vacation in years. I can walk into the grocery store without worrying if I will make it back out without assistance. I walk my dog.

Objective results:

-SPECT scans—originally showed 5 places where there were problems—1 is now gone and the other 4 show good improvements

-Blood results: Both white and red counts had been below normal for years—both are now in the normal range. I had macrocytic anemia for years —that was fixed also.

-CD57 increased by 60

Subjective results:

-Pain and tightness have improved 90%. I wake up in the morning mostly pain free.

-Balance has improved—I no longer have to hold on to something to walk. My feet do not cross over when I do walk. I have worked up to walking ¾ mile without any support or difficulty.

-Strength, Balance and Coordination have all greatly improved

-All has not come back yet. For example, the skin sensitivity on my legs have improved, but not all the way yet. Still have some bladder issues as well

-During my stay, I also saw other patients improve

Other

There seems to be a lot of misunderstandings about the HESC treatment in New Delhi. Dr. Shroff has treated over 600 patients since 2002—she has been at this for at least 6 years and NO negative side effects have been observed. Of course, this includes no tumor growths. She has treated all kinds of “incurable” conditions. Only one human embryo has been used. The stem cells from this one embryo could theoretically treat everyone in the world. It is also important to understand that no immunosuppressant drugs are needed. No animal “feeder” cells are used.

For me HESC has been a very effective treatment for the damage caused by lyme disease.

You can view the entire thread here: http://flash.lymenet.org/scripts/ultimatebb.cgi/topic/1/76772

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Balancing Act: Living With An Invisible Illness

amybscher — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:08:54 +0000

By amybscher

I'm writing this partly for self-sanity, partly for all the other Lyme patients brave enough to embark on this journey of healing and up against one of the most difficult challenges in their lifetime: being misunderstood.

I hear this frustration over and over again from Lyme patients. I lived it.. And even though I am now well, it is really starting to get to me….again. Let me at least say that much. I know what you are going through. I get you.

There seems to be a great disconnect between the effect of positive thinking and the detriment it can bestow. I've noticed this most when I was in India, land of Eastern philosophy and psychology. Land of "it's all in your head." And for me, ultimately and thankfully, land of “getting my life back.”

For all of you too sick and tired and frustrated to explain yourselves, I've decided to do it for you...publicly. Point people to this post when you can't repeat it yourself anymore. Tell them Amy said so, and make them listen.

Positive thinking is one of the most empowering tools that one can have. All of you who have been suffering with Chronic Lyme and who have been searching for years for a cure, have it. Or you would not be searching. For those of you in India.....you undoubtedly have harnessed that power to a great extent. It made you get on a plane for 20 plus hours, armed with faith and the positive belief that this would work for you. That this would be the end for you of a life that some days is hardly worth living.

And now you are there, away from your beloved Lyme doctor, the one who "gets you" and amongst a different culture, which is telling you something totally different. It's a culture enveloped in the belief of karma, that the mind leads and the body follows (admittedly true to a point), that if you ignore the disease....it will go away.

I know what you are all thinking....what a nice fantasy land to live in. I thought the same. I had people tell me that if I only I didn't pay attention to my pain, it would go away. And all I could think was.....so I have been wasting my money and my organs all these years on treatment and medications and far fetched remedies? And all I had to do was stop paying attention to it?! Ahh…….all of this wonderful advice, from you guessed it, perfectly healthy people.

I want to spell this out for anyone who doesn’t understand. It seems even those who see it, still don’t get it sometimes.

The Centers for Disease Control admits that more than 200,000 people may acquire Lyme disease each year (a number greater than AIDS, West Nile Virus, and Avian Flu combined).

It literally invades the body, including the central nervous system (the brain).

It robs lives.

It takes families hostage.

Lyme doctors dedicate their lives to figuring out this disease and they still can’t cure it. It’s complicated beyond measure.

This disease comes with major psychiatric implications. Psychiatric is totally different than psychological. We are talking altered brain chemistry; not anything that a good attitude and a walk can cure.

The number one reason for death with Lyme Disease is suicide. Yes, that’s right.

Unless you have it, you can never ever begin to understand it fully. Not if you are a doctor, not if you are a loving family member. Anyone who tries to tell you they know better, is disrespecting (probably subconsciously, but even still) the courage it takes to live like you are living.

Just as positive thinking and Eastern philosophy can be empowering, it can also be a weapon. It can also symbolize blame and the “you’re not good enough” bullshi*t that so often comes with it all. So, I’m here to set the record straight.

If you are sick, it’s not your fault. If you are not getting better fast enough or in the right way for others, that’s their problem, not yours. If no one is listening to you, talk louder. Scream if you have to. IT IS YOUR BODY. You know this disease and you are the best adviser for your health. In the end, if you don’t listen to yourself, you will suffer, no one else. You definitely have to have a balance of letting go, and still doing what you have to do for you; but you can find that.

This disease is real and if people tell you that you look stunningly healthy but feel like you are dying inside, that’s not okay. I never looked “sick” a day of my illness, but believe me, I would have taken it in a second for having enough energy to get out of bed, or a few hours without excruciating pain or nauseating medicine. No one would dare tell a paraplegic that they weren’t paralyzed…that if they believed they could just jump out of their chair and walk, they could. So, why is it at all ok to tell a chronically ill person with an “invisible” disease that they can cure themselves if only they try harder?

I am the first to admit that there is so much to learn from other people, other schools of thoughts, etc. And I definitely admit that being a slave to your disease "feeds" it. I also believe there is an emotional component to physical illness.

However, I honestly am and have always been a borderline annoyingly optimistic person. And even that extreme didn’t cure me of Lyme. Trust me, I tried. I look back now and can only justify it by thinking “it wasn’t my time yet.” I still had more to learn before my wellness appeared.

In fact, I struggled so much with everyone telling me that if I was perfectly positive, I’d get better; that it actually made me worse. I cried endlessly wondering if it was my fault. Was I not positive enough? If it’s so easy to change, why am I not better? Do I not deserve wellness like the healthy people lecturing me and telling me it’s so easy? I had bacteria eating me alive. It was not listening to my positive thoughts. It listened to lots and lots of antibiotics only, and still didn’t listen like I would have liked.

It caused me the most unimaginable amount of stress to be bombarded by those who thought they knew better than me how I could fix myself, even if they were only trying to help. And stress induces illness by causing a weakened immune system -- my precise problem in the first place. What kind of help was that?

So for anyone who doesn’t understand, who doesn’t have this disease -- I am pleading. It doesn’t matter if you are a doctor, a scientist, a genius or G-d himself. These people are on a major healing journey and they are hurting and aching and fighting the whole way through. Think long and hard about how you want to be a part of that journey; one that could change a life forever for the better or for the worse.

Do you want to be a cheerleader on their path, or one of the people who dug holes and watched them struggle more than they had to?

And for those suffering....rock on. You are absolutely perfect just the way you are.

(For more information on Lyme Disease and to watch a short clip of the documentary "Under Our Skin," visit: http://www.underourskin.com/watch.html)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I thought in this post, an excerpt from a post last January would be appropriate. It reminds me how very far I've come and how almost (but not quite) I can laugh about it all now:

I am immersed in eastern culture where it is believed karma plays a part in everything, the mind is undoubtedly the root of illness and if you want something bad enough, you can have it (or if you don't want something, you can wish it away). And to be fair, I believe it and embrace it to an extent beyond what I think so many would even consider. The connection between mind and the physical body are real. But, after six weeks in this spirited place, I will bluntly say…..it is not the dust, the food or the sight of poverty that eats away at me. It is getting used to a world in which I am the outsider and the majority seems to think they know what's best for me more than I do for myself. With the exception of a few beautiful souls here that have so graciously shared their own spiritual journey with me, and a couple of amazing doctors, it has been a struggle to stay grounded. It is in the unique melting pot of America that I never realized affords the absolute luxury of doing things any which way you like, if even it works only for you.

It's probably been the one thing I haven't coped with well at all in the whole course of this illness; the judgment of those that haven't walked or limped even an hour in my shoes. I'm sure they'd immediately want theirs back.

Ghandi said, "Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."

To all the people in this lovely country who have well meaning ideas of how I could be doing a better job than I am struggling with a near impossible illness while still managing to live this incredibly fulfilled and happy life, I'd like to say: Leave my sore feet, painful joints and weaker-than-you'd-like muscles alone. I'm fine with it. My body is healing at its own pace; one I'm undeniably proud of. Now, can you please get the heck out of my way? I have places to go and you are totally raining on my parade.

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The Exploding Head Scare

amybscher — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:36:36 +0000

By amybscher

A couple of days ago, I started getting a little cold....and then severe pain on the left side of my face and head. Not like a headache, but my skin was burning and it felt like someone was stabbing me with a knife. This sensation used to happen to me when I would get shingles on my face....and subsequently, because I've had them so many times, I have post neuralgia pain there. If I get sick with a cold or my body is burdened in a similar instance, the pain can return like a bad dream.

This time, it was horrendous though and along with it, came a killer headache (left side only as well). If I didn't know better, I'd think the whole left side of my head was going to explode. Nothing I tried was working.....Tylenol, hot, cold, etc.

In a desperate attempt to get rid of the pain, I took a couple of high doses of Valtrex (my shingles medication) and viola....today....I am so much better.

But this morning as I was getting dressed, I started to giggle at the absurdity of what going through what I have these past years, has done to me.

"If this happened to anyone else...." I thought. But me? What did I do?

I didn't go to the doctor.

I didn't freak out.

I still went out shopping half the day and to dinner at night...

I walked around with stabbing pain consuming almost my entire face, too painful to even blowdry my hair properly on that side of my head.....

And I didn't even think twice about if it was something serious. Like, since this was different and more painful....what if my head really was going to explode?

I know all of you reading this with Lyme Disease are laughing. Almost nothing scares us. We've been through the worst of seizures and pain attacks and lab tests that gave doctors nightmares making them wonder how we were still walking around this earth.

But what I'm thinking about now, although it sounds funny, is if the time will come where I'll be shaken out of my post chronic illness head completely? Are my body's pain signals no longer useful to my brain, for what they were originally intented? To warn me of danger. Did my pain receptors cry wolf too many times when there was nothing urgent going on....besides living 24 hours a day in agony? Could it be that I became accustomed to pain for so many years, that everything has to be re-set in a sense?

Just in the last few months, I've really realized how much a mind has to be re-programmed with a new, well body. I'm working on it, and through talking to other patients, I've realized that it's almost more amazing and empowering than getting my body back. I have finally successfully overcome thinking every little ache and pain is that yucky disease coming back. At last, I feel like I have control over my wellness....like nothing can take it from me, ever.

I continue to try to "normalize" myself and my life in so many ways I didn't expect to have to cognizantly do. But, I know, it's all part of this crazy journey. I still have a lot to learn.

I'm just so glad my head didn't really explode in the meantime. I can't wait to see what's next.

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