Archive for December, 2009
- Sleeping through the 5th Stem Cell Transfer
Hello Again;
This morning started off with a visit from Dr. Apple which was pretty routine. She took London into the the dark bathroom and checked her eyes and they once again dilated and we were thrilled to say the least.
Next was Physical Therapy and London was difficult again and wanted no part of it today. Since we couldn’t get much done in the therapy department we went on to Electric Wave Therapy which she enjoys. When everything was done we returned to our room for a little lunch and Dr. Apple returned with the results of the MRI London had done yesterday. After comparing them with her infant MRI there was little change. We didn’t expect any change with the MRI it’s just too early. It was extremely interesting to see the parts of the brain that are under developed and she answered all our questions. Only time will tell just how much improvement she may get from the stem cell transfers which will continue to grow long after we have returned home. Continuing her therapy will be an essential part of her growth both physically and developmentally. For now we will have to be patient and continue our prayers.
As everyone is aware by now it was London’s 5th stem cell procedure this evening. They had kept her IV in from Monday and kept flushing it out a couple times a day so they wouldn’t need to poke her again. We were called up to the 9th floor at about 8:20 PM they hooked her all up to receive her stem cell transfer but the IV was apparently clogged up and they ended up taking the IV out and putting in a new one. She cried her pretty little head off then fell asleep in grandma’s arms and received her stem cells. We finished about 9:30 PM and she is now sleeping like the little angel she is and all I can think about is what a blessing it is to have London in our lives.
That’s about all I have to report today and I will let you know how her night went tomorrow.
Goodnight, Ruby, Jessie and London
December 30th, 2009
Jessie and London in our room
Hello All;
Last night after the lumbar stem cell transfer London fell asleep for some time then woke up at about 2:00 AM and cried for a couple hours. We finally got her back to sleep in the early morning hours. Dr. Apple came to examine her this morning and told us they were going to try to get the MRI again today. They gave her some medicine and she fell fast asleep had the MRI and slept the entire day. (last time they tried she woke up and they couldn’t do the MRI) I should say she was passed out the rest of the day, we even took her for a walk outside hoping she would wake up but nothing seemed to get her going.
We went to Pizza Hut for dinner with a whole bunch of people from the hospital including the wonderful translators and had a nice meal. It was great to get out of the hospital and have a good meal. Pizza Hut in China offers a great menu nothing like the ones we have seen in the U.S. London decided to sleep through the entire dinner so we had to get hers to go. We got back to the hospital and don’t ya know she wakes up and is having a ball now. Looks like it will be a night without sleep for all three of us.
Tomorrow we have PT in the morning and stem cell transfer number 5 by IV in the evening. Today’s photo is of our room at the hospital, Jessie on the bed and London passed out on the big bed in the distance. Thanks everyone for your continued support and we still enjoy reading your messages and look forward to seeing everyone in a few weeks.
Blessings to all from Qingdao, London, Jessie and Ruby
December 29th, 2009
- 4th stem cell transfer by Lumbar 1/2 way through procedures!
Hello All;
Well today marks our half way point with London’s Stem Cell Transfers. We started off the day with the normal Physical Therapy. Then we had to make a trip to the Bank Of China with our translator Jack. On December 23 I had to make a withdrawal out of our account for the Electric Wave Therapy machine we are bringing home with us for London’s continued treatment. Well the ATM took my card (my mistake) and I had to go to the bank to show my passport to retrieve my card. Thankfully that all worked out and we were able to get the card back. We were down to our last RMB (Chinese money) and had to use credit for last night’s dinner. Yugg, but everything is okay now thank God.
After retrieving my card we were in desperate need of diapers, milk and a few other items London needed. So the translator told the cab driver to take us to the “RT Mart” this is a market you can get diapers and such for a little less expense than the mall across the street from the hospital. So we arrived at the RT Mart, paid the cab driver and thought he would wait for us, but no………….we did our grocery shopping and came out to catch the cab back and no one new what we were saying and we didn’t have the hospital address or anything written on paper for the cab drivers lined up at the RT Mart to help people.
We went to several different cabs trying to tell them “Peoples Hospital” as this is the name of the Qingdao hospital but no one understood us. Finally this Chinese man driving pretty much a 3 wheeled motorcycle with a camper on top talked to us and we were able to communicate enough with him as to where we wanted to go. This cab was so small I didn’t think the 3 of us and our groceries would fit and we were still scared he couldn’t understand us. Jessie said “No way am I getting in there” and I said ”he seems to understand where we need to go and no one else understands get in.” So off we go in this beater little thing laughing our butts off because I for one could barely get in the side was so high off the ground I had to assist my foot to get in. Off we were door on my side wouldn’t close, and this thing is so loud and bumpy London is laughing hysterically which made all of us laugh.
Sure enough the nice man knew what I was conveying to him and we made it back to the hospital without any major malfunctions. It was a ride we will laugh about for years to come. I can’t explain how funny the entire experience really was and when we were safe and sound in the hospital parking lot, again we burst into laughter.
The rest of the afternoon we waited on London’s stem cell procedure, we went down to the pediatric department to get her IV line in and that took 3 tries before they were able to get a vein and London was screaming her head off. They wanted to put it into a vein in her head but we insisted on the hand and they were able to get it on the 3rd try. We didn’t want to put it into the head because London sleeps on her tummy and rubs her face into the bed, back and forth, left to right and we just knew she would rub the iv line out of her head. So that was finally taken care of, got her back to the room in time to give her some dinner (she has to eat at no more than 2 hours before a lumbar procedure.)
With dinner over we relaxed a little while then went to have her 4th stem cell procedure about 8:30 PM. She was difficult for the doctors this time and didn’t want to lay on her side for the lumbar and cried because she was mad. The procedure went well other than she didn’t want to cooperate. We had her back in the room about 9:15 PM she fussed a little over an hour and now she is sleeping well. She has to stay flat for 6 hours after a lumbar treatment and it is now a little after midnight.
That is the news for today I will let you know in the morning how she rested and if there were any side effects.
Until tomorrow; With Light and Love; Ruby, Jessie and London
December 29th, 2009
- Snow in Qingdao this AM
Hello All;
Another day off today and no appointments for London. I woke up this AM about 5:00 Jessie and London still fast asleep so I decided to get a cup of coffee and take a walk downstairs. Much to my surprise it was snowing in Qingdao and it was a nice change. When I came back up to the room and the girls woke up and Jessie was mad it was snowing hahaha.
Our friends from Australia had never been in the snow so it was very exciting for them and they made snowballs. Outside the hospital there was a little army of Chinese hospital employees down stairs with their brooms made of what looks like tree branches and limbs sweeping the snow away. They even had little snow shovels made with wood handles and aluminum (looks like press room plates) It was pretty fun watching them all out there removing what was really a dusting of snow. The people driving cars, motorcycles, scooters and bicycles were all going very slow and cautious.
Other news is London has picked up a bad habit of grinding her teeth and it sounds like nails running down a chalk board we are trying to break her of the new found fun. It brings chills down the arms and back whenever she does it. .
Tomorrow (Monday in China) we have our regular PT in the morning then at 8:15 PM we have stem cell transfer number 4 by Lumbar. This treatment replaces the Christmas day treatment we missed and marks London’s 1/2 way point for treatments. On Thursday we will also have another treatment by IV so things are moving along.
We tried moving our flight to an earlier date to return home but everything is booked up so that won’t happen now. Today’s photo is looking out our hospital room window to the mall across the street. Nothing else to report on this nice relaxing day off, will talk to you all soon.
Missing everyone.. London, Jessie and Ruby
December 27th, 2009
Peoples Hospital Qingdao China
HI Everyone;
Today was a free day so London didn’t have anything to do and we stayed in all day. It was very cold out so we just kicked back. London was really happy and we played all day, watched some “Friends” on video and just relaxed. No needles, therapy or Doctors and I think she enjoys it when she is not getting poked or made to do PT things that make her angry.
We got our new schedule for next week so London will have the Lumbar she was scheduled to have on Christmas day on Monday then she will have another IV transfer on Thursday.
Hope everyone enjoyed Christmas day and had lots of love and good food! Tomorrow we were going to go out to Jimo Market again, but decided to stay in. It would be nice to sleep in a bit but London seems to wake us up early everyday even if she goes to bed a little later.
Will write more later, have a wonderful day and know we are all thinking of you all and miss you bunches.
xoxoxo Jessie, London and Ruby
December 26th, 2009
Special Christmas for some really special people!!
Merry Christmas from Qingdao China everyone;
Today started off with the Dr. visits then PT. The nurses came in in the early afternoon and put London’s iv in for her Lumbar stem cell treatment scheduled for 8:30 PM. London had woke up this morning at 5:30 AM so we decided to take a little nap. After that we had the day off until time for our little Christmas party for all the kids and family’s in the VIP ward having stem cell treatments. Today’s photo is our wonderful friends we are sharing this holiday season with and we have become sort of a big stem cell family. For Christmas dinner we shared pizza and chicken. Not the usual feast we would have had on Christmas day but enjoyed our time together in a foreign land. The kids all had gifts to open from each family. It was special for the kids and we created our own little Christmas and were reminded why we are all here and the blessings we all have in our lives.
London (and others) had to eat 2 hours before stem cell transfer so we scheduled the meal around the patients who had to eat early so they could all enjoy! Then just about time for her to get ready they came in and told us the plane could not make it to our hospital so our treatment scheduled for Christmas day is canceled until Monday. Yugg we were a bit disappointed but what can you do?? So we visited with everyone a couple more hours and now we are in the room relaxing.
WE have the next two days off and Sunday we are planning to get out of the Hospital for a few hours.
Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and we love and miss you all. God Bless each and every one of you. May you have the most blessed Christmas ever.
From Qingdao China Merry Christmas; London, Jessie and Ruby
December 26th, 2009
- Christmas Eve PT
Hello Everyone;
This morning the Dr.s came in and examined London as usual and took her into the dark room again. Little London accompanied by 2 Dr.s, Jessie and a translator went into the room for a few minutes and when they came out they told us London’s eyes are still dilating and they are happy with her progress especially after only 3 treatments. So we are happy, hopeful and waiting for our miracle stem cells to open up the world for London. I must admit tears of joy came today and it was all good!
Next on the agenda for today was physical therapy which London did better than usual and didn’t give Jason such a hard time. After PT Dr. Apple came in to tell us she had ordered London an MRI and we would be going down about 2:00PM. So we took a little walk and when we returned they gave London some medicine to make her sleep a little and off to the MRI we went. When we got down to have the MRI we had to wait for a while and the medicine wore off and she wouldn’t lay still so she was not able to have it today. They thought about doing it on the morning of Christmas day (tomorrow in China) but decided against it because she also has her 4th stem cell treatment (Lumbar) tomorrow and didn’t want to give her 2 types of medication in one day. So she will have the MRI next week which is fine because the MRI will come after another stem cell treatment. The last MRI she had was when she was less than a month old so it will be good to see what changes have gone on in her little brain and eyes.
That is about all we have to report on this Christmas Eve in China, and we hope and trust everyone will have a wonderful, beautiful Christmas filled with joy!
God Bless everyone on the Eve of Christmas and thank you all for everything you have done to give London this opportunity for site, this is the best gift we could ever imagine giving to our little girl and you all have helped to make this dream a reality.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night, Ruby, Jessie and London
December 24th, 2009
- A little upset with mom and Grandma
Hello Everyone;
Today was great, they came to take London’s blood to check her hormone level and they got it on the first try!! Then she had PT screamed her head off, Electric Wave Therapy and did great she loves this. Then came acupuncture which she did a little screaming then almost fell asleep.
Another great thing happened at least I hope it was what I thought. I took London into the bathroom where it was dark. One of the other families gave us a wand that lights up different colors and flashes at different speeds. We were in the bathroom in the dark I turned it on at different speeds and she started laughing and smiling. I really think she saw the light, but I can’t say for sure. She was really happy though and I was as happy watching her as she was the wand. Let’s just hope it was what we have been hoping for!! Jessie was at the store when I did this and tonight we will try it again while we are all in the bathroom. Maybe we can all experience it again together.
That was the excitement for today and tomorrow we have the regular 3 therapies and it’s Christmas Eve. It sure doesn’t seem like Christmas but we hope everyone has a wonderful holiday. We will be thinking of you all and will be with you in Spirit.
Until tomorrow, be well everyone! London, Jessie and Ruby
PS Today’s picture was London in our room she wasn’t really as mad as she looks but we thought it was a funny photo to share. hehehehe Think maybe they gave her crazy stem cells heheheh.
December 23rd, 2009
London upset with Jason at PT
Hello All;
London was so cranky today and we feel really bad for Jason her physical therapist. She screamed her way through physical therapy as well as acupressure. She still enjoys the electric wave therapy and the machine we ordered to take home with us arrived. We plan to continue the electric wave at home.
Dr. Apple came in to see London today and put her in the dark room again and she said her eyes were responding to light and dilating a small amount. Again this is good news because at home her eyes have never dilated so it’s a step in the right direction. Friday will mark the 1/2 way point with her treatments. We will have her second of 4 lumbar stem cell transfers.
We got back into the room this afternoon from PT and acupressure and wouldn’t you know London is in a great mood to bad she was not so happy with Jason. Poor guy, she still hates being made to do anything London doesn’t want to do. She is getting better with her mobility though and is walking much better. Jessie and I have been walking her hand and hand down the hallways and in our room. You can tell when she has enough though because she screeches at the top of her lungs. We will just keep making her do it though and hope she is walking on her own before we come home.
Our friends from Ireland (Barbara and Mia) left for home today, Mia is a sweet little girl and she has also been having treatments. We wished them well and they are on their way home now. One thing, we have met a bunch of wonderful families here and it will be a joy to continue correspondence with them after they leave.
Tomorrow London has her regular 3 therapies and hopefully she will be in a better mood.
Until tomorrow from Qingdao; Ruby, Jessie and London
December 22nd, 2009
Hello Everyone!
Today London only had Physical Therapy and was cranky for Jason this morning, the rest of the day we waited on stem cell transfer 3. After waiting all day long we were finally called upstairs for London’s second of 4 IV stem cells transfers. Christmas day will mark her 4th procedure 2nd by lumbar and 1/2 way done with her treatments.
London had her treatment and at first she vomited just a little but was ok within minutes. She slept through the night and was feeling well after a few hours of sleep.
We hope everyone is out doing their last minute Christmas shopping and we hope everyone has a wonderful time. We love and miss you all dearly.
With Light and Love; London, Jessie and Ruby
Stem Cell Transfer 3
December 21st, 2009
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