Reporting From California

We are home now and very happy.  The weather is superb and we do not miss the humidity!  I wanted to let you all know what happened with Carolyn's final injection and infusion on Friday.  We had been praying since early Friday morning for God's grace and blessing for Carolyn's last injection.  We had an early flight Saturday morning and it could have really been difficult if Carolyn had a bad night.  Well let me tell you that Carolyn had a very smooth procedure and had zero negative side effects this time!  Thank God and thank you for all your prayers!  We were up before 4am and the rest of the day was a blur.  The flights themselves were very smooth.

We will really miss seeing our new friends who were going through treatment along side of Carolyn!  Benita and Carla are fighters and we will be continuing to pray for them as they complete their final two weeks of treatment.

Here's a pic taken by Carla's husband Roger.  This is from left to right: Nick, Benita, Paula, Carla, Joanna, Eric, Hazel, and Carolyn.

We can't say enough or thank the staff at CIMA Physical Therapy headed by Mrs. Paris.   They taught Carolyn how to work effectively and what to look for in a physical therapist here in California.

So I'm sure you are all wondering just how Carolyn is doing now that the treatment in Costa Rica is completed.  Well, here's how she describes it.  Carolyn explains, "at this point what I feel is that a fog has lifted.  I feel that I have more energy than before.  I'm still using the wheelchair but I am stronger and more flexible."  Let me add that after the very early morning yesterday and seven hours on airplanes... Carolyn still had strength in her legs and was not wiped out like we would normally expect.  So while she is not yet ready to sign up for the chorus line she feels a definite improvement.  The doctors have told us that the effects of the stem cell treatment will be felt at around six weeks from now.  In the meantime Carolyn will be working hard in physical therapy - continuing the regimen begun in Costa Rica.  

Thanks again everybody!

Eric and Carolyn

Week 2 - Friday Final Day of Treatment!

Though these two weeks of treatment in Costa Rica have not been easy they have gone well. I want to express our appreciation to all of you who helped us know we we not alone here - but instead we are in the company of wonderful friends and family!

As I write (I'm beginning to think in Spanish!) Carolyn is having her final injections. She had a very good physical therapy session today as well. She's really come to get close to a few of the physical therapists and we'll miss there smiling faces and their caring manner. The head of the Physical Therapy Dept explained that the improvement Carolyn has experienced thus far is due to the hard work she has done. Mrs. Paris also said that the stem cells would begin to really help in a month or so. She stressed how important it will be for Carolyn to continue the therapy for two hours per day. Please pray for God's guidance in this area... It's hard, time consuming, and expensive.

Our ride to the airport is scheduled to pick us up at 4:45 am. tomorrow and our flight leaves at 6:24 am. We have a quick layover in Denver and then straight home!

Blessings to all of you from Our God who heals spiritually, emotionally, and physically!

Week 2 - Thursday

Carolyn is doing much better this morning. Thank you for the continued prayers. There is a definite pattern to this treatment. Carolyn and the other ladies being treated all experience pain, soreness, and some sense of despair several hours following the intrathecal injections. The soreness is from all the physical therapy combined with lying down for five hours (which creates a lot of stiffness). It's so impotant to remember that by the next day you feel about 80% -90% better.

As I write this, Carolyn is having a wonderful back massage as her physical therapy, a much needed break. The therapists are always asking for your feedback to make sure you are getting what you need.

After therapy we will have the rest of the day to do some shopping and sightseeing. It will be good for everyone to get out of the hotel for a while.

Tomorrow is Carolyn's last day of treatment and it will be full. Two hours of physical therapy and then her last intrathecal injection and last adipose derived stem cell injection (just like yesterday.) I read today that she will have received about 83 million adult stem cells during this treatment. She can expect to see the best results after being home for six weeks.

Blessings to you all and we looking forward to seeing you soon!

Wednesday Night Prayer Request

It's another very difficult night with soreness and emotional strain. We covet your prayers tonight. Thank you!

Blessings,
Eric

Monday Day 8 - Part II

I'm not kidding... She was able to do a bunch of things (in physical therapy) she could't even think of doing when we got here! I had a hint that something was up this morning when instead of sitting in her wheelchair so I could roll her to the bedroom to get dressed she said, "out of the way!" She then used her walker and took some really confident steps to the room. The thing is that her stamina is noticeably better too. Previously, after a shower she would be exhausted. This walking today was AFTER her shower! I'm so excited to see what she'll be doing by Friday! She's sleeping right now after receiving her third intrathecal injection. This was the best injection yet - no real pain! Thanks again everybody! Keep those prayers coming...

Blessings,
Eric

Monday Day 8 - WOW!

I just had to give a quick update that right now here in physical therapy Carolyn is lifting her legs with small weights attached to her ankles! Something wonderful is happening here. She absolutely has not done this in two years! She is even lifting her "bad" leg! Thank you Lord! The Lord who heals!

Saturday and Sunday - Week 1

What a difference a day (or two) makes!  No doubt all of your prayers have been heard by God!  Carolyn began to feel better on Saturday and by today even more so.  All it takes is for me to see that beautiful smile of hers and my spirits are lifted immediately! 

I´ve got several pictures to post this time so here we go...

Here she is just a few hours ago feeling good and relaxing in bed with a few new cookbooks on cooking "Tico" which is slang for Costa Rican style...

This was yesterday in downtown San Jose.  This was an off the beaten path row of small vendors.  They sold everything from jewelry to hats to keychains to tablecloths to sarapes to shoes.  Did I mention the  painted and framed parrot feathers?  There were little scenic paintings on all different sized feathers - some were quite good!  We would have never found this place if it weren´t for a local who has become a good friend - Ramon the tour guidè/taxi driver.  He works at the front of the Cristina Hotel and we are so happy to have met him.  He is very fond of the local saying "Pura Vida!"  = Pure Life!  It´s a popular greeting here in Costa Rica and I like it.

There are really poor section in San Jose but there seems to be a majority middle class as evidenced by the splendid malls.  This one called the MultiPlaza makes our Brea Mall or even South Coast Plaza look tiny!

We made a trip to the MultiPlaza so Sean could check out the Apple Store.  Unfortunately there were no iPads in Costa Rica yet...    That was enough for Saturday and we headed home.  We made plans with Ramon to take us to the Cafe Brit coffee plantation on Sunday where they give tours of there beautiful gardens and coffee bean processing facilities.

Here we are at the end of the tour finishing up lunch and chatting with Ramon.

Another view of the cafe - It was very beautiful out of doors and under the bamboo covered ceilings...

This is a view right outside the cafe... the rain would pour down for about ten or fifteen minutes at a time and then stop.  Very relaxing!

Here´s one of the exhibits of the various stages of the coffe plants...  With all the information they gave to us I can be a first class coffee snob!  Those bitter Starbucks beans are highly overrated! 

Any way you turned on this tour was a treat to your senses!  We learned that the coffe plant is related to the Gardenia and the plants bloom only two or three days per year.  Can you believe they were in full bloom today?!!  What a delicious treat!

Carolyn couldn´t believe the color of this buganvilia!  This shot is for her....

This is hard to describe... the tour was informative and very entertaining... with a mock wedding and much more!  Here they asked for a volunteer to be the Maid of Honor and our very own "Meema" was chosen to play the part!  It was all quite fun and I was just enjoying the fact that Carolyn was able to sit without pain and smile... 

I´d like to end todays post with an encouraging report.  Carolyn said that her right hand had more feeling in it today than it has in a very long time...  We have heard from others who have responded well to the treatment that one of the first signs of improvement is the numbness leaving their hands and feet.  It´s a small thing - but then again maybe not.  Full of faith and hope we move forward.

Tomorrow is the first day of a hard week of treatment.  Physical therapy every day with three more intrathecal injections on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - as well as two intraveneous injections on Wednesday and Friday.  The intraveneous injections will deliver the fat-derived stem cells to Carolyn´s blood stream.  Please pray that these stem-cells will set her immune system back to a healthy mode.  In addition, please pray for the strength to endure three of the intrathecal injections in one week especially since we leave at 5 a.m. on Saturday morning for the airport.  We will need God´s strength.

Blessings to you all,

Eric and Carolyn