Monday we left our friend's house early and went into town and had breakfast at Olga's. Olga was a nice Panamanian woman who ran a kitchen out of the front of her house. She greeted everyone with a "buenos dias," and a kiss on the cheek. The breakfast was good and very reasonable. Each of the tables in the patio area where guests are served were unique dining-room sets that look as if they had been purchased at garage sales over the years. We pulled out of Boquete and turned off on a circuitous route that took us through the Caldera area. We drover over a hydroelectric dam and along bolder populated rivers before being dumped out on the Pan American Highway headed towards Panama City. John was familiar with these back roads from his previous excursions in Panama. The Caldera area is more of a high plateau between the cities of David and Boquete and the weather is between the climates of those two towns also. John said the weather there was most like the area of Waikoloa where we live in Hawaii. The landscape revealed a much dryer climate than that of Boquete but the plateau seemed to have an abundance of rivers and streams.
The drive back on the Pan American went fairly smooth until about an hour outside of Panama City, where we ran into a huge traffic jam. While we were waiting one of our tires went flat and we had to pull over and change to the spare. At least the traffic was creeping along instead of whizzing past at eighty miles per hour. We discovered the traffic jam was caused by a jack-knifed truck that had been carrying sand which was now all over the road. Before we reached the Puenta de las Americas we turned on the GPS and told the device to take us to the hotel. It did without a hitch. We unloaded the car then John drove it around to the rental place and turned it in. When they inpected the tire John said it was worn completely through in large patches with the steel in the belts freyed out around the edges of the wear spots. I'm thankful it didn't blow out when we were cruising at high speed.
I met John on the street and we went to dinner at the Pomodoro Cafe across from the hotel. We hadn't eaten since breakfast except for some nuts and berries I had packed with un for our journey. Back in the room I crashed in front of the TV with Monday Night Football playing. John showered and packed all his stuff during the game. He woke me up and sent me to bed as the game ended. I knew I would wake up early and get my stuff packed. This was our last night in Panama.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
A peaceful day in the country
Sunday we woke and enjoyed the views that looked out over the countryside all the way to the ocean. We met the animals, one dog and two cats and had a light breakfast. Dr. Fernandez, the head of the lab that does all of the stem cell work, has a place in Boquete and had invited us to come by for a visit so we called him and he gave us directions to his place. Dr. Fernandez' place was a coffee farm that had been in his family for over one-hundred years and they had a grand home that was built in the 1930's. I felt like I was walking into a museum when I stepped into the house. We talked and learned about coffee and the history of Boquete coffee then walked the grounds around the property. Dr. Fernandez' father and mother still live in the house. His mother was away but his father was a delight and had great stories to tell. The farm was nestled in the back of a canyon and had grown quite large over the years employing about a hundred workers at the peak of picking season.
After that wonderful visit we went into town had a late lunch then drove though Valle Escondido, the gated community that actually put Boquete on the radar and started the boom of gringos migrating there to live. It is a nice community with a nine hole golf course, but I'm more of a country girl and would prefer the coffee farm to the association dues.
We spent the rest of the day relaxing at our friend's hacienda. The visit would be terribly short but it was a restful respite from the big city.
After that wonderful visit we went into town had a late lunch then drove though Valle Escondido, the gated community that actually put Boquete on the radar and started the boom of gringos migrating there to live. It is a nice community with a nine hole golf course, but I'm more of a country girl and would prefer the coffee farm to the association dues.
We spent the rest of the day relaxing at our friend's hacienda. The visit would be terribly short but it was a restful respite from the big city.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Destination Boquete
We woke up early Saturday and were out of the apartment by 7:00. Took us twenty minutes to figure out how to change the GPS from Spanish to English and get it up and running. On the road by 7:20 and only took one wrong turn getting out of the city, but all and all the GPS seemed to know it's way around quite well. We crossed the Puente de las Americas and headed west on a four lane divided highway. At this time of day traffic was light and John was movin' out.
About an hour out of the city we turned onto a road that led to the famous Coronado Resort. Almost immediately the road turned to gravel and the signs to the resort were obscure at best. We meandered down along the oceanfront homes which seemed quite nice and eventually found the resort from the back way. The gate guard didn't speak any English but he eventually let us in even though we didn't have reservations. We found the restaurant and sat down for breakfast. It was buffet style and we made plates. As we began to eat the waiter came over and asked for our room number or member number, neither of which we had. They let us eat anyway but explained in broken English that the resort facilities were only for guests and members. From what we saw the resort was nice but aging a bit and the access was not up to resort standards that we are used to in Hawaii. I imagine as a guest, it would be a lovely get-a-way.
We left Coronado and headed west again making good time. Passed many small towns with older buildings and gas stations. There were no sparkling mini marts at the fuel stops. Just over half way to our destination we drove through the town of Santiago and from there to the city of David the road turned to a two lane undivided highway. We were still making good time on the lightly traveled road and when we saw how far ahead of schedule we were we decided to turn off into another beach resort we saw advertised on a billboard.
We didn't go to the resort but instead pulled into a little parking area next to a small building that was a bar and restaurant. From the car we could see smooth sandy beach perhaps eighty to one-hundred yards from the building to the ocean. We stretched our legs and started walking towards the water. The beach stretched out in both directions as far as we could see with no one insight except two or three people that were so far away we couldn't tell if they were male or female. We were almost half way to the water when I looked back and there was dog trotting towards me. It was like he knew I liked dogs and that I missed my puppy back home and was coming to keep me company for awhile. Which he did. He walked with us out to the ocean and kept coming up to get pettings. John threw a stick into the water and told the dog to go get it. After a little coaxing the dog trotted out to where the stick had washed in with the waves, sniffed it, then walked into ankle deep water and lay down.
I wanted to take the dog with us, he looked so skinny and he was so friendly. In the picture of me and the dog you can get an idea of how wide and deserted the beach was. We meandered back to the car and I picked up a few shells along the way. When we returned to the car the dog wandered away and we resumed our journey. The drive to David didn't take long and we stopped and called our friend and arranged a rondezvous. She told us it was raining. We looked around a new shopping center at the intersection of the road that turned up to Boquete then began the climb to the highlands. We could see the rain clouds as we pulled out of parking lot and soon we were under them. It rained most of climb and was still drizzling when we pulled into the small quaint town that had attracted so many retires.
We dined under an open gazebo on the river next to a large fireplace and caught up on old times. After dinner we followed our friends up to their house about fifteen minutes out of town up the side of a mountain. They had built a nice house powered by diverting water through a 2" pvc pipe from a stream on their property into a small hydro wheel. After traveling all day I was ready for bed and I slept well.
About an hour out of the city we turned onto a road that led to the famous Coronado Resort. Almost immediately the road turned to gravel and the signs to the resort were obscure at best. We meandered down along the oceanfront homes which seemed quite nice and eventually found the resort from the back way. The gate guard didn't speak any English but he eventually let us in even though we didn't have reservations. We found the restaurant and sat down for breakfast. It was buffet style and we made plates. As we began to eat the waiter came over and asked for our room number or member number, neither of which we had. They let us eat anyway but explained in broken English that the resort facilities were only for guests and members. From what we saw the resort was nice but aging a bit and the access was not up to resort standards that we are used to in Hawaii. I imagine as a guest, it would be a lovely get-a-way.
We left Coronado and headed west again making good time. Passed many small towns with older buildings and gas stations. There were no sparkling mini marts at the fuel stops. Just over half way to our destination we drove through the town of Santiago and from there to the city of David the road turned to a two lane undivided highway. We were still making good time on the lightly traveled road and when we saw how far ahead of schedule we were we decided to turn off into another beach resort we saw advertised on a billboard.
We didn't go to the resort but instead pulled into a little parking area next to a small building that was a bar and restaurant. From the car we could see smooth sandy beach perhaps eighty to one-hundred yards from the building to the ocean. We stretched our legs and started walking towards the water. The beach stretched out in both directions as far as we could see with no one insight except two or three people that were so far away we couldn't tell if they were male or female. We were almost half way to the water when I looked back and there was dog trotting towards me. It was like he knew I liked dogs and that I missed my puppy back home and was coming to keep me company for awhile. Which he did. He walked with us out to the ocean and kept coming up to get pettings. John threw a stick into the water and told the dog to go get it. After a little coaxing the dog trotted out to where the stick had washed in with the waves, sniffed it, then walked into ankle deep water and lay down.
I wanted to take the dog with us, he looked so skinny and he was so friendly. In the picture of me and the dog you can get an idea of how wide and deserted the beach was. We meandered back to the car and I picked up a few shells along the way. When we returned to the car the dog wandered away and we resumed our journey. The drive to David didn't take long and we stopped and called our friend and arranged a rondezvous. She told us it was raining. We looked around a new shopping center at the intersection of the road that turned up to Boquete then began the climb to the highlands. We could see the rain clouds as we pulled out of parking lot and soon we were under them. It rained most of climb and was still drizzling when we pulled into the small quaint town that had attracted so many retires.
We dined under an open gazebo on the river next to a large fireplace and caught up on old times. After dinner we followed our friends up to their house about fifteen minutes out of town up the side of a mountain. They had built a nice house powered by diverting water through a 2" pvc pipe from a stream on their property into a small hydro wheel. After traveling all day I was ready for bed and I slept well.
Friday, October 9, 2009
The last treatment
For my last day of physical therapy Ivan went through all the stretches that I should do every day and then did an evaluation to see where I was physically to compare to how I was the first day. Later that day Anna told me they will be doing the initial evaluation prior to lipo surgery on future patients which I had suggested early on. I received an evaluation packet and Ivan gave me his e-mail and phone number and told me not to hesitate to call if I had any problems or questions. He said that he was my friend for life. I gave him the card I purchased yesterday and some money for all his hard work with me.
I came back to the apartment and ate lunch. John went down to the hotel gym and I joined him for a little while, then he went swimming and I went back to the room and readied myself for the last injection. The driver was there to pick us up promptly at 2:00 and we headed to the Royal Center for the last time. I had also purchased flowers yesterday and I gave those to Dr. Pichel. She and Dr. Hernandez were sitting in the reception room when we walked in.
At the Stem Cell Institute offices I received another packet of info and Dr. Paz examined me one last time. We talked about what to expect and he was positive that I could expect good things to come. Dr. Hernandez talked to John for about ten minutes explaining how to get into and out of the city while I was in the office talking to Anna and Ivonne.
I put my two cents in with Anna and Ivonne giving them suggestions that would help with MS patients. Anna had my blog up on her computer and we talked about people like me with CRS and had a good laugh. I commended them on the communications with me while I was here. They were always a quick phone call away and they promtly took care of whatever issue I was calling about. We covered a lot of topics and John was still getting directions. Our new friend Chris said it best when after two days in Panama he realized that via automobile it was not possible to return from someplace you had just traveled to by the same route.
After we left we asked the driver to stop by another Riba Smith grocery store so we could look for a sauce our friends in Boquete had requested. The driver seemed a hurry and while we were in the store he showed up and said he had to leave and another driver would come by and pick us up in fifteen minutes. We looked in vain and finally purchased a possible substitute then went out and waited for our ride. The new driver showed up and it took about ten minutes to get out of the parking lot. The driver was trying to exit onto a street ninty degrees from the one we entered the parking lot and to get there we had to go through a huge maze that covered three levels.
Back at the hotel I rested for a bit and we decided to go to a Greek restaurant that Dr. Paz had recommended. The driver had pointed out a restaurant by the same name close to the hotel so we decided to walk there and see if it was a sister to the one we desired to go to. The restaurant was on a back road behind Rey's supermarket and we trekked over there only to find that it wasn't Greek, so we walked back to Rey's and hailed a cab. For three dollars he drove us across town to the Greek place. I've discovered that being on the MS Diet and the BioFit program, that it doesn't really matter where I eat. My dinners consist of vegetables or salad and a lean protien. The dressing for my salad is always olive oil and basalmic vinnegar. I can get that at almost any restaurant. The dinner was okay, but I could have had the same thing right across the street from the hotel. It is nice to know that you can catch a cab anywhere and at any time and that they will take you to where you want to go for the agreed-to price.
When we returned to the hotel we stopped by the Dollar rental car and picked up the vehicle that we had reserved the previous evening. Well, almost. They substituted a Nissan for the Toyota we had wanted and as it would turn out it was a rather fateful substitution. Back in the room we packed for our upcomming trip and went to bed.
I came back to the apartment and ate lunch. John went down to the hotel gym and I joined him for a little while, then he went swimming and I went back to the room and readied myself for the last injection. The driver was there to pick us up promptly at 2:00 and we headed to the Royal Center for the last time. I had also purchased flowers yesterday and I gave those to Dr. Pichel. She and Dr. Hernandez were sitting in the reception room when we walked in.
The injection went as smooth as getting a six inch needle in the back could go. They had reduced the volume this time since I had such a bad reaction to the last injection. Almost from the moment the fluid went into my central nervous system I began to have strange sensation in my legs and that would continue for most of the evening. We said our goodbyes to Dr. Pichel and the staff there then Dr. Hernandez hopped in the van with us for the ride over to the Stem Cell Institute. That's Dr. Hernandez, me, Dr. Pichel and John after my last interthecal injection in the photo below.
I put my two cents in with Anna and Ivonne giving them suggestions that would help with MS patients. Anna had my blog up on her computer and we talked about people like me with CRS and had a good laugh. I commended them on the communications with me while I was here. They were always a quick phone call away and they promtly took care of whatever issue I was calling about. We covered a lot of topics and John was still getting directions. Our new friend Chris said it best when after two days in Panama he realized that via automobile it was not possible to return from someplace you had just traveled to by the same route.
After we left we asked the driver to stop by another Riba Smith grocery store so we could look for a sauce our friends in Boquete had requested. The driver seemed a hurry and while we were in the store he showed up and said he had to leave and another driver would come by and pick us up in fifteen minutes. We looked in vain and finally purchased a possible substitute then went out and waited for our ride. The new driver showed up and it took about ten minutes to get out of the parking lot. The driver was trying to exit onto a street ninty degrees from the one we entered the parking lot and to get there we had to go through a huge maze that covered three levels.
Back at the hotel I rested for a bit and we decided to go to a Greek restaurant that Dr. Paz had recommended. The driver had pointed out a restaurant by the same name close to the hotel so we decided to walk there and see if it was a sister to the one we desired to go to. The restaurant was on a back road behind Rey's supermarket and we trekked over there only to find that it wasn't Greek, so we walked back to Rey's and hailed a cab. For three dollars he drove us across town to the Greek place. I've discovered that being on the MS Diet and the BioFit program, that it doesn't really matter where I eat. My dinners consist of vegetables or salad and a lean protien. The dressing for my salad is always olive oil and basalmic vinnegar. I can get that at almost any restaurant. The dinner was okay, but I could have had the same thing right across the street from the hotel. It is nice to know that you can catch a cab anywhere and at any time and that they will take you to where you want to go for the agreed-to price.
When we returned to the hotel we stopped by the Dollar rental car and picked up the vehicle that we had reserved the previous evening. Well, almost. They substituted a Nissan for the Toyota we had wanted and as it would turn out it was a rather fateful substitution. Back in the room we packed for our upcomming trip and went to bed.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Tip for the month
John and I went to the Bio-Fit Center together and worked out with separate trainers. I felt much better than the previous two days and I had lots of energy. I had a good work out, working on balance and lower body strength. On the way back to the hotel we asked the driver to stop at an organic food store we found out about from the nutritionist, Anna, at the Bio-Fit Center. We picked up some nuts and dried fruit and bought a box of cereal for our driver. I don't know what the protocol is for tipping, but we've been giving our drivers a couple of dollars for each round trip ride to our daily appointments. We also tip our maid two dollars a day. When we go out to dinner we've found that many places add a ten percent tip, or propina, to the bill. John usually gives them another ten percent on top of that. I will give Ivan a nice tip tomorrow for working so hard with me the past four weeks.
When we arrived back at the hotel another van was dropping off Connie and Chris and their son Owen from Connie's visit to the plastic surgeon for lipo. She seemed to be doing well, but I'm sure the drugs they had given her hadn't worn off yet. Chris told us they had their blog up and running, so for more information on Panama and stem cells here is her site: My Stem Cell Journey.
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John and I went to the room and ate lunch and then went out shopping. First we stopped at the Dollar Rental Car place on the bottom floor of this building and reserved a car for our trip to Boquete on Saturday. We walked down the street on our way to Rey's Supermarket looking at the wares displayed by the street vendors. In the picture above I am talking to a guy who makes all his own jewelry. At Rey's we bought a bag of pecans and a birthday card for my brother. I was looking for a card to give to Ivan tomorrow but the pickings were slim. Next door we found another store that looked something like a Ben Franklin and they had more cards. I found what I needed and we headed back to the hotel. I was walking better today and had good energy. There were overcast skies and it was cooler than usual, but I could tell I was reaching the limit of my energy reserves as we walked back into the hotel. The picture below is of the Torres de Alba Hotel from down the street by the sidewalk vendors. The building on the immediate left is the Veneto Hotel and Casino.
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I relaxed for a bit then made dinner. Tomorrow is my final day of treatment. I'm dissappointed that I haven't felt any results but I know all the reasons why I am one of those people for whom it will take time.
When we arrived back at the hotel another van was dropping off Connie and Chris and their son Owen from Connie's visit to the plastic surgeon for lipo. She seemed to be doing well, but I'm sure the drugs they had given her hadn't worn off yet. Chris told us they had their blog up and running, so for more information on Panama and stem cells here is her site: My Stem Cell Journey.
I relaxed for a bit then made dinner. Tomorrow is my final day of treatment. I'm dissappointed that I haven't felt any results but I know all the reasons why I am one of those people for whom it will take time.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Insight on stem cells and Panama
For some reason the days here in Panama seem to go by slowly, but here I am in the third day of my last week of treatment. I'm feeling almost normal today after my super-sized injection on Monday. John went with me to the Bio-Fit Center and he purchased additional suppliments that Dr. Paz recommended and he talked to Javier, the program coordinatior, who told him they would set up a trainer for him to work with to develop a routine he could use back in Hawaii.
I still feel as though I'm not back to where I was physically before the lipo surgery. My stomach is still sore and tight. My right leg has not cooperated at all this week and I'm having a difficult time walking. I think this might be due in part to the pain associated with Monday's injection. During my research before I came to Panama, I discovered that there was a common thread among MS patients that had felt immediate relief from the treatments. It seemed that those patients all had a good deal of inflamation. Stem cells will go immediately to an area of inflamation and start to repair the damage. I sensed that my inflamation was very low and I knew I might have to be patient for much longer than many of those treated for results to manifest. My blood work that we went over with Dr. Paz yesterday did show that I have very little inflamation.
When we arrived back at the Hotel I went to the Men's Spa next door and made an appointment later that afternoon to get my haircut. John was picked up by Dr. Paz and wisked off for golf.
John said it was good to get back out on a golf course after not playing for almost a month. He said it was even better golfing with the lead doctor of the Stem Cell Institute here in Panama. They talked about many things from the future of stem cells to my case in particular. On the issue of inflamation and stem cells, Dr. Paz confirmed that what I had sumrized from my research was correct. John asked if Jimmy, the patient that left here the week we arrived symptom free, had any signs of inflamation. Dr. Paz indicated that Jimmy had lots of inflamation. Dr. Paz said that even in cases like mine that they always see improvement down the line.
They talked about how the protocols used here in Panama and Costa Rica are leading the field in stem cell technology in large part thanks to the brilliance of Dr. Niel Riordan in Costa Rica. Dr. Riordan is the one who developed the protocols used at the Stem Cell Institute. Dr Paz told John that China has been doing stem cell treatment for much longer than they have in Costa Rica and that they have really good marketing, but that they are now looking at what is being done here and in Costa Rica and they're recognizing the advanced technology. It brings to my mind the Chinese doctor who observed my first interthecal injection a few weeks ago.
John learned that the government in Costa Rica is only tolerating the Stem Cell Institute there while the government in Panama has sanctioned it here, and that this along with the new facilities being built will set Panama up as the premier location for future stem cell treatments. Dr. Paz said that they haven't even scatched the surface of the anti-aging aspects of stem cell therapy. Have a little tennis elbow or hearing loss, come on down, loose a few pounds of fat and take care of those things that you didn't have to deal with ten or twenty years ago. This may be the future of stem cells but for now they have their hands full dealing with people like me.
John said the golf course they went to was a private course up in the hills above the city and that it was a little soggy but it only rained on them for about five minutes during their round. He said that his game was not very good but that he putted well and enjoyed being out there chasing the little white ball. He also said he saw the largest Iguana that he's seen on three trips here and that it looked to be about five feet long. I would love to be here with better mobility so that I could experience more of the rain forest areas and wildlife.
John didn't get back until after sunset and I had been relaxing and writing post cards for most of the afternoon. We went downstairs to the La Esquina Van Gogh Restaurante and had fish for dinner. We have been here for almost a month and discovered from our new friends Connie and Chris that this is the restaurant that furnishes room service to the hotel. Sure enough, under the phone book in our room, we found the laminated menu.
I still feel as though I'm not back to where I was physically before the lipo surgery. My stomach is still sore and tight. My right leg has not cooperated at all this week and I'm having a difficult time walking. I think this might be due in part to the pain associated with Monday's injection. During my research before I came to Panama, I discovered that there was a common thread among MS patients that had felt immediate relief from the treatments. It seemed that those patients all had a good deal of inflamation. Stem cells will go immediately to an area of inflamation and start to repair the damage. I sensed that my inflamation was very low and I knew I might have to be patient for much longer than many of those treated for results to manifest. My blood work that we went over with Dr. Paz yesterday did show that I have very little inflamation.
When we arrived back at the Hotel I went to the Men's Spa next door and made an appointment later that afternoon to get my haircut. John was picked up by Dr. Paz and wisked off for golf.
John said it was good to get back out on a golf course after not playing for almost a month. He said it was even better golfing with the lead doctor of the Stem Cell Institute here in Panama. They talked about many things from the future of stem cells to my case in particular. On the issue of inflamation and stem cells, Dr. Paz confirmed that what I had sumrized from my research was correct. John asked if Jimmy, the patient that left here the week we arrived symptom free, had any signs of inflamation. Dr. Paz indicated that Jimmy had lots of inflamation. Dr. Paz said that even in cases like mine that they always see improvement down the line.
They talked about how the protocols used here in Panama and Costa Rica are leading the field in stem cell technology in large part thanks to the brilliance of Dr. Niel Riordan in Costa Rica. Dr. Riordan is the one who developed the protocols used at the Stem Cell Institute. Dr Paz told John that China has been doing stem cell treatment for much longer than they have in Costa Rica and that they have really good marketing, but that they are now looking at what is being done here and in Costa Rica and they're recognizing the advanced technology. It brings to my mind the Chinese doctor who observed my first interthecal injection a few weeks ago.
John learned that the government in Costa Rica is only tolerating the Stem Cell Institute there while the government in Panama has sanctioned it here, and that this along with the new facilities being built will set Panama up as the premier location for future stem cell treatments. Dr. Paz said that they haven't even scatched the surface of the anti-aging aspects of stem cell therapy. Have a little tennis elbow or hearing loss, come on down, loose a few pounds of fat and take care of those things that you didn't have to deal with ten or twenty years ago. This may be the future of stem cells but for now they have their hands full dealing with people like me.
John said the golf course they went to was a private course up in the hills above the city and that it was a little soggy but it only rained on them for about five minutes during their round. He said that his game was not very good but that he putted well and enjoyed being out there chasing the little white ball. He also said he saw the largest Iguana that he's seen on three trips here and that it looked to be about five feet long. I would love to be here with better mobility so that I could experience more of the rain forest areas and wildlife.
John didn't get back until after sunset and I had been relaxing and writing post cards for most of the afternoon. We went downstairs to the La Esquina Van Gogh Restaurante and had fish for dinner. We have been here for almost a month and discovered from our new friends Connie and Chris that this is the restaurant that furnishes room service to the hotel. Sure enough, under the phone book in our room, we found the laminated menu.
"I said, doctor!! Is there something I can take! Ooohoohoo!!!"
Tuesday I was up early and in pain. I took two more aspirin and struggled to get ready for my morning pick up. John woke up and asked why I didn't want to call the Stem Cell Institute and I told him because I was afraid they would want to inject something in me. He said they weren't going to inject anything in me, but that I should call to let them know what is happening and so that they could get me the right type of pain killers. I gave-in and called the emergency number and left a message then called the Institute offices and talked to Anna. Dr. Hernandez was in the office and said to have me purchase some Tylenol. I explained that I had just taken two aspirin and he told me to take the Tylenol at noon.
I went to physical therapy and told Ivan I wasn't feeling very well. Ivan worked on gentle stretches and some light lifting. On the way back to the hotel I asked the driver to stop at a pharmacy and went in and purchased the Tylenol. Back in the room I rested until it was time for our afternoon appointment with Dr. Paz.
At noon I took two Tylenol and when the van picked us up at 1:45 the Tylenol had eased the pain. John and I met with Dr. Paz and he went over both our blood work. What a different world it would be if we had Dr.'s like Dr. Paz in the US. He prescribed natural suppliments to bring the levels of various components from our blood work into line. Armed with this information along with the information from the Bio-Fit Center John and I both should be able to optimize our health. Dr. Paz then told John, to take care of more important matters, that he would pick him up for golf at about noon tomorrow. Knowing how busy Dr. Paz is I thought it was nice of him to make time for an afternoon of golf with John.
As we were leaving we saw Dr. Hernandez and John asked about the quantity of yesterday's injection and told him that because I had such a small build that even though that amount might not affect most people that it did affect me. Dr. Hernandez said that the lab did not inject twice the number of stem cells that they just put the regular dose in more serum. Dr. Hernandez called the lab to get more information and he and John discussed this for awhile. I was ready to get in the van and go back to the hotel and lay down. John finally finished and we left.
Back in the room I lay down and fell asleep for awhile. John and I went across the street to the Pomodoro Cafe and had dinner. Chris, the young man we met in the lobby the day before, called and said that he and Connie would love to talk to us and asked if we could come to their room between 7:00 and 7:30. After dinner I took two more Tylenol and we went to Chris and Connie's room.
We had a nice visit and talked until about 11:00 pm. Connie was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was ninteen and was in a wheel chair at the age of 21. She is now 35. They were a lovely couple and we had a lot in common. Their son is almost three and was fast asleep on the couch during our visit. Our greatest commonality was that she and I both had this nasty disease and we both have the desire and will power to fight it with everything at our disposal. At one point Connie had tried a common MS drug and found that it only exacerbated her condition and decided from that point to go drug free. They will be keeping a blog of their journey in Panama and I will link on this blog to theirs.
I went to physical therapy and told Ivan I wasn't feeling very well. Ivan worked on gentle stretches and some light lifting. On the way back to the hotel I asked the driver to stop at a pharmacy and went in and purchased the Tylenol. Back in the room I rested until it was time for our afternoon appointment with Dr. Paz.
At noon I took two Tylenol and when the van picked us up at 1:45 the Tylenol had eased the pain. John and I met with Dr. Paz and he went over both our blood work. What a different world it would be if we had Dr.'s like Dr. Paz in the US. He prescribed natural suppliments to bring the levels of various components from our blood work into line. Armed with this information along with the information from the Bio-Fit Center John and I both should be able to optimize our health. Dr. Paz then told John, to take care of more important matters, that he would pick him up for golf at about noon tomorrow. Knowing how busy Dr. Paz is I thought it was nice of him to make time for an afternoon of golf with John.
As we were leaving we saw Dr. Hernandez and John asked about the quantity of yesterday's injection and told him that because I had such a small build that even though that amount might not affect most people that it did affect me. Dr. Hernandez said that the lab did not inject twice the number of stem cells that they just put the regular dose in more serum. Dr. Hernandez called the lab to get more information and he and John discussed this for awhile. I was ready to get in the van and go back to the hotel and lay down. John finally finished and we left.
Back in the room I lay down and fell asleep for awhile. John and I went across the street to the Pomodoro Cafe and had dinner. Chris, the young man we met in the lobby the day before, called and said that he and Connie would love to talk to us and asked if we could come to their room between 7:00 and 7:30. After dinner I took two more Tylenol and we went to Chris and Connie's room.
We had a nice visit and talked until about 11:00 pm. Connie was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was ninteen and was in a wheel chair at the age of 21. She is now 35. They were a lovely couple and we had a lot in common. Their son is almost three and was fast asleep on the couch during our visit. Our greatest commonality was that she and I both had this nasty disease and we both have the desire and will power to fight it with everything at our disposal. At one point Connie had tried a common MS drug and found that it only exacerbated her condition and decided from that point to go drug free. They will be keeping a blog of their journey in Panama and I will link on this blog to theirs.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Easy injection, painful reaction
I was in the van by 8:30 Monday morning headed for the Stem Cell Institute. There was a lady with two autistic children in the waiting room filling out paperwork. Another young man and little boy came into the offices while I was there. Dr. Paz came out and greeted me and ushered me into one of the examination rooms where Dr. Fernandez was waiting to draw my blood. Dr. Hernandez was also there and he spoke to Dr. Fernandez at length in Spanish. I asked Dr. Fernandez if he was relating the fact that I kick, punch, scream and scratch and Dr. Hernandez said yes. Dr. Fernandez said he would be using a baby needle. The puncture was bearable.
I then went to physical therapy at the BioFit Center. Ivan worked on upper body strength and stretching, trying to get my mid section stretched out from the lipo, and he hooked up my right leg to an electrical muscle stimulator. While on the stimulator, Ivan put me on the treadmill and the stimulator coaxed the muscles of my calf and foot into working properly.
After pysical therapy I went back to the apartment and John made breakfast. We walked down to the little store in ground floor of the hotel building and purchased water, a watermelon and batteries. That's me standing at the entrance to the little store with the curious name. On the way to the store we met the young man and little boy who I had earlier seen at the Stem Cell Institute. I recognized them and we started talking. His fiance was down here for stem cell therapy and this was her first day. John suggested we get together if they were interested so that we could answer questions they might have and John gave them the blog address. We set a tennative meeting time for Tuesday evening.The pick up for my afternoon injection had been moved up to 1:30. The interthecal injection went fairly easy with just a little sting as the anesthetic was administered. John did notice that the amount of fluid being injected was much greater than the previous injections and when he mentioned it, Dr. Hernandez said I was getting twice the usual amount of stem cells. John took a series of pictures that shows the whole proceedure of the interthecal injections:
First my back is swabbed with bentadine and then wiped down with alcohol,
Dr. Pichel then readies the anesthetic,
Anesthetic is injected slowly allowing the initial injection to start to numb the area before sinking the needle deeper and injecting more,
The long skinny needle has a steel rod inside it to prevent tissue from getting in the needle's core while the doctor slides it into position. The penetration of the central nervous system's membrane is done by feel and technique,
Once the needle is in position the steel rod is removed from the skinny needle's core,
Dr. Pichel may make slight adjustments to the skinny needle as she waits for the cap where the syringe will be connected to fill with spinal fluid,
The syringe containing the allogenic stem cells mixed with serum from my blood is screwed onto the cap at the exposed end of the long skinny needle,
The stem cell concoction is then injected into my central nervous system,
The skinny needle attached to the syringe is withdrawn,
And just as swiftly the larger needle is removed. Dr. Pichel then cleans the area with alcohol and water and places a small band aid over the puncture.
Dr. Pichel is gloved and masked during the proceedure but John is able to take pictures just a few feet away without protective garb.
I felt pressure in my hip and between my shoulder blades and at the base of my neck beginning as soon as the fluid was injected, but the feeling was less intense than the pressure I had felt on previous injections. We were taken back to the hotel and I lay down intending to relax for a few hours. About fourty minutes after the proceedure I began to feel pressure in my lower back and in my head. The pressure turned to pain and seemed to intensify over the next couple of hours. I broke down and took some aspirin. John urged me to call the emergency contact number they had given us but I just waited for the aspirin to take effect while we watched Monday Night Football then went to bed.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
A stressful day of rest
Sunday was an exception to the usual daily weather pattern that we had witnessed so far. A hard rain accompanied by thunder and lightening began early, around 9:00 am, and continued for most of the day. John and I hung out in the apartment and watched it rain and watched football. I'm scheduled to be picked up early tomorrow to be taken to the Stem Cell Institute to have my blood draw for a blood test. I know the indicators for stress will be high because I will be getting poked in the morning and again in the afternoon and the Cowboys were beat by the Bronco's today. Not sure which one of those things stresses me out more.
John went in the kitchen early in the afternoon and stepped in a large puddle of water on the floor. We discovered that rain had leaked in though the windows by the washing machine and found its way to a low spot in the middle of the kitchen. Other than that the day was quite uneventful. I had to fast for the blood test so I watched Sunday night football and went to bed.
John went in the kitchen early in the afternoon and stepped in a large puddle of water on the floor. We discovered that rain had leaked in though the windows by the washing machine and found its way to a low spot in the middle of the kitchen. Other than that the day was quite uneventful. I had to fast for the blood test so I watched Sunday night football and went to bed.
Double edged swords
I woke feeling sluggish on Saturday morning and decided I needed to work out. Went down to the hotel gym and did two circuits of five minutes each on the bike, the treadmill, and the eliptical trainer then stretched and worked out with five pound free weights. John joined me and rode the bike for awhile then we went to the pool. We soaked up some sun and talked on the pool deck until I became uncomfortable from the heat, then I went back to the room and John swam laps. When John was done he came up and made brunch, scrambled eggs with a little lean hamburger and cayanne pepper. I felt better and wanted to go out, maybe see a movie.
We decided to head to the Multicentro Mall down on the waterfront. We wandered around looking at shops and investiging prices of varous items to compare to those in the States. We found the movie theaters eventually, but there were no shows playing that we wanted to see. The theaters and food court were on the fourth floor of the mall and the tables of the food court were in a large open area with glass windows from which you could see some of the waterfront hotels and the bay that opens up to the Pacific Ocean. The roof of the mall were panels of opaque glass and we had been seeing flashes of lightening as we walked around. Dark clouds and rain were coming across the bay and we decided to get something to eat and watch the free movie nature was about to provide. A heavy rain followed the thunder and lightening and engulfed the city. Water cascaded over the opaque panels of the roof and pelted the large viewing windows in the food court.
It's this rain that gives life to the Panama Canal. The canal looses about 52 million gallons of fresh water to the ocean for each ship or group of boats that pass through the locks. Without the seven months of rainy season that replenishes the water in Ganton Lake the canal would not be able to sustain operation year round. However, when people say 'rainy season' the image that would come to my mind is torrental rains for days on end, but that is not the case. From what we have observed, the days start out sunny or slightly overcast and then around one in the afternoon the clouds roll in and it rains from two to four hours. The sky clears late afternoon for the remainder of the evening. I'm sure there are exceptions but I have only seen the exception where it doesn't rain at all during the day. Even in Hawaii I've seen times when it would rain for two or three days on end as I'm sure it does here on occasion. I can also imagine that it rains more in the rain forest areas than it does in the city, but the rain does seem to roll in from the ocean.
We caught a cab back to the Hotel and the outing had pretty much exhausted my energy reserves. I'm still feeling uncomfortable from the lipo surgery and I still have to use most of my energy getting my right leg to keep up with the rest of my body. I've read where the mini-lipo surgery for a lot of people is no big deal and that they recover quite quickly. I've also talked to other people who were very thin to begin with who said they had a hard time after lipo. The pattern seems to be that the more fat tissue you have to work with the easier the surgery is and the faster you're able to recover from the procedure. I began the MS Recovery Diet in July of this year and between then and the time I left for Panama I had lost ten pounds. That was weight that I had put on due to my lack of mobility so it's not like it was weight that I needed to maintain my health. Most of the weight I lost was in my stomach area which was good since I had put on weight there and my clothes were no longer fitting, but as it turned out it wasn't so good from the lipo perspective since they had to probe far and wide to get the tissue they needed to grow my stem cells.
Overall I have faith that the Diet will work with my bodies natural ablility to repair itself and that in time I will be symptom free. The stem cell therapy I see as a kick start to help me recover my manueverablity so that I can function in a somewhat normal manner until my body reacts to the diet. I will continue to search for the treatment that is best for me and I don't see pharmaceuticals as an alternative. It's well known that the drugs developed for treating multiple schlerosis work marginally for a short period of time and the patient will then be left with the side effects of the drug to deal with. The side effects are often devilish. It seems to be the evil nature of pharmaceuticals that once you go down that road, you become a patient for life and for the remainder thereof the drugs not only control your health but your finances as well.
We decided to head to the Multicentro Mall down on the waterfront. We wandered around looking at shops and investiging prices of varous items to compare to those in the States. We found the movie theaters eventually, but there were no shows playing that we wanted to see. The theaters and food court were on the fourth floor of the mall and the tables of the food court were in a large open area with glass windows from which you could see some of the waterfront hotels and the bay that opens up to the Pacific Ocean. The roof of the mall were panels of opaque glass and we had been seeing flashes of lightening as we walked around. Dark clouds and rain were coming across the bay and we decided to get something to eat and watch the free movie nature was about to provide. A heavy rain followed the thunder and lightening and engulfed the city. Water cascaded over the opaque panels of the roof and pelted the large viewing windows in the food court.
It's this rain that gives life to the Panama Canal. The canal looses about 52 million gallons of fresh water to the ocean for each ship or group of boats that pass through the locks. Without the seven months of rainy season that replenishes the water in Ganton Lake the canal would not be able to sustain operation year round. However, when people say 'rainy season' the image that would come to my mind is torrental rains for days on end, but that is not the case. From what we have observed, the days start out sunny or slightly overcast and then around one in the afternoon the clouds roll in and it rains from two to four hours. The sky clears late afternoon for the remainder of the evening. I'm sure there are exceptions but I have only seen the exception where it doesn't rain at all during the day. Even in Hawaii I've seen times when it would rain for two or three days on end as I'm sure it does here on occasion. I can also imagine that it rains more in the rain forest areas than it does in the city, but the rain does seem to roll in from the ocean.
We caught a cab back to the Hotel and the outing had pretty much exhausted my energy reserves. I'm still feeling uncomfortable from the lipo surgery and I still have to use most of my energy getting my right leg to keep up with the rest of my body. I've read where the mini-lipo surgery for a lot of people is no big deal and that they recover quite quickly. I've also talked to other people who were very thin to begin with who said they had a hard time after lipo. The pattern seems to be that the more fat tissue you have to work with the easier the surgery is and the faster you're able to recover from the procedure. I began the MS Recovery Diet in July of this year and between then and the time I left for Panama I had lost ten pounds. That was weight that I had put on due to my lack of mobility so it's not like it was weight that I needed to maintain my health. Most of the weight I lost was in my stomach area which was good since I had put on weight there and my clothes were no longer fitting, but as it turned out it wasn't so good from the lipo perspective since they had to probe far and wide to get the tissue they needed to grow my stem cells.
Overall I have faith that the Diet will work with my bodies natural ablility to repair itself and that in time I will be symptom free. The stem cell therapy I see as a kick start to help me recover my manueverablity so that I can function in a somewhat normal manner until my body reacts to the diet. I will continue to search for the treatment that is best for me and I don't see pharmaceuticals as an alternative. It's well known that the drugs developed for treating multiple schlerosis work marginally for a short period of time and the patient will then be left with the side effects of the drug to deal with. The side effects are often devilish. It seems to be the evil nature of pharmaceuticals that once you go down that road, you become a patient for life and for the remainder thereof the drugs not only control your health but your finances as well.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Not so tiny bubbles...
John and I both went to the BioFit Center again on Friday. While I worked out John met with the program director, Javier, to go over his tests. John said this is the most sophisticated system he has seen regarding health and nutrition. John explained how Javier used all the components of the blood test and the stress test to determine what areas needed improvement to stay fit and healthy. John said he has to start doing a little more exercise than just playing golf a couple times a week. After his meeting with Javier, John met with Anna, the nutritionalist, and she used the results of the two test to make up program to follow for meals. Javier also said they could get John in the gym with one of the instructors to work up an exercise routine for him. In my three weeks here I have found the people at BioFit to be very nice and very professional. For some reason they did not do the stress test on me, perhaps it isn't included because so many of the MS patients are not physically capable of doing it and Bill Cortright, the company's founder, told me that they already knew what I needed due to the disease. The only thing I can see that would improve on their program is to do a food allergy test so people will know what foods their bodies cannot tolerate and that contribute to disease and failing health.
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The time for my afternoon pick-up was moved up an hour so it was a quick turn around from the time we arrived back at the hotel from physical therapy until the time the van showed up to take me to the Royal Center for my injection. It was only the one injection in spine this time but I still get nervous and apprehensive. The picture above is the parking lot of the Royal Center, and the clinic we go to is on the ground floor back under the covered parking. Dr. Hernandez was there when we arrived and we had to wait for Dr. Pichel. I began asking him the questions I had written down earlier in the week. We talked for awhile about the doppler proceedure for my bad leg to check my veins and arteries. He didn't seem to think there was a physical circulation problem even though it is always cold. He said it was a matter of restoring the nerve connections so the brain could send the signal to pump more blood down that leg. He didn't seem to think the doppler exam on my leg was necessary.
I asked Dr. Hernandez about getting an MRI with the contrast dye and he advised me to wait for several months before having the dye injected into my system. I asked him again about he lumps under the skin of my stomach and he said it would take a couple more weeks for them to fully dissapate. I still would like to have Dr. Crespo, the plastic surgeon who preformed the lipo, check me out before I leave. I told him I had talked to Vicky earlier in the week and she didn't seem to know about wearing the girdle for three weeks and said they had not given her very much post operative info. Dr. Hernandez assured us that he told her what she should do and I made the comment that it is important to write everything down for the MS patients because we have a difficult time remembering things. John said that we all suffer from CRS. Dr. Hernandez gave a little smile which quickly changed to puzzlement as his memory banks searched the medical acronyms stored for meaning. "What's CRS? he asked. With a straight face John said, "Can't Remember S#@t." Dr. Hernandez laughed for about a minute, but I told him it was true.
John asked about other patients going through stem cell therapy and Dr. Hernandez told us about a young boy who had muscular distrophy that had been treated earlier in the day. He said that they gave the boy allogenic stem cells intravenously and several shots right into the muscles of his arms and legs. Jerry Lewis should put some of his energy into investigating this treatment for his kids.
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The driver told us he had to stop by the Stem Cell Institute on the way back to the hotel to drop off some paperwork. John and I went into the office even though the driver said we could wait since he would just be a couple of seconds. Dr. Paz happened to walk in at that moment and we talked with him for a few minutes. Dr. Paz said that when they drew blood from me last time that they didn't get enough to do a blood test because it was all needed to make serum for the stem cells. I said, "You're not getting any more," and Dr. Paz said he knew that but would really like to have that information. John said that I would give more blood if necessary and I reluctantly shook my head in agreement. Dr. Paz thought about scheduling and decided to have me come in early on Monday before physical therapy. Something else to look forward to.
Back at the hotel I rested and entertained myself with Spanish television for the remainder of the day.
I asked Dr. Hernandez about getting an MRI with the contrast dye and he advised me to wait for several months before having the dye injected into my system. I asked him again about he lumps under the skin of my stomach and he said it would take a couple more weeks for them to fully dissapate. I still would like to have Dr. Crespo, the plastic surgeon who preformed the lipo, check me out before I leave. I told him I had talked to Vicky earlier in the week and she didn't seem to know about wearing the girdle for three weeks and said they had not given her very much post operative info. Dr. Hernandez assured us that he told her what she should do and I made the comment that it is important to write everything down for the MS patients because we have a difficult time remembering things. John said that we all suffer from CRS. Dr. Hernandez gave a little smile which quickly changed to puzzlement as his memory banks searched the medical acronyms stored for meaning. "What's CRS? he asked. With a straight face John said, "Can't Remember S#@t." Dr. Hernandez laughed for about a minute, but I told him it was true.
John asked about other patients going through stem cell therapy and Dr. Hernandez told us about a young boy who had muscular distrophy that had been treated earlier in the day. He said that they gave the boy allogenic stem cells intravenously and several shots right into the muscles of his arms and legs. Jerry Lewis should put some of his energy into investigating this treatment for his kids.
Dr. Pichel arrived and we set up in the little examination room for the injection. I was told the injections would get easier and so far this seems to be the case. I felt the slight bee sting of the anesthetic needle. John said as the numbing fluid goes in a bubble the size of a half-dollar forms under my skin, then the doctor massages the area until the bubble dissapates. The picture above is the anethetic being injected into my back. I feel no pain after that. I can feel the pressure of the larger needle being inserted but I don't feel anything as the long skinny needle slides into my nerve system. Today I only felt a slight pressure in my hips as the stem cells were injected. After removing the needles Dr. Pichel cleans my back with alcohol and water then I'm done.
The driver told us he had to stop by the Stem Cell Institute on the way back to the hotel to drop off some paperwork. John and I went into the office even though the driver said we could wait since he would just be a couple of seconds. Dr. Paz happened to walk in at that moment and we talked with him for a few minutes. Dr. Paz said that when they drew blood from me last time that they didn't get enough to do a blood test because it was all needed to make serum for the stem cells. I said, "You're not getting any more," and Dr. Paz said he knew that but would really like to have that information. John said that I would give more blood if necessary and I reluctantly shook my head in agreement. Dr. Paz thought about scheduling and decided to have me come in early on Monday before physical therapy. Something else to look forward to.
Back at the hotel I rested and entertained myself with Spanish television for the remainder of the day.
Friday, October 2, 2009
A sip of margarita
The BioFit Center had made arrangements for the lab at the Stem Cell Institute to send someone over to our room Thursday morning to take John's blood. He had decided to go through the BioFit Center's evaluation program to find out what he should be eating and how much he should be exercising. At 8:30 the director of the lab at the Stem Cell Institute showed up personally to draw blood. I was happy that it wasn't my blood being drawn this time. Doctor Rodolfo Fernandez spoke English with a slight southern accent. He was Panamanian but went to school in the US and practiced in New Orleans for awhile. He drew John's blood and we talked for a few minutes. He has a coffee farm in Boquete that he seems very fond of and told us he would be there the same weekend we plan to go there to see our friend. He told us to give him a call while we were there. We asked for a tour of the lab but he said that unlike Costa Rica, they were not set up to do tours and that we'd have to dress up in complete sterile garb to go in there. He said that when they move into their new facility people will be able to view the lab behind glass windows.
John had been fasting for the past twelve hours in preparation for the blood test so after Dr. Fernandez left we made a quick breakfast and then headed out to catch our ride to the BioFit Center. I went in the gym for my work-out with Ivan while John took the stress test. He said the stress test is the same test doctors use to determine heart health. John and I finished about the same time and we headed back to the hotel. The northern sky turned dark and rain moved in across the city. By the time we reached the hotel rain pelted the van. I was a good afternoon to work on the blog.
It rained hard for a few hours then the skies cleared late in the afternoon. We decided to catch a cab to another Mexican food restaurant we discoverd from an add in a magazine. The street that it was on was not far from here but we didn't know where on the street the establishment was located. We walked outside and found traffic backed up to a stand still in all directions. John said we could probably get there faster if we walked and the rain had cooled the city's atmosphere to a comfortable temperature. We headed up the street in the opposite direction from which we usually take when going shopping. The sidewalks were uneven for the first few minutes of the walk as we passed by several construction sites then they turned quite managable. My bad leg is still functioning pretty much at the level of mobility I had before coming to Panama. My desire to see improvement is met with the dissappointment of no noticable difference and the hope that with time there will be good things to come. I held John's hand and used him to help keep my balance.
We went up two blocks and turned right, guessing that this was the way to go. We passed a guy handing out leaflets for a new restaurant and asked him where Mrs. Mendoza's was. He told us it was in the direction we were headed about a five minute walk. It was a nice street divided by a median of grass and trees. We were walking through a residential neighborhood with nice apartment buildings and many people were out with their dogs or their kids. There were several restaurants and stores in the ground floors of the buildings and we passed a community park that was clean and populated with people enjoying the last of the day's light.
The restaurant wasn't as ornate as the previous Mexican place we visited but the menu was better, not quite Tex-Mex, but close. They had a salsa bar that had hot sauce that met with John's approval. We had a little coupon that offered us a free margarita and John ordered it frozen to help cool down from the walk. I took a couple of sips and it was cold and sweet but made me dizzy. That's why I don't drink. We were there in time for happy hour and the place was populated with a younger crowd. A young man was setting up in one corner for live entertainment to play through dinner time.
The walk back to the hotel took twenty minutes and I managed well but my leg became fatigue and I stuggled to climb the stairs up to the Alba. Tomorrow I receive another spinal injection and my third week of treatment will be complete. During my counselling with the BioFit Center they broke the health cycles down into four increments according to age. The last increment is fifty-five and older. I've been thinking about entering this final stage and the changes that need to be made. It's like turning to the last chapter in a book, but I do not want to turn that page. I know there will be lots of laughs and good times in the chapter, but I also know there will be lots of sadness. The part of me that worries, worries that I won't be a useful wife or a productive member of society and I worry a lot about my Dad and the ordeal he is going through. I had a restless night.
John had been fasting for the past twelve hours in preparation for the blood test so after Dr. Fernandez left we made a quick breakfast and then headed out to catch our ride to the BioFit Center. I went in the gym for my work-out with Ivan while John took the stress test. He said the stress test is the same test doctors use to determine heart health. John and I finished about the same time and we headed back to the hotel. The northern sky turned dark and rain moved in across the city. By the time we reached the hotel rain pelted the van. I was a good afternoon to work on the blog.
It rained hard for a few hours then the skies cleared late in the afternoon. We decided to catch a cab to another Mexican food restaurant we discoverd from an add in a magazine. The street that it was on was not far from here but we didn't know where on the street the establishment was located. We walked outside and found traffic backed up to a stand still in all directions. John said we could probably get there faster if we walked and the rain had cooled the city's atmosphere to a comfortable temperature. We headed up the street in the opposite direction from which we usually take when going shopping. The sidewalks were uneven for the first few minutes of the walk as we passed by several construction sites then they turned quite managable. My bad leg is still functioning pretty much at the level of mobility I had before coming to Panama. My desire to see improvement is met with the dissappointment of no noticable difference and the hope that with time there will be good things to come. I held John's hand and used him to help keep my balance.
We went up two blocks and turned right, guessing that this was the way to go. We passed a guy handing out leaflets for a new restaurant and asked him where Mrs. Mendoza's was. He told us it was in the direction we were headed about a five minute walk. It was a nice street divided by a median of grass and trees. We were walking through a residential neighborhood with nice apartment buildings and many people were out with their dogs or their kids. There were several restaurants and stores in the ground floors of the buildings and we passed a community park that was clean and populated with people enjoying the last of the day's light.
The restaurant wasn't as ornate as the previous Mexican place we visited but the menu was better, not quite Tex-Mex, but close. They had a salsa bar that had hot sauce that met with John's approval. We had a little coupon that offered us a free margarita and John ordered it frozen to help cool down from the walk. I took a couple of sips and it was cold and sweet but made me dizzy. That's why I don't drink. We were there in time for happy hour and the place was populated with a younger crowd. A young man was setting up in one corner for live entertainment to play through dinner time.
The walk back to the hotel took twenty minutes and I managed well but my leg became fatigue and I stuggled to climb the stairs up to the Alba. Tomorrow I receive another spinal injection and my third week of treatment will be complete. During my counselling with the BioFit Center they broke the health cycles down into four increments according to age. The last increment is fifty-five and older. I've been thinking about entering this final stage and the changes that need to be made. It's like turning to the last chapter in a book, but I do not want to turn that page. I know there will be lots of laughs and good times in the chapter, but I also know there will be lots of sadness. The part of me that worries, worries that I won't be a useful wife or a productive member of society and I worry a lot about my Dad and the ordeal he is going through. I had a restless night.
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