Give Gemmword lots of love and hugs

and wanted to add my continuing good wishes. And some warm thoughts for Mom…what an awful thing to go through! Big hugs to you both.

Tink?? Jamie??
have you called recently?

...I hope you are on the mend!
big hugs to you!

We miss you!

Isobel has a stomach flu and has therefore not been able to provide much in the way of updates. I naturally told her to save her strength for looking after herself and Gemm.

The short version: yesterday Gemm woke a few times and managed several more sips of water (albeit with some difficulty). The “wee fox” stopped in again, came well into the room, and gazed at Gemm for ages. That was evidently one of the times she woke up. Isobel does think that the bruised leg is bothering her, because she keeps moving it around restlessly. Considering that for a few days, she was only “still and silent,” and her breathing was so quiet that Isobel had to lean close to be sure she was breathing, I am still taking the increased activity as a potentially good sign.

An understandably brief “no change” message came in around 9 a.m. EDT, but that’s been all so far today.

The good news: Isobel messaged me that Gemmword had opened her eyes twice so far today, and took a sip of water. Her eyes didn’t focus, and she didn’t speak, but at least she swallowed. According to Gemm’s own notes, swallowing is a very good sign.

The maybe-good news: Isobel thinks that what work Gemm up this time was pain. The pain isn’t new: it’s been with Gemm for quite a while, evidently, from a biopsy and a bone fracture that never healed properly. But until today, she wasn’t showing any signs of feeling the usual pain in that leg. Although of course nobody wants her to be in pain, her notes say that “deep pain response is the last to go [when a person goes into a coma] and the first to come back.”

Not so many animals around so far today, except for seagulls early. But then apparently the street was full of noise and busy-ness for a while – “wheelie bins, post men,” said Isobel – so maybe they’ll come around later when it’s quieter.

I told Isobel how Unc was wondering if Gemm might have been the prototype for the sort of Disney character who relates to the animal world in extraordinary ways. Isobel was charmed: “like snow white or something,” she replied. As she was signing off, she added, “i must tell her about snow white, she’ll think that’s very funny.”

Your faithful reporter is off to an after-work dinner and meeting that may extend past her usual bedtime. If I don’t post later, it’s either because there’s no news or because I ran out of steam before I could check for and then re-post it.

I got an offline message from Gemmword’s mum last night:

Hi Tink, just a quick update before I go to bed. Some improvement in [Gemmword], she opened her eyes for a few secs. it’s been an amazing day, started at dawn when a little fox popped his head in the door and gazed for 5 mins at [Gemm]. Then we had magpies, sparrows and hedgehogs all visit, and all shouting in the doorway. the wee slugs were up kissing [G] at the time, and Charm had been sitting on her eyebrow and tapping her eyelashes for ages, and Grace was chattering in her ear. together they all woke her for a moment. She opened her eyes, but didn’t say anything. Tell you more tomorrow, I’m very tired. Thanks for all thr prayers and support. Love Isobel

I wrote back that it sounds to me like the local wildlife had somehow spread the word that their “animal whisperer” needed them. The scene might be something from a Disney movie.

She got a bit of rest last night, thank goodness.

Then today she found a bunch of notes that Gemm had prepared on what to do if she (Gemm) can’t give instructions. According to Isobel, the notes are incredibly well organized. Along with details of things Isobel can do to help (e.g. giving ice chips with glucose), there’s a schedule for when Isobel should eat and take her own meds, and there are colour-coordinated cards and the like.

She asked me how to play music on the computer – since Gemm does that, she wants to play it for Gemm to hear – and I was walking her through looking for iTunes or Windows Media Player (I’d kill for the ability to see Gemm’s computer remotely the way I can with my co-workers across the country) when Gemm heaved a huge sigh. So Isobel went off to talk to her some more.

I’ve passed along every cheer and message.

Please keep them both in your thoughts and/or prayers.

...as of 2 p.m. Eastern Time, when her mum left me an offline message saying only that.

Her mum thanked Jamie and me yesterday for passing the word to 43T and conveying your messages back: she (Gemm’s mum) just doesn’t feel up to trying to navigate this “big” site without Gemm guiding her.

We made sure she knew that it’s not a chore for either of us, and that in fact we both appreciate being able to do something.

Being virtually helpless while someone I care about is struggling – and in this case, although we know Gemm better, I’m wishing so much that I could do more for her dear, terrified mum as well – is my idea of hell.

We are all thinking about you!