I don’t have much to report today. It is Sunday here and a free day before my spinal tomorrow. Mom and I decided that we wanted to get some souvenirs bought this weekend since next weekend is our last weekend in China – HURRAY! Gracie was not very interested in shopping all day, so a very nice family here in the hospital offered to let her stay with them while we were gone. She was so relieved and I was so grateful.
Mom and I heard about a great souvenir shop just a short taxi ride away from the hospital so we decided to check it out. When we first walked in, the shop was about 6 X 8 and Mom and I took one look at each other and thought, “Well, this was a waste of time.” The person behind the counter began waving their hands and went running out the door and down the street. We know now from experience that this means, “I will be right back with somebody who speaks a little English in case you want to buy anything.” He was quickly back with somebody who worked very hard to translate and help us with everything we needed, and we were pleasantly surprised to find that as we looked around we discovered almost every treasure we had on our list in that very store.
After getting some lunch and making a few other stops, we bought a watermelon and some groceries and came back to the hospital. Mom wants me to report that when I dropped a watermelon seed on the floor I was able to quickly reach down and pick it up. She wants to throw all her seeds on the floor to see if I can find them, but I told her, “Nice try!” Later we got everything organized to take home. Mom is excited that we have begun packing – even if it is just souvenirs.
October 4th, 2009
I didn’t have an eye exam yesterday as I have all other Fridays since I arrived. I think it was due to the holiday, so I don’t have anything specific to report on my improvements. I definitely feel there are improvements, but it is very hard to explain them. We do think that perhaps my field of vision is improving a bit. I am beginning to notice contrast in my peripheral vision where in the past I didn’t see anything. I still can’t determine even what it is I see or what direction it is moving though. We played cards last night and I know I didn’t have to lean as close to see the cards as I have in the past. I remember talking with other patients who explained how gradual the changes occur and how it can be difficult to pinpoint. I couldn’t imagine that, but I understand now. I will go for a list of tests on the day before I leave for home, and I will definitely report the results, good or bad, on my blog as I know there are many readers following who want to know everything that is happening.
We celebrated China’s Mid-Autumn Day today in the hospital. Three of the translators prepared a feast for the patients and their families. We had clams, fish, pork dumplings, fruits, vegetables, cookies and moon cakes. Moon cakes are the most significant food served on Mid-Autumn Day. They are round and circles symbolize reunion. They are different than anything I have ever tasted. Some are sweet and some are savory, but they were a pleasant surprise for me when I saw them because the first translation I heard was, ‘moon – kee’ and that kind of freaked me out. That was on one of my first days in China when I was a bit skittish anyway.
The translators did a fabulous job. They explained that Mid-Autumn Day is a time to celebrate the harvest from the season and for families to come together. They said that many of the staff with Beike do not live close to their families just as we are away from our families and that they feel we make our own family together in the hospital. They went on to explain that at the end of the Mongolian Dynasty, a small group wanted to quietly overthrow the government so they made lots of little round Moon Cakes and filled them with notes telling the people that on a certain date and at a certain time they would all rise up together and take over the dynasty. It worked and a new dynasty began.
Jack and Pap making the Mid-Autumn Feast. Jack is making clams!
These pictures show the common area where we had the Mid-Autuamn Feast. This is where we spend a lot of our time with the other families.
This is just a fun picture of a typical form of transportation in China.
October 3rd, 2009
Today was a quiet day in the hospital because of the National Holiday Celebration. I still had my regular treatments of acupuncture and ear point therapy in the morning and then massage therapy and more ear point therapy in the afternoon. Between treatments we took Gracie over with our friend, Ksenia, to the new mall across the street to ride the roller coaster in the amusement park. Gracie is easy to spot because she is the only one with blond hair.
Tomorrow is China’s mid-autumn celebration. I think it is a combination between our Halloween (or Hallowednesday as our friend Jack calls it) and Thanksgiving. The translators are hosting a party in the morning for everybody in the hospital. They plan it in the morning because it is usually a day for family and this allows them to spend time with their families in the afternoon and evening. We are excited to see what they have in store for us.
October 2nd, 2009
I didn’t get a chance to blog yesterday because I had a spinal treatment at 4:30. That means I was hooked up to fluids by 1:30 and had to lay flat after the treatment until 10:30. I could have liquids after 2 hours and food after 4 hours. Mom gave me some peanut butter on bread. I told her it was strange to be eating while lying down after she had taught me not to do it for 40 years.
The spinal went well. I always feel very stressed out on spinals days though. I can’t seem to help it. Acupuncture always hurts a little more when I am stressed and the time seems to go much slower too.
Yesterday morning we woke up to a huge celebration across the street where they were opening the new Mall. It was a sight like nothing I had ever seen for a grand opening.
They plan it around the National Holiday so more people are off work. There were people everywhere. The streets were all closed and there were little parades, bands and different kinds of music playing. There was a stage with famous singers and fireworks that went off all day long and through most of the night. In the afternoon the fireworks filled the sky with different colors of smoke and in the evening they were more like our fireworks at home. Yesterday was Gracie’s friend, Sierra’s, last day in China so Gracie went with her family over to the grand opening of the amusement park. Unfortunately the elevator wasn’t working yet and they couldn’t take Sierra downstairs. Sierra’s mom said that one thing they have learned to appreciate is the accommodations offered in the USA. Here are some pictures of the celebration.
Here is a pciture of the mall at night from our room. There is even two domes in teh mall that are lit with different colors of lights. It s very impressive. Every stoEre is open at all hours of the 
Today is China’s National Celebration of the 60th Anniversary of The People’s Republic of China. All of the staff and the patients and their families gathered together in the game room to watch the festival on their big screen television.
It is held in Tiananmen Square and was quite impressive and beautiful. The president and his entire staff are present. The parade begins with the president standing up in a black car (every time there is a festival, celebration, wedding or party everybody is in a black car) and waving to the troops that line the street. There are also tanks and army trucks that are decorated and line the streets.
Once the president rides the full length of the square and back, he gives a speech about China and their work to join forces with the rest of the world and the progress they have made. Then the parade of military folk begins. They march so incredibly in sync it is amazing. They are dressed identical and – quite honestly – each person even appears to be the same height. Each branch of their military has a turn to perform.
There are little children in little rows too. They are grouped into different colors of clothes. I am not sure what they represent but they move like little soldiers.
This picture shows a sign that was placed in Tiananmen Square. It required almost 5,000 workers to create because it is done in flowers. It is a symbol that represents the loyalty for the People’s Republic of China. It was neat to be a part of it. The staff did their best to translate what was happening.
Michael, one of our translators, approached mom and asked her if she would be willing to answer some questions for a local media station that had come to the hospital to get the perspective of international travelers who saw the celebration. They asked her how she felt about China’s culture and the celebration. She told them that the culture is very different than ours, but we have always felt very safe and comfortable and everybody has been very nice to us. The parade was astronomical and we probably would never see anything like it at home. They also asked her about her experience in the hospital. She told them that there may be room for improvements but there always is even in our own culture and the staff is very accommodating. We feel like it has been a positive experience. Michael said it was a local television news channel, but unfortunately we will never see it or hear how it really went.
October 1st, 2009
Today was a quiet day. Since I have treatment on Monday and Wednesday, I opted to keep my I.V. in and that means I can’t leave the hospital. Gracie and Mom went to the market to get a few things and waste some time.
Today Forest gave me acupuncture between my eye and nose again. This time he used smaller needles and that helped, but I still didn’t like it. I kept thinking of the first time he did it and he said to me, “Relax…or…maybe look like Panda!” Maybe look like panda really didn’t relax me much. He is very kind and patient though and it went okay.
There is a two year old here who came with no vision and today she covered up her eyes and fussed when they took her outside and the sun was shining in her eyes. Her family is so happy. I am so happy for them. The miracles we see almost every day are overwhelming. One family has a little four-year-old girl who finally has enough strength in her legs to jump on the bed, so they sit and watch her jump on the bed all day. It makes all the torture on treatment days to find little veins in these tiny people seem worth the fight.
September 29th, 2009
It was Sunday night back home when we got up this morning, so we got lots of Skype calls from family and friends back home. It was fun to talk to everybody. Jack the translator even came by and chatted with some of our family back home. He is such a kick. He reminds me of Kramer from Seinfeld for those of you who Seinfeld fans, except Jack is Chinese. Sometimes he makes Mom and I laugh so hard we have tears in our eyes.
Then it was back to the grind with acupuncture this morning and another I.V. treatment this afternoon. The hospital is very busy today because they are doing everybody’s injections over two days this week rather than three since the National Holiday is this weekend. My treatment went well. It made me a little tired. Last Friday it made me a little wound up. Tired is good since it is bed time.
Gracie’s friend, Sierra and her family leave in three days, but she is all done with her treatment and will leave the hospital for the rest of her stay in China. Tonight was her going away party. We went to the Holiday Inn for dinner with some other families to celebrate. She and Gracie had a blast. They went up to the eleventh floor, where you can see out over all the other floors, and had a race around the loop that circles the outside. Sierra has made several improvements through her treatments and her family is already planning another trip for more stem cells in another year. We are very happy for her.
September 28th, 2009
Today was loads of fun! We went with a translator to Ocean Polar World and saw two shows and lots of sea animals. We went with Michael (a translator) and Michael (another patient here) and Michael’s family. This is Gracie’s first trip to the ocean and she has really enjoyed it. After, we went for a nice lunch in a hotel near the beach – no chicken heads for Mom. We finished the day with a walk along May 4th Square. It is a historical site on the beach. As I understand it, the land belonged to Germany until 1919 when there was an uprising from the students and China was eventually allowed to purchase the land.
Dolphins at Polar World!
All of us at May 4th Square!
Mom, Gracie and I. This is near the location of the sail boat races during the 2008 Olympics.
Tomorrow I will have my sixth treatment. I will have an I.V. injection and then a spinal on Wednesday. The schedule will be a little different in the hospital this week because October 1st is China’s National Day (similar to our Fourth of July). It is the 60th anniversary for China so it is very significant. Hopefully we will get to experience some of the celebration.
September 27th, 2009
Today was the first free day we have had since I have been feeling better, so we headed out for an adventure. We went to a place called Gimo which is a Chinese Flee Market. It was amazing. You actually have to bargain for everything you buy. I kind of got into it and I think I did pretty well. We went with our friends; Ksenia, Shelley and Tanille who have family here for treatment. The scariest thing we saw was cockroaches on a stick at an outside vendor. YIKES!
Then we went to a restaurant Shelley had researched through the Qingdao School of Culinary Art. It was an adventure in itself. We finally had to call a translator back at the hospital because one of us has an allergy to MSG and Soy Sauce. We couldn’t even get them to bring us rice at first. At one point we had five waiters at our table trying to take our order. Everybody is so nice and helpful though. Everybody usually ends up giggling about it. Anyway, we finally managed to order shrimp, a whole cooked chicken (no liver and no feet), dumplings and rice. Well, we were a little surprised when they brought the shrimp and the eyes were still attached, but I thought we were going to get kicked out when they sat the whole cooked chicken down in front of Mom and she screamed, “Oh My God!” because she was nose to beak with the whole head of the chicken. I had to grab her to keep her in her seat!
After our not so leisurely lunch, we went down to Luxan Park which is part of the board walk that runs the full span of the city. It was beautiful. Here is a picture of all of us down by the water. We had a great day. It was nice to get away from the hospital and have a break from all the pokes and fuss.
September 26th, 2009
We will call today ‘hump day’ because I have now had over half of my treatments. I had #5 today. It was an I.V. so that mean I didn’t have any restrictions other than once they put the I.V. in I can’t leave the hospital. Everything went well!
My eye exam went very well this morning. On September 10th I could read the first line of the eye chart from 51 inches and today my vision has improved enough for me to see the chart from 79 inches. I have attached a picture of the eye chart, but when they do the exam, they shift the symbol ‘E’ to point in different directions and ask me to tell them if it is pointed left, right, up or down. In the exam I could identify the correct direction of the letter 4-5 times in a row at 79 inches away.
Two days after we arrived I was sending an email and decided to insert a little laughing face at the end (I never use those things) and realized when I clicked on the window I couldn’t read the print that identifies what each face is when you run the mouse over them. I realized yesterday that I can now read them. At first I thought maybe it was just a change in light, but I have played with it throughout the day and I can clearly read them with some concentration.
September 25th, 2009
The highlight of today was Gracie and I got up at 6:30 AM China time to Skype into Gracie’s Girl Scout meeting (which was Wednesday night at home). Gracie was excited to see the girls. They had a difficult time hearing us, but it was still fun. Skype is a wonderful thing. If you have a camera on your computer, it allows you to talk to anybody in the world for free. It allows us to talk to Jeff and Tim once or twice a day and other family often too. It makes all the difference. I can’t imagine being here without being connected back home.
Later in the day, Tim Skyped in with his Cub Scout Den Meeting to talk to us. I didn’t get to talk to them for very long because I had to go into a meeting but it was fun to see all the boys.
Many evenings are spent together with the other families in the common area visiting about our experiences and playing with the children. Here is a picture of Gracie and her friend Sierra playing softball with a family from Venezuela. The next picture is of Gracie and Peter (Gracie’s little friend) helping the nurses clean the fish tank. Gracie caught the biggest fish!
We have now been here for two weeks and have three to go. Tomorrow is my fifth stem cell treatment. It will be I.V. so I don’t have any restrictions. This weekend we hope to get in some site seeing downtown. It should be loads of fun!
September 24th, 2009
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