Brandon turns 9

It's hard to believe Brandon is 9 today. This time last year was such a hectic and exciting time for us as we prepared to go to China. Brandon is doing quite well with his sight. A couple of weeks ago we were driving by a school and Brandon asked if that was his school. It was exciting because no one had mentioned we were driving by a school. It wasn't his school but it was A school. He can tell us the color of the vehicles that we drive by or park by. He rarely has a bad day which is great because those were horrible. I would feel so bad for him every time he bumped into a wall or tripped over something. He can play hide & seek with his little brother now (and actually find him!) Oh and he's doing absolutely incredible with his video games. He loves to race motorcycles on the game AND HE CAN BEAT IT! We are just so proud of him and his accomplishments that he's made. Awhile after we got back from China, I was a bit discouraged because I wasn't sure if the things he was seeing was new or if he could see them before treatment. I was afraid that I wasn't the best person to judge his sight. His eye Dr. wasn't being straight with us because he didn't want people to think the stem cell therapy actually helped. He encouraged us before we went to China then afterwards his attitude had changed. I believe the Dr. had received some heckling from fellow Dr's. We have not been back to see him since. I would like to see where Brandon is at on his sight but if the Dr. cannot give him an accurate examination, I refuse to take him back. I'm currently looking for another Dr so hopefully we'll have an update soon. Brandon is looking forward to starting school on August 16th. I'm sure once it starts he won't be so excited but that's normal.

A New Blog

First of all let me say that Brandon is still doing well. He gets out of school in 13 days. Everyday he marks it off on the calendar that way we won't forget :) Like he'll forget when school gets out. I've decided to change the dynamics of this blog. Instead of telling everyone the same old "Brandon's doing great". I've decided that since we're past the whole China experience, I'll focus on our family in general. Of course if there's anything new to report, I'll make sure I post it on here. So without further notice, welcome to "our family blog".

Spring is in the Air

I just realized how long it's been since I updated Brandon's Blog. I always thought that once we returned from China that I would keep it current and update regularly. Guess I was fooling myself. Brandon is great. Not visually but over all he's doing quite well. I would say visually we haven't seen much changes (if any) since the last update. I am disappointed in that aspect because I thought we would continue to see improvements for a year after being in China. However his bad days are less frequent than before. Before treatment he would have days where he couldn't see anything. He still has those days but it happens less often than before. He's still experiencing severe headache's and for that I'm a bit concerned. He has suffered from headaches for most of his life and they don't seem to be slowing down. We are thinking about taking him back to the neurologist but we know what he'll say. They want to check his cranial pressure by placing these bolt like things under his scalp in order to monitor the pressure for 48 hours. We really don't want to put Brandon through that but our options are limited. I'm sure we'll make a decision in the next few weeks. Other than that, Brandon is growing really fast. I think he's going through a growth spurt. He's looking forward to school being out next month and for his birthday in July. It's hard to believe he's going to be 9. Time really has been slipping by us. It still doesn't seem like it's been 8 months since we were in China. 8 MONTHS. Still doesn't seem possible.

Happy New Year!

I can't believe it's 2009 already!! 2008 was filled with excitement, disappointment, pride, heartache, and above all....hope. I can't believe that in one year we discovered that there was hope for Brandon in China, raised the money AND spent 6 weeks in a Chinese hospital. Through it all, Brandon was such a trooper and for that, I am very proud to be called his mother.

First Christmas "AC" (After China). Brandon loved Christmas this year. He enjoyed looking at all the Christmas decorations and even helped decorate. (He was even disappointed when it was time to box everything up for the year). For Christmas he received....TOYS TOYS AND MORE TOYS! He got a new XBox and some other video games. He also got a glow in the dark drawing board. The list is endless and for the moment my mind is blank but he received several items to help stimulate his vision. Oh and he received a stack of books.......IN PRINT!! A couple of weeks before Christmas he received a CCTV which has been a wonderful aid. He can look at his books without straining with the CCTV.

New Year.... Now that that chapter in our life is over, we look towards the future with great optimism. We will always be grateful for everyone who helped Brandon. Now as we focus ahead towards a new life, we know that it can only get better for our family. Brandon has been thriving and we are so happy. Did the treatment make a huge difference? Maybe not a huge difference but it did help Brandon. He will never have perfect vision and we have accepted that. Over the next few years, we'll be able to understand more about what he can see and how we can help to make his life a productive one. He is able to navigate for the most part without a cane. In fact he does not use one outside of school. He is able to see steps where before he could not. For us that is a great improvement because it further helps him to navigate in his surroundings. The sky is the limit for him.

What's Next....We are currently trying to decide what is best for our family now. We are looking at relocating so John will be able to work closer to home without being gone for weeks at a time. We'll keep you informed on our decision!! Happy New Year!!

Brandon's update on Channel 13 News

This past month has been CRAZY!! However we did manage to meet with Jennifer Brown from Channel 13 news to do an update. As always, she did a wonderful job! Here's the link: http://www.krdo.com/Global/story.asp?S=9378995

On another positive note, Brandon received a scholarship which will pay 90% for a CCTV. Our cost is $200. The new CCTV will allow Brandon to see printed books by zooming into the images. Hopefully his new learning tool will be in by Christmas!

Horses, Bulls & Rodeo Clowns

Brandon & Nick with a fellow Kansan, LJ Geist. LJ is originally from Scott City, Kansas - like Brandon. He was the rodeo clown for the event. What a coincidence!! He's parents, who know Brandon's dad & his parents, were in town for the rodeo also. They had no idea the rodeo was being put on for Brandon!!

We took Brandon to a rodeo that was put together in his honor. The weather tried to hold up but at the end, it began to sprinkle. Brandon got to see a bull for the first time. He said "oohh that's big.....can I ride it?" He did get to ride a horse which made his day.

Brandon got to ride a horse!! Thanks for the ride Cody!!

A Beautiful Sunday in September

Today John & I took the boys to Jill's Country Cafe to see Jill for the first time since coming home. At the silent auction, a lady had donated a jumper (day rental). Jill ended up with the winning bid so she decided to get the rental when Brandon returned from China. So here was the jumper, set up on the side of Jill's resturant for all the kids to come play one. The boys had a great time! After a little while, we were informed that our breakfast was ready. So the boys gave up the the jumper for bacon & eggs (although I'm sure if they had it their way they would've forgone the breakfast). After they ate, they decided it was time to hit the swings & slide which is located on the other side of the resturant. It was nice to just hang out with the boys & have "fun time". We went back into Jill's to tell everyone bye & Jill talked the boys into jumping some more - like they needed encouraged!! On the way home, the boys confiscated our cell phones so they could play with them. A little while later John & I heard Nick saying "Hello!". We turned around to find that Brandon had called Nick on the cell phone & they were talking to each other!! Good thing we have cell to cell free calls!! We've got a fly family reunion in our living room. Everytime I go in to watch TV, I feel like a carcass.

Photo's:

1st - Brandon & Nick enjoying some "jump time".

2nd - "Peak-a-boo Nick, I see you!!"

3rd - John & Brandon ~ Jill's in the background taking a customer's order. Thanks for breakfast Jill, it was great!!

4th & 5th - This is what I found when I turned around in the vehicle. The boys talking to each other - on the cell phones.

6th, 7th, 8th -
Brandon & Nick having a great time on the slide. Dad had to catch them because they would gain so much momentum, they would sail off the slide & land on their bums!! Nick learned that after the first go around.

"Catch Me Dad!!"
"WooHoooo!!

Nick: "ONE MORE TIME PLEEEEAASEE!!"

Dad: "Okay...one more time."

Nick: Catch me!!

9th - Nick & Brandon on their 2nd trip to the jumper

10th - Brandon hanging out in the living room - still playing with my cell phone. That explains why I always have a dead battery!!

Adjusting to Home Life

We have been home 10 days and to be quite honest, it has been the best 10 days of my life!! Brandon's first eye Dr. appointment was on Monday. We had channel 13 news crew with us so they can update everyone on how Brandon's doing. Unfortunately it appears our Dr. has changed his opinion of stem cell therapy in China. He made a speech about how it couldn't possibly work but yet he said Brandon is "testing" better during the exam. He knew as well as everyone in the room that Brandon saw more during that exam than he did during the last one. So we took the Dr's speech like we do with every other critic - with a grain of salt. Everyone who has seen Brandon since returning has noticed changes in how he gets around and how he's noticing more of his surroundings. I didn't expect the Dr. to saw "It's a miracle!" however I did expect him to be honest about his findings. At the end, he made a statement that made me understand why he wasn't being straight with us. He told us that he had been telling his other patients not to go to China & he didn't want the news story to say that he saw improvements with Brandon because everyone would be calling him asking why they shouldn't try it. I understand how hard it is to grasp the fact that this treatment could possibly help when every other medical professional has said "IMPOSSIBLE". I get that - really. But we went over there knowing that this may not help. We understood the risks and we accepted whatever the outcome. Never did we imagine that Brandon would come home seeing the alphabet in print. Anyway Brandon had another appointment with the school's eye Dr on Wednesday. The first Dr. had promised to call the 2nd Dr to let him know of his findings however when we got to Wednesday's appointment, we learned that the 1st Dr. had not called Dr #2. I was quite upset because we were promised that he would call him. I'm wondering if a Doctor change is in order. Not because he doesn't believe in stem cell therapy - that's his opinion. But because we paid $81.00 Monday for a speech on how it can't possibly work & an assessment that was calculated because he was concerned of what his other patients would say. Then he decided not to call the school's Dr. after he said he would. Anyway Dr. #2 said that adding print to Brandon's lessons would benefit him and to allow him to view things in his comfort zone (4 inches away). Brandon has been used to seeing things up close and we had originally been told to make him use his sight by making him look at objects further away. The 2nd Dr.'s input was very helpful & I'm happy with his assessment. He wasn't there to see how far Brandon can see but to help us on how Brandon should be taught. He said that there is a program available to help students obtain equipment that can help with their education. We are in need of a CCTV and that's what we're going to ask for. They won't pay for all of it but they may pay for most of the total cost. Anything to help Brandon better himself! Anyway channel 13 will come visit Brandon at his school Tuesday morning so Brandon's excited about that. He has a secret crush on Jennifer (the morning news anchor). It's cute really because he's always asking when he can talk to her. Then when he sees her, he doesn't say too much. They should be airing his story either next week or the following week - I'll keep everyone posted! I apologize for not answering every one's emails this week - I'm down with a cold that refuses to go away. Hopefully in the next day or two, I can finish the emails. Sorry Jamie for not getting those pictures off to you yet - I promise I will soon! Tell Spencer "Hi" for me - I miss him! Photo's: 1st - Brandon's greatest love (besides music) is swimming. 2nd - Nick & I enjoying the day together. 3rd - Brandon playing in the water. Grandpa Preston had to work hard to get him out!!

Getting Settled In

We've been home for 3 1/2 days now and it hardly seems possible. At times it feels like we've just gotten here but then at other times, China seems like a distant memory. I just can't get over how different China is compared to the US. It really does feel like another world when you're over there. Anyway after being plagued with internet problems, I just now got it to work again. I have wonderful updates to report but first....our trip home. Jack took us to the airport and helped get our luggage checked in. Unfortunately 2 suitcases were overweight :( one was 70 lbs & the other was 56 lbs. I ended up having to pay 60 USD for it. After that was taken care of, we went through security and had just settled in the waiting room for our flight when 2 cops with rifles came up to me and said that I needed to come with them. All I could think of was "Oh my God, what's going on? I'm going to jail & I don't even know why! I'm never going home!!" Yeah I know, over dramatic but that would've been just my luck! Anyway Brandon and I were escorted back through security where they had one of my suitcases on the table. They said that they wanted to search it. So I opened it up & they took my DVD's. All they wanted was to look through my DVD collection!! Once they realized that my DVD's didn't contain anything horrible, they allowed me to zip everything back up & I was free to go back through security to the waiting room. Finally after what seemed like a decade, we were able to board. 30 minutes after the plane was suppose to leave, we were still at the terminal. I began to smell smoke which wasn't the most comforting smell when you're about to be 37,000 feet up in the air. I was trying to decide whether to demand an explaination or to jump sail when the plane started to back out to the runway. I seriously doubt if I had ever been more afraid than I was at that moment. But obviously all went well. We landed in Seoul, Korea where we had a short 2 hours to wait for our connecting flight. It was nice to finally board because I knew that the next time our feet hit the ground, it would be in America. The plane we were on was really nice however Brandon & I was next to the window & an Asian guy had the aisle seat. Knowing that we were trapped for 11 1/2 hours made us want to go to the bathroom even more. Each seat had a mini TV so I was able to watch movies while Brandon slept. We had stayed up most of the night Sunday night in hopes that we would be able to sleep on the plane from Seoul, Korea to Los Angeles. Brandon sleep most of the trip but I was only able to sleep for an hour and a half. We crossed the pacific ocean at night so we didn't have much of a view until morning. I opened the shade just as the light was starting to show over the horizon. It was absolutely beautiful! As dawn broke, they brought out breakfast. They asked Brandon & I what we wanted for breakfast - omlette or pumpkin porridge. Brandon had been begging for eggs the whole time we were in China so I said omlette. I cut up Brandon's omlette and gave him the first bite. He started gagging & spit it out saying that it was "so gross". Curiousity got the best of me so I gave it a try. It was fish! A salmon & egg omlette! How could anyone eat something so disgusting?! I mean I like salmon but not chopped up in eggs for breakfast! Poor Brandon was so hungry! We also had fruit & bread so I gave him everything from my plate that he would eat. Luckily we only had a few more hours before we would have American food. After breakfast, Brandon wanted to look outside - something he had never asked to do. So I sat him on my lap and we looked out the window. Suddenly Brandon said "Ohh what's that?" After narrowing down the options, I discovered he was looking at the wing of the plane! I couldn't believe it! I started crying which I'm sure the other passengers thought was odd but I didn't care. That was one thing we were hoping for. For Brandon to see the wing of the plane on the way home. I was so excited! I wanted to start making phone calls to tell everyone but of course we were still up in the air so I had to wait. We finally landed in LA at 3:40 pm (Moutain time). We were greeted by an American who could speak English!! I know that statment sounds odd but trust me. After not being able to communicate very well for 5 weeks, it feel so great to have an English speaking American greet you at the plane exit. She helped us get our luggage through customs to the next drop off and made sure we got to the United terminal. We tried to get on an earily flight but we just didn't made it in time. So we went to Route 66 for lunch. Our first real American food in 38 days. Brandon had chicken tenders & fries and I had a hamburger with fries. Add two cokes and the total came to $38.00 USD. The bill was a bit surprising but it was worth every penny! I didn't think it tasted the best & I started to get concerned. Maybe my taste buds were ruined!! I had heard horror stories of people coming back from China and not liking the foods that they used to eat. But it was refreshing to be eating something that was familiar. After a 5 hour stay in LA, we boarded the last plane. Destination: HOME!! That plane ride was only 2 hours but it seemed a lot longer. When I saw the lights of Colorado Springs, I knew that our journey had finally ended. After flying over 6,000 miles, we had made it.... we were home. John & Nick greeted us at the airport. I swear Nick had grown 6 inches in 2 weeks! I was so happy to see them again! After getting our suitcases into the Tahoe, I insisted on going to Taco Bell. Not because I was hungry but because I had thought of nothing else since arriving in China. I promised Brandon & myself that we would go to Taco Bell as soon as we left the airport. So at midnight we pulled into the Taco Bell drive thru and ordered a burrito for myself & cinnamon twists for Brandon. I took one bite and my original thoughts of having ruined taste buds came back. It didn't taste anything like I remembered. John ordered a burrito as well and thankfully he agreed that it didn't taste too good. By 2 am, I was sound asleep in my own bed. Oh how good it felt to pull the covers up to my chin and go to sleep in my comfy bed. Tuesday morning I woke up at 7 AM :( After 5 hours of sleep, I could sleep no longer. Suffering from extreme jet lag, Tuesday seemed to blur into Wednesday. Brandon saw the neurologist Tuesday morning and he put all of our concerns to rest. He didn't see much of the brain damage that the Dr's had seem in China. He did say that the cranial pressure is somewhat concerning and that we may want to have his tested. We have decided to wait and see how his headaches are. If he continues to suffer from them, we'll have him tested. Anyway as we were talking to the Dr, Brandon got down and started playing with the toys in the toy bin. As much as John & I tried to concentrate on what the Dr was saying, all of our attention was focused on Brandon playing like a normal child. Over the past two days we have noticed subtle changes with Brandon. He spent Tuesday & Wednesday outside playing with Nick. Something he had never done much of. I caught them outside in the driveway loading rocks into their dump trucks. How cool was that?! Brandon had never done that before! On Thursday Brandon started 3rd grade. We talked to the principal who is an amazing guy. Mr Tutt has been behind us from the very beginning so for him to see the changes in Brandon himself was great. Brandon showed off his new tricks - showing Mr. Tutt how good he is at the flash cards. By the time we finished talking to Mr. Tutt, it was time for lunch. So Brandon, Mr. Tutt, John & I walked to the cafateria. Brandon walked ahead of us (without his cane). As we walked past the vehicles in the parking lot, Brandon said "Ohh what's that?" I asked him "You tell me, what is that?" He said "a motorcycle". Of course he was right. Mr. Tutt laughed. As we were about to step down on the curb, I held my breath. I was really hoping he would see the step. He looked down and took the step like he had been doing it all of his life. again Mr. Tutt was impressed. On the way back from lunch, Brandon came up to the step, turned around, and said "Be careful Mom, there's a step coming". How amazing is that?! We see the eye Dr. Monday morning. I'm excited to see what he has to say. I'll keep everyone posted! I just want to say Thank You to all who has stood by us during this journey. It has been amazing! Photo's: 1st - The Qingdao, China Airport. 2nd - Our last view of the Qingdao Aiport. Adios China!! 3rd - Seoul, Korea has several little islands around the shoreline. How beautiful is that! I actually thought we were going to land on water because we barely cleared the beach before we touched down. 4th - Incheon Internation Airport in Seoul, Korea 5th - Brandon hanging out in the airport in Seoul before we boarded the plane to America. 6th - Dawn breaks over the Pacific Ocean. What an amazing sight!! 7th - Breakfast! Our salmon & egg omlette 8th - Brandon smiling after seeing the wing of the airplane FOR THE FIRST TIME!! 9th - Flying over Los Angeles, California prior to landing at LAX. What a view!! 10th - The LA Roadhouse Route 66. Our first American meal in 38 days!!

We're Home!!

Hi everyone, sorry it took me so long to update. When I got home, I went to hook up my laptop to the internet and found that my old settings didn't work. Since I was / am experiencing severe jet lag, I just left it alone until now. Anyway we landed in Colorado Springs at 10:58 pm Monday night (12:58 Tuesday afternoon China's time). We had a very long & uneventful flight home. Well not quite uneventful. As we were about to hit the California coast, Brandon looked out of the window & saw the airplane wing....for the first time. He said "ohh what's that?" After narrowing it down, I realized he was looking at the wing. I was so excited!! I will post pictures of our return trip and go into details tonight. I just wanted to let everyone know that we're home safe & sound - and very glad to be here!!

Saying Goodbye to China

Well the time has come to say goodbye. I never thought this day would come but finally our time here is over. We are so excited to be heading home!! We leave the hospital in less than an hour so I wanted to update the blog before I packed my computer away. We cannot wait to see everyone when we get home!! Brandon is unpatiently waiting - he's worse than I am!! So goodbye for now - I'll update the blog as soon as I get home to let everyone know we arrived safely. Talk to you soon......from home!!

Last Night in China

Our last full day here has come to an end. All day today I felt a little off. I was sad in a way to leave all these wonderful people (Adele, patients & some staff) but I know that I should've been happy. It was just a weird feeling. Our life for the last 37 days has been full of adventure, boredom, happiness, tears, laughter, disgust, frustration.....but we have never regretted coming here. People ask "Are you glad you came?" Absolutely! We came here and did what we set out to do.... Improve Brandon's sight. We are also leaving here with newly formed friendships from all over the world which is an added bonus. All the patients & families here have one thing in common - stem cell therapy. It's that common bond that has made us almost like family here. It doesn't matter where you're from or what your social background is, we all came here with hope for a brighter future. We leave tomorrow with not only that but ever lasting bonds with others here with the same dream. It's hard to say goodbye to some of them because in reality, we may never see each other again. I think that's why it's so bitter sweet for us. Brandon asked if we could take Adele home with us. I certainly wish we could. She's an amazing girl with a bright future. I just hope her future doesn't include staying here. We are hoping to return next year for another round of treatments & hopefully we'll see her again. Today Adele went with us to the RT Mart for the final time. I had to stock up on some candy that I've become hopelessly addicted to. We also stopped at Brandon's favorite place....KFC. It was nice to get out after being coped up in the hospital for the last few days. I regret not going to some places that I had planned on going but that's ok. We saw more than I expected and we did have quite an adventure. Photo's: 1st - Brandon & Adele outside of KFC & the RT Mart. 2nd - Brandon's home away from home - KFC. 3rd - We went to this market today about 30 minute drive from the hospital. On the surface all looked nice however they have these narrow alley ways that are littered with trash & packed full of people. They were cooking in the alley so this horrible stench from the street vendors was hard to ignore. One vendor was selling meat on a stick that looked similar to a hot dog but I guarantee it wasn't a hot dog! Brandon said "ohh what's that?" Through clenched teeth (because of the smell) all I could say is "Keep moving!!" Like the meat didn't smell like any meat I have ever had or seen. I wish I had taken a picture of it but all I could think of was to get out of the area as quickly as possible. 4th - Another view of the market. Pictures 3 & 4 were taken in the neat area of the market.

Going Away Party - Leaving China in 42 Hours!!

Yesterday Dr. Bing gave Brandon a set of flash cards that had various pictures on them. Car, ship, plane, helicopter, watermelon, corn, green pepper, apple, tomato, potato, water gun, rattle, cup, bowl...well you get the point. Anyway there is 48 different pictures and within 4 hours (including breaks), Brandon was able to tell us what each one was - 2 feet away - except tomato & apple (They look identical with the exception of the stem). I brought the Dr back in last night during Brandon's "lying down time" to show him what Brandon could do. After going through them with him, Dr. Bing grabbed my shoulders & hugged me then tried to hug Brandon but he wasn't going for any of that. He told Brandon "Thank you for making my day... this is very good news". I thought he was going to cry but he did keep his composure. He said that Brandon has a very good chance of improving more over the next several months. Many people have told me that the Dr's are just in it for the money. This may be true for some Dr's but not Dr. Bing. He is an amazing Dr who truly cares about what he's doing. He WANTS to help people, he WANTS to see people improve - and we can't thank him enough for everything he has done. Last night we were informed that the Dr. visiting from another city lets his patients up after 4 hours of lying down. So instead of the normal 6 hours, Brandon was allowed up after 4 hours. He was happy about that. Especially since there was a party going on out in the lobby. An hour after it started, Brandon & I were able to go out and take part in the festivities. We took pictures, talked to other patients & ate. They had the coffee tables COVERED with fruit, cake, moon pies, & juice. Brandon ate watermelon & cake to celebrate his last treatment. We retired early since he is suppose to take it easy for 48 hours after treatment. Around 11pm, Brandon started suffering a headache. I gave him Tylenol but it wasn't helping. I went to the Dr's office across the hall & asked Dr. Bing for medicine. The last time Brandon had a headache, they gave him a capsule which we dissolved in water. 5 minutes later, the Dr. came back with a capsule. Today he has been taking it easy & right now he's in bed with another headache. I think he partied too much last night instead of resting. Another day is about to end - 2 days left!! We stayed up late last night & slept until nearly 2pm today. Hopefully it will help in readjusting to US time when we get home.........IN 2 DAYS!!! Photo's: 1st - Brandon enjoying the party in the lobby. See all the food on the table? They had a bowl of limes....not sure what they were for. 2nd - Brandon is flirtin' with the nurses & making his remaining time here count!!

Final Treament Is Complete!! 3 Days Until We're Home!!

Last night 15 of us (patients & their families) went to the Sunkin Hua Kun Hotel - aka the International Buffet - for dinner. It was actually better than the last time we went. (well except for the duck heads & tongue from some animal - not sure what type of animal donated their tongue for the menu). It was pretty funny because I sat in front of a patient who likes to be adventurous when it comes to food. As I sat there eating with Brandon, I tried my best to avoid looking a the other patient's plate of sea shells & tendons. They did teach me how to use chop sticks so "Thank You" - you know who you are!! The reason I use the terms "they, the patient, or them" is because not everyone likes to be acknowledged on someone else's website. So if I haven't asked their permission - I don't mention names. Today was Brandon's final treatment!! YEAH!! He is currently beginning his 2nd hour of lying in bed - 4 hours to go! The Dr. met us in the elevator as we were coming back up to the room & said that everything was fine. In fact his intracranial pressure was at the lowest we had seen it before - 70 which is a normal!! I'm not sure why we have seen the pressure drop from high to normal but we're happy. It certainly makes recovery go a lot smoother with less complications. Brandon is so happy that this was the last treatment. He has gotten tired of feeling like a pin cushion - being poked & prodded. But he has said that his eyes are working better so he's glad he came to China. I think we are all happy to have had the opportunity to come here. I may have complained a lot but not once have I ever regretted coming here. I'm adding several pictures that I took last night & today since this was the last treatment. During the previous treatments, I've sorta slacked in the picture taking department. I have just been informed that the staff is throwing us a party tonight at 6:00 pm. Apparently since there are three families that are leaving Monday & Tuesday, they want to have a going away party. That's very nice of them - it will also give Brandon & I something to do to pass the time. I have asked them if I can wheel Brandon out into the lobby for the party since he's unable to get up until 9:00 pm (providing he is feeling well). They said that we could probably do that. Well we are almost packed up. Tonight I will pack most of our clothes up & leave only the clothes we'll need for this weekend & Monday. I'm done doing laundry in China! The clothes don't dry for a few days & by the time they do dry, they smell funky. When we get home, I'll be washing ALL the clothes up so we can hopefully get the smell of China out of them. So we're down to wearing our cleanest dirty clothes until we get home! Photo's: 1st - Some of the other patients & families linger after dinner. I had forgotten the card that shows the hospital name & address in Chinese back in the room so I had to wait & catch a cab back to the hospital with another family. This was the first time I had ever forgotten the card - thankfully there was still other people that DID have theirs or Brandon & I would never had gotten back to the hospital! 2nd - Brandon standing in the lobby of the Sunkin Hua Kun Hotel last night after dinner. It's a really nice hotel!! 3rd - Brandon today making faces as we wait for them to take him downstairs. He was being silly! 4th - 2:15 pm China's time - Brandon is whisked away by a nurse an the interpreter Wendy. Time for treatment!! 5th - Brandon is being loaded on the elevator to be taken down to the 4th floor where the spinal treatments are done on kids. The adults have their spinal treatments on the 9th floor. 6th - Brandon waves to the camera as we go down the hall on the 4th floor. OR room here we come!! 7th - At 2:25 Brandon is fast asleep after he receives a dose of medicine to put him to sleep. They put two different medicines into his IV using a syringe. It only takes a minute or so for him to go to sleep. After he is fast asleep, they move him into the gurney used for treatment. 8th - Brandon is on the gurney & is whisked away to the operating room. That's the last time I see him before the treatment starts. I am sent to the waiting room to do just that - wait. 35 minutes seem like hours when your child is in the operating room. Only when he is awake do I get an update & that's to tell me that I can see him again - back in the same room that he received the medicine to put him to sleep. 9th - The Operating Room. When you first walk in, they ask to to wait there - do not cross over the line because you can contaminate to OR. However nurses & Dr's can cross over the line & go back (apparently there's a difference). So they take Brandon to the line & give him the medicine to put him to sleep. I have to lean over the line just to hold Brandon's hand as he falls asleep. 10th - The dreaded waiting room. Actually this is a really nice waiting room. The families of patients who receive stem cell treatments wait in this private room while the Chinese families all have to wait in a little room filled with hard metal chairs across from the operating room. They just recently granted us use of this room so the families can be more comfortable. More often than not, I sit at the table & try to read a book. It's hard though since all I can do is worry about how Brandon is. I'm so glad this is over with!! The waiting room is actually a meeting room where Dr's go to converge. They have a big flat panel TV, a projector & a computer in the room. I can understand why they would hesitate to let us use the room to wait. In the background on the wall is a Chinese saying. From what I understand, it means to always think of the patient with understanding & to give the best care possible. 11th - At exactly 3:00 pm Brandon is back in the room just inside of the operating room after receiving his last spinal stem cell treatment. He is fully awake and in a great mood! The shelf in the background holds several pairs of sandals. When people go past the line, they have to put on the sandals (I guess so you don't contaminate the floor?) Right next door to the OR is the door that you enter to go into the waiting room. As soon as you walk into the hallway leading to the waiting room, there is the same type of shelf with sandals. They usually have plastic bags that they have you place over your feet. Today I wasn't quite so lucky. With no bags, I was forced to use the sandals. They're comfortable but I'm sure many people have used those same pair since washing them. I have a problem using sandals that are community property & where someone else's sweaty feet have been. But if it means sitting in a comfortable waiting room instead of the common waiting room, then I'll get over my phobia -Afterall this was the last time!!

7th Anniversary of the World Trade Center Attack

As we remember what our country went through 7 years ago today, I can't help but be thankful for being an American. I remember after the attack, you couldn't find a single American flag in stores - they had all be purchased and proudly displayed uniting our country during a difficult time. Today as we went to Jimo, I noticed that very few China flags are displayed. They do have small ones but they don't have many large (flag pole) sized - not like America. I hope our children will understand how lucky they are to have been born in the USA. It was very bittersweet going into town. Today's journey marked our last outing here in China. I have fallen in love with Jimo but I believe a person could go bankrupt in there if they really tried hard enough. It's not the shopping I love but the people in those little booths. They work hard every day to sell the goods that they make just to feed their families. They are so friendly and kind and try so hard to please you. They just make you appreciate your life even more. Brandon was even a bit sad when we left Jimo for the last time. We stopped at KFC (Brandon's favorite place) before coming back to the hospital. Brandon asked if we could go to KFC when we got home. I told him that I doubt if we would ever eat KFC again. 4 days until we come home!! We are so excited!!! Brandon will have his last treatment tomorrow so hopefully the next couple of days will go by fast. He has learned all of his alphabet & numbers 1-9 (the numbers he learned today!!). I'm so proud of him! Photo's: 1st - Brandon and I in from of a fountain in the courtyard behind Jimo. Jimo is a shopaholics dream! 2nd - Brandon at the nurse's station last night. He asked if he could wear her hat - funny huh!

A - Z and 5 DAYS LEFT!!

Brandon has done it! He has learned the whole alphabet in exactly one week IN PRINT! X & Y were a bit tough but he counts the "legs" to determine whether it is an X or a Y. Today we woke up & got him fed before the 6 hour cut off (no food or water 6 hours prior to treatment). Then he went back to sleep. The Dr's came in soon afterwards but didn't want to wake him up. They said to let him sleep so they left. LESS THAN 2 minutes later, 2 nurses came in to put his IV in. I asked them to come back later since the Dr's said to let him sleep. They said "no, now". So at 9:15 am this morning, they did his IV. 45 minutes later, the interpreter came in and said that the treatment has been cancelled today because the flight was cancelled. The stem cells are flown in the day of the treatment in insure that they are as "fresh" as they can be. They said that the treatment will be done on Friday instead. Of course I was a bit concerned because we head home on Monday & from what we have always been told, you must wait 5 days after treatment to leave. I told them that we ARE LEAVING on Monday - regardless. They said that since his last spinal was fine that this one should be noneventful as well therefore it would be ok to leave on Monday as scheduled. We are so ready to go home that nothing is going to keep us here!! I told John that we'd run away if they attempt to keep us longer. With that being said, I told them to take his IV out and Friday's IV won't be given until closer to treatment time. It is crazy to give a kid an IV 6 hours before treatment. Especially since they don't start using the IV until an hour prior to treatment. Brandon being tortured today could've been prevented if they hadn't been in a rush. I had promised Brandon that this was the last IV & I unintentionally lied to him. Last night I couldn't help myself. I started packing. I tried to limit myself & pack only the stuff I wouldn't need here. It made Brandon & I feel so good to begin the process of packing. It made the impending trip home seem a bit closer. Brandon & I have gotten so used to being by ourselves. We aren't trying to be standoffish to the other patients, we're just so homesick and don't feel like hanging out in the lobby. Yesterday I took Brandon to KFC and that's the only time we stepped out of our room the entire day. Today we went to the nurses station to get the IV out and that's been it. John has been telling me to put a DVD in & watch a movie to make the time go by faster. I can't even get myself to do that. I have turned the TV on twice since John left 10 days ago. He convinced me to try a movie twice but each time, I didn't watch it. I feel completely different since everyone left on the 1st. The only thing on our minds is the prospect of being home soon. All Brandon talks about is leaving China & going home. In the middle of the night, I hear him talking in his sleep. Usually he just says "I wanna go home". We wander through the process of getting up each day, eating meals, listening to music just to end the silence, practicing letters and chatting with family back home. And of course staring at the clock, begging time to move faster. Now I know what the other patients feel like the last week they're here. It really does go on forever!!

We left Home Exactly 1 Month Ago Today - 1 Week Left!!

Today was another lazy day. We saw the Dr's at 9:00 am and then we had the rest of the day off. Adele came to see us at noon which was really nice. We have missed her & we're going to miss her after we leave!! She brought us something that is similar to a waffle cone except it was rolled up & had little seeds in it. It was actually pretty good. After she left, Brandon wanted to go to the RT Mart and buy some chips & raisins. So off to the market we went. We bought more cucumbers for him & I found a block of imported Land O'Lakes American cheese. I was happy!! We left America exactly one month ago today. It really doesn't seem that long ago but then in a way it does. We have gotten used to China and all of their funky ways but I wouldn't want to live here. We come home a week from today. Brandon is so excited to be on our last week here. He woke up this morning & instantly remembered that today marked the 1 week until D-Day. Photo: Brandon talks to his Dad on Skype. He can tell me where John's nose, eyes & mouth are on the online video. Although Skype has been great, we can't wait to see everyone in person!!

Lazy Day - 8 days to go!

It's Sunday afternoon here and we're being lazy today. On the weekends nothing really goes on around here. Brandon & I slept until 12:30 - something that we haven't done since we got here. It was nice to actually sleep in and pretend that we're back home :) Yesterday we got up early & went into town with several other patients. We started our day at a Temple downtown. It wasn't quite as peaceful as the one in the mountain nor was it as scenic but it was nice to see. Next we stopped at the boardwalk. Almost everyone else wanted to eat Chinese food. But Brandon & I couldn't stomach the thought of eating it so we skipped it & went to the beach. Brandon was able to play in the water which he loved. I took off his clothes & left him in his boxers since we still had more stops to make. At first I wasn't sure if it was ok but then I noticed that most of the other kids were completely naked. He played with another little boy who could speak some English. We kept getting surrounded by people wanting to take pictures of Brandon. I bought a bottle of water so I could wash the sand off of Brandon's feet & legs. As we sat down to get him cleaned up, I noticed a circle had been formed around us of people wanting to see him. It was a bit Awhile later we walked down the boardwalk & took photo's. It was nice to watch the Navy ships off in the distance. Brandon enjoyed looking at the water from the boardwalk (about 6 ft below). Later we went to Jimo and to a DVD store. The DVD store is so funny. We walk in & ask them that we want to see the English movies. They tell you to be quiet as they lead to to the back. Suddenly this shelf starts to move reveiling a secret room full of movies. I'm assuming they are copies which would explain the secrecy. After stopping at KFC for dinner, we arrived back to the "house" at 7:30 completely exhausted but grateful that we were able to do something that made the day go by quickly. Photo's: 1st - Brandon & I at the Temple. There was a long walkway that lead to different buildings, each containing a gold Buddha with gifts of fruit and other things around it. People would buy incense and light several at a time in front of the Buddha. They would then hold the incense up to their forehead as they prayed. After prayer, they would throw the incense into a metal "thingy" as shown in photo #5. 2nd - Brandon & I in front of the huge bell. While there, the bell began to ring and we saw several monks head toward a large building that had another gold buddha in it. From what I understood, it was time for prayer. Anyway inside of the bell house is a 3ft long log suspended in air by chains and covered in decorations. They strike the bell with the swinging log which of course causes the bell to ring. 3rd - Brandon & I in front of the oddest little building. It is seven stories high but each floor is extremely small. I didn't see any signs that gave an indication as to what it was. I thought it was an interesting building though. 4th - In front of each building, there is a metal box that people place incense in after praying over them (like the person in the background). It was really smoky around the boxes!! On the left 0ur favorite driver looks on. 5th - When the bell rang, the monks went into this building which is the largest building there at the Temple. We saw several banners announcing the 2008 Olympics which I thought was odd at a Buddhist Temple. 6th - One of the golden buddha's which is found in every building. I didn't realize that we weren't suppose to take photo's of the buddha's until the driver pointed out a sign saying so....oops! 6th - Brandon at the beach. He had such a good time playing in the water. He accidentally got some water in his mouth & he said "EWW that's nasty water!!" I had to explain to him that it was salt water and that lots of fish live in there. In the background there was several Navy ships just hanging around. Also above Brandon's left shoulder, there was a man in a row boat just floating around us. He would come up as close to the shoreline as possible then go back out. I never did see the purpose of it but he seemed to be having a good time. Brandon got a little sunburned out there. Every few minutes someone would come by and take his picture. Can you see the island in the background??