Our Last Day, Our Last Post

John's last treatment. Wow. It's so nice to be done. Everyone has been so amazingly wonderful here at IBC, it's almost like leaving good friends. John says he's glad it's all over, but he's going to miss everyone. He's really ready to start his summer and be a kid. He has a few restrictions: he must continue on the Alivazato's diet for 30 more days, we have to watch his body temperature for 30 days and he needs to rest an hour everyday for 30 days. All of it with the exception of resting should be easy. John's numbers were, again, perfect today. He can't get any healthier at this point.
Dr. Vazquez has been so great - I wish all American doctors were like him. He's friendly, open, honest, funny, caring. We haven't met too many like that at all, sadly.
Elias - John's nurse is great! What a gentle guy and he knows how to handle a needle and grown men who are afraid of needles (we saw two this week!).
Socorro - For a lady who's job it is to take thousands and thousands of dollars from people to pay for the treatments, she's really a sweet, sweet woman.
Julio, Jose and the cooks - They're meals were surely different than American, but they were quite tasty! By the way, Carl loved the cactus!!
We'll end with two photos:




John's last, last treatment. Elias is removing the IV catheter and John is happy!!

John and Andrea celebrating the treatment being over by having a pillow fight.

Thanks to all of you who've been following us, praying for John and believing in the choice we made for John. There were plenty of people who thought (and still think) we are completely off our rockers....we've been called bad parents and accused of practicing "voodoo." All I can do is shake my head at such closed-mindedness and hope for the best. But for the rest of you, thank you. Your support has made our journey just that much easier. You truly find out who your friends are when you do something that is against the grain.

Love,

John, Tracie, Carl and Andrea

Adios, mis amigos!!

Our Last San Diego Weekend

Went to San Diego this weekend for the last time. Had a lot of fun with Lisa, Rob, Rachel, Jacob and Carl's mom, Bonnie.


On the trolley from San Ysidro, north to SD. We traveled all the way northeast, near Qualcomm Stadium. We had a clinic driver take us to the border where it took about 25 minutes to get across, then boarded the trolley here in San Ysidro ("san yuh see dro"). It took another 45 minutes to get to Grantville, where Lisa met us.





The kids and Carl went boogie boarding at Torrey Pines State Beach in Torrey Pines, CA. It was an overcast/hazey day. Inland, it was 96, here at the ocean it was 74. I just stayed on the beach, working my tan and taking pictures. It was so nice!! I love the ocean.





John coming in on a wave. Surf's up, Baby!

Anj coming in on a wave. Hang Loose!!










Andrea is letting Jacob's pet snake (gack!!) crawl on her.









We met my pacermaker-sister Kristine and her family, Justus (husband), Addy and Travis for dinner at The Chart House in Cardiff-by-the-Sea (actual name of a California city), right on the beach. It was gorgeous and delicious!!

Last post tomorrow, we leave the clinic at 3:30 for our 6:00 p.m. flight. Arrive Minneapolis at 11:45 p.m. and drive home. We are all very, very excited to sleep in our own beds.

Uneventful Day, Eventful Night

Wednesday and yesterday were relatively quiet...John had his treatment and we sat through our day "keeping busy" the way we all do at the clinic. While we would not seem busy out in the real world, we're quite busy within these four walls. It takes a lot of time and energy keeping spirits up, listening to incredible stories of will and fight, sharing a passion for healing and praying. Not to mention eating, laughing and shooting the $h*t.

There is a man here from Maui. He had a bad dream Wed night and kicked so violently in his dream that he broke his right femur! I kid you not. Turns out, his melanoma has spread to his bones. His bone cancer is bad enough that his femur broke from the force of his kick. This guy is amazing - I went to talk to him and he's thanking God for the incident. I get where he's coming from, but wow! He thanks God for it because without the strange circumstance of how his leg broke, he would not have known his cancer spread. He had surgery last night: they scraped out the cancer, inserted a rod in his femur and set the rod with surgical cement. Again, wow! I'm so anxious this morning to know how he's doing.

Now, if that wasn't enough for us here, we were visited again by La Policia Thursday night. They've been around a few times since we got here, but we got pictures this time!! Well, John got pictures. We sent him out into the street with the camera to get a few shots. He's the next embedded Fox News Reporter, you know. Anyway, the police were gathered at the top of the road that night. A few nights earlier, there were about 25 of them everywhere. One of the cooks said the mayor was in town and they were there protecting him. But, we don't know that for sure.

John got a shot of them as the drove away. Notice how Carl is inside the gate, checking things out. By the way, these police are local, not federal. The federales are in black trucks with (usually) 4 guys in the back.

Oh! I forgot to tell you that Carl tried actupunture yesterday. I wish I'd had the camera!!! He's going to try acu-suction on Monday to pull all the dead blood out of his upper back. He's been having a lot of problems with his right shoulder. According to Mr. I-don't-speak-English-or-Spanish,-only-Korean, this will help him feel better. Another patient here did it a few years ago and she swears by it. It's very affordable (remember, we are in Mexico - everything is affordable!) so why not? I'll try to get some pictures for you!

We are off to SD for the last time today. Will be back early Monday for John's treatment. Adios!

Thursday

Only five more treatments left...then no more! Yeaaaa!!!! John's pretty happy. Especially because they put his new catheter IV in a spot where there's a lot of arm movement and the needle keeps hitting his vein which causes him some unexpected surprises of pain. Elias, the nurse says there's a lot of nerves on the walls of veins (to protect them). John gets to feel them every so often. He'll just have to suck it up for a couple of more days, then they can replace it. For now, though, when it moves, we've learned how to wiggle it around so it moves away from the vein wall. Think of it like when your fork hits your amalgam filling...zing! He'll survive.

Anj went up to San Diego today to be with Rachel for a few days. We're trying to arrange some travel again this weekend, too; it's actually very stressful. It's hard having to depend on others to cart you around. I hope Anj has fun, though, with Rachel. They're like two peas in a pod, so they ought to have fun together.

After I dropped off Anj in San Deigo, I went for an hour run downtown along Harbor Dr. This follows the ocean-front, it's like the tourist spot for SD. There were a lot of people; runners, walkers, jugglers, magicians, tin-men (some guy spray-painted silver acting like a robot for money), shoppers and homeless people. I ran from the trolley Transfer Station to the airport and back. It was beautiful run. There was a cruise ship in port, so that was really cool to see up close like I did. I came back across the border, had a little lunch and went swimming at IMDET again. Got a good workout in today. Am still greatly missing my bike, but with a 100 mile ride planned for next Friday, I'll get reacquainted fast.

Did a naughty thing today and walked to the gift shop across the street. Bought a Pepsi (God, I love Pepsi, especially when I don't have it for 4 or 5 days) and m&m's. Both are forbidden on clinic grounds. But, so totally unlike me, I had a hankering for them so I bucked the system and drank my Pepsi with dinner and had my m&m's for dessert. The patients had papaya juice and baked apple. Ha! I think I got the better deal. :) I got some grief for it, though, from one of the patients so I was nice enough to keep my pop can hidden during the meal.

Seems to be a party next door tonight at the local restaurant. Maybe I'll have to go check it out - wonder if they have beer? Since I already broke the rules with pop and candy, why not go all the way??

Adios, mis amigos. Buenas noches.

Fun Day at Bufadora

La Bufadora, Ensenada
The mist coming up from the hole. Pretty cool, hey?? If you click on the picture, it'll open in a new window and you can see it bigger.

The orange things on the rocks are living Starfish. (I would suggest opening this to a bigger photo. It's pretty darn cool in gi-normous view.)

Main Street of Bufadora. These vendors are relentless. They will grab at you, push items into your face, shove flyers into your hands...it's very, very annoying. But, I did get an amazing deal on cowboys boots! We also got a great Father's Day gift for my dad. Can't tell you cuz he reads the blog. If he reads it here, then the surprise will be ruined when we see him next. Sorry.

Carl, Anj and John on the rocks above the blowhole waiting to be sprayed.

Andrea and John at the wall waiting to get sprayed even more!

John lost his tooth during lunch! Can the Tooth Fairy cross borders? Does s/he need a passport? Now these are questions that need to be answered!

Some of the people in our group. That's Doug from Idaho on the end (left) and Angelica from California on the other end. The three empty chairs are me and Melvin and Susan Yoder. Being Amish, they didn't want their photo taken. Check out the background, too. It's so beautiful there.

Tuesday

John's new friend, Jesse from Georgia. What a great kid with fantastic manners!! "Yes, ma'am" or "No, ma'am" all the time! He's here with his grandma who's getting a booster treatment for breast cancer. She's a 6-year survivor, too.

Another day at the clinic. John had his treatment and a half today...his body is really taking the treatments well. No more turning beet red! He's accepting all the laetrile really well. That's great. All his numbers are so good - this means his body is at a very good state of homestatsis. Many of the people here are doing well this time around - all except one. He was being treated for lung cancer and had some pretty bad numbers (there's no confidentiality around here) but yet sat outside his apartment everyday, smoking like a chimney. Doesn't make sense to me. Why would someone spend the thousands of dollars it costs to come here, yet not change their lifestyle to accommodate the treatment? Well, anyway...there are some great people here - no surprise there. Here they are:

Larry - treated for lung cancer, first time here but wife came here and survived 3 years breast cancer, lives in Idaho

Doug - treated for prostate cancer, 6 year survivor, lives in Idaho

Angelica - treated for lupus, first time, lives in California

Susan and Melvin - treated for rheumatoid arthritis (Susan) and just better health (Melvin), from Indiana (they're Amish and know our Amish friends Esther and Glen from the last time we were here)

Moses - treated for prostate cancer, first time here, lives in Indiana (he's Amish, too)

So, there we go. That's everyone, except who's in the hospital but they're too sick to become friendly with - they're really focused on getting better, not making friends. One man, from Boston, is barely 3o. He has some kind of cancer and when he first got here, he cried constantly and his parents came because they didn't think he'd live. But, now he's feeding himself, sitting up and his parents left since he's doing so well. Amazing miracles everyday here.

So I found a place to swim: www.imdet.tijuana.gob.mx/index.asp. It's like an outdoor YMCA - basketball, track, outdoor track and field stadium, 2 pools, weight room, floor classes, etc. Everything you could want for working out, except spin classes. I've been swimming everyday in the 50 m pool. Wowza! What a difference from a 25 yd pool at our Y at home. It's so great to do long swims in a long pool! Everyone is really friendly - they let me practice in the 50 m pool with the swim team, as opposed to the small 25 m pool. All that to do and it only costs $250 pesos (about $2.00 American). Really, a deal!! If you go to the website, click on the "galarias" link. That's photo galleries - they photos of their recent triathlon. Wish I could've been here for that!!!

Tomorrow we go to Ensenada to visit La Bufadora.

Pictures Finally

We finally got some pictures downloaded off the new camera. Here's what's going on here in our live in TJ:

This is our "house." It's a small, 3-bedroom house with a kitchen, dining room, living room and bathroom. It's actually pretty nice...We have a housekeeper who comes every morning to clean (change linens, clean, do dishes...I could easily get used to that!!) and she'll do laundry if you ask. Her name is Lupe and she's very, very thorough. When she's not cleaning the apartments for the clinic, she's running the restaurant next door.

The cats still run around the clinic grounds - there seems to be two more of them. Maybe a few months old, so makes sense they seem new to us.

More pics tomorrow. Buenas noches. Habla luego.

Nice Weekend

We had a nice weekend in San Diego. We went up on the trolley on Friday afternoon, walked around Gaslamp District of a few hours and met Matt Fitzgerald for dinner at Anthony's Fish Grotto. He drove us up to Lisa's. Saturday we went to the San Diego Fair. I know you've been just dying to know which kind of cotton candy I decided on. I will make you wait no longer...both! Haha! Cotton Candy heaven! Then we found fudge. It was a nice day. The kids went on a ride where they spun around in their seats and on the arms of the ride. I'll put some pictures up tomorrow after I download them (thanks Lisa for the use of your camera cord!!).

On Sunday, FATHER'S DAY, we took Carl sea kayaking! We can finally tell you - it was his Father's Day surprise. We took him kayaking through Hike, Bike and Kayak (www.hikebikekayak.com) in La Jolla. It was 2-hour "cruise" around La Jolla Cove. We spent about 30 minutes learning how to paddle (just like canoeing, if you must know) then they set us free out in the Pacific Ocean. John and Carl were in one kayak, Anj and I in another. We kayaked over to the cove, it took about 20 minutes to get there. The ocean was pretty calm, just some good rollers - enough to make you feel pukey if you thought about it. Once we got to the cove, we paddled past and through some sea caves - that was pretty cool. Saw some sea lions in and out of the water, but no dolphins, whales or tiger sharks (all of which we were supposed to have seen). So a little disappointing on that end, but all in all very fun. There were about 10 other kayaks in our group. We all did a kayak race along the rock reef (similar to a barrier coral reef, but made of rocks instead of coral). Anj and I took second, only half a kayak behind a Navy Seal!! We so rock! I think kayaking is my new sport - now only if I didn't get seasick...Carl was very happy and enjoyed himself immensely and that's what our goal was. I wish we could've taken some photos but I took some after and they'll get posted, but Carl was smiling the whole time and looking like a kid in a candy store with free reign. It was nice to see him so happy.

After the kayak trip, we hung out on the beach for a while, soaking up the sun. Then we went to have lunch, La Jolla style and toured an open house. A 2-bedroom, master bedroom w/suite, LR, BR, kitchen and DR for $1.4 million. Taxes = $125,000. Not kidding. It's 3 blocks from the ocean, so it's all about location, location, location. It even had a garage and a pretty nice backyard. I would consider mowing the back lawn - it would take about a half hour with a good pair of scissors.

We got back to the apartment at around 8:30 TJ time, after a harrowing cab ride. The jerk tried taking advantage of us. I was NOT happy with him but really torn between letting him have it and our lives. Just like the police, you can't really trust the cabbies, either. He was going the wrong way, telling me it was more than 3 miles and I was arguing with him that it was more than 3 miles because he was going the wrong way. When he started going way out of the way, I put my foot down. I thought if it came down to it, we'd get out of the cab and hail another one. He got a real attitude but followed my directions. He dropped us off and I paid him the pre-agreed rate plus a slap-in-the-face tip. What an a$$hole. That was the first time we've run into anyone so blantantly rude and trying to take advantage.

We are "home" now safe and sound and all is good. Off to bed and another week starts tomorrow. Happy Father's Day to all the Dads - especially mine! Love you, Dad!

The Plan and Weekend Events

We met with Dr. Vazquez after we got the info on the supplements John is taking. He was happy with them and suggested we continue with them, that's good. To change things up right now would just add more chaos to our lives. He wants to add a Vit C supplement one month after treatment. Alivazatos patients can't have Vitamin C for 30-45 days after treatment. Something about the C interfering with the laetrile. He also wants to add some essential aminos to help with John's weight. He's lost 12 pounds in the six months we've been working on this. I knew he had lost weight, but didn't realize it was that much. Twelve pounds on him is a lot - you can see it one him, too. We need to work on getting his weight back. Unbelievably, his energy is through the roof. He's always running around doing something. Before we left, his big thing was a "brick" workout. It's a triathlon thing...he'd ride his bike around our 1/2 mile block a few times, then jump off and run around the block. He'd do it two or three times in a row. More of a workout than even I'd care to do! So, regardless of the weight loss, he's still as active as ever.

This weekend we're in San Diego visiting Carl's sister Lisa and her family. Carl's mom flew out with us and is staying with Lisa, so we're seeing her, too. Last night we met Matt Fitzgerald, a professional athlete and now I can say "friend," for dinner last night at Anthony's Fish Grotto. For those of you who know us, yes, we actually went to a fish restaurant for dinner. Carl was in his glory, eating real seabass while the kids and I had chicken. Well, that's what we were told it was, but ever since the Chicken Sandwich Incident when I was 8, I'm alwasy skeptical of, "Yes, it's chicken. Eat it up, you'll like it!!" Anyway, we did try Carl's seabass. It was alright - tasted like spongy chicken. I figure if it tastes like chicken, why not just eat chicken? It's a lot cheaper!! This morning, Lisa's husband, Rob, and I went for a 9-mile run. Felt alright til my femur popped out of the joint again. Six weeks off running and it's still not working right. Argh! I think we're going to the San Diego Fair this afternoon. Perfect - a 9-mile run and an afternoon of cotton candy. Love it! Tomorrow we're taking Carl on his Father's Day surprise. Sorry, can't reveal until tomorrow. He reads the posts. All I'll tell you is it's in La Jolla and you need a swimsuit...

John and Jacob are busy shooting bad guys out on the trampoline and playing pool. You know how they go together. It's very fun and satisfying watching the boys be boys. So, off to the shower now to get ready to go to the fair. The big question of the day: Pink or blue cotton candy??

Part II:Day 2

Second day and a good one. Okay, Carl is utterly freaking out about the forecast for La Crosse next week...in the 100's!! Rock on! I'm so excited! Bring. It. On!!!! Hey, Karri, Carl says to feel free to turn on the a.c. He's all worried about the heat taking over the house. I'm okay with a hot house - whatever you decide to do, just remember who shares the wine. (wink-wink)

Anyway, met with John's doc today. His blood all looks good - very relieved to hear that information. His live blood sample looks mch healthier than last time. Blood cells are free and moving around independently - not stacked, not depending on each other. He's got a little of an overproduction of yeast which is a little worrisome. Where would that come from? Most likely an overabundance of refined white sugar. Our bodies naturally produce yeast and refined white sugar helps the yeast to mulitply and stick around longer. We'll probably add a little more cocktail to the IV each day to get rid of it, but also really watch his candy intake for the next few months. We did let him have a little more than usual lately - amazing how his body reacts that crap. Dried blood shows a vitamin C deficiency, so we'll probably add on a vitamin C supplement. No big deal there, either. So, all in all, it's very, very good. All the labs look like the live cell therapy took and is doing well. Thank God, literally! Dr. Vasquez also gave us his blessing to go ahead with our hoped-for adventure to China. As long as John eats natural, organic food he should be good. Now I have to find an organic grocery store...So much to do...

We did a little shopping today, after John's treatments. Went to the Arts and Crafts Market. Wowza. These people are amazingly talented. There was a ton of wood, metal, pottery and garden art. We spent two hours there and got lost twice. The shopkeepers were a little annoying, but not nearly as bad as Revolutionary Blvd from last time. I could've stood in those shops for hours marveling over the art. Found a fantastic new "fuel belt." A fuel belt is a belt I wear on long runs that has mini-water bottles so I can stay hydrated and energized on a long run (like more than 2 hours). In Mexico, they have leather fuel belts that allow a runner to carry Bud Lite, Miller Lite or Schlitz. In a big can, too! Awesome! These Mexicans know how to run! I had to laugh out loud when I saw them hanging from the ceiling.

It's nice to have a kitchen in our house. This gives us the option of making meals here instead of eating things like cactus and quinoa (which is actually pretty good, minus the cactus) or mushroom pizza (as in a gi-normous mushroom with quinoa and cheese). We've had some good meals the last couple of days, too. Chicken and veggies, potatoes and veggies, lentil soup...all yummy when someone else makes it. When I make it at home, it's more like, "Hello? Domino's?" For whatever reason, it doesn't taste the same.

Until tomorrow...

We're Here!

Part II: Day 1

We arrived last night around 7 p.m. at the clinic. It looks the same, but the city has a different feel. Is it us? Being more settled and familiar, knowing what to expect? Or is the city more vibrant, alive and almost happier? Not sure which one. Our driver, Victor, said the state has taken over the city, there is a lot less violence and many of the cartel have been captured. He said one guy ran from "la policia federal," had facial surgery and when he was captured, they had to do DNA tests on him to make sure it was really him. I still say that kind of stuff happens in movies, but according to Victor, it happens right here, in the city we're in right now. So, I'm not sure why it feels different this time around - maybe a little of both.

The trip here was mostly uneventful. I got my brand new, ten-dollar bottle of friggin' lotion taken from me at security. I had just bought the bottle when we left for the airport, it was less than two hours old. Honest to God, those damn terrorists. I tell ya...I was not happy about it at all. The TSA big-head said it was because I could have some explosive in there that could disable the plane, therefore it was a security threat. Andrea says, "Mom, he's a cop. You have to listen to him." I was too quick to point out he was actually not a cop, just TSA. He lovingly dumped my lotion in the garbage and asked me to move a long. Seems to me that someone is just a little high on his horse. Hope he falls...into a big vat of Aveeno, ten-dollar lotion.

We are staying in "the house" while at the clinic. It's a little different than the apartment, I'd show you pictures, but I stupidly assumed the camera cord was actually in the camera case when in reality it's still in the AV drawer in the table in the living room at home. Therefore, I cannot download any pictures until I get a new cord. Maybe when we get to San Diego this weekend, I can find one. Anyway, the house has three bedrooms, kitchen, living room and bathroom. We have two emergency exits (back doors). It's nice. Andrea and Carl like it, John wants the apartment, but he's not one for change. The more consistency in his world, the better. He'll get over it, I'm sure.

John had his first treatment this morning...he also had blood drawn and he handled it way better than our newest friend, Larry. Larry is 72 years old (a year younger than last year; a real, live Benjamin Button in our midst). See, when he was talking with Secorra (the secretary), they were discussing their ages. They were both born in 1937 but Secorra was 72, whereas Larry insisted he was 73. Some time deep in the night, he woke up really contemplating this mystery. Since it was just plaguing him, he got up, got out the calculator and did the math (see, Ron, I'm not the only math-idiot around). He lost a year at midnight! This place really does produce miralces!

Anyway, John was much braver in his blood draw and catheter placement than Larry. Yes, both needed hands to hold, but John didn't whine or become pale. He watched Elias' needle placement with hawk-like eyes and breathed a sigh of relief when it was in and done. He did great! His ears, cheeks, knees and elbows turned bright red during treatment - a sign his body was accepting all the vitamins and minerals well.

Andrea is bored stiff. I'm contemplating letting her hang in San Diego with her cousin, Rachel for a few days. We'll see. I think being bored may be good for her. Plus, trying new things is always good for anyone. She's going to have to get used to new and unusual things if we go to China.

Well, I need to get a move on. We're making spaghetti for dinner (because the dining room is serving mushrooms and cheese for dinner - even thinking about it makes me gag) and the noodles just finished boiling. So, more tomorrow.

Adios!

Here We Go Again

Monday, June 15 we leave again for Tijuana. This time, all four of us will be traveling to the clinic. We're flying out of Minneapolis this time. Saved a lot of money on airfare! Carl's mom, Bonnie, will be flying out with us and staying in San Deigo with Carl's sister, Lisa and her family.

John and I are happy to go back - it'll be nice to see Elias and the crew. Personally, I'm not looking forward to the food, especially at this level of Ironman training. My metabolism is high right now and eating a leaf of catcus just doesn't cut it! Carl's feeling nervous about the violence - I told him we'd walk the three blocks up the grocery store and stock our house-apartment, but he's not too keen on that idea. I'm confident that once he gets there, he'll see it's relatively safe and all will be fine. The only thing that makes me nervous is Anj's long, blond hair. It'll make her stand out, so the rule for her will be a required baseball cap if/when we leave the clinic. I'm sure she'd be fine without it, but Momma Bear is feeling a little protective.

We have a few fun activities planned to make the trip a little like a vacation - going to visit my "pacer-sister", Kristine and her family, maybe hit a Padres game, spend afternoons at Lisa's house, a little bit of site-seeing in TJ (Revolutionary Boulevard) and a special Father's Day activity which I am not at liberty to discuss right now, should the Dad read this before we go! Of course, we'll blog about it afterward.

The focus, however, for this visit, is continuing John's upward health. He has done soooooooo good since our first visit. Unbelievably good. A sort of "pinch me, I can't believe it" kind of good. Every single day, he's pooping. Never, well, I mean prior to Dec 29, has he done that. I've even toyed with the idea of considering he might be healed! I think after the year anniversary, I might entertain that idea more, but right now, it's just dancing in my head. We cannot get over how well he's doing. He continues to stay true to his Aliviazato's diet. It's tough to be 11 and eat like that, but he educates others sometimes and feels good about what he's doing. When he has sleep overs, he bring his own food, he packs his own lunch everyday (but not for much longer!) and only pouts sometimes when he can't have something. He's so great! I guess I'm just blown away by the fact we fought so hard for 10 years to get him better with little success. All the horrible tests he's been through, time, money, etc. We spend one month in TJ at this clinic and he comes back fine and continues to be fine. As an interesting experiement, we submitted all his TJ treatments to insurance (we were wondering if they'd cover any of it, to save some money). We got the EOB back from insurance with a little letter that said, among other things, "...upon review of his case, we feel contemporary medicine can alleviate the issue at hand." Well, those of you who know me, I just about had a cow when I read that stupid statement. It still raised my heartrate and blood pressure just typing it. What bunch of idiots insurance people are (if you are one, no personal offense, I'm speaking in general terms and since this is my blog, I can type whatever I want). So, I will just leave it at "Ha! Little do they know...oh, so little!!!"

So, please stay tuned for updates on his treatment. I'm so anxious to know his "numbers." His first day he'll have blood work and a inspection of his live and dead blood cells to see how healthy his body is. We'll compare it to the info from the last visit and see how the live cell therapy worked/is working. I'm all about the data, so I'm really looking forward to the comparison.

As always, thanks for reading, thanks for caring and most of all, thanks for your support. Keep us in your prayers as we travel and change up our lives for two weeks. Please keep the other patients at the clinic in your prayers, too.

In Memory

We lost two dear friends from the clinic. John and I take comfort in knowing they're resting peacefully in the arms of Jesus, without anymore pain and suffering. Until the day we see them again in heaven, the memories of our conversations, games and fun times will stay with us.



Joe Reaser, Altus, OK

Also gone: Bev Edmison, Sparta, WI

45 Post Treatment

We've hit the Big 45-day mark! John is super-thrilled!

Forty-five days past treatment means some foods can start to be added back into John's diet. Yesterday, he had his first apple since Dec 26. He was so excited!! He absolutely loves apples, so to have them taken away was hard. One of the keys to Alivizatos is to follow the diet which entails low-acid foods. Anything with acid is off-limits. That means no citrus, dairy, flesh-meats, etc. Also not allowed (and should never be in ANY food consumption) is conventional (white, bleached) flour, sugar (white or brown), pop, etc. All that stuff only contributes to a myriad of health issues: auto-immune, cancer, emotional issues, acne, lethargy, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, etc., etc. The list goes on. Anyway, John's been gorging on vegetables, whole grain rice, quality bread (we use Ezekial 4:9, after the Scripture verse where Jesus explains how to make bread), melons, raw nuts (not peanuts - too much natural bacteria) and sometimes I'll make organic treats like sunbutter cookies or popcorn. He drinks only water. He does a great job - when he has a sleep over, he takes his own food for snacks and breakfast. All the kids and parents have been really great about it, too.

But now, apples and other citrus can be added to our choice list. Wow! Apples, grapes, oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, lemons....where to start?!

www.alivizatos.com

Update

It's been over a month that we've been home. The joy and excitement of being home lasted about two weeks. It was so great to get back into our lives, seeing our friends, co-workers, my students, getting phone calls from well-wishers. John loved sharing his story with his classmates and anyone else who would listen, like people in line at Target or the 800# callers who got through (regardless of being on the no-call list). It was a good two weeks. We loved the quiet, we loved hearing English again, no gunfire, John loved not having an IV in his arm. I loved showering in my own bathroom! We both really liked having American water back - Mexican water seemed dirty, whether you were bathing in it or drinking it. There was constant sand in it, but here, we got our constant snow back. It was all good. Then, reality hit. Work: every day. Making dinner: every day. Paying bills: too often. You know what I mean...
Live is surely back to normal now. We are both wishing to go back - not only for the warmth, but for the nutritious meals that neither of us had to cook or clean up. John's body, on the other hand, is not back to normal which is good, good, good!! He continues to poop everyday - some days he's blessed and gets to go twice! We continue to give praise to God that He got us to Mexico - all the details that had to fall into place happened only by the grace of Him. John is doing so well and we are so proud of him. We got back at the end of January and his 11th birthday was only 2 weeks later. He is on a strict diet, called Aliviazatos, which is not very 11-year-old-birthday friendly. He decided to celebrate with his friends at High Roller Skating Rink. They serve pizza, slushies and pop to all the kids. John could have none of it. The amazing, wonderful thing about it, though, was John was cool with it. Kids in 5th grade still bring treats to their classmates...John decided to share one of the things he can eat with his classmates. He brought SunButter Cookies to school for his class. What a kid! He's working really hard to make sure the live cells regenerate in the best conditions possible. Have I mentioned how proud we are of him?
So, other than the strong reminder of how much John and I hate winter, we are very glad to be back. We are so thankful John continues to do well. The clinic truly does God's work and saves lives. It's so incredibly sad to hear people are dying from cancer, suffering from illnesses when they DON'T NEED TO!!! To anyone reading this who is chronically ill or knows someone who is, you don't have to be sick. You don't. You need to gather a lot of money, make a phone call and get plane tickets. It's easy. And don't roll your eyes about the money issue. If doctors here are doing such a great job for you, why are you still sick or in pain? Just think of the money as all the money you would spend for the rest of your life trying to feel better. Now you take all that money, pool it into one lump sum and off to Mexico you go. Feeling better already, aren't you? You should cuz you don't need to be sick or feel awful or be in pain or whatever your deal is. You don't. Still don't believe me? Maybe you'll believe Dr. Rodriquez - one of the clinic founders. He's coming to La Crosse on May 23 from 9-12. He's speaking about the clinic and all it's services for free at the Radisson. If you want more info, please contact me. If you don't know how to, leave a message on the blog and I'll get in touch with you.
In the meantime, be healthy. Take charge of your health care, question your doctor, demand results that keep you safe and keep you healthy.
Until next posting...

Last Day!

Ever hear the saying, "You know you're done when things come around full circle."? Last night was a perfect example of that old addage. Remember my first post talked about gun fire and the cartel attacking less than a mile from the clinic? Things have been relatively calm and quiet since the second week but last night, tempers flared once again. John and I fell asleep to the sounds of gunfire. In talking with the neighbors, we think it was happening about a half mile from here. Cheese. and. Rice. Someone was using a bigger gun than the others. It started up unexpectedly, then abruptly stopped. As awful as it sounds, I hope they shot each other dead. The world needs less of that kind of crap happening.
Full circle brings me to John's last treatment. All went well, IV is gone (whew!) and he's D.O.N.E.!!!!! I could almost cry (but I won't). We met with the doctor, as well. He gave us a letter for school so they can help us work to get John better and he reviewed his last blood work taken yesterday. All his levels have improved. The only concerning numbers was his CBC (complete blood count). Some of his blood readings were a little low - indicates a virus. This makes sense as he was exposed this weekend with his cousin, Rachel, being a little down with a cold. John probably got some of the virus but his body is working hard to fight it. And work, it can. With all the amino acids, vitamins and minerals he's been infused with these last 3 weeks, he's in prime condition. It's all good! The doctor is very confident John will make a complete recovery and not even need supplements anymore. Hallelujah! He's thinking we should start seeing recovery in 3 or 4 weeks, but it can take up to 6 months. We made return plans for June 15-30 for his booster.

Ahhhhh....so good to be done! Gotta go get packing (our suitcases, not heat - although that's not such a bad idea around here). Signing out for now. Will post a few times as John progesses through his live cell adjustment.

Adios mis amigos!!!!

An Open Response to 5B

First - Steven Bradley in England...we did not receive the book. I'll check with the receptionist tomorrow and follow up with you. In the meantime, please contact me via email. Thanks!!
***********************

Dear 5B,

I got your letters today and I'm going to answer some of the questions you asked. Thank you for writing all those letters to me!
Dear Jaden - How cool that we're playing Smoke on the Water on recorders!
Dear Karissa - Hope you had fun at the varsity girls game.
Dear Bradley - I laughed at some of your funky, weird words.
Dear Renee - Mexico is cold. It's only 80 today. I met some kids at the hospital. Their names are Devon and Roseanne. They're Amish.
Dear Jake - Please stop hurting yourself! Hope you do feel better!
Dear Adam and Seth - Congratulations on winning the snow bowl!
Dear Karley - I've watched some movies. Elf, Sum of All Fears, Saints and Soldiers, Top Gun. I'm reading Hatchet and some of Hotel for Dogs.
Dear Emily - Why did Konnor cry? Thanks for the math problem (no thanks!).
Dear Sami - Sounds like you had fun sledding!
Dear Morgan - I'm doing good in Mexico. Tacos are NOT the same in Mexico as at home.
Dear Taylor - Being in Mexico is kind of boring but not too bad.
Dear Annika - Got your message. Thanks.
Dear Tucker - Hope you don't break any bones at ice hockey or break any teeth! For Christmas, I got a couple of video games, binoculars that takes pictures, a tent and a chair.
Dear Winona - Hope you don't get the flu.
Dear Jarod - When I come back, there's a good chance I will not come back with four stomachs or come back shaped like a cow. I'm not living in the hospital. I live in apartments on hospital grounds.
Dear Sam W - I cannot believe that YOU are playing football. And you can tell Seth that anyone can do anything! The procedures have not half-killed me. The procedures made me lots better! Sorry to hear your fish is dying. I care about that. My grandpa taught me how to read a compass. I can help you when I get back.

For the rest of 5B, thank you for your letters! Boo-hoo...I am crying a river and I'm going to build a bridge and get over it!! with gratitude. haha I'll be back at school on Monday. Our plane gets in at midnight on Thursday night so I'll be home on Friday, unpacking. I think there is no school Friday, anyway.

Thanks for all your letters Everybody!!!!! I can't wait to see Miss Johnson's crazy dances!

John

One Day Left...

Wow - one day left. Amazing how time flies, but we are surely ready to come home. Ready to have our routine back, our food (what we can have of it), our friends, our family but most of all, OUR BEDS!
I couldn't post yesterday as I felt awful. Had a horrible headache that turned into a migraine. Ugh. Slept it off and feel much better today.
Tomorrow we will review all of John's labs and compare them to his first ones when he got here. As of today, however, his Augusti test (the test that measures immunological function) is down to a 2.5 That's perfect. Very, very good. A lot better than the 4.0 it started at!
Will post one more time before we leave tomorrow so you can know his final numbers and prognosis. Until then, hasta manana! :)

Day Ilostcount: Rocket Camp

Try this?? http://www.flickr.com/photos/34491846@N03/show/
Let me know how it works for you?? They're pictures of our entire trip.


This weekend really clinched how well John's treatments are going. Wow. He was full of energy, pooping like a champ, focused and entertaining. Quite a different kid than 3 weeks ago. Three weeks ago, he was lethargic, unfocused, apathetic...even though a lot of people said he seemed fine. Parents can always see the little changes in their own kids. We're spending 24/7 with them, so subtleties are blatant in the world of parent/kid relationships. The changes Carl and I were seeing in John were enough to make us do this and it's definitely been good. My huge fear is that this treatment will be like all the rest from the past ten years. They all have worked...then stopped. We'd have to research, visit a new doctor, try a new med, find a remedy...relentless and endless. I am so praying, and asking you to also, that this is the end all, be all for him. That this is the end of the road. That this is the answer. It was so clear when Carl and I prayed about coming. It was like God was shouting down from heaven, "For the love of me, GO! already! I've made it all work out! Get on the plane!" So we feel this is the place to be, yet...ho-hum. All this back and forth in my mind is tough.
Back to the positive, though. This weekend. What a fun kid we have! He's got a great sense of humor (it was hot, so he took off his shoes and said, "Goodbye Shoes! Hello socks!") and he's full of energy. For once, I am tired hanging out with him. Before, I'd have to pull teeth to get him to run around with me, bike, whatever...now I'm the one pooping out (oh! ha-ha, get it? - no pun intended) before him. That's so great!
On Friday after treatment, we headed up to San Diego to visit his cousin one last time before coming home (in less than a week - hurray!!). John and Jacob went to Rocket Camp with Jacob's Webelo pack. On Saturday morning, we drove about two hours southwest (toward Arizona) to the Imperial Valley Desert. The boys got a 45 minute lesson in building rockets and rocket safety, then they got to start building their rockets. Pretty soon rockets were launching high into the sky. It continued all day when we finally left around 4:30. It was so awesome being out in the desert! Did you know that it's not just movie magic that people actually ride around in the desert on dirt bikes - for fun, all weekend long!? They bring out their RV's and/or tents, adult beverages and bikes and just tear it up! I was soooooooooooo jealous! I so wanted to "make friends" with some biker so I could take a bike out. I rode out in New Zealand and have wanted a dirt bike since then, so it was awesome to feel the excitement again! John was all about the ATV's running around, as well as the really cool dirt buggies. What a FUN time. There was another group of people with a gi-normous catapult. They were catapulting different melons. It was so cool to see them fly through the air and splat! all over the desert floor. Some desert animals were going to eat well that night! We got home around 7 and everyone was really ready for bed.
On Sunday, Rob (my brother-in-law) and I went for a run up Iron Mountain (near their house). We ran 2000 ft up, then back down. I am SO sore right now...But God, it was beautiful. John, on the other hand, went bike riding. Here's what he had to say about it:
On Sunday afternoon, we went for a bike ride for about three miles. It was a HUGE PAIN! My bike tire was a little flat and it was super hard to pedal. But, I had fun rock climbing. We climbed near a waterfall, so if you missed a rock or slipped you'd fall into the water or get seriously hurt (mom here: good thing I wasn't there or John would have nothing to report about...).
We took the train back to the border Sunday afternoon and was once again reminded of how truly, truly blessed we are. Every time we take the train south, we see new poverty. I just cannot get over the fact that people live in such conditions. It utterly blows my mind. It only reinforces my desire to teach - knowledge is the way to bigger and better things.
Here are some pictures from the weekend:




Going through the border: Mexico to US








Building the rockets...









"Clear to the left, clear to the right. Insert key. IGNITE!"













We've got take-off!














John and Jacob (r) returning from rocket retrieval.













Pack 109, Poway, evening ceremonies.

Day 17: High Hopes

Took the trolley from America Plaza to Qualcomm Stadium to meet Lisa (Carl's sister) for the weekend. We were picked up in San Ysidro (the border) by a friend of a friend and got a tourist perspective on Coronado Island - where Camp Pendleton is located. Saw about 75 new recruits jogging down the road, loaded with their packs and in full greens. It was breathtaking. John is going to participate in Rocket Camp out in the desert tomorrow. He had one and a half treatments this morning and will have the same on Monday when we get back. He ends his treatments on Wednesday, then it'll take a day of travel to get home late Thursday night. I can hardly believe we're on the end of this journey. John's overall health has improved so much, it's shocking. First, from a physiological level, when we first arrived his body was not functioning very well. His blood work showed lower levels of different functions and his overall immunological functioning was horrible (a 4 out of 5, 5 being the worst). He had a reading same as some of the cancer patients. It was really scary. But, he came down fast. By the second week, he was at a 3, now he's at a 2.5. He'll have one more blood draw on Monday and we get a final reading on Tuesday. I'm so anxious to know how he's doing now. His other levels have come down, also. The only one I'm still not completely comfortable with his is thyroid levels. My side of the family has a quality history of thyroid dysfunction, so it wasn't entirely surprising to see John's numbers. However, instead of being on the LOW side like most in my family are, he's on the HIGH side. That makes me a little nervous. Granted, he's still in the normal range, just on the high end of normal. Given all his little idiosyncrasies in his body, if it's not smack in the middle of normal, I'm not happy. This is just another "thing" to get used to with him until it changes. I am focusing on the all the other positives at this time, though. I cannot believe how well his little body has taken to his treatment, how it's accepted everything it's been given (no rejection, no illness) and is continuing to synthesize all the new material. I have very high hopes for his treatment and look forward to his continued wellness. It'll be so incredibly interesting to go back in June and see where his numbers lie.
It also helps to be surrounded by such enormously positive people. How can you not think positive and have such hope when the people around you are brain cancer survivors, liver cancer survivors, people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome completely cured, people with MS who can hardly walk when the come in yet leave carrying their own bags. The success stories go on and on. If they can improve so much, what's a little poop issue? High hopes. That's what we have.
From a "boy" perspective, John has improved a ton, also. Before we came here, John wasn't too rambunctious. He played around, ran around, yeah...but he peetered out pretty quick or would prefer to play video games or watch TV. Now he's a B.O.Y. Totally. He cannot sit still (sorry Miss Johnson), he's wrestling all the time, paying attention (I think Miss Johnson will like that!), shying away from TV. "C'mon mom! Let's go kick the ball!"
"C'mon mom! Let's go race up and down the road!"
"C'mon mom! Let's go chase the cats!"
"C'mon mom! Jump on the tramp with me!" On and on it goes. It's really, really great to see. Tiring for an old lady like me, but great. It will be nice to get home so I have someone to share the running with (get out the running shoes Carl!). Ironman can't compete with his energy level! I guess his downward trend was slow enough we didn't notice. Now that he's back to being a regular kid, I look back and see how sick being constipated made him. There's a huge difference in "going" everyday and not.
We truly have everything good to say about IBC. Even the violence that surrounds the center pales in comparison to what they can do for people. High Hopes.

Day 17: La Bufadora (The Blowhole)

No, I'm talking about some patient here that won't shut up. Or a doctor full of hot air. Not at all. I'm talking about a real, life blowhole located in Ensenada, MX. It's about two hours south of here, right along the coast. It's one of seven in the world (or so we're told). The blowhole is actually a very small crack in the rocks that line the coast. When the tide crashes against the rocks, it forces the water up and out...the water blows out the rock. It was really cool!





After we (Viola, Delilah, Norma, Dave, Tom and us) saw the blowhole, we shopped a little bit along the main road...ugh! I hate the Mexican vendors. They don't let up! One guy wouldn't let me leave his shop and repeatedly asked me to spend my money in Mexcio. I took out my "teacher voice" and gave him a little talk about how I AM spending my money in Mexico and plenty of it! I told him to back off and that no meant no! He put his hands up and said in the best Valley voice I've heard in a long time, "Well, Oh My God!" I stomped off just peeved. What a jerk. We found a nice little restaurant right next to the ocean. We ate a nice lunch and watched about 25 whales swimming near the cove, blowing their water. It was so cool! I felt like we were in the Mediterrean. The sun was shining on the water, making it shimmer like diamonds. The rolling hills were draped like a soft blanket around the water and there were beautiful white houses dotted along the hillside. We could hear the surf crashing below us and see it hitting the rock outcroppings. It was just so surreal. Our driver, Victor, was sharing stories about growing up in Ensenada (now he lives in Tijuana). John was thrilled to be able to order some chicken nuggets. His thrill was squashed just a little when his order arrived with rice, refried beans and salad. No fries here! Interestingly, after two weeks of organic, whole food the nuggets didn't agree with him very well. He got a pretty good tummy ache but dealt with it like the little man he is. There were no public bathrooms there, either. If you had to go, you paid .50 (American) to use the toilet and .25-.50 for toilet paper. One toilet we went into even charged extra if you wanted the toilet seat!!











After Ensenada, we drove to the beach - La Mission. We stuck our feet in the water and we played football a little bit. The water was a bit chilly - 58 or so. Nothing that a little wetsuit couldn't handle! Right, Ron - we've done colder!

Day 16: We Eat Cactus

Yup, you read it right. For dinner they served us cactus. Oh yeah, and lentils. Holy man, do I want a steak! When you can't have something, you want it all that much more. Before dinner, we just hung around the clinic, talking with all the new people here. John played dice and cards, too. Worked on school stuff and did some word searches. I did some sprints on the treadmill. Pretty low key. I tried chelation today. It's where they use an IV to push a mineral (forgot the name) through your veins. This mineral adheres to the toxins and heavy metals in your system and takes them out (you end up peeing - a lot!). It took 3 1/2 hours to complete and I hated every minute of it. It tasted funny and it made my arm very, very cold. After that was done, they gave me a dose of calcium cuz this mineral latches onto calcium and takes that, too. They replaced what it took. I'm not doing it again. Here are some pictures from today:


John having a hissy fit cuz he just learned he can't have grilled cheese for 51 more days. Grilled cheese is not exactly a healthy food (sorry grilled cheese fans), therefore not allowed. He was jumping around, using a pillow to cover his mouth to scream, "I want grilled cheese!" Remember what I said earlier: To not be allowed makes you want it more.






John and his doctor, Dr. Vasquez








Spaceman Spiff taking off for Mars. (John is in the hyperbaric chamber. This thing forces air into his blood cells, encouraging them to do their job and make him well again.)





Playing a dice game with a new friend (I cannot remember her name, but she's a teacher in an Amish school. How cool is that?!) on the back patio.

Day 15: New Friends

Our beloved Joe from Oklahoma. Joe and John spent almost every evening together playing cards, watching "guy" movies, football and playing Call of Duty on Joe's PS3. Joe left for home today. We'll miss you Joe!!





Deke and Becky from Maryland. Deke brought Whooping Cranes to Wisconsin!







Wade and Ann from Canada - ultramarathoner








Many people have moved into the clinic. Today, in the treatment,there was a line for treatment. There are 11 recliner chairs for patients to relax in during treatment and they were all full. Even some of the boring wooden chairs were taken. We were told this is how it would be now for the next few months. There are many people here for cancer, there are also people here for stroke, CP (cerebral palsy) and MS (multiple sclerosis). It's hard to stay positive with all the sadness surrounding us. One lady who's been coming here for many years got news today that her breast cancer is back and now it's spread into her lung. She's the only patient we've heard of or known where the cancer came back. With all the people here, one is a pretty good statistic. I'm sure she didn't want to be that statistic (no one does) but in the big scheme of things, one is good. Most likely she'll be put into remission again following the program here. Regardless, everyone has a positive attitude. There's a lot of faith running around here.
We met a guy today, Deke, from Maryland. He suffered a massive stroke a few months ago and is undergoing stem cell transplant to help his brain recover. He has a PhD in something or another and was instrumental in setting up the Whooping Crane recovery program in Necedah, WI but he can't speak a word and needs help walking. But he is positive the doctors here will make him better. He just wants to talk to his new wife. Another guy, Wade, is here with colon cancer. He believes his cancer came from years of chronic constipation (he's the epitome of my fears for John). He, too, is getting stem cell transplant. He, too, has an unshakable faith that he'll be cured here, too. When he's not managing his 8 million Super Suds Car Wash (he's from Alberta, Canada and it seems cars - who knew they had them up there! - get dirty, too), he runs ultramarathons - 250K across deserts, over mountains, in remote jungles. Wowza. There are some truly fascinating people here. Just like John is considered fascinating (and who am I to argue!?). All the patients are so impressed that he deals with his treatments like a king. They all appreciate his quiet presence when the adults are all talking about nutrition, sleepless nights and being apart from families. They all especially love his bright smile and sincere laugh. It's nice to have a kid around with all us serious adults. We also have three new sets of Amish people here. Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin (Cashton). I love, love, love! talking with them. They are just a fascinating bunch of people to me. All have cancer. And all are quite rascally. They are surely not as serious as we see them to be in English society. :)
Today we discovered some food we like. Woo-hoo! At lunch we had potato lasagna...layers of potatoes with veggies, cheese (Mexican cheese, not American) and a side of broccoli. For dessert (dessert at every meal - don't get that at home!) they gave us sliced bananas in a ginger-orange sauce. Either we're finally becoming accustomed to the food here (or maybe we're just plain hungry) or it really was good!
While our lives may seem pretty boring, all this info makes for a very full day. I'm beginning to think the stress and rush of our daily life in America contributes to many our ailments. That said, I think I'm going to need a nap everyday around 11 and 3, I'm going to need 4-6 organic meals prepared for me daily and my mode of transportation will be "meander." No more texting, emailing and talking on the phone at the same time. No more teaching and signing at the same time. No more 2 hour stressful meetings. No more relentless paperwork. Sorry. Mexican time is a good time!
Oh my Gosh! I almost forgot!! Steven Bradley - if you are reading this: THANK YOU!!!! You are the sweetest, kindest, most sensitive person I've met in a long, long time! We got your card today and are looking forward to the James Bond book - John is beside himself with anticipation. The card was soooo cool! We loved that panther lounging in the tree. How cool! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for thinking of John and corresponding with him.
Thank you, too, to Karissa for your wonderful letter and word searches for John. You kept us busy today looking for all the states and sports. You are TOO sweet for taking the time to find such fun activities for John to do! You know him well, too, as word searches are his favorite. We shared your beautiful photo with our friends, as well. The Mexican staff were in love with your golden hair. :)

For 5B: (John's class):
Thanks for great notes! I've been to the beach - we went to a dog beach. It's called Solana Beach. I saw a really cute beagle and dalmatian mix dog when I was there. The water was freezing! I put my feet in and when I got out, my feet were numb. I'm doing my homework. I'm done with adjectives and stuff. I worked on DPP's today. Please keep writing. I'll be back in 2 weeks, on Monday Jan 29. I have a Mexican treat for everyone.

Day 14: El Gatito

We had a pretty uneventful day today. Good right? Yup! In order to pass the time today after treatment, John and I made friends with los gatitos. There are five cats (gatito) that roam the clinic area, we decided to make friends with them. John had some leftover milk from breakfast, so we poured it into a bowl and set it outside the back door of the apartment. We waited. Soon, the cats smelled up the milk and were mewing around the door. John made friends with the seemingly king cat - he named him "Spot."

Day 13: Life is Good

I just finished reading a really good book called "The Year of Living Biblicially" by A.J. Jacobs. The author, a New York "Jew like the Olive Garden is Italian," is a agnostic and decides to live for a full year according to the Bible to see if he can find God. As time goes on, he learns to love to pray. He finds a lot of benefit to it. What he ultimately decides is that, if anything, he has learned that prayer is a major key to life as it makes you focus on small things in life and makes you understand you're an important part of a much bigger thing; it made him grateful.

This weekend, John and I went to Carlsbad/La Jolla. We were able to stay with a Global Hero friend of mine and her family. She has an 11-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter, so John was in his element. We had a great time! It was so fabulous to go to an American grocery store, buy the things are most familiar (Cheddar Bunnies, chardonnay, trail mix...) or go to American stores and SHOP! John got his "boy fix" of baseball, Wii and the park. Momma get her "fix" of Ann Taylor, J.Jill, LuLuLemon and Z. Galleria. Oh yeah!! My friend and I also did a long 12-mile run this morning along the Pacific Coast highway. Oh my gosh...I have been to some amazing places in the world and this is definitely in the Top 5. It was so utterly beautiful that I ended up running only 10 and walking 2 so as to not miss any of the scenery. We were running up on the cliffs overlooking the ocean, so we could see all the surfers and boaters and hear all the waves crashing against the cliffs and rocks. Up on the trail, we had to dodge other runners and cyclists constantly because there were so many people. The coastline also happens to be the route for the Carlsbad Marathon, so I kind of ran the Carlsbad Half Marathon (which most of the people out the running were training for)! How fun! Anyway, it was surely a run I'll never forget. We could see the coastline for miles and miles, either north or south and the spray from the ocean hitting the cliffs created this kind of muted affect between the actual coastline and ocean so they blended in together so smoothly.

Unfortunately, as they say, all good things must come to an end. We had to leave as my friend and her family had things to do. They took us to the train station and we rode the "Surfliner" back to San Diego. We rode the upper deck. The train followed the coastline, so we were able to enjoy it for just a little longer. When we got back to San Diego, we put-putted around downtown for a little while, visiting Seaport Village (where John got a "Life is Good" t-shirt, hence part of the reason for the title of today) and stopping in some extremely fancy hotels. We walked around the harbor and enjoyed the million-dollar yachts anchored at the slips. Nothing like the slips at the Northside, I tell ya! Some of the yachts were almost as big as my house.

We finally jumped on the trolley, back to San Ysidro to get across the border before dark. The trolley ride (the trolley is actually an electric train) takes about 30 minutes from downtown to the border. The further south we go, the poorer it gets. It was so sad and disheartening to see the landscape change from beautiful coastline, gorgeous homes on cliffs and shimmering tall buildings to factories, warehouses, boarded up stores, tiny stucco homes with laundry hanging outside, yards filled with garbage, children playing in parking lots, even homeless people camped out behind buildings or under trees. What a change of scenery within an hour. While watching this amazing change take place, it reminded of the book I mentioned. The author's ideas came back to me that we can be grateful for the smallest things in life and really appreciate everything we have. My heart went out to the people I watched as we zipped past...I prayed they had appreciation for the smallest things in their lives, as difficult as that may be. I know as we drove through those areas, I became more prayerful and appreciative about the small things in John and my lives - grateful we're able to be here, grateful we have a good support system, grateful for the doctors and nurses treating John, grateful that we were able to spend a beautiful weekend with friends, grateful we were on the trolley and not sleeping against the dumpster...I mean, it could go on and on. Bottom line is that my family is enormously blessed. We have much to be grateful for and I thank God for reminding me of that today. As ironic as it sounds given our current circumstances, Life really is Good.

John in the Pacific Ocean at Solana Beach

Justice, Addison, Kristine and Travis - our Carlsbad friends

Day 12 and 13: La Jolla

Going to La Jolla (pronounced "la hoya") for the weekend. Will be back later on Sunday. Will post then.
Have a fabulous weekend!
~ John and Mom

Day 11: Live Cell Shot

John got his live cell shot today. Wow. What an experience for someone who's never had a shot before. Okay, he had 2 immunizations when he was a baby (less than 3 months old) but that's it. Nothing after that. He was not a happy camper, but with the people around here being as kind and generous as they are, he was talked through it by several others who've been through it.
Live Cell Therapy is the crux of the IBC. You can google it and find all kinds of information, mostly negative and how it's quackery. The hidden truth is that they use it in the US but call it "Living Therapy" or something like that. Doctors who use it say it's the lastest invention of condition control. It's not. It's been around for over a hundred years. It originated in Greece and was/is used extensively in Europe.
The live cells that John received today are from the embryo's of a calf. We expect him to grow a tail, 4 stomachs and start mooing next week. Just kidding. The embryo's are non-species specific, meaning they'll adhere to any organ in any species. They haven't developed yet to anything specific - calf, human, dog, cat, etc. These embryo's will attach themselves to the organs most needing repair - the organs with the most damage. Specifically for John that is intestinal, lymbic (thyroid, pituitary) and placental (general cells for any other organ damage). He had three tubes of cells injected into his cute little hiney cheek this afteroon around 3:30. Elias (remember, our nursing savior?) was so great with John, although we all lost our patience a little bit. John was extremely anxious about receiving a shot (if there are any downfalls of not immunizing, the lack of experience with needles would be it) and really acted up about it. Finally, Elias told John in no uncertain terms, "Buck up, boy. You're getting a shot and that's that." John was shocked into compliance. Sweet Elias has never spoken like that. Elias grabbed a chunk of butt, told John to take a deep breath and stab! In goes the needle. John didn't even flinch - Elias had to tell him the needle was in and the cells were going in. We don't know which was injected first, it took about 10-12 minutes to do all three tubes but it was easy. Elias just unscrewed the tube of one injection and screwed in the new one so the needle never had to come out. That's a smart way to do it. So John survived his shot, now he's got a lump the size of a golf ball on his butt cheek and it hurts to walk. All I know is he better improve before tomorrow later morning as we walk the mile it takes to get across the border. Damned if I'm carrying his tiny little hiney! I am proud of him, though. Once he calmed down, he did a great job and he's handling it well now. Another story for him to tell, another adventure he's lived. And he's all that stronger for it.



Tijuana Trivia: Around Tijuana, people stand in the middle of the street, selling stuff. This guy is selling ice cream in the middle of a very busy street.


For 5B:
No, it's not cold here at all. It was 74 today and sunny. Tomorrow and Sunday it's supposed to be in the 80's. We're going to La Jolla (that's in California near the ocean). Sorry you slipped and fell in the ice, Jake. We don't have ice here. I hope you're okay. It never snows here, either. People don't understand how we can live in snow.

Day 10: You Got Mail!

After treatment this morning, we were delightfully surprised when Juan delivered some mail and a package for John! Yippee!! A card from Grandma Mary and Grandpa John, an "I love you" picture from Daddy and Andrea and a package full of crayons, coloring paper, mazes and suduko from Aunt Cathy. Hurray!! Thanks to EVERYBODY for thinking of John!!!


Here is a picture of John getting his treatment. The man sitting next to him is his nurse, Elias. What a gentle, caring person. He's really great - everyone around here just loves him. Elias is injecting the Alivazatos serum into John's IV.

Day 9: Boring Again

It's good that it's boring here. That means treatment is going well and we've fallen in to a routine. We'd much rather have that than constant drama each day. Some new people came today - an Amish couple from central Ohio. Their names are Joesph (they all seem to be named that) and Martha. Very young...maybe early 20's. Joesph has cancer. They left three children back home, a 4-year-old, 2-year-old and 1. Martha seemed very sad when she told us about her kids. They'll be here three weeks. The family we've made friends with leaves tomorrow. That puts no one in the apartments except John and I and two patients in the hospital. The nurses say this is the slow time of the year but it should pick up in the next week or two. Ho-hum.
We did have a bit of excitement during dinner, I suppose. Tijuana is a city of 3 million people, most of them poor. There's going to be violence in a city of that many people. Just think of what happens on the North side of La Crosse once in a blue moon. The government has never had much control over the drug cartel (which has most of the power here) until now. They have a new president [just heard gun fire] and he's cracking down on the cartel. Cartel are acting like spoiled children and rebelling big time. Tonight, during our dinner, about a mile down the road, the cartel raided a restaurant, starting shooting up the place and kidnapped a patron. This went on unknown to us...so as we're all sitting in the dining room (see photo from earlier post), there are suddenly 5, 6, 7 cop trucks screaming up and down the street in front of the clinic. Their sirens are blaring and they're just tearing up and down the road...squealing tires as they turn the corner. The cops had their guns drawn and they were in the "ready" position. It really scared us all. Everyone stopped eating and wondered if we should hit the ground. None of the night staff at the clinic spoke Spanish. I'm the most "fluent" speaker here and that wasn't getting us far so we really didn't know what was happening. We found out later through one of the English-speaking doctors who came in for rounds. Soon after the cop cars came, the helicopters came out. It was seriously like in a movie. And, like in the movie, we sat there like waiting ducks. But where were we to go? Back to our rooms? Not us, I'm not taking my kid outside. In the kitchen? Not allowed and there was no gun fire, so I doubt they'd let us. The clinic was locked, so we couldn't go there. We just sat there, all together. Figured we had some safety in numbers. Finally the night guard we have at the clinic came in and we asked him what was up. His answer, "No habla englais." Great. He went straight to the kitchen, the cooks, servers and he spoke for a bit. One of the servers came out and told us to just stay here. "Everything is fine." Everything DID turn out fine (obviously since I'm writing you), but it was quite scary. As of writing this, the police have not found the gunmen or the kidnap victim. The news showed shot out cop cars and rows of police lights(that's one thing they don't lack down here are cop cars). The doctor I spoke with about the incident said cartel has been focusing on people who look like they have money: people who drive fancy cars (either citizens or Americans) or dress nicely. Since we're neither, I really do think we're safe. But I think there will be no more walks to the grocery store like earlier today. I'm not willing to take any chances. We'll have to get everything we need on the weekend when we're over the border. No one is clear if just anybody is being targeted on these attacks or if it's just cartel killing cartel. Hopefully that's the case. Not that you want anyone to to die, but if it's gonna happen it might as well be them killing each other. Well, on that note: Good night.

For 5B:
This John. I can't come home early. I have to stay 21 days and Sundays. Thanks for your notes. I like them. They make me laugh. I miss you all, too. Street ball is just a made up game of ball in the street. We didn't play in the street. We played in a patio. We kicked the ball against the wall. The other person tried to kick it back. You had to kick hard to trick the other person. It was fun!

Day 8: Boring

So today was pretty darn boring. We just stuck around the complex. We slept in this morning til 8:15. Woo-hoo! We're getting lazy now. So, we got up, John went to have his treatment, I did my run (out on the treadmill), John played video games, then we had his IV removed. It was bugging him so he chose to have it out. A new one will be placed again tomorrow. Needles are becoming a NBD thing for him now ("no big deal" for you non-texters). Then I took a shower (one can get pretty darn sweaty and stinky running in 70 degree weather), we ate lunch and John made new friends: Jose and Raoul. See, we bought a playground ball at Target this weekend in San Diego. Christmas clearance thing that is totally worth its $3 cost. It's kept him very busy for the last two days. Praise God for small favors. Anyway, the ball got a little flat today, so we were going to go across the street. There's a mechanic across the street and my plan was to borrow his air hose to pump up the ball. The problem was I didn't know how to say "air" in Spanish. There were 2 clinic guys standing outside the clinic having a lunch of coconut slices sprinkled with paprika from the fruit cart guy that always parks outside the clinic during the week (I think that was a run-on sentence...). Anyway, I approached one of the guys (we later found out his name is Jose) and asked, "Como se dice 'air' en espanol?" - How do you say "air" in Spanish? Jose answered, "El airo." Seriously, it was almost too cliche. I tried not the laugh, but a smile did slip. He got it and added, "Really, it is." Okay. I told him my plan and being the helpful Mexican they all seem to be, he went with us to visit el mechanico (again, not kidding) to be our translator. Now, notice how I did not say our "interpreter." It's two different things, something I am painfully aware of as a sign language interpreter, never a translator. Anyway. He helped us out at the mechanics, John got his air and he also ended up getting an hour of play with the big boys. The boys ended up skipping work for an hour and took John to the patio next door to play Street Ball. John had a lot of fun! I sat and read while they played their boy games. While seemingly mundane, it really made our day. If anything, being on "Mexican time" makes you appreciate the really small goings-on like this one. Mexican time means people get to sleep on the job. Can you believe that?! My work contract actually tells me I cannot sleep or I get fired (this kind of irritates me - what idiot fell asleep at work, was caught and fought it? Lowest common denominator, baby.). Over here, anytime you walk into the treatment room, there is at least one person sleeping. Okay, so Dr. Park, the acupuncturist doesn't count. He rents space in the clinic, so he can sleep if he wants. It's his money. But when you see the nurses, office staff or even some of the doctors taking a quick nap (usually an hour) it's another little reminder that we are no longer in Kansas, Toto. I think Americans can learn a little from Mexicans in that regard.