Jana in person

For the first time since Jana's accident, Warren was in Meeting today. So was their son, along with family visitors (You don't think RantWoman is going to name the WHOLE entourage without asking them do you???). Warren ducked out right after worship but their son and the visitors stayed. They were full of the kind of details one knows from more regular visits than RantWoman has been doing. Plus, they were so forthcoming and it was so nice to hear all the chatter without having to feel like we might be mobbing Warren.

RantWoman had some errands early in the afternoon and then looked at the online schedule for people to sit with Jana. Evening well-taken care of but the afternoon was open. This fit RantWoman's thoughts and location perfectly: RantWoman hightailed to the bus stop where she would ride. The ride is just two stops but up a hill that would give mountain goats vertigo, and all the more so since the accompanying roadways are afflicted with a couple serious oversights as far as pedestrians are concerned. So shut up, be glad one just has a bus pass, and ride the two stops.

When RantWoman arrived, Warren and Jana were alone. Jana shortly summoned a staffperson to help her hop with the walker to the bathroom. When she emerged we chatted about Meeting. Warren and RantWoman were embarrassed to admit we did not remember the names of some who introduced themselves. RantWoman also noted that being able to hear introductions IS important: otherwise RantWoman would have had no idea who all was in Meeting with Warren and....

RantWoman would categorically not say everything is exactly normal for Jana. RantWoman knows a couple other people with brain injury. Jana's speech and thought processes seem to have slight tinges of things that are longstanding challenges for the other people RantWoman knows; however, for this soon after the accident, RantWoman thinks Jana is doing just great, full of humor as well. Jana is also making such big gains from one visit to another, RantWoman can easily understand all the current positive assessments. RantWoman does not remember which of the lines just cracked her up, however, there were several all around and the laughing was easy.

One of the really amazing things about visiting Jana has been all the interesting people one meets. Today a longtime friend C came and Warren and Jana were talking about other friends in common, about many of Jana's cousins who live in the area, about place names in Finland, comparisons of food in Sweden, Norway, Finland. It was clear to RantWoman that all the Finnish placenames Jana remembers are connected in her mind with cousins of Warren's that Jana has probably visited extensively with his mother about. It also seems to RantWoman that just having all these different loving people come in and talk about people they know in common with Jana has got to be helping her braing organize itself without even trying.

More than one person noted that Jana has been talking about drug interactions almost since she could say anything. RantWoman has her list of her personal issues she will be insistent about anytime she is conscious. RantWoman also finds thoughts of really different medications with similar-sounding names so intimidating that she has to swallow an extra gulp of care before interpreting about related topics. So RantWoman generally thinks Jana talking about drug interactions is kind of amazing. Well RantWoman also is not in any position to evaluate whether Jana is getting them right, but RantWoman imagines she probably is.

Jana now has some kind of coupon so she can get lunch and dinner at the cafeteria. She said breakfast would also be an option, but somehow she did not feel like that. We learned that there seem to be three options for intense rehab: one at the skilled nursing facility in W Seattle and two much more convenient in central Seattle. Nothing is for sure: tomorrow medical system mechanisms will spin the wheel and everyone will get to see what comes up.

Apparently intense rehab will add up to about 3 hours of speech, physical, and occupational therapy every day. Jana said it has been a long time since she was required to deal with that much exercise on someone else's schedule. Warren pointed out that she deals with the bus which Jana laughed off. RantWoman thinks this sounds a lot like school gym class, but hopes it goes faster than it sounds going in.

RantWoman left as Jana and Warren had summoned a wheelchair and were headed off to the cafeteria. Friends had brought an assortment of food. Jana was funny about not wanting to take it with to share but planning to eat it when she came back. Bon appetit.