Getwellbean

Megan and the girls at Goofy's Kitchen today


Thanks to Mike's sister Kim and nanny Trisha who helped the new caregiver yesterday and allowed Mike, Kathleen's sister Megan, and the girls to escape to Disneyland :) The girls had a magical day in the Magic Kingdom with short lines and lots of fun. At the end of the great day, Samie turned to Dad and crushed him then brought him back up. "Dad, it isn't the same without Mommy, but thanks for a great day."

Goofy's Kitchen 3 years ago


After a very hectic week of running around trying to find caregivers, it appears that things might be finally falling into place (just in time for Mike to take the girls to Disneyland). Two excellent caregivers that we had over 6 months ago wish to return. This is great news for Bean (and Mike who was scared to leave). Also, one of the Davey's friends offered their house in Carmel for a few days which would allow Kathleen to come on a brief vacation with the family. Yeah!

Kathleen has been surviving the heat but is likely a bit dehydrated. The caregiver situation has been unbelievably bad at night causing Mike to stay up late all too frequently (after a long weekend). Still, the time with the girls was well worth the extra exhaustion.

Thanks to Kathleen's mom and sister who checked in on her during the very hot weekend which allowed Mike to take the girls on an "educational trip" to Gold Country this weekend. Though it was blistering hot, the girls had a great time and it was good to get away.

Kathleen has been experiencing a higher heart rate and shaking a bit more than normal which often suggests an oncoming illness. Still, she has no fever and seems well otherwise.

Today, George Bush put his own moral opinion above the potential treatment of millions worldwide. He stated 'this bill would support the taking of innocent human life in the hope of finding medical benefits for others,It crosses a moral boundary that our decent society needs to respect. So I vetoed it.' He has instead proposed proper burial for the leftover frozen embryos from fertility clinic. Bush chose to make this absolutely inane statement and veto the bill in the presence of a group of fertility clinic babies to try and further confuse people.

Life certainly isn't fair. An absolute tearful wail rose from millions of Americans who have loved ones who could be helped by the promise of the American government fully backing embryonic stem cell research. Yet Bush, who fainted onto the floor and nearly experienced an anoxic brain injury four years ago with the stroke of his pen takes away potential treatment from people like my wife who actually experienced such an injury. Life isn't fair. It is wretched to wish ill on people, but if I could go back in time and change two things from happening the second would be to let Bush remain on the floor untreated. Millions of Americans suffering from debilitating illnesses and tens of thousands of Iraqis might have been saved from this indicted war criminal who imposes his morals on the rest of the nation and the world in general. Let Bush know how you feel. Not that he really cares.

If your senator didn't vote for the new stem cell bill...please write them and help overturn President Bush's illogical and inhumane veto.

Samie had another long, hard, and fun weekend of softball. Meanwhile, Kathleen was stuck at home with one missing caregiver crisis after another. If this continues into the coming week, the family will be checking into a new agency. In addition to her caregiver issues, Kaiser DME and Apria Health Care still can't seem to get her monthly order correct. Essentially she has gotten the same supplies for over a year, but Kaiser can't seem to actually tell Apria that the order is reocurring, so Apria cancels the order. If it weren't for Luis and Joe, our 2 Kaiser heroes, who knows what might have happened. As is, she is still waiting for supplies she needs that were promised last Thursday.

In the Softball tournament, Samie's team, the Campbell Crush, lost in the championship for the 5th time this summer (5 for 5). This solidified their position as the second best team in the area. When the gave was over Samie held back her tears until she was nearing the car when she started bawling. Samie was angry they didn't win and sad that she is not going to get to play "with the best team ever" anymore. Her mood did lighten, however, when nearly the entire team and the parents came for a great potluck pool party at our house. It was four hours of great fun. When it was over a tired Samie fell asleep with a smile while Mike silently wept regretting that Kathleen had missed another great summer for Samie.

Kathleen has been doing great in th afternoons taking long strolls in her wheelchair around the area, but the past few nights we've had new caregivers do to some mix-ups and emergencies. Thankfully, Kathleen has been doing pretty well...but unfortunately, Mike hasn't slept.

With the kids at summer school and camp its been hard to see much of mommy this summer. Still, Bean would certainly support the girls staying active and having fun.

stem cell bill update

Kathleen has been healthy and doing well as of late. She has enjoyed sitting in her wheelchair in the backyard, taking walks, and watching her kids swim.

Hope in the near future for those with degenerative brain diseases or brain injuries, and also good news for the recently brain injured. Unfortunately this was too late to help Bean.

Kathleen is 40. What an agonizing day for Bean and the family. The past 2 1/2 years have brought me even more respect for my wife whose courage and determination are clearly evident on a daily basis. Still, its so hard for her and the family both. I have such tremendous admiration for single parents since I now know how hard it can be on both the parents and the children. Thank you to everyone who continues to reach out to Kathleen and our family and wish us the best. It may not seem like you've done much to help, but every letter, note, and call means the world. I wish the president, whose birthday present to Kathleen was a renewed vow to veto the stem cell bill which will pass the senate soon, had something nice to add.

Kathleen ended the day by going to dinner at Left at Albuquerque's with the family where the girls unveiled beautiful cards they had made for their mother. Then after Kathleen returned home and fell asleep, Mike surprised the girls by taking them to a midnight showing of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Kathleen had a good day in preparation for her birthday tomorrow. She had a great shower during which she cooed her approval, spent some time in the backyard sunbathing and went for a walk. She moved her eyes frequently to sounds and direction today also.

Promising drug actually creates new brain cells.

Like most Americans the Davey's had a busy 4th of July. The family went to Samie's ballet performance at Santa Clara Central Park in the morning. Then, Mike and the girls went to the A's game at 2pm. Then, after a little "Daddy School" in the late afternoon where the girls learned about the continents and the Bering Strait, Kathleen, Mike, and the girls went to see the fireworks across the street with the neighbors.

Hoorah?! Big news from capitol hill.

Intriguing story of a man who is recovering after 20 years in a coma. Kathleen deserves to "win the same lottery."

Kathleen had a great day yesterday with the early birthday celebration for her sister Sheila and herself. She spent a long time in the backyard during the bbq watching the kids play and her sisters talk.

Late in the evening, however, Kathleen became hyper-sensitive to touch and seemed clearly bothered. She jerked very hard, almost violently and her face began to twitch. It almost seemed like a seizure except there were frequent pauses in between. Eventually after being changed and taking an Ativan the shaking subsided and she fell back asleep.


You can quickly find addresses, phone numbers, and email contact information for your two senators by going to www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm.

***Please contact your senators immediately and urge strong support to HR 810 to support government sponsored researach on embryonic stem cells.

If your senator holds any public meetings in your area during the recess, be sure to attend and voice your support of the bill. These in-person meetings can be a great way to make your senator aware of your position.

From the Baltimore Sun...
I have "ethical concerns" about my government telling me I should be satisfied with preventing serious disability by keeping my fingers crossed.

Mr. Bush has decided that a bunch of cells are more valuable than the lives of humans suffering from diseases and spinal cord injuries - that a microscopic clump of matter should stand in the way of real medical progress.

Our government's responsibility is the health and welfare of its people, and Mr. Bush's religious beliefs should not allow him to shirk this most basic duty.

Kathleen surveyed teh renovation of the backyard today from her wheelchair on the deck and seemed to be relaxing in the sun. She has been healthy as of late though there have been less and less noticeable benefits from the new medicine. There have been some significant advances in stem cell science as of late to help keep hope alive.