This is a continuation of my participation in the Stem Cell Research Program (referred to as CADUCEUS) with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. I volunteered to be a part of this Stem Cell Research Program because I have NO health insurance and I wanted the best health care available at Cedars. ~Wayne McDonald

My 1 Month visit schedule for March:
(Standard schedule for all my upcoming monthly visits)

9:30 AM – Office visit with doctor and nurse practitioner

10:00 AM – 48-Hour Holter Monitor & 12-lead EKG

11:00 AM – Lab (Blood Draw)

11:30 AM – Go Home

Note: This is an ongoing update of my HEALTHY recovery after a heart attack on New Years Eve 12-31-2009. Please click-on the category Heart Health to read all my updates. ~Wayne McDonald, age 54 and 136 pounds – healthy.

This is a continuation of my participation in the Stem Cell Research Program (referred to as CADUCEUS) with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. I volunteered to be a part of this Stem Cell Research Program because I have NO health insurance and I wanted the best health care available at Cedars. ~Wayne McDonald

On February 26, 2010 I had a procedure done for Stem Cell Infusion.

This is my 2-Week Follow-up visit schedule:
(Standard schedule for all my upcoming monthly visits)

9:30 AM – Office visit with doctor and nurse practitioner

10:00 AM – 48-Hour Holter Monitor & 12-lead EKG

11:00 AM – Lab (Blood Draw)

11:30 AM – Go Home

Note: This is an ongoing update of my HEALTHY recovery after a heart attack on New Years Eve 12-31-2009. Please click-on the category Heart Health to read all my updates. ~Wayne McDonald, age 54 and 136 pounds – healthy.

This is a continuation of my participation in the Stem Cell Research Program (referred to as CADUCEUS) with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. I volunteered to be a part of this Stem Cell Research Program because I have NO health insurance and I wanted the best health care available at Cedars. ~Wayne McDonald

On January 27, 2010 I had a procedure done for Stem Cell Biopsy. Since that time the CADUCEUS team has been growing my heart stem cells.

On Friday February 26,2010 I went back to Cedars for Stem Cell Infusion. I was checked-in at 5:30am (ugh!) and had the usual paperwork to complete – cardo ekg – blood draw – etc. The procedure was at 7:30am with the entry through my right Femoral Artery. They proceeded to the LAD – Left Anterior Descending artery — where my heart attack was located and where a stent was placed. (As I understand I had NO heart damage and my heart was only “stunned”).

Normal time for Stem Cell Infusion is about 15 minutes. Well… After getting inside they decided to insert a 2nd stent (model XIENCE V) next to the first stent (model Medtronic Driver RX). This was a “Bonus” – not planned and the second stent is a metal stent which means I will be on a blood thinner (Plavix) for at least a year. The first stent was drug coated.

After the 2nd stent was put in place they did the Stem Cell Infusion. I was some-what-awake through the procedure – I asked later who put a mikey in my apple juice! I left the operating room at 9:00am and was checked into a room by 9:30am for 24 hour observation.

While recouping in my room I had a heart monitor attached and had my vital signs checked every 4 hours – temperature and blood pressure.

In addition, I had a blood draw every 8 hours to check my heart damage markers or cardiac enzymes.

I would also like to mention that the point of entry was “bandaged/sealed” with an Angio-Seal – a faster method to stop any blooding after a procedure.

Upstairs I stayed on my back for 4 hours, not moving and having the nurses checking on the SEAL to make sure there was no bleeding or problems. At 12 noon I was able to sit-up and have lunch. Spent most of the day sleeping – I was a little groggy. (I remember I was given an aspirin and a benadryl before the procedure).

At 6pm I was helped out of bed and sat in my chair to have dinner. I sat in the chair for about 2 hours.

On Saturday February 27th at 8am I had another blood draw, ECG/EKG and a Holter monitor put on my chest to wear home for 48 hour monitoring.

Throughout the day Friday, and Saturday, I have had no problems – no pain. Maybe a little bit of discomfort at the Angio-Seal.

I was checked out on Saturday at 11:30am and I am at home now resting.

My team of doctors at Cedars are the BEST and remarkable.

Note: This is an ongoing update of my HEALTHY recovery after a heart attack on New Years Eve 12-31-2009. Please click-on the category Heart Health to read all my updates. ~Wayne McDonald, age 54 and 136 pounds – healthy.

This is a continuation of my participation in the Stem Cell Research Program (referred to as CADUCEUS) with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. I volunteered to be a part of this Stem Cell Research Program because I have NO health insurance and I wanted the best health care available at Cedars. ~Wayne McDonald

On Thursday February 25, 2010 I went in for my Baseline visit for the CADUCEUS study.

The Baseline visit gathers information prior to Stem Cell Infusion on Friday February 26. Today’s appointment was from 8:30am to 4:30pm.

At 8:30am I went in for my second Cardiac MRI – a 1-1/2 hour procedure. Yes, 90 minutes in the MRI machine, no breaks.

After the MRI I went to the Lab for my blood draw. Then an office visit with the Stem Cell Research Program team – which included a Six Minute Walk Test and a 45 minute post-walk monitoring).

Late afternoon at 3pm I had a Pulmonary Function Tests (breathing real hard into a tube to check lung capacity). That was followed by a 15 minute treadmill test for endurance.

I passed everything with flying colors. I will have more Baseline visits to monitor the results of my Stem Cell Infusion.

Note: This is an ongoing update of my HEALTHY recovery after a heart attack on New Years Eve 12-31-2009. Please click-on the category Heart Health to read all my updates. ~Wayne McDonald, age 54 and 136 pounds – healthy.

This is a continuation of my participation in the Stem Cell Research Program (referred to as CADUCEUS) with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. I volunteered to be a part of this Stem Cell Research Program because I have NO health insurance and I wanted the best health care available at Cedars. ~Wayne McDonald

On January 27, 2010 I was checked in at 6:30am for my stem cell biopsy (Check-in is two hours before a procedure).

The heart attack was on the LAD – Left Anterior Descending artery. The stem cell biopsy uses a catheter through a vein in the neck and then carefully threaded into the heart. The doctor uses moving x-ray images (fluoroscopy) to guide the catheter to the correct area. Once in position, a special device with jaws on the tip is used to remove small pieces (about 8 tissue samples about the size of a pin head) of tissue from the RIGHT heart muscle (healthy side-no heart attack).

At 7:30am I was in the operating room for my my stem cell biopsy. I was given a local numbing medicine (anesthetic) in my right neck. Because the anesthetic was a local, I was awake through the procedure. The entire procedure was about 30 minutes.

After the procedure I was moved upstairs for monitoring — blood draws every 8 hours to check my heart damage markers or cardiac enzymes, vital signs, and echocardiogram.

I was sent home about 4pm with a Holter monitor on my chest to wear home for 48 hour monitoring.

Note: This is an ongoing update of my HEALTHY recovery after a heart attack on New Years Eve 12-31-2009. Please click-on the category Heart Health to read all my updates. ~Wayne McDonald, age 54 and 136 pounds – healthy.