Oct
7
Jody recovery report #6
I’m going to continue to assume that everyone reading this knows what has happened to Jody, where she is, and how to contact her. Feel free to ask if that assumption doesn’t match your circumstances.Status
Jody is making terrific progress. Yesterday she walked around the outside of the hospital building, then did ten minutes on the treadmill and another ten on the stationary bicycle. Her heart rate during these exertions makes it clear that she retains much of her conditioning, and the muscle tone in her legs is starting to remind me of pre-injury Jody. Jody’s fine motor skills also continue to improve. She can turn the pages of a magazine, open mail, button and zip clothes, tie her shoes, and pick up coins from a flat surface, mostly with her right hand. Her left hand continues to lag, but both hands are getting better daily.
Jody saw her orthopedic surgeon for a recheck. He pronounced her in good shape and told her she could stop wearing the hated cervical collar. He also told her she shouldn’t jump horses and advised her not to fall off them. Jody later claimed that the advice not to jump was “just a suggestion.” I’m thinking of pilfering some Valium from the hospital pharmacy; I may need it soon.
The nausea and vertigo Jody has been experiencing have started to lessen, to the point that everybody agreed to try discontinuing the anti-nausea patch she has been wearing. This turned out to be a Very Bad Idea, as she vomited and then fainted in physical therapy the next day. A social worker decided that this would be a good time to evaluate Jody’s mental status. She pointed out that It’s Perfectly
Natural to Be Depressed After What You’ve Been Through and recommended a consultation with the psychiatrist.
In due course the psychiatrist appeared. “Mrs. Kaufman?,” he inquired. “It’s Doctor Kaufman, actually,” I told him, just to start things off on the right foot. He suggested to Jody that she might want to share her innermost thoughts and feelings with a complete stranger, pointed out that It’s Perfectly Natural to Be Depressed After What You’ve Been Through, and recommended an anti-depressant. Jody demurred. They negotiated a minor adjustment to the medication that helps her sleep and he left, to the evident relief of all concerned.
(Apologies to the many mental health professionals out there who are actually good at your jobs.)
Anecdote #1 (followup)
Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, to Jody: “Is there anything I can do
for you?”
Jody: “Get us out of Iraq!”
Sarah Nolan, later: “Now there’s a woman who knows how to stay on message.”
Asks
Thanks so much to everyone for the delicious and nutritious soups you’ve been bringing. They’ve been key to getting Jody this far. Her taste buds are now behaving normally and she is able to eat anything she likes, so it’s time to add other kinds of foods to her diet. She needs to gain a lot of weight back (she weighed 100 lbs. on Friday), so please pour on the calories.
Anecdote #2
Our state senator, Jack Barnes, visited Jody the other day. She reports: “He came in and said, ‘My friend Maggie Hassan told me something terrible had happened,’ and I’m thinking, ‘What? What happened?!’”
Thanks
Kim Alter, Andi Axman, Sen. Jack Barnes, Liz & Dr. Steve Bassett, Debbie Bauch, Tom Blinn, Jessica Chasney, Molly Cowan, Kate Donald, Susan Dugdale, Diane Eagle, Karen Ellis, Diane Gill, Mark Goldstein, Agnes & Michael Goun, Rachel Green-Lowell, Sen. Maggie & Tom Hassan, Dr. Kate Lawton, Polly MacMullen, Sam Mekrut, Ursula Mackey, Matt Meservey, Kim Meyer, Sue Mitchell, Sarah Nolan, Dr. Sally Oxnard, Alison & John Parodi, Bob & Karen Prior, Nolan Ring, Amy & Brad Robinson, Susanna Scelso, Andy Silva, Lenore Smith, Meredith Stolper, Molly Supple, Jim & Joan Webber, Ellen Wight, and everyone I’m forgetting.
Special thanks to Bill McPhee for taking care of the horses’ feet and refusing to accept payment. Please bring your horses to Bill and tell all your friends to, also.
Congratulations and best wishes to Amanda, one of the most amazing nurses I’ve ever met, on her wedding day.
Forwarding and mailing list
Please feel free to forward this message in appropriate ways. If you received this from a friend and would like to be added to the mailing list for future updates, or to be removed from the list, please email me at roger [-@at@-] rogergoun.org.