Tanya and I went back to see her Rheumatologist, Dr. Forouzesh yesterday; with the primary intent of getting the results of the Vectra DA blood test and the bone density test that were conducted two weeks ago. She also had an ultrasound done to check her thyroid because of nodules that are growing on it. Her neck has been swollen and swelling for a couple years now. The results of these tests were going to help Tanya decide if she wants to get stem cell therapy or not. Needless to say, it was a visit we have been looking forward to.
As I sat and listened to Dr. Forouzesh and Tanya go over the test results, I have to admit a certain amount of relief. To my untrained ear, it sounded like Tanya could be a lot worse off than she is today, at least according to the test results. Of course, there is one part of the test that might suggest that she does not have Rheumatoid Autoimmune Disease/Rheumatoid Arthritis, but that is why they take seven vials of blood instead of one. The bone density test results were very good, so I guess at this point in time Osteoporosis is not a concern. Dr. Forouzesh did say Tanya needed more Vitamin D and Omega 3. There was an indicator of possible heart issues, but they ran a test in the office and I guess it is not something to worry about . . . yet.
After going through past tests and discussing what they meant and what course we might take, Tanya presented Dr. Forouzesh with a fairly large stack of studies and reports she had found regarding stem cell treatments available, some going back to 2001. She presented reports of the various protocols available (bone marrow, embryonic and adult stem cells) as well as reports from various facilities. Some were successful, some were not. The point was to show Dr. Forouzesh that she was doing a thorough investigation. I think he was impressed. He informed us that he would be attending the upcoming Frontiers of Rheumatology, being held this weekend in Marina del Rey.
When I mentioned that I would love to attend the event and cover it from a media perspective, he agreed that it could be a good thing and he remembered being interviewed at a previous symposium. He gave me the contact information of the person at UCLA to talk to. I have been in touch and hopefully they will grant me a media pass. If so, I will post what I learn here.
For those that would like to learn more about Tanya’s Vectra DA blood test and the results, please visit her site at TanyaMartin.com