Patient story of Tine Rhijnsburger, 59 years, Stroke, Arthritis & Epilepsy
Date of birth: 1947
Occupation: degree in home economics, now a housewife.
Marital status: married, one son & one daughter, one son from first marriage.
Diseases treated: epilepsy, arthritis, stroke.
How it happened
It was in 1964 when I had my first epileptic seizure. The doctors said that I had been suffering from epilepsy since 1949 when I had had meningitis. I was prescribed drugs to control the seizures. Later on I started to get arthritis. This meant severe pain in the joints on the left side of my body and, of course, limited ability to move. But the terrible blow was to come in December 2002: I had a stroke. It happened in the evening when I was watching TV. When I wanted to get up my left leg gave way and I could not feel it any more; nor my left arm. I grabbed my left arm with my right hand and started to shake it, hoping I might sense it again. And in fact, I could. After walking about eight steps I collapsed again. Only this time I had to remain lying on the floor – I could not move at all.
My husband returned home from work about 30 minutes later. When he saw me he tried to lift me off the floor and sit me in a chair. Unfortunately his efforts were hopeless – I could not even sit. He called the emergency doctor who arrived approximately 15 minutes after my husband's call. The doctor diagnosed a stroke and paralysis of the left side of my body. Remarkably, I had not totally lost my ability to talk. I was taken to the hospital instantly but I did not received treatment immediately.
The consequence
My left side was completely paralysed, numb and I had severe pains. My left leg felt like it was screwed to my body and my left arm resembled a branch of a tree - totally rigid. My hand was useless and the left corner of my mouth drooped. My mouth constantly felt as if I had had a dental anaesthetic and I had difficulty drinking and eating. Moreover, my digestive system did not function properly and poor bladder function meant that having cystitis became normal to me. And, on top of everything else, the epileptic seizures started to occur on a weekly basis and I had to take medication seven times a day. I spent most of my time sitting in my wheelchair. Standing was only possible for a few seconds and when sitting I tended to bend to the left side but straightening myself up was impossible. If my husband had not been such a great help I would have been totally lost. He soothed my pains – both physical and emotional. He also invented training programmes, took me outside and he never got tired encouraging me. He did all the chores, even though his job as an IT expert took up most of his time. He remained optimistic. Nevertheless, my self-confidence disappeared and apathy and depression overwhelmed me. The day I fell and broke my leg and hip was terrible. From that day on I lived in constant fear of further falls and further fractures. I did only a bare minimum of training and my husband really had a hard time motivating me. I started to watch TV a lot. One day I saw a report about stem cell treatment and we read an article in the newspaper about a stroke patient who had been successfully treated with stem cells. My husband had long ago taught me how to use my computer and it had become an important part of my restricted life so I started to check the Internet for further information. When I came across the web site I told my husband who was totally electrified. He gathered further information, submitted my clinical records and finally registered me for therapy.
First stem cell treatment in December 2005
The doctors extracted bone marrow from my hip bone and isolated the stem cells. The cells were re-injected by lumbar puncture.
The result
The spasms disappeared only one month after the treatment. It was almost as if they had been blown away. Power and strength came back to the muscles of my left arm and leg. After three months my ability to move markedly improved and the only part of my body which sometimes hurt was my left knee. Finally, I was capable of walking longer distances and so my husband and I started going out again. Now, when we are at the shopping mall, I can climb the stairs without limping. It is 22 stairs to the second floor and 11 stairs from the first floor back to ground level. Helpful people keep telling us where we can find an elevator but I prefer to practice so I tell them, "Thanks, maybe we will take it next time!" and I continue climbing the stairs. I have come to like it. My latest personal best is 22 steps up plus 11 down steps twice in a row.
I continue to exercise even at home. I walk and I do the household chores, such as the laundry and the dishes. It feels so good to finally be able to support my husband and ease the burden of housework. And he is proud of me and my progress, however limited. He even writes down every single success in his "logbook". As my left arm is more flexible I am now capable of washing my hair myself. Also, my fear of falling has reduced and my self-confidence has improved due my newly regained mobility. Epileptic seizures now occur only once a month and my medication has been reduced from seven tablets per day to three.
All these successes have given us so much courage and motivation. My husband keeps coming up with new exercises I can do at home and he also regularly takes me to the rehabilitation centre where I receive physiotherapy. At the rehab centre they are all amazed by the progress I have made. I am a happy person again and I am looking forward to the future. Soon, we are moving to a new house with a garden in a small town. This is will be much more comfortable than living in a high rise building in Zoetermeer.
Second stem cell treatment (projected)
At the moment we are saving up for a second stem cell treatment.
My advice
Never ever give up! Always stay informed! Before I had the stem cell treatment I felt as if I was already dead or at least very close to dying. Today I am a happy person and I enjoy life.
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