On February 3rd, 2011, I was blessed!

I was allowed to participate in a life changing procedure!

Allow me to explain…Many years ago, in January of 1978,1 fell off a running horse and landed on my neck and back. The first hospital put me in the morgue overnight because they thought I was going to die and could see no point in allowing me to have a bed. Needless to say, my husband had me transferred to a different hospital in another town that had an orthopedist and neurologist. After a year of many ups and downs I started to get better, thanks to a Chiropractor.

By the 90s I had arthritis and was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. Some NSAIDS helped, but as I had colon cancer in 2000 and lost one half of my colon, the NSAIDS started poisoning me because of the lack of colon to absorb them. Next came pain and more pain as my back disintegrated to the point that by 2006 I was in an electric wheelchair to go any distance.

In 2007 my pain management doctor told me about a Spinal Cord Stimulator. It interrupts the signal going to the brain that tells the brain there is pain. To me this was a life saver as with this I was able to do a great deal more than just lay in bed on a heating pad or an ice pack. I was doing anything I could to subdue the pain so I could get by with a minimal amount of medications and be relatively comfortable.

I had to have shoulder surgery on April 15, 2010. It was done by exploratory because of inability to have an MRI as it would implode the stimulator, and it was a lot more messed up that it might have been, naturally. I was still having problems with it on February 3, 2011, pain, movement impairment, and more. I was afraid I was going to have to have more surgery.

Then came the Blessing! Ross Petrie arranged for me to visit Dr. Greco and have PRP injections. Ross had told us about the wonderful improvements this is doing for people with problems like mine; no cartilage, failed back surgery and more. They withdrew my blood, treated it, showed me how the blood reacts and then started with my shoulder. It was not as painful as an epidural, by any means. They sprayed a numbing agent on the site, then shot a numbing agent into the site, and then shot the repairing solution into the site. This was very, very easy to handle. But then, I find anything easier to handle if I know what is going on. They repeated the same sequence in my lower back/sacroiliac area. After they cleaned me up, I got up and was totally comfortable. We thanked everyone and left.

I have not taken a pain pill or had on my stimulator since that moment. NO PAIN!!!!! The shoulder is getting better, but a little more slowly than the back. But, after all, it has only been ten days.

Now you understand why I feel BLESSED.

Margaret A. Russell

Some 45 years ago, I suffered a serious back injury working in a sawmill. I was carried out of the plant on a stretcher and spent a month & a half in traction at a local hospital. Back surgery was very limited in those days and my treatment after the time in traction, consisted of physical therapy to learn the proper exercises for the lower back, and medication for pain and muscle relaxants. The doctors told me that as I aged, I would probably develop arthritis, bone spurs, sciatic pain, muscle spasms & stiffness in that lower back region. They were absolutely correct about that! The last twenty years particularly have been the most physically difficult and painful of my life, despite my dedication to doing back exercises, staying in shape & avoiding undue stress on my back from lifting or twisting. That is, with the exception of playing golf, which has always been the passion of my life! I began seeking medical help from wherever I could find it — I tried chiropractors, prolotherapy, electrical stimulation (tens unit), acupuncture, therapeutic massage, epidural injections & even bought a house with a hot tub. Nothing seemed to help. I visited orthopedic clinics and neuro-surgeons, all of whom said my back was a “real mess" and was inoperable. Finally I went to a pain clinic and they suggested facet injections, which I took every six months for 2 years. While they seemed to help some for awhile, the shots eventually had no effect on my condition. I realized that this was just disguising the symptoms & was not a cure, plus the steroids were doing strange things to my body!

About 4 years ago, things got so bad that I couldn't even swing a golf club without intense pain and I had to give up the game, a very depressing situation for one who truly loves the game! Fortunately, about 3 years ago I met a Mr. Robert Brandt from Orogen Biosciences, who explained to me his work & research with PRP. I felt I had nothing to lose and Mr. Brandt arranged for me to receive injections of PRP on each side of my spine between the L4 and L5 vertebrae. The procedure was relatively painless.

Even though Mr. Brandt had warned me that this was not an "overnight fix," about two weeks went by, I didn't feel any appreciable difference, and I was starting to think that this was just another failed attempt. Then one morning I told my wife, "I think I feel somewhat better this morning!" And that was the start of something big! I gradually began feeling the improvement…less pain, more mobility, more range of motion, and certainly a big positive change in my mental attitude - I could just "feel" myself getting better!

After two months, I started cautiously working on my golf game. I just chipped and putted for awhile and gradually worked up to hitting pitch shots and short irons. And I kept feeling better and better! Bottom line is that after 4 months, I started playing golf again and have been playing ever since - I have shot my age several times and am pain free. I consider it nothing short of a miracle!! It doesn't even appear that I will need any booster shots although Mr. Brandt feels it might be prudent to do so.

I know that I will be forever indebted to Mr. Brandt, Orogen Biosciences and all those working in medical research to develop such amazing products as PRP, as it has changed my life and at times, especially after hitting a great golf shot, I feel like a young colt again!

Roy Ahonen
Lehigh Acres, Florida

Diabetic patient facing amputation of his great toe

Some skeptics say that PRP is overhyped. Others doubt its effectiveness.

Bill Snyder, 66, of Fort Myers disagreed. He had PRP done on a pressure-induced ulcer on his big toe. Snyder said the ulcer was 1-inch deep and had been bothering him for a year.

Three weeks after one PRP injection, Snyder said his wound was "completely filled up" and healed.

"Anybody who says this stuff doesn't work is kidding themselves," Snyder said. "It heals like nothing I ever saw."

The treatment was in 2008 and I still have my toe!

(Testimonial from Ft Myers Newspaper article 2010)
Bill Snyder, Ft. Myers, FL

Patient with four-year-old wound facing amputation

Cape Coral's Ed Herlund didn't want his lower right leg amputated. After four years of bandaging a bloody gash on his shin, doctors told him he had no choice.

Just as he was preparing for life with one leg, Herlund agreed to use his own blood for a new wound-healing treatment.

Platelet-rich plasma therapy, which channels the healing power in a patient's blood to speed recovery, healed Herlund's wound in three weeks.

"When they pulled the dressing off, I stood there and cried. I couldn't believe the results," said Arlene Herlund, Ed's wife.

(Testimonial from Ft Myers Newspaper Article 2010)
Ed and Arlene Herlund, Cape Coral, FL

Disc herniation with annular tear

In mid October of 2009, I suffered a rather intense lower back injury that was identified on MRI scan, as an L5-S1 8mm disc herniation with an annular tear. The accompanying pain was intense but overshadowed by the very pronounced foot drop in the left foot. As an active individual, these sets of events were distressing at the very least. The prospect of a long and fruitless rehabilitation period led into deep bouts of depression. I consulted the respective chiefs of spine surgery of 2 major medical centers along with various anesthesiologists and was advised that surgery would probably be the best option to decompress the disc and relieve pressure on the affected nerve roots. The course of subsequent return of motor and sensory function was undefined and no one responded in a favorable fashion. The panorama appeared bleak.

At this point, I decided to consult with a long time friend and advocate of PRP therapy, Mr. Robert Brandt, of OroGen BioSciences, Inc. He provided a tremendous amount of literature that supported the use of PRP in various types of injuries. This approach, although unconventional felt appropriate. We combined our resources and I received the first of two PRP Epidural placed by an associate CRNA at approximately 3-4 weeks after the initial injury. The subsequent course was nothing less than awesome. The pain subsided about 3-4 days after the treatment to virtually nothing. I began to feel stronger throughout the coming weeks and felt that the foot was responding well. A chiropractic neurologist echoed this "feeling" that I contracted to follow my progress and assess the viability of the affected nerves through electrophysiologic studies. On January 31, 2010, I completed the Miami marathon in 4:45:00. I firmly believe that although conventional medicine and surgery may have immediately solved the "problem", they would not have resolved the pronounced motor and sensory deficits that existed at that time. I absolutely believe that the enhanced nature of this regenerative process was due to PRP therapy. I have been advised that the accelerated nature of my healing was very "odd." In recent months, I have seen two similar injuries in colleagues who have chosen conventional methods of treatments. Unfortunately, after three and four months of rehabilitation, they continue to languish with deficits and discomfort. I highly recommend this method of therapy and plan on utilizing it as a first line of intervention to the extent possible. In coming years I am certain that this product will reveal healing capabilities far beyond the current limits, hopefully to evolve into quick outpatient interventions for a variety of simple and complex pathologic processes.

Victor Ortiz

Part Rotator cuff tear

This 52-year-old electrician had rotator cuff surgery on his right shoulder and was out of work for six months. He presented with pain in his surgically repaired shoulder, a partial rotator cuff tear in his other shoulder and a painful left lateral elbow. The pain in all three areas made it difficult for him to even hang a fan.

PRP matrix graft was injected in all three areas and at one week the patient reported “zero” pain. Three weeks later the patient complained of, "difficulty sleeping at night." When asked if his shoulders were painful when he was sleeping he replied, "I don't have any pain, in fact, two days after my injections I didn’t have any pain. I stopped taking the six hydrocodone I was taking daily for six months for the pain."

The patient was obviously in withdrawal from stopping all the pain medicine so abruptly. Today the patient said, "this treatment saves my marriage because I was not the same person when I was on all the pain medicine." He only had one PRP treatment!

Michael Tores, Sarasota, FL

L5/S1 Disc herniation

June 22, 2010

I am writing this testimonial one-year after an injury that I thought was the end of my pole-vaulting career. Please read on as I hope my success will help you see how great PRP really is:

As a college sophomore I injured my back and thought my pole vaulting career was over because in February 2009 an MRI showed a bulging disc located at L5/S1 in my lower back. At first the pain was excruciating. Car rides were uncomfortable, sleeping and walking all gave me pain. Physical therapy sessions consisting of heat and electric stimulation only lessened the pain a little. Nothing seemed to make the pain disappear. Frustrated and unhappy I decided to research non-surgical options and this new treatment called PRP. After doing my research I and hearing about the results from previous patients so I decided to fly to Clearwater, Florida and give it a try.

Before the treatment, my freshman year at Shippensburg University the highest I pole-vaulted was 14 feet 9 inches (To see proof visit http://www.directathletics.com/athletes/track/2209874.html and look for Bucknell Heptagonal 1/17/09). After receiving treatment in October 2009 the highest I jumped was 15 feet 9 inches, “one foot of improvement” after receiving the PRP treatment (To see proof visit http://www.directathletics.com/athletes/track/2761625.html and look for ECAC Division III Outdoor Championships 5/31/10).

To this day I have no back pain what so ever. I can continue my post-season workouts and lifting regimens without any hassle. Back burden lifts such, as squat and dead lift are pain free. I can now focus on improving my pole-vaulting marks even more!

Thanks, Nico Dalpiaz, Bethlehem, PA