Forum Replies Created

  • skip-shaputnic

    Member
    February 25, 2023 at 8:25 pm in reply to: How Often Do You See Your Neurologist?

    Good discussion. I’m fortunate to receive care through a Center of Excellence at the University of CA San Diego Health, which is close to where I live, and see my movement disorder neuro every 7 months or so. It’s worked out well, especially when she tells me towards the end of our appts that I’m doing really well and that progression remains mostly flat. Of course, I am dealing with some symptoms but they’re mostly manageable. After 10 years since tremor symptoms appeared on one side I’m stoked to feel good most of the time and to be able to live a full and happy life. I’m also extremely grateful for some of the best care available.

    Like Bruce, I’m super motivated to stay as active as possible and for as long as possible. My PCP sometimes reminds me of my age (73)and tells me to try to be a gentle athlete! Is there such a thing?! Well, I am an aging athlete for sure. Bruce, I took a look at your short bio and felt like some of your words were taken out of my mouth. Likewise, I feel very grateful for what I can still do–especially mountain biking, although I don’t bomb down the hills anymore like I used to. Doesn’t matter. Just to be able to get out and breathe some fresh air en route to the ocean and biking through a coastal canyon en route is about as good as I could ask for. Yes, every day, every outing, is a gift and a blessing indeed.

    I’ve been active my whole life and exercise almost as much now after diagnosis as I did pre-diagnosis. I’m more than convinced that doing so pays dividends, especially in slowing disease progression. Exercise is medicine.

  • skip-shaputnic

    Member
    June 4, 2021 at 9:09 am in reply to: Rytary

    Beth and others who need funding assistance for Rytary (like myself),

    There are patient financial assistance programs out there that are funded by donations. Take a look at this resource from the Davis Phinney foundation https://davisphinneyfoundation.org/reduce-cost-parkinsons-medications/ Scroll down to “Patient Assistance for Specific Drugs” Then click on Rytary and follow the application instructions. You may qualify for this medicine at no cost.

  • skip-shaputnic

    Member
    March 23, 2021 at 8:53 pm in reply to: Dyskinesia, jerky movements in sleep

    Likewise, for many years before my diagnosis I would occasionally have strong bodily jerks involving legs or arms when drifting off to sleep–like a final surge of electrical release that my body needed in order to settle down or something. Then I could regroup and get to sleep without further incidence. These episodes would happen only every few months.

    But, after diagnosis (5 years now, but almost 9 years since initial tremor symptoms began) these pre-slumber jerks have stopped. Also, acting out while dreaming has been eliminated by increasing melatonin dosage from 5 mg to 10mg, under the supervision of my neurologist.

  • skip-shaputnic

    Member
    October 29, 2020 at 6:04 pm in reply to: Parkinon's impact on sleep and dreaming

    Good topic that has resonated with several forum participants, including me. Thanks to all for chiming in.

    I have had a few bouts of acting-out while dreaming as well after being diagnosed with PD, including one vivid dream involving vigorous leg kicking to ward off a pack of dogs that were trying to attack me.  At the beginning of 2020 I relayed this episode to my neurologist who suggested increasing melatonin dosage to 10 mg at bedtime. I take a time-release formula and it has completely turned this problem around–no more acting out while sleeping and vivid dreams have decreased substantially.

    If RBD is a concern I’d urge discussing it at your next neurologist appointment. I also take 75 mg of Trazodone which helps induce sleep (and has virtually no side-effects the next morning). That is until my overactive bladder lets me know it’s time to get up, which unfortunately can be several times a night despite limiting fluid intake in the evenings. I’ll be seeing a neurologic urologist next month at UC San Diego for a more comprehensive approach to this problem, as I had first been prescribed Mirabegron and then Trospium for OAB symptoms for 1-1/2 years with virtually no improvement (and Mirabegron was very pricey even with obtaining it at lower cost Canadia pharmacies). I’m hoping that an effective treatment will be in store that decreases frequency issues and thereby restores better rest, as trying to function with broken sleep is becoming a big problem.

    But, I can definitely vouch for larger doses of melatonin. At least, it works for me.

     

  • skip-shaputnic

    Member
    August 31, 2020 at 1:50 pm in reply to: Do you have any questions about mannitol?

    Will the Instagram Live content be available for viewing after the live event?

  • skip-shaputnic

    Member
    August 28, 2020 at 4:36 pm in reply to: Did you use Round Up Weed Killer?

    With mounting evidence of the exposure to harmful chemicals that are ubiquitous in our environment and the risk of developing neurological disorders later in life, there is little doubt to me that a strong connection exists. Please see my post of Monday “New Forum topic—Toxins’ Insidious Effects on the Brain” https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/forums/forums/topic/new-forum-topic-toxins-insidious-effects-on-the-brain-8-24-20/

    In it, there’s an action opportunity from the Michael J. Fox foundation urging Congress to ban many of these toxins–mainly paraquat.

    Joel, I like your more fitting title of the EPA (I refer to it as the Environmental Pollution Agency). It’s no coincidence that a proposed EPA ban on paraquat was postponed indefinitely 3 years ago under this current administration. You’re right about the EPA kow-towing to campaign contributions. This also has to stop.

    Paraquat, along with many other toxins, has no place in our environment. Continual use is gravely detrimental to our collective health and must be halted. Please consider taking action!

     

    New Forum topic—Toxins’ Insidious Effects on the Brain 8-24-20  

  • skip-shaputnic

    Member
    August 19, 2020 at 2:37 pm in reply to: New documentary about patient’s experience with mannitol

    Here’s the skinny on the CBD oral emulsion that I’ve been using–it’s called Randy’s Remedy and is available at Randy’s Club https://randysclub.com/pages/randysremedy Scroll down to Randy’s Remedy Daily. Products can be purchased one-time or ongoing by subscription (with a discount). It’s basically a family business run by long-time friends who also live in San Diego county. They ship directly to your door in all 50 states. For the record, I have no financial interest in Randy’s Club or G. Randall and Sons.

    As with most things, there’s a bit of a story with how Randy’s Remedy came about. Randy was a friend of mine who died of gliobastoma multiforme brain cancer 10 years ago. He was well-liked, athletic and fun to hang with. Lots of good times, good memories. We were the same age and the news of his passing hit me hard. His surviving wife and two sons wished the CBD products that they now feature were available then. After Randy’s death they pursued developing products that they knew would be beneficial in treating cancer and this lead to forming Randy’s Club. Btw, I am also a prostate cancer survivor and have used their CBD/THC 50/50 emulsion blend several years ago with some success, but eventually needed conventional treatment, which was successful. If you do decide to try CBD my advice would be to start with low dosing. If that goes well, then gradually increase it until you find the optimal amount that addresses your symptoms. I’ll tell them that you might be in touch. I hope it works for you.

    To finish my comments about levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID), Parkinson’s News Today shed more light on it in a 4-21-20 feature “Clinical Model Predicts Risk of Levodopa-induced Dyskinesia in Parkinson’s” https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2020/04/21/clinical-model-predicts-risk-of-levodopa-induced-dyskinesia-in-parkinsons/ It reported that more than half of patients develop LID within the first five years of levodopa initiation. It went on to say that those without dyskinesia were older at disease onset, older at evaluation, had shorter disease duration, had been taking levodopa at <u>lower</u> doses and had experienced tremor as their first PD symptom. Patients with tremor as their initial motor symptom were about 70% less likely to develop dyskinesia compared to those with other motor symptoms at disease onset. Personally, I feel blessed that I meet these criteria and have tremor-dominant PD, although little did I ever imagine I would be writing someday about being grateful for “just” having PD tremors.

    Oops. Got my “wiggle room” facts wrong in my previous post. If levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) develops it is usually treated with <u>lower</u> dosages of levodopa, not by increasing it as I mistakenly stated–sorry for any confusion. But, higher cumulative levodopa dosing is a recognized risk factor in developing LID. One of the benefits of this Forum is it provides opportunities to learn more about what we’re dealing with through the experiences of others and to offer insights from our experiences in order to help others. If you see something I post that is inaccurate please call me out on it so we’ll all have better, more factual, understandings.

    I also have volunteered for Parkinson’s panel testing that evaluated the seven most common genes associated with PD: LRRK2, GBA, SNCA, VPS35, PRKN, PINK1 and PARK7(DJ1). Testing looked for changes in genetic make-up. Whether it’s due to good genes or just good luck, I don’t know, but my results were negative, or normal. This means that testing did not detect disease-causing variants that contribute to developing PD, so I have zero variants of the tested genes associated with increased risk. Genetic testing is not perfect and does not test for all possible variants. Still, the question remains—what actually did cause me to contract PD, then?

     

     

     

  • skip-shaputnic

    Member
    August 15, 2020 at 3:29 pm in reply to: New documentary about patient’s experience with mannitol

    Jean,

    I’m happy to respond, but to answer your question about where I obtain my CBD I’d need to supply product information, which might violate posting terms b/c it could be interpreted as an advertisement. Would it be better to send you a private message with product particulars or do you think it’s OK to post it publicly on the forum?

    In general, though, the CBD emulsion that I use consists of water, organic vegetable glycerin, a proprietary blend of fragrant essential oils, botanical hemp oil, vitamin E, plant-derived cellulose, and non-GMO sunflower lecithin. A one ounce bottle contains 300 mg of naturally occurring CBD from hemp and is not psychoactive as it contains less than three-tenths of one percent (0.3%) THC. Each bottle comes with a dropper and I use one full dropper about 3 times a day, and sometimes at night if I can’t sleep as it has a calming, relaxing effect.  Best I can tell is one dropper-full is about 10 to 15 mg per dose.

    We’ve had a previous discussion about CBD where I mentioned that after doing some research a few years ago I was motivated to see if it may provide some symptomatic relief–see the Molecular Neurodegeneration report published in April 2015 about the role of cannabinoids with PD “Promising Cannabinoid-based Therapies for Parkinson’s Disease: Motor Symptoms to Neuroprotection” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4404240/

    In the Abstract it’s stated that cannabinoids, of which cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabis component, possesses efficacy against bradykinesia and levodopa-induced dyskinesia. It found that chronic use of levodopa “is coupled with the development of motor complications such as levodopa-induced dyskinesia, which affects 30 to 35% of patients after just 24 months of levodopa exposure.” I’m going on 3 years since Sinemet initiation, and now Rytary, so this is a concern although when switching to Rytary in January I tried going with the lowest dose to hopefully prolong levodopa’s efficacy and to provide some “wiggle room” in case I need to increase levodopa dosing in the future if levodopa-induced dyskinesia does develop. So far, so good.

    This cannabis research goes on to say that “cannabinoids are one such interesting class of agents that not only have demonstrated neuroprotective ability, but also have…potential to alleviate motor symptoms observed in Parkinson’s.”

    So, with this info I decided to give it a try in June of 2018. Within days I felt better, healthier. Although my goal of incorporating it was mostly to see if it was effective in controlling certain motor symptoms, especially tremor, without pharmaceuticals I experienced marked improvement elsewhere, particularly having to do with swallowing issues. This I did not anticipate, but it was very welcomed. I still “cough & clear” but not nearly as much and swallowing difficulties considerably improved. Eating nuts and tortilla chips, two of my faves, wasn’t nearly as much of a swallowing challenge as it was pre-CBD. There was also considerable reduction in the quantity of phlegm produced. Pre-CBD I had to carry a spittoon around the house with me, but with CBD it was no longer needed. I’m happy to say that this experiment has increased my confidence knowing that I am better able to live successfully with PD.

    These improvements are no small deal–according to the Parkinson’s Foundation dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) can lead to malnutrition, dehydration and aspiration (when food or liquid “goes down the wrong pipe”). Aspiration, which can be silent, as a person does not cough or choke, can lead to aspiration pneumonia and is <u>the leading cause of death in Parkinson’s.</u>

    Based on my experiences and ample anecdotal accounts elsewhere, I firmly believe that CBD is a bonafide emerging medicine and am happy to see it being employed across a wide spectrum of health issues, and especially for the well-being of those of us dealing with Parkinson’s. But, I make no claims or guarantees that CBD will work for everyone—this has just been my personal experience so far and for which I remain extremely grateful. I also find great satisfaction in sharing my experience with others.

    So, LMK how to best get product particulars to you. Also, as an avid bicyclist, I read of your unfortunate accident biking several weeks ago when you broke your elbow in a crash. I hope that your injury has healed, or that you’re still on the mend and recover fully. Maybe you’ll feel more confident in getting in the saddle again sometime. Since I recall the crash was caused by your foot freezing and being unable to unclip from the pedal in time before losing balance, the only thing I can’t think of is to go back to the old-fashioned non-clip, non-cage type pedals if you decide to ride again.

    It just occurred to me that CBD is off-topic in this thread. To tie this into mannitol content I read Wikipedia’s discussion about it and thought that you and others might be interested in taking a look https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mannitol All in all we’re living in an exciting time of extensive PD research (which are bound to eventually bear fruit!) which provides me with a strong sense of optimism for what the future may hold. I hope that effective treatments will soon be coming down the pipeline. This also helps me to live as well as possible with PD today.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • skip-shaputnic

    Member
    August 10, 2020 at 2:04 pm in reply to: New documentary about patient’s experience with mannitol

    Hi Ally,

    Thanks for posting this. I also read with interest another related Parkinson’s News Today article “The Science Behind Mannitol: How a Simple Sweetener May Help Parkinson’s Patients” https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2020/07/29/the-science-behind-mannitol-how-a-simple-sweetener-may-help-parkinsons-patients/ Only had time to mention this update with my MDC neurologist last week and she advised holding off b/c I’m already “self-enrolled” in my own non-clinical trial of Bacillus subtilis probiotics since January (which I’ve been meaning to share with forum members) and she didn’t want me experimenting with too many different things at the same time. The probiotics research is very promising–here’s some skinny:

    Parkinson’sUK January report on their research about Bacillus subtilis probiotic in protecting against Alpha-Synuclein protein aggregations in the brain. Their short article “Gut Bacteria Could Guard Against Parkinson’s” http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/news/gut-bacteria-could-guard-against-parkinsons ScienceDirect.com also features a much more comprehensive report http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124719317437 “Probiotic Bacillus subtilis Protects Against Alpha-Synuclein Aggregation in C. elegans.” This finding was also reported by Parkinson’s News Today Daily Digest dated 1-17-20.

    The application of Bacillus subtilis, as described in these reports, in stopping or even reversing the build-up of the toxic alpha-synuclein protein clumps, a hallmark of PD, sounds promising, to say the least.

    My MDC nurse practitioner told me in March that Bacillus subtilis doesn’t cross the blood-brain barrier  and implied that it therefore may not be of much benefit. I contacted Parkinson’sUK shortly after seeing her to relay this concern and received this reply, which makes sense to me:

    “The theory of probiotics, is to boost ‘good’ bacteria in the gut and there is increasing   evidence that the gut may play a role in Parkinson’s. For instance, some researchers think that toxic alpha-synuclein may originate in the gut and travel to the brain. So, the theory is by boosting gut health researchers may be able to improve symptoms of Parkinson’s or even slow the progression of the condition. To do this, the probiotic needs to reach the gut and not the brain.”

    Again, to me the application of Bacillus subtilis as described in these reports, in stopping or even reversing the build-up of these protein clumps in PD does sound very promising. So much so, I began my own “personal trial” with it on 1-24-20 starting with one 500 mg tab/day using the same OTC brand that that was used in their UK study. That was well tolerated and, after a week I increased to two 500 mg tab/day morning and evening, and have stayed with this dosage since then. Maybe it won’t prove to be of much benefit as I have noticed little change with symptoms so far, but I feel like I’m doing something proactive to possibly help. But, at the least, I may get a healthier gut!

    In addition, I added a daily oral CBD emulsion 2 years ago, which has vastly improved with swallowing and coughing issues (to the point of no longer needing to do the tongue strengthening exercises my speech pathologist gave me, and results were realized within days).

    But, I digress. Please keep me posted with Mannitol developments as I’m very interested. Btw, if anybody wants to chime in with their experiences with probiotics or cannabis, or whatever they’ve come across,  please jump in.

    Oh yes, one more tidbit of super encouraging news:

    <u>UCSD School of Medicine</u>  (University of California San Diego) released an exciting report on astrocyte-to-neuron conversion in PD on 6-24-20 titled One-Time Treatment Generates New Neurons, Eliminates Parkinson’s Disease in Mice https://health.ucsd.edu/news/releases/Pages/2020-06-24-One-Time-Treatment-Generates-New-Neurons-Eliminates-Parkinsons-Disease-in-Mice.aspx

    In treated mice, non-neuronal brain cells, astrocytes, were converted to neurons by inhibiting just a single gene, the gene that encodes PTB, the polypyrimidine tract-binding protein. I am very interested in following developments of this research because it is potentially ground-breaking and is being conducted locally. This development is right up there with Summit for Stem Cell https://www.summitforstemcell.org/ another local research project.

    All the news that fits for now

    Best wishes to all to enjoy long and happy lives and to live as well as possible with PD today.

    Skip Shaputnic

    San Diego, CA

  • skip-shaputnic

    Member
    April 1, 2020 at 11:00 am in reply to: Were you an athlete before diagnosis?

    Hi Ann Marie,

    Although I like to theorize that lifelong commitment to exercise may delay disease onset, in my case until my early 60s, it may be more of a hunch than reality. But, since exercise is beneficial (read: vital) for PD it makes sense. If you have to deal with PD at least developing it later in life is much better than earlier onset. All I know is maintaining an active lifestyle has, and continues, to pay dividends in so many ways–mostly helping me to feel good, fit and healthy (despite having PD!). I feel about as energetic as I ever have. My neuro told me a couple of years ago that carbidopa-levodopa does not improve balance issues, but exercise certainly does. That’s reason enough to maintain a regular exercise regime and it’s probably more important now than ever. I feel blessed to be able to continue riding, that’s for sure.

    Whether vigorous exercise can replace Sinemet to minimize motor symptoms is unknown to me. I’d say it’s possible but it would be on an individual level and the severity of symptoms, as well as one’s ability to tolerate symptoms. For me, symptoms started about 8 years ago with left foot tremors. The tremors stopped when in bed and were more of an annoyance than a real problem so I didn’t seek medical help, thinking I had an essential tremor or something.

    That changed 3 years ago when tremors spread to lower left arm and hand and did NOT subside at night. It became a 24/7 reality. As any of us can attest, it’s very difficult to sleep while part of the anatomy is moving. It became apparent to me, and in a hurry, that I needed medical attention. Sinemet was subsequently prescribed and I was immensely grateful as it provided much-needed tremor relief. Uninterrupted sleep was possible again, and I have not been bothered by tremors since.

    However, in late February I changed from Sinemet to Rytary  ER (3-36.25 mg-145 mg 3 times a day dosed 5 hours apart). The dosage was based on the equivalent amount of Sinemet that I was taking, but due to Rytary’s granule formulation (consisting of both instant and extended-release levodopa) about two-thirds of the levodopa is lost in the bowels and does not get absorbed, so although Rytary’s dose looked higher than Sinemet’s, with the conversion it is about the same. In short, dosing modifications are common during this transition to get it right as it’s not an exact science.

    However, after a week of 3 Rytary caps per dose, I decided to try taking only 2 caps per dose instead. The lower amount still provided an effective dose and I’ve noticed only a slight increase in stiffness but no increased slowness, although slowness was not previously present. I’m a big fan of using the lowest effective medication dosing.

    My new theory is by taking less levodopa now may provide some wiggle room when (if) levodopa-induced dyskinesia happens later on. It’s my understanding that levodopa dosing is usually increased with the onset of levodopa-induced dyskinesia, so if that happens I may not need as much levodopa increase in the future. I might add that I also added an oral CBD emulsion almost 2 years ago that has helped with other symptoms (primarily swallowing difficulties) and it may be helpful with motor symptoms resulting in the need for less levodopa, but that’s another story.

    Hope this helps. You’ll know when to start carbidopa-levodopa, but in the meantime keep on riding–may there be more Parkinson folks on spokes! Btw, with many thanks to the Davis Phinney Foundation for PD, I discovered Patient Assistance Programs that help people in need to afford their meds, and Rytary is very expensive. Check it out! https://www.davisphinneyfoundation.org/blog/reduce-cost-parkinsons-medications/?utm_source=Davis+Phinney+Foundation+Newsletter&utm_campaign=b77d9f9610-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_03_10_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d7445ab902-b77d9f9610-181775425 There’s a bit of leg work required but it may be well worth it.

    Good luck,

    Skip

     

     

     

     

  • skip-shaputnic

    Member
    December 17, 2019 at 8:35 pm in reply to: Were you an athlete before diagnosis?

    I’d like to think I’m still a bit of an athlete, or at least a committed exercise fiend, though I don’t quite have the ‘go for it’ attitude that I once did when younger. My primary care physician delights in reviewing the results of my annual physical exams as the numbers remain very good, so I’ve at least got that going for me.

    Going on 8 years since tremor symptoms started I’m happy to report continued stabilization and little, if any, disease progression (my neurologist told me during September’s appointment that progression appears to be flat). My take on this is that it is at least partially due to my lifelong devotion to exercise as it appears to be a key factor for a favorable prognosis (I sure hope so!). I’m still getting several hours of cardio each week, which is even more important now, and overall feel much healthier than not despite living with PD and another chronic condition. I feel blessed that I can keep on keeping on with my favorite activity—mountain biking—and hope that I can continue riding with confidence for many years to come and avoid what I call ‘premature dismounts’ though I don’t bomb down the hills like I used to. I believe that my lifelong commitment to exercise may have actually delayed disease onset until my early 60s.

  • skip-shaputnic

    Member
    December 14, 2019 at 7:05 pm in reply to: Steam Cells Thereby

    Good news. Some more insight into Summit for Stem Cell PD therapy. Yesterday’s San Diego Union-Tribune featured this timely article “Aspen Neuroscience gets funding to pursue personalized cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease”

    https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/biotech/story/2019-12-13/aspen-neuroscience-raises-funds-to-pursue-personalized-cell-therapy-for-parkinsons-disease

  • skip-shaputnic

    Member
    December 10, 2019 at 8:32 pm in reply to: Steam Cells Thereby

    Good observations. An important aspect of this therapy is that no stem cells are injected into patients. Instead, stem cells are a step in the pathway to obtain dopamine-producing neurons. These neurons are then transplanted into the patient.  My understanding is these neurons are injected into the brain. Per Summit’s literature, the new dopamine neurons will be used to reverse the progressive symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, but I’m not sure exactly which symptoms are addressed. Summit’s president told me that after treatment the patient no longer needs to take carbidopa/levodopa, which helps with motor symptoms, so I suspect those symptoms would be alleviated with stem cell therapy. Yes, in the big picture since this therapy doesn’t completely address underlying disease pathology I’d think that disease progression would probably continue but overall QoL would be vastly improved.

  • skip-shaputnic

    Member
    December 10, 2019 at 4:57 pm in reply to: Steam Cells Thereby

    Thanks for the relevant stem cell article links, Jean.

    A scientific stem cell therapy trial is being carried out utilizing autologous  (meaning cells obtained from the same individual) dopamine neuron replacement therapy at Aspen Neurosciene, Inc. labs of Summit for Stem Cell https://www.summitforstemcell.org in La Jolla, CA

    Their approach involves the use of non-embryonic patient-specific neurons that replace lost and destroyed dopamine-producing neurons due to Parkinson’s. These induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are patient-derived, so the stem cells and the dopamine-producing neurons made from them exactly match each of the patients and there would be no need to take immune system suppressing drugs to prevent rejection of the transplanted cells. Summit is very close to obtaining FDA approval and initial clinical trials will then follow.

    I toured their labs last year and came away very impressed by their dedication and professionalism. I shared my impressions with my UCSD movement disorder neurologist who acknowledged that their trial is a  legitimate stem cell therapy. He advised me, however, that current stem cell therapies do not address the pathology underlying PD–the presence of Lewy body proteins which are a hallmark of the disease. That is, the newly created stem cell neurons would still be subject to the formation of Lewy body protein accumulations. I ran this by Summit’s Chief Scientific Officer who agreed but noted that it takes a long time (perhaps 10 to 20 years) for the new infant cells to develop these Alpha-Synuclein proteins that are linked to PD and dementia with Lewy bodies, and the procedure could be repeated if necessary in the future.

    I plan to monitor this promising treatment closely as well as try to keep abreast of other emerging treatments that are coming down the pipeline. I’m 70 and if no other cures emerge by the time stem cell clinical trials ensue think this therapy, although it is not a complete “cure,” might still be worthwhile as I’d be pushing 90, if I live that long, by the time a second procedure might be needed.