Day 10 October 25. 2008
October 26th, 2008
Saturday, a day off. Went to K-Mart (not) with Jim and his wife and got groceries. I noticed something telling about big business. As my friends and family know, I’m a diet coke fiend. I bought some equivalent to the 20 oz size for 2.50 RMB apiece, approximately 35 cents. Now you know they’re making a profit on that, assume it’s a modest 5%, or 1.75 cents. That means it costs them about 33 cents a bottle. They charge a buck and a half for that bottle in the U.S., two at a deli, for a profit of about 500%, give or take. And take they do, whatever the traffic will bear.
Had dinner with my neighbors Chris, her mother Diane, and her five year old daughter, really nice people. Chris and Diane checked in on me yesterday, when I was stuck in bed after the spinal. We went to the International Buffet at a beautiful five star hotel. Once again, wonderful ambience, excellent service and food, for about fifteen bucks each. Although I could have done without the pig tails, chicken feet, and just about every part of a duck, including the sliced in half heads.
Like I said, international.
All of this would have been a lot more enjoyable, if I hadn’t taken three steps back on the ataxia front. I’m not sure if it was the fun filled spinal, the lack of sleep afterward, or the ups and downs of this wonderful syndrome that account for it, but I basically lost all the gains previously made. Even though we were warned this could happen, it’s somewhat discouraging. When you’re used to dealing with something, you adjust, but when all of a sudden you get significantly better, then backslide to where you were…
Well, tomorrow is another day off. Another day to prepare for the rigors to come.
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6 Comments Add your own
1. Esther Grigorian (Cousin Esther) | October 26th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Mike,
Did your grandmother Avsharian ever make lambs head stuffed with rice pilaf and they also ate the eyes, brains, and tongue (no corn)? Seems most all Armenians liked it but I never was keen on it.
Anyway, I am so sorry you feel you are taking steps back. Any kind of sickness or surgery you feel worse the third day before you start feeling better, so hopefully, that is the case for you. I am following you in your blogs and know that you WILL be better.
Love,
Cousin Esther
2. patryce wiseman | October 26th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Hang in there Mike….I am just crigging hearing about the spinal…I am such a needle wuss I’d pass out with acupuncture… I passed out once getting some routine vaccinations, and I was more afraid of getting an IV than any labor pains during the kids’ births!! silly.
But- if you gotta do it, you just deal I guess. Thats your curse for being so buff and muscular :).
Happy anniversary too! Im not sure what day it is, but i remember the florida trip and nightime and fireworks.
Dave and my anniversary was on the 21st, and Miranda’s 2nd birthday is tommorow (the 26th). No big party planned, just us taking the kids to ‘monkey bizness’ where they have jungle gym and bouncy stuff, and then probably a little cake from whole foods (im so lame, i’ll have to make a homemade cake one of these days- all cake-baking is a bit tricky here at 7000 feet..they do strange things and bubble then fall). is there any food there that is new and that you like? The mystery sauce I guess. I’ll be they have all kinds of weird exotic fruit there..i remember trying some weird asian stuff i had never heard of before when we were in hawaii.
well, enough babbeling. Enjoy a bit of a break and rest and keep up the good patient routine. We are thinking of you here and are sending some good healing, accurate needle-placement vibes,
-p
xoxoxo
3. richard avsharian | October 26th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Hey Mike, hope you’re enjoying your day off. I’d be there to help out if school hadn’t come up!
Great blog. Melissa, you’re right - no better person to write up on this whole thing.
To hell with three steps back; here’s to the day you lap this ataxia. Good luck next spinal - you’re in China, but as the French say, merde…
4. sylvia | October 26th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Nice to know you have such supportive people with you there to check in on you, and to go out to eat with.
No doubt it is a let down to not feel the rush like you did after the first treatment. I have no idea how this stuff is supposed to work, but it seems to me to be important that you had a positive experience the last time. The only thing you know for sure is there is not a direct relationship between the amount of pain to the amount of gain!
Esther, I remember eating that stuff! I wonder if they still eat that in Armenia? Well, good to know nothing goes to waste. Although it does confuse the meaning of waste in my mind…hmm.
Yaaaaaaay…happy birthday Miranda!
Patryce, I think your anniversary is the same day as Grandma and Grandpa Avsharian’s?
till tomorrow…xoxox
5. melissa tantillo | October 26th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Well, I bet you didn’t think that you’d be informing people of your progress AND acting as connector to cousins who haven’t spoken in a while!! This is proving to be a win/win/win situation and is going to continue to WIN.
I am so grateful that you have people there that you not only can share meals and the experience with, but that you feel comfortable enough to do so. That is really a huge bonus! Take down email addresses, you will definitly want to keep in touch. And I totally agree that your ’step back’ was 99% due to exhaustion and maybe 1% due to what they told you to expect. Keep moving forward and we will all look back on this experience (and the past 2 years) as something of the PAST, I know it, I am so sure of it. I only get so much good luck in one year and all of it is coming to fruition in you. And let me tell you, this is the best good fortune I could be hoping for!!!!
Yeah, yeah, go eat some dumplings!
Love,
Your little sis
6. Viswanathan | October 26th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
Hi Mike, Got your contact from Christine in Vancouver. I am in Toronto.
I was in China in Jan 2008 for the stem cell treatment. I have SCA 1. Please do look at my blog. Overall I am happy with the effects of the treatment. I am sure you will get good results too. The main thing is to maintain a positive atttude and carry out a regular PT program.
I read about Bryan and Wendy. I think I have spoken to him a few times. If he is still there, please tell him I said Hi.
Bye for now.
RV in Toronto (Viswanathan)
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