Change of Plans

This past Friday, April 4th, the anniversary of my teacher, Trungpa Rinpoche's passing (parinirvana), I was preparing to leave for Peru the next day to bring Robert back here to Colorado to be evaluated at the Mapleton Rehabilitation Center in Boulder. I was and am feeling a great deal of urgency to get Robert back here, because in Lima they are trying to control his brain injury related behavioral issues with anti-psychotic drugs and other tranquilizers. This is contraindicated for Robert's recovery. He needs to be in a quality rehab program and not on these drugs.

I received a call from Peru that evening letting me know that Robert's doctors at the clinic in Lima had decided it was too risky for Robert to fly commercial back to the U.S. with me, given that he still has episodes of confusion and agitation, and that they would not authorize the trip. I spent the rest of the evening until about three am on the phone with doctors, air ambulance services, air paramedics, and so on trying to come up with a new plan. Air ambulance was quickly ruled out ($60,000 - $80,000). I did find an EMS organization in Houston, very experienced in international medical evacuation and travel, both air ambulance and commercial. I had it set up for the head of that organization, Joe Barnes, a very experienced Critical Care and Air Paramedic to fly down with me and bring Robert back. He was confident that we could do it, even without the doctors' authorization and without informing the airlines. Talking with friends and family here we all decided, I would try to have one more conversation with the doctor at the Mapleton Clinic here before deciding to go or not before leaving for the airport at 8:30 am in the morning.

I got up at 7:30 am with less than four hours sleep and started trying to reach the doctor at the Mapleton Rehab Center. Due to poorly conveyed messages by the staff there, the doctor never really got the reason for my call and didn't call back until 9:30 am. Confused and exhausted I decided to put the trip off a week. I had to postpone it an entire week, because unless I fly over a Saturday, the fare's triple. With the paramedic's fee and three airfares, the trip is going to cost approximately $6000. If I we don't travel over a Saturday, the cost would go up to $12,000.

I still don't know if I made the right decision. I spent a good part of Saturday beating myself up for not making the right decision and then finally fell into bed exhausted and slept 14 hours.

At any rate, we now have a new plan. I will fly down to Peru on Saturday, April 12th.
The paramedic, based in Houston, will join me on the Houston to Lima leg. The paramedic and I will then fly back with Robert, leaving Lima at 11:45 pm on Monday, April 14th and arrive in Denver at 9:07 am on Tuesday, April 15th. We will have a 6-hour flight from Lima to Houston and a 3-hour flight from Houston to Denver. Arriving in Denver, we will go directly to the Mapleton Rehab Center with Robert. Then the plan is still for Robert to go and live at the Trimurti community ashram with our friend, Purna, outside of Bozeman and continue his rehab program with outpatient services in Bozeman organized in collaboration with the Mapleton Rehab Center in Boulder.

I spoke with Robert by phone twice today. He was more clear than on any previous phone call. I'm pretty sure that if I'd gone, we could have successfully got him back this week, but so it goes. We'll get him back here next week.

Lola and I wish to continually express our profound appreciation to everyone--family, friends and sangha--who have been so kind, supportive and generous since this all began back on February 28th.
Love and blessings,
Fleet