PATIENT EXPERIENCE - P A R K I N S O N ’  S 

NAME:  James Devlin    
                                                                                 
COUNTRY:  U.S.A.

AGE:  65

DIAGNOSIS:  Parkinson’s Disease stage II (Hoehn/Yahr scale)

REASON FOR COMING FOR TREATMENT:  James was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 4.5 years before coming for treatment yet he was suffering from PD symptoms for the past 15 years. James was not taking any medications before the treatment and hoped to find a treatment that can improve his quality of life without taking high dosages of medications. 

TREATMENT:  hRPE stem cells implantation (human Retinal Pigment Epithelial cells, adult stem cells) by stereotactic brain injection + nutritious stem cell cocktail treatment (intravenous).

START OF TREATMENT:  April 1, 2007

BEFORE THE TREATMENT:
See Videos: Before1 , Before2

Before the treatment James suffered from constant tremors, mainly in his right hand, his right leg and his lips. He suffered from stiffness in his back, neck, arms and in his face muscles. During the last year before coming for treatment, his tremors got worse, and were now in both of his hands.

Beside the tremors and the general weakness, the mental symptoms had a dramatic influence on James quality of life. He experienced increasing nervousness, anxiety and depression, inability to concentrate and making decisions, and impaired short-term memory.

Before the treatment James was still able to play tennis and surf, yet he felt that he was getting weaker everyday and his ability to do any activity was decreasing. He had lost nearly 40 pounds during the last 4 years and had difficulty sleeping more than few hours a night. 

James could hardly write because of the constant shaking in his hands and could not concentrate while reading a magazine or a book. His speech was beginning to slur and he felt that it was becoming more and more difficult to express himself.   

AFTER THE TREATMENT:
See Videos: After1 , After2

Within 6 weeks from the beginning of the treatment, James felt general improvement in all his symptoms. His tremors were significantly reduced, and he was now able to control them better and make them stop.

His physical strength had significantly improved; he didn’t have any shakings while playing tennis and had more energy and strength while working out at the gym.

He began to sleep much better and now had a regular full night's sleep. He also gained nearly 10 pounds within his 6-week stay at the hospital.

The most important improvement for James was a significant change in his state of anxiety and depression; James felt he was now able to make decisions again, that he was able to concentrate in making calculations, in reading a book or watching a movie. He felt that he could think more clearly and express himself more freely.

James has felt that he can start to enjoy his life again, and is looking forward to see more improvements in the coming months.