Day 16

Sunday, started with homemaker failures. Got a lot of personality.

Sunday, started with homemaker failures. Melissa was chatty with a ton of personality. We went through the Facebook Post of this Journal and all the people that sent well wishers (she told me relationships of all the people I didn't know). She was telling us her vivid dreams, and all the things I needed to do. She was non commital on which rehab.

ℹ️ Info

Created: 2023-03-03

2023-03-05 (Sunday) - feral househusband, friends, and chatty Melissa.

Feral Househusband

I thought I did so good yesteday with my domestic housekeeping, but it appears I'm not completely domesticated (a little feral). (Click to read my shame).

I threw in my one load in the laundry (colors, jeans, whites in at once: future greys), flung a tide-pod (fling), pressed the button, it started making noise (spinning), and I ran off to shopping. Came home, threw it in the drier; noting that it did a really good job of spin drying and fluffing as it didn't feel damp or have to be peeled off the sides? Oh well, I dried it, and put it this away in the morning (so that it was properly wrinkled in the drier overnight)... and noted when I was near complete an unbroken fling in it? WTF? If washing requires soap (and water) I might not have actually done the load I'd attempted? It's worked before, honest. Not sure where the failure was, but at least they're properly wrinkled. Since there's no one else in the house except the cat, I think I've narrowed down the culrpit. Damned cat. I'm pretty sure she left it on vent, instead of setting it to cottons. Speaking of the cat, she puked up white stuff? That's new. (Not the puking, just color/consistency). She was a little low on food and appears to have eaten toilet paper? That's a mystery for another day. I topped off her bowl of food, and off to the hospital.

Friends I went through the Facebook posts I made of this journal, and went through every one that sent replies or well wishes (about 60 people). I don't know some of names, but Melissa just nailing all of them. "That's from Saint Columban's", or "That's my Cousin's Daughter", and so on. Every one is "Aww", and something about them.

Visits

Mandy visited and was trying to unmess Melissa's hair (the french braids were starting to dreadlock), and gave her pig-tails (after the picture I took). Melissa said, "Let's call Carrie, and when she found Carrie was busy until Friday, Melissa piped in, tell her we'll pay triple!". We were all laughing. But Mandy and Melissa always just have a great time. Later Melissa mentioned to Mandy that her ear was hurting.

An old friend (Gary Neshanian) called, and heard us talking/interacting with her, and was so happy to hear how much of her memory and attitude she still has.

Also our friend (her gradeschool friend) Gina called, and got a full dose of Melissa-personality over the phone.

Dreams

She laughed at my laundry stories, and told her Mom to help me. While Melissa is healing, she's telling me of her dreams and what she "sees". (I think this is all part of the brain-healing process, is vivid dreams and rewiring). But that's some quirky stuff that was making us laugh. But Melissa also admitted (to us and Mandy) that she's scared and wants her old life and independence back. We are too. But her progress and the awareness required to have that fear hints that she will.

There was Mary and Me twerking There was going to Vegas and there were black transvestites everywhere. (She's gotta stop watch RuPaul's Drag Race). She said every time she turns on the TV there are black girls Sheniqua and Shinaqua. (She used to love watching Diamond and Silk?) Not sure if she was into the Housewives of BET? Then there's Chris Malone (from SVU) self gratifying in his trailer (in front of his wife and kids)? She's an SVU fan... but wasn't very happy with the #MeToo imagery that her mind was giving her. ("Can't get that image out of her head"). She says, "this doesn't make any sense, I'm just rambling". Along with "I'm a productive Member of Society... I want my brain back". (And she wasn't happy with the weirdness of the vivid dreams).

Rehab

Houston Methodist called me about staying on campus. Basically, the sales pitch about continuity of healthcare providers (by staying with them instead of TIRR). There are complex choices. I asked the stroke victim, but she avoided the decision. (But got all the tradeoffs).

TIRR in Texas Med Center is known for brain injury specialty - but has the disadvantage of her not getting a private room (and she could be paired up with a screamer). TIRR in the Woodlands, borrows people and processes from TIRR, but doesn't carry the prestige or specialization of brain injury -- but she can get a private room Houston Methodist keeps her in the same buildings (with access to all her normal doctors), and gets a private room, but considers themselves on par with TIRR in Woodlands. I think to make a good decision, I need to know how bad her condition is, so I know whether she should be in TIRR Med Center (as she's an edge case that needs specialists -- and it's worth risking the roomate). Or whether she's not that out there, and then the other two are better choices. (And the decider there, is whether they think they're going to do the pacemaker, or any other procedure in the next few weeks while in Rehab -- or wait until that's over).

Vision Her vision is still hit or miss.

She'll say she can't see and stare in random directions and think she's talking to you, that let's you know she can't. Then she'll say she can see you, look at you, and tell you what color you're wearing. She also responds to light. So some brain thing is going on there.

She says she sees a picture of a beach over near the TV. Then I looked, and the way the TV is angled and facing her, I think she can see a reflection in the glass of the TV (that's turned off) of beach scene artwork that's on the opposing wall. Is that what she's seeing? Or is it in her imagination?

All we can do it give it time. But you are still fishing for hints and signs.

Meal Train Jennifer Manning set up "Meal Train" for the neighborhood; basically, that the neighbors will start providing us with meals so we don't have to worry about cooking. So kind. I shared that with Melissa, "Awww". I had been a little, "oh this is a neat tech/website" and Melissa reminded me we'd done it for Heart Rebecca when she was down. Oh yeah, I remember doing the meals, but didn't handle the App part. Such a nice little thing to do for people. But again, her memory is so in there.

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