I'M STILL ME BUT I HAVE LEARNED TO ADAPT TO THE NEW JUDI

My name is Judi Lecoq. Multiple Sclerosis is my little companion, unwanted but it will not go away. I want to tell my story, I am compelled to tell my story. And this is why, when Stan so kindly invited me to write a column for www.MSnewsChannel.com I agreed.

I used to walk normally, even run. I used to play guitar quite well. I used to wear high heels. I used to run a business.

In 1997, after a bad fall, an MRI revealed a lesion on my spinal cord. A spinal tap was recommended to name this thing called Multiple Sclerosis. Guess what? I was relieved to finally know why I was always fatigued and terribly uncoordinated. Oh, let’s not forget the really embarrassing stuff which had been going on for 20+ years. So when the Doctor said “You have Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis”, I said “YAY….what, WHAT?”

MY STEM CELL STORY: Update January 2014

Oh boy, have I taken way too long to get back and share my Stem Cell Story. So here I am, ready to continue! It was June 2013. I was the recipient of 5 Stem Cell Treatments at this point. To recap, I had repairs to old damage in 3 out of 5 of the treatments.

Each time I had a treatment, my immune system was ‘modified’ for a period of up to 9 months, and during this period, the disease could not progress. As for that period of time, stress and getting sick could shorten that magical time. I had one such period and I learned that stress management was key. Life can throw out some really tough stuff emotionally and the challenge is not allowing the stress to rule the roost. I had to come to peace with things. It was hard.

I am going to insert a little something here that I have never shared publicly. Now I think I need to do it. I need to do it for all of us suffering from chronic illness. I went back for my 5th treatment. My husband, Philippe was with me…yay! The Doctors were stunned at my walking…it had worsened since my last treatment. Yes, there had been other internal repairs and my legs were still strong enough to stand for a while, but what the heck was this? We had a serious talk, these awesome Doctors and Philippe and I. We narrowed it down to one thing….stress. I had been crying a lot and letting stress eat me up. I internalized our entire conversation. It changed me completely. I had no idea how much I could be physically damaged from emotional pain. There you are….now there are no more secrets!
So let’s go back to Stem Cells, shall we?

Before I started my Stem Cell Journey, I had become incredibly weak, debilitating fatigue was my constant companion and I could not stand up for longer than a minute. I had ordered a scooter as my first step to a wheelchair and both of these were very hard to swallow. I want to recap the gains that I have seen from my 5 Stem Cell Treatments. But before I do that, I want to say that changes are usually subtle and they can sneak up on you without a sound. And also, that for me, this is a therapy….a therapy that can, 65% of the time, make repairs to old damage…a therapy that can hold back progression if I can manage my stress and do all my voodoo to keep from getting sick. (I do a lot of natural medicine stuff)

Okay, the gains! Now, 3.5 years later, I can stand on my legs for a long time. I can cook again, that takes standing. I can wait in a line. The scooter was never realized…not in this house, not in this life. Somewhere in there, the wax paper affect on my eyes cleared up. It was one of those subtle things…I cannot tell you which treatment did it. The internal stuff, the everyday stuff that can be sooo embarrassing, well that is fixed. No, let me rephrase that. The bladder was fixed after treatment 1, however it is not 100%, 85% at the moment. I know that somewhere in there, stress played some havoc until I learned to manage it better. But the other issue, the BM issue, that is fixed…from a 10 day cycle to a 1 day cycle! I know it is the least visible, but I think this issue is the most important, life prolonging issue.

And the story will continue………….

MY EYESIGHT IS CRYSTAL CLEAR AFTER 3 STEM CELL TREATMENTS!

Here I am again! Are you ready for my 7th Column? Well, I took a little trip up to Northern Virginia to see my sister, she tempted me with a ticket to a Michael Buble concert and I could not resist. So I am back and ready to share.

First, after 3 Adult Stem Cell Treatments, I want to share my observations about Stem Cells and Multiple Sclerosis.

I have come to understand so much, what Stem Cells can do, what they cannot do, yet. I have had 3 treatments and have had solid repair to old  damage in 2 of them. This fits perfectly with the understood success rate of Stem Cells and MS.

 As far as modification to the immune system, things like fatigue, weakness, tingling, numbness, cog fog etc…I usually get about 8-9 months of relief...

HERE'S MY MS NEWS CHANNEL STEM CELL DIARY #5

I've written 6 Columns on MSnewsChannel.com

In my last Column, I was talking about how life had thrown out a curveball and my new Stem Cells had been severely tested.  So I really needed this next round of Stem Cells, boy did I ever.  My new appointment for Stem Cell Treatment 3 was scheduled for December 5, 2011. I decided to go for the 2 week treatment by myself. 

I arranged to have my driver take me directly to my favorite grocery store, El Rey (the King) straight from the airport.  I like to cook in my condo instead of going out for meals.  It is also shocking how those meals out can add up to mucho dinero.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to go out, but this was not a vaca and was already costing me plenty.  But, hey, THIS IS MY LIFE and I want to LIVE it!  I still planned to have a few meals with other patients.

So, because this was my 3rd treatment, I would have to have another mini lipo this time to extract a small amount of fat….under a pound (dangit).  Pretty much what happens is that one lipo will usually give enough Adipose Fat Stem Cells for 2 treatments.  It doesn’t happen every time, but almost.  On Monday, the 5th I had my blood draw, for testing and for the plasma that my Stem Cells would be delivered in.  On Tuesday, I had the lipo and on Wednesday, I was immediately going to physical therapy!  Here is a little video I made on Wednesday morning.  Out of it much?  Maybe just a little..haha.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH MY VIDEO

MY COLUMN TODAY IS ABOUT MY STEM CELL TREATMENT #3

I've written 5 Columns for you. Click my photo on far left side of this Home Page to read them all after you read today's Column: MY MS NEWS CHANNEL STEM CELL DIARY #5

In my last Column, I was talking about how life had thrown out a curveball and my new Stem Cells had been severely tested.  So I really needed this next round of Stem Cells, boy did I ever.  My new appointment for Stem Cell Treatment 3 was scheduled for December 5, 2011. I decided to go for the 2 week treatment by myself. 

I arranged to have my driver take me directly to my favorite grocery store, El Rey (the King) straight from the airport.  I like to cook in my condo instead of going out for meals.  It is also shocking how those meals out can add up to mucho dinero.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to go out, but this was not a vaca and was already costing me plenty.  But, hey, THIS IS MY LIFE and I want to LIVE it!  I still planned to have a few meals with other patients.

So, because this was my 3rd treatment, I would have to have another mini lipo this time to extract a small amount of fat….under a pound (dangit).  Pretty much what happens is that one lipo will usually give enough Adipose Fat Stem Cells for 2 treatments.  It doesn’t happen every time, but almost.  On Monday, the 5th I had my blood draw, for testing and for the plasma that my Stem Cells would be delivered in.  On Tuesday, I had the lipo and on Wednesday, I was immediately going to physical therapy!  Here is a little video I made on Wednesday morning.  Out of it much?  Maybe just a little..haha.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH MY VIDEO

HERE'S MY VIDEO & 4TH INSTALLMENT OF MY STEM CELL JOURNEY

Hi Everyone

We are back for the 4th installment of my Stem Cell Journey for Multiple Sclerosis.  So if you have read my previous columns (and I hope you have), you understand by now that Stem Cells are not a cure.  Understanding that the immune system modification period can last up to 9 months, sometimes less, a re-boot is good.  In other words for me, I try to keep that immune system modified as much as possible to keep the disease from moving.  This is where I chose to spend my medical dollars, since I do not use any disease modifying drugs or allopathic medicines at all.  I use all natural stuff, supplements and I have a Homeopathic MD who has my Homeopathic medicine sent to me from a Homeopathic Pharmacy.  Frankly, besides my Stem Cell Treatments, my medical bills are nothing compared to what some of my MS brothers and sisters are spending.

So I want to stress that I was diagnosed with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis in 1997, but I
know that I was blessed with this little bugger for much longer.  I can even look back and see all the signs when I was in elementary school.  I saw sooo many Doctors who could never name this thing.  When my children were little, I felt very sad that I could not bear to be out in the sun with them for very long, that throwing the ball was hard, that anything outside of my air conditioned Texas home was hard and that I needed to take longer naps than my 2

THIS COLUMN IS ON MY ADULT STEM CELL TREATMENT & A VIDEO

(Judi Lecoq, Columnist, MS News Channel)

In week 2 of my column I told you about my first Adult Stem Cell Treatment and some of the amazing things that were happening during treatment. Leaving Panama after that first experience, I felt so much anticipation about what the future was going to bring me. I had a slow start at home because I came down with the flu, but after I got past that, I got my first surprise. I went grocery shopping at
Super Target and I walked in the store for 1.5 hours. Usually, after several minutes my legs would begin to shake and get very weak and at that point I had to sit down.

MY STEM CELL JOURNEY! (Part 2)

 Last week I told you about my arrival in Panama for a Stem Cell Treatment for secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Notice that I did not capitalize one word of my little companion; I guess I just don’t have much respect for this pest.

June 14th, 2010...the official start of this amazing Stem Cell Journey, and the day that Dr. Fernandez came to where I was staying and took an enormous amount of blood. Why, you ask, did he come to my hotel instead of me going to the clinic? At the time, the clinic was searching for a new location because they were bursting at the seams! So it was easier to do it this way. Now, the blood draw is done at the clinic because they have a much larger facility. The purpose of taking so much blood: the standard tests, but also, the Stem Cells would eventually be delivered to me in my own plasma.
The next day, my medical driver picked me up to go to my first appointment at the clinic. Now I knew that the clinic was located at the Hospital Punta Pacifica, so associated with them. The surprise I got as we drew near to the hospital were the words on the Hospital itself….Johns Hopkins International Medicine. I began to cry with joy.

This was real and I knew without a doubt in that moment that my life would never be the same. The

Multiple Sclerosis: MY STEM CELL JOURNEY! (Part 1)

by Judi Lecoq, Columnist, MSnewsChannel.com

MY STEM CELL JOURNEY! (Part 1)

My name is Judi Lecoq. Multiple Sclerosis is my little companion, unwanted but it will not go away. I want to tell my story, I am compelled to tell my story. And this is why, when Stan so kindly invited me to write a column for StansAngels, I agreed.

 

I used to walk normally, even run. I used to play guitar quite well. I used to wear high heels. I used to run a business. I am still me, but I have learned to adapt to the new Judi.

In 1997, after a bad fall, an MRI revealed a lesion on my spinal cord.

A spinal tap was recommended to name this thing called Multiple Sclerosis. Guess what? I was relieved to finally know why I was always fatigued and terribly uncoordinated. Oh, let’s not forget the really embarrassing stuff which had been going on for 20+ years. So when the Doctor said “You have Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis”, I said “YAY….what, WHAT?”

 

Fast forward to the end of 2009. I was walking with a cane with enormous difficulty. I could stand on my legs for about a minute and then I had to sit down. Going to the grocery store was a herculean effort, even using a store scooter. I really could not stand up to cook anymore. I probably needed a wheelchair, but I just couldn’t wrap my mind around the idea. The purchase of a scooter was in the works, reluctantly. So, in January 2010, I got another email about Adult Stem Cell Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis. I had always ignored any references to Stem Cells for this disease, but this time I paid attention. What did I have to lose? I started to do some research. I found a clinic that had scientific peer-reviewed papers I could look at and videos that explained how Stem Cells work. I started to realize that Stem Cells had the ability to make repairs, not every time, but the odds were acceptable to me (about 65% in the case of MS). We were not talking about Embryonic Stem Cells here; we were talking about Adult Stem Cells, taken from ME and Umbilical Cord Stem Cells (considered adult because the cord is afterbirth).

 

I made the decision that this was something I HAD to do. I sent in my patient application, my recent labs etc. and waited for a response. Well, here is how silly I was…I never even considered the financial part of the treatment. Insurance? Pfffft. Looking back, I realize that I had utter faith that this would work out…no matter what. And it did! I was accepted as a patient and suddenly I was faced with the daunting task of raising the money. Let the fundraising begin!

We did it! Some people thought that I was too optimistic and would never raise the money, but I never doubted…not for one minute. My appointment date was set for June 14, 2010 in Panama. I was sure that I would be there, and I WAS!

 

I was to be in Panama for an entire month. The protocol for MS has changed and 2 weeks is the longest treatment time now. A MONTH!! I packed my suitcase carefully…would I find everything I needed in this Central American country? Well, guess what? Panama City, Panama is a metropolitan city that resembles Manhattan, lots of skyscrapers. The first time I entered a grocery store I saw a display from the Vitamin Shoppe. I was with my husband, a professional Chef from France, and he found all the French products as well as the American products. 25,000 Americans live in Panama and many many Europeans as well.

When we got off the plane, there was someone waiting with my name on a placard. I was whisked through the airport to a private lounge while my luggage was collected. Then I was taken immediately to a car where I was driven to my condo.

I rented a condo so that I would have a kitchen where I could cook. I also needed an extra bedroom because my husband would stay a week and my sister and daughter would come later in the month. I did spend 10 days alone, but I never felt alone because everyone from my Doctors and Nurses to my Physical Therapist offered assistance if I needed anything at all. I also met other patients who I made friends with.

And to top it all off, I had available to me Concierge Services Panama, run by an Irishman. If I needed to go to the store, wanted to go to the mall, see a movie, all I needed to do was call him and he would arrange a driver to take me and stay with me.

I would like to share with you my journey. Please join me next week as I get into the details about treatment and results.