life, love,art. heart failure and assorted ramblings

life, love,art. heart failure and assorted ramblings

Don't Talk Like That...

I write to find out what my heart thinks....
I am here to celebrate my life, to uncover my fears, to hold on to love, to grieve my losses, to laugh long and hard, and to learn how to live a full magnificent life with heart failure. I am honoring my creativity, and exploring all of my emotions out loud ...before anyone can say....."Don't talk like that!"


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Monday, February 1, 2010

Cardiac Stem Cell Clinical Trial

Cardiac Stem cell research is a new study to see if adult stem cells from bone marrow can help and a heart regenerate damaged muscle tissue I have explored alternative treatments for my situation and have agressively applied to participate in cardiac stem cell trials all over the country. I really like that it is my body that would be healing my body! I had been accepted at John Hopkins in MD, but at the last minute they opted out thinking the travel back and forth may be too difficult. I have also been turned down by a lot of other stem cell studies, unable to meet study criteria for one reason or another.

A few weeks ago I was tickled that Shands (University of Florida) responded to my application to be included in their stem cell study. I drove up last Friday(1-29-10) to Gainesville with my best long time friend Terry and met with some really wonderful nurses and doctors for the initial stages of the clinical trial. Based on the films from my previous heart catheter, the Shands doctors are thinking there is a chance I might now be a candidate for surgery. I cannot be a part of this study unless there are absolutely no other viable options.

I am now working on scheduling another heart catheter to assess the actual make up of the damage (maybe I have some cool heart healing on my own) and then we will go from there! It will either be on with the stem cell clinical trial or another shot at heart surgery.

Will let you know, what I know, when I know it

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for sharing Cheryl. I have a healing meditation from Louise Hay that I'll bring Friday. If anyone can heal their own heart, it would be you!

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