Nov 23rd

I spend a lot of time with Jitka yesterday.  Twice I was with her with the kids and once by myself. She was lifted onto an electric wheelchair with a ceiling mounted hoist and came along with us to a family room to watch the kids play.  She already has been taught how to drive the wheelchair and is doing a good job at it.  I had a plan to sit to a table together for dinner, but by the evening came she was out of energy to move around.  So I made a makeshift “dining area” and spent dinner time together. 

I have put all her well-wishers’ cards on the wall..  Her room has a TV, but she prefers not to watch it. She said she likes to think of all the people supporting her now.  She is basically digesting what she is up against in her future.   I told her she is entitled to be sad, angry, and mad.  She is entitled to anything.  But she has to find a different folder for all her feelings. I just asked her to open a new folder too and look at her situation as an opportunity to do something new. Let it be research related or music related.  Let it be anything, but there must be something she can look forward to even though her mobility has been taken away. She is so fragile and humble now.  She certainly is a changed person. 

Her voice is getting stronger.  The trach is still in, so is the feeding tube.  She is not receiving narcotics anymore.  She is in physical pain, but slowly less and less.  I hope being around her sometime we can help her days go happier.  This is a huge rehab center. Experts and nurses are great. You can look it up on their web page, I am not going to write too much about it.  We are out of our routine here and the children are making me feel it!