Welcome

Welcome to my ONH blog. I love this blog. It's clean and simple but everything you need to know about ONH, treatment, or my journey is on here. Thank you to my cousin Karena Lapray for constructing it.

We are just in the beginning stages of this journey. This blog was a major factor from the start and it was finished in January 2010. For a brief history of current events: Sharrid and I were married 5 years ago. My handicap was very manageable before I got married and especially when I was living at home with the help of my parents. After having a couple of kids, I really started to realize how a handicap like this affects the kids and the whole family situation. Life became something we had to really work through. A few years ago, while I was pregnant with my 2nd son, we decided to pray and try to gain some inspiration of what to do to solve this problem. As a kid I saw my Optometrist and at the age of 14 he told me my eyes were perfect and that the problem was between the Optic Nerves and the brain. We stopped there for some reason. My doctor never referred us to any other doctor as far as I know, and my parents never asked...I don't really know why...but we kept trudging along with the way things were.

 I never received a lightning bolt answer but rather a "you're making this too complicated, just see a doctor" answer. No other ideas or "inspiration" was coming to me, so I decided to go back to the doctors. I had not been since that 8th grade appointment. What was the point? I made it to the doctor that could help me, the only Neuro Opthamologist in the state of AZ, Thomas Wolf. He diagnosed me after one appointment and a confirming MRI exam. I was diagnosed in October 2009 at the age of 26. A couple weeks later I found treatment although doctor Wolf told me "there's no magic wand". I discovered China Stem Cell News and was mesmerized. I studied quite a bit, called my mom right away, and we started planning to get to China. Like I said, we knew the blog would be the foundation of our effort and it was finished in January 2010.

We are now in March 2010 and planning and preparing for our first fundraiser. It will be a Spaghetti Dinner with entertainment and Bake Sale on April 17th Saturday at 6 pm in the Fine Arts Bldg. at the Logandale Fair Grounds. We have some great fundraisers planned for the near future as well. It should be an eventful and exciting journey, and anyone who comes and takes part is automatically a part of the journey for me and is doing this with me and I love that aspect.

I am now very involved with things happening here that will get me to China, all the while studying Chinese phrases, culture, and life in the Hospital in which I will stay for over a month. It's a great education and I just love the people that have gone before me and done this. Their information, blogs, and interviews have been priceless to me. I know when I am there I will meet wonderful people from all over the world that are just as special.

On this blog I will be blogging from now on until treatment is complete, meaning my eyesight is fully restored. I will blog about events, preparation for my trip, and my thoughts and feelings. I will then use this blog to communicate to all who want to read of my adventure in China as I receive the medical treatment. I will include pictures of events leading up to and then pictures of happenings in China. I will also blog my progress after I have returned home and the Stem Cells are working within me. When finally complete I will make this blog into a book.

Thank you for coming on and reading. I hope many people become readers and followers of this blog. Thank you for your support and I hope you have a great time filled with inspiration while on this blog and on this journey with me.

                                                         Lexie