Red Hair Salon
Add comment May 30th, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Last night we said goodbye to Liri & Jeff. Liri is from Boston and Jeff is from North Carolina. Everyone cooked and we had a celebration with lots of food & wine (no wine for stem cell patients - just lots of toasting). We laughed a lot, took lots of pictures (I’ve attached a few.) We’re really going to miss them - they were so much fun. Liri’s father is Papau - he said he’s Big Papau & Jason is Little Papau because they’re both “cookers”. You can see on the pictures — we really eat WELL! We are planning on keeping in touch so we can follow each other’s progress.
After our celebration, we all walked (or rolled for some) to the Red Hair Salon. You lie on a table that has a shampoo bowl at the end of it and they shampoo your hair, massage your head, clean your ears (a little strange at first), clean your face, and give you a full body massage. The whole process lasts about 1-1/2 hours and costs 25 yuan (around 3.25 US). It’s unbelieveable - a little piece of heaven in China. Liri said it’s better than sex because it lasts 1:30. We were like the escapees from the stem cell ward. There was so much laughing and joking, it was hard to relax. If you can imagine - seven of us in a row, getting all of this done at the same time. Cherrie & Dora from Baike (the bio company that does the stem cells) were with us so we had translations from English to Chinese and vice versa. So funny! It was a perfect send off. Liri said it was the cherry on top of the sundae. Even Papau got a haircut! It was his first experience like this and he was so funny.
Veronica is coming tomorrow. Jason is going by ferry to Hong Kong to spend the day and sightsee and he will pick up Veronica at the airport at 6:30. The hospital van will drive them here and then Jason will leave Friday. Time just seems to be flying by. Since Jason doesn’t like to shop (what man does?) it’ll be fun to shop with Veronica.
I have my 4th stem cell injection on Friday. It will be a spinal, so I’ll be flat on my back again. I’m trying to pace myself and not overdo the exercise. If I go all out - it takes me 1-2 days to recover, so I’m going to try to do less muscle exercise - and slowly build up my stamina. This is my hardest problem. I’m so used to going all out- I hate to stop. But I really pay for it when I don’t. Jason checked my eyes again today and they seem to be so much better - my right eye doesn’t jump at all and the left only when I get to the peripheral vision (FAR LEFT). I hope it keeps improving. That has been so amazing for me. To actually be able to see and not feel like I’m in a fog or dizzy and not able to focus. I have been walking to/from the Red Hair Salon, Jason & I went to the Hotel across the street for Cantonese style Chinese food and I was actually able to walk up around 30 steps (with no rails to hold on to) and go down them! Dorie/Suzy can you believe that?
I’m closing for now. Email when you can - I enjoy hearing from all of you.
Love,
Betty
Add comment May 30th, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
I’ve had a very busy day today. I got up this morning and walked to KFC around the corner to get coffee and the wonderful sesame balls that I love so much. It’s probably a couple of miles — really amazing for me. Then I came back and went to acupuncture & exercise. At exercise my balance was really better and I actually balanced on the wabble board while pitching the medicine ball back and forth. I did both fast and slow. My doctor said I was walking and balancing better. The computer program that I do to train my muscles is very hard. After a few minutes, you get extremely tired and your back hurts where it pulls when you lift your leg. But, I am tryng my hardest, and I do tink it’s getting a little better.
This afternoon Jason and I are going to the Red Hair Salon for a shampoo and massage. They shampoo your hair by putting shampoo in it and massaging for around 30 minutes. Then they rinse the shampoo out and massage your head, neck, arms and back. This is all before they cut or style your hair. It’s amazing. It took Shouhua 2 hours to get a haircut when he did it. It will feel so good to get the neck and back massage — I’m a little tense. My last routine day of acupuncture and exercise for this week is tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday is a free day. A bunch of us are going to the nice hotel across the street for Cantonese Chinese food. It’s probably closest to the Chinese food we have in the US. Then we’re going to Luo Hu Shopping Center by the train station for shopping. It’s a 3 story shopping center and they have all kinds of knock offs and really neat souveniers. Can’t wait.
I’ll post when I can. I’m planning on taking more pictures of the city too.
Love,
Betty
Add comment May 25th, 2007
2nd Stem Cell Injection Results
I had my 2nd stem cell injection yesterday afternoon. It was another spinal injection and so I had to lie on my back again for 6 hours. Then you can’t use a pillow when you sleep because you really have to lie flat. That’s a real pain — I gave up around 4:00 am and used a pillow. I figured it had been 24 hours since the injection so it would be ok. It was– I have no headache and I feel wonderful today. My eyes are continuing to improve. When I close my eyes, all I see is darkness - no spots or halos like I used to. It is so wonderful to have almost normal eyesight. I don’t feel like I’m in a fog or cloud anymore. My walking seems easier today - I have a spring in my step. I am able to walk faster and am more sure footed. When I went to physical therapy this morning, I seemed to have better balance. I can’t wait until this afternoon’s therapy to see if I have improved. I will have my 3rd stem cell therapy on Monday - it will be an IV. From what everyone here says (patients), I should probably get a really good result for my eyes from the IV. We’ll see.
Jason has been having fun and has been quite a help to me. He’s following Shouhua’s instructions — getting Mom breakfast (coffee & sesame balls) from either McDonald’s or KFC. McDonald’s is right across the street. You may be able to see the yellow arch (M) in the picture. Everything is within walking distance - really across the street. Jason cooked jambalaya yesterday and his grandmother’s stewed chicken with rice and gravy today. He’s really enjoying all of the different people here (especially a really cute English girl whose mother has MS). A bunch of the people here went to Seaworld night before last - it’s a neat place where there are numerous Western restaurants, bars, etc. - even a Starbucks, Papa John’s pizza. You bascially can choose to try the gazillion Chinese food places or order a pizza, go to McDonald’s or KFC. It was very comical seeing Jason try to cook in a kitchen with no stove - just a hotplate and microwaves. But, he managed and everything came out good. Everyone here cooks something from their home and we bring it all into the conference room and eat. These get togethers are great fun and so much talking and laughing. We all have a bond and it’s truly a global community.
This afternoon Jason & I are going for a massage and then to the Rainbow grocery store. They’re both across the street. You can see the yellow sign in the picture - that’s the massage place. They do a 1-1/2 hour massage for 40 yuan - that’s about 5.50 US. Amazing. All of the groceries Jason bought to cook were under $20 US. A totally different world.
The picture that shows the basketball courts that are attached to the hospital is where Jason played basketball yesterday afternoon. He played 2 hours with the Chinese and had great fun. He did have to stifle himself a little because the Chinese are not as aggressive as Americans are in basketball. He got great excercise and had fun. Beats paying to go to a health club!
I hope everyone at home is doing great. I miss you all. Keep in touch when you can. I have hooked up to Skype and I can call you. Give me your phone number and the best time to call. It’s great– only .02/minute.
Love,
Betty
Add comment May 24th, 2007
Shouhua’s gone - Jason’s here
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Shouhua left today — we met Jason at Hong Kong airport last night around 7:00 pm. We took the ferry. Hong Kong is the most amazing place. It is so clean — all of the buildings connect to each other so you don’t have to go outside to the street at all if you don’t want to. There are so many stores that it boggles the mind. All brand names and VERY expensive. I think if you have to ask the cost - you can’t afford it. Things like Prada (aka Carrie on Sex & The City shoes), purses, designer clothes (Versace, etc.), restaurants, gourmet chocolates, bath items, etc. You would have to walk 8 hours a day for a month to see all of the shops. The hospital van drove us here from the airport and Jason was amazed like we were to see all of the skyscrapers.
I am in a routine now — I go to acupuncture and physical therapy at 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. I also have to have an IV of Chinese medicine for another week. Then I think they give you injections (in the butt). All of the other patients said — it hurts. I have my 2nd stem cell injection tomorrow.
Jason is getting acclimated and Shouhua played matchmaker and introduced him to a really cute English girl. They’re going to try to get together later this evening. She’s leaving Thursday (too bad) and Jason is going to cook a jambalaya for everyone on Wednesday evening. A few of the other patients are also leaving Thursday.
It has been so amazing seeing people come in a certain condition and watch the daily improvements after stem cell injections.
The star is JC. He came with a cane - he couldn’t walk on his own. He also had double vision. Balance is his big problem. He has ataxia. This weekend he was JOGGING! in physical therapy. He was so excited at his progress that he overdid it a little. He was very tired but very happy. His double vision is also gone. He was having to close one eye to see. Now he sees fine. Amazing stuff.
Whenever Jason got here he said he noticed that my right eye was not drifting like it had before. I mentioned earlier that the right side of my face has full feeling (just like the left) and my right eye doesn’t feel strange or hurt anymore but I didn’t realize it was so noticeable. He said it was the first thing he noticed when he got to the airport and saw me. I only have double vision a little now when I look to the left.
Time for my IV - I’ll post later.
Love,
Betty
Add comment May 22nd, 2007
