Check out this spread!! I’m sad that we discovered that this ridiculously good restaurant has been in our hotel all this time.... maybe that’s a good thing. Saquello’s is divine! We had a little feast/celebration for the big guy! Followed by a quick dip in the spa. We met some nice folks from Texas at dinner. The gentleman was receiving treatment for arthritis and as of today was already seeing a reduction in pain and swelling. Pretty amazing! It’s nice to talk to an adult who can put to words that he feels it!

The Panama skyline is just so beautiful. I can’t get over this view!

 Lunch by the pool today! The food here is really good! I already need a detox of some sort. I’m on my third latte today and it’s only 4pm. So there’s that. CBD isn’t legal here so let’s all pray for me, becuse I can’t live much longer without it. I’ve noticed Colt isn’t sleeping nearly as well without it too, he’s pretty restless all night. I’ve been sleeping with him so I can watch him (because I’m crazy) and he’s basically karate chopped me all night.

 Cabin fever. It’s been raining this afternoon.... we sat at the pool for awhile in it, because it’s still really warm. Tropical weather!

These geniuses put a restaurant and bar right here, I’m sitting in it. You can deposit your children in the pool and then sit back and pretend you’re here with only your spouse. It was fun while it lasted. We have one more full day tomorrow. We could have gone home but I wanted a rest/pack day not knowing what to expect and how he’d feel. I didn’t wanna hop on a plane right away. They’ve said dehydration isn’t good for the stem cells so I’m keeping water in front of him like it’s my day job.

 This morning was our last treatment. He received his last 15 million cells. Would you even believe he didn’t shed a single tear? He held his arm out, he even chose which arm he wanted the cells in. He smiled all the way through it and didn’t even have to be held down. The nurses were in total shock. One of them burst into tears afterwards. He hopped up and hugged them both, and gave his doctor a huge hug. The staff here are just incredible. They care so much and are so invested in what they do. Is it weird that I’m a little sad it’s over? I’m really excited for the hope this has given us. The families we have met. It’s been such an amazing experience.

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 Another day, another pool visit. We met more new friends today. It’s interesting to hear everyone’s story and what led them here. We met a guy from Florida that lives here, he just up and relocated to Panama because he likes it here. We will probably go check out Casco Viejo tomorrow, which is the old city. He lives there and gave us some tips on what to check out.

 Look, I swear we did some schoolwork. Here’s a decent view of the hotel room we have. Having a kitchen has been amazing!

 Here is the living room which has been transformed into a giant blanket fort. The view is just amazing.

 

 Gas is pretty cheap here. But my morning latte is $7 so that’s no fun.

 We had our third stem cell treatment bright and early this morning! It was WAY easier today. He cried a little when the IV was placed and then watched quietly as they pushed the cells in. Then we went to breakfast! We are having a little rest session now (per Colt’s request, he is taking the doctor’s orders very seriously. Which means he’s milking the opportunity to get back in the fort with his iPad). He’s had very little side effects, a little hyper-activity/a little moody. It’s hard to know if that’s really the cells or just lack of normal sleep/routine.

It’s another beautiful day here, clear and sunny (hot and humid). We will be back by the pool shortly!

We had an afternoon pool session to try and tame these two wild animals. The pool was packed. What’s nice is that everyone here (with the exception of a handful of business people who tried unsuccessfully to relax) is here for stem cells. I made a few new friends by the pool and we exchanged war stories. One family traveled here from Albania. Three flights and multiple days to get here. The lengths we will go to for our kids, man it’s a rough road. And not knowing the outcome. Everyone I’ve met said the same thing- I’d rather try than wonder. 

 Can humidity kill you? Asking for a friend. The clouds parted today and the full weight of the sun is out. Good grief it’s hot! We ventured out of the hotel for lunch, and found a park. We ate at the raddest taco shop for lunch..... I want to recreate this at home. The corn was insanely good. There’s a Pinkberry down the street too! We are about to head to the pool and ruin everyone’s relaxing day!

 We just finished our second treatment. It wasn’t any easier than yesterday. We were hoping he’d cooperate more now knowing what it entailed, but no luck there. The doctors and nurses are so good about it, so understanding. For once, I don’t feel like anyone is staring or judging why he’s acting the way he is. It’s mostly children being treated here. I’ve seen maybe two or three adults in the waiting room while we are there, which could be because we have morning appointments only. Everyone we have met is here for autism treatment.

I hope to sleep better tonight, I basically watched him all night. They told us he could get a low grade fever and other mild flu symptoms so I was on the lookout for that. So far the only thing we have seen is some hyper-activity. He’s been really restless during sleep, but I think that’s because we haven’t had hemp oil in four days. I know I’m feeling it. It’s not legal here so we didn’t chance bringing it. I can’t wait to have it back, my sleep has been terrible with the stress of the unknown. I’m a far better traveler without my kids!

 The view from the treatment room was pretty amazing today.

The hotel room fort. The kids love the hotel room, and I think would be happy to stay in here 24/7. Kreg begs to differ. We ventured out of our hotel for dinner last night and found a strip mall a block down. Lots of restaurants and a few shops are right near.

 We laid low for an hour or so in the room after treatment, we were told to rest and see how he would feel. The side effects range from being tired, mild fever, headache, or hyper-activity. We got...... you guessed it! Hyper! He wanted to go to the pool, so we went down and ruined all the nice relaxation vibes for everyone. Good thing we aren’t the only special needs family here, that’s actually the one really cool thing about this place. Lots of families doing the same thing, and everyone is very friendly and in the same boat so no judgment. You’re free to just be. The boys were besties today, which means they were psycho together. At least they had fun.

We haven’t done a second of school work so I guess we better get on that soon. The anticipation of the treatments have been looming. Not knowing what he would feel like, I am really hoping that he continues to react well. Tomorrow we start at 8:45 am.

 Also, the cocktail menu is spectacular. I’m making my way through it. This was fresh juiced cucumber, lime & gin.

 We finished the first treatment! It was so quick (but dramatic nonetheless). Colt is so just anxious/terrified about anything medical. It really was very fast and probably painless but he was really scared. He’s back to smiling and happy now, resting in the room. We were told to go lay low for an hour or two before we went to the pool or went out to do something.

This picture below is the view from the clinic. The tide goes way out in the morning and leaves the boats in the harbor beached. The video at the end is how we get to the clinic from the Hilton.

This is the book that sealed the deal for me. Dr. Riordan is the man behind the Panama clinic. He’s the doctor that was interviewed on Joe Rogan’s Podcast. I started researching this two years ago, but it was too big and too scary for me to move forward at the time. This last regression in Colt with school and all of the changes that went with it, pushed me back towards looking into this again.

I felt a strong push this time, that we had to give it a try. Or I’d always wonder, what if? I highly recommmed this book. It’s easy reading, the medical jargon isn’t too intense. The stories are miraculous. I hope we become one of them.

 Here is a quick peek around the hotel. It’s very nice! We just finished breakfast and are heading up to our first cell appointment on the 63rd floor. The Stem Cell Institute is in a building connected to the Hilton. We just take a different elevator from the lobby, it’s pretty cool.  We have a really good coffee shop in the hotel, so thank you Jesus for that. There’s a coffee bean and tea leaf down the street too! Pretty easy for Americans here- they use the American dollar, everyone either speaks English or tries really hard to.

I’ll update after treatment a little later!