Jan is improving, and this is more than the optimistic view of her husband. There have been sightings of smiles, patting on the shoulder, skillfully flipping pages of picture albums, reading greeting cards, clear indications to the nurse of being cold or hot, of wanting another blanket, of sitting on her bed, of stubbornly keep trying to take the tube off her nose, etc. When Jan looks into your eyes what you see is not a blank stare of someone who is not aware of her surroundings or of people, instead, what you see is a penetrating look that is trying to focus or recognize who on earth is this visitor. So, given so many witnesses who can corroborate this, I must declare that Jan is getting better all the time.
This evening, I asked her if she was confortable in this hospital bed, she answered with her head a clear NO!. I asked her if she wanted to come home and sleep in her own bed, she nodded in affirmation, smiled and then rolled her eyes, as if saying: dream on!
A physiological mark of improvement is that the swelling of the brain seems to have receded. Instead of the bulky left part of her head, she now has a noticeable indentation. This is exactly what the neurosurgeon had indicated as a simpton of improvement. Now what follows is that Jan needs to recover her swallowing reflex and slowly recover her beautiful voice.
It is tough to see her frustrated and sad because she cannot communicate with all. But it is indisputable that she is recovering one step at a time. I hope to be talking to Her soon whether it is in Spanish, French, Portuguese or any other language she may choose,
-Fede
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