View from Hospital Room – Buildings & Ocean – Overcast & Rainy
Add comment May 24th, 2007
Archive for May, 2007
Shouhua’s gone – Jason’s here
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Shouhua left today — we met Jason at Hong Kong airport last night around 7:00 pm. We took the ferry. Hong Kong is the most amazing place. It is so clean — all of the buildings connect to each other so you don’t have to go outside to the street at all if you don’t want to. There are so many stores that it boggles the mind. All brand names and VERY expensive. I think if you have to ask the cost – you can’t afford it. Things like Prada (aka Carrie on Sex & The City shoes), purses, designer clothes (Versace, etc.), restaurants, gourmet chocolates, bath items, etc. You would have to walk 8 hours a day for a month to see all of the shops. The hospital van drove us here from the airport and Jason was amazed like we were to see all of the skyscrapers.
I am in a routine now — I go to acupuncture and physical therapy at 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. I also have to have an IV of Chinese medicine for another week. Then I think they give you injections (in the butt). All of the other patients said — it hurts. I have my 2nd stem cell injection tomorrow.
Jason is getting acclimated and Shouhua played matchmaker and introduced him to a really cute English girl. They’re going to try to get together later this evening. She’s leaving Thursday (too bad) and Jason is going to cook a jambalaya for everyone on Wednesday evening. A few of the other patients are also leaving Thursday.
It has been so amazing seeing people come in a certain condition and watch the daily improvements after stem cell injections.
The star is JC. He came with a cane – he couldn’t walk on his own. He also had double vision. Balance is his big problem. He has ataxia. This weekend he was JOGGING! in physical therapy. He was so excited at his progress that he overdid it a little. He was very tired but very happy. His double vision is also gone. He was having to close one eye to see. Now he sees fine. Amazing stuff.
Whenever Jason got here he said he noticed that my right eye was not drifting like it had before. I mentioned earlier that the right side of my face has full feeling (just like the left) and my right eye doesn’t feel strange or hurt anymore but I didn’t realize it was so noticeable. He said it was the first thing he noticed when he got to the airport and saw me. I only have double vision a little now when I look to the left.
Time for my IV – I’ll post later.
Love,
Betty
Add comment May 22nd, 2007
I have arrived!
I’m here in China. I had a little problem with the internet and then my Outlook Express. I could receive but not send. So while I’m here, I’m using this Yahoo adress. You can just reply.
We got to Hong Kong Sunday about 8:00. The hospital send a van to pick us up at the airport. It’s a two hour drive so we got a good look at all of the growth in Shen Zen. I was thinking it was going to be a little, country town. Boy, Shouhua said all of this growth has happened in the last 20 years (the last time he was here). There are skyscrapers everywhere. Lots of shopping, restaurants, tourist attractions (Seaworld), Starbucks, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Walmart, Papa John’s pizza and I think Dominos. Shouhua and I walk around the block in the morning and I get these wonderful sesame seed balls with red bean inside. They are very sweet and wonderful — my favorite. They are 3/$1.00 RMB. The exchange rate here was 8.6 RMB to 1 US last time I was here. It’s not quite as good – it’s 7.6 RMB to 1 US — Still not bad. It’s a shopping mecca. I have not been to Hong Kong yet — can’t wait. Jason will get here on the 21st and then Shouhua leaves on the 22nd. On the 21st Shouhua and I are riding the ferry to Hong Kong to meet Jason at the airport. That will be an adventure for me. It’s crossing the China Sea.
Medical –
On Monday & Tuesday they ran tests to compare them to the ones I had done in 2000 when I was diagnosed. The good news is that there isn’t much change in the leasions that I have. In the US they didn’t MRI my spinal cord — just the brain. Here they also MRI the spinal cord. Turns out that most of my lesions are in my spinal cord and there there are some on my brain by the ventricle. Bad news is that my brain has shrunk slightly. Shouhua said that comes with aging. What a bummer. After my doctor reviewed the MRIs and did comparisons, she decided that I would have 4 spinal injections of stem cells and 1 IV of stem cells. They also give you an IV each day for two weeks. This is Chinese medicine(herbs) and is designed help boost your immune system. When they do the stem cell injections they also inject a nerve growth factor with the stem cells. The more you can grow the stem cells, the better results you will have.
I had my first stem cell injection on Wednesday. They give you a sedative so you are partially asleep – thenk God because I have a congenital problem with my lower spine – it’s smaller and they were having a problem getting to the right place in my spine. The male doctor had to push pretty hard and I’m sore. The female doctor did the second half of the injection and she had a much better technique. I told her I wanted her to do the whole thing next time. After they’re finished with the injections, you have to lie flat on your back for 6 hours. Well after about 4:30, I told Shouhua that I really had to pee. He asked the nurses and they said no – I had to lie flat for 6 hours. Well, finally at 5:30, I was really losing my sense of humor so Shouhua asked them again. They said no and he told them to come tell me — he didn’t want to tell me. They did but at 5:40 I couldn’t stand it any longer and said to hell with it, I was going to pee. Good news is that I didn’t get a headache — I was fine. When I woke up I could feel a difference in the feeling I have on my right side. My right side has always felt different from the left — like I’m in a cloud or fog. I was scratching my forehead and left and right side of my face with my fingernails and it feels the same! And, Shouhua and I walked 4 times as far as we had the previous day. So I am excited about my good reaction. I have acupuncture and rehab 2 times a day. So I’m sure that helps too.
I am so blessed to have Shouhua here with me. He has been wonderful. There are people here from Russia, England, Scotland, Canada, US, Italy — it’s a regular global community on this floor. Most of the people (besides England, Scotland & Canada) don’t speak English and no one speaks Chinese. So, it’s been charades. Everyone helps each other out. And, Shouhua has been the most popular person on this floor. Everyone stops him and asks him to translate their English to Chinese for the doctors, nurses, rehab specialists, etc. Everyone likes him (both Chinese & other nationalities) and he’s quite good at communicating what a person wants. Since he’s a doctor as well, he’s been in his element. I think he’s really enjoyed it. He’s helps everyone out with anything they need. I’m really going to miss him.
Veronica will be here on May 30 & Jason will leave on June 1. Veronica & I will fly home together. So, I will have someone here with me all of the time.
They keep you so busy here, I don’t know how much sightseeing we’ll be able to do. The kids can go off on the days that I don’t have stem cell injections and explore. I really hate for them to come all of this way without seeing the beautiful sights in China. And, travel is really cheap here.
Well, this was long winded — but wanted to catch you up.
Love,
Betty
Sorry for not keeping in touch until now. I was just getting adjusted.
Add comment May 18th, 2007
