'My world turned completely upside down when I was diagnosed with progressive MS over eight years ago. I was training for a running race and increasingly could not control my legs properly. Additionally, I became easily fatigued, and training became progressively more difficult. After that diagnosis, I simply did not trust my own body anymore. That's why I had my first examination at Prescan in 2014. Thankfully – although it might sound a bit strange in this context – it turned out that I was otherwise healthy.
However, I noticed afterward that my body was deteriorating rapidly. Everything I was engaged in daily became virtually impossible. That is a very confronting reality. Subsequently, I decided to undergo stem cell therapy in Moscow. This was a chance of survival, and with the help of crowdfunding, the necessary amount was raised. Something I am still incredibly grateful for, with so many kind people who contributed. Ultimately, this allowed me to go to Moscow in 2017 to undergo the treatments.'
Green light
Before it got to that point, I first had to undergo three days of examinations in Russia to see if my body could handle the transplant. It is not just a minor procedure, and two percent of patients do not survive the treatment.
With all the paperwork from the examinations, I also went to Prescan at the time to ask if they could perform all the examinations in advance. I did not want to be unexpectedly surprised in Moscow and wanted to know exactly how ‘healthy’ my body is; it involved very specific examinations and you need to have certain (blood) values. Therefore, the team at Prescan arranged and performed all the examinations for me – the certainty I was looking for.
After my visit to Prescan, it turned out that I could undergo the treatment in Moscow. That was a huge relief because everything I had set in motion was actually possible.
Comparison material
The treatment was successful, and my rehabilitation process gradually started afterward. In 2019, I had another bodyscan performed to see how my body was doing and to compare the results with the scan from 2017. What could have changed in those two years?
The results showed that everything was stable. Nothing had been added – it remains at a standstill. Positive news indeed. Currently, I am doing well. Slowly but surely, I am able to walk better. For the past few weeks, I have also been walking without aids. That's fantastic! Especially when you imagine that in 2014 I was still running, and by the end of that year, I could choose a wheelchair. After that, I couldn’t walk independently until 2017.
It took about half a year of rehabilitation after I returned from Moscow. But the associated training of my body is and remains an ongoing process; the (residual) damage from MS is, of course, permanent.
As I mentioned earlier, Prescan provides me with the certainty I seek. During the examinations, I literally had everything checked: from my stomach, intestines, and blood to various MRI scans of my body. That certainty feels very reassuring, and the approach is just very different from that in a hospital.
Although I am naturally very down-to-earth and approached it with an open mind, it remained exciting. After the examinations, I had individual discussions with each specialist to discuss the results. Fortunately, everything was fine, and the specialists managed to ease the tension.
It's your health
Since my visit to Moscow, I have helped many people with MS who want to undergo the same treatment. I always tell them that it can provide a lot of peace of mind to have the examinations done in advance at Prescan. By knowing something in advance, you might still be able to make adjustments if necessary.
But apart from that, I would recommend everyone to have a preventive examination done annually. You do need to have the money for it, but at the same time, it concerns your own health.
With a preventive examination, you know the current status of your body and might catch something in time. At Prescan, everyone works daily with a lot of passion for health, and I have noticed that time and again. That's why I keep returning periodically, after all, you only have one life.'
