Texas Legislator says stem cells helped
Hardcastle tried therapy to treat his MS
By Alyssa Johnston
Posted December 3, 2011 at 12:33 a.m.
http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2011/dec/03/legislator-says-stem-cells-helped/
State Rep. Rick Hardcastle, R-Vernon, participated in a recent round of autologous adult stem cell treatments to help his multiple sclerosis, similar to what Gov. Rick Perry had done in July.
Although the stem cells are not embryonic, doctors in the U.S. are still skeptical of the procedure because it is not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Adult stem cells are taken from the patient's fat, sent to a lab where they are developed, then reintroduced to the patient via intravenous therapy.
The treatments are used to treat patients with autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, Crohn's disease, Parkinson's and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Hardcastle was diagnosed with MS almost 10 years ago and repeatedly said the treatments worked phenomenally for him.
"I'm walking on water and near bulletproof," Hardcastle said from a casino in Las Vegas, where he was with his wife for the National Finals Rodeo. "Since I had the third treatment, I have fished in the river in Alaska. I have walked up and down stairs without having to hold onto the handrail like a goon. It's just been phenomenal so far."
Hardcastle said just having his balance is an amazing thing because since he was diagnosed, his balance was one of the first things to go. He spoke at length about how easily he was able to walk the stairs at the Las Vegas event.
"Eight years ago, I was having to literally ... stop to step over a concrete barrier on a parking curb. I just walk across it now like I did 20 years ago," he said.
Hardcastle said the treatment is essentially the same that people have sought in Colombia, Costa Rica and Korea for the last 10 years. Some places in the U.S. now offer the treatment, making it more accessible than ever.
The FDA hasn't approved the procedure yet, but the agency hasn't disapproved of it, either.
"Under Texas law and federal law, it's not prohibited now because it's similar to saving your own blood — taking your own blood for reuse during surgery — because it's your own," Hardcastle said. "There are no outside medicines or stem cells included in the treatment."
Autologous stem cell therapy is expensive.
"You're talking about a basic treatment, just a one-time treatment is going to cost you $25,000 total," Hardcastle said.
He said he is trying to figure out how to help people pay for treatments if they are already on disability or don't have the ability to pay for the treatment.
He said payment plans for patients also are in the works.
Being able to tell a patient up front what they're going to have to pay and being able to have the treatments with a payment plan would be improvements.
Hardcastle also is working with insurance companies to get at least part of the treatment approved and paid for by insurance companies.
"I don't know anybody with any type of autoimmune disease that wouldn't spend $25,000 to get better," Hardcastle said. "How do you put a price tag on the fact that I can go look for a real job now as a retiring state rep and work again at 56 years old instead of just sitting around the house feeling sorry for myself?"
Hardcastle said area doctors showed great interest in being able to perform the treatments as alternative therapies in their offices. The plan would be for patients to visit their local neurologist to have fat extracted, shipped to the lab to be grown and enhance the stem cells, then ship the stem cells back to the office to be administered via IV therapy.
"I'm trying not to sound too excited because for one out of every five people, it doesn't work. It doesn't (give) phenomenal results. It'll still have some results, but they won't be phenomenal.
"So it's not a miracle cure by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a treatment that works."
He said, for example, one of the women who received treatments at the same time did not see phenomenal results, but she had some serious complications and believes every little bit she gets will help.
He said another man who took the treatment has Parkinson's disease, and his experience has been even better than his own.
Hardcastle said his hands no longer shake — a blessing that anyone with Parkinson's could never be thankful enough for.
Hardcastle said the more the procedure moved to North Texas, the more the cost can be in line.
"The dollars are sort of irrelevant compared to what we're paying for normal medicine, and compared to the fact that we get to feeling so much better so we can actually go do our jobs," he said.
Hardcastle talked about struggles faced by many people with autoimmune diseases, saying the entire family adapts to help you get through whatever day it is without affecting your disease more.
He said this year, he went through Thanksgiving like a champ, even playing on the floor and outside with his grandchildren.
Hardcastle said having MS for so long, he has built his life around not overexerting himself, so he is still out of shape, but he is exercising regularly and enjoys walking every morning.
"It hasn't made me any better looking, and I haven't grown any hair yet," Hardcastle said jokingly.
He said doctors aren't selling the treatments as a cure for any disease or disorder, but they sell it as a treatment for a wide range of diseases.
"My goal is to make it more available to the everyday person in Texas ... which includes getting insurance companies to decide what they're going to pay and getting doctors available that are willing to do it (since) there is no
controversy in it because it's your own stem cells."
Hardcastle tried therapy to treat his MS
By Alyssa Johnston
Posted December 3, 2011 at 12:33 a.m.
http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2011/dec/03/legislator-says-stem-cells-helped/
State Rep. Rick Hardcastle, R-Vernon, participated in a recent round of autologous adult stem cell treatments to help his multiple sclerosis, similar to what Gov. Rick Perry had done in July.
Although the stem cells are not embryonic, doctors in the U.S. are still skeptical of the procedure because it is not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Adult stem cells are taken from the patient's fat, sent to a lab where they are developed, then reintroduced to the patient via intravenous therapy.
The treatments are used to treat patients with autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, Crohn's disease, Parkinson's and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Hardcastle was diagnosed with MS almost 10 years ago and repeatedly said the treatments worked phenomenally for him.
"I'm walking on water and near bulletproof," Hardcastle said from a casino in Las Vegas, where he was with his wife for the National Finals Rodeo. "Since I had the third treatment, I have fished in the river in Alaska. I have walked up and down stairs without having to hold onto the handrail like a goon. It's just been phenomenal so far."
Hardcastle said just having his balance is an amazing thing because since he was diagnosed, his balance was one of the first things to go. He spoke at length about how easily he was able to walk the stairs at the Las Vegas event.
"Eight years ago, I was having to literally ... stop to step over a concrete barrier on a parking curb. I just walk across it now like I did 20 years ago," he said.
Hardcastle said the treatment is essentially the same that people have sought in Colombia, Costa Rica and Korea for the last 10 years. Some places in the U.S. now offer the treatment, making it more accessible than ever.
The FDA hasn't approved the procedure yet, but the agency hasn't disapproved of it, either.
"Under Texas law and federal law, it's not prohibited now because it's similar to saving your own blood — taking your own blood for reuse during surgery — because it's your own," Hardcastle said. "There are no outside medicines or stem cells included in the treatment."
Autologous stem cell therapy is expensive.
"You're talking about a basic treatment, just a one-time treatment is going to cost you $25,000 total," Hardcastle said.
He said he is trying to figure out how to help people pay for treatments if they are already on disability or don't have the ability to pay for the treatment.
He said payment plans for patients also are in the works.
Being able to tell a patient up front what they're going to have to pay and being able to have the treatments with a payment plan would be improvements.
Hardcastle also is working with insurance companies to get at least part of the treatment approved and paid for by insurance companies.
"I don't know anybody with any type of autoimmune disease that wouldn't spend $25,000 to get better," Hardcastle said. "How do you put a price tag on the fact that I can go look for a real job now as a retiring state rep and work again at 56 years old instead of just sitting around the house feeling sorry for myself?"
Hardcastle said area doctors showed great interest in being able to perform the treatments as alternative therapies in their offices. The plan would be for patients to visit their local neurologist to have fat extracted, shipped to the lab to be grown and enhance the stem cells, then ship the stem cells back to the office to be administered via IV therapy.
"I'm trying not to sound too excited because for one out of every five people, it doesn't work. It doesn't (give) phenomenal results. It'll still have some results, but they won't be phenomenal.
"So it's not a miracle cure by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a treatment that works."
He said, for example, one of the women who received treatments at the same time did not see phenomenal results, but she had some serious complications and believes every little bit she gets will help.
He said another man who took the treatment has Parkinson's disease, and his experience has been even better than his own.
Hardcastle said his hands no longer shake — a blessing that anyone with Parkinson's could never be thankful enough for.
Hardcastle said the more the procedure moved to North Texas, the more the cost can be in line.
"The dollars are sort of irrelevant compared to what we're paying for normal medicine, and compared to the fact that we get to feeling so much better so we can actually go do our jobs," he said.
Hardcastle talked about struggles faced by many people with autoimmune diseases, saying the entire family adapts to help you get through whatever day it is without affecting your disease more.
He said this year, he went through Thanksgiving like a champ, even playing on the floor and outside with his grandchildren.
Hardcastle said having MS for so long, he has built his life around not overexerting himself, so he is still out of shape, but he is exercising regularly and enjoys walking every morning.
"It hasn't made me any better looking, and I haven't grown any hair yet," Hardcastle said jokingly.
He said doctors aren't selling the treatments as a cure for any disease or disorder, but they sell it as a treatment for a wide range of diseases.
"My goal is to make it more available to the everyday person in Texas ... which includes getting insurance companies to decide what they're going to pay and getting doctors available that are willing to do it (since) there is no
controversy in it because it's your own stem cells."