5/25/09 Hangzhou, China - 5/24/09 Miami, FL

It is just another Monday, foggy and humid; it looks as if it was a Venezuelan Sunday. I had a great time yesterday for my birthday as all friends gathered in the entertainment room for some pizza, cake and of course, beers.

I celebrated my thirty eight birthday in a completely unexpected and unknown place. I made a decision to come over as soon as we had the opportunity and I knew it meant that my birthday was going to take place there, away, without Tete or Emiliana. I miss them so much I can start feeling and internal bruise growing ever more purple. But I know it's for the best and I'm so proud of having such great kids that it is all worth my while. I am proud because even though they are just kids (ten and eight) they understand why I'm here and the provide support and most important, love. I miss Emiliana's good morning kisses, when she wakes me up on any given Saturday because she is an early riser. I will tell her "gordita, go to sleep it's early, I am tired..." Well, I miss that so much that I think that the next time that happens I am going to kiss her so many times that it may become obsolete. I miss fixing them a huge breakfast with pancakes and bacon, and coffee and juice; I miss my Tete constantly asking me for coffee, he likes it so much!

Marujita on the other side lost a very precious commodity and it is getting into our patience here. She wont sleep, period. She will wake up every 20 minutes, crying for no particular reason and it's almost impossible to make her go back to sleep. Today I asked the doctors for some medicine, natural or otherwise that can help her sleep so everyone can rest. It is a side effect the doctors said, that after the stem cells injections kids tend to go hyper and over excited. Well that worries me a bit because we have four more injections to go and we are at a 20Th floor with many windows, it can be very easy to jump! Just another bad joke, not going to happen!

She just had her acupuncture and let me tell you, if you where to stick needles upon my head, I will be crying even louder and complaining twice as much so guess she takes that like a real champ. Andy, the acupuncture guy comes in from Monday to Friday, every morning at ten. He puts the needles for some twenty minutes and then comes back to take them off. I have no idea how this thing works, but then again, I trust it will be the sum of all parts and not the parts itself that will really make a difference here.

We just had another session of standing therapy and it all went perfect. She was comfortable and sleepy but she did not cry a tear. I must imagine that being hassled around from one person to the other, from one treatment to another; to an IV through her little veins and to a spinal injection, I will be mad and tired! But it's all for the better and the best here is that she wont remember a thing (I will every time I look myself in the mirror watching all those new batches of grey hair coming from everywhere.)

Here are a couple of pictures from last night; the first one is from the Pappa John's delivery guy who came in just in time for some hungry souls around me. I did not eat pizza, I'm in China and I enjoyed once again, my chicken with steamed rice. On the second picture you can see Pedro, our friend from Spain makes who jokes about everything and it's so funny how you can be standig there cursing and insulting in Spanish and nobody gets a word! In the back, Mike and Alice with their son and all the way back, Brad.

Pappa John's Pizza Delivery Guy

Sharing My Birthday cake With Friends



The Chinese Happy Birthday Cake

We are looking forward to Wednesday injection, which will be her fourth. We are hoping this time she will be better sedated so she can go in her sleep. Also, that will help her sleep afterwards so she wont feel any back pain.

It all lies on her next injection I guess, and we wont know the outcome until then. One thing is for sure though, this can't do anything but good. There are no harmful side effects or risks of any conditions in the future. If you have read about stem cell treatments, you might know that there are some called "Embryonic" that if not treated properly can create tumors or even worst, accelerate growth of cancer cells. This is not the case with umbilical cord stem cells which is what she is getting. Both have the same abilities, but the umbilical cord have proven to be more effective treating neuro-disorders.

Again, I am truly thankful for all your birthday notes. I hope I was able to answer to everyone, if I didn't, I apologize. I spent 2 hours writing back, what a pack of good people I've gathered!

Enough for the day, I will continue my new acquired taste for reading. It has been two books since I got here, and I just started the third. Funny story, the third book came as a present to me, the knock on my door today was not from the nurse, it was the DHL delivery guy; unbelievable. An incomparable gift from a true friend and I have the feeling I will enjoy this book so much, let alone the fact that it's going to change my life in some strange positive way. I mean, the title reads "The Saint, The Surfer and The CEO". How can this go bad!

Love you all, mind body and soul, always and forever.

Tuto