First, what are stem cells and exosomes?

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the unique ability to develop into different types of cells in the body, such as muscle, nerve, or skin cells. They also have the potential to repair damaged tissues, making them important in regenerative medicine. Stem cells can be sourced from various places like bone marrow, fat tissue, or even umbilical cords.

Exosomes are small, extracellular vesicles secreted by cells, including stem cells. They contain proteins, lipids, and genetic material (like RNA), and serve as communication tools between cells. Exosomes play a critical role in cell signaling and can influence tissue repair, immune responses, and other biological processes. In therapies, exosomes are often used for their regenerative properties, as they can transfer beneficial factors to target cells without introducing whole cells.

The current state of the art of regenerative medicine, utilizing stem cells and exosomes, is phenomenal -- the results of which have seemed like magic for so many -- and the prices for treatments are beginning to come into reach for the average person.  So I decided to finally jump in.

Dr Joy Kong

If you too are interested in getting Stem Cell Therapy and/or Exosome treatment with Dr Joy Kong, enter your contact info here and reference code PASCOE for $500 off your treatment!

Coincidentally, several years ago, I began using a regenerative skin serum (that I highly recommend) that was also created by Dr Joy: CharaOmni Stem Cell Regenerative Cream and Anti-Pigmentation Formula - stem cells, peptides, and anti-pigmentation, all in a topical serum!  It's amazing! -- 💰 Use code PASCOE for 10% off

Stem Cell Therapy

Trust me, I would LOVE to receive regular stem cell treatments just for their anti-aging properties, but I don't have the kind of disposable income required to regularly receive stem cells just for vanity. But when it comes to regeneration for feeling and performing my best, count me in!

For years, I've suffered from rotator cuff impairments in both shoulders and a ligament or tendon injury in my left elbow that healed shorter, preventing full extension of my left arm. The rotator cuff impairment in my right shoulder limited its range of motion and made it uncomfortable to pull on & off shirts. The impairments in both shoulders made it painful to sleep on my sides, which had led to poorer-quality, restless sleep.  However, when it came to physical activity and working out, I always just pushed through the discomfort, which likely caused accumulation to the injuries.

Therapeutic doses of Stem Cells are still quite expensive, but over the weeks of 2024, my discomfort finally reached a level to which I knew that I needed to make a serious choice:

a) I could wait 5 or 10 more years and hope for the price to come down or hope that I might win the lottery. In this option, I would experience 5 - 10 more years of discomfort, limited range of motion, sleep disruption, and potential for further damage, OR

b) I could raid my 401k now to hopefully eliminate the discomfort, impaired mobility, and sleep issues right away and not have to continue suffering for the ensuing years.

Well, my discomfort led me to finally accept the second option.

Then there's the question of culture-expanded stem cells or not. Culture expansion is a method by which your own stem cells can be harvested and then replicated externally to grow thousands to millions more cells before returning them back to you. This is currently only allowed outside of the United States. But some experts find this to be less desirable, because the expanded cells have already differentiated into specific cell types, making them less useful for systemic use.

Stem cell therapy is turning up everywhere.  It seems like practically everyone, including the corner gas station, is offering some sort of PRP and/or stem cell treatment these days. It's difficult to know the safety, quality, or efficacy of the stem cells that you're receiving or to know who you can trust.

This is where Dr Joy Kong differentiated herself from the pack for me, by providing some fantastic information through her podcasts & lectures that helped me to decide what I would be comfortable with receiving.

Check out Dr Joy's very excellent lecture on Stem Cell Therapy as An Antiaging Tool and her video on Stem Cells Explained:

Based upon her expertise, experience, and many lectures on the subject, I decided to get therapeutic stem cell therapy plus exosomes from Dr Joy Kong at CharaHealth, 9568 Topanga Canyon Blvd, Chatsworth, CA 91311.  

I live near Detroit, so this involved an easy 4 hour flight to LAX and then an Uber to the clinic. (It's SO much nicer to let someone else do the driving in LA!)

Below, I've included some videos of my therapeutic treatment experience with Dr Courtney Gillenwater & Dr Joy, and some goofing-around with Dr Joy for Instagram.

So on Sept 9th, 2024, I received my very first IV stem cell therapy (4ccs of umbilical-derived stem cells or 40 million cells, 8 million of which were MSCs) along with multiple direct injections of 2ccs of exosomes into my right shoulder. This was administered after first performing IV ozone. The stem cells and exosomes were then followed by targeted laser treatment to direct them to the desired areas. A course of various peptides (BPC-157, TB-500 were standard. I supplemented with Thymosin Alpha-1, Epithalon, Dihexa, Cerebrolysin, Selank, DSIP, CJC-1295/Ipamorelin, LL-37, GHK-Cu, and Follistatin) were then used post-treatment. I even followed this up with 10 hardshell hyperbaric chamber (HBOT) treatments, and doses of molecular hydrogen water and methylene blue.

I have been doing my own rehab exercises and gentle stretching regimen ever since, and it's working!

One month later, I can report that the range of motion (ROM) in my right shoulder is nearly perfect in several directions. I can sleep on both shoulders now without pain, and I can pull on & off compression shirts without discomfort!  However, reaching behind and up my back still remains a challenge with my right shoulder only. I'm continuing to work on this.

My left elbow still doesn't straighten-out all of the way, but it seems better. Unfortunately, I have no way of qualifying the elbow's ROM regeneration, but I'll keep working at straightening it, no matter how painful that can be. I'm determined.

Also one month post-treatment, I've begun my P90X workouts again, but I am using KAATSU bands with only very light weights and lower rep counts for now, and I'm finding this to be quite challenging!  The KAATSU bands make working with light weight feel like working with heavy weight, only without the risk of injury.

I will increase each exercise in weight only once I can easily perform more than 15 reps with the current weight. This will take many weeks, but it will ensure that the tendons and ligaments have a chance to heal & strengthen along with and ahead of the muscle.  Plus, I've got nothing but time. 😉

Reportedly, stem cells will continue to perform regeneration for up to 3 - 6 months after treatment, so I'm going to continue gentle stretching to push past some still-existing minor range limits in my right shoulder (like reaching up the middle of my back) to see if I can get the full 100% range of motion back. If not, I may require a second treatment.  But I still have 2 - 5 more months of regeneration to receive from this treatment, so I'm still very optimistic about my chances!

In the history of our world, what an amazing time this is to be alive!

Exosomes

Once again, exosomes are the signaling molecules that are created by stem cells.  They are short-lived, but these are what trigger regeneration.

Club Exosome is a joint venture between Dr Sandra Kaufmann (author of The Kaufmann Protocol: Why we Age and How to Stop it and The Kaufmann Protocol: Aging Solutions) and Olympian Stephen McCain (host of The Stephen McCain Podcast) where they try to democratize access to cutting edge modalities like exosome therapy by creating a quarterly networking event of like-minded people who desire to pool resources to obtain exosomes at very close to wholesale prices.

On June 8th, 2024, I had the opportunity to join the club in Vegas, and receive 37.5 billion exosomes. It was terrific. I met some very cool and interesting people, including Sandra & Stephen, plus some athletes and Cirque du Soleil-like performers. Fascinating people!

It was the very first time I'd ever tried exosomes and the difference was dramatic. I had suffered for years from rotator cuff impairments in both shoulders -- injuries that prevented me from sleeping on my sides -- which tended to cause me poorer-quality, restless sleep.  Exosomes are fairly fast-acting, but short-lasting in duration, and that very evening I was able to sleep on my sides, pain-free, for the first time in as long as I could remember!

I felt SO great, that when I flew home the next day, I spotted the pair of gymnastic rings that I have hanging from a tree in my backyard, and decided to give them a go. 😂🤣

Okay, so I'm a little naive. I should have given my shoulders several weeks (if not a few months) to properly heal before trying anything dumb like that.  While flipping and doing inverted chins, I felt a little tear almost immediately, and I quickly realized how badly I'd just screwed up.

So that's how I wasted my very first exosome treatment! 😂

I don't think I could afford to do this every quarter, but I would certainly do it again. It's quick & easy and relatively inexpensive. It's definitely not as massively regenerative or as long-lasting/acting as stem cells, but it does a great job of rejuvenation for it's short duration.

Maybe I'll see you at the next Club Exosome?  Their last one coincided with the A4M conference in Las Vegas in December, and I had an amazing time!