Shingles

In the evening of Boxing Day, my mom noticed rash on one side of my chest wall. She suspected that I had shingles. I went to a medi-centre the next morning and the doctor confirmed the diagnosis. I started on anti-viral medication right away.

My mom is glad that she is with me when this happens because she can take care of me. It would have been a big worry for her if I were in Edmonton while she is here in Vancouver to visit Emily and Peter. Since I am not able to tell her what bothers me, she has to count on her observations to assess how I am doing.

I have spiked a fever for the first two nights and I get cranky some of the time. Other than these, I appear to cope well with no evidence of pain or distress.

Despite the shingles, I am having a great time here because when I get tired of one activity, Peter and Emily come up with something different for me to do. Whenever I can articulate what I want clearly, I get my wish. The following are examples of what I have successfully asked for:

* "silent night" - This is my current favorite music.

* "bubble" - the Bomomo game.

* "trees" - Peter and Emily have a Sims game. Peter gives me a piece of land to build a forest. I have fun putting in Christmas trees, palm trees and many other different kinds of trees to fill up the entire lot.

* "bed" - I saw Peter furnishing homes with beds. When I ask for "bed", I get my turn to play with moving beds all over the place.

* "house" - Then I got interested in house designs creating funny looking structures. I am not as interested in beds any more because I have found speakers and stereo systems to move around.

* "windmill" - Peter created a game for me. I can make windmills spin when I say numbers. When I say "two", the windmill with 2 blades spins. Sometimes I ask for this game by saying a number. Generally, I say "two" or "six".

* "car" - Peter taught me a Wii car game. My favorite is the Moo Moo Meadow course because it has a windmill. So, when I say, "car" and "windmill", they know exactly what I want.

* "dinosaur" - This is a create a creature game. I have created a few unique creatures. Everybody laughs at the one with a big tummy, which looks like it is pregnant.

* "shopping" - I am not really interested in shopping. All I want to do is to look at fans, speakers and Christmas trees.

Broken Record

I have kept my mom so busy all day long that she does not have time to help me with writing my blog. I call out, "Mommy", "Help please", "Bubble", "Dinosaur", "Candle" etc. constantly. I say "mommy" in such a whiny voice that Emily laughs about it. I call out for my mom so many times a day that I sound like a broken record.

I must be honest and admit that I have not been in my best behaviors 100 percent of the time. Anyway, who can? Nobody is perfect! Generally, it is when I am hungry or tired that I get agitated. I have made Emily cry one time and my mom frustrated quite a few times, especially during the night. I wake her up and make her feel shivers down her spine when I poke my finger in her ear.

Other than the occasional rascal moments, I have been enjoying my time here in Vancouver with lots of new experiences, including tandem cycling, chocolate fondue, Wii fitness games, different computer games, etc. I am talking/vocalizing more because I can generally get what I wish for when I can express myself with words.

Tandem Cycling

This morning the weather wasn't too bad and so my family took me outside. Before we left the apartment they showed me videos of tandem bicycles and tried to put a helmet on me. I wasn't too interested in the videos and wasn't keen on the helmet - I would let them put it on but would take it straight back off.

But when they walked into a bicycle shop I got very excited. I just wanted to grab one of the bikes and go! My family organised a tandem bicycle rental and we took it out on to the street. Now that I knew what was happening, I would tolerate the helmet. I just wanted to ride this bike! My sister and Mom were there to support me all the way through and they took these videos:

And just like any other type of ride, the corners were the best bit. On some of the bike paths you had to turn left or right and then get the bike between two poles. I'd yell out "wee!" as we went through. It was much more interesting than riding in a straight line. :)

I kept very good balance the whole time and we never had a problem. That's despite the large number of dogs we passed. Vancouver people like their dogs! When I'm up higher on a bike, the dogs don't worry me.

Chocolate Fondue

We have chocolate fondue two nights in a row. I fall in love with it and would like some more this morning. My mom is not in a mood for it, so she puts away the fondue set. I am not going to give up and I have created my own apparatus.



It is raining outside, so I suppose we won't be going out today. I guess I shouldn't complain because a big snowstorm (20 cm.) was predicted for last night. Yesterday, an advice was announced on radio for people to stock up some foods at home and not to go out, if possible. The snow isn't here yet.

Wii Balance Games

I have been getting up early the first couple of days in Vancouver. Last night, we went to attend a Christmas concert at church. By the time I got home, I was so tired that I fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow. This morning, I slept in till after 8 am. My mom and I "camp" on the living room floor. It was so nice to wake up to see my mom's cheery face. I felt rested and was playful. I giggled and laughed as I interacted with my mom.

For the past few days, I have been having fun listening to music, playing Bomomo on the computer, and going out for walks or shopping. Emily and Peter showed me how to play some Wii balance games. I surprised everybody by how fast I learned the Table Tilt game and how well I am doing.

Vancouver

Over the past few evenings (when possible), Emily and Peter called me on Skype. They had their webcam on so that I could see them. They told me that I would be flying on an airplane to go to Vancouver to visit them. They also helped me to count down. My mom thought I was beginning to understand what was going on. I felt a surge of excitement when my mom asked me to carry the suitcase to my room for packing.

Finally, the day (yesterday) came for me to go to the airport and my face broken into a bright smile a few times during the flight. Our flight was delayed and we got to Vancouver later than scheduled. I was tired and was kind of stubborn. It took a while before I calm down and fell asleep.

As soon as I woke up this morning, I asked for music. Peter set up the computer to play music for me to enjoy all day long. When my mom offered to take me out shopping, I said, "no." I played Bomomo for a long time today. Whenever I need a new page for my creative designs, I said, "Mommy, help please." or "All done." My mom showed me how to click for a new page. I have not mastered the skills yet and continue to count on my mom's help.