On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 9:06 PM, amagi101 <amagi101@verizon.net> wrote:
Dear SCP,
Thank you for answering. However, I still would like to know if anyone who has had treatment abroad has actually deducted these costs. As
these treatments are not allowed in the U.S., I can imagine that the cost is not deductible. I can also imagine that insurance companies may not
be waiting with baited breath to take on more expenses. Also the treatments would, no doubt, be more expensive here than in Germany or
Central America. It is interesting to see that the cost varies from $ 11,000 in Germany to $ 65,000 in the Dominican Republic, and that
statistics are not available.
Dr. Vina treated me for both cardiomyopathy and COPD on 8/29/09 in San Salvador. I was told by Dr. Saslavsky of Vina's team that
I would be able to feel the difference in my COPD in one week. Mr. Vina's interpreter said 2 - 3 weeks.
For the first two - three months I felt as if I had more energy. If this was for real or a psychological side-effect of having gone through the
treatment hoping desperately for improvement, I simply cannot tell. After six months, end Feb., I had my tests done here., echo and spirometry.
They showed no improvement. I reported this to Dr. Vina (all correspondence has to go through his translator in Mexico for Dr. Vina speaks
very little any English). I also asked many questions about their statistics, second treatments etc., which I thought were important after having
spent $ 24,000 for treatment which showed no improvement. Dr. Vina obviously was not happy about my inquisitiveness, but I finally did
get some figures which included that 20% of people had little of no effect from the treatment.
I was also told that a since the first treatment didn't work, a second one could be done for only $ 5000, which would be the cost of the
hospital etc.
I had traveled to El Salvador with a gentleman who was on a waiting list (B-list) for a heart transplant. There was no improvement in his case either.
We have sent our reports to Dr. Vina and are very interested to hear his view of them.
Now I do wonder if one treatment has very limited effects, if any, and that many more treatments are required for any substantial improvement/healing
to take place. In layman's words: if the conditions have to be bombarded with repeated injections of stem cells till it "takes". Few people can afford
this.
I do believe the information we receive prior to treatment is somewhat lacking and that more openness is called for, unless that would make for
less income for the psysicians involved in what one referred to as a "lucrative business".
I do believe stem cells have an exciting future, but that this technology is still in its infancy and that there are opportunities for both good and not so
good people to become involved.
Sincerely,
Trude Blomsoy
(Valhalla)
Dear SCP,
Thank you for answering. However, I still would like to know if anyone who has had treatment abroad has actually deducted these costs. As
these treatments are not allowed in the U.S., I can imagine that the cost is not deductible. I can also imagine that insurance companies may not
be waiting with baited breath to take on more expenses. Also the treatments would, no doubt, be more expensive here than in Germany or
Central America. It is interesting to see that the cost varies from $ 11,000 in Germany to $ 65,000 in the Dominican Republic, and that
statistics are not available.
Dr. Vina treated me for both cardiomyopathy and COPD on 8/29/09 in San Salvador. I was told by Dr. Saslavsky of Vina's team that
I would be able to feel the difference in my COPD in one week. Mr. Vina's interpreter said 2 - 3 weeks.
For the first two - three months I felt as if I had more energy. If this was for real or a psychological side-effect of having gone through the
treatment hoping desperately for improvement, I simply cannot tell. After six months, end Feb., I had my tests done here., echo and spirometry.
They showed no improvement. I reported this to Dr. Vina (all correspondence has to go through his translator in Mexico for Dr. Vina speaks
very little any English). I also asked many questions about their statistics, second treatments etc., which I thought were important after having
spent $ 24,000 for treatment which showed no improvement. Dr. Vina obviously was not happy about my inquisitiveness, but I finally did
get some figures which included that 20% of people had little of no effect from the treatment.
I was also told that a since the first treatment didn't work, a second one could be done for only $ 5000, which would be the cost of the
hospital etc.
I had traveled to El Salvador with a gentleman who was on a waiting list (B-list) for a heart transplant. There was no improvement in his case either.
We have sent our reports to Dr. Vina and are very interested to hear his view of them.
Now I do wonder if one treatment has very limited effects, if any, and that many more treatments are required for any substantial improvement/healing
to take place. In layman's words: if the conditions have to be bombarded with repeated injections of stem cells till it "takes". Few people can afford
this.
I do believe the information we receive prior to treatment is somewhat lacking and that more openness is called for, unless that would make for
less income for the psysicians involved in what one referred to as a "lucrative business".
I do believe stem cells have an exciting future, but that this technology is still in its infancy and that there are opportunities for both good and not so
good people to become involved.
Sincerely,
Trude Blomsoy
(Valhalla)