Dee's 12 Days in Bangkok: stem cell therapy in paradise

New Patient Dee has just completed her stem cell therapy and was kind enough to share the emails she sent home during her stay. Read on to share her experience, thoughts, hopes and prayers. Thanks for sharing Dee!

July 17, 2005

To all my family and friends;

I will just send one letter to all of you.

I am in Bangkok, Thailand and it is a very beautiful place, we were greeted at the airport by Jitra and Koi and Don Margolis. They had a beautiful bouquet of flowers for me. The limo picked us up and to us to the Marriott Resort and Spa.

The place is unbelievable. The Thai people are so kind and treat you like you are royalty. They bow and call you Madame. We have walked around our grounds and next door to the hotel is a shopping area. Where there is a Sizzler, Dairy Queen, Pizza Hut and a McDonalds it is so funny to see those familiar places here.

Last night (7-16- ) we went to dinner with Don Margolis and met two other couples from the USA who are going to be treated also. One man named Dale will be injected on Tues. and he is from Dallas, TX and the other man whose name is David will be injected on the 25th when I am getting injected also.

I am at the Chaophya Hospital, I am having tests done today and my blood will be drawn and sent to Israel for processing.

This is really an exciting adventure. To think that in about one month my heart will be growing new veins for renewing my heart. So, sad that this cannot be done in the United States and a person will have to go out of country to achieve this benefit.

When I leave the hospital on Tues morning starting Wednesday we will go see the Royal Palace and some Temples and we hope to go to the River Kwai.

Lunch is served and I shall go sample some the great Thai food.

I will again notify all of what is going on.

D

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July 18, 2005

Hello Everyone,

Tonight is the step to adventure in my life. They do the blood draw and fly my blood to Israel for the processing. To think that I am actually on the cutting edge of advances in medicine is almost unbelievable. God has been very good and very gracious to me. He has opened every door in almost record time to get me to this place in my race for endurance in every day life. I thank Him daily for all His blessings. And I thank Him for all my friends and family who have held me up in prayer. Dalyne has been a great blessing also by just being with me in the foreign land. She has stayed with me at the hospital all day long for two days now, and never complained once. WHAT A FRIEND!

I go to the hotel tonight after the blood draw and then I go to the Bangkok Heart Center on Wednesday for a Nuclear Stress Test. Thursday we are going sightseeing with Belle and Jitra two very nice ladies for the TheraVitae Company with whom I am getting my Stem Cells processed. The people from this Co have treated us as if we were royalty. They are so kind and helpful and always have a ready smile for you.

The hospital staff here at Chaophya Hospital is the same. The nurses are at a moments call and so very friendly. Hoon is a very nice lady who helps explain a lot about the Thai culture to us. And we have fun trying to communicate with our nurses. We have decided that we will teach each other our language.

This has and will be the most exciting adventure of my life and thanks to a loving husband who was with me 100% on this; I hope to have a much healthier life starting in the next month or two.

D

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July 25, 2005

To Family, Friends and one and all,

Today has finally arrived and this is the first day of the rest of my life so to speak. I am at the Chaophya Hospital. They are running all the normal testing prior to the injection. I find this hard to believe that the 25th Angiogram that I am about to receive will deliver life giving cells to strengthen me and give me a much better quality of life.

I cannot say enough of the kindness of the people here. Thailand is truly a country of smiles. The Doctors are very kind, taking time to explain every procedure to you, making sure you feel at ease. The nurses are just as kind. And when I arrived this morning, Reen was delighted to see me. Said she had missed our time together. She had spent all day Wednesday at the Siriraj Hospital with me while I was getting my Nuclear Stress Test.

Bell another lovely lady, took Dalyne, Cathy (her husband is here for cells also) and Nadia (her husband is waiting to draw blood for cells) the five of us went touring with Bell as our guide. What an awesome time we had, we saw the Palace, the Emerald Buddha Temple and went to the large shopping center and had lunch. We laughed and had such a good time. The day went by very quickly. We hope to go to the Jim Thompson house of silk this Thursday. He was an American that was an expert on Thai Silk. There are here now to start my IV so I must go, but please remember in your prayers. All of your consider yourselves hugged.

Remember God is good ALL the time not just for the large things we ask for.
We are blessed daily by His goodness and His love and for that I am very grateful.

D

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July 26, 2005

To All My Family and Friends,

Yesterday at about 8:00 pm (7-25-05 Thai Time) I went on the journey of my life.

I was taken into the Cath Lab at Chaophya Hospital and the procedure was in progress for the injection of My Own Stem Cells, how amazing is that? It was a little more intense than I had figured but it went well. I spent the night in ICCU with an RN that stayed in the room with me all night and never left my side. She was so attentive and cordial. There are no mere words that can explain how caring these Thai nurses are. They treat every patient as if they were royalty. The head nurse in ICCU whose name is Pat; is also very kind and caring, taking time to explain everything to you. If a buzzer went off, there was a nurse instantly, not arriving 10 minutes later.

I am now back on my regular floor and will go to the Marriott Hotel tomorrow morning and Thursday, we will go see the Jim Thompson Silk house, and that will be the last tour for me. Friday evening late, we will fly home to America and should arrive at LAX about 10:00 am.

I cannot give the people at TheraVitae enough thanks for all the help and consideration shown to us while we were here in Thailand. They were all so very kind and I feel as if I have new friends that will always share a special place in my life. Bell, she is funny and very animated, Jitra, who is sweet and quiet very much the lady and Sok, who was kind enough to spend the day sharing his knowledge of Thailand with us, and very much a gentleman. And last but not least Don Margolis, who has been my cheerleader all along this interesting travel of a lifetime.

I have met very nice people from the United States who are here also; Dale and Angie Morrison from Texas and David and Cathy Lueck from Indiana. We have all shared our thoughts and dreams of a great future for all of us with a healthy life.

There are not enough words to thank TheraVitae for the hopeful future they have offered and made available to me and all the others. I can only say that may God bless all of you and may your work continue for years to come.

Dee

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July 27, 2005
To all my family and friends

Today I leave the hospital and return to the Marriot Hotel and then we fly home Friday evening.

This has been an experience I shall remember the rest of my life. I have had a wonderful friend and traveling companion who has shared each step of the memorable experience with me. This morning the Hospital Administrator and the surgery crew and all the Doctors came to my room to extend their best wishes for my recovery and to wish me a good trip home. We had our picture taken with all of them, and they shall send us copies.

I shall never be able to express my gratitude to all of the hospital personnel for their kindness to me and Dalyne while staying here at the Chaophya Hospital. This hospital is equivalent to our hospitals at home and maybe better to some degree.

Thailand is a beautiful country with beautiful friendly people. And it has been a joy to be here, not just for my Stem Cell Therapy; but also for the experience of enjoying such a beautiful place.
To TheraVitae, there are no words to express the gratitude for this opportunity. Don Margolis is an awesome person and I wish each and every one of you could meet him.

To all of you; I again thank you for your prayers, kind thoughts and encouragement. When I arrive home I shall e-mail all to let you know we have arrived safely.

Consider yourselves hugged!!

Dee