Cheering the Right Brain

"Oh dear I can't find your left ear!  Don't tell me the surgeon...", I exclaimed as I struggled to plug the left audio on her. She gave a faint smile. These days there is nothing much to do except to cheer her up as just looking at her deformed head can depress you. I also found that care giving out of coma must always find new activities - just like a child developing her faculties all over again. Take music and humor - they are universal that a vegetative state might even relate. Music have been known to make plants and cows happy. Then there is a need to promptly help moving the bowels at consistent times of the day. Important to re-develop primitive functions of living. Becoming creatures of habit again is so vital to our cognitive well-being. I'm hoping the posts can become more cheery. Despite the truth.

15 Jul 6 pm: Probably entering a difficult phase - she's groaning often out of frustration and there's absolutely nothing one can do or even understand the words. Sometimes I try to avoid her because it seems harder to stay and feel hapless. Even the maid had to sleep in the hall to escape the nightly complaints. But so nice to see her doze off - sometimes up to 24 hours.

25 Jul 2pm: So the prolonged periods of sleep and stupor is due to hydrocephalus, a potentially damaging condition of excess brain fluid. Now watching and pray that the shunt will do its work of balancing the flow. Had previously reluctant to have the VP shunt inserted.

14 Aug 2 pm: Two weeks of chest congestion after catching flu. The medical review today threatens early bronchitis. Could be fatal if not watched for infection.

25 Aug 9 pm: She had always been remembering birthdays of family and friends organizing dinners and gifts. Have a happy one today! Miranda!

(1953)

31 Aug: Still visitors should be protected from her coughing and chest congestion.

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