BEING THANKFUL
We have heard from several of you inquiring as to Rebecca's status. She has been most appreciative of your concerns. She currently is not capable of putting together a newsletter so the Editor has taken on this issue. By the time you read it American Thanksgiving will probably have come and gone. We will most likely have gone to a local eatery that will have prepared its version of a holiday meal and we will have unfortunately missed the sumptuous feast at Sandrina's, especially the pie.
Mrs.T is doing well actually. After spending two weeks at inpatient rehabilitation in Columbus she has been in outpatient rehabilitation in Zanesville for about two weeks. She has two or three sessions each week about one and a half hours each, a half hour for each type of rehab. She has made a lot of progress but still has quite a ways to go. Recovery from a stroke is a long-term project. The big thing is that her ability to swallow and eat is just about normal although there are certain foods she has not yet attempted. But she can eat popcorn if she takes it slowly.
The rehabilitation has three parts: physical, occupational, and speech. She is somewhat weaker and less coordinated on her right side - the stroke was on the left side of her brain. Her balance is questionable. At the rehab center they put her through several machines as well as different exercises to strengthen her. We do some followup physical exercises twice a day at home. She is sufficiently okay physically to manage everyday activities.
On the 'occupational' side she is improving with normal chores. She can use the microwave okay but we are still staying away from the stove. I count out her pills and remind her about her medication schedule. I also help keep her calendar straight. I perform most of the home chores as I have for quite some time. She cannot drive; coordination and reaction times are not adequate. Horse riding and scuba diving are likewise off the table for now, although she has clearance from the neurologist.
She still has some speech problems however. Generally it is easy to understand her. Mostly she has aphasia; this is an inability to bring out words even though they may be inside your head, a common consequence of a stroke. That connects to problems with processing thoughts and visual items. We have several puzzle books and some simple jigsaw puzzles. With work she has been able to do the jigsaw puzzles that previously would not have been at all challenging; she finished some 100 piece puzzles with big pieces. She is about to try some 300 piece puzzles and maybe a 500. Very easy sudoku puzzles are now very difficult. Word search games are quite challenging. Her number skills are very low; she is not ready to handle cash. Dates are elusive as is telling time with an analog clock. We have some exercises for those items as well. And she has been tackling some books from the library with mixed results. Not surprisingly her memory is vague. And she tires easily.
Another treatment for her esophageal cancer is scheduled for 11 December. This will be a repeat of the same radio frequency ablation that she had in October. The prediction is that the remaining areas of cancer will be eradicated with this treatment. However, she will need to return for followup in the spring. Examinations will continue every few months for at least a year. The overall prognosis is very good. Recovery from these treatments is generally fairly quick.
The Editor is a rather stern nurse and is trying to keep everything on track. Sometimes the patient finds him to be too demanding. But generally we have reached compromises that continues rehabilitation at a steady pace. Our current plan is to be in Bucerias in time for the posada. We will then talk to Dr.V about obtaining some rehabilitation services which should not be a problem. We both feel that rehab will be just as successful in the more pleasant weather of the condo. And the Editor is tired of scraping ice from windshields.
So what are we thankful for this year? We could talk in glowing generalities about the freedoms we enjoy - although there is a lot of turbulence in the US at the moment. No, we will mention our more personal blessings. We are thankful that Mrs.T is with us. Although her health is a bit impaired there is every hope that she will, with time, enjoy a full recovery from her stroke and return to her jolly self. We are happy that her cancer was discovered at a very early stage and expect that treatment will yield fully positive results.
May all of you have enjoyed a peaceful Thanksgiving, even our many non-US friends.
Dan and Rebecca
www.casa-de-terrible.blogspot.com
Sent from Outlook
