China Day 27: Dan and his 'caretakers'

Update from Dan the Man...
I feel stronger than when you were here. I think I'm getting stronger with my left arm. I got my right arm to go behind my back while sitting on the bed in front of Dr Leo yesterday but didn't today when the Director came.

Update from the 'wonderful caretakers'!
Today was a pretty uneventful day. We stayed with Dan and went to some of his therapy appointments. We took a little trip to the bank to exchange some of Dan’s money and to get some out of the ATM for ourselves. What we thought would be a quick trip ended up taking an hour. We’re not sure why, since we couldn’t understand what in the world they were talking about, but we were in good company, so we didn’t mind.
There was a going-away party for some people Jeff and I hadn’t met today. They’ll leave on Sunday. We all got together in the little café at the front of the hospital for cake and to talk. It’s super fun to get to know the other patients and their families. I wish everyone could meet Marlene and Norman, Renae, Susan and her family and everyone else. While we were there, someone mentioned all the love that’s here. She talked about how it’s hard to be far away from home and familiar things, but how easy it can be when strangers are kind and offer encouragement and love. Everyone helps everyone around here, and even though we’ve only been here for a short time, these people have become an important part of our lives. I hope to be able to keep in touch with them.
Anyway, while Dan was working hard in his acupuncture/massage appointment :-), Jeff and I finally put up the pictures in the room. I didn’t realize how boring the room was until we put them up. It’s good to have everyone here with us now. :-) The nurses love the pictures and take a minute each time they come in to look at them.
Hope everything is well there! Hopefully we’ll have more exciting things to report tomorrow. Good night! ;-)

Dan eating dessert before dinner. We’re awesome caretakers.



All of Dan’s IVs .. yikes



Speech therapy. Haha




Hanging the pictures on the wall (Jeff as Vanna)


More pictures - doesn't it look nice!


The Alley – Kallie and Marlene
(This is the alley that you have to travel down to get to the hospital property. The first time you come, it really makes you wonder where you are going to end up. At the end of the alley is a guard with a locked gate that lets you into the hospital area.)



This is a sign on one of the buildings in the alley-way going toward the hospital. I saw it on the way in and wasn’t sure what we were in for.



Kallie by the sign she saw on the way in.



Monks? We saw these guys at Tiananmen Square