PATIENT EXPERIENCE - B R A I N I N J U R Y
NAME: Liu Wei COUNTRY: China AGE: 24 DIAGNOSIS: Brain Injury REASON FOR COMING FOR TREATMENT: He had a brain injury in his brain stem resulting in quadriparesis and difficulty in speaking for two years. TREATMENT: Umbilical Cord Stem Cell and Nerve Growth Factor Injections with Rehabilitation Therapy.
START OF TREATMENT: December 15, 2004
BEFORE THE TREATMENT: He couldn’t walk or stand up. He could not sit from a lying position and could not stand from a sitting position. He had difficulties in speaking, and couldn’t make a sentence. He had difficulties in swallowing and choked while drinking. The degree of muscle strength of his right arm was 3 and the muscle tension was high. The degree of muscle strength of his left arm was 4.
AFTER THE TREATMENT: Seven days after the first injection, his muscle tension noticeably decreased. He could sit up from lying down. After ten days, he could stand up from a sitting position with help. Two weeks later, he could take steps while holding the bed. Three weeks later, he could walk for five meters without help - but very slowly. The degree of muscle strength of his right arm was 4. The degree of muscle strength of his left arm was 4.
TRANSLATION OF TEXT FROM VIDEO INTERVIEW (Janaury 2005)
Patient’s Wife:
Before, he walked very poorly with his feet spread out sideways and he could not stand properly. I had to completely support him when he walked and he was very heavy for me. Twenty days after the stem cell injections, he walks with more strength, and can speak more clearly – he can make jokes which he could not do before.
The doctor: what about his hand?
Liu Wei: my hand is more flexible.
Patient’s wife:
His hand was always tightly clenched before. Now his hand muscles have softened up.
The doctor: Were the muscles in his hand very tight before?
Patient’s wife:
Yes, it was very tightly clenched and he could not move his hand. Before when you stretched his hand out, it would go back to the clenched position. Now he can keep his hand open. Now he can hold things.
The doctor: Move your hand please. And close your fingers please.
Patient’s Wife: If you help him to open his hand, he can hold it open.
The doctor:
When you first came here, you said that he could not sit on the bed by himself. He would fall over easily. Is that right?
Patient's Wife:
Yes. His feet could not sit correctly on the floor. When he stood up, his feet could not be at the same level and his feet would spread outwards. Now his feet can stay at the same level so he can stand and will not fall down when sitting.
The doctor: Two days ago, you could stand by yourself. Now, please stand up to show us.
Patient's Wife: He does not feel comfortable to stand up from here.
The doctor: Ok. Sit on the other side of the bed.
The doctor: Could he walk like this when he came?
Patient's Wife:
His legs would spread outward so it was very hard for him to walk and very hard for me to support him to walk.
The doctor: Could he stand up when he came?
His wife: No, he couldn’t.
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