"I Just Can't Stop Talking"

This posting could be called:

* A Red Letter Day

* A Quiet Miracle, or

* A Noisy Miracle!!!

But we are calling it "I just can't stop talking" as these are Isabel's words.

On Friday, Mum hosted two early-bird Abernethy friends for morning coffee in the Wascana cafeteria. She and Rufus then led them on a tour of Wascana ~ to the Departments of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy ~ then Recreation and Music Therapy ~ and then to the Chapel. Then down the elevator to the main floor to the gift shop and concourse and to see the huge art on the walls. The walk and drive took in the floor-to-ceiling windows, many huge live plants and trees inside Wascana, and the hundreds of recently planted bedding plants (shivering in our June cold!) on the terraces and courtyards.

Then it was back to Isabel's room where Mum took the plunge and carried on an hour's conversation OUT-LOUD with her friends. With her trach cuff deflated, the questions and comments tumbled out as Mum got caught up on all the news at home.

As family we watched ~ almost in disbelief ~ at Mum's ability to talk out-loud this much ~ and this well. Long after her friends left, she chatted on.

As she said Friday morning, "I haven't talked for 20 months, and now I just can't stop talking".

You go, girl!

It ain't all easy. Mum continues to have some paralysis in her throat which means she can't easily swallow. She needs to suction her mouth (just like at the dentist) every few minutes.

Mum can only speak out-loud if a family member or nurse is present to deflate her trach cuff, so if you are visiting, you may not hear her speak. She still uses her letter-board most of the time.

Some sounds are hard to say. "CA" and "J" aren't easy, but "N" is ~ so Nancy is getting far more orders than Catherine and Janet!

Mum has weakness in the tip of her tongue and back of her palette so her speech pathologist has given her exercises. Some words are still difficult to make out.

The set breathing in and out of the ventilator can make it difficult to talk. Yes, even when the trach cuff is deflated, Mum still uses the ventilator 24/7 to help her breathe. 8 small puffs a minute.

However Isabel's stamina and strength of voice are excellent, and we are confident that she will overcome the issues with which she still struggles. In the meantime, we rejoice in hearing for the first time faint but recognizable laughter and the familiar intonation of her voice. Her characteristic rolling of eyes, shoulder shrugging and animated left hand now accompany out-loud words.

Tumbling out with all these words is GRATITUDE.......who could have ever guessed after these long months that Isabel would speak full sentences and questions again?