ROBUST discussion

Hi folks.
Bad news, I'm afraid. I've just found out that Amos is back in hospital in a bad way. This time he's ruptured his aorta. It happened a few days ago and he's come through the op, but I'm sure he'd appreciate whatever positive vibes you can send his way. His poor wife and family. They must be stressed beyond endurance. :(

Katie wrote: "Hi folks.
Bad news, I'm afraid. I've just found out that Amos is back in hospital in a bad way. This time he's ruptured his aorta. It happened a few days ago and he's come through the op, but I'm..."

I'm so sorry to hear this, Kate. My thoughts are with him.

(I apologize for my previous message: mistaken identity)

Come on, Amos, we want you back!

I really feel for the family. I recently had an episode, and woke up laughing, until I saw the ring of worried faces around the bed.

Aw, this is sad. When he back around I figured he was mending well. I'm sending every good vibe his way.

Very sorry to hear that.

Oh, Katie. I am indeed very sorry to hear this. Sending prayers to all of them.

I am indeed very sorry to hear that Katie. I am sending prayers to all of them.

Oh, no, Katie! Sending prayers to him and his family.

Amos, it was so nice to see you back, we love having you here! Hope you are on the mend and back again real soon!

Katie, thanks for keeping us apprised of Amos' situation, most appreciated.

Thanks for the Heads up - Katie. My prayers are with him, too.

Any new news, Katie?

The last I heard, he had been moved to a ward, but there hasn't been anything for a few days. He actually wrote his own very short post saying he felt awful! I'm hoping no news means he's doing as well as can be expected, but it sounds like he did a really good job of his aorta, so it will be a long recuperation.

Hope he is improving. More prayers going his way...

Seems like Andre is being awfully quiet again, too.

Yes, let us hope he is simply busy getting his new book out and with his many other projects...

Hmm, no, Andre hasn't been around for a few days. I hope he's okay.

Amos is home again, resting. He still has more operations to 'look forward' too, but for now, he's where he wants to be, with his family.

Andre's in the hands of what he calls the "Swedish Stalinists for Diet Re-education and Cardiac Rehabilitation". Sounds like a rest cure, surrounded by beautiful women.

Thanks, Dakota, I was thinking you would probably know about Andre. He must be okay, his sense of humour seems intact, kench!

Katie, that is heartening news, for the time being at least. Keeping those prayers going.

And for Andre too, though the best thing we could do for him is keep ROBUST, well... Robust!

The thing about heart issues is that the heart is our strongest organ, we know so much now and there is much we can do to stabilize, heal and indeed even strenthen them.

They even have a stem-cell rebuilding process in the works.

Kat, I've thought for a long time that stem-cell rebuilding was the answer. These things take time, but I'm holding out hope that they find a way to rebuild kidneys before a donor match is found for my daughter (which we've been advised could take 6 to 8 years).

Stem cells - another research project thwarted by the GOP for silly reasons...Oops, my slip is showing.

I saw the blonde from Three's Company on TV recently (can't recall her name). She had a breast removed due to cancer and used stem cells to regrow it. Seems like a miracle to me.

Not exactly. She had fat and muscle tissue removed from another part of the body and put in and then some stem cells were added.

This is a variation on an existing procedure that doesn't even involve stem cells and there's no actual current evidence that the stem cells make a lick off difference in long-term recovery. Not saying they don't, just saying the evidence isn't there and the fundamental procedure underlying the process isn't necessarily all that advanced or cutting edge.

Not anti-stem-cell therapies, mind you, just that her surgery is being presented by the media as much more than it is, and, to be blunt, she has a history of pushing things of dubious medical benefit.

Lots of potential with stem cells but there's a lot of dubious stuff (and in some cases outright quackery) going on with them in many areas as well.

My university just built a huge stem cell center, Jamie Thompson, one of the big guys in the field is a researcher here. It's only a matter of time before he gets a Nobel. :)

Kat wrote: Stem cells - another research project thwarted by the GOP for silly reasons...Oops, my slip is showing.


Kench, Kat!

DNA barcoding began in Canada and we continue to be in the forefront of genome mapping, but we were slow on the uptake with medical stem-cell research, too.

In recent years, though, we have picked up speed and have made huge discoveries.

But don't be so hard on the GOP (well, on second thought, please DO), the US instituted the first clinical trial of human embryonic-derived stem cells for treatment of spinal cord injury. That's impressive!

I give credit for that to Christopher Reeve and his efforts in getting research funding....

Duh. I'm here. I'm on a six week rehab/reeducation course, two days a week, which cuts into one's time for socializing. Sharon has the con. Keep ROBUST robust and I'll be back.

Good to see you, Andre.

J.A., thanks for the clarification. In the show I saw, she and the host were talking about her stem cell experience showing the potential to regrow amputated limbs. That sounded like science fiction to me. Apparently, it was.

Well, it's not wrong to say that the potential is there. It's just it's a bit farther down the road then we'd perhaps like, especially with something that isn't a discrete organ like a limb.

That being said, in the last 5 or so years have been impressive scientifically and researchers have accomplished things like the definite beginnings of limited organ regeneration of certain simple organ systems, such as teeth in animals, partial liver lobes, et cetera.

There's been a lot of exciting progress and even if we're not regenerating limbs, there is still a lot of short-term time horizon potential for using stem cells to help with things like damaged organs and what not.

Regenerative medicine is definitely on the cusp of some interesting things in the next few decades.

Can only sit up at the PC for short periods. They have my blood pressure so low I feel faint most of time. My heart is okay as far as I know, but they replaced a section of my Aorta and are trying to let the lower section repair itself. WE will have to see how that goes. I got to keep my own heart valve, which was a bonus.

Lots of pain of course. this cutting the chest open thing is for the birds. worst thing is all my tastes and smell have gone mad and everything tastes like toxic waste. makes it very hard to eat.

Thanks for all the good wishes and I hope to live long enough to get my next book out. lol.

Good to find you so chipper, Amos. Can I send you a couple of Swedish masseuse? They claim to be physiologists, but I have my doubts...

Nice to hear from you Amos. We've missed you!

All the best in your recovery!

Amos, so glad you're mending. It's a good sign when you can joke about it.

Welcome back, Amos. I hope you didn't mind me haunting your FB page for news and relaying it here, but we all do miss you when you're not around. Take it easy, do as your wife tells you and get well soon! :)

Only just seen this - Amos and Andre, keep on truckin'

J

Good to see you, Amos.

Welcome back Amos! Hope you get well soon!

Speaking of people we miss, where's Claudine?

Yes, where is she?. Last I remember she was having problems with her computer and/or Broadband...

I don't think we've heard from her since April 13th. That's a long time for broadband or computers to be misbehaving. Hope she's okay.

I just wish I felt well enough to do some rewrites and editing... At least they 'upgraded' the broadband here, but it's still just 3G wireless.

Just get to feeling better, Amos...we'll be here.

What Kat said, Amos!

And so will the rewrites and editing...