Here is a report on the Stanford plasma study so far. I went down to San Jose on 8 January and returned on the 10th. The ninth and 10th were all the opening days of the study. I am patient number one. They are looking for 18. I am told that age is not as important as other issues, so if you are interested, please inquire.

The first day I did all of the testing on my medication. The testing was both kinesthic and cognitive, including all the usual UPDRS, MOCA, walking up and down pathways with sensors attached all over, etc., nothing difficult at all, pretty familiar stuff.

The next day was off medication and that was a whole other story. I finally realized how to describe being off medication. It's like that Chinese finger puzzle where you stick your fingers in and pull and the harder you pull, the more it contracts and the more it hurts. This is like having your whole body in the Chinese puzzle for about two hours. I have never been off of medication for an extended period of time, a new experience for me. That said, it was nothing that I couldn't tolerate and I could go ahead and do all the tasks they were asking me to do without a whole lot of difficulty.

I go back to Stanford again on January 25 and 26th for the first two transfusions of blood plasma. I am certainly curious to see if anything happens because of it. We are in very new territory here but the people I'm working with are all first rate and I feel confident I am in excellent hands.

I want to encourage everyone who can possibly participate to sign up for this research Trial. At least call and find out what the parameters are and do your best to get in. If this works, it could be life-changing for many of us. As with all research, it is fraught with unknowns. There are certainly no guarantees that it will work but if you participate you are moving the ball down the road and helping all of us. The pain is real, but at least it is short.