Posts filed under 'cp'
22nd September 2008
Hi Everyone ,
Louise is fine she still thinks of all the staff back in Hangzou Hospital.She says hi to them all and says keep intouch on (msn).
Last week louise was not feeling well for two days with a headache and temperature.Now she is fine and two days sgo i noticed something happen that has never happened before.Louise was sitting at the computer table and she did not have her shoes on.louise got up from her chair and walked from our dining room table with no shoe’s on and walked through the front room and then walked upstairs.
Louise could not walk before without shoes on ,and not get frightened that she would fall over.
I would also like to add that louise did not have her protective helmet on either.Louise has not worn the helmet on her head now for 3 months.This is a huge improvement.
Her speech continues to get stronger and longer sentences when she speaks.She feels less stiff in the hands and slightly less stiff in the feet.She seems to be very sharp at answering questions and more alert than before.
She is not frightened of walking around the inside of our house with no protective helmet on.Confidence is getting better and louise has noticed that.
Must go .i will update you all on her progress.
Louise’s mum(Tracy)
September 23rd, 2008
27th August 2008
Hi everyone,
Louise is well . She herself has seen improvements to her condition , very small improvements but they are big to her and of course us.She does not cough as much as she used to , when she eats her food and drinks from a straw.
I have noticed that there has been another improvement .Louise used to hiccup all the time when ever she had a drink and sometimes when she eat.This has stopped .
She seems to be improving with her speech all the time and saying longer sentences .Her top lip always moves because before the treatment she would always talk through the teeth instead of moving her top lip when talking.Louise does not seem as nervious to talk to someone new now and have a conversation.
Louise’s speech therapist has even noticed that her speech is a lot clearer and she now talks in a more longer sentence.
We have only been home for about six weeks and we have noticed those very small improvements.Hopefully we will see more to come in the next six months.
Must go .I will update you on any more improvements.
August 27th, 2008
Friday 1st August 2008
Hi everyone,It has been nearly three weeks now since we returned from China.Louise is missing all the staff at the Hospital and wants to go back to China already.
Louise keeps in regular contact with all the staff at the hospital using the internet and webcam.We have noticed small things happening since we have been home.Louise has less jerky movements and her speech is more clearer when she speaks.Louise can say longer sentences without getting very nervious and having to stop.
Louise still continues not to wear her protective helmet on her head when she walks around the house .Louise seems to be alot more confident when she is not wearing her helmet ,for which she has always wanted to get off her head but fear of hurting herself if she fell over.
I will update you on any more improvements later
August 2nd, 2008
Monday 14th July 2008
Hi Everyone,
Finally we arrived at London Heathrow Airport on Monday 14th July at 12.15pm.Louise and i were very tired from the long flight that we had.The flight took 14 hours .
We collected our luggage and louise’s wheelchair from the arrival department ,but noticed that Louise’s wheelchair seat missing.You can imagine we were both very tired and to be told that her seat was missing well i had a mixture of tiredness and was not happy to be told that they had lost her seat.
We were given a telephone number to contact when we got back home because they said that they would pay for it.Well since we have been back i have tried to contact them and i have had no reply.I have decided to write to them instead ,maybe i will get an answer and they will pay the four hundred pounds for the seat.That is how much it costs apparently because i contacted the company where louise gets her wheelchair from.
Louise slept all through the night but i could not i kept waking up several times in the early hours of the morning.
Tuesday 15th July 2008
Louise did not got to school she was too tired from the long flight so she slept in without waking up in the night.Again i woke up several times .
Wednesday 16th July 2008
Louise went back to school.She could not wait to see her friends and tell them all about china and her treatment.When Louise came home from school she said that she fell a sleep , she did look very tired.That night she went to bed at 8pm and she never woke up until 6.30am on Thursday 17th July 08
Thursday 17th July 2008
We have noticed that since we have been back from china, that Louise does not ask to wear her protective helmet that she used to wear on her head.Louise said yesterday that she did not want to wear it.Louise has not been wearing her Helmet at home and to me it is a small improvement that we have wanted for so long ,because louise is aware of her balance problems and she was always falling over or she would be frightened of hurting herself and that’s why she liked wearing that helmet.
I will update louise’s blog again later
July 18th, 2008
Hi Everyone,
Thankyou for your comments ,i will answer them when i get back home next week and we have both got over the jet lag.
Louise had her 2nd Lumbar puncture last Wednesday.Louise recovered alot more quickly than when she had the first Lumbar puncture .I asked the doctor why louise took so long to recover from her first lumbar puncture.The doctor said that the first one always takes time and the next ones to follow only take a few days.
Monday 9TH July 08
Louise had physiotherapy at 9am .Her physio makes her work very hard and he does lots of stretching exercises .Louise always feels so much better when she has seen her physio her in Hangzhou Hospital.
After physiotherapy Louise had some free time .Louise likes to chat to the staff here and she also likes to spend time on the internet .
At 11.30 am Louise had her lunch .Louise had her lunch very early because she has a lumbar puncture today at 2.30pm and she cannot eat after 12.30pm.
Louise had her 3rd Lumbar puncture at 2.30pm.All went well , and louise had to lie there for six hours.Louise had a headache for two days and it eventually went away after the doctor gave her medication to take.Louise was still complaining of a sore back (Lower half of the back).Nurses brought in a heat lamp to try and take some of the pain away.
Finally the back pain has gone and louise is okay.Louise is busy on the ward making everyone laugh.
Friday 11th July 08
Louise finally has her last treatment of stemcells.Louise will have her injection of stem cells in the hand, today at 6.30pm.These cells will travel around her body.louise is looking forward to her last injection .Louise has had six stem cell treatments in total and each time she has a treatment of stem cells there are 10 million cells that travel around her body and to the brain.
Doctors here, have said that it could take between three to six months for you to see any more signs of improvement to louise .
We keep our fingers crossed and if there is any improvement ,we will be back again for more treatment in the future.
Sunday 13th July08
Louise and i will be leaving the hospital at 6pm and will travel to Shanghai Airport .Our flight departs at 11.30pm and we arrive at London Heathrow on the 14th July at 12.15 noon.
We will miss everyone here , they have been so helpful and they have looked after louise .
July 11th, 2008
Friday 4th July08
Hi Everyone,
Louise and are okay, louise and i went to West lake on Sunday with another patient and his sister also from the uk .We walked halfway around the lake and then we went to the zoo which is not very wheelchair friendly.The weather was so hot and we did not get back to the hospital until 6pm.we were very tired.
On Monday 1st July louise walked without wearing her protective helmet on her head around the ward.she did this five times and the doctors videod louise doing this.Usually louise is very scared to walk on her own or around furniture but she wasn’t.
Wednesday 2nd July08
Louise had her 2nd Lumbar puncture of stem cells .She had to lie on her back or her side for 6 hours.She was sore and she also had a headache .
Thursday 3rd July08
Louise woke up with a headache and the doctor came to our room and gave her some medication and said that she had to drink plenty of water.Louise was fine in the afternoon because she was chatting to all the staff in the treatment room and winding them all up especially lucy and James.
Friday 4th July08
Louise woke up this morning with a bad headache so i called the nurse into our room and the nurse called the doctor in.The doctor said she would give louise some medication and that louise had to rest this morning on her bed.Louise stayed on her bed and went to sleep for a few hours.
Eventually louise’s headache went and she was okay.At 3pm louise and i decided to go to the local park over the road from the hospital.We did not realise that it was so hot outside until we went outside.The heat hits you as soon as you walk through the doors of the hospital.
We did manage to get across the road before getting run over.The chinese people , do drive alot different from us in the uk.
The park over the road is lovely and clean with frogs that make alot of noise we did manage to see one and it was very small.It was so hot that we decided to go back to the hospital louise and i looked like red beetroots and we were only outside for about half an hour.We could not wait to get back to the hospital and be in an air conditioned building.
Saturday 5th July 08
Louise’s free day we are making the most of it and are going out with a family from the (usa) to the market.
July 4th, 2008
20th June 08.
Hi everyone louise and i are okay .we arrived safely in Shanghai on the 16th June ,we were both very tired from the long flight which was 14 and a hours.we were picked up from shanghai airport at 3.30pm by one of the interpreters and taken to Hangzhou Hospital .All the staff here are very nice and helpful and look after their patients .Louise had her first (iv) of stem cells on Friday 20th June, she had to sit on a chair for fourty minutes.Louise watched while the needle went into her arm and then the stem cells went from the small bag down through the tube and into her arm.These cells will travel around her body .
Sunday 22nd June 08
Two days after louise’s iv treatment louise noticed a reaction with her arms.Louise and i were having our dinner in our hospital room and we both noticed a quick reaction that she did when she picked up her cup from the table and when brought the cup up to her mouth to have a drink.It was very controlled and not jerky like she was before the treatment.
Monday 23rd June 08
Louise had her first Lumbar puncture on Monday 23rd June and it was very quick .Although louise was complaining of pain in her lower back and the medical staff gave her some pain relief and she had to lay on her back for six hours.
Tuesday 24t June 2008
Louise still in pain and the doctor came to see her and decided to give her some painkillers to get rid of the pain.In the evening we had a family get together and eat sandwiches.Did not go to bed until 10.30 that night.
Wednesday 25th June 2008
Louise stil in pain from the lumbar puncture on Monday.Doctor came to see her and gave her an (IV) of painkiller to ease the pain.The pain seems to be easing off but is taking a while.Louise tryed Acupuncture today and she was so scared that she tensed up and got very stiff .That has now been cancelled because louise was very frightened of it .
Saturday 28th June
Louise had her 2nd (IV) treatment of stem cells today at 1.30pm .She felt okay afterwards .
Monday 30th June
Louise had physiotherapy today at 9.10am with her physio who is called James.James does make Louise work really hard and he makes louise do lots of stretching exercises .
3.00pm Today Louise had Electrical wave therapy which stimulates the muscles to make them stronger.This treatment lasts for about fourty minutes ,. Louise is always glad when it is over .
Wednesday 2nd July 08
Louise has her next Lumbar puncture ,which is due in the afternoon
June 30th, 2008
