Advanced COPD--options?

[barbara]

I am still going strong. Thank you. The only blip I've had was when there were severe wildfires here in Colorado. The smoke blanketed the state. Even though my house was nowhere near the fires, I did feel some effects such as a tight chest. I tried to stay inside as there wasn't much else that could be done.

I continue to follow Dr. Feinerman's regimen. So far, so good. I went bird watching last weekend in the mountains and also took my dogs to the dog park up there. I was able to walk around and didn't have any great difficulty even though I was at about 8200 ft. Thank you for asking!

[yetmost]

I didn't realize you were in all of that smoke...I don't do well with it at all
I just saw the following COPD Patient Art Barnett DIES after Stem Cells ... - YouTube

Had you heard any thing about it?
It is dated 07-30-2012.
It sounds like throwing the baby out with the bath.

[Vancouverman]

Originally Posted by barbara

I was able to walk around and didn't have any great difficulty even though I was at about 8200 ft. Thank you for asking!

Barbara, so high up? There is the same pressurization or cabin altitude as inside an aircraft cabin...

also I found this on wikipedia, the airbus A 380 has much better pressurization , but still I do not want to fly . Which I find very sad too..

---
The trend in new aircraft is to lower the cabin altitude: the Airbus A380 features 5,000 ft (1,500 m) when cruising at 43,000 feet (13,000 m),[3][4] while the lowest currently flying is the Bombardier Global Express business jet which features 4,500 ft (1,400 m) when cruising at 41,000 feet (12,000 m).[5][6][7]
Keeping the cabin altitude below 8,000 ft (2,400 m) generally avoids significant hypoxia, altitude sickness,

[barbara]

I had another night of intense smoke last night. The house next to mine burned down. I got about an hour and a half of sleep, but I have not had any major difficulties breathing. More tired than anything.

I have not heard of Mr. Barnett and am sorry to hear of his passing. One of the problems with patients that have stem cell therapy is that they are counting on whatever treatment they get to improve their health and be risk free and cheap. I personally do not know of any surgery or major medical treatment that guarantees this. Even routine surgeries (not involving stem cells) that have been performed for decades carry some risk and do not always improve a patient's health or correct their condition.

Having said that, patients do need to be aware that there are some risks involved and NEVER get treated by anyone that guarantees success. Patients must learn to listen however and take notes because many times I have received messages from patients who obviously only had selective hearing and paid no attention to the negatives that the doctor was warning them about. Also, take any informed consent you sign seriously.

As more patients get treated, there will be more publicity surrounding stem cell treatment. Contrast the few deaths we hear about with the 6th biggest killer in America - Preventable Medical Errors http://www.justice.org/cps/rde/justice/hs.xsl/8677.htm
and it pales in comparison.

[zee]

Your mother does have options for stem cell treatment, but the best options will require travel. If you are able to get to India, you will be able to participate in a government regulated, and monitored adult stem cell trial, that involves the use of mesenchymal stem cells”(MSC) http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...ell-trial.html. Studies regarding this type of treatment have already been performed at UCSF in California, but UCSF elected to test them on donor lungs, instead of actual people. The test revealed that they were able to repair donor lungs.

I think the India option is a good one because it is in an official protocol, and monitored by government regulatory agencies. Another thing to consider is what type of COPD your mother has? One size doesn't fit all when it comes to treating lung disorders. One of the big problems we face is the continual bombardment that smokers are the largest cause of COPD in the US and elsewhere. Unfortunately there is no truth to this. Although smokers are a significant cause of the problem, the largest cause of COPD worldwide is non-allergic asthma, with emphysema from smoking coming in at a close 2nd.

If your mother decides to go to India, I would appreciate you keeping in contact with us, and let us know who we may contact over there. Keep in mind that stem cell treatment for COPD is a temporary fix. The likelihood of getting repair from the trial in India is good, but it doesn't repair the underlying genetic anomalies that cause the problem.