Stem Cells Re-Injected!!

About 18 months ago, I underwent the Vet-Stem procedure to get some of my adult stem cells. We injected my stem cells into a couple of my joints, as well as an intravenous injection for them to go to wherever it's needed.


Today, I was going to have an intravenous stem cell re-injection! Since Vet-Stem got my tissue 18 months ago, all that was needed was a call to the lab to have them "culture" more of my stem cells.

Brief description about Vet-Stem:

What is Vet-Stem?

The procedure involves getting some fat tissue out of an animal, and sending the tissue via overnight courier to a laboratory in San Diego, California where they will separate the adult stem cells from the fat tissue. They will then courier the separated stem cells back to the vet clinic where the effected joint/joints will be injected with the stem cells, as well as a dose intravenously. The fat collection is basically the only invasive part of the surgery as it does require the animal to be put under a general anesthetic while a 2.5 inch incision is made on the belly to harvest fat tissue.

What do stem cells do?

Stem cells has the ability of becoming virtually any kind of cells in the body. They can differentiate into tendon, ligament, bone, cartilage, cardiac, nerve, muscle, blood vessels, fat, and liver tissue. When injected into a diseased joint, the stem cells will differentiate into whatever cells that are needed by the joint (ie, cartilage).

When injected intravenously, stem cells travel to the tissue/organ that's in stress and try to restore optimal health by becoming specific tissue cells.

Since my joints are still doing pretty good from the injections done 18 months ago, mum only chose to do an intravenous dose this time. (mum: joint injections require a 5-10 minute anesthesia. We try to avoid anesthetics as much as we can.)

Auntie Jen gave me a hug while Auntie Kate got the needle and catheter ready,


Auntie Kate asked if she could practice putting a catheter in me because she had just finished school. Mum said sure as long as she gets it first try! (no pressure at all!)


(mum: Jen and Kate are our techs. Jen is the senior (experience wise) tech, who can pass as a vet no problem. Kate had just finished tech school and is starting to work at the clinic. Since Sunshade is SO good about being poked, she was the ideal candidate for Kate to practice on.)

Auntie Kate got it on her first try!


I was all set, Auntie Jen fed me while we waited for my Auntie Janice to finish up with her last client. (mum: Janice is our vet.)


This was the box my stem cells came in, those tubes were meant for the fat extraction procedure. We did that 18 months ago, so we didn't need to use them this time.


My stem cells!


Look at my boootiful pink stem cells,


No, I wasn't impatient at all,


See, I was very patient with my Aunties!!


Here's my Auntie Janice, first doing a saline flush to get the catheter flowing. The saline was a bit cold, hence my wonderful expression,


Now the real deal - MY SuperSTEM-CELLS!! 1 ml per minute,


Auntie Janice asked Kate to find my pulse and leave her hand there in case I went into anaphylatic shock, (mum: not that it should happen since Sunshade has had her own stem cells injected intravenously previously already, but just to be safe)


As long as you keep on FEEEEEEEDING me, I won't go into shock!


OKAY... now I'm about to go into shock... Nobuddy is feeding me....!


All four of my Aunties with me! That's Auntie Sue (mum: Sunshade's other wonderful vet!) leaning against the door. Oh, and I had just realized there were two K-I-T-T-I-E-S watching me from inside the crates that were sitting on top of the counter,


ALL DONE! I need to be fed please, or I'm going into shock!


If you would like to read in detail about the fat extraction surgery and the stem cell injections (into joints), please visit my previous posts:

• Vet-Stem: Why I Needed It
  
• MY Vet-Stem Surgery Day
• MY Vet-Stem Injection Day
• 24 Hours Post Injection

Video of MY fat harvesting surgery:

Video of MY stem cells being injected into elbow, knee and intravenous: