Daily life

Jan used te be a busy woman; her weekends were busy with the workshop and lecture circuits. She atttended two services and managed to keep in touch with people from at least five communities she had belonged to in the past. She loved challenges, the bigger the better. Jan is not as busy now. She was forced to slow down. What she calls life now is a series of everyday events that most consider irrelevant. It is in these small events where she find her big challenges today.

This morning she changed the cat litter, but no sooner she had started the cleanup, she was already asking for water, paper towels, clean litter replacement, etc. She forgot to plan and collect all the utensils she needed to do the job. This planning skill is the focus of her occopational therapy. She needs to become independent to the point where the hospital will consider that she is ready to go back home.

Many everyday details become mountains to Jan. She, however, continues to push herself and go forward.

-Fede

Relocation

As you saw in the previous blog, Jan will be out and about in less than four weeks.

MOVE- We are planning a move to the West, closer to the communities of support Jan and I have. We have requested help for packing and some muscle for the actual move. To avoid chaos -at least in this aspect- and having too many people showing up. Please let us know your plans and give us two options. We will make a list and let everyone know when your help would be most effective.

ONGOING SUPPORT -People who want to be on 'the list' for ongoing support should email their,

name,
phone number(s),
email(s) and
whether they have a car,
what days/times typically they are available
to jan_get_well@yahoo.ca [Corrected by Steve. jan_get_well @ yahoo.ca]

Many thanks for the amazing love you have shown for Jan and I during the last 85 days. We have made it this far because of your generous hearts.

-Fede

Jan's Plans

Many people have asked me about the long term plans for Jan. But, before we get to this let me tell you what I heard from Jan today: She said that no one had visited her today! I told her that I was totally crushed with such news. I could not imagine that all her loving friends had deserted her [...I raised my hands and my voice...], this was totally unconstitutional and against her right to a good visit from her friends. She laughed and said: "you are so funny". So much for my career as advocate of the lonely.

I know that we have asked for some rest time for Jan, and she kind'a confirmed this. She enjoys visits, but recognizes her limitations in communication and swings between wanting on the one hand more visits from her friends to sooth the loneliness of hospital living, and on the other, she enjoys the quiet times and the freedom to sleep whenever her body tell her so. What action shall you then follow? I dunno' Follow your gut feelings. She is at her best between 4 and 6pm. If she is having dinner, she enjoys when people go to the cafeteria to buy their own dinners, and then bring it to her room where you can share your dinner with her -note: she most probably won't share hers with you-

Now let get back to the Plans:

-Jan is scheduled to leave the hospital on May 31.

-She will be meeting with the surgeon in 10 days to discuss a date for the placing back the bone flaps (could be at the end of the month).

-She will continue with speech and language therapy after she leaves Bridgepoint, in a comunity clinic or in the current place.

-She will need support after June 1, in the following:
*getting a ride to therapy when Fede is working
*getting a ride to visit or go shopping when Fede is too tired to do this
*some logistical support at home when she is alone (we are exploring the possibility of home support, but it may be at a cost...)
*getting some good singers to come and practice the music she loves so much.
* just sharing tea and cookies with good friends.

Keep posted for upcoming changes in Jan's life. She will not go back to teach, at least in the next few months. She will need emotional and spiritual support to keep focused on her recovery.

Yesterday, when the speech therapist asked her what animal she identified with, Jan said a blue jay. This was a bit of a surprise to me because she always told me that she is an eagle. Does this change indicate a change on the way she sees herself? Is she shy of soaring high? Is she feeling insecure because one of her wings is not fully working? Maybe you need to remind her that she is still and eagle... and believe with her that she will soar again.

-Fede

Family meeting

There was a family meeting at 3pm with the speecha and language pathologist. Sol wanted to update the family about Jan's progress and activities. She is a good teacher: came prepared with all materials, clear explanations and an excelent explanatory method of complex matters. On top of that, she brought fruit, cookies and cheese to the meeting for the participants! I would give her a 100%. Too bad I am not her boss, so I will just wish she gets a raise.

Jan was very attentive throughout the whole session which lasted a bit over 2 hours. She participated like anyone else clarifying and adding to the explanations given. Great effort on her part and very satisfying for most members of the family to hear the great progress she has made in the last few weeks.

Jan is diagnosed with moderate to severe Expressive Aphasia; Moderate Apraxia, and mild Receptive Aphasia, which means that she has a long way to work on (1) rebuilding the connections betwen her ideas and the dictionaries in her head, (2) between knowing the words she wants to use and being able to make the mouth actually pronounce them and (3) decoding what people tell her, in particular if the surroundings are too noisy or there is more than one conversation at a time.

Whenever you are visiting, please make the point at the beginning of asking Jan for her communication binder where you can read a bit more on the strategies to communicate with Jan and where you can write those darn words that just refuse to show up in Jan's speech. If you want to have a satisfactory visit, you will have to learn the rules of engagement, or else you may end up having a monologue.

Admirable woman. Jan continues her struggle to get well. Lots of work. Great determination is expected. Strong faith. An open mind, and above all, a great capacity to love the gifts of life and rejoice in what she already has and is.

-Fede