From Head To Toe

Updated: Oct 15, 2019

Written by Miranda Griffin, Juice Plus+ Wellness Coordinator

Last month I posted the that I would be documenting my experience of the Adult Stem Cells and the Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF)Deployment process.

In doing so, I had to sit back and really think about how I wanted to record this.

Most of us know it is stress that can trigger our health issues. But did you know your thoughtscan add or decrease the stress levels in everyday circumstances.

So with the mindfulness mindset, I would think about the state my body was currently in. I am a true believer that our mind is a HUGE part of healing and so that it is the best place to begin.

In order to really know how to measure the outcome I had to think about exactly what state my body was in.

Literally, I visualized myself from head to toe. Starting with my head, eyes, ears, mouth, teeth, neck and spine, shoulders, elbows, wrist, hands and fingers … along with my hips, knees, ankles, feet and toes. Then to take a deeper dive, I thought about my brain/mind and all the areas within my body … the ears, sinuses, throat, intestines, heart, liver, kidneys, bladder, breast, uterus, muscles, tendons, fascia and bones. You get the idea.

I kept record of where I was and what I wanted. For example, my feet. Even though I am able to move and function so much better than I had 8 years ago (and now I'm very grateful I can walk with ease), I still have some pain, especially walking barefoot or wearing certain shoes. My toes will hurt and the ball of my feet can feel bruised after being on them for a few hours. As for my goal, being a woman, artist and someone with a taste for fashion … I want to be able to wear dress shoes and heels. I love my boots and most of them have heels. And yes, I want to be able to wear them as well without any pain.

After the personal assessment, I needed to stay focused on good nutrition.You have to fuel your body with the right nutrients to feed your cells so they are healthy. Imagine how much stronger your cells will be if you're consistent in eating the right foods as your cellular cycle replenishes every time!

I have to say, I have been doing a pretty good job of eating a rainbow diet. I really try to hydrateproperly since this is such a HUGE simple step in keeping my body functioning. Getting plenty of sleepis very important as well as moving 30 minutes a day to get my heart rate up. All this gives me a well rounded lifestyle along with spending time each day to meditate. If your'e an over achiever, then keep your life stress free from a toxic environment as well as toxic people. All these things are the basics of a healthy life! You too can achieve these habits. They are technically very easy to do but also easy not to do. It's totally up to you and your choices.

So... going back to when I began to focus on my body and how I was going to prepare for the next phase. I made a log of how I was feeling throughout my body and what habits I was doing. I made a conscience effort to keep a clean diet. I have to admit there were a few cheat bites here and there, after all who doesn't get tempted with their guilty pleasures (aka - a bite or two OR three of fettuccine alfredo, a small slice of homemade pie or handful of chips. However, 80 to 90% of the time I was very focused on making the best choices. I think the hardest for me was trying to get enough sleep. Knowing how important it is for your body to heal, I wanted to get at least

7 1/2 hrs of sleep a night. Also, I wanted to be well rested prior to the procedure.

Day before the BIG DAY:

It was so simple, drink plenty of water. Start my round of antibiotics. Get to bed early.

Yep that was it!

THE BIG DAY:

I went to work …

drank plenty of water ...

came home early …

ate a light lunch …

took a shower …

put on some loose comfy clothes …

had my husband drop me off at

Dr. Larry Schrader's office.

Then the adventure began (of course after filling out the usual mountain of paperwork like you do at all Dr's offices!)

OK NOW - the adventure began!

Marcy, Dr. Schraders' receptionist, then walked me back to the patient waiting room. It was set up like a really nice small, quaint den … just like something like you would have at home. There was a credenza, a couple of recliners and an end table … and the lamps added warm lighting, which defiantly kept it from feeling like you were in a doctors office. I have to say, it was very comfortable and these added touches mentally assisted with keeping ones mind at ease. Nurse Teresa came in and took my blood pressure, and I was given a light sedative to keep my heart rate calm. After a few minutes, she set me up to withdraw some blood and have my pic line ready for the IV. She then escorted me to the "sterile room." This area didhave that "Dr.'s Office" vibe going on. They had me lay back on a very comfortable table-like recliner. Even though I was very relaxed from the sedative, I do remember them numbing the area were the incision was going to be and placing a sheet across my chest like a volley ball net. I asked if I could watch and all at once they said "NO" - LOL! But I had to ask ...

I did feel some pressure and movement a bit in my stomach area. The only thing I really felt up to this point was the prick for the numbing medicine. I don't remember them taking that long removing the cells, but once they had completed this segment a small bandaid was placed on the incision. Teresa (who is amazing!) was by my side the whole time! She wrapped a binder around my waste and walked me back to my cozy little den. She covered me up in a blanket while I waited for them to process the Stem Cells. Once that was completed, I was taken back into the procedure room where Dr. Schrader began to add the cells back into my targeted areas. First my shoulders, then my hip … My hands were next and then both my feet. There was very minimal discomfort because of the numbing agent they used before each injection. I do have to say out of all the areas of the targeted treatment, there was only one injection where I felt a small tingling sensation. It was like I could feel the solution of the cells penetrating throughout the whole area. This intense warmth only lasted for a few seconds and was such a surreal feeling. Maybe it was the sedative, but I was imaging little warrior cells charging forward to the inflammation war zone! Ha! Take that RA!

Next....

I was escorted back to my comfy little den and I took a really short nap while the IV of new cells was completed. I felt like I was in elementary school again where you were given your afternoon snack and then took your nap (my favorite time of day when I was a kid! Snack time!) ...

Once my body felt stable I was taken back home to rest. By rest, I mean I actually slept for about 15 hours! Afterwards, I got up, ate breakfast and stayed in bed the rest of the day to allow my body to do it's thing. As for pain, my shoulders and hip were a little sore from the injections, but it felt more like muscle soreness. As the medicine faded, my stomach seemed really tender from where they removed the cells. I'm told this will take a few more days for that to totally go away.

I will keep record of the results and will blog those in a few weeks. I will say though, that my right hand already has felt some relief as well as the balls of my feet! Medically speaking, the treatment results could take as long as 3 to 4 weeks to fully be noticeable.

I can't wait to feel the rest of the story!