The heart attack I had at 44 was a massive one – a 3 on a scale of 4, so the damage was very bad. When you get a 3, you know at 4 you’re dead. The whole left side was damaged, and it was the hospital’s fault because back then when a woman went in with chest pain they didn’t care 20 years ago. If I’d been a man they’d have paid more attention but because I was young, they left me for six hours and did nothing. During those six hours, I was in full-blown heart attack mode and imagine the damage that was done. The nurses kept saying it but nobody else noticed. The waiting list in Canada for the bypass was a year and a half and that’s how we ended up in Miami with Dr. Kretchmar. He is the doctor I trust. He’s been with me for 20 years. I felt good after my bypass for about ten years and then I started going downhill, started getting blockages again. I’ve got three stents implanted not to mention a torn artery. That’s when Dr. Kretchmar recommended that I go to Panama for stem cells.
So, I got on a plane with my son and went for the treatment at the Stem Cell Institute. I went back six months later, not because I had to, because I wanted to, I didn’t want to take any chances of any fall back. I wanted to be on the safe side. I went the second time and the side effects weren’t that bad, there were hardly any side effects.
I found the second treatment was even better than the first. I was getting more energy, I was doing things . . . I could kneel down and pick something up and get up again, but I noticed in the summertime working around the pool that I was able to pick up leaves, vacuum the pool, and doing things that I haven’t done in a couple of years.
I decided again on my own that I was going back again. I went again the third time and I’ve been going every six months. After the third one, I realized I didn’t need nitro anymore. I wasn’t using the nitro patch, nor was I using the nitroglycerin spray. I had no angina. I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it. Before, I couldn’t go up a flight of stairs without stopping halfway!
Thing were progressing so well that I said, can I come back again? I just wanted this to keep going that way. I did have a fourth treatment in October. After the fourth treatment, we decided that we’ll wait a year because four is quite a bit, and I’m feeling . . . as long as I feel like I’m doing great, there’s no point in me just going for the sake of going. It’s all good
I used to get up and fall asleep all over the place. I’d get up in the morning, grab a cup of coffee, and then I was sleeping with my coffee in my hands. I didn’t even know I was sleeping. I would take my granddaughter to see a movie and she’d be waking me up after the movie was over. I just could not stay awake. I felt so weak; zero energy, none whatsoever. I’ve seen a huge, huge difference. I’ve mentioned it to so many people that know me already. I say, “listen guys, I’ve gone there four times, had four treatments, and I’ll go back again if I have to.” For me that was my saving grace.
