Mary

COPD Patient

My name is Mary and I live in east Texas. Three years ago I became very ill and my colon perforated. I was treated for that but still remained extremely ill. I was then diagnosed with stage 4 COPD with my lung function at 47%. This was high considering my diagnosis. However I continued working in an office that refused to make it a smoke free despite what I had asked and what the doctors where telling me. I went to several doctors with in the following 1 1/2 years. All of which said that is a fatal disease with no cure and little hope. The last doctor I saw was Dr Michael Blackmon at Presbyterian Hospital of Plano. Within the time frame of my original diagnose and April of 2014 my lung function had dropped to 22%. Two weeks after seeing Dr Blackmon I was hospitalize with complications from my COPD. At that time the doctor told me I was extremely ill and it would be well advised to come home and start making plans for the final stages of life. So I came home to plan a funeral. The more I planned the more angry I became. I was 50 when I was diagnosed with this horrible debilitating disease. I was and still am too young to be this sick!! So I stopped planning a funeral and began researching something that was mentioned to me years prior to 2014. Stem cells. I would research for 8 hours a day and this went on for months. I had decided where to go, however, I did want professional opinions on the treatment center I had chosen. In the process I found an article that Forbes had published about Bioheart and Kristin Comella. The staff and Kristin Comella at Bioheart answered questions and explained procedures to me that convinced me that I was talking to the right people. I went for my first treatment in October of 2014. I was scared, of course, but they did everything possible to ease my nerves and to make the experience pleasant. After receiving my first treatment I felt more energetic. I have gone through a winter without any hospital stays and very little illness. I just went for my second treatment and the same thing happened. I had a burst of energy. I also visited Dr Blackmon before I went and after. My lung function before treatment was around 28%. After returning home on Monday I went to see Dr Blackmon on Tuesday and my lung function was at 31%. I also want to add that the only meds I took that day were my Advair and Spiriva. No rescue inhaler or duraneb. I want to add that when I first told Dr Blackmon I was going for stem cells therapy his response was guarded. I believe he was concerned about how effective this treatment would be. He didn’t want to see me waste time or money on something that, in his mind, had not been proven yet. However, now that I have had a couple of treatments he is guarded in his hope for success but admits that my numbers are stable when they should be decreasing. I can’t say enough good things about Bioheart and Kristin Comella. I feel that they have given me hope and a chance to see my children grow into adults. I also want to give a huge shout out to Dr Blackmon. Unlike all the other doctors I’ve seen he has remained open minded. If for nothing else a better quality of life!! You’re all angels in my book and there is a special place in heaven for people like you!!!!