Reboot
Strange things happening.
I went to the Care Home on Friday not sure what to expect, but found Rosemarie sitting in the lounge apparently cheerful and quite alert. The staff said she had been fine and not distressed at all. I took her to the garden and she seemed more interactive than for a long time - smiling and even laughing occasionally.
Saturday was more alarming. She often adopted a pose I have often seen with mentally disabled people - raised forearm and bent wrist, and she frequently lurched to one side. She was also difficult to feed because she kept tilting her head back when she opened her mouth (that makes it dangerous giving her food - she could easily choke). She was however a lot more communicative than the previous day. She became increasingly cross at my attempts to feed her and suddenly exploded in anger "NO. STOP. GO AWAY." Clear as anything.
Sunday was much the same.
Monday my daughter came and Rosemarie was on sparkling form - laughing and pulling faces and generally being a fountain of fun. Although she was not communicating sentences there were recognisable words in her speech and a much greater sense of awareness in her eyes and posture.
Several times she went rigid and we were worried, but she showed no signs of having a fit.
She was cheerful and laughing today as well, and more cooperative about eating.
I don't mean to exaggerate what is happening: Rosemarie is still disoriented and confused, easily distressed by loud sounds and too many people, but when she is relaxed, and taken somewhere quiet, we are seeing behaviour we have not seen for months. The sense of distance seems to be gone; the unresponsive glazed focus on the infinite horizon has melted. All the staff are commenting on it.
It comes, of course, with anger. Today I had several near misses where bared teeth presaged a lunge with a clawed hand and a suitable growl of anger.
It is very tempting to read too much into this: the fits rebooted the brain and we have gone back to a metaphorical System Restore Point. I have not read anything to suggest this can happen and I think I know enough about both to be fairly certain that parallels like this between brain and computer are fanciful.
And yet....
For now I am just enjoying what we have. Long may it last.
I went to the Care Home on Friday not sure what to expect, but found Rosemarie sitting in the lounge apparently cheerful and quite alert. The staff said she had been fine and not distressed at all. I took her to the garden and she seemed more interactive than for a long time - smiling and even laughing occasionally.
Saturday was more alarming. She often adopted a pose I have often seen with mentally disabled people - raised forearm and bent wrist, and she frequently lurched to one side. She was also difficult to feed because she kept tilting her head back when she opened her mouth (that makes it dangerous giving her food - she could easily choke). She was however a lot more communicative than the previous day. She became increasingly cross at my attempts to feed her and suddenly exploded in anger "NO. STOP. GO AWAY." Clear as anything.
Sunday was much the same.
Monday my daughter came and Rosemarie was on sparkling form - laughing and pulling faces and generally being a fountain of fun. Although she was not communicating sentences there were recognisable words in her speech and a much greater sense of awareness in her eyes and posture.
Several times she went rigid and we were worried, but she showed no signs of having a fit.
She was cheerful and laughing today as well, and more cooperative about eating.
I don't mean to exaggerate what is happening: Rosemarie is still disoriented and confused, easily distressed by loud sounds and too many people, but when she is relaxed, and taken somewhere quiet, we are seeing behaviour we have not seen for months. The sense of distance seems to be gone; the unresponsive glazed focus on the infinite horizon has melted. All the staff are commenting on it.
It comes, of course, with anger. Today I had several near misses where bared teeth presaged a lunge with a clawed hand and a suitable growl of anger.
It is very tempting to read too much into this: the fits rebooted the brain and we have gone back to a metaphorical System Restore Point. I have not read anything to suggest this can happen and I think I know enough about both to be fairly certain that parallels like this between brain and computer are fanciful.
And yet....
For now I am just enjoying what we have. Long may it last.
posted by Other Kosh at 7:28 pm
1 Comments:
Wow. yes indeedy. Long may it last. You said that the drugs were being reduced. Do you think that is contributing to the change?
Big hugs
Mxx
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