Took my friend to lunch today. A mix, of course.
Moments when she is just the person I knew. And very lucid, a word she used to describe herself. Other moments when she repeated and repeated and repeated what she had said before. So that some conversations are strained and others just normal.
She is puzzled. So am I. She says she has no confidence. I see that and hear it and understand why. I cannot count the times she thanked me for this break and time away. Doesn't matter that I tell her not to thank me.
I said, "We're friends." Which made her cry and thank me more.
No one calls to chat. That's kind of normal, I think. No one calls me either. She believes it's because people are afraid of her. Probably true also. It took her visiting teachers eight months to show up in person. Now they come each month, quite unafraid.
What she has isn't catching.
Her husband told me the first thing as I walked in the door, "We're going on a six-month mission." Seems they only learned last night of the six-month option.
I hope they do that. Her neurologist sees no reason not to. Says of all the patients he sees, she is doing the best.
They keep very active. Daily workouts at the Y and daily walks around the neighborhood. And he always has some chore for her to do. But he did the laundry and the dishes today. He helped make the jam--with their own strawberries--and I now have some in my freezer.
I believe the physical activity helps. I also believe her return to the piano helps. A lot. It makes her think and work hard. It is also a refuge.
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