My Little Darlin, PT day 52, by David

Day 16 at Shepherd.  The nurses will do variable cycles.  Tonights nurse has been off several days, came tonight and immediately noticed the significant improvement in Jan.  She could not have a normal conversation with her before and Jan was not mobile.  She said it usually takes months to see this kind of change.  Jan is still very emotional with me in the room.  She tells me she is so sad for what I had to go through worrying about her for what that woman did to her.  She says she wants to punch her.  That is My Little Darlin sticking up for me when she was the one run over (twice).  She tells me they are working her hard in therapy.  She is very tired when I see her in the afternoon after therapy.  She says they make her think and that is hard.  She did not think "athletes" had to think ;).  She also cries regularly wanting to go home so baldy.  I let her know she has a goal to work hard towards of getting home.  I let her know that as she is now I can't take care of her at home and we must let the professionals here keep working with her.  She understands but does not like it.   The therapists are working on her cognitive skills which is the thinking part Jan says is so hard.  They also continue to work on her mobility.  She is very unsteady on her feet but I would say doing pretty good for someone who has been in bed for seven weeks.  She did get orthostatic (her blood pressure dropped when she stood up) today.  Her blood pressure has been high through all of this requiring medication but hopefully this is improving meaning the medication needs decreasing to decrease the orthostasis.

Do not forget what got Jan here.  It was a senseless and preventable act both times.  Still can not understand any excuse for the second assault.  While I think they were both criminal acts our state does not.  We have got to stay vigilant about changing these laws.  My wife and anyone else is much more valuable than road kill.  We unfortunately have to convince our lawmakers of this.  I can not prove this was cell phone related but something surely had the woman that did this  distracted and she was on a cell phone when she got out of the car (and back in it?).  The data is there that confirms how dangerous a cell phone is in an auto.  So long as people talk/text and drive there will be other unnecessary assaults on pedestrians and bicyclist not to mention anyone perhaps changing a flat tire or working.  Most from what I have read about over the past couple of weeks are not as lucky as Jan.   Accidents happen but doing this to someone while on a cell is not an accident, it is the result of making a conscious decision and should be punished as such.  Yes I now despise any use of a cell phone while driving with good reason and I hope no one has to come to this epiphany the same way I did.  Unfortunately others will.

All cyclists and runners/pedestrians be bright and be seen.  I may have mentioned being told about seeing someone recently on a recumbent bike and they were very difficult to see.   If you are a recumbent rider then brighten up.

SHARE THE ROAD, IT'S A LIFE
PUT THE !%@$# CELL PHONE DOWN BEFORE YOU KILL SOMEBODY
GET OFF THE COUCH,  LIFE IS FOR DOING STUFF
SUPPORT BIKE WALK MISSISSIPPI,  THEY WILL HELP MAKE CHANGES HAPPEN
BE BRIGHT AND BE SEEN

I Love My Little Darlin, she wants to go home.  She is sleeping as I post this.
David