The Rest of October, 2008

We continue to find things to keep us occupied and busy. It's wonderful to have a Sabbath at home. With the shorter hours of daylight, it's nice to have some daylight to see all the leaves that are begging to be raked up! The current rain and wind are doing their best to add to the layer of red, yellow and orange leaves on the ground already.

Three visits to a neurologist and tests for nerve conduction have shown no reason for Joanie's shoulder pain. Fortunately her pain continues to abate and she gets more use and movement out of her left shoulder, arm, and hand. She has stopped her medication for nerve pain as it seemed to have no positive effect on her. Over the past 2-3 weeks she has all but stopped her other pain medication. She asks for a tablet on rare occasions, often following a workout with her Occupational Therapist. Most of her OT sessions result in the therapist telling her that she's been able to move Joanie's arm farther than ever! Her Speech Therapist sent a report to Joanie's doctor where she noted all the improvements in cognitive reasoning. Joanie has the same program on a computer here at home and she tries to practice daily. It is paying off. I'm beginning to think that maybe I should be also using the same software.

As you can imagine her therapists enjoy working with her because she's so much fun. One of them has offered to bring Joanie home any day that Joanie's therapy finishes near quitting time. We took her up on that a couple of weeks ago to permit me to stay at work a little longer. Another of the therapists thinks they should go over to Starbucks and sit around and talk! Just last Thursday, one of the aides that works with the PT's told Joanie how delighted she was to see Joanie's progress. She said that she had been sent to see Joanie in ICU during her first day in the hospital. She'd tried to get Joanie to sit up and Joanie could only remain upright for one second.

About five or six weeks ago, Joanie read of an Art Expo down in Pasadena. She was hoping that 3-4 of the women in her monthly art group would be able to go down for the weekend. Joanie had it all figured out that they could stay at her mom's empty house in Glendale and take some classes. As it turned out, only one of the women could go, and she wasn't able to drive the entire way by herself. I'd been looking forward to a "responsibility free" weekend but I could see how much this meant to Joanie. Plus, we needed to see Joanie's mother, whom we'd not seen since a week before the stroke in mid May, so I agreed to take a day off from school and drive them down there. Joanie had a fantastic time. She felt it was even better than she'd expected. She took a class Friday morning and looked around the displays in the afternoon. We then drove out to Loma Linda to spend time with Louise, Joanie's 91 year old mother. After visiting with her, we drove over to La Sierra and spent the night with Brenda, Joanie's sister. Sabbath morning, we returned to Loma Linda to see Louise again. That afternoon, we returned to Glendale and spent time with some of the neighbors that Joanie grew up with. Sunday morning, Joanie took another class and we left for home, and a seven hour drive, in the early afternoon.

Tuesday, we get together with Joanie's three therapists to discuss her progress and talk about her future. We had a slight concern the other day regarding medical coverage of her therapies. We'd been told she was covered for 30 visits and we've had 24. The therapists' office had called to see if there was any way to extend that and was told no. For some reason, our office called them again, and this time was told that Joanie has 45 visits! When I have a minute, I'm going to call them myself and get it in writing. I'm hoping that 45 is the real number because Joanie continues to improve but still needs more. It makes a little difference of about an additional $100 per session if insurance stops covering the visits.

At the moment, Joanie is on the phone to a friend, telling her about a book she's reading called, A Stroke of Insight. It is the story of physician and brain scientist who suffered a stroke and lived to write about it. Joanie's finding it very interesting.


This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 3So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."

When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."

John 11:2-4 NIV

The Weeks of September 21 to October 4

We've had quite a few interesting things happen in the past two weeks. About a week and a half ago I got home from school early enough to suggest a walk to Joanie. We drove down to the lake as twilight was beginning. After taking one walk around, I suggested a second lap. For the first time since her stroke, Joanie completed two laps. That feat was trumped about three days later when she got to talking to a good friend, Teri, and managed three laps! She was worn out, but exuberant. A week ago Thursday, Joanie had another appointment with her neurologist. He shared the results of her MRI of the neck--no pinched nerves. The great news is that no one is talking about the possibility of neck surgery. The frustrating news is that no one yet knows the cause of her shoulder pain. We'll take what we can get.

Monday evening we met with Joanie's orthopedic surgeon, Steve. He examined her left arm/hand for range of motion. He found that she seems to have complete range of motion in fingers (still stiff), hand, wrist, forearm, and elbow. Her shoulder movement is less than we'd like because of pain, but shows no signs "freezing up"! Joanie came home feeling very positive about her progress with such good news. She was delighted to be able to share the good news with her Occupational Therapist who has tried everything to improve her movement and strength.

Last Wednesday, the school arranged for all the teachers to take a CPR and First Aid class. Earlene (wife of Bob, the only other male teacher)brought Joanie down for a blood test and to attend the class. Joanie did very well, even though the class ran from 12:30 till 5:30 PM. She'd left her pain pills at home but managed to attend class and tried to practice on the dummies. My goal was for her to be exposed to CPR even if she couldn't complete it, or take the tests. Needless to say, she took the evening off when we finally got home. The next day, Nadine, took Joanie to therapy, went out to lunch with her, and brought her home. They looked at Nadine's latest scrapbook because they both love them. Usually a neighbor takes Joanie down to therapy, but it just happened that one was out of state and the other was having carpet laid in her house.

Today, we are getting our first rain of the year and it's 52 degrees outside at 1:28 PM. I started the heater up yesterday afternoon and, because Joanie's always cold, I'm her "new best friend". Last week when we returned home from church we had five bucks sleeping in our front yard! I grabbed my trusty phone to take a couple of pictures but the distance and lighting prevented me from getting a decent photo. We see these bucks all the time. They see our yard as a buffet. This time of year they rub tree trunks to get velvet off their antlers. The bark on our dogwood is rubbed off on one side.

About two months ago, Joanie tried her hand at watercolor painting again. Over the past several years she has become quite accomplished and so she was anxious to see the affect the stroke had. She tried to complete a painting from last spring and was disappointed. She set her paints aside until the past couple of weeks. This time she started experimenting with a new painting involving bamboo pens dipped in ink. She's been feeling more comfortable with the process and has enjoyed the challenge. She took her unfinished painting to a monthly gathering of friends who paint. They appreciated her progress and commented that she was returning to her former style.

When the bold branches
Bid farewell to rainbow leaves -
Welcome wool sweaters.
B. Cybrill

The Weeks of September 8 to 20

Update: tonight (Saturday, Sept 20), Joanie took a pill in her left hand and put it into her mouth. This might not sound like much, but to us, it is a big deal. If you'd not been able to touch your face with your left hand for four months, you'd think it a great sign of progress!!! Joanie's jazzed at how excited I got when I commented on her new (re)found ability.

Life remains somewhat calm in our home, thank goodness. We are finding our routines that make the mornings manageable. I'm up way too early to get myself ready to leave by 7:00 AM. I set out her morning's medications, prepare her oatmeal, cut up fruit, and prepare lunch for her. She's not yet ready to cut things with a sharp knife, so I often leave any fruit and vegetables she's going to eat, cut and in the refrigerator. Just before I'm ready to walk out the door, I awaken Joanie to help her get dressed. Most mornings she then takes a nap with her foot elevated to reduce mild swelling. I have an alarm set to re-awaken her in time to be picked up for therapies.

Joanie continues to make slow progress, as is to be expected. I'm told that we can expect this to continue for up to a year following the stroke. Last week, we visited a local neurologist for a nerve conduction study. We continue to look for the source of her constant pain in the left shoulder. The doctor found some muscle/nerve damage and ordered a MRI of her neck last Friday. I took the films to his office and we will see him next week, with hopes of finding some cause for the pain.

I've spent the week filling out online forms for Social Security as we apply for disability. Remind me that I don't want to do this again--wait I did this 4 years ago for me when I was out for my Bond Marrow Transplant! It seems that it has become even more cumbersome but I was glad to have transmitted most of the forms to them by 10:00 PM Thursday night. I was even more delighted to be able to stop by the local Social Security office Friday and drop off 15 signed consents to allow them access to her medical records. I'd tried to call the SS office over a period of three days and always got a busy signal so imagine my surprise to be able to drop off Joanie's forms with only about a 7 minute wait! It is customary to have the first application rejected and sometimes even the second before they will accept that she is out of work on a long term disability. Joanie commented that she didn't see how many people would be unable to complete the process of filling out so many forms. Maybe that is their plan.

Joanie seems to be feeling better, finally. She still has pain, but she even has periods when, if she holds real still, she has little pain. She is beginning to move her left arm and hand more. I was excited to come home from school Friday and find her working on a watercolor painting! The last time she tries 5-6 weeks ago, she gave up in tears because she couldn't do it. Yesterday she found the process extremely fatiguing and had to stop to rest often. After a stroke the brain has to work extremely hard to overcome the damage that has been done.

We went to church again this week. It was good for Joanie to see friends and hear so many of them comment that they are praying for her each day. Nothing is better than that! On our way home, Joanie was even willing to drive by the TCU (Transitional Care Unit) where she spent about 3 weeks after leaving the hospital, before coming home. We went in and talked to a couple of the nurses and aides who were so nice to her. As soon as she wakes up from a nap, were going down to the lake. Perhaps we'll make 2 circuits of the lake before we're done.

Several friends have provided us with an entree or meal this week. It has been very much appreciated! Thanks Donna, Terri, and Beth.

Last week a student Joanie had in second & third grade in 1982-3 came across the post. They'd been looking at the school website and saw a link to Joanie's blog. Keith thought we'd not remember him. Since I'd taught his older brother and his parents were very involved in school and constructing our gym/classroom complex, we could both recall Keith and his family. It's a small world...

"The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride."
Ecclesiastes 7:8

Month of August 10 to September 7

I anticipated writing a little less when I took my last hiatus, but not this much less! It's been an entire month since my last post. Since my postings will likely be hit & miss, you may wish to "subscribe" to the post using the button on the right, near the bottom. My world changed again when I went back to work August 10. I thought I was busy before, but now I'm teaching full time and trying to do some of what I did for Joanie before. It has helped make us more organized. Most of breakfast and lunch gets prepared the evening before. I've had to type up checklists so we both remember all the things that need to be done--from taking pills, to locating lunch food, to packing her bag for trips to the therapists. Food preparation doesn't come that easy so I've learned to prepare a menu for the week, even if we don't always stick to it. Joanie is taking an interest in what we eat and now often helps me in the kitchen. She talks about again doing the cooking. Yes! This is another sign of progress when she takes an interest and has an opinion about what is going on in her life.

Joanie is doing well staying home alone thanks to neighbors and friends. We subscribe to Lifeline so Joanie can always call for help if needed using a pendant she wears around her neck. Two neighbors drive down to Sonora to take water aerobics and are willing to take Joanie another mile to the hospital for her therapies. If she finishes early, she waits in the waiting room and generally falls asleep. This is working for 3 of the 4 days she has therapy. Wednesdays Carole drives up from Sonora to pick Joanie up and takes her down to therapy in the late afternoon. I then pick her up on the way home. As a matter of fact, last Wednesday the "fun bunnies", Carole, Beth & Julie took Joanie to lunch. They had so much fun talking and laughing that another diner made a comment about them. Earlene has come by a couple of times to pick up Joanie and take her down to the lake. They then walk around it. Joanie has progressed from walking 20% of the way around and sitting down to rest, to walking completely around without stopping! We just completed a walk ourselves and she did great.

Joanie's broken bones have healed and she no longer wears her splint. She has begun to move her left arm and hand much more. It is still painful but it is definitely getting better. Russ has adjusted her medications several times and she is benefiting from that. Monday we visit a neurologist for a nerve conduction study. It will be interesting to see what we learn from this.

Perhaps the biggest change I've seen is Joanie's willingness to communicate with friends. Her frustrations have been twofold: she doesn't hear herself sounding like she used to speak and she's been unable to talk to friend without tearing up (very typical of some stokes!) and feeling embarrassed. Her speaking is usually very close to the "original" Joanie and she is finally beginning to believe her friends who tell her this. She is also generally able to talk and see people without showing too much emotion. Ever since the stroke she's avoided going places where she might run into someone she knows. Ironically her therapists often take her walking the halls of the hospital and comment on how many people she runs into that she knows! Last Sabbath Joanie was finally ready to venture out into the real world--so we went to church for the first time in over three months! She'd been getting some calls from friends who were asking her to return so they could see her. She did fine and maintained her composure very well. That afternoon Char, a lifelong friend, came up to see Joanie. She stayed overnight and they had a great time. I took the opportunity last Sunday to drive down to see my folks. I especially wanted to see my 86 year old father and see his progress since his knee replacement 6 weeks ago. He's doing great. I was able to do a few small things around their apartment to help them out.

"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation."

George Washington (1732 - 1799)

Week of August 3 to 9

Updated Sunday, August 10

We went to speech therapy on Monday and returned home to await our next appointment with Steve P, her orthopedist at 6:00 PM. He examined her and had X-rays taken. She has at least two non displaced breaks in her metacarpals. In addition she has a break in her wrist, the radial styloid. He put her in a removable splint, so she could still do therapy, and we got home about 8:15 PM. The only good news is that her left arm/shoulder has less sublux or separation between them. It is almost back where it should be!! The pain is a result of her fall and we anticipate it will get better. We're out the door in a few minutes for two more sessions with the therapists.

We've had to increase Joanie's pain meds to compensate for her discomfort. As a result, she has slept better the past two evenings.

As some of you know, Joanie is taking a medical leave this next school year. We are gearing up for me to return to work next week. We have some wonderful neighbors who will be taking Joanie down to her therapy 2-3 days per week.

Quotations have come from http://www.quotationspage.com/, often the daily quote or one of their motivational quotes.

Bible quotes have generally come from: http://www.biblegateway.com/, the NIV version.

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Micah 6:8

Week of July 27 to August 2

Sorry for the long hiatus. Brenda, Joanie's sister, very kindly offered to come up and spend a week with Joanie so I could fly to Seattle to see our son, Troy. At first I didn't want to go without Joanie, but it became apparent that I needed a break and Joanie needed a break--from me. Troy and I had a great time doing "guy" things. We visited museums, outdoor stores, bike stores, car dealers, tourist attractions, my sister and brother-in-law, and a classmate of Troy's whose father was my roommate in college. Troy even arranged for me to fly a helicopter (!) as part of a 50 minute flight around the Seattle area on a perfect day. We stayed up late, slept in, and drove almost 500 miles without ever being more than about 50 miles from his home.

Meanwhile back on the home front, all was not as it could have been. Monday morning Joanie got up to close some windows. While closing the kitchen window, leaning over the sink, she lost her balance and fell to the floor, on her left weak side. She skinned up her left knee and caused increased pain to her left hand, wrist, and shoulder. She was miserable! They canceled therapies for Monday but returned to gently modified sessions the rest of the week. She continues to deal with the pain. Needless to say, she and Brenda modified some of their plans and stayed close to home except for trips down the hill to therapy. This has been a real setback in her progress.

"Everyone has a doctor in him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food. But to eat when you are sick, is to feed your sickness."

Hippocrates (460 BC - 377 BC)

Week of July 20 to 26

**Updated Sabbath afternoon

Sunday, Joanie spent a good amount of time doing exercises from her three therapists. We started the day by taking a walk down at the lake and kept busy for the rest of the day. Monday she has four appointments in Sonora, beginning at 8:00 AM and not finishing till about 4:00. I'd imagine we'll find ourselves at the library so Joanie can take a short nap.

Monday dawned an hour before I wanted it to. I awakened Joanie at 6:00 so she could eat breakfast, shower, get dressed, and allow us to leave by 7:30. Until yesterday we'd not had an appointment in Sonora before 9:15--and we always were scrambling to get there on time. We arrived at the doctors office just before 8:00 AM. Joanie's test today confirmed that she has no neurological problems with her eyes! We're so thankful! We just made it to her next appointment to check her Coumadin level. From there we drove to see Russ H, her internist. He spent plenty of time with us and made minor changes to her drugs and answered several questions we had. At this point I expected things to slow down before the next appointment in three hours. I was wrong. We went by a tire store to have a slow leak repaired in one of our tires. Then it was off to get some lunch, which proved to be the only relaxing part of the day. We stopped by school for a few minutes so I could make a couple calls and send an email. All thoughts of taking a rest at the library were dismissed as we then drove to Joanie's OT appointment so Kristin could work on strengthening Joanie's shoulder and arm muscles and push the limits of her range of motion. She had to ice her hand while she worked with Talitha, her speech therapist during her last therapy of the day. By know it was 4:00 and she requested that we drive straight home for a much needed rest. It is fortunate that Sunday was restful, other than the time spent in exercising.

Tuesday was a rest day for Joanie after Monday's three-ring circus. Our Siamese cat, Sophie, loves these days. She can find a lap for a nap. Joanie took it easy, did her home exercises, and tried to live with the pain. As usual, she slept fitfully until about 4:00 AM, at which point she got up and moved to the recliner to finish the night.

Wednesday, she had all three therapies. Talitha, the speech therapist, is always chagrined when she sees Joanie after PT and OT. Like most other patients, Joanie is so physically exhausted that she wasn't able do her best. Today was unusual because she had only one hour between her two therapies in the morning and a neurological support group we chose to attend in the early afternoon. We had to eat in the hospital cafeteria. The food was great but Joanie still prefers a more private place to eat and rest. The support group meeting was interesting, but mostly served to remind us that there is always someone who has a more difficult time with life!

Thursday, Joanie had speech before the other two. They were all scheduled for the afternoon, with no breaks between them. Talitha (speech) commented that Joanie was beginning to talk with more expression. That is something they've been working on for the past month. Kristin (Occupational) was pleased that she was able to move Joanie's arm farther before reaching the point of too much pain. Diane (Physical) mentioned that Joanie continued to make progress with walking. Her gait is improving and after practicing walking backward on the treadmill, she can now also walk backward on the floor which she hasn't been able to do in the past. Great news from all three therapists!

I continue to be amazed at the things we take for granted and how much work it takes to regain them once they're lost. Joanie remains positive and continues to take an increasingly active part in daily functions in the home. We're getting ready for me to return to work in about two weeks. We're beginning to talk about and plan for the things that need to be "set up" so Joanie can function at home, alone.

**Updated

Friday we were able to stay home and Joanie relaxed after two challenging days of therapy.

Brenda arrived Sabbath afternoon and the sisters are catching up on the past few weeks. She is impressed at Joanie's progress. Today, Joanie walked out to the driveway to greet her. When Brenda was last here in early June, Joanie wasn't walking outside at all. It is nice to get this perspective from Brenda who spent a week with her six weeks ago. Brenda also brought food--an entire cooler of individually wrapped frozen entries for us to enjoy. When she was here last time, she spent hours every day cooking. This time, she did the cooking at home and brought the food frozen. The girls anticipate some relaxing times together, between therapy appointments. I'm flying up to Seattle on Sunday to spend the next week with our son, Troy. It was Brenda's idea to take another week of vacation, come up here, and led me go away for the week. Brenda is just thoughtful like that!

As always, thank you for your prayers and concerns. Your support means so much to us!

"O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress."
Isaiah 33:2

Week of July 13-19

**Updated below on Sunday, July 20, 10:10 AM.

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My sister flew down from Seattle to be with my parents during my dad's surgery. Sunday we drove down to Stockton to spend some family time. It was nice to see my sister, Shelley, whom we see only once or twice a year. My dad's surgery went fine, even though he is 85 and has had a serious of health issues that they've been dealing with.

Monday, Joanie did her exercises and rested up from Sunday's drive. The drive wipes her out.

Tuesday, Joanie had speech and OT. In OT, Kristin has decided to work less on range of motion and more on isometric exercises to strengthen the shoulder and arm muscles. The hope is that the pain will not worsen and yet she will make progress. Joanie is now at the point of taking a pain pill before OT.

My sister came up to visit us, which was a nice diversion. We met her in Sonora before Joanie had therapy and then she came up to the house for a short while.

Wednesday, Joanie has no scheduled therapies, but will be able to catch up with that tomorrow when she has all three!

**UPDATED HERE--**

Joanie has had a tough week. She has not slept too well this week. Wednesday morning, she awakened long enough to ask for a pain pill, and went back to sleep for a couple of hours. We are very careful with pain pills but she's having so much pain with her left shoulder and hand, that she often needs one during or after therapy.

Thursday, Joanie had all three therapies. She had OT in the morning with a two hour break. We went to school to look for something and had lunch. In the afternoon, Joanie had PT followed by Speech. In PT, Diane, commented that her gait is improving and her walking speed in increasing--both things that Diane is working on with her. Diane also commented that Joanie seems more aware of things on her left side as she walks. When Joanie went into Speech with Talitha, she was already worn out from her other therapies.

Following her third therapy of the day, I had Joanie sit down in the lobby while I spent the next 20 minutes working on making appointments for the month of August. Joanie was so tired that I had to wake her up when I was done so we could leave. Since I return to school in mid August, I was trying to schedule Joanie's appointments during times when two of our neighbors are already driving down to Sonora for exercise programs. We teach in Sonora, which is about 25-30 minutes from our home in Twain Harte. It's only 13 miles, but half of it is on windy, narrow, country roads. Once school starts, there is no way I can take her to and from therapy. Fortunately Nancy & Sheila drive down to Sonora four days a week and are willing to take Joanie. She should be able to get in one or two sessions while they are swimming.

Friday we drove to Sonora for PT and returned home. Later in the day, we returned to Sonora so Joanie could go to her ophthalmologist, Gerard. We were told to to see if she had any vision problems on the left side. She doesn't seem to! Gerard had come to the hospital to see Joanie while she was still in ICU two days after her stroke. When he saw her yesterday called her recovery "miraculous". We are grateful that her sight is not affected. It was such a good report and is an answer to all of your prayers! Thank you!

Today, Joanie is looking forward to a quiet, peaceful day with no therapies! Joanie slept much of the day, off & on. Every time she sat down in the recliner, the cat, Sophie, jumped up in her lap and fell asleep. Because it wasn't too hot, Joanie enjoyed very much.

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you."
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

Week of July 6-12

When I posted our last blog, I had no intention that it would not be updated for over a week! Last week was very hot and because of the fires a hundred miles north of us, we had too much smoke to open the windows at night to cool things down. We tended to stay up too late, sleep fitfully, and wake up too early because of the heat. We dragged around most days. It was also the week I chose to work on several projects around the home and spent very little time at the computer.

We went to visit my folks. My dad was scheduled for a knee replacement on July 14 and we wanted to be sure to see him before surgery. Joanie did fine on the drive but slept in a recliner at their apartment for a couple of hours after we arrived. We got home later than planned, which always happens.

During the week, Joanie had five therapy sessions and one OT session that was canceled because of intense pain in her left shoulder, left wrist and thumb. This is an ongoing problem. She saw Steve P, our friend who is an orthopedic surgeon. He took X-rays and examined her to find that her shoulder/humerus are separated and have very limited range of motion. She needs to continue moving it. She also has a torn ligament in her pointer finger that causes more discomfort.

We got in a couple of walks at the lake but the 100+ degrees took some of the fun out of the experience, as a matter of fact out of the entire week!

"being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience..."
Colossians 1:10-12

Days 50-52, Thursday-Sabbath

We finally got around to creating a spreadsheet of all Joanie's exercises and so Joanie worked her way through many of them Sabbath morning. We also got another walk in at the lake. Our subdivision has a small lake where we have a membership. When Troy was younger, we often took him down to swim, play in the sand or go boating. We have a paddle boat at the lake and for years kept a canoe down there also. Now, we never swim there but spend time walking around the lake. It is very peaceful and relaxing. Pre stroke, I would often walk to the lake, take a couple of laps and walk home. It took about an hour. These photos were taken the other day of Joanie resting on a bench, about a fourth of the way around the lake, while I completed a couple of circuits of the lake.

I often contemplate stopping this blog. Not much interesting is happening, it seems. The other day, I was talking to my folks and my mom mentioned that they don't call as often as they might because they read the blog and feel like they know what is happening. (Sorry, I stopped to eat. While I was eating Joanie got an email from Judy, her cousin in Norway, asking that we not stop the blog. She said she checks the blog each morning for an update. She claims it's a "public service". We also got an email from our principal, Emily. She is traveling in Tanzania, Africa, and mentioned that she reads the blog. She wrote of some great adventures she and Hector are having there.)

Joanie was pretty worn out on Friday and so we didn't do much. She did a few exercises and I dug a hole in my back yard. I'm not sure who had the most fun. Speaking of fun, I'm not really into this cooking thing. I can hardly be bothered. When Joanie's been gone in the past, I've had no problem eating the same thing several days in a row. Joanie prefers a little more variety. We're doing OK, thanks to Brenda's frozen entrees, but I continue to be a lazy cook. I figure it must be good for me!

Thursday, we went to the anti coagulation clinic where we discovered that her blood was too thin. It often takes several visits to the clinic to get the Coumadin dose regulated so the blood is thin enough to prevent clots, but not too thin. I then drove Joanie to get her hair cut. Tammy was amazed to see Joanie walk into her salon unaided. The last time Tammy had seen Joanie, Tammy had come to the TUC unit where Joanie was staying and cut her hair with Joanie sitting in a wheel chair!

By now it was after lunch time and I might have been getting cranky. Joanie hates to go to a restaurant and eat in public. She does fine, but the left side of the tongue has been know to cause her some problems. We finally stopped for a "healthy" snack at McDonald's. Joanie ordered her usual Big Mac, with no meat. I love the expressions on the counter person when I make that request. After dining like royalty, we returned to the hospital to pick up some printouts of OT exercises that Diane had assembled for us.

We finished off the day with a short walk at the lake. Our evening entertainment consists of watching an episode from a BBC TV production set in Scotland. Thanks Netflix!

"Character is what you have left when you've lost everything you can lose."
Evan Esar (1899 - 1995)

Day 48 & 49, Tuesday & Wednesday

Joanie has an exhausting day Wednesday as she had sessions with each of her three therapists.

Tuesday, we again drove down to the lake. This time Joanie walked a little farther than the day before and sat on a bench at the edge of the lake. I walked around the lake two times before we called it a day. The PT was pleased to hear that Joanie was walking on sand and said it's a very good exercise for strengthening and balance.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”- Matthew 24:35

Day 46 & 47, Sunday & Monday

Today, Monday, we had a evaluation by the Out Patient Speech Therapist, a lady from the Netherlands who speaks perfect English. Joanie was given some additional exercises and was delighted to learn of a technique to strengthen the left side of her tongue. She often bites it when eating and describes it as the constant feeling of just returning from the dentist with a numb tongue. While I was fixing lunch (thanks to Brenda, Joanie's sister, for the great lasagna) Joanie took it upon herself to empty the dishwasher. I'm delighted at the feelings of independence and trying to return to pre-stroke activities. All these actions are always hampered by a left arm/hand that is uncooperative! It is neat to see Joanie forcing herself to try and use the left hand for most tasks.

This evening, we tried a new thing. We drove down to our little lake, Brentwood Lake, about 8 blocks away and took a walk! I carried her cane and held her left hand so I could swing her left arm in cadence with her right leg. We walked perhaps 150 yards across packed dirt, pavement, and loose sand before we turned back. I left her on a bench and proceeded to walk around the lake on my own. I look forward to the day when we can both walk around the lake together, as we've done many times in the past.

Joanie wonders if I paint too glowing a picture of her progress. She still has a long ways to go, it is often discouraging, and she wonders about her future. Still, I see all kinds of progress and continue to point out things that she couldn't do a week or month ago.


Sunday we managed to get through most of the exercises, as we do most days, from Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy. If Joanie has the strength and energy, we could spend 4-5 hours each day on them. That doesn't happen. Joanie does continue to become more involved with household chores. However, when we drove in to town to wash off the van, she remained inside and pointed out spots of the windows that I was missing! That evening, she mentioned that she was getting hungry and I suggested a snack because I wanted to go out and vacuum the van out. As it turns out, I did go out, and Joanie got up and made herself sandwich. When I returned, I was upset. My concern was that I'd not been in the house to supervise her when she was making her first foray into the kitchen to "cook" for herself. After she assured me that she'd not used a sharp knife, or anything else potentially dangerous, I calmed down. I soon reasoned that it is all part of the process of her becoming more independent.

"Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake."

Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885)

Day 44 & 45, Friday and Sabbath

Sabbath, we'd heard from Teri D that she had something she wanted to bring up to have Joanie listen to. In the afternoon Teri, her mother, and two friends who lived her 20 years ago, Ed & Sandy, all came up. Joanie wasn't too excited about Ed & Sandy coming up because she preferred that Sandy remember her pre-stroke. Teri and group showed up with Teri carrying in a telephone answering device. It seems that Joanie had called Teri and left a message one week after her stroke. Teri wanted Joanie to hear the difference. She also had a recent message to compare. We were surprised at the improvement. It was especially profitable for Joanie to hear the change since she still feels that she is hard to understand when people listen to her. After everyone left, Joanie did have to admit that having old friends talk to her was more positive than she'd expected.


Friday was a quiet day for Joanie. She didn't feel very energetic and so lazed around much of the day. In the late afternoon, I finally got motivated to power wash the back deck and wash the front windows. They both looked much better when I was done.

"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."
1 John 4:11

Day 43, Thursday

Joanie had OT with Kristin today. Since Joanie has some shoulder pain, Kristin's first goal is to try to eliminate that. Likely the pain is as a result of not using her left arm and letting it dangle from time to time. Joanie continues to try to be aware of that the arm is doing. There is daily improvement, but that remains the most challenging area to work on. Kristin has applies some tape to the shoulder to force the head of the arm bone into closer proximity with the socket of the shoulder. We will see how effective this proves to be.

"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love."
Sophocles (496 BC - 406 BC)

Day 41 & 42, Tuesday & Wednesday

On Tuesday, it was with bittersweet feelings that Joanie bid adieu to her home care therapists. Each one had a different personality and brought unique aspects to Joanie's recovery. Scott, the PT, gave her a good evaluation, wrote up complete notes to take to the next PT, and then gave her a nice workout. Joanie practiced getting up off the floor unto a sofa and also to a standing position. He then took us outside for a walk, sans cane, for Joanie to practice swinging her left arm. He even had us hold hands so I could swing her arm for her. Robin, the ST, gave her a good workout involving the mouth, lips, tongue, and face. She also had her read sentences putting emphasis on different words. In chatting with her, we discovered that she lives about four blocks away and we've been watching the progress she and her husband have made converting a barn into a home. Sandy, the OT, finished up a long day with continued emphasis on the shoulder, arm, and hand. This continues to be the area that needs the most work and yet, Joanie shows continual progress.

My brother showed up during Speech and he and Troy left for a couple hour mountain bike ride. Galen always enjoys being around Troy because Troy is always so enthusiastic, especially if it involves bicycles. When they were finished, Troy made some adjustments to Galen's bike.

Joanie went down to Outpatient Rehab at the hospital for PT & OT evaluations. She saw several therapists who'd seen her as an inpatient and they all made positive comments about her improvements. She enjoyed that very much. The hospital clinic seems the best fit for Joanie since she needs all three disciplines and it is the only place to get Speech Therapy. We've scheduled all of the month of July and many days she'll be seen by all three therapists without a lot of driving around.

Diane, the PT, evaluated her and was pleased with her progress. She'll be able to continue with the same help that Scott gave her. Joanie also met with Kristin, an OT she saw in TCU. Kristin seems to have forgiven Joanie for soaking her when she was instructing Joanie in how to shower! Kristin had been asking after Joanie's progress and was also excited to see some of the things Joanie can now do.

It was nice for Joanie to get out of the house and she's looking forward to being challenged to new levels.

"I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance..."
Revelation 2:2

Day 39 & 40, Sunday and Monday

Sunday was very relaxing, for Joanie. We worked on a few exercises, watered outdoor plants, and walked a little bit. We continue to push using the left hand and are seeing some progress. Now when she's drying her hands in the bathroom, she can reach up with her left hand to the hanging towel to dry it off. This is a big stretch for her. Her left shoulder continues to hurt because she's not able to use the arm enough. It tends to just hang. We have exercises that will strengthen it and we try to support the arm when she's sitting.

I had an interesting experience today. For the past two weeks, I've selected the clothes Joanie's going to wear. She's given me only a limited amount of input. Yesterday, I did the same thing and she would have none of my choices! I was annoyed and so had her go to her closet to select her own clothes. It takes way more time and I was impatient. After having my patience stretched it finally hit me that it is a good thing for Joanie to be engaged. It means that she's involved and taking more control. I see some trying times ahead as I practice patience and she regains more self determination.

Meanwhile, Troy and his girlfriend, Chelsey, have spent the afternoon gold panning. Chelsey was expecting to pan enough gold to pay off her student loans.

Today, Scott, the PT, was here bright and early. Among other tasks he had her carry a small cup of water in the kitchen, using only her left hand. Even opening and closing the fingers is a difficult task. When she spilled a small amount on the deck, Scott commented that she was smart to not spill on the floor or he would have had her wiping it up from the floor. Joanie really relates to him and spends a lot of time laughing and commenting on the difficult tasks he has her do. He then proceeded to have her walk up and down the stairs off the deck twice. We then moved to the front yard where he directed her to walk on our path made of river rocks. He described it as a trip to Europe with cobblestones! She did amazing well. Joanie took a short nap after Scott left.

"The miracle, or the power, that elevates the few is to be found in their industry, application, and perseverance under the prompting of a brave, determined spirit."

Mark Twain

Day 38, Sabbath

Joanie's email: joaniecarle "at" gmail.com

Well, we've now survived two weeks at home. Joanie is very appreciative of everything I try to do for her. She is beginning to do more things on her own as we try to figure out what she should do and what I should do for her. Sometimes, in the interest of time, I find that I'm doing things that she could do on her own. I have been following her everywhere she's walked for the past two weeks, but now I'm beginning to let her go around the house on her own. It makes for some interesting conversations when she asks if she can get up or do something and I'm wanting her to do it on her own. The irony is that we've been working so hard to make sure that I'm right with her when she gets up the past two weeks and now it's time to become more independent. Everyday is a learning experience.

Troy got up this morning and took a nice bike ride, on my bike, to explore some of the areas he used to run around in when he was just a kid here. He commented the other day how much time he'd spent outdoors. He said that he knew each gully, hill, ditch, creek, etc. in the entire neighborhood. He'd explored all over by foot or mountain bike. Today he was annoyed that some favorite riding areas have been fenced off--possibly because he used to ride them so much.

We just were outside on the front porch watching a very rare summer thunder story. The sound, smell, feel, and temperature drop were delightful.

"I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds."
2 Corinthians 7:4

Day 37, Friday

We hustled today.

After raking in the yard for a little while in the morning, I got Joanie up and moving about 7:40. I made her get her oatmeal for breakfast and then she had to put her dishes away in the dishwasher. She finished up by wiping down the deck using both hands. As always, the goal is to encourage use of the left side. She then showered and got dressed and we left about 5 minutes late to drive down to her doctor appointment at 10:00. She walked into the office using just her cane! Russ H, her internist, was impressed with her progress. He last say her about 3 weeks ago and couldn't believe her speech progress. He had her walk around the examining room and was delighted with that. He's trying a variety of thing to stop her cough, which has been with her for the past month. He's ordered outpatient PT, OT, & ST beginning next Wednesday. Joanie has really connected with her visiting therapists and would like to take them with her to outpatient therapy!

On the way home I could see we weren't going to have time to make lunch so we swooped by Taco Bell drive-through and grabbed a couple of bean burritos. We finished eating and still had dishes on the table when Sandy, the OT, arrived. She also gave Joanie a good workout and left numerous tasks for us to work on. Sandy had very nicely postponed her usual Thursday visit because she already had her other two therapies scheduled.

We finally were able to catch our breath about 2:30 PM. Joanie took a short nap and when Troy returned from some errands we did some housecleaning.

Friday evening was a very relaxing family time as we all tried to stay awake until at least 9:00 PM!

"The body is an instrument, the mind its function, the witness and reward of its operation."
George Santayana

Day 36, Thursday

Scott, the PT, gave Joanie a series of physical tests involving strength and balance. She has improved in all areas during the two weeks she's been home. He's delighted. He also took her outside for a walk on the street--without even using her cane. She was slow but steady. While I was outside watching them walk, I was talking on the phone to Bob C, another teacher at MLAJA. Across the street I spied a tortoise on our neighbors walkway. I finished talking to Bob and called the neighbor. Frank is quite deaf and so when I asked about "his" tortoise, he had no idea what I was talking about. We finally communicated enough for him to come outside and check it out. He has no idea where it came from. A few minutes later Earlene, Bob's wife, called to ask if she could have it if nobody owned it. I said sure. Her granddaughter was frustrated at the tortoise and kept knocking on the shell and saying "Come out, come out!" because there was no head or legs visible. The tortoise has a new home in Jamestown where it will be warmer in the winter.

After Robin, the ST, left, Joanie opened about 4 more cards from Kathy K. Kathy has sent perhaps 20 cards. Each one also contains a photo of something from or near her apartment in San Francisco. We look forward to them and Joanie reads them with great interest.


"The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles."
Psalm 34:17

Day 35, Wednesday

Troy arrived here this morning, after driving up from Loma Linda with his girlfriend, Chelsey. Chelsey is moving up to the Auburn area so the two of them spent several days getting her moved out of her house in Loma Linda. She just graduated with her MA in Speech Therapy.

We are so enjoying having Troy home for a few days that the blog has taken on a lesser importance.

Wednesday, Joanie managed to stay busy after Scott left. She always needs a nap! In the afternoon, we went down to Sonora to the anti-coag clinic to see if she needed to increase/decrease her Coumadin. No changes, so they have the dosage just right. We then went to an appointment with Jim C, her cardiologist. He said she's doing just fine but will need to stay on Coumadin the rest of her life.

"Nobody, as long as he moves about among the chaotic currents of life, is without trouble."
Carl Jung

Day 33-34

We continue to be impressed with how great Joanie's therapists are. Scott, the PT, comes to the house and finds practical things to have her do. Today, Wednesday, he had her putting some dishes in the dishwasher and putting come canned foods in the pantry. He has a great personality and Joanie really responds to him. He even had her going down the stairs from the back deck to the yard. She was very nervous but he was right with her and she did great.

Yesterday Robin, her ST, came by and did some mouth, lip, and cheek exercises with her. Sandy, the OT, was also here giving suggestions to improve her left shoulder, arm, and hand movement. Joanie finds them difficult but continues to make small improvements.

With therapist approval, Joanie & I made a short run to the market. It is the only time she's been in the car since coming home a week and half ago from Transitional Care Unit. She sat in her wheel chair and used her feet to propel herself around. We needed to try it out since we're down to the Cardiologist this afternoon.

Teri D just called to say that she had two voice mails from Joanie about three weeks apart. The most recent one, form last Saturday evening, sounds just like Joanie. The voice mail from three weeks earlier shows the great progress she's made. We're exploring ways to record that and listen to. Joanie does not enjoy talking on the phone and still feels that she doesn't "talk right". When she hears this, she will be amazed.

Romans 15:4
"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

Day 32

We were ready for Scot, Joanie's PT, when he arrived at 8:00. What Joanie was not ready for was the great workout he gave her. After some quick assessments he asked if their was anything we thought he could help us with. With a negative response on our part, he asked us if we had had any problems. Joanie wished he'd never asked that! I mentioned that last week Joanie had been talking to Brenda and not paying real close attention to what she was doing when she started to sit on a footstool and slipped to the floor. We'd had a difficult, but successful time, getting back onto the sofa. Scot had Joanie practice three times getting up from a prone position on the floor. I got to watch the procedure that is essential to know, but wears her out. The next exercise was to stand at the kitchen deck and touch it with her "vacationing" hand (the left) while she traces the digits 1-10 on the floor with each leg in succession. Then she balances on each leg. Improving balance is an important part of regaining independence. The last task was for Joanie to use her cane and walk up our sidewalk to the street. She walked to the edge of our property in both directions. When she returned, he took the cane away and she walked without it. She did great but after he left, she took a nap for an hour or so!

While the nurse was hear later, Russ (Joanie's doctor) called to check on her blood pressure and made a slight change in medication to bring it down. The nurse also brought her a spirometer to encourage deeper breathing. She still has a cough.

Later in the day we practiced all the exercises Scot had had us do in the morning. We also went outside unto the deck so Joanie could water the plants. Some have been very neglected and were looking very droopy. No deer can get to them, but we have at least one squirrel who enjoys digging up many of the most recently planted flowers!

We're looking forward to Troy coming to see us in the next few days. He went to Loma Linda to be with his girlfriend, Chelsey, when she graduated from Speech Therapy on Sunday. He will be helping her move up to the Seattle area where she has new job.

"Nobody has things just as he would like them. The thing to do is to make a success with what material I have. It is a sheer waste of time and soulpower to imagine what I would do if things were different. They are not different."

Dr. Frank Crane

Day 28-30

I'm in a recliner with a laptop on my lap. The cat is on my lap between the computer and me. She has her head and right paw resting on my right arm. I move around quite a bit but she refuses to be disturbed.

Today we started our raking project. Actually, I started the project. Normally Joanie rakes and I haul oak leaves to a trailer. We fill up the trailer 2-3 times and haul them away. It is a nuisance to remove them but the fire hazard requires that they be removed. Now, she sits on the front porch and supervises. She said she was exhausted when I was done because she remembers what it is like! Joanie will be able to "supervise" many little projects around the house as I work on things that I can do and still have her near.

Sabbath was a very restful day. We sat around and talked, watched a little 3ABN TV (an Adventist network) with a great series on early Christians, and had visitors. Kathy and Elaine K were here for about 45 minutes. Elaine is Troy's "other grandmother" and Kathy considers Troy her nephew & Joanie her sister-in-law. While they are no relation, they are "family". They've been trying to get up here for several weeks. At one point they wanted to come and clean house, but I put them off. I might have been offended when they commented that guys don't really know how to clean! (OK, not really offended) Teri (of "let's finish off Joanie's paperwork and room fame") and Gary came by on their way home from a hike. They stayed about 20 minutes. Gary had to shake Joanie's left hand as he did most days when she was in the Transitional Care Unit. He's a PT and would stop during his lunch break and chat for 5 minutes.

Friday, Joanie had no therapy but had a visit from her nurse. The nurse comes to draw blood as they continually monitor her INR level. They then call to change her Coumadin levels. I finally got all my tasks completed at school and got home about 7:30 PM Friday evening. I'm glad to be checked out.

Thursday, Joanie had visits from her PT. Under Scot's direction, Joanie continued to work hard. She also had visits from her OT, and Speech Therapy. She took naps between visits in order to keep up her energy. I worked at school trying to complete my tasks to get checked out. Thanks to Brenda, Joanie's sister, I spent most of the day gone. It came to me that I needed run as many errands as I could before I Brenda left. All the tasks that I've been putting off, I have tried to complete. Meanwhile, Teri & Kathy, have been working in Joanie's classroom again and got her all checked out. They've also gone through the room and arranged and cleaned the room. Joanie is overwhelmed with gratitude for all the hours those two have spent in her room. Their help has allowed Joanie to concentrate on her therapy and not worry about school. Kathy told me that when she was substituting in Joanie's room the last couple of weeks, the kids would run laps. Sometimes Jason, or other students, would shout, "let's run one more lap for Mrs. Carle!"

Friday, I removed this quote from Joanie's classroom where she and her students had been memorizing it each monring.

Isaiah 41:10 (New Century Version)

So don't worry, because I am with you.
Don't be afraid, because I am your God.
I will make you strong and will help you;
I will support you with my right hand that saves you.

Day 26 & 27

Sorry, I didn't have what it took last night to blog. Wouldn't you know it, the first "civilian" I saw at school today remarked that she'd noticed I'd not updated the blog. I loved it--glad people are still interested in Joanie.

She had a good and busy day Tuesday. The Speech Therapist had wanted to come, but we'd already scheduled PT & OT so I put her off till Thursday. Now we have all three of them scheduled for tomorrow. This is great to have so much help.

Scott had Joanie walk outside to the mailbox Tuesday and again today, using only her new cane. She did well. Today Scott had her get up from the floor three times which is good practice in case she falls. He is working her hard and she is very cooperative. Scott wants to come as often as he can during these early weeks because he is seeing good progress. Joanie is forcing herself to try to use the left hand, but the vacation it's been taking is not yet over. Tonight Joanie is exhausted.

Sandy, the OT, also saw her Tuesday and reviewed her bathing facilities. She had some good suggestions that Joanie is working on. We helped her shower this morning, much to her delight. It looked like so much fun that I might take up showering myself.

Brenda, Joanie's sister, has been invaluable. I can't imagine life without her this week. I've been conflicted with needing to finish up my paper work for school and helping Joanie. Brenda has stepped right in and helped out immensely. In addition to that kind of help, she's been cooking like there is no tomorrow. Her goal seems to be to fill up our freezer in the basement. Each morning, she has a good supply of frozen entrees for me to take down to the freezer. We'll be eating "high on the hog" (does that expression really fit in our case?) for the next several weeks!

Speaking of school, Teri and Kathy, have been working in Joanie's room, getting it in order to leave it for the summer. They've spent the last couple of days helping out. Joanie is completely comfortable with them in her room. Kathy was Joanie's aide for many years, is a great substitute, and knows how Joanie does things. Teri taught 1-2 in that room for many years while Joanie was teaching K-Pre 1st. In addition, when Joanie took of a year to be my care giver, Teri took over her room. They have very similar philosophies about teaching and have worked together for years. Joanie's delight in their help is beyond words! Thank you so much.


"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
Hebrews 4:16

Day 25

Silly me. I was aiming to be in bed at 10:00. Instead, I spent the past couple of hours removing the glass doors from the shower/tub, hanging a plastic curtain, replacing the shower head with a cheap feeling shower hose, and assembling a shower bench. After the OT comes to visit tomorrow, we should be ready for Joanie to take a shower. The OT will instruct us in placement of a handle in the tub and explain the best way to function.

This morning a visiting nurse, Gus, came to draw blood and interview us. She gave us some good tips to keep Joanie safe. Later, Scot, our PT, came to visit. He also evaluated Joanie's condition and left us with a list of activities to have Joanie work on. He is encouraging her to begin painting again--right away. He feels that it will encourage her to use her left hand/arm and add interest to her life. His philosophy is to devise activities that will force her to begin to use her left "vacationing" hand/arm. He's going to be great to work with. He decided that she has such good balance that sheshould walk in the house without any kind of an aide, as long as her sister of I are right with her. Since we are anyway, that works for us.

Joanie had a good appetite and again enjoyed her sister, Brenda's cooking. I tell her to live it up because soon I'll be the one "cooking".

"It's no longer a question of staying healthy. It's a question of finding a sickness you like."
Jackie Mason

This stroke may not have been our first choice, but I guess we really didn't have a choice!

Day 24

Joanie came home today! She, and we, are so happy. Joanie enjoyed lunch and a special supper that Brenda prepared. It was great to see her say she was hungry and eat better than the past three weeks. She had no trouble getting home, enjoyed sitting around talking, took a little nap, and watched a little Home and Garden TV (her favorite TV).
Tomorrow a visiting nurse comes to evaluate her and later a visiting PT also stops by to give instruction and see if the house is safe.


"When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you."
Deuteronomy 8:10

Day 23

We had a restful Sabbath today. I hung out in Joanie's room all afternoon. We practiced getting into the car for the trip home tomorrow. Joanie did very well. While I was there, Daniel, a 25 year old former kindergarten student called to see if he could bring Winston over. Joanie said yes. Winston is a two year old 120+ pound Great Dane. He was a hit with Joanie. We went outside to meet him and then took him through all the rooms to see patients. I would go into a room and ask if anyone wanted to have a dog come in to visit. With only one exception, every awake patient wanted to see Winston. They were a little surprised to be greeted by a dog who stands about 36 inches tall at the shoulder! Winston enjoyed his visit but was challenged by the vinyl floors in the rooms. Daniel said he may bring him back to visit the residents another time or two. This dog loves Troy (our son, a classmate of Daniel) and becomes very excited when he sees Troy once or twice a year. Troy tries to hold him in his lap, but he may not be able to do that the next time Troy sees him.

Joanie had a good night and for the first time that I remember in the past three weeks, commented that she was hungry. The staff is very good about finding her a sandwich when the entree or vegetables are not to her liking. One of her aides said she wasn't sure she wanted to let Joanie go home. Joanie is always very appreciative to the staff and they like her.

"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms."
George Eliot

Day 22

Wow, I heard from several of you with offers to loan a walker or wheel chair! Thanks to all of you. It turns out that the PT wants her to use a "hemi" walker and I could not find a used one to borrow. I purchased one. I called about and looked at several wheel chairs but none were suitable, so I rented one. Joanie's sister is coming up tomorrow to spend a week with us and she's made arrangements to get one. I really appreciate your responses and good suggestions.

Joanie again walked with Jim, the PT, without even her hemi walker and did pretty well. I got lots of good instructions from her therapists and we are ready (or not) for Joanie to come home Sunday.


"Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure"
Psalm 16:9

Day 21

joaniecarle "at" gmail.com

Joanie took a walk yesterday with Jim, her Physical Therapist. The only unusual thing about that is that she didn't use a walker! Jim went with her outside, pushing a wheel chair, as they practiced. He said her balance was surprising good. That is a far cry from 2 1/2 weeks ago when she could stand for 2 seconds and when sitting, always fell over. I was so surprised when Joanie told me yesterday that I didn't even write about it until I confirmed it this afternoon.

Today, Joanie's class came over to her window after school to see her. They'd made a big banner that they held up as they shouted to her and made silly faces. When I went out to talk to the parents & kids afterward, one student mentioned that she'd been crying. I told her that I had been also.

I've been talking to the therapists about how to work with Joanie when she comes home Sunday. Tomorrow I meet with them for more training. I'm also getting lists of things I'll need.

All in all, a good day.

"Energy and persistence conquer all things."
Benjamin Franklin

Day 20

Just walked in the door from graduating 13 8th graders. They are neat students who will be missed.

Joanie had her ups & downs today. She's feeling pretty good but again had too many visitors! Please don't just "stop by" to see her unless you've checked with me. She may have had three or four all in a row and it's just too much for her still.

Thanks for being understanding and letting her get the rest she needs. Talking and being the "hostess" is tiring her out. She needs her strength for her therapy.

"The LORD watches over all who love him..."
Psalm 145:20

Day 19

Joanie's email: joaniecarle "at" gmail.com

I didn't spend very much time with Joanie today but she seems to be doing better and better. Today, she had a Great Dane, along with her mother, Carole, come by to visit. The dog was a big hit with Joanie and all her "roomies". When she walked into Joanie's room, she spied a muffin that she promptly helped herself to. Joanie thought it a small price to pay for a visit from such a "great" dog. Thanks, Carole, for giving your dog a bath and vacuuming in preparation for her visit. The visit was the first thing Joanie told me about when I first saw her this afternoon.

"Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods."
Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC)

Day 18

It is a glorious day--Dr. Allen told us that he planned to send Joanie home Sunday! We (the cat & I) can hardly wait. The cat has complained daily about not having Joanie's lap to sleep on! Joanie grades papers in a recliner. The cat thinks Joanie sits there just for her. I grade papers at my desk. Over the past two weeks, the cat has often jumped unto my desk and then tried to get on my lap. She doesn't fit so well when I have the keyboard pulled out. Sometimes she messes with the keyboard too--kind of like she is doing at this moment.

Joanie seemed to be having a more energetic day today. When I went by at 7:30 this morning, she was already up and in the shower. When I saw her at 1:00, she was eating lunch. Her doctor came in, commented that she was making good progress, checked her over and talked with her.

My parents, my brother Galen, and his Schnauzer, Rudi, came up from Stockton this afternoon. Rudi holds a special place in our lives because we call him the "donor dog". He and my brother lived in Glendale with us when I was having my transplant. He, my brother that is, was my donor. The dog just tried to eat everything in the house that wasn't nailed down. My brother and parents have wanted to come up since the moment they heard about Joanie's stroke. I've been putting them off since there wasn't anything they could do. Lately Joanie's been asking to see Rudi so the timing seemed good.

Brenda, Joanie's sister, is going to come up from Loma Linda to spend a week with us as Joanie and I adjust to the changes in our lives. The timing couldn't be better since I'll be able to get down to Sonora to finish up my school duties and still know that Joanie is well cared for.

"He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he."
Deuteronomy 32:4

Day 17

I dropped in on Joanie three times today, between trips to school to get a little work done. She still comments that she is sleepy but we did some exercises and I had her out for a walk with her full walker twice. We also went outside in the wheel chair and watched a fellow with a new 14" long RC helicopter. It was great--even Joanie enjoyed watching him fly it.

I took Joanie a baked potato for lunch. When I arrived and prepared it in her room, she promptly ignored the hospital food that had just arrived.

Joanie continues to say that she really doesn't want to talk. Her voice sounds a bit rough, she still has some cough, and she is not sleeping as well as she usually does at home.

I brought her a sketch pad because her PT suggested that she needed to do some sketching and writing. Jim wants her to go clear across the page.

"Quit worrying about your health. It'll go away."
Robert Orben

Day 16

Joanie's email: joaniecarle "at" gmail.com

Some may wonder why the "at" instead of @. I understand computers are often utilized to search for email address but they look for the "@" symbol. I'm trying to avoid burdening Joanie with spam. My work email has been burdened with spam and the latest trick is to realize that someone has hijacked my email address and I get a constant barrage of spam messages being returned to me as "undeliverable" since they've been sent with my return email address!

I spent the afternoon and evening with Joanie. She still feels tired from coughing instead of sleeping the night through. Her muscles ache and she has a mild headache from her coughing. They are treating her for the cough. They also listening very regularly for any unwanted sounds emanating from the lungs. So far, so good.

Joanie still doesn't want to talk to friends in person or on the phone. When I was there, we spent great amounts of time sitting and not talking. She caught up on reading cards people have been sending. Tomorrow, we'll catch up on emails and she hopes to get current on the blog so she can see what has happened over the past two weeks.

"Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour."
Matthew 8:12-14

Day 15

Again, please, NO VISITORS today. Joanie was very tired yesterday and had requested no visitors. She's always happy to see friends and feels obligated to keep up her end of the conversation. She is not able to end a converstaion easily and it is very tiring. Yesterday Beth had brought her a baked potato for lunch and planned to eat with her. She ended up leaving the potato with the staff and never saw Joanie. Carole brought her tomato soup and was turned away. She ended up bringing it to me. When I took it over, Joanie was asleep so I also left it with the staff. She enjoyed both meals, alone. Two of the four times I stopped to see her, she was asleep.

Her cough continues and she doesn't sleep well at night. They brought her a recliner to sleep in but were concerned that, because it had wheels, it might not be safe for her.

Please don't be upset with the staff when they don't let you see Joanie. They are required to do that when Joanie or I request it. You are welcome to call or email me if you have questions. We have even unplugged her phone.

Joanie's physician, Russ, came by to see her yesterday. He also was questioned to determine if he was there as a friend or her primary care physician. He got to see her. He later told me that he'd been out of town since last Thursday. In examining her, he was amazed at her progress! It was nice to hear that because, since I see her multiple times per day, I tend to see tiny changes and can lose sight of the overall progress. I've not even been able to share his observations with Joanie yet.

Joanie is looking forward to again enjoying visits.

"To the soul, there is hardly anything more healing than friendship."
Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852)

Day 14

NO VISITORS TODAY! No phone calls, please. I've asked the staff to keep people out of her room today. Joanie got worn out yesterday and she has developed a cough. Consequently, she didn't sleep well last night. She needs to save her strength for therapy.

Thanks.

"O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me". Psalms 30:2

Day 13

Joanie's email: joaniecarle "at" gmail.com

When I went to see Joanie this afternoon, about 5:30 PM, she was wanting to get into bed. She was exhausted! I kept her up so she could get her hair cut and have supper. I guess she had a steady stream of visitors--each of whom she loved to see. Alas, she feels compelled to hold up her end of a conversation with each one and it's still too much.

Tim M., from PUC, wrote her an email that began: "I'm speechless. I guess you were too, eh? (ok, bad joke)". My kind of a statement...

Thanks to the good care Joanie's getting, she continues to progress in small but steady steps (pardon the pun). Her headache is diminished to a level that she now enjoys opening the blinds to see the views. Her appetite has improved with the more normal food she can eat.

Jan D. dropped a card off in my classroom yesterday with quotes from both her kids. Her son, Adam, who had Joanie in kindergarten, said, "If she had to go and have a stroke, she picked the best kind to have." He recently graduated from medical school. His sister, Sarah, a medical student, said that Joanie needed to be reminded that she taught Sarah to skip in kindergarten. She remembers Joanie telling her, "it's just a little step and a jump". Jan closed by saying, "So much for rehab advice".

We continue to be amazed by people who are reading this blog. Because some of Joanie's friends correspond frequently with mutual friends, Joanie is able to hear, by email and cards, from people she's not seen for years.

Thanks you.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
Herm Albright

Day 12

Joanie's email: "joaniecarle "at" gmail.com

Joanie had a restful night and enjoyed a shower this morning. Because Joanie missed a haircut last week, I arranged with her stylist to come to Joanie and cut her hair. Some of you will understand how much better that will make Joanie feel about herself. I believe that it was her OT who was delighted to see the great progress Joanie has made over the past several days. She'd not seen Joanie since Friday because of the holiday. For Joanie, the best news is that she's off the "pureed" food she's been eating for the past week. That also means that she no longer has to drink "thickened" water. Did you even know that such a thing exists? (They have a concoction that you pour into liquids to thicken them up. As they've been evaluating her swallowing, they want to make sure she won't aspirate her food or drink). I've been afraid to try it, but she now knows that thickened water isn't so great.

We continue to be thankful for prayers, comments, cards, emails, etc. that encourage Joanie.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Rev. 21:4

Day 11

Joanie's email: "joaniecarle "at" gmail.com

This afternoon when Joanie went to PT, I went along. She walked to the exercise room and I followed with her wheel chair. She has been making great progress, but watching her walk and exercise reminds me, yet again, that she has much work ahead of her. Perhaps the most telling comment she made to the PT was that she is happiest doing her exercises! She has every intention of making as complete recovery as is humanly possible--the rest she's leaving up to God.

This morning I talked to Joanie. Two of her friends are in the room helping her do her hair and makeup. The heater also seems to be working which is great as Joanie tends to run cool.

"O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant." 2 Samuel 7:28

Day 10, Sunday

Joanie's email: "joaniecarle "at" gmail.com (I'm beginning to go through the blog & read emails with her)

Praise God! When I was in hanging out with Joanie, I asked her to again move her thumb and first two fingers of her left hand. It's a new trick she's been working on. Just for fun, I asked her to try to move her ring finger and little finger. With careful thought and similar movements on the other hand, she did! We were amazed and delighted. Next I asked her if she could move her left wrist, something she's not been able to do since the stroke. She could and did. You can imagine what we tried next--she can also move her elbow and shoulder some. Her left arm tends to hang uselessly at her side but I imagine that as she continues to have therapy they will have her moving it at will. She can't wait to see her OT & PT to show them her progress.

She is able to get out of bed, walk to the bathroom, brush her teeth and other tasks. I almost sounds like she's ready to come home but she still has a lot of hard work ahead of her. When she speaks, she is beginning to sound more like herself. She's been talking in a monotone and that's also improving.

Yesterday Joanie was unusually tired and somewhat lethargic in the morning. Her phone rang so many times and Joan was so tired that they finally unplugged it. Troy, our son, and Brenda, her sister were frustrated that they were not able to get through to her until afternoon.

I started to read our blog to her and she's learning many things about her hospital stay and progress. I'm also sharing some of her emails with her. It is also frustrating to see my writing errors--words left out, spelling, etc. Joanie said I should blame it on the cat. The cat so misses having Joanie's lap to sit on in the evening that sometimes she tries to get on my lap when I'm typing and puts her paws on my arm.

Joanie reminded me yesterday that she's been wishing she'd married "Lance Smith". She has trouble saying "Carle" and gives it two syllables. She knows it and it frustrates her. I am optimistic that she will again learn to pronounce our name!

A friend of hers, Ben Roy, sent the following quote: "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle".
Albert Einstein.

Day 9, Sabbath

It proved to be a very restful day for Joanie. She did some PT in the morning using a recumbent "step machine" that I understand is designed to retrain her to step and move her arms properly. She lasted several minutes longer than she did the previous sessions. She was most proud that she was able to walk back to her room using her hemi-walker (she still has use only of her right arm). Always the teacher, she spoke with her substitute, Kathy, about tracking her progress as part of a math lesson.

Another sign of her continued progress--she asked me to bring her make up and curling iron, although she's yet to use them. She enjoyed her first shower Friday evening and is beginning to feed herself. Her appetite is improving but she is looking forward to food that is not pureed.

We read over many of the cards she has received and because her emotions are so close to the surface, she shed many tears of joy. Thanks for the cards. You are welcome to email her: joaniecarle "at" gmail.com . I'll take a laptop in from time to time for her to read your notes. I took a computer in to share this blog with her but the WiFi signal I got was too weak to maintain a connection. I'll try again today. She seems to read fine and her writing is good--another in a long series of blessings that she can enjoy.

The highpoint of yesterday, for me, occurred as I was leaving. When I kissed her goodnight I also asked her to squeeze my hand with her right hand. She did!

"This is the written account of Adam's line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God". Gen. 5:1 We are wonderfully made!

Day 8

Progress continues to be made in Sonora. Tonight, when I returned to see Joanie after spending the afternoon looking for the floor of our house, I discovered Joanie on the phone talking to our son, Troy. Before speaking with him, she'd been on the phone with her sister and mother. As a matter of fact, the staff told me that Joanie was getting too many calls and it had been interfering with her supper. They've also placed a sign near her door requesting visitors to check in at the desk. They continue to turn people away so that she can have a break between therapy sessions. While that doesn't seem all that friendly, she needs that protection.

I was able to bribe her into finishing her tomato soup tonight by offering to take her outside to smell the rain. It took a long time but we made it and she enjoyed the sensation. It's the first rain we've had in a long time. Her food continues to be pureed and unrecognizable. They want to make sure she can swallow adequately. After much thought, Joanie had decided that there is real value in pureed food--it's a money saver. You don't need to purchase and use floss.

Speaking of smells...Joanie loves flowers and has thoroughly enjoyed the arrangements she's received BUT she is finding the blend of scents overpowering. If you'd thought of sending her flowers, now is not a good time.

Joanie's latest trick is to be able to move her thumb and first two fingers on her left hand--just a tiny bit! I'm jazzed and continue to expect more progress. Joanie is working hard at all her therapy exercises and tells me that she and the other the patients really like Jim Nord, her PT.

I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds. The body is an amazing thing.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalms 139:14

Day 7

When I visited Joanie this morning she indicated that she'd had a pretty good night. The staff said she'd had a very good night. I brought her clothes from home because they are starting her therapy today and they need her up, dressed and on a schedule. The occupational therapist was already beginning to help her get dressed and eat breakfast. I'm impressed that at 8:00 AM they'd changed her bed and had her busy getting about her day.

The New Digs

Joanie is settling in to her new room tonight. It's a large room--at one time it had three beds but now houses only two. The other bed is empty at this time. She has had several visitors, so many in fact that the nurses began trying to limit visitors because she was getting tired. I was in her room watching her eat with many words of encouragement thinking how our roles have reversed. Several years ago, it was Joanie watching me stare at my food after my BMT. She was trying everything to get me to eat! After helping her continue to take bites of pureed food, she finally said in her new monotone voice, "Meal time should be a pleasant time. It is good for the digestion!" After she finished eating I left to grade more papers. When I returned at about 8:00 PM her door was closed. The nurse said she was exhausted and had fallen asleep.

Day 6, The Move

Joanie has been moved from the hospital to the Transitional Care Unit. While part of the hospital, it is on another campus located within a 1/4 mile of where Joanie & I teach. I saw her stand up, with help, and walk with the aid of a one-handed walker, to a wheel chair. She's exhausted but ready to begin her therapy. She will likely be here for the next two weeks or so. God is good!

Wednesday, Day 6, 9:41 PDT

Joanie had a restless night and managed to dislodge her IV but they are preparing right now to move her to the rehab unit. They hope to move her around noon today. She's jazzed. I just had a full report from the third member of the "fun bunnies". Beth (the reporter), Julie, and Carole (the hair washers) had girls in Joanie's classroom 8-9 years ago and had so much fun together that Joanie gave them that nickname. I'm hearing that the rehab unit is a great place to be so we're anxious to experience the change. Joanie is gearing up for some hard work! Earlene (wife of a fellow teacher, Bob) sent me lunch with her husband so I'm feeling pretty good at the moment. Friends are amazing and wonderful creatures. It reminds me of the many prayers and support when I was having my Bone Marrow Transplant.

Tuesday, Day 5, 21:32 PDT

I'm trying desperately to stay alert long enough to write a few sentences. Joanie & I have shed more than a few tears (actually quite a few) as we've been touched by the outpouring of love of friends in the form of cards, flowers, emails, and prayers--especially prayers! I've heard of offers to give Joanie a neck & back rub (she's looking forward to that), from people willing to sit with her, and several requests from friends to come and visit her (that's coming soon). Several friends have offered to go shopping or cooking for me. Another insisted on making me lunches this week! It's wonderful beyond belief.

Joanie continues to improve slowly. Tonight when her neurologist was examining her, she was able to raise her left arm just slightly. I was amazed! She seems to move her left leg and ankle fairly well, although standing and walking a few steps remains a challenge. Her speech is much more clear although she speaks in a monotone! I was even able to feed her some food tonight--her first since lunch Friday. She says some truly humorous things and I'm often laughing out loud. She's beginning to sound like my brother, Galen.

Joanie is very sensitive about how she sounds but tonight I had her talk on the phone to her sister and 91 year old mother in Loma Linda. She also talked to our son, Troy, in Auburn, WA. It was great and we all survived.

She has been evaluated by the rehab director and she may be moved over there in the next day or two. I'm hearing that she may spend about two weeks there. We'll miss being at the hospital where the physicians, nurses, and aides have been wonderful but we hear the rehab clinic is great.

Joanie enjoyed having her hair washed tonight by those same two friends from last night. They each had a plan as to how the task should be accomplished and had been bringing what they needed throughout the day. Joanie loved all the attention.

Tuesday, 09:15 PDT

I saw Joanie this morning and she had a restful night. Her nurse said she was being a great patient, something I've heard several times. I spoke with her doctor and he said they found no evidence of a blood clot in her heart from yesterday's TEE. The MRI also gave them little new information. They believe the stroke to be embolic; a clot originating from the heart and so her neurologist is placing her on Coumadin. She still has a headache that they anticipate will abate as the swelling goes down. She is to be evaluated by the rehab specialist with the possibility of moving her to the rehab unit soon. That would be nice as the unit is closer to school!

Monday 22:08 PDT

I was at the hospital this evening waiting for Joanie to return from her latest test--a TEE. This test is to given to provide a closer view of the heart from inside the esophagus. I believe they are looking for blood clots. When Joanie returned, somewhat sedated from the test, I asked her how the ride was. She said, "It was a very bumpy ride--much like the roads of Tuolumne County!" I had a good laugh over that comment. A few minutes later two mothers of former students of Joanie (and mothers of current students of mine) showed up with a "plan". They proceeded to wash Joanie's hands and face. They then washed and massaged her back with body cream. I was forced to back out of the way as these two attended to Joanie. When they finished helping her brush her teeth, they retreated. I'm hoping to be somewhere else when they descend tomorrow to wash her hair! Joanie, by the way, loved it. My reward tonight was when she gave me the best smile I've had since Friday.

Thank you for your prayers. They mean so much to both of us!

Monday, 17:00 PDT

Based on today's MRI it appears that the medium-sized infarct was in the right middle cerebral distribution (frontal/parietal region) over the sylvian fissure. There was no bleed and it looks like it previously appeared on the CT.

Joanie has also begun speech therapy involving her tongue. They want to make sure she can swallow properly. She still needs her rest and I'm concerned that too many people will feel they should "drop by".

Monday, 12:00 PDT

In speaking to her nurse this morning, she felt Joanie's smile was better and she felt a twinge of movement in her left hand. Joanie has been moved to the med-surgery ward. She's still not up to visitors because speaking is so fatiguing. Much of the time she still spends sleeping. She had some PT this morning. They had her sit up & stand for a few moments. Currently she's out for her MRI/MRA. They have scheduled a TEE for later this afternoon to check on the possiblilty of a blood clot in her heart.

Joanie's stroke

Pardon my incorrect spellings of medical terms. I've neither time nor inclination to look them all up.

Sunday, May 18
Today she has been much more alert. Her speech has been affected and she has lost feeling and control of her left arm. We have seen slight improvements in her condition today. I'm hoping the neurologist will call tonight after he examines her.

Saturday, May 17
Today she spent 95+% of her time sleeping. Conversations were brief and very fatiguing. They did Echo cardiogram of heart and saw no clots. Checked out carotid arteries but found no blockage. A second cat scan showed a blood clot (6.3 cm by 3.3 cm). They are calling it a "moderate" embolic stroke of the right frontal parietal.

Friday, May 16
Joanie had a stroke on Friday, May 16, as she was leaving school to run some errands. She had stopped to talk to a friend and as she walked away she realized something was wrong. She returned her friend Beth's car and sat down. Beth ran into my room and we returned to the car. We called 911 and asked for an ambulance. Joanie was in ER withing about 25 minutes of the first sign of trouble. In ER, they ordered a cat scan but found nothing. She was admitted to ICU.