Archive for October, 2008
Well, the nurses have just brought Kitty back from theatre after only half an hour. She’s all smiles now but going down there was really not a pleasant experience. Tiny little thing in a huge hospital bed being wheeled through the hospital corridors, clutching her doggy “Stanley”! We weren’t there long before they administered a general through her I.V. line. Seconds later she was asleep and Mum and I were struggling to hold back the tears. It was just really upsetting to see her so limp with her eyes half closed.
But, she’s back now, and the next test is to keep her lying flat on her back without lifting her head, for the next 6 hrs. She can lie on her side too, but she mustn’t lift her head in order to avoid a spinal headache. I’ve put a Bob The Builder dvd on, which has entertained her for a whole 5 mins. If she struggles to keep still, the docs have said they can give her valium! Maybe Mum and I can have some too!!!! Only another hour to go before she can have a drink, and another 3 before she can eat.
Later ;
Not been too bad, Kitty has been a little star. She hasn’t had any extra sedative, so hoping she’ll be fast asleep by 8p.m. She was so hungry, but had to be fed lying down. We thought this was just going to be a hugely messy operation, but it was fine. Kitty pretty much just inhaled the food, she was so ravenous. Not surprising as she hadn’t eaten for 10 hours.
Just put Kits to bed, Mum gone back to her hotel. It’s saturday tomorrow so we don’t have to hang around the hospital all day, so, if Kitty’s up to it we might go out to explore a bit. What I’ve seen so far hasn’t been very pushchair friendly but we all need a break from the hospital environment.
The big box set of “Desperate Housewives” series 1, 2 and 3 is helping me through today. Got quite a few discs to go!! Hope all our lovely friends are well and happy, and I’m looking forward to catching up soon with those of you I can share beer with!
Love Deb x
October 31st, 2008
I am already being asked if I have noticed any changes in Kitty since her I.V. treatment on Monday! The first thing I did say to the crowd of doctors waiting for my answer was, “well, she’s alot happier today!” That was yesterday, and less than 24hrs had passed, but today one of the other Mum’s asked if Kitty was walking better in her walker, and although it was something I thought I’d seen, I hadn’t commented on it in case I was just looking for a change. The environment here is great for her to scoot around, but once she gets going, her speed and number of really good steps is impressive. Maybe it’s just the space and floor surface, or maybe those little cells are helping already?
Kitty had acupressure this morning, after electro wave therapy and just before an hour of physio, so she was exhausted. Many of the patients do have acupuncture, but apparently because Kits had seizures after she was born, it was decided she should’t have a load of acupuncture needles stuck in her. (Sorry Caro, won’t be able to bring back those photos for you!!).
Well, the futon mattress is calling. I’m tempted to ask one of the therapists here for a deep tissue back massage, it’s like sleeping on concrete. Might chuck a few RMB’s (local dosh) at a foam mattress and then just leave it here. Got another 20 days to get through, and plenty of spending to do! That will have to wait till the weekend though, as our days are full of therapies, check ups, and of course treatments!
Wishing everyone well,
More noodles anyone?? x
October 29th, 2008
Kitty was a little star for her first treatment, very calm and still (unusually)! Although I wrote the worst was over for the day, of course it wasn’t quite as simple as that and Kittys i.v. didn’t work properly straight away so there was more messing about with the needle in her hand which was painful for her!! However, like everyone here says, thats the easy one over with, the spinals are much harder as explained previously. Her first spinal will be on friday, Halloween, pretty apt!!
The hospital staff here are great, and still cooing at Kitty. Being stared at in the street and supermarket etc. is quite strange. It will probably be my only experience of celebrity, without being a celebrity!!!People actually stop and stare at the blond baby, she just stares back!
Mum is staying in a hotel about a 15 min walk from here so she has seen a bit more of the surrounding area than I have, but between the electro wave therapy, physio, acupuncture and stem cell injections, I’m hoping to actually get out and about to see the local area. One place I might avoid is the open market where some of the other parents here have taken some pretty gruesome shots of smoked dogs heads! Just a very different culture. Apparently there’s a very lovely beach, beautiful park, and some other great markets to get gifts and even have clothes made very cheaply.
Most of the parents I have chatted to are very positive about what they are doing and say they do see some changes, although it is early days of course. What is great about meeting people that have already been here a while, is they have given us plenty of tips about what to buy, where to visit, and even things to ask for at the hospital to make the injections more bearabe for Kitty, (and us)!
Unfortunately it’s quite noisy in reception, which is very close to our room and I can now hear Kitty screaming, having been asleep, so it’s going to be a long night!
Deb x
October 27th, 2008
It’s nearly time to take Kitty for her first I.V. injection of stem cells. The first is always by i.v. so the docs can see what kind of reaction she has. All being well, her next 4 treatments will be spinal injections, which she will have to be sedated for. The risk of severe spinal headache is quite high after spinal treatments, so she can’t eat 6 hrs before or 4 hrs after, and she will have to lie flat for up to 6 hrs after!!! Not looking forward to that, she can’t keep still for 6 mins! Anyway, the first spinal will be on friday at 2p.m. (8a.m. english time, 10a.m. S.A. time).
We have to get through today first which shouldn’t be too bad. Poor Kits has had the worst of it for today already when the nurse woke her up early this morning to take blood, then put her i.v. line in at 11a.m. so she’s feeling a little sorry for herself I think. Having said that, as soon as grandma started feeding her lunch she was all smiles.
Nurse has just come in to take us to the i.v. room, so I’ll post again later!
Wish us luck xxxxxxxxxxxxx
October 27th, 2008
What a journey! We’ve been here just over 24 hrs now, and although Kits sometimes looks a little bemused, she’s just getting on with things and scooting down the corridor in her walker as soon as I open the hospital room door!
I’ve spent a large part of the evening chatting to one of the other mums here whilst trying to get on line, so although I intended to write a whole diary piece of our trip so far, it’s now nearly 1 a.m. and Kitty has her first stem cell injection tomorrow, so I need to get some sleep. We’ve lost 6 hrs in the time difference, but it feels like so much more. The sedative the g.p. gave me for Kitty for the journey seemed to do the opposite to her. She went completely hyper and started belly laughing at nothing in particular. Hence I got no sleep and still feel spaced. Maybe I should be taking it instead of her!!!!
O.K. So now I seem to have messed around with the text, but sitting here in the dark, and it’s gone one in the morning I can’t be bothered to try and change it!
Thank you to everyone who has posted a message, it’s so lovely to know you are all out there sending us wishes and luck.
Deb, Kits and Wendy
October 27th, 2008
After a great 25 min skype conversation with Deb, Kits & Wendy, the line went dead and so Debbie cannot get on to give you all an update, hopefully it will be sorted out quickly. Anyway, after a long and by the sounds of it a pretty hard journey, they are all safely in Qingdao. Kitty is a bit tired and hopefully will be OK after a good nights sleep tonight as she has her first stem cell injection tomorrow morning. The hospital sounds (and looked) very nice and there are a lot of other English speaking nationalities there having stem cell treatment too. Everyone is very positive about the results for their families.
The girls went shopping with a translator and Kitty caused quite a stir, guess blonde haired babies are a bit of a rarity in China!
October 26th, 2008
2 days to go and things are getting pretty mad here in Cape Town. So much to organise and such a long flight to get through, we are all very excited and nervous at the same time. Kitty is in good health and has had a great few weeks with her physio and the hippotherapy, her stability has really come on a long way. Very pleased we are taking this step and looking forward to getting on with it!
October 21st, 2008
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October 15th, 2008
