It's official.

It is totally official. When you Google, Mikey Riley. It brings up several sites/pages with me on it. Pretty exciting, LOL.



Today this article was published in the Georgetown TIMES.

Local MS Victim Heading to China for Stem Cell Treatment Saturday, 07 April 2007 Sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone.By Rod King (Created: Friday, April 6, 2007 2:58 PM EDT)
Michael (Mikey) Riley, 20, needs a stem cell transplant to impede the progress of his Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Without it he faces a lifetime in a wheelchair.
Because he was turned down four times for a transplant at Northwestern University Memorial Hospital in Chicago by his insurance company (Blue Cross/Blue Shield), he's scheduled the procedure for May 17 in Shenyang, China, a two-hour plane flight north of the capital city of Beijing.
"I've been doing a lot of research on the subject since being diagnosed with MS in July of 2005," says Riley, "and learned that the Chinese offer the treatment. They're not encumbered by the red tape and lengthy testing period necessary in this country before a procedure is given government approval for general use."
The procedure involves undergoing four intravenous injections of 15 to 20 million stem cells into his blood every six days and then one bone marrow treatment. That will be followed up with acupuncture and massage treatments. He and his mother, Dianna, will be there nearly five weeks.
"The Chinese believe that the stem cells taken from umbilical cord blood will regenerate myelin (the protective coating around nerves) that has been destroyed by the MS. The treatment will speed up the transmission of electrical impulses from the brain to my body. I realize that this is not a cure for MS, but a treatment that will help me deal with the disease and slow down its spread."
To cover the cost of the treatments ($23,000), the air fare for him and his mother and their food ($1,500) while in the Chinese hospital, Riley has established a fundraising campaign that includes a benefit dinner and auction Thursday, April 19, 6 to 9 p.m. at Landmark Conference and Reception Centre, 6222 Ellison Rd, Fort Wayne. Cost for the event is $25 per person and a table for eight is $175. He's also hoping businesses will sponsor tables for $500.
The auction and silent auction will include a variety of items from a helicopter ride and tickets to a Civic Theatre performance to a scenic plane ride around Fort Wayne, a woman's watch and a baseball bat signed by members of the San Francisco Giants.
Riley has already received donations totaling slightly more than half of the necessary amount from friends and members of his parent's church, Grabill Missionary. He's also established a web site on the Internet (www.survivingms.com) and has received a number of donations from individuals who have visited the site. "I created it because I felt it would be nice to relate with others who are experiencing MS. It lists information on my background and my journey to this point. A man from Australia contacted me to ask about his son who was recently diagnosed with MS. It makes me feel good to reach out and help others. I want to learn all I can about stem cell research, because it will some day help cure a number of neurological diseases."
Riley says his first symptom was the loss of vision in his left eye for four weeks at age 15. At 18 he lost all sensations on the left side of his body for about a month. The 2005 Leo Jr./Sr. High School graduate learned he had MS just four weeks after finishing school and before heading to Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Travers City, Michigan, to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a ship's captain. He was able to complete a year there before health complications forced him to return home. In the fall of 2006 he enrolled at IPFW, but had to take a medical disability when the MS flared up again and put him in the hospital for four weeks. In addition to taking 12 hours of courses at IPFW, he was working full time at Vision Scapes on St. Joe Road. "My boss was kind enough to hold my job open for when I'm able to return to work," he says.
"My faith is strong and support from my parents, friends and acquaintances has been overwhelming. I'm positive that this treatment in China will make a great difference in the quality of my life in the future and may be the answer for others suffering from MS."
MS Benefit Dinner
Thursday, April 19, 6 - 9 p.m.
Landmark Conference
& Reception Center
6222 Ellison Rd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46804
Cost: $25 per person


Soon, I am going to be in the News Sentinel, which is a much more popular Newspaper in Fort Wayne. So, hopefully the word about the benefit dinner is really going to get out because of all of the publicity it is getting. I am confident anyways. I am definitely pretty stoked. I am going to start looking for air plane tickets. I sure wish I knew someone who could hook me up, and get my mom & I a killer discount on some tickets to China! That would be so awesome!

I think it is time for me to retire, NIGHT NIGHT!

good balance.

Wednesday means account balance update. Today when I called into NTAF they recorded there being $14,000.oo in the fund currently. I have already spent, $4,500.oo on the balance so that makes my grand total around $18,500.oo!! Thats pretty amazing. Really, that is amazing. God does all kind of cool stuff though. It'ss all good.

Good day+Hard work=happy Mikey

I worked my butt off, again today. Loving it, I don't have to take sleeping medication at night, and my body just feels relieved. I love being on a schedule, cuz I sure don't have the ability to make one when i have nothing to do. I got a lot of Fund Raising things accomplished, and I am glad about that. I believe the benefit dinner/auction event is going to be a smash. Totally stoked. One thing I am not totally stoked about is the Air Fare. It is going to cost well over $2,000.oo just to send my mom and I to china and back. THATS CRAZY!

+

=

Holy DIVER!!!!

so tired

I am too tired to write anything today. I had a good day, worked hard, i must sleep now.

What A DAY!

So, today started off with a really good church service. I didn't get a whole lot out of the sermon, but the worship part was amazing. I think if you go to a church, any church, with a heart that wants to praise God, that is exactly what you will do. It doesn't matter if the worship band is talented, there could be a hillbilly plucking on his banjo, if you want to worship the creator of the universe, that is exactly what you will do!

Many things happened today, and I have many pictures to share. So, after church I went to my sisters friends house. There was a bunch of gal's there from the benefit show the other night. This is Mer at the show. I believe she was about to go up on the stage and give a speech about me. Or she went up with a friend to help her. I know whatever she said came from her heart, and I love her so much for it.

This is a picture of Shorty, Shorty did a huge part in making this show happen. She is amazing, has a huge heart, and did such a top notch job.

Okay, this next picture is of Christy Glew. Christy use to baby-sit me when i was a wee little boy. She hangs with mer occasionally, and is as sweet as can be.

Yeah....This picture above is of a fish tank. The fish tank is filled with $1, $5, $10 & $20 dollar bills. All in all the night rung in about $1,300.oo!!! Now, if that is not amazing and a total God send. I dunno what is. Seriously i don't.

After chillen with mer and her friends for a bit and letting them all know how awesome they are, and how thankful I am that they all did what they did. I went out with my buddy Andy, his bro Jon, and their cousin/my friend Alex. We hit up Shoff Park, cuz it was absloutly beautiful out, and threw some frisbee Golf. It was amazing, I sucked, but I always do, I do it to hang with friends. After that, we went back to Jon's apartment, and seriously watched 5 hours of this t.v. show on DVD, it's called Weeds, and it is a Showtime t.v. show, it is very good, and very addictive. Here is a picture of Jon & Blyth's(Jon's G/F) cat benny. Benny is a very big cat, in this picture he is saying "Hey, what the heck are you doing? Don't make me beat you up, I am large and in charge!" That is literally what his body language is saying, practically screaming.

Mer's Benefit is TODAY!

Okay, so i have been in constant contact with mer and her friends. This is the latest update. There was 200+ people there, and everyone was really into it. People understand what i am fighting for, and that is just awesome. I am so grateful for my sister and her/my friends. Such a good thing to see people helping people. I'm not just saying that cuz they are helping my cause, I love to see it in all shapes and forms. Just kind of reminds you that there is a lot of good in man kind. LOVE IT! I have church tomorrow morning, and i am really looking forward to it. I am in super high spirits and doing just F-I-N-E

Good night ya'll

I got a lot of sun today

Today I worked a long hard day of landscaping. I work my butt off, literally, my pant sizes are falling.

After work and all that jazz, I hung out with Shorty. Shorty is my buddy.Shorty is pretty much amazing. She has really created an awesome job of making this benefit show happen. It is called Mikey's Second Chance, it is going to be held at After Dark. I am excited to see how awesome it is going to be. We were chillen, looking over all the details, and sharing stories. We were also waiting for merideth, we waited, and waited, and waited for what seemed like hours. Finally mer showed up. lol.

Then "O" and Katie came over.

"O" is to the left, and Katie is to the right. They are awesome too. Very sweet people, very funny too. LOL. I love being with Merideth when she is with her friends. They have a unique relationship with Mer. They "get" her, and thats awesome, cuz it took me a while. But i get her, and love the crap outa her.

I got an E-Mail today.

I am going to share it with you, I am not going to explain it. You can just read it for yourself.

Scott Bushell
to me
show details
8:31 pm (3 hours ago)
Dear Mikey,Hello from Australia. My name is Scott Bushell (son of David Bushell) and about 2 years ago I was diagnosed with MS. Although only diagnosed then I was feeling the symptoms for along time before that. I had visited the optometrist and was given a set of glasses. When they didn't seem to help I returned and was issued with another set. I had lost my balance whilst working and had a fall cutting my wrist on a rock and luckily, narrowly missing my vein.My mental clarity hasn't felt that good for along time and for that reason I visited the doctor and was put on anti-depressant medication. I was on that medication for a couple of years before I was finally diagnosed with MS. Whilst this was some relief in having an answer to my problems, it definitely was not the answer I was hoping for.Due to the ridiculous diagnosis process I had visited the neurologist about 2 years before I was actually diagnosed and left his surgery with no more answers than when I went in. I then returned about 2 years later to which I was diagnosed with MS.The funny thing was I had visited one of those Internet doctor sites (out of frustration) and after submitting my symptoms was told that it may be MS.My dad passed on your details so I hope that you don't mind. My life in my 20's has been a comedy of errors thus far with me having been at university for about 4 years and only having completed 1 year. I am really at a point of frustration and need to find an end to all this. That was so enlightening to hear your story and to know that help may be out there. I just struggle to understand why countries such as yours and mine (USA and Australia) are not following China's lead and, if they truely are 'pro life' then why are they not doing all they can to cure these 'incurable' diseases?I'm sorry if this email has sounded whingy and whiney but I thought that you may have felt the same way at some point.I write to ask you as much as you can tell me about the process of repair in China? Any light you can shed on the process would be greatly appreciated.Many Thanks.Kind Regards,
Scott Bushell

Here is my response:

Scott!!
Wow, I have been patiently waiting for the day that your sight would allow you to write me personally. This is so awesome, and a total God send. You feel alone, you feel confused, you feel like your being pushed aside because most don’t understand anything about your disease. I can relate to everything you are going through in a very real way. I have been waiting for the day I can be of assistance to someone else who is walking in the same shoes as me. I lost vision completely for about 4 weeks in my left eye when I was only 15 years old. I remember it so vividly, I was sitting in my 9th grade geometry class when everything started going blurry in my left eye. It scared me, but just like you, I was misdiagnosed with having “optic neuritis” BUT, the doctor I saw told me that the symptoms I was having were typical for early MS. There just wasn’t enough neurological damage done yet to show up on an MRI. Well, 3 years later, there was. To this day, the typical care therapies haven’t worked. I refuse to sit and wait for the next horrible thing to happen.
So, what did I do? Well, without getting to religious on you, I had to give everything to God. I had to admit to myself, that there was nothing I COULD DO. And ever sense I have given my disease to the Lord, I have been blessed left and right.
Why are our countries so stubborn when it comes to the stem cell research topic? Well, for one, there is a lot of ignorance involved. The big debate comes down to this, embryonic stem cell research takes the life of a baby fetus. In my eyes, and the eyes of many, this is wrong. OK, I agree with this. BUT, the procedure I have chosen in Shenyang China, utilizes stem cells harvested from an umbilical cord. The umbilical cords are taken from a full trimester pregnancy. After the baby is born, the mother and the new born are tested. Once they pass inspection (testing negative for any kind of disease, std, respiratory problem, etc.) the umbilical cord, and umbilical cord blood containing the stem cells is cryogenically frozen.
I will try to explain with some pictures.

That square picture in the middle is a picture of an embryonic/umbilical cord stem cell. The thing they have in common is the ability to generate or grow into all systems of the body. This ability is called pluripotency. The Chinese have created a process where they can harvest the specific genetic growth factor from the stem cells. This is the “Chinese Stem Cell Explanation” in a simplified form. See, when the embryo is first forming, it has a lot of work to do. Think of all the systems that have to be created. Your bones, your skin, your muscles, your respiratory system, your neurological system. SO

many systems. In MS, our nerves are slowly being destroyed. We have an auto-immune disease. Which, in short means our police task force/white blood cells are actually attacking the protective coating on our nerves. This is called demyelination. This is bad. So, naturally the best option would be to re-grow the myelin. BUT, my country (USA) doesn’t believe in this. Even though China has proven time and time again that it works. IT IS NOT A CURE! But it is a treatment. We are both young, we haven’t suffered much physical disability. So, healing the myelin could offer a certain amount of time, where the MS would lie dormant, or inactive. If this could be done for, ohhh say 5 years, that would be far greater than any other treatment currently available.
NOW, you were curious in your E-Mail why our countries aren’t jumping on the Stem Cell Research band wagon. Well, sadly it all comes down to money. The multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical companies can’t make money off of stem cells. Stem cells aren’t a drug, they can’t be mass produced, and bottom line, they make billions and billions and billions of dollars every year off of the current medications, which by the way only work in 1/3 of the patients currently prescribed to them. And, they don’t fix the problem, they just slightly deter the exacerbation rate. SO, the disease is still on it’s hellish rampage, it just isn’t noticed earlier in the MS game.
I think the best thing to do with the Chinese treatment is to study it, understand it, ask questions, and do your homework. I say again, it is not a cure, but it could very likely get your vision back to where it was years and years ago. For me, I hope it will stop my tremors, fix some of the cognitive issues, and hopefully put my MS to sleep for years. You can always go back for another treatment, it’s all natural too, there is no chemicals, no anti-depressants, YUCK! I hate chemicals, and they are prescribed way to easily in our world who wants quick fixes and the simple way out.

I feel like I am ranting on now, I hope I have answered some of your questions at least. Please feel free to write me back at any time! Seriously, any time. And if you can get a calling card, or something, feel free to call me on the weekends. My cell phone is (260)433-1543. you probably have to type in some more numbers to get to America, I am pretty sure. See, I love Australia, I love the people, I love everything about Australia. I got a chance to go there, swim in the great barrier reef, go to the opera house, visit the out back, all the tourist attractions at a young age.

The doctors in America tell me I could possibly be in a wheel chair by the time I am 30. This is unacceptable, and pardon my language, I’ll be damned if I let that happen. You can’t accept negative for your reality, life is what you make of it Scott. On May 17th, I will leave to stay in China for 30 days. It is going to work, and once it does, I am going to tell as many people as I possibly can! I don’t look at Multiple Sclerosis as a negative thing in my life, in all actuality it is the best thing that has ever happened to me. God never gives us anything that we can’t handle, and if we take the things that seem bad, with a positive mind set and learn from them. They will only make us stronger!

God bless, ask me questions any time!
-Mikey

DO'OH

Dang, forgot my Lunesta in Chris's car. I really hope I can fall asleep tonight, I hate laying in bed not being able to sleep with a passion. Also, work sucks horribly when I havn't gotten any sleep. I think I am going to go downstairs, drink a big glass of milk, and take come calcium supplements, sometimes the calcium can help me go to sleep.

Got a lot accomplished today. Visited with Merideth a little, and went over some of the final benefit show specifics. It is taking place at After Dark. I am excited to see how it turns out, she is too I think. Work felt long today, but we got a lot accomplished in 1 day. I was pretty impressed myself. I am going to stop. NIGHT.

Also, if you havn't gone to my site yet. Well GO TO IT; my WEB SITE, boom shaka laka.

WED-NES-DAY easy 2 remember

Today I got a chance to pay my deposit for my chinese stem cell transplant. It was pretty cool, I went to my bank, told them I needed to make an international wire transfer, and bam. I am leaving with a receipt that says I paid into a Chinese bank in Hong Kong. It felt great. I am well on my way.

I went to work this morning, I would say it was probably 10:45 and it just started raining way to hard. It was windy, and bosses called it off. I went home and got some fund raising stuff done, I am really pleased with how everything is fitting together. My mom and I make a really good team. As long as we both don't get cought up on the stupid stuff, we really work quite well with each other.

i'm out. pretty tired. Laters

Tuesday. So fresh and so clean

alrighty then mister. Listen up cuz today rocked my pants. I am working again, and lemme tell you. My skin is already starting to look sexy. Fer shizzzle! after work i had some cleaning of my body to do, cuz i get filthy dirty. After dat, i wrote some e-mails and created an amazing benefit invitation that can be mass produced! Then I went to small groups, my friend chelsy vaughn came with me, and i am pretty sure she liked it. Which makes me happy.

Not as happy as this kid though. I mean common...He looks really friggin happy. Everyone should be happy. If your not, then you aren't doing something right. Plain and simple. Everyone has the power to be happy, everyone should be happy. BE HAPPY!

I am tired, tan, and tired. I love working, i like having a routine, i like the people i work with, and i like the work i do. I am content with life for now. Wonder where I will be in, ohhh say 6 years. I will probably be married, probably not in Australia yet, but who knows. I can say with a pretty good amount of assurance that i will not be living in Indiana. & hopefully not the mid-west. But I am willing to leave that one up to the big guy upstairs.

Things I learned today:

~PRAYER IS A POWERFUL TOOL

GOD IS IN CONTROL

HAPPINESS COMES FROM WITHIN

FRIENDS ARE AN AMAZING TOOL~

SUNDAY is a happy DAY!

I friggin love Sunday's. Lemme tell you why i love today. Today I got to go on a date. She is sexy, smart, and fun. Her last name is Brown. It's not brittany either. It's her mom! Kathy Brown! She took me as her date tonight, to a wine tasting benefit event, to raise money and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis. It was awesome, sponsored or backed by the National MS Society. They had a silent auction, and were raffling items off all night. It was pretty cool, cuz i got a chance to see how it works, and I think I can do really well. Met some key people, did some networking, and gathered some E-Mails and cards. The only thing is......I kinda lost them. :-/ I hope they are in a car seat some where, or i sat them down some where. I really don't know, but i hope they pop up. Really really hope they do. Earlier today i Met at starbucks, and met with some ladies from Sigma Beta Sorority. They asked me millions of questions, and want to see if their chapter will donate do my fund. I think it went really well, and Yea, it was cool.

Trouble on Saturday

Today was pretty cool. It is getting so friggin nice out, SO FAST TOO! Me and chris did somes running earlier in the afternoon, had to take care of errands. After that we went and saw tony's new dog. Tony started looking for a pit bull about a month ago, well at least he started talking about how he wanted one. Well, apparently at work he would talk about it too, cuz one way or another one of tony's buddies at work called him up and told him he had to find a new home for his pit bull, cuz he has to kids now that take up all his time. So, this guy hears tony is lookin for one, and he is trying to get rid of his. This dog is 1 year old, is already potty trained, mild manored, playful, pretty, and STRONG! Tony paid him a hundred bucks. This dog is awesome. Tony got a really good deal, cuz it is a really good dog. You can tell she wouldn't hurt a fly either. Like, if you play rough with her, and she will play back, but not in a mean way. jus a good ole dog. She will be anyways. Chilled at tony's for a while, then went home. The dog's name is trouble too. Thats why this blog is titled the way it is. Duh.

very satisfying night tonight.

Well, I had my first starbucks MS awareness concert/event. It went so good, and a lot more people came than i thought would come.

So after the show, dinger & cody had some people over. good time

TOnight was so good though. There was a huge turn out at starbucks, and I just think it all happened for a reason. This could possibly be the next big thing for me. Whatever it may be, i dunno, but i really feel like i made an advancement today. I informed a bunch of linke minded individuals about what I am going through, and i thought them a little bit about how devestating of a disease MS is. But in all craziness, I talked to Tiffany Stryder about it tonight. It's all about how your attitued looks at it. It is huge. I stay positive, so why wouldn't I have anything but positive outcomes. I saw my buddy Andy out there, and Jared, and just a bunch of people who believe in me. I love my friends, and would take a bullet for them at any given second. I just love my frirends. And they blessed me so much tonight. Even the little things bless the crap out of me.

Getting close to SHOW TIME

So tomorrow is the first StarBucks show. It is taking place on Lima & Dupont. Brandon Dinger is gonna play the guitar, and it is going to be awesome. I am really excited because I have a great power point to present, and well. It is just going to be a good thing. SPREAD THE LOVE!

the Vic'ster

This chick is beautiful, and she's got some connections. Got me a bat. hockey stick, she is awesome. and a sexy one to say the least.

WEDNESDAY means money update.

$12,290.79 is the current NTAF balance.

Here is a pretty cool E-Mail conversation with some guy in Australia named Bushell.
I am THIS COLOR Bushell is THIS COLOR

From: Bushell
To: Mikey@SurvivingMS.com
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 10:24 PM
Subject: MS Article

Hi Mikey,
My son, who is 26, was diagnosed with MS some 18 months ago. It has been progressive affecting his legs, vision and breathing. He has been having weekly injections of Avonex since being diagnosed and went through an extremely difficult period of depression about 6 months ago.
Like yourself he was part way through his University course but was unable to continue. I have read the article you posted in 2004 and was wondering how you had progressed since the article was written. Have you explored medical options in China?
We would welcome any advice or insight you can provide.
Many thanksDavid Bushell(Australia)
from
Mikey Riley
hide details
Mar 20 (1 day ago)
to
Bushell
date
Mar 20, 2007 10:38 AM
subject
Re: Fw: MS Article
mailed-by
gmail.com


First off, allow me to clear something up for you real quick. I am not sure what article you are talking about in "2004" That one has me a little confused. I guess i didn't clear anything up for you...sorry.

CHINA OPTIONS! Yes, I have been on many of the traditional care theripies for MS. Most of which are referred to as interferon beta-1a. They consist of injecting yourself weekly, 1 up to 3 shots a week. Sadly, none of these have stopped the very quick progression of my disease. SO, I have taken a proactive stance. I am going to fight against this disease.
I have a confirmed booking at Shen Yang Hospital.My arrival date is May 17th with a departure of June 23.
My treatment of 4 SCT's and 1 BMT's will cost a total of 22K ($21,000.00USD). Given my current condition this is the recommendation for my treatment.
I am only 20 years old, but i believe with all my heart that God put this treatment in my life for a reason. I love people, I have a very compassionate heart. I could make a living by fundraising for people, and I believe STEMCELLSCHINA.com is where it's at. BUT, I must go through the process, and see the results for myself before I can fully endorse it.

Here is my advice. Research the chinese umbilical cord stem cell transplant. Get as much information on it as you possibly understand. When you don't understand, ask someone who can explain it to you. After you have a much better and clear understanding of how the treatment works. Make an important decision. Who do you trust? I have to have all my faith in God. And I do. I am blessed because of it. My treatment will work, and I am excited for a 30 day vacation in China! I love asian women!

God Bless,
-Mikey
from
Bushell
6:44 am (7 hours ago)
to
Mikey Riley
date
Mar 21, 2007 6:44 AM
subject
Re: Fw: MS Article
mailed-by
tpg.com.au
Hi Mikey,

Thank you so much for getting back to us. I was unsure whether the email for you was still current as your other email address had bounced initially. Re the 2004 reference, I went back and checked your web article and the date showing was 12 June 2004. After re-reading your article you make mention of being diagnosed in 'July 2005' so it would appear the 2004 date may be incorrect.

I read your email to my son and he was thrilled to learn of the positive steps you are taking. It is the first opportunity he has had to hear from someone of a similar age and the same gender. As you are no doubt aware the majority of sufferers are women and he has found it difficult to relate to those who are dealing with the disease back here in Australia.

Thank you for your advice. We will continue to educate ourselves and explore every opportunity that presents itself. We will follow your progress and we wish you the very best outcome from the treatment. Faith and conviction are very powerful allies.

Hopefully Scott's vision will improve enough soon to allow him to contact you directly. Thank you again for responding. Your words have given my son a huge lift.

Our thoughts will be with you. Take care.
Dave Bushell
from
Mikey Riley
12:39 pm (1 hour ago)
to
Bushell
date
Mar 21, 2007 12:39 PM
subject
Re: Fw: MS Article
mailed-by
gmail.com
I found this article, thought you might like to read it.
Growth Factor Could Spur Eye Repair
May 15, 2006 08:47:01 PM PST
MONDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- A naturally occurring, previously unrecognized growth factor called oncomodulin stimulates regeneration in injured nerves of the eye, a new study finds.
The finding could lead to new ways to treat blindness caused by optic nerve damage and even injuries of the spinal cord and brain.
Oncomodulin stimulates growth of injured nerve fibers (axons) in the central nervous system, which consists of the brain, spinal cord and eyes. Under normal circumstances, most axons in the central nervous system cannot regrow once they've been damaged.
But researchers at Children's Hospital Boston said that they had added oncomodulin to retinal nerve cells in a Petri dish and found that axon growth nearly doubled. The team then tested the growth factor in rats with optic nerve injury. They found a 5- to 7-fold increase in axon growth when oncomodulin was given along with a drug that helps cells respond to the growth factor.
The scientists also showed that oncomodulin switches on a number of genes associated with axon growth. The Boston team now plans to test whether the growth factor also works on the types of brain cells that would be potential targets in treating stroke and spinal cord injury.
The findings appeared in the May 14 online edition of Nature Neuroscience .
The study received funding from Boston Life Sciences Inc., which has licensed the oncomodulin technology.

I can relate to the vision problems too. This treatment in China offers hope to those who have vision issues. NOW, it is not a cure. But it is a huge advancement. Also, I hate medications. They have their place in this world, but they are over used, and still a foreign matter to our systems. It is so frustrating, I know that being an advocate for StemCellsChina.com will eventually make me butt heads with the mult-billion dollar pharmacutical companies. BUT, I can't ignor something I believe in. As soon as I find an Australian Leaizon or at least someone who can be in direct contact with you, I will do my best to get someone in contact. But, don't forget. I have not been through the treatment yet, and I do not work for this company. I just write what my heart tells me to. I hope that is enough for you. Pray that the money is raised, and that I can have some of the burden off my back.

God bless,
-Mikey

Tuesdays are the best!

This picture was taken at the small group meeting. That is a picture of Tiffany and her dog. That is a good dog. I like her. I like Tiffany too. I really like my small group, accountability, fellowship, and good people--mixed in with some brownies, and interesting conversation makes for a good time. Once I got back home I worked on my Power Point for the presentation on Friday. I am having trouble finding everything i wanna find about stem cell research. But it is coming along well enough.

OKAY, so right now I am really tired. My eyes are droopy, and i havn't taken any sleep aid. But, I wonder what is going to happen once i go into my room, lay on my comfy bed, and try to go to sleep. I bet I CAN'T! I hate that. The plans for my Benefit Dinner/auction/whatever are so GOIN DOWN. I am going to bed. bye.

So many ideas....must shut off BRAIN

OK, goodness gracious. Sleeping is getting harder and harder. Even when I take my Lunesta, sometimes my brain still keeps me up. I don't do alone time very well. My mind just starts to wonder, then I start thinking a little more about it. Then bam! Sleeping seems to become the impossible task. I need it so bad though. I have non-stop ideas for my web-site, for my friends, for my future, for my MS, anything that I can think about, plagues my mind like peanut butter on the top of a dogs mouth. It is frustrating sometimes.

OK, so what got accomplished today? Well, for one I got a tattoo place to donate $100 cirtificate. & my friend Britt, the beautiful woman i am holding. I look fat in this picture....Well her father hooked me up! He got this rich dentist in Fort Wayne to donate a helicoptor ride!!! Is that not awesome or what????

Yea, if I was at a silent auction, and there was a helicoptor ride for auction, and my little kid was gonna have a B-Day soon. I would so get that for his/her birth day! That would be an amazing present. So, I totally am excited every day to wake up and see what God is going to put on my plate next. It is kind of a thrill. MAD FUN!

Good Quote:

To everything there is a season, a time for.> > >

every purpose under heaven:> > >

A time to weep, a time to laugh, A time to> > >

mourn, and a time to dance.> > >

Ecclesiastics 3:1,4.---

}--{@ Olifia Setiadi @}--{---

nudge...pinch.....poke.....SMACK!! Reminder to keep my eyes, thoughts, and heart with God.

First off, I should be asleep right now. I totally don't feel like writing in my BLOG, but i am doing it because today was awesome! This morning, I get up and it takes me forever to WAKE UP. But i did, and next thing i know, I am in church. Praising God and loving it. Then, we have a father and his son as guest speakers. WOWZERS. They talked about their sruggles with alcohol, and drugs. The dad was a hardcore alcoholic, and the son was a huge cocaine addict. Amazing story, even more amazing God. It was really refreshing, it was as if God was telling me. "Hey mikey, stay on track OK? Cuz your doing good, lets keep it that way!" Then I go home, and attempt to get some fundraising stuff done, and I get this phone call.........It is some chick with a hardcore southern accent. Again, God was speaking very clearly to me. She was from Texas, and found my web-site online....randomly. And wanted to know more about the chinese treatment. SO, she called me, and we talked for over 2 hours. It was amazing. By this time, God kinda smacked me behind the head. I was enlightened, and taken by God's amazingness. My ability to directly effect other people's lives in a positive way is constant. The more I am willing to reach out to people, the more I can.

So, then I end up going to a movie with my friend Lisa Hoekje. My buddy Clint introduced me to her. We saw Amazing Grace, and it really motivated me. I mean here is this guy, a simple man who saw something he wanted to passionately change. So, what did he do? Devoted his life to changing it, and HE DID!!!! I like those kinds of stories. After the movie, I went to my friend Brandon's new house. After we chilled for a bit, Bobbie, the sexy lady to the right...gave me a ride home.

Now........i am passin out.

Baseball bat Mania!

Well, I had a chance to go to Brittney Browns palace today. She is home on spring break, and got a chance to go to NYC! She had lots of fun and got some "discount vashion." Dinner with her parents was half lecture on m/s treatments and general information. The other was enjoyment of Britt and her parents. Very nice people. While I was at the Brown's residence, I get a call from this girl named Victoria. She has been telling me about this bat, signed by the San Francisco Giants that she is going to donate to my fund. It's pretty cool looking. That thing will hopefully attract some attention.

It looks really nice. The signatures are all silver and gold Sharpie markers. It looks cool. AND, the chick that got it for me. Victoria. Well she is a fox. She was at the Leo Legion, because one of her dad's buddies was havin a B-Day. I got to see an old friend from high school, reminded me of some ummmmm "cute" memories. ;-) Carrie Swarts. It was cool, and I got a chance to talk with Victoria's mom, She has m/s and could possibly be interested in some form of stem cell transplant. It is neat that she can watch me go through my experience, and learn from it.

Ughhh, people please!

Tatt2 Garfields Body Piercing
(260) 420-7181
2034 Broadway Fort Wayne, IN 46802

Well, today was interesting. Today in my conquest to solicit some contributors I ran into several interesting characters. Most of which were very pleasent and happy to assist my cause. One, however was just.......Ridiculous. The above Tattoo shop in fort wayne was where i was verbally, and almost Physically assulted. WOW, everything started off perfectly. I was explaining what i was trying to accomplish. Then, the owner; an old timer who has probably dropped acid more times than i can count asks me, "did you say something about stem-cell research?" I said, "Yea, i will be going to China to get a stem cell transplant using stem cells harvested from umbilical cord blood." He told me very bluntly that he does not support stem cell research in any way, shape, or form. And that he didn't have anything else to say to me. I told him.........Well, that is the IGNORANCE I am trying to get rid of in this town. Well, he kept walking closer and closer to me. LOL. then he took off his glasses, and then his jacket. And told me to get the F*** out of his store. I looked him in the eyes, and asked. "Sir, are you being serious right now?" Told me again. I was just amazed at his pure ignorance, and stupidity, and his friggin nerve. SO, THE LESSON TO THIS STORY IS. IF YOU ARE GETTING A TATTOO IN FORT WAYNE, DO NOT GO TO TATT2 Garfields Body Piercing on Broadway!! Unless you just don't like people, life, or to be happy. If you hate yourself, and everyone around you, well you would probably fit in really good there.

I am just frustrated. I put all this work into fundraising, and I am doing really well. But then I come accross a person like that. Someone who is just IGNORANT! It's sick, it really bothers me. There is way to many people who think just like that guy too. Especially in our society, people are so closed-minded to new and amazing posibilities, because of the stigma associated with stem cell research. It is those people in society that make it really hard to make a huge push for stem cell research to move forward in America!

-I still love people though, and i will say a prayer for that guy...just one though. ;-)

$$ Update

As of today. I.......God has raised, $11,252.6o for my Chinese Stem Cell Transplant. Now that is just awesome. Every time i am down, he picks me up. I should fear nothing. Not even money, or my ability to raise it. It's in God's hands. Fear is a sin because it denies the sovereignty of God. Thats what faith is all about!

P.S. If you or anyone you know is looking to create a Web-Site for personal reasons, or for a business. I know the perfect guy. His name is Scott Offord, me and him go way back. He lives in Brookfield, Wisconsin. He is absloutly amazing in the whole HTML world. Check his stuff out! ScottOfford.com

Words of WISDOM--spelled out to me from a good friend.

ThMikeyXperience (12:03:46 AM): hey there
pinkvolley8 (11:04:01 PM): hey
ThMikeyXperience (12:04:13 AM): how was your day?
pinkvolley8 (11:04:46 PM): it was alright.. weather was great! yours
ThMikeyXperience (12:04:53 AM): ohh my gosh, i know about the weather
ThMikeyXperience (12:05:00 AM): like 73 today
ThMikeyXperience (12:05:27 AM): ya know, for not going to college or working, i sure do have a lot of work to do
ThMikeyXperience (12:05:29 AM): brb
pinkvolley8 (11:06:08 PM): k
ThMikeyXperience (12:08:15 AM): so, you do anything out of the norm today?
pinkvolley8 (11:08:53 PM): i had 2 anatomy labs instead of one.. lol.. and i went running outside instead of inside..
pinkvolley8 (11:08:54 PM): you?
ThMikeyXperience (12:09:00 AM): norm
ThMikeyXperience (12:09:02 AM): friggin norm
ThMikeyXperience (12:09:40 AM): the norm is starting to get to me
pinkvolley8 (11:10:09 PM): lol then its good your not in college.. its always the norm.. class, study, eat, workout, etc...
ThMikeyXperience (12:10:21 AM): i know, i hate college
ThMikeyXperience (12:10:47 AM): i think i am looking at the option of a stem cell transplant as a fix all
ThMikeyXperience (12:10:50 AM): a life changer
pinkvolley8 (11:10:59 PM): not gonna lie.. i pretty much love it
ThMikeyXperience (12:11:00 AM): i can "move on"
pinkvolley8 (11:11:12 PM): yea-it def. would be for you
ThMikeyXperience (12:11:16 AM): what if it isn't thou
ThMikeyXperience (12:11:21 AM): what if it doesn't work
ThMikeyXperience (12:11:31 AM): lol. that would SUCK tremendous balls!
pinkvolley8 (11:12:13 PM): it would.. but you have to stay positive.. but maybe not look at it as a complete life changing thing.. just a big step in the right direction
ThMikeyXperience (12:12:22 AM): now that
ThMikeyXperience (12:12:25 AM): that
ThMikeyXperience (12:12:32 AM): is some words of wisdom
ThMikeyXperience (12:12:51 AM): i think i am going to save this convo.

HAPPY MORNINGS ARE THE BEST!

Okay, so I was praying this morning, doing my prayer list, cuz last night i passed out in the middle of it. SO, when i got to heather huffman(use to be neighbor). I couldn't take not knowing. She just recently gave birth, i texted her this morning....It's a BOY, his name is Caiden Matthew. He was 6 lbs 15 Oz's. Healthy!! Such a good thing to hear. I have been praying for heather, ever sense she told me she was pregnant.


I think i need to work on my WEB-SITE! yes, thats correct, yours truely has a web-site.

CHEcK-iT-oUt! ~~~~~www.survivingMS.com~~~~~

It is currently under contstuction, but it will be pretty informative here in the near future. MARK MY WORD! go on, mark it.

Take my lips and let them be. Filled with messenges from thee.

I owe my life to you my lord, Here I AM!

I wonder if there is a book out there that has like 10 steps to surrendering your life completely at the feet of God. Then the road you need to drive down in order to keep surrendering it constantly. Now, my gut instinct tells me it involves Prayer; me asking for his forgiveness every day, and then asking for help on how to be a disciple of Christ. Slow to speak, Never to judge, Always to love.

I don't think you can have any "thing" or any "one" that you couldn't lose with out losing sight of God and be completely surrendered to the Lord. You have got to be able to lose everything that is dear to you at a moments notice, and be able to sing worship songs to the one who created you, with a smile on your face, and positive mind set. Crying and sadness would be there YES, but grievence is a part of loss, but a part that goes away with strength from the LORD. God is so friggin amazing. The more I mature in my faith, the more I see God in everything. Instead of Beer Goggles," I am getting "God Goggles." He is everywhere, some people aren't always aware of him, but MAN IS HE THERE!

Here is a song: Knees to the Earth, by: Christy Nockels; Nathan Nockels.
This song really touches my heart. And it isn't because of the amazing vocals, it is because of the amazing words. The Passion Worship Band: "Sacred Revolution"
Good stuff,

Talk with the biological side.

This little pecker head was kinda roudy...He really liked to mess with me. OHHH, and in the basement, they have like an 18 ft. bermese Python......lol

OHH, it was really great. I love seeing the expression on my biological mothers face everytime i see her after a fairly long period of time has gone by. It's just like "Wow, he is real..." Just a really unique look. Don't think it has been duplicated.

My Biological Grandmother has these animals, and this kitty, specifically is one cute lil fur ball. I love it. It's name is Flower, and it is sleeping on my lap top case in this picture. he he he

Here is My biological mother and grandmother. Jodi loves me, and she realizes that what she did for me, gave me everything that i have today. Gave me my parents, gave me my friends, my schools, my LIFE! I love Jodi for making that very brave and difficult decision she made so long ago. I am so glad that i can show her a man i am not ashamed of. To show her "Look at what I have become!" Thank you Jodi, and I can say with confidence and a much deeper meaning, that I love you. When someone asks me who my "mom" is, I tell them Dianna Riley. But, I am so happy for the relationship that we have. It has allowed me to have a lot of closure in areas I have needed it for a long time.

300

Earlier on in the summer my friend Jenn and I went and saw some movie together. Well, we saw the previews for the movie 300. We dropped our jaws and promised each other we would see it. Well, WE DID! It was awesome. Seriously a brilliantly gory film. Like after the first 30 minutes of brutal killing i figuered i would get sick of it....I was wrong, it kept it's entertainment value because they kept coming up with neat interesting new ways to kill the enemy. It really was a good movie though. This morning I went to the Indiana Center for M/S. It wasn't a very productive doc. appt, but it wasn't not good. I got a chance to tell my ms doctor about the chinese stem cell transplant program. She was very professional in her response. Not saying it's good, but not saying it's bad. She is an extremely professional and thorough Doc. I respect her opinion too. BUT, I dunno, What is meant to be will happen. Thats it.

Getting Reacquainted

chelsy has her Real Estate license.

This girl who I went to preschool with contacts me on FaceBook a couple of days ago. Sometimes I think people get placed into your life for a specific reason. Call it what you will. Lets just say me and chelsy have always had good karma with each other. Never realizing how much we had in common...which is mind-twistingly "ironic."

Here are some pic's of the lady. She said it pretty well. It's crazy to see how people you make a connection with at some point in your life; be it insignificant or not...its crazy to see how people turn out.

So after me and chelsy hung out and got to talk with her Mom, I shoulda got a picture of her, she is just as pretty as i remember her being in Preschool. Gave her an update. After chelsy got a chance to talk with my rents, I went to Clint's house. And something crazy happened there too. This is at Clints House. He invited

me over, and didn't get there till forever. It was all good though. He was more than excused, with a reason I wish i could say with confidence. I love Clint. So hung out there, and Saw this girl named Angi. Angi has athe curly dark hair. She use to play Softball with my sister. I use to play baseball with her brother Zane. We actually go way back. I havn't seen her for like 7 years. no joke. And this was just a random run in at a buddy's house. It was really nice to talk with her, and hear about how Zane is doing. I use to have a lot of fun with this kid. Humerous one. We kind of have the same personality; goofy, sarcastic, maybe odd. It was just really cool to be back in touch with her. I think my sister will be glad to hear of that too. Just really cool and amazing to run into long time friends after so long, and to make a connection with one, and see how good they both are doing. It goes beyone that, but I am kind of tired of typing. I think I am gonna stop.

I go to the M/S center in Indy tomorrow. Maybe they can tell me what is going on with my ear/jaw. that would be nice. :-) All in all, today was a really fun and encouraging day. I'll take more like today.

CHINA or BUST...or not, i dunno, could happen, if it doesn't...thats okay.

OKAY, so the whole..”going to China to get a Stem Cell Transplant” plan/idea is really starting to take shape. Starting yesterday, I woke up at like 1:30a.m. to a sheering pain in my left ear. So, it was odd, and kept me up all night. Later that day I went to RediMed and had the Doc. Look at my ear. He couldn’t find anything wrong…no wax build up, no scaring, and we definitely ruled out an inner ear infection. SO….Today I went to the dentist, they did this 180 degree X-Ray of my mouth/jaw…..they were confused too. Wisdom teeth have plenty of room. There is no infection, or anything….No one understands. SO, the conclusion I have to come to is….it must be M/S related. On Friday I have an appointment at the Indiana Center for Multiple Sclerosis, in Indianapolis. I am praying that it is no big deal….that there is a simple answerer and what not.

Back to the China option coming into view. I talked to Kirshner, the American Liaison for Stem Cell China today. I told her that I am going to talk to my M/S doc. At the center, and get her opinion on the Chinese treatment. The cool thing is, just in case Dr. Clare Braun-heshimi (m/s doc sense I was diagnosed) disagrees with it. Kirshner gave me permission to give Clare her phone number. This is great, because Kirshner is a brilliant woman. She has the tendency to make everything better. I love it when women have that ability. He he…..

SILENCE

Tuesdays are small group nights for me. I love my small group. I love the people in it, and i love God. I think thats all you really need in order to have a successful Christian small group. I feel like i can express myself in a comfortable setting that i trust all people in it. Tonight we watched a NOOMA video titled Noise.

I really appriciated everything in the video because it puts a lot of things in perspective for me. The basic lesson of the movie is.....How often do we take time out of our busy lives to "Listen" to God. All to often we just want to cram as much media, and entertainment into our silent times as we possibly can. Look at Mini-Vans, and SUV's. They make them now with individual entertainment systems for each passenger. The kids can be playing video games in the back. The front passenger can be watching a movie, or surfying the web. And the Driver can be listening to the radio. WOW! Where is the time set aside for God? When do we set aside time to give to GOD, to let God talk to us. In our society of Immideate gratification, we are to use to an immideate fix. If you want food...Go to a fast food joint. If you want entertainment, turn on the T.V. or Radio. If you want conversation where you can get feedback, pick up your cell phone. If you want to get in touch with someone, paige them, or text them. And we have this thinking for God sometimes too. You pray, and ask God a question. You tell him, "please god, give me a sign!" "Make the shutters blow in the wind, or make the lights flicker!" When in reality, for our own sake. We should shut off all things that want our attention. Shut our eyes, and ears, and LISTEN TO THE LORD! You must have faith, and you must realize that it is not on your time schedule. God provides for his sheep, and is so amazingly awesome!

I was really challenged to listen to GOD.

M/S UPDATE:

Okay, so today i had to go to Redi-med. My left ear has been bothering me for about 3 weeks. It always feels like there is an immense Wax build up. BUT NO WAX. well it was just an irritation. But this morning when I woke up to a sharp pain in my left ear, it was no longer an irritation, but a pain! OUCH! so, i told the rents, and we had the doc. at redimed check it out.....It was fairly inconclusive. I hope it isn't M/S related....but i have a feeling in my gut that it is. There was no inflamation, no wax build up, no scarring. And, it is happening only on the left side. I HOPE IT ISN'T, but it probably is......

Food for Thought

Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are but princesses that are waiting to see us act just once with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything terrible is in its deepest essence, something helpless that needs our love.

-Rainer Maria Rilke

This is a picture of New Jersey! My good buddy Mike Gann, got sent on a business trip to New York to learn a someone elses banking system......Something to that effect anyways. So, i told him. "Dude, as soon as you get there make sure you take a picture that puts everything into perspective for me. I think this picture does a really good job.My Grandma is a very wise woman. Very wise. She pointed something out to me, I believe that I really needed to see, or at least be aware of. She told me not to lose sight of the fact that the Devil is always around the corner. He is always going to be there to tempt you, and throw things in your path to try to mess you up! I needed to hear that, cuz you have to always be aware of what is tempting you, even when you "think" you have things under control, you are still being tempted all the time, left right, up, and down! Man, I wish I was in New York with Mike G, right now. I know we would be having a blast. But dats O-Tay! I'm doing my thing, as he is his. Huh? sounded pretty good didn't it!

Sweet dreams are made of HAPPY MINDS.

I swear, every time I go to bed in a really happy, positive frame of mind. I have good dreams. Sometimes really confusing, and bizare, but GOOD. I didn't go to church this morning. I was pretty lazy. Plus i would have had to put some effort to find a different ride, cuz the usual couldn't make it. SO, i just slept in like a LaZy BUM. laid around allllll day. Once i finally got up, and un lazified myself. I went with Tony(friend) to Borders, and got this movie called.......

It was super good. Kind of twisted, but extremely well made. It is all in Spanish, so you have to read them good old English Subtitles if you wanna know what is going on. But once you get use to reading, it is all goooood. So, watched that at Tony's and had a good-ole-time.

Once i got back home, there was a car parked in the drive way that i didn't recognize. Well, i had just forgot that my grandma and grandpa were visiting cuz my grandpa had to go to Indianapolis to the Vets hospital. My grandma(mothers mom) was up when i got home late. We got to talking, and i told her about the China Stem Cell treatment possibility. She had a big grin on her face the whole time i told her about it. I enjoy telling her things, because she always listens in such a great frame of mind. I don't get anything from that lady except for complete confidence. She doesn't "HOPE" i will do ok in life. She "KNOWS" i will do amazing in life. For myself, and others. So, that is a huge confidence booster. We got to talk about what is going on in her life. Sometimes she likes to confide in me. I enjoy letting her do so. I just love people!

so much to do so little time.

So, yesterday was good. It was thursday, and we met Mer at Cebollas(mexican restaurant). This place is pretty good. Pretty close to authentic. Anyways, before the food got there I "dismissed" myself to the restroom. I went and told the waiter we were celebrating my sister's birthday. I asked him to make it "memoriable." So...

They made my sister this treat, then put a huge combrario on her head, and sang happy b-day in spanish. wish i woulda got the hat.Happy-Bday mer! LOVE YOU
That was thursday, so today I got around, and my mom wanted me to go with her to Meijers to do some shopping. So, i went with her, but got bord and ancy. So i went off and looked at shoes. God bord, and sat on a Futon and messed with my phone. Then, i see this guy. Lookin at me, and the mattress. then at me, pace a little bit.....So, I asked him. "you looked confused, what ya lookin for?" He said, "ohh i gotta find a futon i suppose." I said, ehh, i definately don't reccommend one for long use. Hated it. lots of lower back pain. Well, we got to talking about where i went to college. And told me about how his kid is in the merchant marines. Works in the gulf on a NOVA science research ship. Man, we talked about all kinds of stuff. He sat down and talked with me prolly for 25 minutes. I saw him get really emotional when he mentioned his daughter going off to train in Texas, then off to Iraq so they can teach the Cops in baghdad to train to be good, or whatever. All in all, it was a really good talk. He is a really genuine person. And a good heart to match.

So after that me and chris went and got some pizza, while i was waiting for it to cook. I saw this very attractive mommy at the pizza place.

After that me and Chris went to jaccobb's house and watched him make some of his beads. Really amazing talent. It is hard to believe he is all self taught. Pretty smart dude. This In this picture, he was working on a bead that had several flowers inside it. He can create really amazing looking flowers with just little dabs of molten glass, and constantly spinning and heating non stop. It is really quite amazing to watch.

So, I have good news from the Yahoo chat group I am in. I got someone to send me pictures of one of the hospitals in Nanshan. The place is really quite beautiful

The 14th floor is dedicated to the stem cell transplant team.
I have more, but i need to not type anymore and go lay down. ;-)