Saturday, March 04, 2006

Jan on Wheels

I got a good surprise this morning. I found Jan awake with the sitter and the nurse. Routine hygiene and some feeding through that dreadful NG tube. Imagine having breakfast, lunch and dinner without even tasting what you are eating!

The wheelchair.
Jan and I went to the cafeteria in the M wing. That's right, she was allowed to go on a wheelchair with me to this public place. On the way we looked t pictures on the walls, to the snow in the green areas through the windows in the first floor and to people. Now and then, she would touch the glass of the doors. At the cafeteria, she sat with hear head to one side. I showed her pictures on my laptop. She smiled when looking at relatives from close and far, friends and herself. She became uncomfortable. I asked her if she wanted to go. She nodded. We went up and down the corridors, stopping everytime she signed. I stopped a the Second Cup and bought a coffee. She wanted to taste it, so I dipped a stick on my coffee and put it in her mouth. She grimaced like if to say: How can you drink this junk? When we passed a coke machine, she pointed out to it insistently. I asked if she was thirsty. She nodded. I bought a bottle of water for her. A soon as I gave it to her, she put it in her mouth trying to open it. Not sure if I should give her some water, I put some in the cap. She wasn't happy with it, but drank it anyway. she coughed a bit and then asked for more.

Swallowing. We went up the elevator to her room. We found two friends visiting. She sat in the wheelchair at the visitors' lounge for a few minutes with them. I told the sitter that Jan was thirsty, she brought a little stick with a sponge and a cup of water. With this, Jan took a few sips and coughing, she swallowed the water. Small amounts, but it has begun.

Writing. After lunch, she was talking to Louise and the sitter, they gave her a pen and the notebook, then asked her to write. She scribbled some characters: H, I J, N. What a delight! This is an enormous effort, and she was pleased.

Good news for a sunny Saturday. She is mobile, swallowing, and writing.

Please keep supporting her with all you got. This is the beginning of a long race.

-Fede

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