Sorry it has taken so long to update. It took a good week to get ourselves back on US time and had a few unexpected things to take care of and Cassy turned 18 and the list goes on! Still haven't had a chance to get caught up on emails and phone calls so sorry to everyone nothing personal. Our first week home I was wishing I could go back to our simple China life. I turned my phone ringer off and dealing with one thing at a time and just really enjoying our "HAPPY CASSY!" She is doing so GOOD! One of the things we have figured out is for a very long time Cassy has been suffering from  seizures. Temporal lobe seizures. For years her Drs. here in the US have been giving her drugs that have lowered the threshold for seizures so it was making her worse~! Since we have been home all she takes is her hormone replacement medications and Trazadone to help her sleep and her natural vitamins. She has only had a few episodes since we have gotten home. And they have been very minor! Now that we know what they are we breath through them and or change what triggers them. Before we went to China there were times she was ripping her and my hair out! We would go days at a time with NO SLEEP and Cassy out right miserable and climbing the walls beating her self and we have pics to prove it!  She has not had ANY days like that since we have been home! So to all the critics explain that? Placebo?Noway! As far as vision Her pupils continue to dilate and at times catch her looking up at things. Just last night we were driving home and it was dark out and she was staring up in the car at the stop lights. Before China Cassy has NEVER held her head up and stared at ANYTHING!!!!!! EVER!!!! And believe me from the time we found out Cassy was blind we were shining lights in her eyes looking for any kind of reaction.

 One of the questions we have gotten is was it worth it? Not a doubt in my mind!! Would we do it again? In a minute with NO hesitation! It was not a easy road to get there but with that said it opened our eyes to so much and wound not take any of it back for one minute. We are so very blessed to have the people in our lives that made sure that Cassy was given this opportunity.

It is to bad that we have to travel half way around the world for some thing that is so easy. Not just for ONH/SOD but for so many of the diseases and conditions that can be helped from Adult(umbilical cord) stem cells. It still baffles me that so many Drs. and Scientist here in the US and abroad have such negative to say when clearly they are researching and treating some conditions with stem cells. Check out http://www.stemcelltracker.com/ . It just makes you wonder Why?

Treatment #8 is done!Yeahhh!!! She has one left we are trying to change it to Friday instead of Monday because Monday is Hannah's Birthday and it would be nice to take them to Polar Ocean World before we leave. I still cant believe we are almost done and will be home soon. Todays treatment went OK Cassy's mood was shaky.She could have erupted at a moments.But she did tolerate them putting in the IV it is just difficult to wait 4 hours till treatment because she tries ripping it out. Treatment time came and between Hannah,myself and nurse April and her beautiful singing voice managed to keep her occupied and then out with the IV!

And her mood is already improved 100%.Giggling Cassy is back!I just love to see her happy! So our count down to come home begins!

OK we are a few hours away from treatment #8!!!that means only one more to go!!!!!And then home again home again jig a dee jig!!!!AWWWWWWW I can't wait!!!!! I have started to pack!  The last two treatments will be IVs. I would like to see one more spinal but don't feel comfortable without Dr. Tony.They are all very good Cassy is just a different situation then the average.

But I definitely without a doubt in my mind see the pupil change and she is looking up alot these days. It is still on and off. But now I have other families here that have seen it too so that is nice and reassuring.

It has been cold here so it is getting us ready for good old Wisconsin winter.Just praying no big weather issues for our travel.Please NO delays!!! Please NO (LAX) L.A. airport layovers!!!!

Well better go it is 4am here and should try and get a hour of sleep in and dream a dream of Home Sweet Home!!!!

Thursday Treatment went great! The nurses came in at 9am to put the IV in and treatment wasn't until 2:30 pm so it was a long morning/afternoon to keep her from pulling it out herself but we did it and she was giggly the whole time.They took the IV out right away so that was good.We went out to the Holiday Inn for dinner and they have a a big lighted Christmas tree and it sure looked like she was checking it out!So we still notice little things. We wont see the real effects of the stem cells for the next 3-9 months. I cant remember who told me but  it takes 9 months for a baby to be born full term so it takes time for these stem cells to do their work. Also I keep telling her to hold her head up and open her eyes BIG. She is so use to looking down it is all she has known so we have been practicing that. Also while she is in the bathroom I turn off the lights and give her a lighted wand to play with so if or when she sees it she can figure out the hand eye coordination.That is usually something a infant learns early on.

We have 10 more days until we leave to come home. We had another family leave on Friday they are from Australia  and it was hard. I was OK until I looked over at Hannah and she was crying.So it was nice the translator and driver let Hannah go with Jenna,Peter,and her special little Baron   to the airport to see them off. He is 2 with ONH and has seen improvements. He now cries when you take a picture because he doesn't like the flash. And we lost Cathy & little Mallory and the day before that Austin and his family so it has been a tear filled couple days. Two families arrived today one from the US  and one from I believe Russia. They are still settling in but it looked like the US family had a boy around Hannah's age.I still can't believe we have been gone from home  35 days and will be home soon! See you soon Gracie!!We cant wait to see you!!And my washing machine. Oh how I miss my washing machine! No laundry mats in China and the laundry service is a bit pricey and they made everyone itch so I have been hand washing everything but Hard to keep up with Cassy.So still deciding what to do first when we get home a super long shower or a load of laundry?