Mary is likely to stay at Homerton until the third week of December when she will be moving to a residential care home in Brentwood. In the meantime she has been showing off with her smelling skills at the Homerton.
Mary has shown some positive responses to being given herbs and spices to smell, anticipating some of them by her gaze, actively smelling them and anticipating to taste one or two on occasion. Today I shoved some garlic under her nose (no vampires in this hospital room) and she appeared to turn her head away a little from it. However, Mary looked like she was quite happy inhaling Cocoa (no surprises here). No doubt she would appreciate a bit of beer soaked carpet to remind her of East End pubs, but we will save that for another time.
Therapists have asked that we don't overdo these sensory exercises and try a co-ordinated approach with them between the therapists and family.
Mary has been able to hold a gaze and to continue to follow objects and track activity around the room. She particularly seems to follow her baby niece, the noisy and wriggly Aahana.
To those visiting, Mary generally seems more alert and less sleepy these days, engaging with more that is going on. There are also times when Mary seems to be purposefully trying to make sounds with her vocal chords.
Please do continue to record any responses you notice if you are reading to Mary or doing any other activity with her. That way we can continue to track all this progress!
I don't know Mary personally, but heard her speak at our daughter's school presentation evening in October 2011. I rememeber thinking what a charming, amusing, confident and impressive speech she gave, it was full of her personal memories of her time spent at Jesus and Mary Language College and full of antidotes about her career progression to date. Two weeks later I was deeply saddened to hear about Mary's dreadful accident so on finding this blog it was great to catch up with how Mary is doing to-date. I would like to wish Mary and all her family, loved ones and friends a peaceful and joyous Christmas and a fantastic New Year, and for Mary especially I wish health and happiness in 2013 and beyond.
ReplyDeleteSarah