Time and Space

Bald Eagles, gibbons, wolves and schistosoma mansoni (worms) - what do they have in common? They mate for life. When Miranda first returned home from the hospital they did not recommend her for neural rehab, simply because it required her to be conscious or communicative. Three years hence and she is still not ready. But the brain needs inputs to recover - just like a growing baby. Every day, and possibly for the rest of her life I wonder what else could be done - to improve her sense of time and space. Every time her head turns or her eyes look around is the chance for her brain to restore, ever so little. Everything her palms touch or when fingers clench an occasion arise for her motor neurons to become normal again. When she almost fall from exercises or transfers her cries of anguish are useful feed-backs to her brain function. I must also be careful whenever she chokes on fluids, but shocks like that are fodder to the brain. Only recently did I realize that we must seize these instances to help her recover consciousness. Care-giving is not just about making patients comfortable - it involves aggressive awareness of things we all take for granted everyday. It is easy to let days, months or years pass, expecting her to heal herself, even if some are consciously praying daily - something proactive can and must happen. I know if I slack off and leave things to the maid - nothing active will happen and Miranda will just fossilize. Pray that we must always remain alert, in everything we do in life. If not we are already dead.

9 am: More than ever now is the time for visitors to touch and eyeball her for attention.

Sunday Oct 12: 9 am: Have to get into the habit of appreciating simple joys in life - like seeing her pleased when easing the bowels regularly and for me - just getting a good night's rest.

Tuesday Oct 21: 2 pm: Have to keep hoping that she is still around. Easy to give up now.

Friday Oct 31: 10 am: Yesterday she could acknowledge visitors in her line of sight in her own way - by moving her jaws. Her eyes are more alive but she will not utter a sound.

Tuesday Nov 4: 2 pm: Legs active as ever. Will she be able to again move around like the day she first got her driver's license in her father's Ford Anglia? Not without her motor memory.

Tuesday Nov 18 1 pm: With the rigor of her exercises I think she is fitter than a couch potato. But with only half a brain maybe the other half can take her to consciousness.

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