Day 6 10/21/08
Before I came over here, I worried that I might be making a very expensive mistake, sort of like buyer’s remorse before you have what you bought. Well, I don’t feel that way anymore. Today, I was talking better and basically using my official Heidi walking stick as a safety measure only. Rising from a sitting or prone position was much easier, and I had a lot more energy. In fact, so much more that I kind of overdid it.
After lunch, (finally couldn’t look at another dumpling, switched to fried rice) I went into town to have my computer checked out and go grocery shopping. One of the interpreters, Wendy, took me. Her fiance, Brian, came too. Wendy is great, her job includes a lot more than interpreting, everything from the day trips with the inmates to taking care of the kids. When I asked how she and Brian met, I was stunned to hear that he was a former patient. He, too, had ataxia, a genetic form, SCA-1 I think he said. I couldn’t believe it! This man seemed completely normal, from speech to balance to walking. Now he did say that his case was milder than mine, and that he had had 2 sets of treatments, 6 and 4 injections (I think he came back the second time as much for Wendy as for the treatments), but the results were amazing.
Anyway, after an afternoon of computer doctoring and shopping, I was really wiped out, and sure enough, I noticed more of a problem walking, but not as much as before the stem cell infusion, 2 steps forward and 1 back. But after resting up a little bit (okay, I was dead to the world for 2 hours) I was right back at that higher level of function. I’ve known for a long time that rest has a lot to do with this condition, and that hasn’t changed, but I’ve only had one treatment, and an IV at that.
Got a different kind of pizza for dinner, and damned if it didn’t have corn on it! What is it with these guys?
7 comments October 21st, 2008
