Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Jan delivers a state of the hospital speech

Apologies to the readers of the blog for the blank page on Monday. Today's blog will make up for the missed news.

Jan is a teacher. It is not only her job, it is her call. Even bed-ridden in a hospital, with language challenges and weakness in her right side, she has a way of leaving lessons in everyone's lives. I am constantly learning from her about women, about communication, about faith, and above all about determination and love.

Jim, said prophetically a couple of weeks ago: "everything that's hers will be restored", echoing what P. Piesco also said: The Lord does not do half-done jobs, when He restored people, they were restored completely". When I have to choose between the medical statements based on clinical tendencies and averages on the one hand and on the other the bold, trusting statements of faith, I choose the latter in a blink. Today Jan continued her progress in part out of her sheer determination to get well, in part as the normal healing of her brain, but most of it because of the strong faith of so many friends that believed for Jan and I when we could not.

This morning Jan made statements of 3 or 4 sentences in length syntactically and phonetically correct. This continued in the evening visit during an hour wheelchair tour of every corridor in the hospital. Even in the evening when Steve and Sue came, Jan continued expressing her ideas with a lot more clarity than a few days ago. Four weeks ago, there were serious reservations about Jan's ability to talk at all!. The medical staff commented that it was possible that she had lost her ability to speak in the hemorrhage, if she could speak, it was possible that she had lost English. Well, tonight she was speaking in proper English.

Because of the place where the aneurysm happened, it was also anticipated that she would not move her right hand. Today, when I asked her to show me one finger in her right hand, she streched the five fingers with a huge grin on her face. She said, "I know, it is going back." Hoorray for Jan's right hand! I asked her to give me five and she did... With her right hand! It is weak and needs a lot of rehabilitation but it is there!

Jan also was moved to a private room D5-57. Her comment when we got into the room: "Wow! Look at all the space! Nice" After sending Steve and Sue home, she asked me to cuddle with her in her narrow bed. I tell you, that was a risky proposition, but she fell asleep in my arms. These ten minutes or so were worth all the Queen's jewels.

Also, as of tonight, there are no more sitters. When we told her, she was distressed. Eventually, she calmed down. The medical staff is pushing her to become more independent.

With so many good news, I went home with a heart overflowing with joy. Thank you for being there for Jan and the family, but remember, that there is still a long road ahead.

-Fede

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