Tuesday, November 20th

Written last night by Paul:

Joanne realized today that she won't be able to drive for a while and that really hit her hard. She questioned both her OT and PT therapists. They both were encouraging, but no one really knows how long it will be until she can drive and that wasn't answer she wanted to hear. She was shuttled back to Overlook for a follow up CAT scan. She was a little uneasy on the ride over. I can't blame her. She was strapped in a wheelchair, which was then strapped to the floor of the transport van. The driver was nice enough, but since it was her first time out since the stroke, I think she was disoriented, especially with the snow. She became frightened just before the scan, but a quick prayer and some distracting small talk got her through. She became upset with me when I was explaining to the driver that she had had a massive stroke. I was bragging a little about how well she was doing, but she didn't like me saying it that way. I will need to be more sensitive to that in the future.

Her speech therapy is improving. She is identifying things she could not identify last week. She is speaking in more complete thoughts. It's odd how she can't identify a fork, knife and spoon correctly, yet she can name the artist, (French, Spanish, Dutch, etc.), of painting she has studied in art history. We are preparing for her departure on Wednesday and trying to find outpatient rehab which is closer to home and will offer the best therapy. She will need to focus on speech and OT, which is building upper body strength and developing the typical skills for daily living, showering,getting dressed, preparing a meal, (just for her, not the family) and so on. She is a little nervous about it, but I am certain that once she is home she will improve even more. Thank you all for your cards and gifts.