Saturday Visit
Yesterday, we went to see Linda on the way home from Kansas City. It was a short visit because we were all beat. She looks great!!! She was reclining in bed, and dressed when I came in, in a peach striped shirt and jeans. I can't remember whether she was wearing shoes, but I think so.
She smiled when I came in, and I can't remember what I said, but she shook her head in response. That was a little surreal-- because it was simultaneously very normal, and yet not normal. It's one thing to read what Don writes about what Linda is able to do: smile, laugh, shake her head, nod, but it's another to actually see her do it, particularly since it has been three weeks since I last saw her, and she was still in the hospital, with oxygen in her nose, able only to look up or down.
She has now regained use of all of her facial expressions (she does a great eye roll too), which is great because now she looks like Linda, albeit a Linda who is able to keep her body very still. Don says the facial expressions really have happened over the weekend.
She said when I was there: Pineapple (when I asked her what she had for lunch, though first I guessed waffle, and she laughed); eyebrow (the word they accidentally discovered, and are very proud of); she told me "bye" when I left, and she said something else, but I don't know what it was anymore. Maybe yes or no?
Mary and Phil were there-- there are able to understand her very easily, and fortunately, Linda is in pretty good humor about people guessing what she is saying. Two of my children were in speech therapy for years, so their speech was perfectly intelligible to me; I'm guessing it wouldn't take me long to decipher Linda's speech if I were able to make a longer visit. Mary was just beaming-- it was such a great visit.
There was playdough in the room, and I asked her if she had been playing with it, or if Ellie had been there, and she laughed. I said I had just seen her mom leave, and asked if Ellie had been with her. She nodded.
She looked so great that I just wanted to hug her, and I did. I had left Dereck and kids in the car, so I couldn't stay long, though it was so hard to leave; when Dereck came up, Linda was spelling on the letterboard, which I hadn't gotten to see. Dereck was jubilant, "She does look great!" It's not an exaggeration at all. Linda is back.
I asked if there had been any other Kirksville visitors-- now that we have scared you all away with the blog, it's time to re-invite you... She's feeling much better now and able to have more visitors.
Becky, I forgot to ask what rocking therapy is.
Yesterday, we went to see Linda on the way home from Kansas City. It was a short visit because we were all beat. She looks great!!! She was reclining in bed, and dressed when I came in, in a peach striped shirt and jeans. I can't remember whether she was wearing shoes, but I think so.
She smiled when I came in, and I can't remember what I said, but she shook her head in response. That was a little surreal-- because it was simultaneously very normal, and yet not normal. It's one thing to read what Don writes about what Linda is able to do: smile, laugh, shake her head, nod, but it's another to actually see her do it, particularly since it has been three weeks since I last saw her, and she was still in the hospital, with oxygen in her nose, able only to look up or down.
She has now regained use of all of her facial expressions (she does a great eye roll too), which is great because now she looks like Linda, albeit a Linda who is able to keep her body very still. Don says the facial expressions really have happened over the weekend.
She said when I was there: Pineapple (when I asked her what she had for lunch, though first I guessed waffle, and she laughed); eyebrow (the word they accidentally discovered, and are very proud of); she told me "bye" when I left, and she said something else, but I don't know what it was anymore. Maybe yes or no?
Mary and Phil were there-- there are able to understand her very easily, and fortunately, Linda is in pretty good humor about people guessing what she is saying. Two of my children were in speech therapy for years, so their speech was perfectly intelligible to me; I'm guessing it wouldn't take me long to decipher Linda's speech if I were able to make a longer visit. Mary was just beaming-- it was such a great visit.
There was playdough in the room, and I asked her if she had been playing with it, or if Ellie had been there, and she laughed. I said I had just seen her mom leave, and asked if Ellie had been with her. She nodded.
She looked so great that I just wanted to hug her, and I did. I had left Dereck and kids in the car, so I couldn't stay long, though it was so hard to leave; when Dereck came up, Linda was spelling on the letterboard, which I hadn't gotten to see. Dereck was jubilant, "She does look great!" It's not an exaggeration at all. Linda is back.
I asked if there had been any other Kirksville visitors-- now that we have scared you all away with the blog, it's time to re-invite you... She's feeling much better now and able to have more visitors.
Becky, I forgot to ask what rocking therapy is.
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