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Hello there from a nice and sunny Qingdao.
Hope everyone is keeping well. We had this weekend off so we didnt do too much yesterday. My back was a little sore after the spinal but not too bad. But we took it easy anyway. We done a little shopping across the road and made dinner. Other than that, we just chilled out . Today, we had a great day. Wendy brought us to downtown Qingdao at 9.30 this morning.We started out at the temples. Its amazing there. So peaceful and quiet. We watched people pray to the buddhas, we saw the monks , and we touched a good luck and health statue. It was a truely unique experience. After this, we went to Jusco shopping centre where we ate lunch, tasty! Myself and Wendy then went for a facial, while matthew walked around downtown.Oh the facial!!!!! Such bliss. My skin feels amazing after it. They use all natural products made from plants, herbs and oils! I love it!! I got a head, face, shoulder and neck massage with it all for just 8 euro!!This finished up around 3 so we headed back to matthew and got a taxi back to the hospital.We then went to the Holiday inn, later on, for dinner. They knew us tonight, so funny!
Anyway, tomorrow, I have my morning therapies, and free for the day. I have stem cell no 7 this wednesday.
Only 14 days till we take off!!!!!!! So excited, cant wait to go home. I miss everyone so much. Not long now!!!
Lots of love, till tomorrow,
Valerie and Matthew
February 22nd, 2010
Hi there,
Hope everyone is keeping well. Im writing this blog the morning after my 6th stem cell. So excited its near the end!!!!!! Only 2 more to go! One IV and one lumbar and home sweet home! Well friday started out with my usual therapies, we done a little shopping and then I got my nails done with wenday. they even took pictures of my hands for their website!! They have never seen small, white cute hands before!! It was a funny experience!1
Anyway, I got my Iv in my hand fairly easy this time, thank god!! Than had the fluids drip which lasted around 1 hour 20 mins, but it passed the time to 8!! Melody and Alice wheeled me up to the 9th floor, the part I hate! Reminds me of Greys anatomy! Anyway, Melody, the stem cell nurse, injected the anti allergy and valluim!! The doctor done the job and before I knew it was all done again. I love this hospital! The doctors are just amazing! My blood pressure, pulse and temperature were all normal again and off I went to lie down flat for 6 hrs! Matthew just laughs at me for about a half hour because I sound like im drunk!! It took me a while to fall asleep but I did around 1 am and slept through until 8.Luckily, this morning I have no headache! My lower back is sore but thats expected! So were gonna take it easy today and rela
So that is all for now, I will write again this evening with an update. Thank you all so much for lighting candles and praying for me yesterday. Cant wait to go home now and get back to normality!! The countdown is on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Talk to ye tonight, Love and kisses from Qingdao
Valerie and Matthew xxxxx
February 20th, 2010
Hello there folks,
Hope ye are all keeping well. Sorry for not updating sooner. Yesterday and today were fairly quiet days. I had my usual morning theraoies with Andy. Its going really well. My forehead is starting to get sore from the accupuncture needles . Today was a good day. Brian came back and the three of us headed out for a massage. FABULOUS!! I just love the chinese massage. We then met Wendy and went to pizza hut, tasty!! And after we went shopping! So it was a good day in all. Our new friends from Libya left today so we had cake before they left. Brian is leaving for Scotland tomorrow and were gonna miss having him around!
Its starting to get busy around here again. I have my next round of the good stuff tomorrow, friday, at 12 irish time through the spine so hopefully it will be easier than the last one.But as someone reminded me, pain is temporary quitting lasts forever!!!!
Well thats all for now, I best go and get some sleep. Lots of love, Vallie and Matt
February 19th, 2010
Hi guys,
Hope everyone is keeping well. Were just about out of the snow now. It was a really nice day here today, sun shining!! Its still fairly quiet around the town as its still holidays over here for most people. Yesterday and today, I had my usual therapies in the morning with Andy. My poor forehead is getting marks and bruises from all the accupuncture but hey, Im lovin it!!
We done a little shopping and more cooking of course. We are pros now at shopping in the supermarket. There is loads of new patients coming over the next week. We were very bored today so we went walking to Liquinn, about half hour away. I have no stem cells until friday evening so I just have my morning therapies this week so were kinda bored in the afternoons. So tomorrow, after therapy we might go to century park and maybe go to the carnival…..we’ll see!!
Anyway, I have nothing more to report on tonight, not long now til were coming home!!! Cant wait to see everyone and eat some decent spuds and gravy!!!!! Heaven!!!!!
So until tomorrow, goodnight from Qingdao.Love and kisses
Valerie and Matthew
February 16th, 2010
Hi there!
Hope everyone is keeping well. Im writing this post on Sunday 14th as we didnt do much today so I said Id put the 2 together!!
Well, yesterday was a great day. I have the weekend off so no needles or being a pin cushion! So we took it easy for the day. Everyone in the hospital was very excited and wishing us a happy new year. Felt so strange for us as we have already celebrated it! Alice, translator,Dr Lisa, Andy, Jason(therapists) and Nurse Paula, all made a dish each or even 2 for the patients. So we had a party in the kitchen around 6 pm. It was fantastic! Such flavors! We even had fireworks! All over the city, fireworks were going off for hours, still even at 9 am this morning!! We really enjoyed the evening and we cant thank the staff enough for staying with us on their chinese new year!
As for today, we havent done much either as there is very little shops open yet but we did get a few bits in the lottemart and made veggie soup and chicken sandwiches! So were just about to skype back home and watch movies for the evening! So until tomorrow, Zai jian!
Love and hugs,
Vallie and Matthew
February 14th, 2010
This is Matthew training for the olympics!
Century Park, Satues of Bejing 2008 Olympics
February 13th, 2010
Hi there from snowy Qingdao!
Well, today I am am to my flying self! I had my usual morning therapies with Andy until around midday. Matthew made us some chicken sandwiches for lunch!! Its been really quiet here the past couple of days with families leaving but we still have 2 other families and lots of others working here so were kept well entertained!Theres great excitement around as its the spring festival, New years wknd!!
Anyway, I had my 5th stem cell transfer this evening at 8. We went up to the IV room where I was joined by Brian and Ashfraf, 2 others getting treatment. We had great fun chatting to the nurses and listening to westlife!! Yes, they love westlife!!!!!!!!! The stem cells were all done by 9pm and my blood pressure and temp was perfect so I finally got to get the needle out of my hand, after 2 days! It was driving me mad!! So now I have up to 50 million nerve cells trying to find there way so lets up they do!!
Brian made us some fab soup and mac and cheese with baked potatoes, with matthews help of course!! It was fantastic!!So now were going watching our usual nightly movie and chill out.
I shall write again tomorrow, new years eve!!! Hope everyone is keeping well and thank you all so much for yere messages and prayers.
Lots of love,
Vallie and Matthew xxxxx
February 13th, 2010
Hi there!
Well, its now just after 7pm and were just after finishing dinner.Matthew cooked again! Hes brilliant! Since I wrote last, Im feeling much better. Still have sore back but not half severe as this morning, thank god! My headache is nearly gone, just like one now, where i get up and it takes a few mins to catch up! But my temp and blood pressure is all normal and all set for round 5 tomorrow evening.I will be getting transfer no 5 via IV friday at 12 irish time!
The doctor and nurse decided to leave in the IV until saturday morning because of stem cell tomorrow and also in case I get another headche besides trying to llok for another vein.
Well, then after tomorrow, we will have a break from stem cells for a week but I will still have my morning therapies. Its very quiet here because of the new year so we might try book into the holiday inn next week for a night for a bit of R&R, A GOOD SLEEP IN!!!!!!
I didnt do much but sit down most of the day. Matthew and Brian are now playing ping pong! Matthew was playing the wii earlier with Alice, translator and then we played a game of cards!
Now Im here in the room about to watch greys anatomy while matthew upstairs playing!!!!!
So I will chat to ye later and thanks for all yere help getting us through all this. 3 weeks to go!!!
Love and kisses
Vallie and Matt xxxx
February 11th, 2010
Hi guys,
I didnt get to write this post until today, day after spinal. So I will tell ye all about yesterdays treatment first.
I had my usual morning therapies with Andy until around 12. The nurses came in around 5 to put in the canual for the treatment ahead. It took them a while to find a vein as my wee veins are starting to hide from them. But they eventually found one under my thumb, very awkward place!! The stem cells were about a half hour delayed because of heavy snowfall here.But thankfully they arrive. The nurse cam in around 7 to start the fluids drip and at about 8.50 I was called to go up to the OR. It was my doctor that done the procedure this time. The nurse injected the anti allergy and vallium followed my Dr Tony with the anathestic in my lower back He found the spinal cord first time, wooohooo!As like the last time it was done in no time. So off I was wheeled back into my room again. Where I couldnt get up for 6 hours, lay flat as I could without elevating my head. Its a challenge. I was very dopey again, like a drunk woman! But I fell asleep shortly after coming back. The nurses came in to check my temp and bllod presssure, as did Dr Tony. So I slept pretty much through the night, felt like I didnt! I was up at 6!! I skyped back home and then we said goodbye to our new friends, Charles and Judy, who left to go back to Oklahoma. Were gonna miss them!!
Sandy, Carol and Kaelyn also left yesterday as did the russian family, which leaves only 3 families left here til after the new year so its really quiet!
Its now 1pm and my lower back is really sore from last night. Feels like Ive been run over! My head is pretty sore too so I had to call in the doctor. He said its normal after spinal, because of the pressure change etc so he prescribe me with pain killers which the nurse gave me shortly after. So now I just have to lay back and chill for the day. I will let ye know later how Im feeling and hopefully my headache will be gone by then
Thanks for all yere prayers and lighting candles. Love ye and miss ye loads.
Valerie and Matthew
February 11th, 2010
Hi ya
Well, today it rained for the first time. But it cleared up around luch time, still cold and miserable! We should be used to it by now!!!!! Anyway, my day started out really well. We got to skype back home for the first time since we have been her, the girls laptop wasnt working til now! So I got to see my daddy!!!! And all my lovely family including my doggies. So that put a smile on my face!
I had my usual therapies with Andy this morning.Matthew went gymin!! Dr Tony came around to check in. All systems go again for stem cells no 4 tomorrow evening. We met the new family from America, really nice people. And getting ready to say goodbye to 2 other families!!
We went downtown around luch time with Brian. We took the bus! An experience in itself. Took around an hour and cost 20 cent! He brought us all around may 4th square, harbour, shopping centre, a real downtown, china, experience!We were forever trying to get a taxi back but no luck so had to get the bus home again. We must have walked miles and miles through out the day! Had great time though, totally forgot I was a patient in hospital! Found some really cheap dvds, shoes and candles!
Im not jokin ya, I was exhausted when we got back! Anyway, tomorrow is stem cell day……12 midday irish time, via lumbar! We’ll officallu be halfwy through my treatment!!!!!!Hopefully, the weather wont change again!!
So I best go sleepy now. Hope ye are all keeping well. Miss ye all loads and love ye all bundles.
Love and kisses from Qingdao!!
Vallie and Matthew xxxxxxx
February 10th, 2010
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