Medical Tourism

Recently in my own little world I joined up with a group of fellow patients and members of the medical and scientific community to talk about stem cell tourism.  It was both interesting and informative.  The debate could only go to further progress but there are a couple of points I want to make.

First, medical tourism is dangerous.  Normally when you seek medical attention in a western, developed society you can be confident that there are policies and procedures in place to safe guard patients.  When you go overseas you cannot be sure that you can be afforded the same assurances that you receive at home.  Even if you travel to another developed country you may find that the practices are a little different so you have to be on your guard.

After saying that though, if you haven't found the right answers at home looking overseas is a strong option.  You just have to be careful.  You are not going to be afforded the protections you receive at home so you have to be 100% responsible for what you undertake.  This means studying the procedure, the doctor in charge and key medical staff and the facility you are being treated in.  Even a little study into the host country and city and their culture is a good idea.

Unfortunately there are a lot of charlatans and snake oil salesmen out there who just want to peddle false hope preying on peoples desperation in order to make a fast buck.  If you don't do your homework it could be very easy to fall victim to these monsters.  It is also important to note that these underhanded tactics are not just the domain of overseas operators, they can also happen at home so practicing due diligence is important anywhere, just a little more so when you want to go overseas.  It is also important to recognise that you can also receive some of the best treatment in the most unlikely destinations.

The second point I want to make is that I really have a disliking to the name "Medical Tourism".  When I think of tourism I think of morally casual 20 something year olds tearing it up on a European Contiki tour.  Being a tourist is not something you feel like when you seek medical treatment overseas.  When I was receiving chemotherapy in North Western hospital in Chicago I guarantee you that the last word I would have used to describe myself is tourist.  Maybe we could call it international medicine?  Until next time, stay well:)

I found this very interesting.

I have always found the science of stem cells interesting.  Especially since I had a stem cell transplant.  So this article is really interesting and shows that adult stem cells can be coerced into forming different kinds of cells.  In this study they managed to get skin stem cells to form a brain type structure.  The clinical potential for this kind of research is massive.  From Parkinson's disease to brain injury the practical application could be endless.

However, this research is still completely resigned to the laboratory so it will still be many years until we see any real world benefit.  It is really important to note that if anyone is offering stem cell transplants to directly repair cells that are of a different origin to the stem cells used they are lying.  We simply do not have the technology for that kind of procedure yet.  But, I'm sure that it will happen one day.

Oh yeah, here is the article.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/mini-brain-grown-from-human-stem-cells/story-fnb64oi6-1226706332448

Stay well:)

Prophecy coming true?

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge advocate for HSCT for AIDs.  After all, I'm living proof that it works.  But in my first prophecy I did say that eventually HSCT would b superseded by a better, less invasive treatment.  I believe it is only a matter of time, and when that time comes we should embrace it and promote it.  You can read all about my first prophecy here:

http://shakesandstones.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/my-first-prophercy.html

And this next article points to research that may show that we maybe closer than I first thought.  Although that still maybe some time away.  Now I maybe a geeky little medical nerd because I really get quit excited by this, but I think it is worth getting excited about.  Have a read, the article is here.  Stay well:)

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/

My First Prophercy

Well, I am no Nostradamus but I do think that common sense does dictate that my prophecy may come true.  So I thought I'd start off with an easy one and work up from there.  It is also close to my heart as where the technology has come from so far has changed my life.  I want to write about the evolution of HSCT for autoimmune diseases.

Now I have to say that I am mildly disappointed at how far the technology has come at present but that is another post for another day.  However, it is here now and that is a great thing.  Especially for me.  So how is this a prophecy?

Well the first thing that is really important to know is that even with what we do know about the human body and medicine there is a whole lot more we don't know.  With HSCT for AIDs we basically destroy the immune system in what is quite an aggressive process in order to be able to regrow an immune system that does not have a defect.

I believe in the future we will be able to look deeper into the immune system and instead of destroying the whole immune system, just destroy the defective part.  There is two parts to this.  First, being able to identifying exactly where the defect is, and then having the right drugs and or tools to simply attack that
specific point.  The technology will eventually be good enough that there will be no need for stem cells or hospitalisations.

I believe that it is just a matter of time.  I would love to know what you think.  Until next time, stay well:)

Harvest Eve

Tomorrow will be a big day.  It is stem cell harvest time.  I am looking forward to it too.  I have taken my antibiotics and anti-fungals and thanks to mum I have had my neupogen shots everyday.  I only have two more injections left and then I'm done.

Given what I've read from other peoples experiences, some have found it really hard, with nausea, bone pain and general discomfort being par for the course.  If anything the only symptoms I have suffered are a small amount of nausea and a touch of lethargy.  As for bone pain, I may have had a few aches and pains but I have to say that it was probably all in my mind as I really feel that if no one had told me about the side effect I wouldn't have felt anything.

So bring on tomorrow.  I need to be at interventional radiology tomorrow bright and early at 7.30am.  There they will insert a temporary catheter line into my subclavical artery.  Once that is done I make my way to the blood centre to be hooked up to the apheresis machine.  Here, I will have my stem cells harvested.

They are going for at least 2 million stem cells which shouldn't be a problem as most people get way over that amount harvested and my blood tests have looked pretty good.  Well, I've got an early start in the morning so I should get some sleep.  So goodnight and stay well:)

The Stem Cell Debate

If you asked me about my opinion on stem cells six months ago I would have given you a luke warm politically correct answer that would have hinted on my thoughts, but would have done so in a way that would certainly not have stimulated a firey debate.  Why?  Because I really did not prioritise it as one of my most important issues.

However, since stem cells have become a hot topic for me personally, the issue has stepped up in my view.  Now the hot topic that everyone is talking about is embryonic stem cell research.  Just to clarify, the procedure I am having is an adult autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant.  Hematopoietic meaning from the blood, adult meaning from an adult donor and autologous meaning donating to myself.  The reason I tell you this is so you know that I do not stand to benefit directly from an embryonic stem cell transplant.

I'll start by making two statements.  First, incase you haven't guessed, I am an supporter of embryonic stem cell research.  Second, I really hope to get your opinions on the subject, especially if you are anti embryonic stem cell research, because it is only through debate that we can move forward with the issue.

As always, this post is becoming much larger than I suspected so I am just going to give you one argument.  Is the source of an embryonic stem cell part of a life form?  There are many definitions of life, from the theological to the biological.  Depending on what you believe will influence on your definition.

Embryonic stem cells are extracted from blastocysts which is a structure formed in the early stages of embryogenesis. The blastocysts we would use are formed in vitro (outside of the womb) and therefore cannot grow into a foetus in their current environment.  As the cells involved are yet to grow into their final tissue, there is no brain or nerves.  Therefore they cannot think or feel.  So they are not life, just the potential to be life.

Every ovum is the the potential be life, so is every sperm.  Does that mean that every unused sperm and ovum is destruction of life?  I guess it all comes down to where you draw the line of where life begins.  For me, it is when one can think or feel.

As I stated earlier,  I will welcome your arguments on both sides of the debate.  All I ask is that you keep it civil.  Until next time, stay well:)