February 19, 2008 - A walk outside!

Hi everyone!

I just thought I would write a quick update and let you know that things are going pretty good here. We were able to get Alex out yesterday for a walk... she made it about half way up the street and then we turned around. It was awesome to get her out walking. We still have to hold on to her, but her endurance is getting a whole lot better. Yae! It probably means she has plenty of red blood cells right now. Today Alex actually came into the kitchen and helped me a little with dinner. We have a galley type set-up here, so she has something to hold on to and go from one side to the other very easily. It was great to have her in the kitchen with me.

Thursday Alex is having a few things done. Hopefully her counts will be good enough for her treatment, but she also has an EEG planned. This is where they hook up many many colored wires to your head and you lay there for a LONG time and they flash strobe lights, and other lights... very strange to watch. The Neurologist wants to have another one done to check to see if she is still at risk for seizures. Alex suffered two of these after her stroke. She doesn't think she is at risk anymore, but she wants the test done so we can (hopefully) take her off the twice a day seizure medication. The first EEG she had done was just after the stroke and it showed a very sleepy brain... SO, it will be very interesting to see how this one turns out. I do know that this test will be much easier because they won't have to weave through all her hair. She has to be sleep deprived for the test and they only want her to sleep from the hours of midnight and 4am the night before. SO... tomorrow we will be up partying! I will try and remember to take a picture of this test.

Also... I have had many of you write to me and ask if there was anything they could send Alex, and I have been at a loss as to what to tell people. I thought of something over the weekend that she really likes and seems to be quite helpful. We learned in clinic that the scent of peppermint really helps with nausea, so we put 100% peppermint essance oil on cotton balls and put them on her humidifier in her room. Well, she could really use more peppermint oil, we go through a lot of it. You can find it at most health food stores. Anyway... that is something she really enjoys and it helps her.

I hope everyone is doing well! Please keep up the good blood cell vibes. We need many for Thursday! I will write then and update pictures and let you all know if the treatments have continued.

Thank you everyone for everything!!!