Update 1/20/08

Ni hae,
It's about 12:30 pm our time on Tuesday. I am going to tell you about Yesterday and then get you up to speed as to what has happened up until now today as things are getting ready for the surgery tomorrow.
I woke up early yesterday morning to turn the computer on to keep track of the Patriots game. I can only get the quarter, time left and score. When I got onto the internet, they were ahead in the second quarter. I then lost the internet until the third quarter, which they were ahead. I got the score halfway through the 4th and then the final score. Go Pats!!
After the morning routine, I took Derek to acupunture. Upon returning, I scheduled him for reflexology. The girl gave him a foot message with pressure points. He then had physical therapy. He had a short message before afternoon therapy. Lucy video taped some of his therapy for the Beiki Biotech company. They will do a comparison video before he leaves.
Nicole called a couple of times today from Bejing. The second time she was on the Great Wall. She is having a blast and really getting to experience China. I'll have her write a seperate update when she returns telling you all about her adventures. She will be back in Shenyang tomorrow around noon. Derek and I spent another quiet night watching DVD's ( When we find one that isn't just in Chinese).
The head nurse and Tony came in yesterday to discuss what we would do about catherization for Derek while in the OR and ICU. They normally put in a Foley (a catherter that can stay in for a long time.) and leave it for the ten days. We are having a hard time getting them to understand about Derek's Latex allery. They just can't figure out if any of their supplies contain latex. They agreed that they would use Derek's catheter to insurt and then they would remove his bag and attach their bag that they can empty. They kept saying that they will leave it in for days. I can't get it thru their heads that they are not made to stay in for days. I have resolved myself to the fact that as soon as he can come back to our room, I will remove it and go back to cathetering when needed by us.
This moring the nurse came in with Tony and wanted the supplies that we had such as catheters and the surgical sterile latex free gloves and tape that I had brought with me. She insisted that she needed all these this morning to send to the OR and ICU for tomorrow. I was hesitant because each time that we have given them supplies that wanted to keep them for the next time and then they proceed to lose them. After the nurse left, Tony told me to get the supplies and keep them until he goes to surgery because he also said that they have too many patients and lose thing. When Tony and I tried to talk the nurse into letting us keep the supplies, she wasn't having any part of it. She said that the OR and ICU had to have them today. The doctor told me after I had already given the gloves to the nurse that he wanted 10 pairs. But she wouldn't count them or let me. So tomorrow when they come to get him, I am going to put some more gloves and catheters on his bed. I think that this is the hardest part; trying to get them to listen to you or understand what you are saying.
Derek was supposed to have reflexology again this morning at 10:00 and I was supposed to soak his feet in hot water for 10 minutes before hand. Of course we have nothing to do that in and they said they had nothing I could use, so Yankee inginuaty (spelling?), I took two gallon zip lock bags with warm water and put each foot in one to soak. Once I had him in bed already, we waited. When the girl hadn't shown up for a while, I went to the message room to ask about her. A therapist who could speak some English told me that she hadn't come to the hospital today. That is the way a lot of things go around here. They don't always inform you of changes so that you can be prepared. You wait or you make adaptions to your schedule.
Before he went to his morning therapy, Tony and a nurse came in to say that Derek needed the back of his head down to the middle of his back shaved for the surgery and that the nurse would be in at 1:30 to do it. While Derek was getting his therapy, I talked to Ben who was doing a standing frame that they have. He said that when they shaved his back for surgery they used a cheap disposable razor which really pulled and hurt, so we agreed that we would have them use Derek's good razor. I brought it even though he had decided before leaving home that he was not going to shave while he was here.
After lunch, Lucy came in and wanted to know if he wanted her to call a beautician to come to the hospital and shave his whole head so that he wouldn't look funny with just part of it shaved. I was opting for just the back shaved, but Derek wanted the whole thing done. At 1:00 the beautician showed up and proceeded to shave his head with an electric hair trimmer. I had given them Derek's razor to use to do the real shaving part. Next thing we knew out came the big old fashioned straight edge razor. She didn't want to use Derek's. She got out a cup and mixed up the cream and using a shaving brush, lathered up his head and went for it. Derek was regretting his decision. He said that he was nervous and it hurt. He won't even look at himself in the mirror and wanted his winter hat to put on. Lucy couldn't understand why he wouldn't let the beautician shave his beard at the same time. I was wondering what Papa O'Brien was thinking as he watched from heaven. I bet he was thinking that he could do a better job. I remember how they begged me when they were little to let Papa give them a buzz cut. They finally got me to agree and loved it at the time.
Derek is scheduled for a message at 2:30 and therapy at 3:00. After his surgery tomorrow, he won't be able to have acupuncture, message or therapy for 10 days.
The nurses are coming in tonight to tell us what we have to do to get ready for the surgery. This should be interesting since Lucy and Tony go home around 5:00 and the nurses don't speak much English. They are scheduled to come in at 7am to get him ready to go down to surgery. This will be a couple of hard days for us.
We have heard from other patients that they have certain rules for visiting while in ICU and there too they don't feed them any food, so we'll see what we need to do about that.
I will write another update tomorrow afternoon or evening our time to let you know how the surgery went and how Derek is doing in the ICU. Keep the prayers coming that the surgery and bone marrow transplant will be successful. Our love to all, Derek, Kathy and Nicole.