MISSISSIPPI LIFE
Mark H. Stowers July 24, 2015
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/mslife/2015/07/24/stem-cells-and-hero/30609279/
Heroes rode horses and toted guns on the TV and movie screen when I was growing up. But in real life I had two heroes. They both sang in the Inverness First United Methodist Choir and I sat right between them most Sundays. My late grandfather, J.W. (Pop) Stowers, Sr., and Mike Anderson. I looked up to both of them and worked to emulate them in my own life as well. My grandfather didn't say a whole lot and led by example. I miss him every day.
Mike is six years older than me and one of my oldest brother's (John) friends. Mike has a twin brother, Leslie, and between the two there was always an adventure or story to be told over what ever meal we were eating when they came to visit. Mike was a star football player through junior high and high school and was an integral part of several State AAA championships. When I was in the sixth grade, I saw him as Professor Harold Hill in Indianola Academy's rendition of "The Music Man." The musical instantly became my favorite and lit a fire in me to be part a part of Central Delta Academy and Inverness FUMC music and theatre productions.
I think if he rode a horse named Trigger and shot a few bad guys on the way to saving the day, Mike Anderson would have totally perfect in my book. But even so, he was never far off the mark for me. I was lucky enough to actually be in a few musicals with him and share the stage – even in Music Man in 1984 at Indianola's Little Theatre, now named the Brindley Theatre.
Mike is a successful insurance salesman, Lions Club member and all round great entertainer and fun guy to be around. He'll be the first to tell you he's not perfect nor does he claim to be. That's my job. In the Anderson family, though, there is a gene that lurks and creates havoc and produces Ataxia. The disorder causes people to have problems with their coordination because parts of the nervous system that control movement and balance are affected. Mike's dad was afflicted with Ataxia and now his sister and brother both suffer from it as well.
Ataxia took Mike off the stage a few years back and he's walked with a cane for a while. His body was deteriorating and the singing, dancing athlete was beginning to fade.
So Mike decided to take his health into his own hands and try to find a way to fight the family disease. He did some research and found that in Thailand, doctors were giving stem cell treatments to help fight it. On April 26 my hero left from Memphis to take on the fight. With the help of Delta Airline reps, he made it through the gauntlet of time changes, plane changes and language problems. He made it to Japan and then Bangkok, Thailand where he checked into the Royal Sheraton before getting checked into the hospital there for treatments.
Half a world away, alone and a bit afraid, Mike was getting ready. He had found the hospital and doctors through the Internet. The Better Being Hospital in Bangkok became his home away from home for the next few weeks.
"I found a coordinator, Keith Thomas, an American living in China," Mike said. "He asked me to send all my medical records and after reviewing them told me I was accepted last October."
The cost and some other issues kept him at home and he put the idea on hold. But in February during a class reunion, he had to watch others have fun dancing.
"I physically couldn't' do it. I made the decision right then that I was going to do something about my health."
After talking to some folks who had gone through the stem cell therapy, Mike decided to take on the journey. The trip was initially planned to take five weeks.
"I was scared to death and I was going by myself. I knew I would get four lumbar treatments and four IV treatments of stem cells. They put me up in a hotel five minutes from the hospital."
Each day began with acupuncture to help receive the stem cells better. In addition, patients received occupational therapy, physical therapy and water therapy.
"The stem cells had be flown in from China on the day you received them. They were from live umbilical cords."
The treatments though, were at the mercy of Bangkok traffic.
"You never knew exactly when they were going to get there. There would be a box with your name on it and your blood type. They would show it to you before they gave it to you."
Some days he got to double up on treatments and cut a week off of his stay in Thailand. The stem cells had to come from an O-negative "donor." Each of the eight treatments costs $3,300 – none covered by insurance. While there, Mike saw people from around the world and the US who were receiving stem cell treatments for cerebral palsy and many other genetic disorders.
"I met people from Egypt, India, the middle east, Romania, Costa Rica, Texas, Oklahoma and Indiana," he said. "The saddest thing I saw was two one-year old twins (triplets at birth but a brother had died) getting treatment for Cerebral Palsy. They were sweet."
Mike also suffers from diabetes and the doctors put him on a strict diet and combined with the Asian diet, he lost 15 pounds in three weeks and has continued to lose more weight as he's adhered to it.
"They brought me three meals a day even when I was at the hotel - very low carb, very Asian like food. No sugars, no bread, no soft drinks, no pasta, no sweeteners. They said that most people suffer because they eat the wrong foods. Foods cause inflammation in their body. That's why they wanted me on a strict diet."
But even with world-class medical treatment, Mike was still alone. His connection to home was through his iPad and his Facebook account. He would post about his journey.
"It was extremely stressful," he said. "I was posting every two or three days and I had at least 100 followers. They would send me messages encouraging me, praying for me. Great messages from all of my friends and that's what sustained me. I could go on Facebook and post and hear back from all my friends. That was the most motivating factor and humbling factor. It humbled me to a worm because of the love and concern and the prayers and the encouragement that all my friends gave me. That was the most powerful thing I had ever witnessed in my life."
Homesick and half a world away, Mike admits he "cried a lot and shed many tears and I ached to be home and see the Delta. I ached for black eyed peas and cornbread."
After having about eight hundred million stem cells injected into his body, Mike made his journey home. The hope is for the stem cells to continue to multiply and promote the reparative response of diseased, dysfunctional or injured tissue using stem cells or their derivatives. He understands the procedures won't cure him but they are making a difference in his body with his coordination and walking.
"I do walk better and I have not used a cane in six weeks. Am I cured? No. Do I still have symptoms? Yes. Am I better? Yes. It's a wait and see deal and they want you to follow the diet because that will help the stem cell treatment."
He may have more treatments in the future as the US has opened up stem cell treatments, particularly in Nevada. And he recommends the treatment for those who can find a way to get them.
"I would encourage anybody with any disease to go get this treatment," he said. "They even treat people who have knee problems. People that don't have any hope can have some hope. It's better than nothing. There is no cure for my disease so what was I going to do? I had to try."
I reckon that's what makes a hero a hero. They try hardest when the odds are stacked against them with no regard to failure. And here's hoping and praying that those nearly a billion stem cells do a heck of a lot of good for my hero in real life, Mike Anderson.
Mike would be happy to encourage or talk to you about his treatments. Email him at stemcellmike@gmail.com.
And I'd always 'preciate your comments here or over at Facebook or you can tweet me @markhstowers….see yah next week!
A Rebel, a Statesmen – or Fightin' Okra – and even a Trojan, I'm the Sunflower County farm boy with no green thumb who longed to live in the big city and got his wish and now is working his way back to the farm.
A freelance writer, middle-of-the-road-conservative and wanna-be fry cook, I look to bring native Mississippi folks and businesses to your attention through my looking glass.
There are those of us that packed up Mississippi and took it with us to new destinations and neighbors. My area code may be 248 but my heart is all about 662 with plenty of room for the 601. Heck, we'll even saunter into the 228 from time to time.
There's more about me at www.markhstowers.com.
Mark H. Stowers July 24, 2015
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/mslife/2015/07/24/stem-cells-and-hero/30609279/
Heroes rode horses and toted guns on the TV and movie screen when I was growing up. But in real life I had two heroes. They both sang in the Inverness First United Methodist Choir and I sat right between them most Sundays. My late grandfather, J.W. (Pop) Stowers, Sr., and Mike Anderson. I looked up to both of them and worked to emulate them in my own life as well. My grandfather didn't say a whole lot and led by example. I miss him every day.
Mike is six years older than me and one of my oldest brother's (John) friends. Mike has a twin brother, Leslie, and between the two there was always an adventure or story to be told over what ever meal we were eating when they came to visit. Mike was a star football player through junior high and high school and was an integral part of several State AAA championships. When I was in the sixth grade, I saw him as Professor Harold Hill in Indianola Academy's rendition of "The Music Man." The musical instantly became my favorite and lit a fire in me to be part a part of Central Delta Academy and Inverness FUMC music and theatre productions.
I think if he rode a horse named Trigger and shot a few bad guys on the way to saving the day, Mike Anderson would have totally perfect in my book. But even so, he was never far off the mark for me. I was lucky enough to actually be in a few musicals with him and share the stage – even in Music Man in 1984 at Indianola's Little Theatre, now named the Brindley Theatre.
Mike is a successful insurance salesman, Lions Club member and all round great entertainer and fun guy to be around. He'll be the first to tell you he's not perfect nor does he claim to be. That's my job. In the Anderson family, though, there is a gene that lurks and creates havoc and produces Ataxia. The disorder causes people to have problems with their coordination because parts of the nervous system that control movement and balance are affected. Mike's dad was afflicted with Ataxia and now his sister and brother both suffer from it as well.
Ataxia took Mike off the stage a few years back and he's walked with a cane for a while. His body was deteriorating and the singing, dancing athlete was beginning to fade.
So Mike decided to take his health into his own hands and try to find a way to fight the family disease. He did some research and found that in Thailand, doctors were giving stem cell treatments to help fight it. On April 26 my hero left from Memphis to take on the fight. With the help of Delta Airline reps, he made it through the gauntlet of time changes, plane changes and language problems. He made it to Japan and then Bangkok, Thailand where he checked into the Royal Sheraton before getting checked into the hospital there for treatments.
Half a world away, alone and a bit afraid, Mike was getting ready. He had found the hospital and doctors through the Internet. The Better Being Hospital in Bangkok became his home away from home for the next few weeks.
"I found a coordinator, Keith Thomas, an American living in China," Mike said. "He asked me to send all my medical records and after reviewing them told me I was accepted last October."
The cost and some other issues kept him at home and he put the idea on hold. But in February during a class reunion, he had to watch others have fun dancing.
"I physically couldn't' do it. I made the decision right then that I was going to do something about my health."
After talking to some folks who had gone through the stem cell therapy, Mike decided to take on the journey. The trip was initially planned to take five weeks.
"I was scared to death and I was going by myself. I knew I would get four lumbar treatments and four IV treatments of stem cells. They put me up in a hotel five minutes from the hospital."
Each day began with acupuncture to help receive the stem cells better. In addition, patients received occupational therapy, physical therapy and water therapy.
"The stem cells had be flown in from China on the day you received them. They were from live umbilical cords."
The treatments though, were at the mercy of Bangkok traffic.
"You never knew exactly when they were going to get there. There would be a box with your name on it and your blood type. They would show it to you before they gave it to you."
Some days he got to double up on treatments and cut a week off of his stay in Thailand. The stem cells had to come from an O-negative "donor." Each of the eight treatments costs $3,300 – none covered by insurance. While there, Mike saw people from around the world and the US who were receiving stem cell treatments for cerebral palsy and many other genetic disorders.
"I met people from Egypt, India, the middle east, Romania, Costa Rica, Texas, Oklahoma and Indiana," he said. "The saddest thing I saw was two one-year old twins (triplets at birth but a brother had died) getting treatment for Cerebral Palsy. They were sweet."
Mike also suffers from diabetes and the doctors put him on a strict diet and combined with the Asian diet, he lost 15 pounds in three weeks and has continued to lose more weight as he's adhered to it.
"They brought me three meals a day even when I was at the hotel - very low carb, very Asian like food. No sugars, no bread, no soft drinks, no pasta, no sweeteners. They said that most people suffer because they eat the wrong foods. Foods cause inflammation in their body. That's why they wanted me on a strict diet."
But even with world-class medical treatment, Mike was still alone. His connection to home was through his iPad and his Facebook account. He would post about his journey.
"It was extremely stressful," he said. "I was posting every two or three days and I had at least 100 followers. They would send me messages encouraging me, praying for me. Great messages from all of my friends and that's what sustained me. I could go on Facebook and post and hear back from all my friends. That was the most motivating factor and humbling factor. It humbled me to a worm because of the love and concern and the prayers and the encouragement that all my friends gave me. That was the most powerful thing I had ever witnessed in my life."
Homesick and half a world away, Mike admits he "cried a lot and shed many tears and I ached to be home and see the Delta. I ached for black eyed peas and cornbread."
After having about eight hundred million stem cells injected into his body, Mike made his journey home. The hope is for the stem cells to continue to multiply and promote the reparative response of diseased, dysfunctional or injured tissue using stem cells or their derivatives. He understands the procedures won't cure him but they are making a difference in his body with his coordination and walking.
"I do walk better and I have not used a cane in six weeks. Am I cured? No. Do I still have symptoms? Yes. Am I better? Yes. It's a wait and see deal and they want you to follow the diet because that will help the stem cell treatment."
He may have more treatments in the future as the US has opened up stem cell treatments, particularly in Nevada. And he recommends the treatment for those who can find a way to get them.
"I would encourage anybody with any disease to go get this treatment," he said. "They even treat people who have knee problems. People that don't have any hope can have some hope. It's better than nothing. There is no cure for my disease so what was I going to do? I had to try."
I reckon that's what makes a hero a hero. They try hardest when the odds are stacked against them with no regard to failure. And here's hoping and praying that those nearly a billion stem cells do a heck of a lot of good for my hero in real life, Mike Anderson.
Mike would be happy to encourage or talk to you about his treatments. Email him at stemcellmike@gmail.com.
And I'd always 'preciate your comments here or over at Facebook or you can tweet me @markhstowers….see yah next week!
A Rebel, a Statesmen – or Fightin' Okra – and even a Trojan, I'm the Sunflower County farm boy with no green thumb who longed to live in the big city and got his wish and now is working his way back to the farm.
A freelance writer, middle-of-the-road-conservative and wanna-be fry cook, I look to bring native Mississippi folks and businesses to your attention through my looking glass.
There are those of us that packed up Mississippi and took it with us to new destinations and neighbors. My area code may be 248 but my heart is all about 662 with plenty of room for the 601. Heck, we'll even saunter into the 228 from time to time.
There's more about me at www.markhstowers.com.