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)