GV resident bets on stem-cell therapy for failing heart - Part 1 August 8, 2007

By Kathy Engle
Wednesday, August 8, 2007 12:37 AM MDT

It was a gamble for retired Air Force Major Buck R. Brumble, 68, but the stakes were high—literally life or death.

MARIO AGUILAR | GREEN VALLEY NEWS
After stem-cell therapy in Bangkok this past spring, Buck Brumble can once again enjoy walking and playing with his two toy poodles, Mandy and Andy.

He took that gamble after hearing that stem-cell therapy might revive his failing heart and allow him to return to the life he loves in Green Valley, where he lives in The Springs with his two dogs.

It was a gamble that took Brumble and his friend, John Sonderegger, all the way to the Bangkok Heart Hospital in Thailand, where doctors implanted Brumble’s own stem cells into his heart.

“The schedule for me after arriving in Bangkok with John was to rest for three days. Then blood would be drawn, about one pint, and it would be flown to TheraVitae laboratories in Israel,” Brumble explained.

TheraVitae is a private multinational company focused on using stem cells from the patient’s own blood in order to treat a variety of disorders, especially cardiovascular diseases The company has developed a proprietary stem cell technology called VesCell that is currently used by hospitals in Thailand to treat patients with heart disease. TheraVitae Vitae is based in Bangkok, Thailand, Kiryat Weizmann, Israel, and Hong Kong.

Gave him hope Brumble heard about the procedure from a friend, who knew of a patient from Green Valley who had successfully undergone it. The idea gave him hope and inspiration and, in consultation with his doctors, he immediately began extensive research on the Internet to get in touch with TheraVitae and arrange his operation through a patient coordinator.

Brumble’s heart problems were extensive . The implantation of pacemaker/defibrillator under the supervision of Dr. David Lapan 16 months ago after a serious tachycardia attack had helped somewhat, Brumble said, but did not solve his heart problems long-term

“In mid-March of 2006, my heart was beating fine, but by summer I was forced to reduce my walking and could no longer do the things that were normal for me, such as yard work and housework.

“The beauty of adult stem cells over embryonic or cord stem cells is that they are readily available, though not in this country, and there is no rejection factor with their implantation. I truly believe this is a gift from God , and that in the near future, adult stem cells will be curing more and more health problems,” Brumble said.

Costly procedure

Brumble had to spend about $40,000 on the operation itself, plus funds for travel and lodging and other expenses for himself and Sonderegger. He also had to purchase an oxygen concentrator for the overseas flight that cost about $5,000, then found out he could use the oxygen concentrator on most domestic flights, but not international flights. He would have to buy the oxygen while in flight to Bangkok.

Brumble has never had a heart attack, but has had troubles with his health, starting with being diagnosed with polio as a child. In the late 1970s he was diagnosed with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), a lung disease that includes asthma and emphysema.

After retiring from the Air Force in 1989, he bought a motor home and became a full-time RVer, traveling all over the country.

“In the mid-1990s, I was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure, more specifically known as caridomyopathy, This is when the heart begins to dilate and becomes stretched out like an old balloon and is unable to beat or pump blood efficiently, Brumble explained.

“The EF or ejection fraction is a measurement of how well the heart is beating. At that time, my EF was about 37 percent. I was still snowbirding between Seattle and Tucson and VA hospitals in both cities were treating me.”

In the late 1990s, Brumble could tell he was really slowing down, felt short of breath and extremely fatigued, no longer able to continue his RV lifestyle.

Prospect of death

In 2001, he moved to Green Valley and the VA in Tucson told him his EF was now only about 20 percent and that he should get his affairs in order since his health was seriously deteriorating. Death was a distinct possibility.

“I could no longer walk as far as they house next door and was now using a handicap scooter to go to the stores and elsewhere,” he said.

Shortly after moving to Green Valley, Brumble consulted Dr. David Lapan of Pima Heart Associates, who made changes in his medications and put him on a exercise regimen.

“Within a year, I was walking up to four miles, five times a week. I felt better than I had for years,” Brumble said..

But his heart problems would continue. Last year, while visiting San Antonio, he suffered a tachycardia attack (rapid heart beat). When he returned home, Lapan told him it was time to implant a pacemaker/defibrillator. After that procedure Brumble felt his heart was beating fine, but by summer of 2006, he suffered a setback, was forced to reduce his walking and could no longer handle everyday activities.

Brumble said Lapan encouraged and assisted him in his contacts with TheraVitae, offering to help in any way. The doctor was a big help in getting Brumble’s paperwork completed for submission to TheraVitae.

Brumble was assigned an appointment date and began exploring travel arrangements to Thailand.

But his condition continued to deteriorate.

“I decided it was time to redo my will, my living will, and my medical power of attorney. If anything were to happen to me in Thailand, legal papers would be necessary to have my body returned to the U.S. Then I had to get to the bank to wire most of the money to TheraVitae for the procedure. I mention this as I can only imagine what this would cost in the United States, even if it were allowed.”

Departure for Bangkok was delayed, because on Feb. 5, Brumble was rushed to Tucson Heart Hospital where he was determined to be in respiratory failure. A ventilator was inserted in his lungs to breathe for him and he rescheduled the trip to Thailand for March 9.

He thought all systems were go, but the heart troubles kept on coming.

Another hospitalization

On Feb. 20, he was again taken by ambulance to Tucson, this time to St. Mary’s Hospital and treated once more for respiratory failure.

“The second day in the ICU, a doctor (I will not mention his name) saw my medical chart on my trip to Thailand. He told me I was being ridiculous to consider stem cell therapy, calling it just a crapshoot,”

Lapan, on the other hand, encouraged him to try it, saying, in effect, what did Brumble have to lose.

Coming Friday: Stem cell operation aftermath, Part II of Buck Brumble’s story.

kengle@gvnewa.com|547-9732

Editor’s note
This is the first of a two-part series on Green Valley resident Buck Brumble’s remarkable experiences before and after undergoing a new procedure for cardiovascular stem-cell therapy in Thailand. Part II will appear in Friday’s newspaper.