What to ask
- Thread starter Warner
- Start date
I think that success rate and expected improvement are two things you DON'T want to ask. Wait to see if they bring up the topics, and see how scientific they are about their answers, as opposed to sounding like salespeople!I am in the midst of my search for a clinic and appreciate input on good questions to ask. I have CHF and really do not know what to ask other than success rates & expected improvement??
Since you have CHF, you are truly looking for someone who will inject your cells (either marrow extraction, or some other process of deriving your cells) directly into your coronary arteries and/or your heart chambers. You could alternately go with a less invasive approach of IV infusion into your arm, but we are seeing more and more data supporting the best results in cardiac cases coming from direct injection. Since I have lousy vessels but good heart tissue, I have gone for IV treatment to this point, other than my first treatment done in Bangkok which was direct injection.
There is some minimal risk to the direct injection, similar to an angiogram so you need to be carefully observed while in recovery.
This could theoretically be done anywhere that a cardiologist was present.
Again, I would let them volunteer any success rates with cases such as yours. There will be very few doctors and clinics that have done many of them, other than Dr. Grekos, who seems to specialize in such cases.
As for expected improvement, this seems to vary from people that claim improvement virtually immediately to the normal which is some improvement in 3-6 months. This is therapy at a cellular level, and it is expected to take time. As I said earlier, this is not expected to be a "one shot and you are cured" thing. Chronic illnesses will likely take multiple treatments.
First you need to determine what kind of treatment you would be getting and what the method of extraction and delivery would be and what kind of manipulation if any? I would really grill them on whether or not they had treated CHF and if so, with what success/failure.
You also need to ask the obvious - cost, where treatment would take place, what medical doctor would be giving the treatment, would there be follow-up?
I am sure that Harv, who is our cardiac moderator, will have more to add. If you don't feel right about something, then question it. Also, don't be afraid to ask for information to be repeated if you didn't get it the first time. Many times we forget that we are the customer so to speak and because of that, we should be given excellent customer service which includes catering to our lack of knowledge in some areas and not talking over our heads or so fast that no one could comprehend. I would take notes and have questions written out ahead of time and ask each doctor/clinic the same questions so you can compare the answers.
You also need to ask the obvious - cost, where treatment would take place, what medical doctor would be giving the treatment, would there be follow-up?
I am sure that Harv, who is our cardiac moderator, will have more to add. If you don't feel right about something, then question it. Also, don't be afraid to ask for information to be repeated if you didn't get it the first time. Many times we forget that we are the customer so to speak and because of that, we should be given excellent customer service which includes catering to our lack of knowledge in some areas and not talking over our heads or so fast that no one could comprehend. I would take notes and have questions written out ahead of time and ask each doctor/clinic the same questions so you can compare the answers.