N received stem cell treatment #7 yesterday morning. He has to be off antibiotics which keep Lyme and coinfections at bay. He also can't take enzymes which he depends upon for his severe digestive issues. He has to refrain for two weeks... These could harm the stem cell growth factor.
The procedure went well, but he is entering the hard part where the Lyme symptoms come up along with severe bouts of nausea. Tonight was really hard. I came home to him curled up in bed in pain and nausea. Tried some massage, but he just wanted to skip dinner and go to bed.
I prayed and I know someone else did too because he managed to get up, then eat a little dinner. I was so relieved. It will take a month or two to see what long term effect may be.
Just praying our way through it one day at a time.
Thankful for this opportunity and trying to have hope in God above all.
Alexandra, Matt and Kevan are my heroes who gave so much time, money and passion to help a man they've not yet met. Not only was it a golf tourney, but it was filled with contests throughout the course to make extra money and get extra prizes. And not only that, they organized a wonderful $10 Happy Hour event for all non-golfers and golfers alike which included a putting contest and raffle. They really wanted a good turn out to make the most of the day and it happened! They even put an ad in a 
The day was 70 degrees and sunny which was another total miracle as the previous week was 40 degrees with blinding monsoons!!! Six teams of golfers showed up including several of my volunteers tutors, a team from our dentist's office, Kevan's and Alex's landlord and friends, Matt's softball buddies and more! It was so moving to know folks took the day off work to do this. It was a long day, and it was so much fun!
I golfed-- another miracle! I decided I needed to expand my horizons and go for it even though I didn't know what I was doing. Kev and Matt made me feel great for the entire 9 hole contest cuz they said I at least hit the ball each time... eventually! If N gets well, we are taking up golfing for sure!! You get to drive a crazy cart and eat snacks in between laughing with friends.
Team Daggett... these guys were so patient and good to me. All they asked for was a collage of N and a speech. With God's help both things happened. I'll try to get the collage on here some day.
My colleague and good buddy Mr. James Spacht was there all day, too, to help out and supervise a Mulligan's course contest. He is rad!
Alexandra made these awesome hole sponsorship signs which were displayed all over the golf course! They looked killer! She also had to go to Staples during the tourney to print my collage in between making salads, picking up pizzas and millions of other details. She is simply amazing. There were many businesses and individuals who sponsored holes including my Gramma Bamma and our dentist! Matt's winning smile!
My in-laws were able to attend Happy Hour since my mom paid for Maria to stay home with N. There were about 50-60 people who came! God gave me a wonderful opportunity to share Nathanael's and my story of finding one another and finding the Lord and how He has helped us through such a tremendously difficult trial day by day. God let those Irish story telling genes come alive just in the nick of time... I was feeling pretty jittery all day from all of the attention on our lives so it really was a miracle.
My friend and fellow ESL teacher & volunteer tutor, Emilie Kief, is pictured above. She stayed all day to help behind the scenes She kept asking when Hilary would show up as they have gotten to know one another by working on a doggy health project together. She is one awesome lady and friend.
Matt and Kevan both spoke about how this event impacted them. Matt had the original idea and Kevan took the ball and ran with it (with Alex's incredible help and organization skills). Kevan spoke about his own journey with Lyme Disease and congratulated and thanked folks for their courage to attend this event to help someone with a very complex and widely unknown disease with an even more unknown and misunderstood treatment: stem cells. We both encouraged the audience-- and N and I encourage YOU, to see the documentary: 
I wish I had more photos of the many special people who came out to golf and to spend their Friday evening with us. Here is the core crew of friends who did above and beyond to make this happen saying it was their honor... they could have done more... they will do more next time... What?!?!? It's all too much. 
He is looking good for someone who feels so crappy. Praise God the weight is still staying on... it is still so unreal to me sometimes. It is humbling how of all people, God has blessed us with these lifesaving treatments. Praise God for this opportunity Nathanael (the gift of God) has been given to keep fighting. He has had a good week after a terrible series of fevers and depression. This event has made his year and I've enjoyed more smiles than ever this weekend.
Thank you EVERYONE who prayed to make this event the most amazing blessing ever! It has brought healing to our hearts that we didn't know was coming, and has built our faith in a deep way! I hope it blesses you, too! 
and... 
my gramma bama turned 80 last week on July 28! see my cousin nick's wonderful tribute to her on youtube and be on the lookout for younger, dorky and some naked-with-fat-rolls pictures from days gone by:
i hear franco stole a concha for a barrette back in the 70s......go figure!
the las conchas fire near los alamos, NM is the largest in our state's history. it's still burning, but has not damaged the nuclear lab. radiation levels are not elevated, meaning, i assume, no worse than normal? 
above, burning near cochiti pueblo/mesa. below, burning near valle caldera national preserve... another wonderful place.
thank you for your thoughts and prayers toward our state. the las conchas fire and over 20 others are still burning and have done lots of damage, mostly to public and pueblo lands and structures. just praying we can make it through the summer without more flare ups, but that is probably wishful thinking. up until a few days ago it has been bone dry. the lab will re-open wednesday and residents of los alamos return starting today. i assume we'll hear more on the extent of the catastophe soon. many places in NM are still selling fireworks.
hopefully, the monsoons will keep coming to combat some of the foolhardy behavior that is so rampant in this life.
cory was amazing stopping cars on the corner to come and shop for nathanael! she had put signs all over town and even set up coin collections at all the farmer's markets she works at.
the corgi cousins, buster and peaches, helped draw in the crowds!
a happy customer! my mom was delighted to see kids buying books for themselves!
my beloved gramma whom i love truck fulls and beautiful aunt deni!
gramma and her favorite grandog, stella, on the porch.
franco counts the sales! gramma is exhausted!
grampa marty cleans up. he built a special area for hanging clothes and about 5,000 other tasks. he is italian so he has better genes than the rest of us. he is collecting bottles and cans every week and cashing them in for nathanael. the man never stops! 
they donated left overs to another garage sale fundraiser in town.
thank you so much everyone-- especially gramma, marty, cory, aunt deni, joyce, dottie, mom and patrons of lake elsinore for making this happen! it was a ton of work and we are SO blessed by your help!
my dear friends, meag, abby and kathy flew me to tacoma for a weekend. i hadn't been away from n for over a year and his care is still intense so my mom and abby's husband, tim (n's best pal) came in to help. it was major coordination, but worth it. i got to meet kathy's daughter, nora, and abby's baby, avery, for the first time. i am so thankful for that, for they are cute peanuts!
i got to enjoy a cloudy seattle day and eat lots of good food!
i spent an emotional morning at our old church reuniting with special friends. it was sad to be there without n.
more details and photos at right:). thank you everyone for making it happen!
nathanael in january 2010
nathanael in march 2011 after 5 umbilical stem cell treatments
do you recognize this handsome face? it sure has taken some getting used to. since doing several stem cell treatment since august 2010, thanks to incredible donations (especially one sizable one) from family friends, there have been some changes. 
as you recall, N dropped to 85 lbs. last January and a port was put into his chest for IV nutrition. in june, he suffered a compression fracture in his spine due to his advanced osteoperosis which has still left him primarily bedridden (he broke his spine in 3 places in 2007 after a major seizure so his back has never fully recovered). last year at this time, there was little progress and we were painfully doing paperwork for advanced directives and discussing N's wishes should something happen to him. it was awful. 
it is still 24/7 care for N. he is relearning to walk and has some very hard days like today. his lyme symptoms are ramped up and he has to go on and off of antibiotics which regulate his pain, mood etc. it's a catch 22 because you can't stay on antibiotics for long without side effects. it's very emotionally draining to watch him fight so hard and have so many tough days of late, and then others where he cheers us up by shuffling out to the kitchen in ray bans. 