When we first arrived the doctor’s did their usual neurological tests. I knew that he had gotten worse again over the last couple of months but I was surprised at just how difficult simple tasks had gotten for him. In the hustle and bustle of busy life I guess I wasn’t seeing just had bad it had gotten for him. JC is great at pushing on, trying to do everything and never complaining so I didn’t realize just how much he has been struggling. We came back at the right time!

                       For those of you who do not know, JC ’s main problem is his balance. He has trouble walking because of this and needs his cane. He has even had to use his walker out at the malls because of the crowds. He needs something to steady him when walking and uses walls or furniture to keep his balance when not using the cane. If it is dark he can not function at all, he will fall and not be able to get up. He can not bend over to pick up things without holding on to something to keep him steady and has to sit to tie his shoes. His speech is slurred at times and chokes often because of the muscles in his throat and tongue have weakened because of the disease. JC has always been a very active guy and continues to go for walks daily even if that means falling along the way, he gets back up and continues on. This has definately been an asset in his being able to do well in his physio here. His positive attitude has also played an important role in his treatment. He experienced the same symptoms before coming to china the first time last year but after the injections last year all these symptoms improved about 80% for about 8 months.We can only hope and pray that we will see the same if not better results this time and that they will last for a long long time.

Now that you all have a good idea of what his symptoms are I can give you a better idea of how much he has improved.

I have my own set of tests to gage just how much he is improving like last year. The carrying a full glass of water test, the heel toe heel toe test, and bending down to pick up something.  Before the 1st injection he needed to hold  onto something to keep his balance when carrying the water and the water still spilled. He could not get the motion of heel toe, so that was impossible and bending over to pick up a pen, again he had to steady himself with something. Coming back to China this time he felt better because he still has some of his improvements from the last treatments. So even though he has trouble performing these tasks it is still better than where he was before the stem cell injections last year but not to the level he was after the stemcells for the 8 months, if that makes sense. 

After the 1st injection he no longer uses his cane to walk. He finds that his balance has improved. He has done better on my tests and the physio doc is very pleased with the progress just after 1 injection. The doc has set 3 goals for JC after seeing that he is more steady on his feet. He wants him to be able to hold his balance on one leg for a minute, sounds easy, try it, it is hard even for those without balance problems. Before at the initial assessment for physio he held it a few seconds and then had to hold on to the bars. So this is not an easy task. He also wants him to jog. JC did get to do this after his treatments last time which was amazing but will he be able to do it again and keep it up? Lastly he thinks that JC will be able to hop on one foot like hop scotch and jump, he hasn’t done that task in years. He was not made to do this last year but JC believes this will be his greatest challenge.

I am not going to go through how he improved after each injection. The blog wasn’t working, it would be difficult to write it all down now day by day and we are almost ready to go home less than a week left.

Happy to report: (after 4 stem cell injections) 

(these results are not constant, some days are really great, others ok but all are better than when we first arrived)

                           JC can walk now without stumbling . He can hold my hand now when we are walking because he doesn’t need the arm for balance. He has walked in unimaginable crowds here without falling. He has walked on sidewalks that are bumpy and cracked, down curbs without falling. He can walk downstairs without holding the rail. He can carry a full glass of water without the aid of the wall. He can pick up keys on the ground by just bending down normal.

                          Physio exercises have improved.  The physio doc has made us look at things differently. He says to hold your body like people without balance problems. Like he used to carry himself, it is hard to think that way and even harder to hold your body this way now that the balance has been gone, but it is necessary, to get it back. Walk bending knees at a “c” angle instead of straight like a robot and to re-balance yourself using your hips not toes. Doctor’s in Canada say to compensate your loss of balance however you can. The chinese way of thinking is to wake up the part that is sleeping with the new stem cells and train them. Our doctor’s way back home is, it’s gone, never coming back, deal with it. I love the Chinese philosophy.

                             Walking over small obstacles have improved, all balancing exercises are better. The 3 goals have been reached. Quite amazing. What would have been impossible before he has conquered. He can hop on one foot and hop over things. He can do what we call a long jump with great distance. He has done hop scotch. JC has jogged about 100 m outside the hospital a few times but he fell once and cut his leg bad ( don’t worry they poured the rubbing alcohol in it to get it cleaned, can you imagine?). Now when he jogs he has to wear a big belt with a loop for the doctor to hang onto in case he gets off balance. He can hold his balance on one leg for a minute sometimes.

                     All these accomplishments are fantastic.  We are truly excited that the stem cells did their magic, we saw what they did last time and we are in awe again.

               Stem cells are miracles.  JC has given all of himself and has worked so hard. I am very proud of him. I am so happy that he feels healthier and has a better quality of living again. He deserves it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

         There is not much to do around Qing Dao unless you go into town by taxi 1 hour away, so we walk 1/2 hour to the little shopping mall everyday to get out. When we first went to the store we were on the hunt for some food. There is a grocery section and for those of you who know me this task is stressful for me even in Canada.  I don’t like to cook and can’t cook, so I walk into any grocery store confused but here it is a nightmare. My head is spinning,  finding it hard to breath, turtles over there (not the kind I love that come in a box with chocolate and pecans), pieces of chicken hanging without bags waiting for people to touch them, spreading salmonella EVERYWHERE, I have to get out of here but wait I see a sign that says “imported food”. I rush over hoping that there will be something that looks familiar and eatable when there it is, things go a little dark around me and what appears to be a guiding light shines down on a large can of hunts tomato sauce, we are saved and I think to myself we will make it here in China after all.

We bring our finds back to the kitchen of the hospital a place that I generally try to stay out of at home. I am excited I start to boil some water for the noodles and look for a can opener for my sauce. I can’t find anything so I go to ask the hospital staff, a man who can’t speak english comes with me and I demonstrate opening the can. He understands, he reaches around looking, then pulls out this huge meat cleaver and hands it to me. I look at him and figure he doesn’t understand then he takes the knife back  lifting it high over his head then slices into the can, his fingers just next to the blade, I can’t believe he is opening it like this. The whole time I just keep thinking his fingers are going to be chopped off right in front of me. I am so desperate for that spagetti so all I’m worried about is that his fingers don’t fall into the can. It all works out, no blood, he rolls the metal back with a chop stick and JC and I have a wonderful spaghetti dinner. Tomorrow we will buy a can opener. He starts physio tomorrow.