Josh Martini's Stem Cell Therapy Journey for Kidney Failure in Mexico

Sitting still in the treatment chair

I was sitting in a leather recliner in Mexico, watching a clear fluid drip down a tube into my arm, feeling mildly annoyed at myself. This was my third treatment session out of five, and a nurse was checking my blood pressure for what felt like the tenth time that morning.

Honestly, I’ve always been a stubborn guy. I hate sitting still. Back home, if something broke in the house, I fixed it. If the yard needed work, I did it. But sitting in that clinic, hooked up to an IV, I had a lot of time to think about how my refusal to slow down or listen to my body was exactly what landed me in that chair.

My blood pressure had been out of control for years, and my blood sugar was a mess. I mostly just ignored it and kept pushing through my days, assuming I could just tough it out. It sounds silly now, but I genuinely thought I could just outwork my own health problems.

The wake-up call back home

A few months earlier, I couldn’t tough it out anymore. I was trying to clean out the garage, a simple weekend project, and I couldn't even walk to the end of the driveway without getting completely winded. My head was pounding constantly, and I just felt heavy and exhausted all the time.

I finally went to my local doctor in Phoenix. He ran some labs, sat me down, and basically told me my kidneys were quitting on me. It was kidney failure, driven right into the ground by my unchecked diabetes and high blood pressure. He told me my kidney function was dangerously low and that we needed to start talking about going on dialysis.

I remember just staring at him. Dialysis meant being strapped to a machine multiple times a week. It meant I wouldn't be able to just go out and work in my yard whenever I wanted. I told him no, there had to be another way, but he just shook his head and said my numbers were too bad to ignore anymore.

"I wasn't going to just sit around and wait for my kidneys to completely shut down. I figured if my local doctor didn't have other options, I'd find someone who did."

Looking for alternatives late at night

I spent the next few weeks glued to my computer late at night. I didn't know much about medicine, but I was reading everything I could find about ways to improve kidney function or at least slow down the damage. That’s when I stumbled onto some forums talking about cellular therapies.

I found PlacidWay while trying to figure out how people actually book these treatments abroad. I ended up getting on a call with them, and they helped me narrow things down. They pointed me toward MexStemCells Clinic down in Mexico City, which specialized in using stem cells and exosomes for people with my exact combination of issues.

I was skeptical, sure. But looking at my lab results from Phoenix, I didn't have a lot of leverage to be picky. I booked the trip.

A harsh reality check abroad

When I actually arrived at MexStemCells Clinic, the medical team didn't just hook me up to an IV and send me on my way. They ran their own tests and then gave me a reality check that honestly hit harder than my doctor at home.

They explained that the millions of umbilical cord cells and exosomes were meant to help repair the damage and reduce the inflammation in my kidneys. But they were very blunt: if I didn't get my blood sugar and blood pressure under control, I was just going to destroy whatever good the treatment did.

They had a nutritionist sit down with me for a long session. For the first time, I actually paid attention. I realized my stubbornness about eating whatever I wanted was literally breaking my body. During those five treatment sessions, my mindset finally shifted. I stopped fighting the doctors and started listening.

Coming home and checking the numbers

It’s been a while since I got back from Mexico. I’m not magically fixed, and I still have kidney disease. But things have changed a lot since that first terrible doctor's appointment.

My blood pressure isn't through the roof anymore, and I'm strictly following the diet they gave me, which has helped my blood sugar numbers drop significantly. My energy is better. I don't feel that heavy, constant exhaustion when I try to walk around the house.

I just got my latest lab results back this morning. My kidney function bumped up enough that my local doctor isn't talking about dialysis right now. It bought me time and gave me some breathing room.

I put the lab printout on the kitchen counter. I have to go out and finish cleaning up the garage today. But I'll make sure to check my blood sugar before I start, and I'll actually take a break when I'm tired.