HAPPY NEW YEAR
January 1st, 2007
I am writing this blog with an IV in my hand which contains special Chinese Medicine. I am supposed to have one every day after the first stem cell injection. We didn’t know this so when they went to give me one yesterday I tried to tell them they had the wrong person (a few translation problems that we managed to sort out).
I had pictures taken of my eyes on Saturday, a solution was put into my eyes to enlarge the pupils ( I think). I had to sit with my eyes shut for a while, when I was allowed to open them I looked at my watch to see what time it was and I couldn’t read it. Everything was blurry, I have some eyesight issues due to the Ataxia but this was very scary. They then put a piece of paper in front of my eyes and asked if this was my name (which they do before they do anything to you) and all I could say was I don’t know, I can’t read a thing. When I think about it, it is amazing how much trust I put into these people. All the doctors, nurses and Beike staff seem very genuine and caring but I have faith in their medicine too, perhaps it is because they haven’t given up on Ataxic patients as they have done in Australia. Even the constant, repetitive exercises are something doctors in Australia could have encouraged but instead they pretty much said, there isn’t anything we can do for you, so deal with you symptoms yourself.
On a lighter note we had dinner last night with a few of the patients, Jon, Sunny, Vivienne, Andrea, Joe and Marion (these are all Chinese Beike staff except Jon who is an American). We had a great night and some wonderful Chinese food. Walking to the restaurant we saw a skinned dog in another restaurant window (this of course made Garry’s day, he took lots of photos whilst I refused to look).
When the headache and the backache eased (the beds here do not help with back ache) after the first stem cell injection I realised that there wasn’t the usual throbbing pain associated with my arthritis, it has returned but I had the injection three days ago. Apparently when I have the stem cells through the IV I will feel even better and the constant fatigue may leave me for a while (Garry is looking forward to seeing if this eventuates). My IV is finished better call the nurse.
Entry Filed under: ataxia
3 Comments Add your own
1. Laura Ramsey | January 1st, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Dear Garry & Rach,
Happy New Year to you both!! Thankyou for your updates. We are thinking of you constantly and wish you every success. Much love to you both. Laura and Chris.
2. Renee | January 1st, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Hi Rachael & Garry,
My name is Renee & my husband David has ataxia, we live in Perth WA, I am reading your blog everyday to see how you are going. We also have a son Jack (nearly 11) and daughter Aimee (12), we wish you all the best.
Regards Renee
3. Kim Poor | January 2nd, 2007 at 3:35 am
Hi Rachel
I was at Nanshan in the fall, but had the mostimprovement uponmy return to the USA, so don’t get discouraged. FFirst improvements are usually capricious, but prtend future improvements. The Chinese medicine is an herbal mixture that encourages nerve growth, to compliment the Nerve Growth Factor ghiven after the injections. How many injections are you getting?
Too bad about the interrnet there. They have some capacity problems. Try later at night.
Kim Poor
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