Regenerate, Don't Operate Part II

DeRay and I are very open to new ideas. We discount nothing. Maybe it’s just DeRay. I’m more of a ‘fraidy cat. Nevertheless, when you try something new or take a risk, you sometimes get stung. Twice we’ve lost thousands of dollars to chiropractors who made big promises. One spent time in prison; the other was investigated. Even so, we never got any money back.

Fools.

We thought we finally made a wise decision with the stem cell injections. My knees were feeling so much better. After a month I got a brace on first the right and then the left knee. Irritably, the left knee brace squeaks – so loud that even I can hear it.

DeRay had talked to his sister Clare so much about it that she decided to come up from Vegas and get a stem cell injection in her hip. Exciting. She is in so much more pain than I am in. She can barely walk.

When we stopped at his sister Karen’s to get our hair cut on Tuesday, she mentioned that Norm is suffering with his knees. The next day, I sent her an e-mail (old-fashioned-me doesn’t text) telling her of a seminar that Integrated Health was holding on Thursday night. As I was searching for information on them to send to her, I ran across information on the University of Utah Hospital.

“I noticed that the University of Utah does stem cell injections,” I wrote. “I think it would be wise to check them out. They may be cheaper. They may be more professional. I wasn't smart enough to do any research after we went to the presentation. I know Integrated Health gets their live stem cells from the University of Utah. There is no reason for Norm to suffer.”

Check them out they did. On Thursday, they met with the doctors. Friday morning, he had an MRI, and Friday afternoon, the stem cell injections.  He was working with certified physicians and IT WAS $1,000 LESS. Plus he gets oxygen shots, laser treatment and massage once a week.

In spite of the success, the two complaints I had when I got mine done was that it was done by a medical assistant and they used no computer to direct the needle and the wife of  the owner with no medical training seems to be running the place. No MRI. I didn’t quite feel I was in the best hands.

I’ve always trusted the University of Utah Hospital. It’s where I’ve had all my surgeries, starting back 50 years ago when I had surgery for endometriosis (one of the first in Utah). The doctor at the U found a tumor on x-rays taken by the ENT locally who could see nothing. Our insurance didn’t cover them completely when I had thyroid cancer surgery and we still went to the Huntsman Cancer Center.  

DeRay, we missed the boat again.

Drats!

Happy for Norm and Clare. Sad for me.

Re the squeak on the knee brace,

Ed tells me:

"I sure enjoy living with a mouse."