Posts filed under 'sod'
Well we are finally settled in enough to write our coming home post. So many of you who read this BLOG have sent e-mails enquiring how everything is going so I did not want to leave you hanging.
We arrived home with very little complications. We only had one delayed plane and it was in San Fransisco. I was just relieved that we were in in the US. We enjoyed sitting around the airport eating familiar food and listing to the familiar language. Even Carlie commented on how weird it was to hear a language that she could understand. Then I think I passed out on the seats in total exhaustion. But the real treat was arriving in Houston. When we were exiting the plane, Carlie had to go to the restroom and yet we were so excited to see the boys. So we stopped to go to the restroom before heading down stairs. I was thinking in my head hurry up but I did not say it out loud!!!!!!!!!! As we went down the escalator all of a sudden Christians head popped up, then we saw Colton holding my moms hand. I could not believe it….there were my parents and my 2 boys. I had waited so long to see them. Skype just did not do them justice. We all ran to each other and gave the biggest hugs. Christian was crying and so was mom and I. Colton grabbed me and kept saying my mommy. Thenhe looked at me and said why you crying mommy? He grew up while I was away. When I left he did not talk in sentences, and he certainly was not potty trained. I came back to a boy who went potty, sang his abc’s, counted, and talked in full sentences. Christian looked so good too. They all had on American flag shirts and that was awesome. I had never been so glad to see the flag before in my life. That reunion was the highlight of the night. My parents did such a good job taking care of the boys. They looked so healthy and happy. I could not ask for anything else. As a matter of fact Colton cried 2 nights after we got home to go home and sleep at Nina’s house. I had to tell myself not to get my feelings hurt because they were his life for a long time.
It took about 4 days for us to finally get back on Houston time. It was really hard to be on the 13 hour time change for 30 days. Three days after getting home, we went with our family on a short family vacation. It was really nice to get away and not think about anything!!!! We really enjoyed ourselves.
In terms of the stem cells…it is now a waiting game. The stem cells have 9 months to a year to grow in her brain. Our job now is to keep her healthy so they have a place to thrive. Fever is the one thing hat will kill stems cells so we must keep her well. Time will tell what they will do for her. It is already looking promising. We did a series of test before and after stem cells. Her acuity did improve by about 1 foot in the left eye which is really good for that eye. Her left eye is the really bad one and she usually never depends on it. Also, her VER test showed improvement as well. This test shows how fast images get to the brain. Also, she was able to perform the peripheral vision field test after stems cells which she was not able to do before because she was just not strong enough to hold the eyes still. She had to sit with herface in this box and stare at a dot. It was very challenging for her because of the difficultyshe has holding her eyes still for so long but she did do it after her stem cell therapy. We will now follow up with her Opthamologist and endocrinologist every 3 months to look for changes.
I am so tankful to everyone who has prayed for us and e-mailed. This has been an amazing journey and I thank you for being a part of it. Even when we were all alone in China, we could feel the love and prayers of people back home. Due to the mass quantities of e-mail, I was not able to answer everyone. Please know that it overjoyed our hearts to receive your kind words, and we read in delight every single one. Of course this trip had ups and downs but we are so thankful for this opportunity for Carlie. The Lord is working in our lives and Carlie’s little body. Thanks again from the bottom of our hearts.
I will update her progress after we see her doctors here in Texas.
Love,
The Smith Family
June 23rd, 2009
I am sitting here by the window listening to some awful karaoke. the wind is blowing in the window and it feels so good. We have had hot water everyday for several days now so it has been so nice not to have to complain about that. Matthew is laying on the bed and Carlie is out on the orange couches playing. Matthew and I are playing guess that song in Chinese. I think the song Desperado is very popular here because we have been able to identify it 3 times. Did I mention how bad the karaoke is. I have to laugh because we have to hear it all day long. I took a short video from the window, so those that want to experience it can.
Relief….that is what I am feeling. especially since the last spinal is over and it went so well. Just one more IV treatment left. We will have that on Monday. Then hopefully go back downtown for the last test on Tuesday.
Today we went to the Holiday Inn for lunch. It was pretty good, at least we broke up the everyday. I can’t believe we are almost done. This whole thing feels like a dream. We found out and started raising money and now we are almost done. I am so excited to see what is in store for Carlie. As hard as it has been to be so far away from home, I would do it all over again. I am ready to start packing. Which is so funny because I just unpacked about 4 days ago. At first I was sure that I couldn’t stay so I boycotted by not unpacking and just living out of my suit case. Then Carlie and Matthew got the great idea of rearranging the room and it freed up so much space so I said okay sure I’ll put my stuff in the cabinets. Oh well it gives me something to do.
June 6th, 2009
Matthew left about an hour before Carlie’s spinal to go to the RT mart and get some food for Carlie. She can eat before she is able to sit up and it has to be light stuff so she does not choke. Matthew went to get ham, cheese and crackers. The nuring staff came in about 15 minutes after Matthew left to start the IV drip. She could not go anywhere just confined to the bed, and to make matters worse no one but myself was her were here. Usually Bailey or Ty is here and they laugh or do something to take her mind off the procedure. Well this time she just started working herself up and she said I don’t want to do this and I’m ready to go home. I told her I know but it is the last one and we can’t quit now. I told her to just pray and ask Jesus to help her. Then it was time to actually go up the the OR and matthew still wasn’t back. i just acted like it was no big deal, but inside I was ready to hang him. I walked up to the operating room and kissed Carlie and said goodbye. Right as she was about out of sight Matthew pops around the corner and hollered goodbye and I love you. At that point she lost it. All the tention that was building up let out and she burst into tears at the sight of her daddy. Yes, she is a Daddy’s girl. Matthew looked at me and said what in the world did you say to her. He continued, why is it that everytime I leave you she falls apart.
Whatever…she has been a nervous wreck all day.
Since it was the third time she knew exactly what to expect and she did not want to do it again. This was to be expected. Well we stood with our ears attached to the doors listening for anything. It wasn’t long until we heard her start crying. But this time it was by far the worst. She was almost screeming. I had to sit down on the floor because I just could not listen anymore. Wendy went in with her agian and was trying to calm her down but it just wasn’t working. then at about 25 minutes the doors poped open and they rolled her out. Wendy came to us to tell us everything that happened. Wendy saud they could not get her to stop crying and she was so tense. I knew at that point Carlie was not being cooperative with the doctors. But it is understandable…she has been through alot. I think I have said a little too much in front of her and it has made her a little nervous.
We rolled her back into the room and her 3 intrepreter frineds came in along with 2 other nurses to check on her. they started checking her blood pressure and temerature and Carlie had already stopped crying. I remember the first spinal when we had no idea what to do. By now we know the drill.. We ask for a bed pad because we know she will have to potty and then we put a pull up on her. By the way we taught the nurses the word bed pad 
She always goes potty immediatly when she gets back to the room and the countdown begins. after 2 hours she gets water. then after 4 hours she gets food, and last after 6 hours she can sit up. And this time we don’t have to say…okay only 1 more. That is it…we are done. It feels so good to be able to say that to her!
I thank eveyone that prayed for her during this spinal. We can fell the prayers all the way in China. Carie is fine. the hardest part is trying to get her sit still. She is not very sleepy this time and the volume has seemed to wear off fast.
June 5th, 2009
Well today we are waiting for carlie’s last spinal. A couple who is here let us borrow their phone so I have been making phone calls this morning. It has been really neat I wake up every morning to some kind of noise. It could be construction across the street, cannons, firecrackers or what ever they feel like doing. Well today it was thunder. I have been so busy I have forgotten about rain. It is cloudy and thundering today. It is a nice break from the sun that is usually beating down on the hospital, which has no air conditioning. I think all this thunder is just a threat to rain. We have only seen one very light sprinkle since we have been here. I would love to see rain. Just something different to break up the monotony of the everyday.
Carlie just talked to Nina and was expressing her concern about her last spinal today. I think now she really knows that our trip is almost over and she so ready to go home. She has been a nervous wreck since we woke up. It was so nice to talk to Nina and Colton even if it was midnight Houston time. I guess Colton was having an off day. I am so excited about colton’s potty training. Mom started yesterday with him and he only had on accident. This makes my job so much easier when I get home.
6 days and counting… Please pray to calm Carlie’s nerves
June 5th, 2009
Well first we lost Bailey and family, then today we lost 2 more dear families and it is starting to make us very antsy about going home. Ty and his family left early this morning and we just saw Chuck and Rick off about 20 minutes ago. It always makes me sad to see some one go. You really bond with the people here as they are going through the same thing you are! Matthew and I will especially miss the late card nights with Chuck!
We have 7 days left. As Chuck and rick were leaving Matthew and I said how are we going to fill these last few days. We are so homesick and ready to see the family we can’t hardly stand it. Well today is Thursday so we do not have much going on. Tomorrow will be Carlie’s last spinal, then Saturday she will recover. Hopefully we can get out on Sunday. Monday we go back downtown to repeat the tests done at the beginning of the trip. Tuesday we need to fill. Wednesday will be her last treatment by IV. And THURSDAY MORNING WE GO HOME. As I write that statement tears flood my eyes. the thought of stepping foot back on American soil makes my heart beat out of my chest! I am so thankful to be here and the opportunity that this will give Carlie, but I did not realize how much I would miss home. Yes, the boys play a huge part of our being homesick, but the culture here is so different. I can’t wait to see the flag and hear the national anthem again!
This trip has had so many ups and downs. I tell you it has been such an eye opening experience for me! It has been worth it to meet the other patients and hear their stories. Also we are so excited to see how the Lord will use this in Carlie’s life. This experience will change the way I view so many things!
It is not over yet! Please pray for us on Friday. Pray for wisdom for the doctors so they can get it the first time so Carlie will be in as little pain as possible!
June 4th, 2009
Today Carlie had her 5th treatment by IV. It went very well. It was only her and her friend Ty in the IV room. It usually takes Carlie about 2 1/2 hours but today we were out in 2. Carlie’s friend Bailey left today and she has been a little lost. She woke up early to say goodbye and then came back in the room and laid on her bed until she went back to sleep. She definitely misses her alot. Good thing there is still some kids here for her to enjoy! It always feels so empty when someone leaves. We miss them so much!
Anyway, Carlie will have her next treatment on Friday, which will be a spinal. It should be our last spinal. then we will have one more IV injection. Then we will go downtown to repeat the testing to see if there is any progress. Of course we know that these stems cells take time to grow in her body and we could see results for up to a year or so. Some people do start seeing results while they are here. We have noticed Carlie doing some things that are out of the ordinary and today they did an informal acuity eye assessment. But I don’t think they took good notes. when they did the first one before stem cells they could not tell us if they saw any improvements. that is just one of those things we have been talking about. When you come here, you are NOT in the US. I am used to seeing a doctor and them noting everything. In China they will come in take your temperature or blood pressure and write it down on a scratch piece of paper. You never know what actually goes in the patients file. They do have a chart for each patient it is just that you never know what is going in it. Anyway I do have her results from the eye hospital so I can not wait to go back down there to repeat those.
We try not to ask Carlie are you seeing different. We want her to tell us things she notices. We feel if we keep asking her it could make it to where she is saying it to make us happy and that is not at all what we want. She has told us that an object that she saw had more detail. For that this trip is worth it! Time will tell exactly what these stem cell will do for her little body. I will post as we know more.
Keep our friends who left today in your prayers as they travel back to Florida
June 1st, 2009
The Chinese people seem to celebrate everything. They make the most beautiful cakes and since we have been here we have celebrated 3 birthdays with the staff. I always take pictures of the cakes because they are nothing that you would see back home. They usually have some kind of fruit in them but are not really that sweet. I have grown to really enjoy them. Our room is right outside the, what we call orange couches. The orange couches are where everyone sits and gathers to talk or play games. Right now I am sitting out here and Matthew is amusing everyone by making balloon animals. You would think it would be kids out here but it is all adults watching him. I think it is so funny…
Anyway, yesterday morning around 10 am we walked out our room and they had a HUGE spread of fruit and drinks and even Snickers bars. I think they put those out for out benefit. They told us they were beginning their celebration of the dragon boat festival which goes on for about 3 days. And I know you are all wondering if fireworks are involved and yes of course they are! It was so cool. We sat at the tables with the Chinese people they told the background of the celebrations and then translated it into English for the rest of us. They are celebrating a famous Chinese poet who fell off a boat. I will have to do more research because I could not understand the translator very well. Then they brought of this rice wrapped tightly in bamboo leaves. I said I’ll try anything once and since there was no live animal involved I decided to give it a try. They were all different. Some were just sticky rice, some had red beand, chocolate. It was like opening a gift at Christmas, you could make a guess but you really did not know what you were going to get. Matthew and I did not want to waste so we shared one. Ours was rice with beans. Dr. Bing was looking over our shoulder as we were making a plan on how we were going to eat it. Matthew started to stir it really hard and Dr. Bing let out a real laugh. I said I think he is laughing at us and sure enough he shook hos head yes, he was laughing at us. You are supposed to eat it like a candy bar. He told us put sugar on it. Well that is just great, I have sticky rice, red beans, corn, and sugar. I picked out the beans and took a bit and to my surprise it tasted like oatmeal. Not bad at all. It is not something I would request but it was defiantly worth trying. The Chinese people devoured it! After my couple bits I sat back and watched the Chinese people eat. The fruit was also very good. They had cherries, grapes, watermelon, bananas, and so much more! I did like that. But the way, the Chinese people peel grapes…like we do an orange. Anyway when we were all done eating I took a picture of the table because the side that the Chinese people ate at looked like a war zone…they went nuts! It was so nice of the staff to share their traditional celebrations with us!
We should have our schedule today and I will let you know when her next spinal treatment will be.
May 29th, 2009
We were told the hot water is going off again for the next three days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now I am not smiling at all. But I have to say the Beike staff is making it right by getting everyone a hotel tonight which was really nice of them. Really nice especially since Carlie can’t leave the hospital tonight due to the spinal. But they did say we could go tomorrow! They know it is getting to everyone and it is ridiculous so they are doing everything in their power to make it right.
May 27th, 2009
Well I am sitting here waiting for Carlie’s treatment. Carlie is very relaxed (which is really weird) she is listening to my IPOD and playing tic tac toe. Matthew is resting beside her because we knowit is going to be a LONG night! I have been on edge all day. It was first set off because I know what today brings. Not eating or drinking for Carlie which is turning out to be a big deal because her appetite has picked up so much! Drinking is always a problem. Then I really wanted to see the boys but the SKYPE was messed up a the house. Technology can be really be nice when it works. But when it doesn’t it makes you want to throw the laptop out of the 8th floor of the hospital in Qingdao Matthew has to keep reminding me it is the user. But to look of the bright side I do get to talk to them and hear what is going on. So I really should not be complaining at all. Anyway.. I have been keeping to myself praying all day and the Lord has given me peace about everything that we are doing. This morning I was uneasy because of what happened during the first spinal but we think we are all better prepared for this time. Dr.Tony will be giving it to her and he is wonderful! I’ve just keep thinking how do people go through this without the Lord in their life. It has been my source of peace and strength through the whole process. God is good in the good times and in the bad. He is here with us in China and I can feel it every day and every decision we make. He is here! Nothing takes God by surprise, he knows what will happen and I take so much comfort in the fact that he is in control and not me! I will BLOG again after the spinal is over!
May 27th, 2009
It is totally weird and I can not understand why the hot water to a hospital would be turned off. We were told on Friday that the hot water would be turned off until Sunday at 5 pm. This is crazy how can that be? Well somehow I managed to get a very lukewarm shower on Saturday and Carlie had a hot shower on Sunday night. then on Monday morning I woke up and had a ice cold shower. I just kept telling myself it is like getting in the river just ease in and then it will all be good. So it took about 45 minutes and I was able to talk myself into getting completely wet. So I went out to the translators and asked why the hot water wasn’t on and they said they would check. they cam to me about 10 minutes later and said all fixed and sure enough Matthew got a hot shower. Just another one of those things….just roll with it. But rest assure that the water will be off every weekend for what they call maintenance. We think it is a ploy to get us to go spend money at the new hotels.
May 26th, 2009
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