DAY 97: Leaps & Bounds

Mom is recovering very quickly. The second incidence of pneumonia is already in the rear-view mirror. She's sitting in a chair every day. She's breathing on her own for days at a time. She even began eating this week! Check it out:


To be sure, she doesn't eat much. In fact, that photo was taken by Emily in a humorous moment because Mom kept turning away whenever I'd touch the spoon to her lips. So far, she's eaten one bite of ice cream, a dab of soup from her lower lip, and a trace of health shake in a spoon. It's not a Las Vegas buffet, but it's a start.

The emotional rollercoaster I described last week is still racing around the tracks. Mom is not particularly happy these days. She cries a lot, mostly out of frustration. Here's Emily encouraging her to keep trying:


It's awfully hard waking up from a coma with a body severely injured. Mom smiles at inappropriate times, frowns at others, and cries spontaneously. She kicks at her bed rails and she even hit me once.

She gestured with her hand for me to come to her bedside. I did, and then she hit me. I asked if she needed something, but she just hit me again. I said, "If you hit me one more time, I'm going to hit you back." She did hit me one more time, and I did hit her back. Then, she laughed. I was elated. The old Mom is slowly re-appearing.