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