We`re going home!!
I made the most of the morning by sleeping in and lazing in my concrete futon for the last time. It felt so luxurious not having to be in the PT room or anywhere at any specific time. Laurinda finished her packing and then completed her interviews with a lot of the patients. It should be a wonderful piece of work once shes edited it and put on the final touches.
Lots of goodbyes, hugs and even a few tears and it was off to the airport. How quickly a month has passed. Our Brits are flying home via Hong Kong too, so we shall spend the stop-over time with them. Our luggage was well over-weight and we havent had to pay for excess luggage but Roos gift was confiscated at Chinese customs. It had to be his gift...of course it did!
So, as we fly over the South China Sea with Laurinda snoozing beside me and the sun setting over Asia, I am smiling hugely. We did it!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Thurs 20 Nov
Theres only one thing more I would have liked to ask for (an MRI), but I already feel so blessed and lucky, I didnt want to be greedy. So I was amazed when Dr Apple came to ask me if I would like to have an MRI done this morning!! The Hospital had just acquired a brand new machine and I was literally the 2nd person in it. The packing boxes were still all over the floor and there were dozens of curious staff wanting to check out the exciting new machine and the funny blonde lady going into the tunnel. The whole thing was so unexpected and thrilling. I have no ida if 4 weeks of stem cell treatment will show on film, and I know even without visible evidence that there have been fantastic positive changes, but it would be the icing on the cake if these changes could be seen.
Mt last day of therapies with Owen whom I shall miss and definitely never forget, he has helped me so much to regain the trust in my legs that I havent had for a long time. I hope my thankyou present made him happy.
We also organised thankyou gifts for the medical staff and translators, they just give and give, great workers and such caring people. We fell a litte inlove with them all.
Another long and tiring day saw me being a bit of a party pooper when almost all the patients and families went out for dinner, but I really appreciated the quiet time and had so much to think about and I also wanted to say a massive thankyou to the Universe for fulfilling my dreams and bringing me thru this whole experience. Life is awesome!
Mt last day of therapies with Owen whom I shall miss and definitely never forget, he has helped me so much to regain the trust in my legs that I havent had for a long time. I hope my thankyou present made him happy.
We also organised thankyou gifts for the medical staff and translators, they just give and give, great workers and such caring people. We fell a litte inlove with them all.
Another long and tiring day saw me being a bit of a party pooper when almost all the patients and families went out for dinner, but I really appreciated the quiet time and had so much to think about and I also wanted to say a massive thankyou to the Universe for fulfilling my dreams and bringing me thru this whole experience. Life is awesome!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Birthday and recovery
Odette:
All glammed up for dinner and decided to read my B`day emails...dumb move! Got all emotional and howled all my make-up off so still no nice photos of me I expect.
The Holiday Inn was very extravagant and the buffet dinner was so lavish. Yet another cake appeared, so of course it was only polite to sample that too! I left literally groaning and bursting out of Laurinda's pants which DID fit me before we left lol. It was so warm inside the hotel that it was easy to forget the sub zero temperature outside until it was time to leave and find a taxi home. Unfortunately, the front doors of the hospital were locked when we arrived and we had to make our way around to the side door...quite a hike on a very full tummy and feeling absolutely frozen for the first time ever! Well, the others walked, but guess who was running? Me!! I was running!! Laurinda said to her friend Pam "My Mother has MS and she's leaving us for dead".
haha. Another triumph in a list of so many.
I was woken very early by the Vampire Nurse who took lots of blood to repeat all the tests (ECG too) that were done when I arrived. Results should be in this afternoon. They will be good, no, they will be great!
Laurinda is quite the social butterfly ( Oh I wonder where she got that from?) and has headed out for the day with a group of other carers. They have ventured downtown (I always have to laugh when I say Downtown Quingdao, its as far from downtown as you can possibly imagine) again, yet more tattoos for some, shopping and sight-seeing for others. I am hoping she doesn't return with any piercings or suspensions (for those who, like me til a couple of days ago, don't know, she described them to me in detail the other day....hooks inserted into the skin so you can literally hang!) Some people hang from the Himalayas and other amazing places. Adrenalin is a very powerful thing, but not for me thanks. I'm hoping her smallish and actually very pretty tattoo will suffice. There's always hang gliding after all.
So, after a hot shower (yay!! hot water again!!) I am enjoying a few hours of rest and reflection between therapies.
What a journey. What an adventure. And I got to share it all with my beautiful daughter. A lucky and happy lady indeed!
Thank you Universe.
Birthday
Odette:
Tuesday 17 November
It is my birthday today and I woke up feeling amazing and noticed a sparkle in my eyes before I even realised the day. I asked Laurinda to take photos, hoping they would catch the moment but I guess once you hit 50, it takes a little more than a smile to look good! Perhaps later we will glam up a bit and try again.
My morning therapies are over, waiting for a Doctors visit and then 3 free hours before afternoon rounds.
2 more full days and we head for home!!
I miss my Roo, I miss my pussies and I miss my Princess bed. I miss Blisters night and I miss Facebook and my Fairyland friends and garden.
I do NOT miss the heatwave that Jarrod has informed us is waiting for us at home. Yesterday our temperature in China was -5 low and 4 tops. Of course it is the wind chill factor that you have to be prepared for, so we stick our arm out the window as far as it can reach to test it before we head outside all rugged up in our hats, jackets, scarves and my pièce de résistance....my Emma Peel gloves! No doubt they will go in the dress up bag at home, but I'm enjoying the opportunity to wear them here.
More therapy and then a huge, beautiful birthday cake arrived. We gathered round the communal area to share it with everyone. Now we must wait an extra hour before leaving for my birthday dinner at the Holiday Inn so we can fit it in.
Tuesday 17 November
It is my birthday today and I woke up feeling amazing and noticed a sparkle in my eyes before I even realised the day. I asked Laurinda to take photos, hoping they would catch the moment but I guess once you hit 50, it takes a little more than a smile to look good! Perhaps later we will glam up a bit and try again.
My morning therapies are over, waiting for a Doctors visit and then 3 free hours before afternoon rounds.
2 more full days and we head for home!!
I miss my Roo, I miss my pussies and I miss my Princess bed. I miss Blisters night and I miss Facebook and my Fairyland friends and garden.
I do NOT miss the heatwave that Jarrod has informed us is waiting for us at home. Yesterday our temperature in China was -5 low and 4 tops. Of course it is the wind chill factor that you have to be prepared for, so we stick our arm out the window as far as it can reach to test it before we head outside all rugged up in our hats, jackets, scarves and my pièce de résistance....my Emma Peel gloves! No doubt they will go in the dress up bag at home, but I'm enjoying the opportunity to wear them here.
More therapy and then a huge, beautiful birthday cake arrived. We gathered round the communal area to share it with everyone. Now we must wait an extra hour before leaving for my birthday dinner at the Holiday Inn so we can fit it in.
Reflections
Odette:
Monday.
Laying in my bed all hooked up and waiting to be wheeled upstairs for my very last stem cell treatment. I've skimmed over our words of the last 4 weeks and relived some precious moments and some great laughs. A month has zoomed by and I know Laurinda and I will take away some life-time memories with us. I had never visited a Communist country before and didn't really know what to expect, but I admire the way the Government here ensures employment and at least the necessities of life for all. We have not encountered any hungry or homeless.
The people of China have been absolutely lovely and gone out of their way to make us feel welcome and share a little of their culture with us. They are so friendly and more than willing to try and converse with us or help us out. Thats when they are not laughing at us of course...we are still cause for a lot of giggles and whispers. The only tourists to be seen are here for the same reason...the stem cell treatment. We have really enjoyed the locals and learning about their ways. They are also very polite people and seem happy with their lives.
Despite the language barrier, the medical staff have made a huge effort to explain all the procedures, even showing me the vial of spinal fluid they remove from me before injecting the stem-cells so that the volume stays balanced.
Back from my Lumbar Puncture - the Director performed the procedure tonight and was extremely efficient. The hardest part is the 6 hours flat on my back with poor Laurinda on potty duty. So, all my beautiful new cells are inside me now and many are already doing their job. Dr Apples examination yesterday confirmed the muscle strength in my legs is now.....wait for it...NORMAL!! I also have muscles, 2 of them! One in each shin. Its been too long. Laurinda is busy admiring her tattoo and I am busy checking my 2 muscles are not disappearing. I am still working on ideas for home. I need to take Owen to keep up my daily massages and therapy but he just laughed when I asked him. I can't work out why!
Monday.
Laying in my bed all hooked up and waiting to be wheeled upstairs for my very last stem cell treatment. I've skimmed over our words of the last 4 weeks and relived some precious moments and some great laughs. A month has zoomed by and I know Laurinda and I will take away some life-time memories with us. I had never visited a Communist country before and didn't really know what to expect, but I admire the way the Government here ensures employment and at least the necessities of life for all. We have not encountered any hungry or homeless.
The people of China have been absolutely lovely and gone out of their way to make us feel welcome and share a little of their culture with us. They are so friendly and more than willing to try and converse with us or help us out. Thats when they are not laughing at us of course...we are still cause for a lot of giggles and whispers. The only tourists to be seen are here for the same reason...the stem cell treatment. We have really enjoyed the locals and learning about their ways. They are also very polite people and seem happy with their lives.
Despite the language barrier, the medical staff have made a huge effort to explain all the procedures, even showing me the vial of spinal fluid they remove from me before injecting the stem-cells so that the volume stays balanced.
Back from my Lumbar Puncture - the Director performed the procedure tonight and was extremely efficient. The hardest part is the 6 hours flat on my back with poor Laurinda on potty duty. So, all my beautiful new cells are inside me now and many are already doing their job. Dr Apples examination yesterday confirmed the muscle strength in my legs is now.....wait for it...NORMAL!! I also have muscles, 2 of them! One in each shin. Its been too long. Laurinda is busy admiring her tattoo and I am busy checking my 2 muscles are not disappearing. I am still working on ideas for home. I need to take Owen to keep up my daily massages and therapy but he just laughed when I asked him. I can't work out why!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Sunday
A quiet, snowy day in today. Mum's stem cells have been asking for lots of rest and relaxation. Even Superwoman needs to put her feet up. She has her final spinal injection of precious stem cells tomorrow night. Although we had some immediate results and her general condition has already improved, she still has the odd rough day. She is still smiling because she knows that there will be less of those days to come.
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