Arizona was far different than we intended… but amazing all at the same time. 

For starters, when we got to the airport they ended up making us purchase a ticket for Benny even though the agent I spoke to told me I could have him as a lap child. That was a large expense we didn’t plan for and honestly really frustrating because he can’t sit in a seat alone and they had already checked his car seat. I really wish there were better accommodations in situations like that. But all in all, we made it and it was fine. 

 

Dr. P was overall really impressed with the progress Benny is making. He explained that when you first start stem cells, a lot of the cells are dormant or not very active, so the first round kind of “wakes them up.” Now with PRP, we are really activating those cells, and he said we should see significantly more changes between now and August than we did after the first round. That honestly shocked me because I expected the opposite, so I am very excited and hopeful. Sometimes God lets us see just enough progress to remind us He’s still working. 

 

We also did 4 injections, 2 in his hips and 2 in his adductors,  and these injections were collagenase.  The collagenase shots were used to break down tight scar tissue and collagen in Benny’s hips and inner thigh (adductor) muscles. When those muscles get too tight, they pull the hips out of place and make it hard to move, stand, or do therapy. 

The goal of these shots is to: 

And I will say we are already seeing a significant difference, and that alone feels like a huge win.
 
Benny did get sick after PRP and we’re not sure if it was from the intranasal transfer or if he just caught a bug. Truthfully, I immediately went into horrible PTSD and it was really hard to be in the moment the rest of the trip. It’s like a tunnel of all the previous scenarios running through my head and I couldn’t turn it off. But I also think that’s a mother’s instinct. When you’ve almost lost your child before, your brain doesn’t just forget.
 
Thankfully Dr. P told us to come back in right away and got him fluids and meds to help with the extra acid he was producing that was causing him to vomit. If it wouldn’t have been for that, I would have taken him to the ER. So I truly believe God put us exactly where we needed to be, with the right doctor, at the right time.
 
He also encouraged us to only use alkaline water for his feeds and food moving forward because it’s lower in acidity, and Benny produces plenty of acid on his own which really irritates his stomach. So locally, if anyone knows where to buy gallons instead of bottles, please let me know?! 
 
Benny’s gut and GI tract are very sensitive, so if we can help without adding more medication, I will try anything.
 
Right now he’s still not fully perked up, so we’re hoping to get him into our PCP first thing tomorrow morning.
 
This life is heavy, and it’s not what we planned But God has been in every single detail of Benny’s story, and we will keep trusting Him in the next steps too.
 
If you pray, please pray for Benny’s stomach to settle and for him to tolerate full feeds again soon.
 
One step at a time. One prayer at a time.
 
🐝💛