StemCell Therapy

A father of two has taken the decision to undergo chemotherapy, despite not having cancer.

Roy Palmer lost the use of his legs 12 years ago as a result of his multiple sclerosis and has been seeking successful treatment ever since.

But it was while watching Panorama that the 48-year-old realised a combination of stem cell treatment and chemotherapy could be the answer he was looking for, GloucestershireLive reports.

The latter is strongly associated with cancer treatment , but its properties in rendering the body's immune system almost useless are a key part of the stem cell programme Roy hopes will see him up and about again.

He and his wife Helen decided they needed to make some calls and get appointments organised to be able to try and get this pioneering treatment going.

The onset of MS in Roy's case had been swift. In less than a week what began as pins and needles ended with him having no use of his legs.

Even with intense physiotherapy and a combination of steroids and drugs Roy relapsed several times and has been off his feet for 12 years. However when he saw the treatment that is out there, in a Panorama documentary, he and his wife cried.

Roy, 48, said: I just couldnt believe what I was seeing, the stories that I saw on the programme about how well people have been doing and the stem cell treatment actually worked.

I am really pleased that I am going to be able to start the treatment. I lost the use of my legs in 2005. I was encouraged by another woman that has been through it and she was in a wheelchair and now walking.

In the process to have treatment Ive had so many knockbacks being told that I did not fit the criteria but now I am finally getting the treatment.

His treatment will see him travel to the Imperial College Hospital in Hammersmith where a course of drugs will be administered to draw stem cells from Roy's bones into his bloodstream. Over a course of time, those stem cells will then transfer to a pack similar to a blood transfusion bag and be frozen.

It is then that Roy will undergo an intensive course of chemotherapy to render his immune system virtually useless - so much so he will live in isolation for four to six weeks to minimise risk of infection.

The treatment is called HSCT. The MS Society website states that: HSCT aims to 'reset' the immune system to stop it attacking the central nervous system. It uses chemotherapy to remove the harmful immune cells and then rebuild the immune system using a type of stem cell found in your bone marrow.

Roy's wife Helen, 45, said: After the chemo they will reintroduce the stem cells, and because his body will be at zero, it will be rebooted and the MS stopped in its tracks.

Roy has been on lots of different drugs over the years and his body has gradually got used to them and they stop working.

Roy has suffered with his hands not working properly and blurred vision which they call a brain fog. His legs ceasing to work has been a huge set-back for Roy as he used to work as a courier.

Roy said: I want to be able to get out the door without having to use the ramp, it is not a huge deal to anyone else but it is to me.

My goal now is to be able to reach the end point and be able to walk again.

Roy and Helen have two children Jack, 21 and Abigail, 12, and they are fully supportive of their fathers treatment.

Helen said: I am really pleased that we went to see the GP to get this going. Roy was desperate for this treatment.

It is difficult and my father is travelling from Wales to come and look after the children and I am really grateful to that.

The children are really supportive of their dads treatment and look forward to him coming out the other side.

Continue reading here:
Dad set to undergo gruelling chemotherapy to kill his immune system despite not having cancer in bid walk again - Mirror.co.uk

This entry was posted on July 9, 2017 at 6:42 am and is filed under Immune System. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |