2 weeks in

Its late afternoon and the large regal red sun is retreating after a hard days work shining through the hazy Delhi smog. A mischievous wind brings about a smell of curry and breaks the silence as the 3 of us lounge around the 3x4 room, each engrossed in our own activities of reading, writing and playing poker. Time in between physio sessions which consist of trudging around the basement on a walking frame as if I'm searching for a missing sock, is spent now debating and discussing the more challenging questions that life throw us, like what makes the tail of a rattle snake rattle? And do one ended sticks really exist? Sam conveys his wondrous knowledge on the most courteous way to serve Chai Tea, which of course with a thick layer of skin on the top, as he squirms about a loose stool as if it was an internal gut wrenching battle he is bound to loose... he farts again.

We have been here now for the best part of 2 ponderous weeks. Already we have tasted many a dish, talked to many a local, had many a laugh and seen many a thing that can only be seen here in India, like a herd of cow grazing on the barren nature strip in the middle of a major city highway.

Everyday brings about a new adventure and everyday brings about a new element of my recovery as long forgotten feelings and sensations reintroduce themselves to my legs and my ever strengthening toes try desperately to move more and more but take the rest of the day off after a minuscule morning movement of less than a bees in thigh.

My next procedure which will hopefully increase this rate of change and until then I'll be pre-occupied with trying to imagine leg movements, feet kicking, thigh pushing and toe wriggling. All the messages that my brain sends shoot down my spinal chord and are getting themselves lost in the dark chasm of an injury that blocks the highway south. The brain is such a powerful sponge it not only soaks up it can tell its body to release chemicals that in turn attract the miraculously healing stem cells to an injured site. So the more I imagine, the more chemicals are produced and the greater the pull is on the stem cells to the affected area. So there you go.

Ahhhh magical times indeed, yes Sir. I could ramble on aimlessly for hours but instead its back to the excitement for me!

Cheerio from Louis Rowe.

while your waiting for the next update..

http://www.myspace.com/alineoflouis

Crusin'

Well... After one of the most productive weeks of my life (woke up at 8 every morning! read a book, wrote 2 songs and learnt to walk again) things have settled back down to normality, although I'm still getting up early. The next week or so will be focused on correcting and strengthing my gate. I'm walking on the parralell bars (you see in the video) at the moment but soon to be moving onto grandpa's walking frame. Everybody here at the hospital is experiencing great results, its very encouraging to see the like of Sonia Smith (the first Aussie to get stem cells) walking without the use of any equiptment. Dr Geeta Shroff has also just recieved recognition from the US of some kind for her work with Stem Cells, which is great, it means that the day Stem Cell treatment is readily available in Australia is drawing closer.

Cheerio from Louis Rowe

Everyone was doing it...

One SMALL step for a man, one GIANT leep for me!

As wise people say, Actions speak more than words.

ENJOY!

Procedure I

Today started just like any other morning.. too bloody early. Down to Physio at 9am for my workout then wisked away to the main hospital for my first procedure. I was scared and vervous, not about the possible pain as I was reasured there wouldn't be any, but of the possible outcome... "what if nothing happens?" "What if they hit the wrong button and turn everything off?" WHAT IF! So I get to the hospital and change into a robe and after a nail-biting 2 hour wait, my number was up. My face filled with doubt and reservation I made my way to the operatting room, where the Doctor kindly reassured me that I won't feel a thing.
It was like getting a tooth removed from the Dentist, lots of pushing and pulling but no sensations at all.. Then all of a sudden my feet start tingling.. it was like a was wearing concrete shoes, the tingling slowly made its way up the left leg, till it was an unbearable burn. The whole thing only lastest 5 minutes then things started to go back to normal... It was over.. I waited in hope that the doctors would say "Shit look at that!" but nothing. I tried desperatly to kick and wriggle to get some reaction but still nothing... The Doctor said "Hmmm yes, right, ok theres a little something in the toe, do it again." I thought he was humoring me to keep my spirits up, because its all about mind over body, so unwillingly i tried again, and he said the same "Thats great you just moved your foot." It has been a little over 14 months since I have moved anything down that way and still not being able to feel anything my instant reaction was not to believe him. So I was taken back to my room, to start the 5 hour lay down, to let things settle, when the Doctor walked in with Dr. Geeta Shroff, the mastermind behind all the miracle stories. She had a video camera in hand, again I was asked to try and move my feet and legs, the reaction from all the doctors, Sam and Jacqui puzzled me, surely all of them wouldn't be in on this sick joke. "Look at this magic, said Dr Shroff" and as she showed me the video I was astounded, both feet moved a little less than an inch, and my legs came off the bed about 4 inches. As the salt water started to swell in my eyes she added "Oh No, look out! Another emotional Aussie!"
So now we've scrapped the swiss ball idea for Monday, its walking time!
(I'll post a video clip of these once lazy toes soon....ish.)

One of those new high-tech hospital beds.

Settling Down To Business

Its taking 4 satchels of Nescafe before the thought of smiling or communicating with more than a grunt even enters my head, as the early mornings take there toll. The holiday is over now as the physio has been stepped up 3 notches from a gentle morning massage, to a series of strenuous pushes, pulls and lifts, I'm told I need to constantly try to wriggle my toes and move my legs, which is like walking in a pool of fast drying concrete.

Tomorrow will be the 1st of 3 'procedures', where in another hospital I'll recieve an injection straight into the spinal column, just below the injured part. The American girl across the hall recieved her 2nd the other day, she said there was a warm tingle up and down her spine and it took 3 men to hold down her spasming legs.. I was glad she went into so much detail in telling me this. Anyway these babies are supposed to be the big ones, with most people showinggreat improvments after them, so I'm a little nervous especiallyafter hearing her (i'm hoping slightly exaggerated) story.

I've also been fitted out for callipers (walking aids) and from Monday, I'm told I'll be able to sit on a swiss ball, which is a skill that I'm sure will come in very handy. Anyway apart from my growing sarcasm and tiredness things are looking as tho they could be on the up, so until next time, here's hoping.

Cheerio from Louis Rowe

Getting fitted out for Callipers

A local windscreen delivery service

First Injection

Sam with a wise local and his pop

Chicken Maharaja Mac burger

An introduction

It was 5.25 am, the plane was already 45 minutes late, due to slackness. We (myself Louis, mybrother Sam and girlfriend Jacqui) had just touched down in the bustling metropolis villiage of Delhi. the heat was stifling, and the all consuming stench greeted us along with the desperate cries of a hundred taxi drivers. We were rushed through customs with our chosen driver and began our spine-tingling jounry through the centre of the 'city' to our hospital. Once we arrived and relaxed my first thoughts were 'how could stem cells treatment, a true marvel of modern medicine ever had originated in such a backwater?'
Go forward three days and I'm now sitting in my modest room amongst mans basic necesities a bed, tv and fridge, writing this with a much greater understanding of the culture and people and with a much greater hope that this treatment will make some positive changes to my body. In this 4 story apartment block in an inner-city street, there are people from every corner of the earth, all with there own story and a disability or illness of some kind. Some have suffered strokes, some are half blind, some can't walk and others can't do anything but lay there (which is not as good as it sounds) but we have all made epic journey's to this same building for the same compelling reason. Stem Cells. Taken from a petrie dish at almost an instant after a sperm has penetrated an ovum and divided in two these ethicaly acceptable cells have the potential to service the world for an eternity, because they simply keep splitting in two.
A small injection of less than 10ml of these cells twice a day should by all reports be enough to wake up the lazy bottom half of my body. Although after the first 2 days there has been no change it is still only early days, and everbody reacts differently to the cells. Miracle stories that bolster one hope and determination have been past on down from patient to patient "Did you hear about the guy from the UK who was here only 3 months ago, A 42 year old who had been in a chair for 16 years, had one injection in the morning then greeted the doctors standing in his doorway in the afternoon" I'm not sure if these are urban myths started by the doctors or truth, but its enough to keep your mind on the task at hand and off the constant beeping of cars and crowds on the dusty streets below.
So thats it for now, I'll be sure to keep this regularly updated with tales from the sub-continent when i can.
Cheerio from Louis Rowe