Half Way There

This morning I headed over to the Hospital around 9AM for some blood work. I arrived at the XCell Center which was located on the third floor of the local hospital. I was shown to the waiting room where there was plenty of seating, a toy corner for kids, and an espresso machine for patients and visitors to help themselves.

After filling out and signing some more paper work, I went down the hall to the lab for a quick blood test, then it was back to the reception room to await the results. Barring any unforeseen problems with my blood work, I would go ahead and have the bone marrow collection procedure from which the doctors would isolate and harvest as many of my stem cells as they could.

The facility itself was a little stark, but clean. The reception room had windows looking out onto the Rhine.  The receptionist was friendly and spoke a fair amount of English.

Once my tests came back, I was ready for the collection procedure. I met with the doctor who would be performing both the bone marrow collection and the angioraphy and had a chance to ask him any questions I still had. I got the sense that he was genuinely listening to my concerns and trying to give me the best and most honest answers possible.

A nurse accompanied me down stairs to the "sterile" room where my bone marrow would be extracted. I had to put covers over my shoes and hair, but that was it, no hospital gown or anything like that.

I had to lie on my side in the fetal position with my jeans pulled down just a bit in order to expose the spot on my hip where the doctor would insert the needle. I asked about a sedative, but the doctor thought that it was unnecessary.

A small side note about me: I HATE needles. It's not the pain of the needle or anything like that, I guess it's just the knowledge that there is a foreign device inserted under my skin that makes me panic. Getting a shot, having blood drawn, etc, it all makes me very anxious. In retrospect, i should have taken a sedative, but that is only because of my personally phobia of needles.

Anyhow, the doctor first injected the site with a local anesthetic. After that had a minute or two to take effect, the extraction needle was inserted. Now, I am not going to pretend like it felt good at all, because it didn't. That being said, the discomfort was completely manageable. I would say the most noticeable thing is a sensation of pressure. My best suggestion is to try as much as you can to relax, possibly try some deep breathing techniques. I feel like some of the pain was just my imagination because I was a bit worked up not knowing what to expect.

The doctor was nice and talked to me throughout the procedure, probably to help keep my mind off of things, and the nurse was there too, though she barely spoke any english. Actually, it did bother me a little bit that the nurse assigned to me couldn't really understand any of my questions. It would have been nice to be able to ask her things prior to the procedure, but it was not a big deal. I also noticed that, though nice and all, the "bedside manner" in Germany is a little brusque. I think Germans in general are just more straight forward or abrupt in their mannerisms. There does not seem to be the same kind of "hand-holding" that you might find in the states. They are all about getting down to business, not that there is really anything wrong with that.

So, the extraction only took about 15 minutes, though it can take up to 30. I was happy to be off the table and was able to walk around immediately. They put a bandage over the puncture wound and after spending about 20 minutes in the reception room having a coffee, I was free to head back to the hotel. I walked with a slight limp for the rest of the day, but pretty much felt fine and was easily able to grab a cab back to the hotel.

Tomorrow is a "rest day" as they will need that time to isolate the stem cells from the bone marrow. As long as I am feeling alright, I'm, going to take tomorrow to check out the city of Dusseldorf.

Day one seems to have been a success so far. It will be interesting to see how many stem cells they are able to get from the bone marrow they extracted. 15 minutes of discomfort doesn't seem to bad in the general scheme of things, especially when it could result in major quality-of-life improvements...

What do you think? After hearing the details of the bone marrow extraction, would you do it?

Booked!

I have booked my flights! I will be flying in and out of Amsterdam. The hotel and clinic in Dusseldorf, Germany is only about and hour and a half away by train. I will fly from the States to Amsterdam on Saturday night and arrive Sunday morning. I'm planning to spend most of the day in Amsterdam and hop the train to Dusseldorf in the evening, getting into the hotel around 9pm.
I am planning to take the train back to Amsterdam after recovering from the procedure the following weekend to see some friends who live there and spend a few days checking out the city. I figured since I am making the trip all the way over, I mind as well squeeze in a little fun...

Pre-treatment Instructions/Information

Dear David,

Please see attached copies of the Pre-treatment instructions you will be asked to read and sign at the clinic.

These copies are “FYI” only -  just to give you a better idea of what will happen during the procedure.

There is no need to return these documents to me. 

Kind Regards,

T

Patient Relations Consultant

XCell-Center GmbH

Custodisstrasse 3-17

50679 Cologne, Germany

Tel:  1-951-894-1094
Fax: 1-951-848-9829 

Treatment Contract

Treatment contract:

XCell-Center GmbH Custodisstraße 3 - 17, 50679 Cologne, Germany (hereinafter referred to as “XCell-Center”), 

and _________________________________________________________ (hereinafter referred to as the “Patient”) 

have concluded the following treatment contract: 

1.  

a)Subject of contract 

Within the scope of the contract, XCell-Center will provide the Patient with the following form of treat- 

ment with adult stem cells: 

Lumbar puncture 

Angiography 

Surgery 

Direct Injection 

IV 

b)The medical examination as well as the harvesting and re-implantation of the stem cells are performed by 

medical specialists in a harvesting facility approved by the responsible regulatory authority pursuant to 

Art. 2 No. 11 of the German Ordinance on Good Manufacturing Practices in the Production of Medicinal 

Products and Active Substances and the Application of Good Manufacturing Practice in the Manufacturing 

of Products of Human Origin. 

c)The harvested stem cells are processed in a tissue facility approved by one of the responsible authorities 

pursuant to Art. 2 No. 10. 

d)Both facilities work in compliance with the principles of good Manufacturing practice in the sense of Art. 

3 Para. 1 of the AMWHV. 

2. Remuneration 

a)remuneration for stem cell treatment totals 

EUR 7,545.00 for lumbar puncture. 

EUR 8,925.00 for angiography. 

EUR ________ for ________________ 

b)Remuneration is due for payment upon formation of this treatment contract. 

c)The remuneration is to be paid in full even if the treatment does not take place for reasons in the Patient’s 

sphere of influence. 

3. Clarification 

a)The Patient confirms that, before signing this contract, he/she received comprehensive information from 

XCell-Center through a doctor regarding the course, prospective duration, scope and possible risks and 

side effects of treatment with adult stem cells. 

b)The Patient confirms that, before signing this contract, he/she was informed that successful outcome of the 

treatment cannot be guaranteed. 

c) The Patient confirms that he/she was informed that the above-mentioned therapy is not yet recognized as 

a general treatment method pursuant to Art. 135 SGB V (German Social Code V) by the German Federal 

Joint Committee (G-BA) and that the costs for the treatment will therefore not be reimbursed by the statu- 

tory health insurance funds or private health insurance companies. 

4. Guarantee, liability

a) XCell-Center guarantees proper and professional treatment with adult stem cells from the Patient. 

b) XCell-Center does not guarantee the success of treatment. 

c) Treatment can be expected to take 3 until seven calendar days. The Patient has been informed that this 

figure is merely a non-binding estimate and that the duration of treatment may vary from this estimate 

depending on the conditions in individual cases. XCell-Center assumes no liability for exceeding the treat- 

ment duration if delays in treatment occur for reasons outside of Xcell-Center’s realm of influence. 

5. Other contractual provisions 

a) There are no collateral verbal agreements to this contract. Modifications and additions to this contract 

must be in written form in order to be valid; this is likewise applicable to the rescission of the agreement 

on written form itself. 

b) The place of performance is Cologne / Düsseldorf. 

c) If the Patient’s location of residence is not in the Federal Republic of Germany, the place of jurisdiction for 

disputes arising from this contract is also Cologne. 

d) German law shall apply with the exception of international civil law (Art. 3 to 46 of the German Introduc- 

tory Law to the Civil Code - EGBGB) and UN Sales Law. 

e) Should individual provisions of this contract be legally invalid or become so as a result of changes in legisla- 

tion or alterations in court decisions, this shall not affect the validity of the rest of the contract. The invalid 

provision shall be replaced with a valid provision which fulfills the intentions of the parties upon conclu- 

sion of contract as closely as possible.

Bone Marrow Collection Info

Bone Marrow Collection Info:

Dear patient, 

Through the information presented on this page and a supporting visit with a physician we are informing you 

about the bone marrow collection, its significance and possible complications. 

Extraction method:

A small amount of adult autologous bone marrow stem cells are extracted from the patient’s bone marrow. 

Generally the pelvic bone is punctured for this. This is performed under local anesthesia. Upon request you can 

be given a sedative (injection) prior to the procedure. With a needle a small amount of bone marrow is taken 

from the pelvic bone. In order to prevent infections the procedure takes place under sterile conditions. The 

local anesthetic can hardly be felt. The extraction of the bone marrow with the needle often causes brief pain. 

Generally a longer persisting pain does not occur. 

Possible complications:

Even with very carefully performed procedures there are always certain risks involved. The occurrence of any 

of a number of small unfortunate incidents can lead to severe consequences. The risk of infection is very low. 

Damage to the surrounding organs as a result of the puncture is extremely rare. Secondary bleeding is 

possible, but is usually controlled by applying pressure at the site of the puncture. 

The surgery is a minimally invasive procedure making use of high-tech equipment in the operating room. 

Rules of conduct after the procedure:

In case of normal bleeding the site of the puncture is usually covered with a bandage. Follow-up is only 

needed when there is bleeding from the puncture channel or in case of problems. Normal activities can be 

resumed after the extraction. If you received a sedative before the procedure you should not drive or operate 

machinery for the remainder of that day because your ability to react could be impaired. 

Please ask questions if there is something you did not understand or if you would like to know more about 

the procedure or the possible complications. We will gladly answer all questions during the informational 

visit. 

Angiography Information

Angiography Information:

1. General information 

Dear patient, 

It is important that prior to the treatment you are well informed. Therefore please take your time reading the 

following information. If something is not clear, or if you would like to know more details about the proce- 

dure, possible complications and risks, specifics for your individual case or any other issues, please do not hesi- 

tate to ask. We will gladly answer all your questions! 

You do not have to fast – you can eat a regular breakfast. But do not eat for at least 3 hours before the sche- 

duled procedure. Exception: Patients with allergies have to stop eating the evening before. Drinking water is 

allowed and recommended. 

You can and should take your regular medications – if needed bring the necessary medicines for your stay. 

Exception: Blood thinners or anti-coagulation medicines! 

If you are taking Metformin (Glucofage®, Siofor®, Metformin IR etc.) you must discontinue it three days 

before the angiography takes place. Please ask your general practitioner or diabetologist what other medica- 

tion you can take for that period. Three days after the angiography it is safe to start taking Metformin again. 

If Metformin is not stopped, we cannot perform the angiography. 

For the observation time following the procedure you can bring something to read. For your convenience 

there will be a television in your room. We have our own cafeteria for family members accompanying you and 

a variety of drinks will be provided. 

2. Information about the angiography 

Based on your previous examinations/medical evaluation it is necessary to perform the stem cell transplant via 

an angiography in order to place the stem cells accurately in the target organ. 

An angiography is an X-ray examination to visualize blood vessels by injecting contrast dye. 

The entire procedure lasts about 30 to 60 minutes. Normally the procedure is not painful and is done under 

local anesthesia. If you want to we can give you a sedative prior to the procedure. 

3. Course of the procedure: 

1. You will lie down on the examination table in the angiography room. 

2. After the skin is disinfected and covered with a sterile cloth a local anesthetic will be given either in the 

groin or the inside of the elbow by means of an injection of about 10 ml lidocain 1 % (Xyloneural). Subse- 

quently a puncture of an artery of the leg or arm is performed and a sheath will be put in place. Then a 

thin catheter is introduced via the sheath. The diameter of the catheter is about 1.2 to 1.8 mm (4-6F). The 

catheter is advanced into the main artery on the basis of an X-ray image and then guided into the intended vessel; normally this takes only a few minutes. For placing stem cells e.g. in the pancreas the leg artery is 

commonly punctured. 

3. Next a contrast material is injected via the catheter in order to show the individual blood vessels and to 

visualize the distribution. For a short time the contrast material causes a feeling of heat/warmth through- 

out the body, with the femoral access this is mainly in the lower part of the body and can sometimes 

involve a feeling like the start of a cramp in the calf. This feeling of heat/warmth lasts less than 10 seconds 

and is completely harmless. During the procedure you may be asked to briefly hold your breath. 

4. Additionally it may sometimes be necessary – in order to assess the image of the vessels on the screen 

better – to administer a medication that temporarily blocks the movement of your intestines during the 

procedure. This medicine briefly causes a dry, bitter taste in the mouth and possibly also dizziness for a 

short time. This medicine must not be administered to a patient with increased intraocular pressure 

(glaucoma/ cataract). So please let us know if you suffer from glaucoma. 

5. After confirming by angiography that the catheter has reached the target area the stem cells will be 

injected. After the application the catheter and sheath will be removed. 

6. After the removal of the devices from the groin a special closure tool (AngioSeal®) will be put in place. 

This allows you to stand up immediately and move, albeit very carefully. Following another four hours rest 

you can be discharged. After the removal of the devices from the arm the site of the injection must be com- 

pressed manually until the bleeding has stopped (normally after 10 minutes), after which a pressure ban- 

dage is applied; otherwise due to the puncture of an artery and to the pressure of the blood, the puncture 

would not close. Therefore the pressure bandage has to stay in place for 4 – 6 hours and you will need strict 

bed rest during that time so no bleeding occurs or a hematoma (accumulation of blood in the tissue) is 

formed in the area of the injection. 

7. A written report (protocol) is prepared of the procedure. 

8. After the period of rest and bedside monitoring at the clinic, and provided that there were no complica- 

tions, you can be transported by car or taxi to your home or hotel. 

Possible side effects and complications: 

1. Allergies for iodine containing contrast medium are rare and in most cases can be treated with medicines 

immediately. However, in very rare cases major allergic reactions may occur with an acute reduction of the 

blood pressure and respiratory and cardiac arrest. 

As a rule this concerns patients who experienced severe allergic reactions previously. If you suffer from 

allergies you must inform us. For details see below. 

2. Sometimes circulatory hypersensitivity reactions occur. These can usually be relieved quickly by using 

medicines to increase the blood pressure. 

3. At the site of the injection bruising or vessel wall injury can occur. Major bleeding can result in consider- 

able blood loss; it may then be necessary to operate immediately to remove the hematoma and to suture 

the blood vessel at the site of the injection. 

4. Iodine contrast medium may rarely lead to a deterioration of renal function, or even to a renal failure. 

Therefore we might give you a special medication - saline in combination with ACC (Acetylcysteine) - to 

protect your renal function if your renal-parameters are slightly elevated (Creatinine and BUN). If there is 

already a severe renal insufficiency we most likely will not be able to perform an angiography. In most 

cases these complications can usually be treated successfully. 

Scheduling

Below is an email I received about scheduling the up-coming procedures:

Dear David,

I was able to schedule your  Bone Marrow Collection and Pancreatic Angiography. I hope these dates work out for you. Please confirm the dates with me, then I will forward some emails to you regarding travel and other pertinent information.

Treatment Times
1. Monday at 10am- meet your treating physician to discuss details of treatment, do pre-treatment blood tests, and have bone marrow collected

2. Wednesday at 10am- return to the clinic for stem cell re-implantation by Dr. Beythien.

Once you confirm these treatment dates, you can go ahead and make your travel arrangements.
Arrival & Departure

• You should plan to arrive in Dusseldorf on or before Sunday, (which means you need to fly out of the US on Saturday).

• Following your cell application procedure, you should plan to rest for a minimum of 36-48 hours before traveling again. So leaving on Friday, or later is suggested.

As always, please contact me with any questions or if you need assistance.

Kind Regards,

T

Patient Relations Consultant

XCell-Center GmbH

Custodisstrasse 3-17

50679 Cologne, Germany

Tel:  1-951-894-1094
Fax: 1-951-848-9829 

Approved For Treatment

Good news, I have been approved for treatment. Below is the letter I received from their patient-relations consultant:

Dear Mr. B,
I am glad to inform you that Dr. Beythien has completed your evaluation and has given you medical approval for treatment of Diabetes via angiography.

I hope you feel positive about being accepted as a patient. It is certainly possible that you will experience some significant improvements following your therapy.  However, at the same time, I want you to be aware that a positive outcome cannot be guaranteed. You should make your decision about coming to Germany for treatment with these facts in mind.
Scheduling Treatment
When you are ready, I will assist you with the scheduling of your treatment dates. It is usually necessary to schedule 4-5weeks in advance. We cannot book patients more than 3 months in advance.  Please suggest a particular week during which you would like to be treated and I will check the clinic schedule for availability. Do not make travel arrangements until after I have confirmed treatment dates with you.

The Xcell Center has clinics located in both Cologne and Dusseldorf.   Most neurological patients can freely choose which clinic is more convenient for them.  Cardiac, diabetic, direct intracranial injections, eye patients treated by retrobulbar injection and children under the age of 18 will be scheduled in the Dusseldorf clinic only.

Travel Arrangements
After your treatment dates have been confirmed, the Xcell-center can help you with some of your trip details such as making airline reservations, finding a hotel and basic ground transportation while you’re in Cologne/Dusseldorf.  

Precautions

If you are on blood thinners ( Aspirin, Plavix, warfarin etc . ) you must ensure your INR is <1.3 while undergoing treatment. Please talk to your family doctor about how to get your blood coagulation levels within the acceptable range and if it is safe for you to do so. Acceptable values for cardiac and stroke patients may differ depending on personal risk factors.  Treatment might be delayed or cancelled for patients whose blood coagulation levels are out of range.  Subcutaneous Heparin injections are usually an acceptable alternative to most blood thinning medications.

If you are considering undergoing angioplasty and are taking Metformin or equivalent, please discuss with your doctor how to safely discontinue this medication for a few days prior to treatment.  You may use a substitute medication as long as it does not contain Metformin.

If you believe you are have contracted H1N1 influenza A (swine flu) please ensure that you are not contagious when you travel to Germany or are treated at the center.

Please also be aware that treatment may be cancelled or delayed if, on the rare occasion, blood test values are not acceptable or, if at the time of treatment, it is not safe for you to undergo treatment for some other unforeseen medical circumstance. You should be aware of this as we move forward.  Blood will be drawn during your first appointment and only those results will determine the course of your treatment.

If you believe you have an issue that might make you untreatable, you should discuss it with your doctor before booking your appointments.   

Please let me know if you have any questions or need assistance.

Kind Regards,

T

Patient Relations Consultant

XCell-Center GmbH

Custodisstrasse 3-17

50679 Cologne, Germany

Evaluation test requirements

My blood tests have been completed and I have sent them off for evaluation.

Below are the list of what the Xcell Center needs to preform the free evaluation in order to determine whether or not a patient is eligible for the treatment. All can be determined with a simple blood test:

CBC – must include the following items:

•         Hemoglobin/ Hematocrit

•         White Blood Count

•         Platelet Count

•         Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT)

•         International Normalized Ratio (INR) or “Quick” ( should be lower than 1.3)

•         Mean Corpuscular Value (MCV)

•         HbA1c

•         C-Peptide

•         Glucose

•         HDL

•         LDL

•         Triglycerides

•         TSH, T3, T4

And a “Chemistry Routine”  - must also include the following items:

•         Creatinine**

•         Electrolytes

•         Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)**

Infectious diseases– Should include the following items:

•         HIV

•         Hepatitis B and C

•         Treponema Pallidum Hemagglutination Assay (TPHA) – syphilis test

The antibody evaluations – must includes

•         ICA

•         IAA

•         GADA

•         IA-2

•         if possible the HLA DR3 and HLA DR4 genetic tests.

*** patients must have normal kidney function

So thats it. You just let your doctor know these are the labs they need to look at, your doctor can then order the tests, you have your blood drawn, wait for the results and then fax/email them off to the Xcell Center for evaluation... Easy. 

Intro/the big decision...

Hi there,

First of all, let me say, I am new to the blogging world, so forgive me if i get off to a slow start.

The purpose of this blog is to share my experiences as a type I diabetic in hopes that it may help others in some form or another. So, here goes...

As I mentioned, I am a type I diabetic and have been for the past 17 years. Wow, that sounds like a really long time now that I have actually see it on the screen. I was diagnosed when I was 13 years old, as if I wasn't dealing with enough change at that age.

Not sure exactly what brought it on, there is no known history of the disease in my family. There are a number of possibilities and I have yet to narrow it down to what I think may be the specific culprit.

My diet back then was reasonably normal, though I did have a sweet tooth and consumed more than my fair share of coke. So, to much sugar perhaps?

Stress was another big factor in my life, my parents were going through a rough divorce, and I had recently changed schools. It's not always easy being the new kid.

Sometimes I think it could have been caused by a temporarily weakened immune system. The summer before I was diagnosed, I suffered some sort of spider or tick bite on Nantucket island and became very sick for a couple weeks. Unlikely, but I have always wondered if that played some part in the whole thing.

Anyway, I will probably never really know the cause for sure, just that there are plenty of possible catalysts. I have been hearing a lot about the adverse effects of dairy products, especially milk. A convincing argument linking dairy consumption to a large share of America's most prevalent diseases is made in the book "The China Study"by T. Colin Campbell. A very interesting read that goes as far as to claim one can reverse the progression of most types of cancer simply by changing one's diet. The book advocates a whole foods, plant based diet. Anyway, if you know someone suffering from cancer, you might want to pass it along to them.

As for me, I am a healthy, (besides the obvious diabetes) active individual, and would like to stay that way. I love the outdoors, skiing, surfing, hiking with my dog, pretty much if it's active and outside, I'm into it. As most type I's know, these sorts of activities can prove somewhat difficult when trying to control the blood sugar. Frustrated doesn't begin to cover what I feel sometimes when trying to balance activities with eating. Nothing worse than being out in a good swell and needing to paddle in because the blood sugar is on the decline.

I recently celebrated my 30th birthday, and disappointed by the complete lack of progress I have been seeing in the field of type I diabetes, I decided to become more proactive in whatever way possible. I remember when I was first diagnosed, my doctor assured me there would be a reliable, non-invasive way to test one's blood sugar within 5 years. 17 years later... Nothing. That combined with the fact that every couple of months there is a new and improved ipod or cell phone, and yet, there isn't even an insulin pump that can both test your blood sugar and administer insulin.

It's easy to get discouraged by this stuff, and diabetes is known, among many things, to cause depression, so let's focus on what we can do instead of all the stuff not being done.

I have been thinking for a long time now about stem cell therapy. I have done a fair amount of research on the topic and was even involved in a study where islet cells were to be injected into the pancreas. In the end though, i did not follow through with that particular study because it required you to take immuno-suppressant drugs and I decided the possible benefits were not worth the potential risks.

Anyhow, after a lot of research, I have decided to go ahead with a stem cell transplant. They can be extremely costly and there is no guaranteed outcome, not to mention more than a few treatment centers with somewhat shady reputations. Since this type of procedure is not done in the US, treatment must be sought outside the country, so I suggest putting in a lot of leg work checking places out and the validity of their credentials before making a decision of this magnitude. That being said, I know there will always be a part of me that thinks "what if". I do not expect any miracles or quick-fixes, but even if there is a chance of improved quality of life, it seems worth it to me. Risks appear to be minuet as the procedure is minimally invasive.

The money is obviously an issue, but in the end, it's just money. Feeling good is far more important to me than money could ever be, so once I excepted the fact that the worst thing that could possibly happen is no real improvement, I put the money issue out of my mind. I did however talk to a few people who had had similar procedures and it turned out some of them had gotten quite creative on the money front. I spoke with a couple who's son's school ended up throwing him a party/fundraiser that ended up covering the costs of not only the procedure, but flights and hotel as well. This sort of stem cell procedure, if nothing else, contributes valuable information to the future of stem cell research for all sorts of diseases. It is more than likely you have friends who have friends or family members suffering from diseases that could benefit from stem cell therapy, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were more than happy to donate a small amount to your cause... So throw a big party, talk to friends and local business' about donating food/drinks/entertainment, whatever, its for a good cause and its fun.

Ok, so, as I mentioned, there are lots of "treatment centers" that claim to fix all your problems if you give them enough money. After an extensive search, I found a place that not only appeared to be reputable and legitimate, but it was also one of the less expensive options by thousands of dollars. They have reps in the US, so communicating was easy and they were pretty helpful and responsive. That being said, the contacts are not actual doctors and I'm sure they are incentivized to recruit patients. Non-the-less, it seems to be the right and most promising facility.

I chose the Xcell Center in Germany. There are two locations, one in Cologne and another in Dusseldorf. Germany is known to have a very good health care system with fantastic doctors. I have been communicating with the US rep and one of the doctors so far. They have sent me a list of preliminary blood tests to have my doctor do over here, which they will evaluate to make sure I am a good candidate for the procedure. From what I can tell though, I don't think there is a whole lot that would exclude someone from being a candidate. I think it is mainly to make sure you are healthy enough for the procedure and possibly they can get an idea of what type of results you can expect depending on your condition.

Time for the tests... More to follow.