Today is my one year anniversary so this means it is Jeannine's too. Happy Anniversary Jeannine! It has been a wild year for sure. I wish I could report that I am training for the Olympics, but I haven't gotten that far - YET. Being one of the first people to ever receive umbilical cord stem cell therapy for COPD was both exciting and also a challenge. There was no one to talk to that I knew of that had similar treatment except Jeannine. We honestly had no idea what to expect and were not given any information from the company where we went as to what might happen. We seemed to follow a pattern fairly closely as far as progression and regression so we could at least compare notes. It was and still is at times a huge roller coaster ride. I used to suffer from SOB 24/7 and I was always one to catch every respiratory ailment that came along and then I would hang onto it for months. This led to a life on my couch and a lot of depression. After stem cell therapy, I found I had a new outlook on life. I was more energetic, my focus was on what the next day would bring as far as improvements and I felt I still had a shot at a life worth living. I am still seeing small improvements at my one year mark which I am told means the cells can still be replicating. I was SOB free until right before Christmas when it came back with a vengeance. I had no other symptoms however. It took several trying weeks of using many supplements and the PowerLung until I was blue in the face to get rid of it, but I didn't even feel the need to go to the doctor or use any antibiotics or steroids. I just didn't feel ill at all, just SOB. After that episode, I am back to very little SOB, but I still cannot shake the O2 which is still a goal I have. I may try a booster, I really don't know at this point. I have been in touch with another stem cell company that is using a new cell formulation that sounds very promising and this may be my choice if it could lead me to be O2 free. If I had to choose between being SOB 24/7 and catching everything that came along vs. having to use O2, I would certainly opt for the continued use of O2. I am energized now, my O2 needs are much less than they were and I feel good. I don't have to guess how I will feel tomorrow because I already know. I have no regrets that I chose to try stem cell therapy in its infancy. I will continue to try to help others in their quest and I fervently hope that the anal government officials in my country and others that are hindering stem cell research and treatment are replaced by representatives that truly care about us that suffer from chronic disease and injury. We need to demand that treatment be made legal NOW. As for the naysayers that have constantly felt the need to critique my life, I feel very proud to have made the first steps towards helping them to a better life. Someone has to be first. I also want to thank all the forum participants who are helping with the quest for the cure with me.