More Monday Musings...
Don just called-- Linda has her own room now, room 232 when you call.
We were talking about how people could discuss when they plan to visit, and you may or may not have noticed that I have installed a feature allowing you to post comments. If you didn't know what the word Comments was there for, that is what it allows you to do, so you can post general comments to the blog and everyone can see them.
If you want to comment on a post, go to the end of the post and click on the word Comment. It will ask you for your name and e-mail address (the URL is optional-- if you have a website or a blog, feel free to put it there, but if you don't, don't worry about it).
Then, you can write your comment.
Scroll down to click the button that lets you post it.
If there are comments to any particular post, you will see Comment (3) or something to that effect, indicating that there are three comments. By clicking on the word Comment, you will also be able to read comments.
This way, if you want to alert people that you plan to visit, you can leave a comment. I will watch the comments, so if your plans get archived, I can keep track and others will know.
This weekend would be a nice time to visit, for those who are thinking about it. There aren't waiting areas like the hospital, so it's probably better for her only to have a couple of visitors at a time.
Further Updates:
Linda is having trouble with blurry vision (she spelled, "Another Myopia" the other day, in true English Major fashion), which makes the Alphabet board a continued challenge. Don has created another one.
Today, Linda spent five hours total in the wheelchair (two in the morning, three in the afternoon) which is really huge, considering that even last Thursday she couldn't tolerate it for more than 20 minutes at a time or so. I hope I have that right-- I know it wasn't long.
She has stronger head control every day, and Don asked the Physical Therapist (PT) whether it would be reasonable to expect Linda to indicate yes and no by shaking her head and nodding in a couple of weeks.
It would be reasonable, yes.
The doctors and therapists are very excited and encouraged by her progress.
Today, Linda tried the standing frame for the first time, which I remember from my days teaching special ed is very important for developing strength, something to do with gravity. She tried today after two hours in the chair, so she tired after two minutes, but she is working really hard. "Linda had heart problems in a family of hikers; she has had to develop will power."
She continues to do well with swallowing-- they swab her mouth with lemon swabs and ask her to swallow. She improves every day.
About 2/3 of the time you ask her, she can vocalize on command-- she can't always choose to initiate it, but if she is already vocalizing (crying), then she can stay on it.
Ellie came to visit today and was still a little sickly. She required a change of clothes, and Linda heard Ellie repeating, "Icky pants," to Grandma in the bathroom, and laughed.
I have meals and childcare arranged for Don and Ellie on Mondays and Tuesdays through at least the end of the semester (Tuesdays) and through June (Mondays). I am going to finalize the rest of the weekdays and post a schedule later this week because Don will be returning to Kirksville next week.
Thank you again for your offers-- I have not forgotten, I just haven't grouped it all yet. I will assume unless I hear from you that an offer once proferred has not been withdrawn. I will not schedule you to host a meal unless I have been specifically directed that this is okay.
I know that Thursdays don't work for some people, so, if you could email me (or comment here) a couple of firm dates on which you can host Don and Ellie, I will do my best to accomodate you.
This is the time when you are needed the most, to stay connected. I will do my best to keep you updated, informed, and connected through this forum. Already I can feel the urgency of this tragedy subsiding into the mundanities of my everyday life-- I remind myself that this is still very fresh and very real for Don, Linda, and Ellie. It may seem silly to have a schedule that keeps us focused on them, but I am a pretty pragmatic person sometimes, and I think, hey, if it works for me in my job, then maybe it will work for us here.
Don just called-- Linda has her own room now, room 232 when you call.
We were talking about how people could discuss when they plan to visit, and you may or may not have noticed that I have installed a feature allowing you to post comments. If you didn't know what the word Comments was there for, that is what it allows you to do, so you can post general comments to the blog and everyone can see them.
If you want to comment on a post, go to the end of the post and click on the word Comment. It will ask you for your name and e-mail address (the URL is optional-- if you have a website or a blog, feel free to put it there, but if you don't, don't worry about it).
Then, you can write your comment.
Scroll down to click the button that lets you post it.
If there are comments to any particular post, you will see Comment (3) or something to that effect, indicating that there are three comments. By clicking on the word Comment, you will also be able to read comments.
This way, if you want to alert people that you plan to visit, you can leave a comment. I will watch the comments, so if your plans get archived, I can keep track and others will know.
This weekend would be a nice time to visit, for those who are thinking about it. There aren't waiting areas like the hospital, so it's probably better for her only to have a couple of visitors at a time.
Further Updates:
Linda is having trouble with blurry vision (she spelled, "Another Myopia" the other day, in true English Major fashion), which makes the Alphabet board a continued challenge. Don has created another one.
Today, Linda spent five hours total in the wheelchair (two in the morning, three in the afternoon) which is really huge, considering that even last Thursday she couldn't tolerate it for more than 20 minutes at a time or so. I hope I have that right-- I know it wasn't long.
She has stronger head control every day, and Don asked the Physical Therapist (PT) whether it would be reasonable to expect Linda to indicate yes and no by shaking her head and nodding in a couple of weeks.
It would be reasonable, yes.
The doctors and therapists are very excited and encouraged by her progress.
Today, Linda tried the standing frame for the first time, which I remember from my days teaching special ed is very important for developing strength, something to do with gravity. She tried today after two hours in the chair, so she tired after two minutes, but she is working really hard. "Linda had heart problems in a family of hikers; she has had to develop will power."
She continues to do well with swallowing-- they swab her mouth with lemon swabs and ask her to swallow. She improves every day.
About 2/3 of the time you ask her, she can vocalize on command-- she can't always choose to initiate it, but if she is already vocalizing (crying), then she can stay on it.
Ellie came to visit today and was still a little sickly. She required a change of clothes, and Linda heard Ellie repeating, "Icky pants," to Grandma in the bathroom, and laughed.
I have meals and childcare arranged for Don and Ellie on Mondays and Tuesdays through at least the end of the semester (Tuesdays) and through June (Mondays). I am going to finalize the rest of the weekdays and post a schedule later this week because Don will be returning to Kirksville next week.
Thank you again for your offers-- I have not forgotten, I just haven't grouped it all yet. I will assume unless I hear from you that an offer once proferred has not been withdrawn. I will not schedule you to host a meal unless I have been specifically directed that this is okay.
I know that Thursdays don't work for some people, so, if you could email me (or comment here) a couple of firm dates on which you can host Don and Ellie, I will do my best to accomodate you.
This is the time when you are needed the most, to stay connected. I will do my best to keep you updated, informed, and connected through this forum. Already I can feel the urgency of this tragedy subsiding into the mundanities of my everyday life-- I remind myself that this is still very fresh and very real for Don, Linda, and Ellie. It may seem silly to have a schedule that keeps us focused on them, but I am a pretty pragmatic person sometimes, and I think, hey, if it works for me in my job, then maybe it will work for us here.
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