Week 128 – Day 23 ” Fifth Stem Cell Injection”

After a reasonable night with a few coughing fits and visits to the bathroom, we woke at 6 am this morning and to a fine mist falling and the workers in their yellow hard hats arriving. A large load of pink bags has been unloaded overnight in front of the building – again I assume that it is insulation as there have been 20 to 30 semi loads of them over the last three weeks.

To day is Jill’s fifth stem cell injection – at 2pm which means she is able to get up about 8.30 pm. That will mean another 10,000,000 Chinese soldiers that will join the battalions already marching into battle. Jill is currently lying on her bed with the electric wave therapy electrodes strapped to her legs and Owen has gone off to look after another patient. Jill asked how I felt this morning, I though for a moment, coughed and sneezed and finally answered a bit better than yesterday. I had better take another dose of the TCM medicine. I looked at the label and this is what I saw:

Ancient prescription and home reservingNianantang Gen-seng Fritillary and Loquat Grease is a health food made by gen-seng, fritillary, loquat, glehnia root, playcodin root, bitter apricot kernel, menthol crystals, liquid glucose and purified water as main raw material. The product has the function for clearing heat from throat by tests on animal’s function and people’s testmeal.

FunctionClearing heat from throat

Suitable forPeople with indisposed sensation of throat

The rest is written in Chinese and I have no idea how much to take – and since we only have a soup spoon – I have decided that that is my dose. The ingredient loquat grease gives an idea of the consistency. I really feel it does help.

Owen has just arrived back to do the acupuncture treatment. Jill has been having pain in her left knee when standing for any time. I tried to explain the problem but not getting very far and Owen went off and came back with an interpreter. This helped explain and he said that during her next lot of PE massage he would help that. I’m not to sure on what he intends to do that. That will have to be tomorrow as there will be no PE because of the Stem cells this afternoon. The usual things are happening, nebuliser has just arrived and Jill is sucking on the mouth piece. The nurse with the IV came and has to come back, same with the nurse doing the temperature. Jill has to have some thing to eat for lunch in the next 30 minutes as she cannot eat for 3 hours before the stem cells. Cut off time is 11 am.

Al’s wife just came in and asked if we would be interested in going to the Holiday Inn for a Thanks Giving Hot Night on Thursday. They are sending a bus to pick up the patients from the hospital. The menu sound terrific: CAN WE GET RID OF THIS COLD BY THURSDAY??????

Sweet corn salad, mixed mushroom salad, green salad

Cream of pumpkin soup

Roast turkey with stuffing and giblet sauce,

Gama Ham,

Mashed Potatoes with gravy, honey mustard sauce, cranberry sauce and mustards,

Pumpkin Pie,

Thanks Giving Cookies and chocolate

Bottle of Gato Negro Merlot from Chile

This menu will be served in a Traditional family Style for 218 RMB per person ($40Aus) Expensive by Chinese standards but sound great. We are told it is all flown in for the occasion.

I just suggested that Jill eat the last piece of Pizza from last night, put it micro wave and the nurses came to put in the IV for this afternoon. They are having trouble finding a vein suitable. The pizza is ready and the room is congested with two cleaners and 4 nurses. I feel sorry for Jill and wish I could take her place as my veins are huge. Face is drawn and not very happy and she gave a stifled cry as they try to find another location. Thank heavens that this is the second last IV connection – they may well leave it in for Friday’s stem cell injection. They are now looking at her ankle as the wrists have not been successful, now they have moved to the right arm and back to her left arm further towards the elbow. Success at last. Time is running out for dinner, and cough medicine only five minutes before cut off point.

We have sat and talked for the last couple of hours and they came back and took Jill’s temperature and pulse – normal. Another nurse has arrived to connect the IV connection to some glucose. Only about 30 minutes and a couple of the physios are here to take Jill upstairs. I have made a vegemite & cheese sandwich for my dinner while Jill is away. I have washed Jill’s underwear and hung it on the Coke clothes line while she is away.

Jill has arrived back and is very sleepy and has gone of to sleep, she is having a bit of trouble breathing with her cold and lying flat on her back. I am hopeful she will sleep a couple of hours. First hour gone and the nurse came in to check IV and temperature but did not wake her up.

I have put a link to Al’s Ataxia site.

See you tomorrow on the net