[The doctor told me stem
cell therapy is not available at the VA Hospital in Puerto Rico; maybe we’d
need to go to Indiana. Ok, that’s a thought; would that we could.
After the conference with
the vascular surgeon, I headed to my friend Adri’s house in nearby Pinones.
Looking forward to a shower, visions of stem cell therapy danced in my head.
Traffic in San Juan was heavy this time of day. I hit a pothole that went damn
near to China. My car died on the expressway with traffic whizzing around me
and beeping at me like I could dematerialize for them. Scared out of my wits, I
called 911, “Hola, digame.” So many times I’ve wished my Spanish was better,
but never more fervently, and then I didn’t know where the devil I was. They
asked me for land marks. In a city with billboards everywhere, the best I could
do was a sign or a little laminating company. I thought I was still on rt. 26,
but no it was 22, or was it the other way around. The 911 operator comforted
me, saying that the police would find me soon.
Danny from Escobar Towing,
787 530-3423, pulled up alongside, gave me a questioning look. Yes! Yes! We
called 911 back to let them know I was safe and on my way. Danny’s friendly
smile and easy way relaxed me just as soon as I was in the cab of his truck. Apparently
that pot hole has been very good to him.
The remainder of Friday
afternoon I researched Dr. Michael Murphy, MD and Indiana University School of
Medicine for contact information. By the end of the day we had application
forms in hand. Monday the surgeons will take toes off and fill out Kirt’s
application for stem cell therapy. It feels good to have a shot at saving his
leg after the failed femoral bypass.
After all we’ve been
through to leave the cold Midwest, Indiana here we come- maybe. So far it looks
like Kirt meets the criteria for inclusion in the study.
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