Skills we take for granted (and The Incredibles is a great movie)

(Tricia's perspective)

Last night, Linda was far more awake and alert than we've seen her in several days. Her speech is getting clearer, which is wonderful. But we can tell that she is still stymied, and incredibly frustrated, when she tries to form even the simplest A-to-B thoughts. The part of her brain that makes connections and solves problems seems most negatively affected.

I had brought in some shampoo, a spray bottle filled with water, and several hand towels to try to wash her hair. As I spritzed her hair with cool water, she immediately perked up, and said, "That feels SO good." I think it was the first experience of anything close to really washing hair that she'd had since the beginning. (The nursing staff use what's called a "shampoo cap" to wash the hair of a patient who is confined to bed--basically a shower cap with moisture and shampoo in the lining. But because there's no rinsing afterward, it leaves a residue. When a nurse came in, she asked why I was washing her hair when they use the cap. She was visibly puzzled when I responded that it leaves hair feeling grungy.)

After using a blow dryer for about ten minutes, I stopped, intending to let her hair air dry the rest of the way. But when I asked Linda if she was OK, she shook her head no. I asked her what was wrong, and she pursed her lips as if trying to form the thought, but then just let her breath out and shook her head. I could tell from the look on her face that something was very much not right. So I started brushing her hair again, noticing then that her hair was a little wetter on one side. So, I picked up the hair dryer, telling her that her hair was still a bit too damp so I would dry it a little longer. It was only then that her face relaxed, as she said with obvious relief, "Yes, my hair is still too damp."   

That was what she was trying to tell me was wrong, but she could not form the words. From what I can tell, she can interact well in simple conversations, but when it comes to expressing more complex thoughts--isolating a problem or choosing between two options--she cannot form the sentences, at least not without prompting. Last night, we also tried to show her how to use mute button on the television remote but she could not isolate the right button or exert enough strength to press it. These all are simple skills we take for granted. It's heart-breaking and astonishing to see how quickly they can be taken away.

Later, we asked her if she wanted to watch a cartoon. Her reaction was hilarious: "A cartoon? Are you serious?" I'm not sure what about the word "cartoon" struck her the wrong way, but in that moment, she found the idea ridiculous. (At the time, I thought using the phrase "animated film" might be a bit much!) Of course, the first movie that came to mind was "The Incredibles," which never gets old. We cued it up on Amazon, and although she had her eyes closed in the beginning, by the time Mr. Incredible was on Syndrome's island, she was watching with rapt attention. I had to laugh, because the look on her face seem to express something along the lines of, "Wow, this is cool!"

When the nurse came to give Linda her medications, the nurse told us that "The Incredibles" also was her and her kids' favorite movie, so we all were able to enjoy it together for ten minutes or so. (We all agreed that Edna Mode's proclamation of "No capes!" is one of the best cinematic expressions of all time.)

Around 9:00, though, Linda's eyes closed again, so we asked if she wanted to finish the movie the next day and have us leave to let her rest, and she said she did. Of course, after we had prepared to leave, her eyes had popped open again--one of the hardest things to do is to leave while Linda is awake, which is happening more and more. Last night, like many nights, she didn't remember having told us that she wanted us to leave so she could sleep. 

We can only hope that she'll make as much progress in the next month as she has made in the last, so that she can regain even a few of those small but essential skills of daily living.



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