Double Cell Day

It's Friday so I get more stem cells today. I will get the spinal injection of donated cells plus the IV of my own cells. Speaking of my own cells, the lipo bruising has nearly gone away, but the strange sensations haven't. It's hard to describe, but your side and stomach area feel like they are not part of your body - you can feel pressure but you can't feel touch. Those areas are also very sore on the inside especially when Ivan at PT has you doing Ab's and core work - he doesn't seem to remember you had lipo or just doesn't care - Jillian on TV has transformed these trainers!

My improvements are very small right now, but it's still great to feel like you have made a step forward. Here's another one that you normal folks won't understand - I got up this morning and put my coaching shorts on while standing - haven't been able to do that in at least a year. Because of poor balance and the inability to raise my left leg, I just couldn't stand and put on a pair of shorts. Another positive change is the tingling in my legs has disappeared - at night if I tried to sleep on my side, I would get tingling from my calves to my feet - I have been sleeping on my side here in Panama with no tingle.

I share these small improvements because when I return, you may think "he doesn't look very different." Well that's the ugly and difficult part of this disease - many of the things that it is doing to you no one can really see until it gets to advanced stages. Many people will say to MS sufferers, "well you still look good." What other people don't understand is that what you see is not what it's like. (Remember that saying "You don't get MS until you get MS") Here are some things you wouldn't normally see - can't sleep at night because of tingling, can't use the restroom normally because your bladder doesn't work right, can't put your clothes on normally because of poor balance and coordination, can't walk without thinking hard, can't make it through a day because fatigue jumps on you, can't pick up your leg to get into a car without lifting it with your hand, can't find the right words because of mental cloudiness, and there are others. I don't share these with you for your sympathy, but just to give you an idea of how small, unseen improvements seem big to us with the disease. And to tell you that your kindness and generosity are HUGE to me and lift my spirits daily!

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

Because this was a Thursday and all I did was morning PT, I had determined that there wasn't really anything to Blog about. I had decided everyone could take a day off. Well, about the time I made that decision, the apt phone rang (this phone only connects to downstairs). When I picked it up thinking "who would be calling on this phone?", the voice on the other end said, "Sam, this is Felton Smith - we're downstairs!"

What thrill it was to see Felton, Betty, and David, my fellow Ennis-ites and my brothers and sister from GB church. They are in Panama helping teach the Bible to little ones and also helping complete a huge cement project that the school needed. They made the effort to come across the city to find me, and that effort made my day! Obviously I had something for the blog now. Thanks Felton, Betty and David for taking the time and effort to find a brother halfway across our continent!

Mercado de Publico

Jack & Jean went to the public market this morning - they have a fish, a meat, and a fruit & vege market all in the same area - everything is fresh, and they cut it up for you right there. They are fileting the fish or cutting toes off chicken feet (so you can cook the chicken feet) or cutting beef right off the bone. Maybe you can see some of those sights from the pics. J & J bought some sierra, the same fish I caught on Saturday - the market people said it was the best in Panama! (Enrique say "Good Fish.") And how about the size of the shrimp!

These were also the best prices that any of our group have found so far. The 12 giant shrimp cost 2 dollars! They catch lobsters each day too, but they said that the restaurantes come at 4:30 in the morning and buy all the lobsters.

I went to PT as usual this morning - all went well. Ivan is still working on my balance and overall strength - I usually feel pretty good when I go in but more wobbly when I leave. That makes sense because my muscles are so far behind that they get exhausted easily then they become less steady. Still my walking and coordination have improved - it's only a small amount of improvement right now, but I believe that progression will continue.

I haven't had improvement in any area in the last 3 or 4 years at home, so this treatment is still the right choice. We will be patient and trusting - God could have had Naaman wash in the Jordan River only one time to heal his leprosy, but God told him 7 times. Do you think the muddy waters of the Jordan actually did something, or was God wanting to see some patience and trust? Patient and trusting we will be!

Market Day

After PT this morning and lunch at the apt, Jack & Jean wanted to go look around at a local market - homemade things from carvings, to jewelry, to purses, and clothes and much more. We have found an English-speaking taxi-driver whom we can call, so we called Luiz and went to the market. Jean found plenty, and I think she got the best prices in the whole place - she bargained hard!

We see lots of workers and students when we get out. With all of the building going on in this area, there is no shortage of jobs, and every morning there are many, many workers walking one direction, then around 3:00 they are going back the other way. Most have backpacks on and actually look more like students.

The public schools here have 2 sessions each day - a morning then afternoon session - so we see many students around noon, either leaving for home or coming to school. They are all dressed in true uniforms, so you can spot them easily. The school here is in session because it's not their summer time - their summer break is from January to March. It never gets below 65 degrees or above 85 degrees so hot/cold is not the determining factor of summer - it's whether or not it's the rainy season - rain each day is their bad weather so that's winter.

Yesterday and today have been really nice days here for the rainy season. The sun has been out most of the day, and it's really nice. A little warmer than normal, and that change has had an effect on my walking. I obviously haven't conquered the heat intolerance of MS, but things are still better, so I'm not complaining.

It's amazing how little I knew about other places. This trip has been very educational as well as physically beneficial. All of us need to realize that our US doesn't have the monopoly on medical treatments like we like to think it should. Thanks again to all of you who helped me get here!

Long day for me / Short day for blog

As you know by now, Monday and Friday are my big days here - I go to PT around 10:30, then home for lunch, then to clinic for my injection, and back here for lying prone. Long day but not too much to report in the blog.

Today's injection will be my 5th - I will get 3 more (total of 8), and I will get 2 IV's of my own stem cells. I wish I could say I was at ease with the spinal injections by now, but I still get a little edgy. Some of the patients take muscle relaxers before their injections each time so the Dr. can have a less tense target - so far I have been OK without the relaxers.

Jack & Jean made it in last night around 9:30 - it was sure good to see them. They came with their Panama books and guides, so when we get some down time, they will have plenty to do. In fact they may have to stay an extra month to see all of the things they have marked in their Panama Guide book!

I sure have enjoyed reading your encouraging and sometimes funny comments. I look forward to seeing those every day, so thanks for making my day!

Restful Sunday

Kathy left for Texas this morning at 6:15 so it's been a slow but restful day. Jack & Jean are coming in tonight, so I will have some good company and help for these next two weeks.

I'm really looking forward to these next weeks because I have seen some small progressions, and I'm really excited about how that will continue. My walking has clearly improved and I don't have to think about it as much. For about 2 years I have had to think and say "heel / toe , heel / toe" just to keep my legs going, but I haven't seemed to need to do that as much these last few days. I know most of you are thinking that sounds crazy, but that's part of this ugly disease - things just don't work like they used to. There's a saying in the MS circles - You don't get (understand) MS, until you get MS.

I also think these people here are onto something with their fitness and eating program. It makes sense and it helps everyone get where they should be. You might like to google Bill Cortright and look at his ideas on Stress Response - Lifestyle Program. He gives so many examples of people who you can all relate to.

Happy Father's Day to all of you fathers - hope you have a GREAT day.

Great day of Eagle Fishing

Let me explain my title. We went fishing today thanks totally to the Abilene High football coaches. Steve Warren called me back in March and said "We want to donate some money for your trip but we have one requirement - it must be used for fishing. Yes, we want you to have a nice get-a-way day and just go fishing." That was so thoughtful and generous of those state champs, so today was our Eagle fishing day.

Now let me tell you about the trip. We could have hooked up with some big 42' boat and done some tourist fishing, but we decided on another venue. We took a ferry 12 miles out to Taboga island [pic]- a little pickup picked us up (because it's too much walking uphill for me) and took us to a real picturesque Bed & Breakfast [pic] where they fixed us breakfast - then we went down to the water and met our boat [pic] (Kathy wasn't too prepared for the SS Desta - she still thought it would be some big comfortable ride) - but I wanted simply a local fisherman to take us out like they do each day and Enrique [pic] was our local fisherman (he spoke absolutely no English except 2 words I will tell you later) - he took us out around these small islands in the Pacific - it was a little rough (as you can see from Kathy's fishing position - she's not sunning) [pic] - I simply trolled while Enrique took us around the islands - we did that for about an hour and half with not even a nibble and I was about to tell him that trolling wasn't my favorite or best fishing technique - I wanted to tell him I like how Gary Sitton and I fish back behind his house (not that I have ever caught anything there either but it's much more relaxing) - but about that time, WHAM! - it hit my line and started running - when I got her in, Enrique said it was a sierra [pic] - "good fish" he said. We did a little more trolling then later headed back to land - we walked up to the B & B (every local we passed on the little street said "Good fish") and they prepared our sierra for lunch [pic].

Now for some of you real fishermen, you may not think one sierra is much of a catch - for me it was a highlight reel. Many of you have heard my Breckenridge Phil Dye fishing story, so for me to bring one in all on my own and to be the biggest fish I have ever caught, I was happy. ( I average about one fish every 2 decades, so this big one is good.)

It was a great day especially when you consider the weather - it poured practically all day except for the time we were out away from the B & B - Not a drop - Unbelievable! God was smiling on us, and most likely because He knew there were some great guys from Abilene, Texas who had given from their hearts for this outing! Thanks Steve and the many other coaches at AHS - your gift was appreciated greatly!