Archive for May, 2007
We had a free day on Sunday and a bunch of us decided to go to the big mall shopping. I have had no luck finding toys. I decided to search for hats or t-shirts that have chinese writing on them. I figured that this would be an easy task but all the shirts here are in english and hats all have name brand logos all in english. All the music that we hear in the stores is english just like back home. This doesn’t make any sense to me because we can’t even find people who can speak english here why would this all be in a language they don’t understand. Am I in the twillight zone?
The bathrooms ( I use this word loosely) here do not provide toilet paper so we have to bring our own whenever we go out. I remembered to put some in my money pouch before we went to the mall. When we got there I had to pee so I found a bathroom with actual toilets in it. I was so happy until I realized that there were no walls or doors separating each toilet. I was going to leave but figured they would all be like this so –when in Rome—-. I tried to pee as quick as possible, everyone staring at me anyway because I stood out to begin with. I did it, but I was in such a frazzled state that when I reached into my pouch for my kleenex, in such a hurry to get out of there, I may have used a chinese $100 bill instead. Get me out of here!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jc had his 5th injection on Monday in the spine. He asked for the seditive again and had no problem sleeping. He had the beginnings of a headache but it didn’t turn into the full blown crazy headache which is very good. He is still sore in his back and leg muscles from the injection but he doesn’t complain. He is not pushing as hard as usual with the exercises because we are afraid of the headache. He is doing good still with his walking and balance, we are very excited. The stem cells still are multipying for months after the treatments so it will just keep getting better and better. Those little cells are quite the little miracles.
Thank you everyone for all the beautiful messages and for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers it means so very much to us.
May 16th, 2007
JC had his 4th stem cell injection and he did not get the headache ( good news). He asked for the seditive injection this time to make him sleep for the 6 hours. It didn’t knock him out cold but it did help him not to want to get up. He drifted in and out of sleep.
I told him before he asked for it that it might act like a truth serum and all would be revealed, like you see in the movies. I expected him to tell me that I was the best wife and mother, that he couldn’t live without me, how lucky he was to have me, how I was his everything, the air he breathed, I wanted a Tim McGraw/ Faith Hill video. So when he started to mumble something, I bent down beside him and said softly ” don’t worry I’m right here”. Here it comes, I am ready for all of his confessions of total and complete utter devotion, Harlinquin romance novel material. He whispered “pizza, Papa John’s pizza”. I calmly told him that I ordered it special for him so that he would have it ready for him when he woke up.
He mumbled again, now this is it, probably going to tell me how really sweet I am and thanking me so much for ordering it for him and that I always take such great care of him. He said “cheese sticks, Papa John’s pizza”. I heard about Papa John’s pizza five more times throughout the 6 hours until finally I knew that the only way I was getting a Faith Hill/ Tim McGraw video is if I watched it on the internet so that’s what I did.
JC felt good the next day except his back and leg muscles were very sore. So he did all the usual routine except for the swallowing collar because he was afraid of the headache. He should have taken it easy but for everyone who knows him, you know that “take it easy” is not in his vocabulary. He did something from morning until late at night, exercised and walked everywhere.
We have less than 2 weeks left and 2 free days. So we planned on maybe going to the zoo here because all the staff rave about it saying that it has some very rare animals. So we imagine white gorillas or 2 headed snakes but we found out that they meant racoons and deer, so we decided to skip this attraction.
They also have a beach here that I want to go to. For everyone who knows me, you know that I have never uttered the phrase ” let’s go to the beach” in my life. But here they figured out the secret to making going to the beach fun. People here are very modest about their bodies so they cover up on the beach. ALL the women wear one piece bathing suits with skirts or wraps and bikinis are nowhere to be found. When I invent a perfect world in my head this is exactly one of the things on my list, I can’t believe it really exists, I am moving here.
Next stem cell injection is on Monday.
May 12th, 2007
Today JC gets his 4th stem cell injection, spinal. We have a pee cup beside his bed and he will not be moving anywhere this time and was warned that if he got up to pee our friend Louise would be down here holding the cup while I held him down. He opted for the sleeping medicine to save Louise the trama. By the way Clarence, Louise was kind enough to offer your Tim Horton’s mug.
He is sleeping now.
I wanted to give a progress report, because we have reached our halfway point.
When we arrived I wanted to record certain tasks on video to watch the before and after stem cells, but JC did not want me to do this. I think he was nervous that everything would stay the same and to see that would be very depressing. Stupid me I listened to him. There has been changes that I would have loved for everyone to have seen the before.
We do have his physio progress documented on video.
— he has to go up about 5 steps and down 3 and repeat arms in front and arms out to the side. When he first did this it was very awkward and he had to use the rail. It gradually got better and today he walked the stairs, no problem.
—he has to walk on the treadmill, no holding onto the bars. This was totally impossible before the first stem cell injection but after the injection he could walk without holding on but he still stumbled once in a while. The doctor has increased the speed everyday and today he was walking very fast, still no bars without one stumble.
—he has to stand on one foot and balance. This is very difficult but has improved and he now can balance but only with eyes open never closed or he will fall still.
— There are so many exercises to help with balance and coordination and each has gotten better. He works very hard at everything he does and should be very proud of himself, I definately am.
My little tests are my scale of his improvement:
walking while holding on to a full glass of water
walking one foot in front of the other( like sobriety test)
trying to run
getting around in the dark
When we first tried each of these he was totally unable to do the run and one foot infront. The glass of water he could do but he had to really concentrate and it still was off balance. These have all improved. JC finds that even when he walks now his legs don’t drag as they used to and his hands have stopped that Parkinson’s like shake.
He can not run but he does have the gallop starting.
The water test was done with little concentration and with great balance.
He was never able to move around in the dark without falling and having to be picked up but since the 1st injection has had very little problem.
Today he did the toe heel toe heel, sobriety test perfect. Before I would have never thought this possible. Before he would not even attempt this because he knew that he would fall. This is proof to me and to him that these stem cell treatments are working.
Jc had always hoped that this treatment would work, but was skeptical. Since day one after 1st injection he has felt improvements and I have seen it with my own eyes, he is getting better. We are half way through this wonderful journey and can’t wait to see the progress from the next injections. JC is very pleased with everything up to this point and says that he feels like he did a couple of years ago, which is a miracle in itself.
May 9th, 2007
JC had his 3rd stem cell injecton last night this was an IV not spinal so you can move around. This morning he is feeling very good. His walking is great and no head ache, his balance is a little off but he is happy. He has 2 days with no physio and acupuncture so hopefully he is up to getting out.
I had to go out last night by myself because he wasn’t feeling 100%.
I got downstairs and realized that it was raining and I didn’t have my umbrella. Everyone has an umbrella here rain or shine. That is why their skin is so nice.
I decided to venture out anyway, how bad could it be. Well I looked like a drowned rat in about two minutes, speaking of rats I nearly stepped on a big dead rat on the sidewalk, I am lucky that it wasn’t alive or I would have had a heart attack.
The reason I HAD to go out was because I needed some underwear, the laundry guy hadn’t brought our clothes back yet. I was warned about shopping here as there aren’t any sizes bigger than a 2. JC bought 2 shirts both were XXL at home M would be what he wears. Sizes are very small here because the people are very tiny. I felt that I could probably find something to get me by until the laundry came in the next day or so.
The first store I went in was just an underwear store, so there were loads of colors, styles and I figured sizes too. The girl came over as I was digging through the piles and looked at me. I tried to explain what I needed and she pointed to me and made hand gestures meaning Very large. She went and got some other girls and they all stood around digging in the piles, pointing and laughing.
I am totally serious when I tell you that I heard circus music in my head that “dut dut du dittle dut du du”, and I saw the girls now in slow motion all around me pointing and laughing, and some one saying “step right up and see the girl with the enormous underwear” in chinese of course. I decided that I would go someplace else before they started passing peanuts and popcorn around.
I went to another underwear store about 5 stores down. This store seemed a little less carnival like and I began looking. The store attendant came over and looked at me , saying “you need, you need” and pointing to me. I shook my head yes and she gave a thumbs up and I thought great I’ll show those circus girls at the other store. The sales lady came out with another worker and they each grabbed a side of the pair of underwear and began pulling trying to stretch it, tugging on it, pulling with all their strength, grunting, threads ripping, I turned and got out of there fast. I hope it wasn’t a ” we stretch it, you bought it” store.
I walked very quickly back to the hospital, trying to process what had just happened. When I got back to the room, our laundry bag was in front of the door waiting, thank goodness, I couldn’t stop laughing. PS I will never be able to play tug of war again……………..
May 5th, 2007
i am 2;30 from my 3 rd injection and Cherie is out making her round of migeling whit everybody.but i dont mind because whit out her i would n’t speak to anybody.today i am feeling better i have been sick fro 3 days ,every time we try to go out to eat at sea world i would site down for 2 min and cold sweat and a very bad headache then we had to go back to the hospital.Cherie is wounderful with everything she got the nurses and doctor that are aloud to touch me on a list and anybody that is not on the list you better keep away lol.
we went to do some shopping this morning at the zebra shop nice store but if you have a balance probleme like i do you bettre sit down at the entrance because if you break you bought it and we are not rich .
We have made so many new friends her 3 family from canada ,2 from us ,1 scotland, 1 from australia and so on and so on.
let me tell you about the driving since i was raise in Montreal i tought i was a very agresif driver noooooooooop.not here imagine 3 lane whit cars coming frome every direction and adding people on bickes and eletric bickes and pedestrian all at once .i cant belive there is not the many accident .
anyways i have to go get my stemcells iv i hope it is not (bone scraper)lol i don’t think Cherie put here back on the list.i hope not
May 4th, 2007
Jc has a head ache now after the the swallowing collar and has to lay down for the rest of the night. I venture off to get something to eat down the road it is 6:00 and JC is worried that it is going to be dark soon. Where I am going he can watch from our room the whole way. So as I make my way down the road I am looking up and waving every so often, knowing this will ease his mind. I can’t see him, it is so far up, but I know that he must have his eyes glued to me. I hurry back and carry our food bag in my left hand ready with my right if someone wants to try something. It is soooooooo crowded but because there are no other blonds here he can spot me a mile away. I know that he must be going crazy because I am taking so long because I stop and talk to some of our friends who are going out for a walk and say goodbye to a friend who is waiting to go to the airport. ” I have to get back ” I say, ” JC is going to call the police soon ( even though we do not know how to do this or even say police or help for that matter) if I am any longer. So I am rushing from the 1st floor up to the 14th, taking the stairs, thinking he is probably on his way down in an elevator to go out to look for me. I make it to our room sweat pouring off, food in hand and I say ” I’m back”. He says “I forgot all about you”. I notice the curtains are closed, I ask ” did you even watch me waving up here”. Oh I thought that I couldn’t see you from up here. So much for the love birds I saw swirling around him the other day I quess they have disapppeared with all the other birds around here.
JC had a good sleep and feels a little better and does physio and accupuncture, but no swallowing collar he doesn’t want to take a chance.
We make plans to go out with a bunch of our friends from the hospital to a Japanese restaurant. We take a taxi with some new friends from Scotland it’s their 1st ride. We tell them to fasten their seatbelts and hang on. We dodge buses, people, squeeze in between other cars scraping the sides I am sure, we have no idea how we have made it in one piece with no accidents and no people on the hood of our taxi. We get out and are very relieved, the new people can’t believe what just happened and that they have to do it again in about another hour to go back.
We get to the restaurant and there is about 17 of us all around a big grill with our own chefs cooking in front of us like in the movies. It is very nice but when we look at the menu we know it’s going to be another hungry night. Well we order but I guess the way it works is everyone gets a little of everything. We aren’t going to get to eat anyway because JC is feeling very sick to his stomach and has a cold sweat. I ask for our bill and say goodbye to the gang and head back. The nurse takes his temperature, it’s normal which is good news because fever kills stem cells. He is sleeping now and I hope and pray he feels better tomorrow. It is alot of weight on my shoulders because if anythings happens it was all my idea, but I know in my heart that this is where we are supposed to be and his body is getting better.
May 1st, 2007
