Hallelujah! We are finished with the stem cell treatments and ready to get home. Steve received his last treatments today and has just gotten up from his five hours in bed. Most people who come here for treatment have a four-week regimen. When you come for only two weeks, they ramp up the treatments, making it very intense. Between lipo-suction, physical therapy, intrathecal spinal cord injections, and intraveneous infusions, he has been constantly poked, prodded, and pushed beyond his limits. Not to diminish what he has been through, but it has not been easy for me to watch this, either. We are glad this part is over and now the real work begins; rigorous physical therapy.
The best thing about this trip has been the new friends that we have made. Surprisingly, there are many long-married couples here, dealing with the same issues. I thought we were the only ones whose marriage had survived this! One gentleman referred to the group as "Stemmies," a name that will surely stick. We sit outside by the pool every night talking, laughing, telling jokes, and relating our stories to each other. They are an awesome group of people, whose friendships I will treasure forever.
Steve and I are ready to have our lives back. This disease was something that we minimized and chose to push aside, much of the last 23 years, because there was no way to make it better. Our survival mechanism was a type of denial. Most of my co-workers were unaware of the fact that Steve had MS, until we learned of this treatment last fall. That was when we started making people aware of the treatments and the possibility for a cure. Since that time, MS has been a huge focus in our lives, which has been exhilirating and depressing at the same time. It brought all those feelings to the surface and forced us to deal with the reality of this insidious disease. But we also had hope! With that said, we are looking to the future, focusing on our family's personal improvement, growing my real estate business, and enjoying these last few years with the girls at home. Life is good!
PS. Now if I could just get out of Jury Duty next week! Yes, my request for excusal was denied and I start the 3-month commitment next Thursday, with Orientation. I don't mind doing my civic duty, but now is not the best time!! Does anyone have any advice?
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Jury Duty?! Surely you need to be home with Steve. At the least, you will be distracted. Hopefully the worst you'll have to go through is jury selection and with that you'll be excused. Anyway, I can't imagine the defense or the prosecution wanting someone who may be (justifiably) distracted on the jury. Just be honest about your situation, and hopefully they'll let you go. Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteYes Marie, I totally agree! I sent a letter requesting an excusal and it was denied. My plans are to try again tomorrow, to see if the judge will reconsider. Jury Duty here is a 3-month commitment, where you call in on a weekly basis, to see if they want you to report for that week. It isn't a one-time deal, so I would really like to at least postpone it until next year. I'll let you know.
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