Brad’s Ataxia Blog

First Week Completed

May 15th, 2009

Greetings from Xiaoshan China!  Again and always thank you for your prayers and support for Brad.  I mentioned that he had back pain and went to sleep or tried to sleep following the treatment.  Later he told me it took them 5 times trying to get the Stem Cell Lumbar puncture done.  No wonder he was in pain.  He was able to sit up about 10 p.m. and we ate supper then.  Following supper since he had slept but was still in some pain, he wanted to watch a movie.  He had it prepared to watch during the 6 hour flat on your back or side wait.  We watched Run A Way Jury which kept us going till after 1:30 or later.  He was still sore the next morning for his therapy but wanted me out of the way so I left the hospital with a group of family members from our floor and we toured Hangzhou.  That was quite interesting.

Brad worked out his soreness with the therapy and was better but still depressed.  He has made plans for us for the weekend but I will find out as we go.  He wanted to go out to dinner tonight and invited James, his physical therapist to go with us.  Which means they will recommend a place and take us out but the patient pays for their meal.  James doesn’t speak English well so he invited some others from the floor staff to go with us.  Well…remember the place I mentioned in the last update???  Well that is where he took us.  But with a group who knew what they were doing made a lot more fun. 

Our dinner party consisted of James and another physical therapist, a former nurse who is now scheduling the stem cells orders, and another man a bit older that I have only seen here a couple of times.  I found out he is Second Head of the Department over the Stem Cell Department.  We ordered from the prepared dishes in the other room,  Brad ordered chicked and I was looking for Salmon.  Well, sea food was ordered but not salmon.  Others ordered vegetables and other stuff.  The dinner took about 2 1/2 hours.  We were seated in a private room with a lazy susan and the dishes kept coming.  The Chinese dont serve their plates but turn the lazy susan to the dish desired and eat from there.  Sometimes putting food on our plates or bowls.  There was a lot of laughter which made it a lot of fun. 

When my fish came, James honored Brad with the first bite and offered him the fish eye on chop sticks.  He put it in Brad’s spoon and before I could get a picture or catch what was happening, Brad ATE IT!  HE DID.  I saw him.  There were so many dishes that kept coming it was unreal.  It was a time to relax and enjoy company and food slowly.  Not the way we do it in America.  I was teasing as said to one of the girls, “And this is the typical Chinese dinner and you do this every night?”  She said yes.  Her mother cooks many dishes and puts them in the middle of the table and it is a time to enjoy each other and the food.  I am impresses.  I ate things tonight as Brad did that neither of us have an idea what it was,

As far as I know Brad doesn’t have his schedule for next week so I don’t know what to tell you about the next lumbar puncture but please pray that they can get it in and it will do its intended task.

The plan still stands that I will leave next Friday and Brad will be on his own.  We are both convinced he can handle it. 

Kept In Christ,

Craig for Brad

Entry Filed under: ataxia,Uncategorized