Rachel’s Ataxia Treatment Blog

December 29th, 2006

My first stem cell injection is this afternoon. I cannot eat or drink a for four hours prior to the injection and four hours afterwards. I’ve had my accupunture and rehab exercises this morning but none this afternoon. There will be no therapists working Monday or Tuesday because of New Year public holidays.

We still haven’t been able to contact anybody back home. I really need to speak to my children. I,ve been really worried about Garry being bored whilst we are here, but he has a ball in the rehab ward with the therapists. He has got them having compeitions with the hand weights and the stop watches. Yesterday two therapists were meant to be conducting some physical tests with me and instead he had them doing races with the stop watches and then laughing at each other.

Last night Sunny and Lillian drove us to Walmart to get some groceries. This was quite an experience. The shopping was fun and the car ride was incredible. The amount of car horns going off and the lack of road rules was hilarious.

My whole body is aching today. They don’t hold back on the rehab exercises. Every muscle in my body aches and during exercises my legs shake pretty badly. Today I was meant to be on one knee whilst the other knee is up, then I have to lift my arms above my head carrying a weighted stick. This was very difficult due to the muscle aches in my legs and the shaking. It is very frustrating when your brain is telling your legs and arms what to do but they won’t listen.

I was also videod today. One of the questions they asked me was ‘What are your expectations of the treatment?’ My reply was of course “to be cured’. It is no good coming over here with anything but high hopes. If I have to I will deal with anything less later. There is only room for postive thinking here. I am really thisty and it is still 3 hours until the stem cells are here.

Entry Filed under: ataxia