Theresa’s Ataxia Blog

5 April 2007 to 16 April 2007

April 16th, 2007

This will be my the last update from China, however, I will carry on updating when we are back in South Africa.

Since Enid’s IV Injection she did not appear to have made any further progress….she seemed to have remained at the same level of progress after she received her second Spinal Stemcell Injection. Enid has now received her final Spinal Stemcell Injection on 11 April 2007. We are monitoring any further improvements.

They have also now started teaching her to use her hands & fingers during her Occupational Therapy sessions. This was not done for the first three weeks we were here until I asked Enid’s doctor the reason for not doing it…she could not explain the reason & just told me that if we wanted it she will instruct OT to do it. Enid has so far done OT twice on her hands & fingers. By the time we leave we hope that Enid has had two more sessions of OT on her hands & fingers.

Enid is still struggling to keep her balance whilst standing/walking, but the doctors here says that it will take time & continuous rehab. for her when she returns to SA. I have been shown the various exercises to help Enid’s balance whilst sitting & standing.

Today, 12 April 2007, one day after Enid’s last Spinal injection she showed a little more progress in that she can now walk full distance using the parallel bars as support and with no one helping her. Her walk is still very shaky and very slow, but at least she is walking.

The one think I have noticed about Enid is that she is more aware of her surroundings & she responds more readily when someone speaks to her…..speech not completely understandable yet and her response is also a little slow.

On 14 April 2007 during the afternoon PT session Enid managed again to walk the full length of the parallel bars without assistance, but at a faster & steadier pace. By this time of the week Enid is very tired and would have liked to walk back, but her legs would not let her do that. When she is tired she starts shaking a lot more than usual. Enid ended the PT session in standing position for 30 minutes on the standing machine.

Sunday is an off day for all patients as non of the staff in the PT or OT section work and we will most probably take a stroll around the “old” town one last time before our departure next week Tuesday.

Monday 16 April 2007 is our last full day here at NAN Shan Hospital. It is the usual routine of PT & OT in the morning & PT in the afternoon. I have also used today taking photographs of Enid with the various hospital staff who treated her throughout our stay.

The plan for Tuesday is that Enid will go for the morning PT & OT sessions, but not the afternoon PT session as the afternoon session only finishes at 17:30 hours and our driver will come to pick us up at 18:30 hours from the hospital to drop us off at the Hong Kong Airport.

During Tuesday afternoon we will go around saying our goodbyes to the Hospital staff on the 14th floor & 4th Floor and perhaps more photo sessions with people we may have missed out.

At this point Enid & I are both looking forward to going back HOME!!!!!

Entry Filed under: Uncategorized