Hypermobility- Degenerative Joint Disease
18-Month Patient Reported Outcome
TB – Female 70 yrs.

I am 70 years old and have a genetic condition called hypermobility. This is a connective tissue disorder. It comes from having too much collagen in the joints. The excess collagen causes my joints to be loose and lack stability. Because of my condition, I have suffered broken bones, sprains, torn ligaments, torn meniscus, bone-on-bone joints, arthritic fingers, degenerative discs in L4, L5 and the SI joint, sciatica, lack of balance, and recently a torn rotator cuff.

I just completed 18 months since my

therapy on August 6, 2018. I was fortunate to be an early responder and have continued to improve since I received the cells. Unexpectedly, there continues to be more positive improvements in my body. The biggest change that keeps amazing me is my new mobility. Prior to the stem cell therapy, I could barely walk 1000 steps. Now I refuse to quit my day without going at least 8000 steps (about 4 miles). My energy levels have returned to where they were more than 10 years ago.

There is more benefit than the summary above, but first here is an idea of where I started from: With age, I have experienced severe pain and inflammation throughout all of my joints and body. Every one of my relatives that have this condition have ended up in wheelchairs or bed. I have already had a partial knee replacement and a total reconstructive foot so I could walk (the joints had totally collapsed).

In the months prior to AMBROSE, I could hardly walk and was prescribed another knee replacement. I knew the second knee replacement would get me walking again but by now the pain and inflammation was everywhere in my joints. In particular, both shoulders, my left hip and SI joint as well as my neck, lower back, thumb and fingers were chronically inflamed. The foot reconstruction had left me with a constant tingling from nerve damage.

I was a runner for 35-years, so it was really hard for me to accept the condition I was in. I was told to expect the knee replacement to be followed by a hip replacement and couldn’t imagine also having shoulder and spine surgeries. I also had severe bladder incontinence that related to both bearing my children and the connective tissue disorder. Living with all this pain and dysfunction was both debilitating and exhausting.

It was clear to me that I needed a new option. I had too many issues to consider multiple surgeries and medications were at best temporary solutions that would lead to trouble down the road.

I started researching stem cell therapy about 5 years ago and had watched the field improve and advance dramatically for some years. When I started to look for a cell therapy provider, I heard from a friend that I should contact another friend of mine, Matt Feshbach, the Founder and CEO of AMBROSE. Matt and the AMBROSE medical team gave me such in-depth information about stem cell therapy and how it could improve the body. It was a very educational experience.
Today, a year and half after going to AMBROSE, I can report that the whole experience resulted in total changes in my body, my activity level and my quality of life.

It’s difficult to describe the results of the procedure, unless you have gone through it.
The personalized protocol included an IV infusion of the ADRCs (adipose-derived stem and regenerative cells) as well as a comprehensive set of direct injections of micronized-adipose tissue into my inflamed and arthritic joints as well my back and neck.

I think the IV drip of the ADRCs also contributed greatly to my recovery and added more energy. I feel it was instrumental to the way my body feels today.

For me, stem cell therapy was life changing. The first thing that I perceived it did was take away the inflammation. That has not returned.

• About a month after the procedure I was in Italy averaging over 10,000 steps a day and one day I went up 17 flights of stairs without pain plus the 10,000 steps. I went from train station to train station with 2 suitcases and at one point I started running with them. However, because I promised Matt I would behave and not lift heavy objects, I asked Italian men to put my suitcases on and off the trains. When I returned home from the trip, I initiated a group of us to walk daily and I started with a trainer to build up my muscles.
• The pain in my back was debilitating prior to the therapy. I spent thousands of dollars and many physical therapy visits to relieve some of the pain but with poor results. Now if I do experience it resolves quickly upon movement
• My torn rotator cuff took some time to respond. That is now pain free and with full range of motion. I may get a bit stiff from sitting too long or working on my phone and computer but by just moving my body it nearly immediately resolves. This is so much better than the chronic pain I was in prior to AMBROSE.
• My attitude has changed immensely. With hardly any pain I am doing more and am happier. It’s hard to be totally happy when in tremendous pain. My energy is boundless; I go for at least 14-16 hours a day.
• My left hip was also in such pain it was difficult to move my leg to the point where I had to lift it to get in and out of the car. I am now pain free and have full range of motion. My right leg had chronic sciatica – now, once in a while I still notice it, but it is so much better than it was.
• My neck, which was chronically stiff and sore, rarely bothers me anymore. It only gets sore when I sit too long working on my computer and phone. As soon as I get away from the computer and my phone it all goes away.
• I had a scar on my right knee due to a partial knee replacement which I could not bend due to scar tissue. The doctors injected it with stem cells and I have more bending capability in it.
• The arthritis in my fingers no longer bothers me at all – in fact I had forgotten I even had it. My thumb only occasionally does now but it has full range of motion.
• My torn rotator cuff responded SLOWLY – however my shoulder no longer hurts, and I have full range of motion.

In addition to the improvement in my symptoms and function, my quality of life has completely changed. Prior to stem cell, I limited trips and worked a lot from home, so I didn’t have to move a lot. Since I have had the therapy, I have traveled frequently including to Europe, Hawaii, Cabo San Lucas and the Caribbean. I also own an engineering company that I run daily, so mobility is critical in order for me to do my job and enjoy life the way I want to enjoy it. Stem cell therapy has afforded me the ability to visit my customers and walk their large factory floors

There is one small thing that has occurred that the AMBROSE doctors did not know about. I had a spot on the back of my left shoulder that would itch out of control every day. My boyfriend would have to scratch it and I even traveled with a backscratcher, because it would get so bad. It would itch every day without fail, mostly at night. I had it for at least the last 5 years. This has completely resolved. It might not seem huge but not to have it every day is delightful. I did not even think the therapy would handle something like that.

One other unexpected surprise is that my boyfriend and girlfriends have been commenting on how good my skin looks.

An important point is that I am now responding to complimentary treatments, diet and exercise. This has resulted in my losing significant weight, restored bladder control and the ability to quickly resolve stiffness if I sit or am on the phone or my computer for too long.

The Ambrose team is phenomenal. Their care factor goes beyond anything I have ever experienced in a hospital setting. Even though it was an outpatient procedure, the nurses and doctors were loving and made sure I was never in discomfort. The surgical team was a highly-trained, confident group that performed a miracle with my body. Prior to the procedure, they did a demonstration on me to show me exactly how it would be performed. It took all my concerns away and I approached it with total calmness.