Saturday, November 17, 2007
TRAVEL DAY
We flew American Airlines from DFW to Miami, had a 2 hour layover in Miami, and then flew Miami to San Jose, Costa Rica. Kevin was PERFECT the whole way! We were all tired but it was a good travel day. When we arrived at the airport at about 9:30 PM, we saw a mob trying to get threw immigration – probably a 2 hour or longer wait. An immigration employee came up to us because of Kevin’s wheel chair and took us to the front of the line! PRAISE THE LORD!!! We got right through immigration and customs without a hitch. Then, before we could wonder where to go, a driver from the Institute for Cellular Medicine was holding a sign saying “Kevin Wooldridge”. They sent 2 vans to pick us up and take us to the hotel. It could not have gone more smoothly! We checked into a beautiful tropical hotel. Our room is 2 large bedrooms, 2 baths and a family room – it’s like an apartment. The Institute is taking great care of us.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
FUN DAY 7:00 AM until ? PM
We have one day off before Kevin’s treatments begin, so the driver for the Institute, Rafa, is taking us to experience Costa Rica. He drove us about 2 hours out of the city to the top of a beautiful mountain. We had a traditional Costa Rican breakfast at an open-air cafe on bar stools overlooking a valley, coffee plantations and beautiful mountains. To say it was breathtaking would be an understatement. And the food was good, too!
We then took off to see the place where a river meets the Pacific Ocean. It looked like a postcard! The fast moving river was brown with crocs and “river birds”, the Pacific had large waves, shrimp boats, was a beautiful blue, and had large pelicans! I have never seen anything like it! I could have stayed in that 1 spot for the rest of the trip.
We then went to a Rain Forest (near the Pacific) where we met a 9-month-old wild raccoon-like animal. It was so cute! Amy fed it watermelon. The Rain Forest was beautiful foliage, flowers, butterflies, birds, frogs, etc.
What a day! We are still about 2 hours from San Jose up on a mountain! We went to a small quaint tropical town where we stopped to walk on the beach. We saw Conservationists (like you see on TV) releasing endangered baby Leatherback Sea Turtles. What were the odds of that!! They only do this once a year! They had done several releases over the last week. This was the last release. They release them on the beach and the babies have to find their own way to the ocean. It was a sight to see - about 50 baby turtles scrambling to reach the ocean. One baby was clearly not going to make it. It was killing Amy. She wanted to help it SO badly, but the conservationists wouldn’t allow any human interference. As it was getting dark, Amy was still watching over the baby turtle going the wrong way. The conservationists told her it was weak and would probably die so she could help it get to the water!! She was SO happy. She had saved a baby turtle. She named it “Wrong Way”. I don’t remember when I’ve seen Amy so happy! It’s time to go back to our hotel in San Jose. We stopped for dinner at Pizza Hut! Everything is different here but very good - cheeses, breads, sauces, coffee, chocolates - all different but good! What an AMAZING day! It was filled with beauty and excitement from beginning to end! Rafa knew just where to take us. I feel like we had a week’s worth of adventures in one day! Also, this was the first day in 6 months that it didn’t rain! December – May is peak season, June – November the rainy season. Thank you Lord for a day we’ll never forget!
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19,2007
We had an amazing traditional Costa Rican buffet breakfast at our hotel. It was delicious: eggs, fruit, omelettes, pancakes, beans and rice (my favorite), hot meats, an assortment of tropical juices (including watermelon juice) and delicious pastries and breads. My chest and stomach are in knots about what today will bring. I know that Kevin is in God’s hands, but he is still my baby. Matthew, Amy, Monty and I held hands and prayed over Kevin. I know that God loves Kevin even more than I do, but I can’t stop the tears. They just keep flowing. I feel that the last 10 years have led us to this moment. Monty is full of emotion as well. It is hard to put into words the emotions of this week. Today is only the beginning. We arrived at the Institute for Cellular Medicine at 8:30 AM. They were ready to take Kevin. It is an impressive facility. The doctor greeted me and asked me for permission to sedate Kevin because they have to take so much blood. This will not be a normal blood draw. It is a compatibility test to make sure he is a viable candidate for the treatment. I asked them to please try without sedation because Kevin is so good at this. Sadly, he has been through so much in his young life that he is used to needles and IV’s. They reluctantly agreed. They took us into a room with soft leather recliners. Kevin knew what to do from past experiences. He sat in a chair and readied his arm. Several nurses and doctors proceeded to “hold him down”. Monty and I helped hold and comfort him, Matt videoed, and Amy was Kevin’s focal point – she played with one of his toys and he stared at her. Kevin was SOOO good. The staff was amazed. He did start reacting about halfway through with trying to claw and bite, (Monty and I have the scars on our hands to prove it!) which is so unlike him, but they got all they needed without sedation. It must have really hurt! Everyone was SO proud of him. Now we wait!
We came back to the hotel and napped and swam. The hotel has the nicest hot tub I’ve ever been in. Monty worked while Matt, Amy, Kevin and I swam and relaxed in the spa. The tropical surroundings of the hot tub are BEAUTIFUL – beautiful flowers, trees, a warm water waterfall flowing into the spa. The hotel has an evening light supper buffet for “special guests”. We are part of the servicio real (royal service) because of Kevin, and we are being treated like royalty. One thing that stands out here is they are used to having special needs guests. Everyone is so happy to see him and us. We are greeted everywhere we go with “Good Morning, Kevin” and “Kevin, mi amigo!” I cannot say enough about the kindess and empathy of the people here. They try to help us before we know we need help!
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2007
We woke up and had the breakfast buffet. Monty worked and we relaxed. Rafa picked us up at 1:00 to take us to a discount Souvenir Factory. You could watch the factory workers making the souvenirs out of materials they had on sight – wood, glass, metals, etc. There was a strong smell of lacquer. We then ate at Restuarente Casona Marisco - where Kevin ate more than I’ve ever seen him eat! This would become his favorite restaurant. It was an open-air restaurant with an indoor waterfall, Dora the Explorer in Spanish on a big TV, and great food! What more can you ask for? They also had a Jukebox with POD, Aerosmith, CCR, Black Eyed Peas! We had a great time. Rafa knows where the good but inexpensive spots are. It’s time to go to the Institute to get the results of the labs. Kevin is a candidate for stem cell therapy! Praise the Lord! So, Kevin’s first infusion of stem cells will be at 4:30. Kevin did great! Again, we were so proud of him. When we got back to the hotel, he was extremely hyper! We think he also had a headache. He didn’t eat anything, broke a rubber Sponge Bob ball that he loves, and then started chewing the rubber. We were more than a little concerned! We gave him medicine to help him rest and sleep. We all had a good night sleep.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2007
We had a delicious traditional breakfast again at the hotel. Then Monty worked and Matt, Amy, Kevin and I swam. We had a great time. Our driver picked us up at 1:00. We went back to “Kevin’s Restaurant” so he would eat well and BOY DID HE!! Our 2nd stem cell infusion was today at 3:00. The first stick came flying out and blood spewed everywhere! We were so upset!! Monty and I were praying over Kevin because typically if a first stick fails he’s done! He gets so upset that the staff can’t get a 2nd stick. He was SO good! He started to cry, but stopped himself and sat perfectly for them to try a 2nd stick on his other arm. Praise the Lord the infusion was a success! We are here with 2 other precious little girls. They both have more physical disabilities – I assume Ms or something related because this clinic focuses on Autism, Auto-immune Dysfunction, and MS. Both girls had to get a shunt put in today. Thankfully we have not had to resort to that!!! We came back to the hotel and the kids had ice-cream by the pool. We are going back to the room to give Kevin something to help him relax. We told Dr. Lara about Kevin’s issues last night. He was encouraged. He felt that the stem cells were already at work and that’s why we were seeing the loss of appetite, aggression and hyperactivity. He encouraged us to “help him” with meds to get him through it without hurting himself or us and to get the sleep he needs.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2007 HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Again, we had a delicious breakfast at the hotel buffet. I keep talking about the breakfast, but it is SO good, healthy, and included in the price of the hotel!! Rafa picked us up at 8:00 and we headed for the mountains and a Rain Forest – this time towards the Caribbean. The mountains were breathtaking. As we got higher, there were waterfalls flowing down all through the mountains – not from snow since it doesn’t snow here, but from mountain streams overflowing from all the rain (November is the end of the rainy season). It is BEAUTIFUL! We are actually IN the clouds - like being in an airplane! Again, hard to put into words. When we arrived at the Rain Forest, we had a brief light rain to add to the experience and then the sun was out. We saw beautiful flowers, birds, bright tucans, a beautiful red toxic frog, beautiful butterflies, and a poisonous viper! It was well worth the trip up here. On the way back to San Jose, Matt wasn’t feeling well. He was very cold which is unlike him, but he wanted to come with us to Kevin’s treatment. We went straight to Kevin’s 3:00 appointment. They had to stick both arms again. The needles are bigger than what we’re used to. When they couldn’t get a vein, they had to put a shunt in his hand. It hurt! They didn’t leave it in him, though, like they did the little girls. They removed it after the treatment so we could swim. Tomorrow will be our last treatment. Praise the Lord. We still feel his hand in our being here. We truly believe Kevin’s journey over the last 10 years has led us to this moment!
This was our day to get a tour of the lab after Kevin’s treatment. They use umbilical cords of live births. We have been in a lot of hospitals in Kevin’s young life, but this lab is really impressive! It was a humbling experience to see all that goes into the preparation of the cells just for our Kevin! It is different for every recipient! What a blessing!
Matt and Monty were both not feeling well by the time we got back to the hotel. We went to bed early.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2007
Our last treatment!! Praise the Lord!
Unfortunately Monty is sick, but Matt is REALLY sick. He has fever, chills, sweats, soar throat, aches,
the works! The clinic sent a driver to pick up Matt and Monty at about noon. They each got a shot and several prescriptions. By the time Matt got to the clinic, his temp was 103! The doctor did not feel he could travel tomorrow, so he wrote a letter to the airlines that we needed to change our flight. Fortunately, we were able to keep our hotel room. We are flying out Tuesday so Matt and Kevin can be checked Monday if necessary. I feel peaceful that Dr. Lara is really taking care of all of us. If Kevin gets sick this soon it will affect the treatment, so we have to watch him closely and separate him from Matt and Monty!
The doctor wouldn’t let Monty and Matt come to Kevin’s last treatment. That was VERY hard for them. This has really been a family experience. Amy really stepped up and helped me, and our prayers were answered. It was definitely the easiest treatment. They got in the vein the first time without the catheter! We got there at 3:00 and were finished by 3:15! God was really taking care of us. Amy videoed and I held Kevin’s hand. We only needed 1 doctor and 1 nurse today. Kevin was SO calm. The doctor commented about how much calmer he was today. We’ll hear it on the video. God’s peace was with us. The appt I was the most worried about went the most smoothly! Why do I worry so much when God is with us? It’s over! Now we wait. We could start seeing changes now up to 3 months. They want to see us again in about 4 months.
It is imperative that Kevin doesn’t get sick for at least 1 month. For those of you who know him, that is tough! Please pray for him. The doctor suggested we keep him home from school for at least 1 month – isolate him from other children that may be carrying germs – and that he get between 3 and 6 IV’s every week! We’ll have to coordinate with our home doctor when we get back. We have Matt and Monty quarantined in 1 room, and Amy, Kevin and I are in the other. We are all exhausted and ready for a good night’s sleep.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2007
It is a good thing we didn’t fly home today. Matt’s fever is still high and he is shaking and miserable! We are trying to stay away from him. I hate leaving him, but we have to think of Kevin’s health. I took Amy and Kevin to the spa and Monty joined us for awhile. He’s tired, but much better! We had a good time together. The hotel made Matt chicken soup. They have been SO nice!! Kevin hasn’t eaten anything today, so we called Rafa and he picked us up at about 1:30. We went to Kevin’s restaurant (our 3rd time there) and he ate everything on his plate!! There was a Mariachi Band there today and Kevin loved it! They didn’t speak any English, but his enthusiasm and the joy on his face kept them playing. They played 4 songs for him because he was enjoying it SO much! We are sorry Matt had to miss it. He has not gotten out of bed all day! Hopefully he will be better tomorrow.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2007
Matt is worse today. None of us got much sleep. I called Dr. Lara and he came to our hotel room to check Matt out. He is definitely worse. It has progressed to pneumonia. Dr. Lara took me to a pharmacy to get 2 new prescriptions for Matt and 1 preventative for Kevin. He is such a nice doctor! He gave me his cell phone number so we can update him. Needless to say, we’ll just hang around the hotel today.
7:00 PM The phone just rang and it was Rafa. He was SO upset. His 7 month old baby boy had been in an accident and he didn’t know what to do. Monty looked at me and I said go. GOD’S TIMING!! We have only known Rafa a week and he knew he could count on Monty. Rafa humbly confessed to Monty that he only makes $500 a month. The surgery and 1 week hospital stay would cost $600. Rafa couldn’t afford to help his son. That is definitely something we can relate to. The doctor told Rafa without the surgery the baby would not walk. It was a very complicated surgery – 6 hours!! Now they have to wait to see if the baby will be able
to walk, but the doctor’s are optimistic. Rafa was crying with Monty – he couldn’t believe we would do this and not ask for anything in return. What an opportunity!!! Monty shared with Rafa that his son was the reason we were meant to stay the extra days. That God wanted us to meet and for us to have the blessing of helping him. God is awesome. He used so many to help us get here. Even though we are still tight, it wasn’t a financial decision for us. It was like “Pay It Forward”. God met our needs for Kevin and it was our blessing to meet Rafa’s son’s needs! We are on a real spiritual high!
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2007 MONTY’S BIRTHDAY
We had breakfast at the hotel. Matt is still really sick. Dr. Lara told me to go back to the pharmacy and have them call them with any problems. No problems. They were so nice. It was not far from the hotel, so Monty, Kevin and I walked and enjoyed soaking up some of the local color.
Kevin has not eaten since breakfast yesterday, so we are concerned. Rafa wanted to help us, so he left the hospital to take us to Kevin’s favorite restaurant. Kevin ate!! It was good to get to really talk to Rafa. We talked to him about Jesus being in our heart. The language barrier is tough, but he told us he left the Catholic Church and not goes to the Baptiste Church. What are the odds of that!! What a God thing! When we parted, Rafa hugged and kissed both of us. I am so high today about our new relationship with Rafa and his family that I forgot Monty’s Birthday until 3:00! I feel awful, but I know he understands. We have both been preoccupied with Rafa and his family.
Tonight we will have to pack and get ready to fly out tomorrow. I sure hope Matt is better tomorrow!
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2007
10:50 AM Our direct upgraded flight home! We arrived at DFW at about 3:00 PM. YEAH!!