Stemedix Review: Mike R. (Watervliet, NY)

 My name is Mike Rymanowski and I am 70 years old. I live in upstate NY just outside of Albany, NY and I was involved in a house grease fire on 10/30/1977. I was removed from the house not breathing and suffered major damage to my lungs. (Chronic Bronchitis, RADS/Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome and Non CF Bronchiectasis) In June of 1997 there was a fire at an unmanned chemical warehouse (1 1/2 blocks from our home) on a Sunday night which released a massive chlorine gas cloud along with other chemicals. Three sides of the warehouse were evacuated unfortunately the direction toward our house was not. A year later we viewed a hazmat training video which determined the chlorine gas cloud was heading directly toward our home approximately 65% of the time of the warehouse fire. Since we were not evacuated we tried to sleep through the night (we had no idea of the severity of the fire or chlorine cloud ) but I just kept coughing. I felt so bad I was finally admitted to the hospital and received massive doses of steroids to assist in my breathing because the chlorine gas re-burned my lungs. The result of both incidents left me with very little lung function. I refused to stop working as I loved my position as Terminal Manager at local trucking companies for 35 years.  By continuing to work, I constantly had lung infections which averaged one every 4-6 weeks and were very difficult to come back from year after year. In May 2007, I finally had to throw in the towel and retire. As the years went by my lungs continued to deteriorate further and I started to research other options that might help extend my life.  (I want to be around as we have two grandsons 5 & 8)  I already took daily handfuls of pills, inhalers and nebulizers and I refused to use oxygen. I started researching other options to see if there was anything out there that might prolong my life. I kept coming back to stem cells and for over 3 years I read hundreds of clinical trials about stem cells (educating myself on the types as well as terminology). I also looking into getting myself into the proper clinical trial to see if a drug in the pipeline might also be an option for me.   The downside of getting into a clinical trial was that I would not know if I would receive a placebo or the real thing?  We felt I didn't have the time to take that chance.   

I had such a difficult summer due to 90 degree plus days, day after day with high humidity that my wife and I decided at this stage of the game, my only option was a stem cell treatment. We were originally going to the Cayman Islands for the treatment and something told me to keep looking because this group only gave stem cells via IV. I wanted a stem cell treatment where I might accomplish two goals. Even though my lungs are severely damaged I wanted to receive stem cells via nebulizer to make absolutely certain the stem cells were going directly to my lungs. In addition, I also wanted to receive stem cells via an IV to make sure they traveled throughout my body to possibly help other parts of my body. (I have fractured toes, numerous fractured fingers and ribs along with 17 surgeries, fractured spine and 2 more major surgeries to come). Lucky for me, my continued research brought me to Stemedix and a wonderful person by the name of Sarah Day. I contacted Stemedix and I received an email and phone call from Sarah (Who verified Stemedix could treat me 2 ways with stem cells) and we started our 5 month journey into stem cells. We went back and forth via email and phone calls as I always had another question or two for Sarah. It did not faze Sarah in the least. She was always so patient and upbeat on the phone and she became more then just a person who works for Stemedix. She became a trusted friend of ours and even called to check on me even when she and her whole family were sick at home with sore throats.  That's dedication to your career. Sarah researched the best options for me to try and improve my quality of life. We decided the option they put forth using UC-MSC's would give me the best shot at trying to reduce the inflammation in my chest and hopefully ease the amount of daily coughing and heavy phlegm production. 

Thankfully my wife Beth was 110% behind the treatment, so we booked our flights to St. Petersburg from Sept 5-9. (As bad as the last 45 years have been for me, Beth has suffered in her own way along with comforting me during hundreds of bouts of lung infections over the years and hospital stays for pneumonia. It has not been easy on her as well. Beth is my rock! Stemedix had everything well planned out for our trip. They gave us options of hotels to stay at as well as having drivers available for us as soon as we walked out the front door of the airport or hotel. Always excellent service!!! My physician, Tamara, was so comforting that we felt right at home during the treatment, although hopeful, I was still apprehensive the stem cells were going to do anything for me. Tamara answered all of our questions we both had with a very smooth, comforting style. I told Tamara I dreamed about being able to run again as I was a very good runner before the house fire. Tamara looked at me with a twinkle in her eye and said, " You just might " I also had 2 PRP injections and our total time at the clinic was 1 1/2 hours. The next morning, I got up and realized I had slept through the whole night! That just does not happen with Bronchiectasis as you constantly need to clear your lungs. I grabbed my oximeter and normally I'm in the 84-88 oxygen range in the morning. Needless to say, I was shocked when the numbers looking back at me were 99!!! I retried it 5 times to make sure I was not dreaming! I even had Beth try it just to make sure the oximeter was working correctly. Beth was 97, so I knew this was real. I just could not believe what I was seeing. I then took a deep breathe and exhaled and there was no whistling sounds, no nothing! Previously, I could not take a deep breath much less hold it and exhale without any extra noises coming from my chest. This is the kind of stuff fairytales are made of. 

My re-birth was September 7 (stem cell treatment day) and today I'm a little over two months since the treatment. This morning my oximeter read 99..... Woo Hoo!!! I worked outside all day long and then I decided to get up and down the ladder a bunch of times to work on our rain gutters. I am doing extremely well! I still have some coughing but now it is mostly non productive and the heavy phlegm has been reduced by roughly 75%. Almost every night I sleep all the way through without waking. The heavy black circles under my eyes from very little and continued interruption to my sleep for 45 years, are starting to disappear!  We went out last night with good friends, Beth told me on the way home, they said they could not believe how good I looked! Hearing those words were a little unexpected after fighting COPD for 45 years. It was nice to hear, especially since I know what I look like in the mirror every morning. A lot of days it was scary looking, so I'll take the compliments. Tamara mentioned that quite a few patients peak at approximately 9 months but if I improve no further, I will be one happy camper. We cannot thank the entire Stemedix organization enough for what their therapy has done for my quality of life. I can honestly say, Sarah was so knowledgeable and patient but she was the real impetus behind me to take the shot at stem cells. For that I will be eternally grateful to her and the whole Stemedix crew.