We are plodding along here. Joy seems to have fully recovered from her surgery. She hit a plateau there for a while, but now seems to be gradually returning to the slight upward curve we've observed since the beginning. The other day when we were driving down to see Dr. Sanchez, she was holding a bottle of water and was having trouble getting the cap off. (Her right hand lacks some dexterity.) So I took the bottle and unscrewed the cap for her. Because I was driving, she reached over to hold the wheel while I did the task for her. This was something she used to do frequently before her stroke because I tend to succumb to all manner of distractions while driving. She saved us from running off the road at least once that I can recall and probably more times than that. Just another little sign of her slowly increasing awareness.
Last week we had another visit from Joy's Pitney Bowes co-workers and friends, Cyndy Smith and Georgia Schweitzer. They are overwhelmed by work and the general struggle for survival, but always manage to take time for a visit when they can. Cyndy lost her father this year, and Georgia has burdens of her own. They miss Joy and her amazing abilities on the job. This time they brought her a belated birthday gift, a blanket with the words, "joy," "happiness," and "peace" printed all over. Very cute and appropriate. I think she is happy most of the time, although there are not the soaring highs (and accompanying lows) that she once experienced. Certainly she is at peace and of course she is still JOY. Here are pictures of the visit:
Cyndy arrived before Georgia did, and Joy's reaction when she saw Cyndy come into the house was more energetic and aware than any I've seen since before her stroke. She immediately tried to rise to her feet and with a little help succeeded. She was very aware of who Cyndy was and clearly overjoyed to see her. It was heart-warming to see her so in-the-moment again.
On Halloween night, Joy's nurse Wendy Ward took her to a church Halloween celebration that was attended by hundreds of adults and children. Wendy and Natalie Kinsley, also a nurse for Joy, met up at the church function, where Natalie was manning the pizza stand. Here are some pictures from that evening:
 |
| Natalie, Joy, Wendy and a caramel apple |
 | ||
| A penguin befriends Joy |
Thanks to Wendy for sending the photos. Wendy is the newest addition to our team and works in the evenings five days a week. It would not be possible for me to care for Joy alone. Sue, Natalie and Wendy are an indispensable part of our family life now. I'm eternally grateful to all of them. We are truly blessed.
Tomorrow is election day and I will vote for a change. I will vote for Mitt Romney because, as Clint Eastwood says, "when they don't do the job, you got to let them go." Some of my very best, dearest and oldest friends who read this blog are liberals and/or Democrats. I try to make this blog all sweetness and light, but today Joy, who slowly evolved from a liberal into a conservative in our twenty years together, and I have a warning for them: TOMORROW WE ATTACK AT DAWN!
Just kidding, I love you all dearly and want the best for our country. If Obama wins again, he will have my respect and cooperation.
God Bless America.
