Happy 4th of July Everyone!
Ella got along perfectly with her first treatment. No fever, nothing. I spoke to Don several times yesterday and she was doing great! The kids did their daily singing to her via Skype.
Don was making it a picture day and was going to go around the hospital and take pictures of everything and everyone. He is telling me the stories of all the other families so he is going to take pictures so I can put faces to the names. What an incredible group of people and the kids all sound so amazing. I hope that each and every one of them see amazing results from these wonderful cells.
Ella was getting cheered on by their new friends as Don worked with her on standing:) That just touched my heart, they are an amazing support system. Everyone is there to help each other.
Fun little story….Don emailed KRNA yesterday and told them he was rockin’ out to them in China!! Now that deserves a free t-shirt or something don’t ya think! ha He was wondering if he would get a response back.
Don thought they would venture out to the Lotte Mart again yesterday and check it out further. Zoe is hoping that Daddy and Ella make it to some of the other markets we have seen pictures of because as she puts it,” I so need a piece of jewerly from China!” That is Zoe, 5 going on 15:)
So that is the update for now. It will be a different 4th of July without Don and Ella being here to celebrate with us. The kids and I along with my parents are planning on going to the Mt. P 4th of July parade this afternoon ( if the rain stops) and taking in some of the activities at McMillan park and then we have been invited to a cookout with some dear friends.
Have a Happy and Safe Holiday!
Tanya
July 4th, 2009
Stem Cell Treatment #1 is complete! Don called at 5am our time to say that the treatment was done and Ella did great:) It took just about an hour and she is now sleeping.
He had some wonderful people in the stem cell room with him while Ella’s treatment was being done. He just cannot stress enough how nice everyone is. He told me about three families that he is really getting to know and it just makes me feel so good to hear this. ( Thank you for the message Debbie-Don spoke of you and your son and I am thankful you are there:) I am also thankful to the nice lady who took pictures of that first stem cell treatment-you are an angel! I had a list of things I wanted Don to take pictures of so you were there to help with that, thank you!
Don enjoyed his first pizza yesterday and he says it was good. He plans on ordering take out once a day, saves on the trips out of the hospital since they deliver it to them. He plans on taking Ella out for a walk when they can leave the hospital since they had to stay put all day yesterday since it was a Stem Cell day.
I hear that I have an avid reader of my blog and I have to say a special hello to her! Hazel, I am so happy that you are keeping up with Ella’s Journey:) Grandma Helen has posted some nice messages on our website and I really appreciate hearing from all of you! We really need to get together, I know Blake and Zoe would love to see you again! You keep those messages coming, ok?
That is all for now, thank God for those stem cells and I can’t wait to hear from Don if he starts to notice any changes…..I will be praying hard as I know many of you will.
Tanya
July 3rd, 2009
Talked to Don this morning by phone and then when the kids woke up did a Skype video call. Ella was ready to call it a day so they were off to bed when we finished talking:)
Ella had PT yesterday morning which lasted a little more than an hour. She fought them for awhile and could do the things they wanted her to do but would get tired of it and stop…..so very Ella:) They put her in a stander and she did well with Don singing to her the whole time…..didn’t ask what he sang…most of you know Don’s musical taste….something from KRNA I am sure! ha Speaking of which, I had added KRNA to Don’s faves on his laptop so him and Ella sat in the common area the other evening listening to some tunes. Don said Ella loved getting to listen to music again and they just sat side by side for awhile enjoying it.
They made it over to the Lotte Market across the street from the hospital. With Ella in her stroller and an interperter in tow they checked out all the store had to offer. Don was able to get some snack food and Pepsi and Mt. Dew which he said tastes better from the store than what was at the hospital. He is going back when he can spend some more time checking things out. Don would rather do his own thing than have someone hovering over him the whole time. He said it was funny though, all the store workers were trying to help him and trying to give him 2 for 1 deals on cleaning products:) Sounds like a paradise to me….I would LOVE 2 for 1 cleaning supplies:) Everyone was really nice he said.
They both enjoyed ice cream from the store within the hospital and he can order food to be delivered to the hospital so I think he is ready to give that a try. I gave him some suggestions that other families have reported on their blogs as being really good so hopefully he will find some faves too!
Lets see, what else…..he met the family from Seattle that I had been corresponding with. They left the morning after Don and Ella arrived so he only visited with them for a short time but they gave him the scoop and also some of their supplies that they couldn’t take back home with them….thank you Katie:)
Tomorrow is Stem Cell Treatment #1. We are very anxious, after all this is what we have been waiting for. I cannot believe the day will finally be here for our precious little Ella to get those awesome cells, thank you God!
Tanya
July 3rd, 2009
So I have talked to Don twice today, via phone and via Skype video call! Yep, we got to see both Don and Ella. It was awesome and I know we will be doing it a lot in the days and weeks to come. It worked perfect and was very clear! The kids sang to Ella and she was just smiling like crazy and it was the sweetest thing.
Ella will begin Physical therapy in a few hours, again after we talked this morning it was time for them to settle in for the night and now they are waking up…crazy isn’t it?! She will also get Electric Wave Therapy and her first Stem Cell Treatment will be on Friday!!! We are so excited!
Don made it to the bank but didn’t get a chance to go to the Market yet as Ella was napping when they wanted to take them so hopefully he will get that done today. He did say he took some pics from their room window so maybe I will get some of those soon.
He just keeps saying how nice everyone is and I am so grateful for that.
Well that is really all I have for now. I will let you all know how therapy goes and can’t wait to post about the first stem cell treatment on Friday:)
Have a great night!
Tanya
July 2nd, 2009
Don and Ella are all settled into their little room and doing great:) Don called us at 9pm last night and again it was so wonderful to hear his voice and talk to Ella this time!!! She is doing so good and was just so happy when we were talking to her. Blake and Zoe both got to talk to their Daddy and Ella and were so excited to hear them. Zoe was pretty down yesterday but when she got to talk to Ella boy did that all change! Unfourtantly Addison was already asleep for the night so she will have to chat to them next time.
Don also emailed ( I knew he could do it:) and said everyone is being so nice to them. He took a walk and counted around 10 families from the USA who are there. Everyone sits and chats in the common area and just hangs out. This is also where he is using his laptop for the time being as he doesn’t have a cord that will fit into his laptop and plug into his room so he is going to work on getting one so he can start making Skype calls and talk to us where it is quiet and not have all the people around. It is unbelievable how good the connection is though just using the hospital phones and the calling card. It is very clear!
Ella had all of her blood work done yesterday morning and her eyes tested. So this part is very interesting……the doctors told Don she CAN see! I know, you are like what??? I was to. Yes, they believe she cannot see distances but that she can see. Apparently she responded very well to the light, which we know she can see but they came to the conclusion she is seeing more. So perhaps once those stem cells take hold she will start using what vision she has more! I cannot wait to get more updates from him on this.
I guess that is all for now. They are doing great and making friends. It is going to be an amazing time for them. Oh, I don’t have any pictures yet. Hoping to have some soon now that Don is settled in. I told him not to worry about pics yet, he had enough going on that first day.
It was great to hear from so many of you yesterday. Thank you for checking in on us as always.
Tanya
July 1st, 2009
Yea! I am so very happy to report that Don and Ella are in their hospital room as I type this, hopefully sleeping now. So instead of repeating everything I just posted on the website I will direct you there to read the update and also take a minute to let you know that I now have this blog linked onto the website so when you go to the website please scroll to the bottom where it says Ella’s China Blog. That is what I am typing on now and will continue to post to this blog. I will post pics on the website but atleast now it is all tied together:) Thanks for all the prayers!
Tanya
July 1st, 2009
Talk about rejoicing and being thankful at this hour!!! YIPPEE!!!! It is 4 in the morning here and I just checked the flight status and flight 851 has arrived at the gate at the Beijing International Airport!!!!!!!!! This has been the toughest night of my life waiting to hear word on the arrival of that plane, but they made it!!!!! They are suppose to hava a 4 hr. layover, which I am sure they are ready for and then a short (about 45 min.) plane ride to Qingdao and then on to the hospital.
I have not heard from Don directly but he kind of expected not to make contact until sometime after they landed. I pray Ella did well and she is feeling good. Thank you all again, I really cannot say it enough, for all the prayers. The prayers carried my loved ones to China for me……thank you!
Tanya
June 30th, 2009
As I type this Don and Ella are in flight to Beijing. The plane departed at 1:18 pm and is scheduled to arrive in Beijing at 3:15 pm tomorrow (Beijing time). Keep in mind that they are a day ahead of us over there. The flight was to be 13hrs. 34 min.
We felt the prayers from all of you yesterday as we attended church services, as we made our way to Chicago and as we checked in at O’Hare this morning. Ella was in such a good mood the entire time. She even took a little nap on the way to Chicago, had a good nights sleep, ate well this morning and just handled everything so well. She didn’t even fuss when we went through the security checkpoints and we had to deal with all the grouchy people. Honestly some people just really need to enjoy life a little more:) We did get through everything just fine the only problem being that I packed two drinks for Ella ( Nestle Carnation Breakfast drink) and they threw one of them away….how rude! They told us we should have known better….however I would like for them to take a moment to read the TSA’s website about traveling with children and the fact that they make exceptions especially on international flights…..well anyway. I guess if that is the worse thing we went through that is pretty good.
So the kids and I arrived back home at 6:20 this evening to a just too quiet house. I know, I know there are still three kiddos here but an emptiness without the rest of our team. We did a little team huddle at the airport saying we would all be together again soon. As I explained to Blake, Zoe and Addison tonight that not even a big ol’ ocean can come between our team.
I must admit telling Don and Ella see ya soon, (I don’t believe in goodbyes)…..was the absolute hardest most painful thing I have ever experianced. I am praying that Ella is doing well on the flight, she has just been so happy the past few days. Don and I think it is the peacefulness she feels from her Baptism last Sunday and also I am thinking just now that maybe she knows what great things are about to come for her.
Keep all those prayers coming, the next few days will be the hardest trying to adjust to Don and Ella not being here. I just need to hear from them and then I will be better. I emailed Don but am thinking he has not attemped using the laptop at this point, he said he may wait. But as soon as I hear from him I will let all of you know. I am guessing it will be night two with no sleep as I keep checking the status of the flight.
I will be posting new pics to the website shortly so check them out!
Tanya
June 30th, 2009
It is almost go time! Tomorrow we will leave for Chicago to spend some family time before Don and Ella head out on Monday morning. We are finishing up the packing today, plan on doing some swimming this afternoon, hopefully get a good night’s sleep and then go to church services in the morning before leaving. The kids are super excited about going to Chicago and swimming at the hotel:) The hotel is very close to the airport so that will take some stress away come Monday morning. Hoping to keep Ella’s morning routine normal so that she is ready for the plane ride.
I think we are all experiancing those butterflies right now. It is exciting knowing that Ella is only days away from getting those miracle stem cells for the first time yet we are also getting very sad the closer their departure gets. I will be happy when I know they have landed safely and are at the hospital…..I think I may be able to breathe a little easier then:)
We have made contact with another family who will be at the Qingdao hospital with Don and Ella, they fly out tomorrow. Tricia said she will be taking along her video camera and will take video footage of Ella and send to me:) I cannot wait!! We are all set up on Skype so will be doing video calls to stay in touch plus lots of emails and phone calls can also be done on Skype. Thank goodness for modern technology.
I will be posting to this blog as well as updating the website and adding pics as I receive them from Don. Keep checking in! I am going to try to link this blog to our website or vice versa so bare with me while I figure all this out.
Thank you for the continued prayers!
Tanya
June 28th, 2009
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