Jane's really better, and I'm getting better, but slowly....
Dear friends,
Just a short note, not because there's little to say. Jane is really getting better. In the past few weeks, she took a major jump ahead on her memories. Many more memories are coming back, and coming back more easily. More recent memories are coming back, too. And she's determined to organize those memories, to put them in order, into a coherent, integrated life. She wants to know what her married life with me was like, what we enjoyed, and how we can get back to that.
She's wanting this because she's better, much better, in thinking what a life, what her life can & should be. It's an exciting new stage -- not just more data, but integrating that data into a life, a personhood, a relationship, a reason for living, all of which is a much bigger and a much more advanced issue that blares progress.
There are still severe problems -- finding words and remembering them, that's quite difficult. But even here, the Speech Therapists continue to be impressed. Jane keeps making steady progress. In a way, we have confirmation for hopes for more, not just because she's working for more, but because her body has more room to heal. She went to the optometrist, who to her great disappointment, didn't give her new glasses. Her seeing is improved, and her old glasses don't fit. But there's still quite a bit of blood around the ocular nerve in both eyes. And at the current rate of absorption, optometrist figures another 8 weeks or so.
I figure if that's true around her ocular nerve, it very well may also be true in her left temporal lobe. Which would mean that, in addition to her hard work, and the support she's getting, that Jane will improve as her body heals, not just as she rebuilds it.
Regarding me -- the main holdup on communication -- last week, I ended my 2nd week of my 2nd round of antibiotics. I think the bronchitis is pretty much whipped. But I'm pretty much whipped, too, whipped & burned out.
Probably not much surprise there. But with that long sickness, it's been harder to keep up with the general things that I try to do to help Jane and around the house, and with a real uptick in work, both numbers & severity/complexity of clients, not to mention the incredible level of stupidity around those clients. (Question: how many seizures would you let your child have before trying to get them fixed? And how many years would it take? My client's parents' answer: about 20 years, and seizures beyond count: SHEESH! And this kid saw several psychologists who missed this entirely, even though he looks like he has a case of Parkinsons, and his psychosis is, to say the least, atypical Again: SHEESH!! Kid came in to see a colleague, who got me out of session to beg me to see him -- she knew it was trouble; she just didn't know what kind of trouble. I saw him that evening, and he went from my office to the emergency room.) And that's just one client this past week.
Anyway, I'm burned out, I admit it. I think I know what I need to do. I'm taking more time for myself. I'm going to get back to my mountain walks this weekend -- strong enough now. I'm doing a bit of fun stuff off the track. I'm reading some things a propos nothing at all, and I'm not-reading many Noble & Important Works of Great Value.
All of which helps me sleep a little better. (Surprised? Only if you're as dense as me.)
So, enough Dave. Jane's getting better, and better in new and more impressive ways. Not to say there aren't ups & downs & serious delays & discouragements. Me? Well, I'd like to say I'm getting smarter, but maybe the best I can claim is that I'm not quite as dumb as I have been.
I'm going to walk in the mountains. We've had a really rainy year. The red raspberries are better than I've ever seen them. And I suspect the wildflowers are doing well up in our Garden of Eden, at 9,000. Going to see them this weekend, along with visiting some friends, and maybe seeing Michael Moore's SiCKO.
Lots of love & all the best.
Jane, Les & Dave
Just a short note, not because there's little to say. Jane is really getting better. In the past few weeks, she took a major jump ahead on her memories. Many more memories are coming back, and coming back more easily. More recent memories are coming back, too. And she's determined to organize those memories, to put them in order, into a coherent, integrated life. She wants to know what her married life with me was like, what we enjoyed, and how we can get back to that.
She's wanting this because she's better, much better, in thinking what a life, what her life can & should be. It's an exciting new stage -- not just more data, but integrating that data into a life, a personhood, a relationship, a reason for living, all of which is a much bigger and a much more advanced issue that blares progress.
There are still severe problems -- finding words and remembering them, that's quite difficult. But even here, the Speech Therapists continue to be impressed. Jane keeps making steady progress. In a way, we have confirmation for hopes for more, not just because she's working for more, but because her body has more room to heal. She went to the optometrist, who to her great disappointment, didn't give her new glasses. Her seeing is improved, and her old glasses don't fit. But there's still quite a bit of blood around the ocular nerve in both eyes. And at the current rate of absorption, optometrist figures another 8 weeks or so.
I figure if that's true around her ocular nerve, it very well may also be true in her left temporal lobe. Which would mean that, in addition to her hard work, and the support she's getting, that Jane will improve as her body heals, not just as she rebuilds it.
Regarding me -- the main holdup on communication -- last week, I ended my 2nd week of my 2nd round of antibiotics. I think the bronchitis is pretty much whipped. But I'm pretty much whipped, too, whipped & burned out.
Probably not much surprise there. But with that long sickness, it's been harder to keep up with the general things that I try to do to help Jane and around the house, and with a real uptick in work, both numbers & severity/complexity of clients, not to mention the incredible level of stupidity around those clients. (Question: how many seizures would you let your child have before trying to get them fixed? And how many years would it take? My client's parents' answer: about 20 years, and seizures beyond count: SHEESH! And this kid saw several psychologists who missed this entirely, even though he looks like he has a case of Parkinsons, and his psychosis is, to say the least, atypical Again: SHEESH!! Kid came in to see a colleague, who got me out of session to beg me to see him -- she knew it was trouble; she just didn't know what kind of trouble. I saw him that evening, and he went from my office to the emergency room.) And that's just one client this past week.
Anyway, I'm burned out, I admit it. I think I know what I need to do. I'm taking more time for myself. I'm going to get back to my mountain walks this weekend -- strong enough now. I'm doing a bit of fun stuff off the track. I'm reading some things a propos nothing at all, and I'm not-reading many Noble & Important Works of Great Value.
All of which helps me sleep a little better. (Surprised? Only if you're as dense as me.)
So, enough Dave. Jane's getting better, and better in new and more impressive ways. Not to say there aren't ups & downs & serious delays & discouragements. Me? Well, I'd like to say I'm getting smarter, but maybe the best I can claim is that I'm not quite as dumb as I have been.
I'm going to walk in the mountains. We've had a really rainy year. The red raspberries are better than I've ever seen them. And I suspect the wildflowers are doing well up in our Garden of Eden, at 9,000. Going to see them this weekend, along with visiting some friends, and maybe seeing Michael Moore's SiCKO.
Lots of love & all the best.
Jane, Les & Dave