I've just returned home from another visit with Anna this past weekend. Her new location at Mount Sinai which is in Manhattan and is in a good part of town. This location is much better for Anna because her family as well as some friends and co-workers can reach her more easily. Also, she's now out of the ICU and in a private room. (If you plan to visit Anna, please check-in with her sister as we're trying to spread visitors out a bit.)
Anna is able to sit up now for a few hours at a time in a wheelchair and they've caped her trach with a smaller one so that she can whisper a tiny bit. (Though not well enough for the phone or long conversations yet.) Her pneumonia has been thwarted and she's only got a bit of a fading cough. Her hearing has improved so she's able to hear you fairly well (as long as there's not too big a crowd or you don't stand too far away). We're still working on seeing if she's able to listen to audio tapes and CD's all right.
Her double vision is still a problem, but she's received new glasses with one side frosted so that she can focus out of one eye and see a little bit better than she did. This should allow her to watch TV and read soon, but watching too long makes her dizzy still. (We hope this will still correct itself. If not, surgery should help this eventually.) Right now we're trying to see if she can sit up with a small portable DVD player at some point. The difficulty is getting stuff to and from her bed as she has mobility problems reaching things when she needs them or is done with them and is too shy to ask the nurse to constantly come in and get them for her. Maybe if we could find something like those car pockets that she could Velcro to the side or something to hold things we're thinking might help.
Note - if you are sending cards or letters. Try writing BIG, or write your letters in 1.25 or 1.5 inch font as that is easier for her to read on her own right now. (I tested what font size by writing in my notebook and that seemed the best to her.) Notes, letters, quotes, fic, or just anything is welcome.
Also, there is a nice campaign going on to have everyone send postcards to Anna so she can see that she has friends all over the country (if not the world). They're cheap, easy, and cheerful.
On further good news, although currently bed ridden. Anna was also able to move her left leg a bit and her left arm a little, though not yet her left hand, (all of which had been paralyzed originally). In fact, she took 4 assisted steps in Physical Therapy for the very first time. Which is a pretty big deal because it gives us all hope for more in the near future as this is just the first week in therapy.
Overall, I have to say Anna looked much better than the last time I saw her. Her color was good. She was no longer that horrible unhealthy grey but a normal color. I saw her scar (where they performed the surgery) and it's healed amazingly well. The doctor is right that you will never be able to see it under her hair at all. It's less than a pencil line.
But most importantly, she was awake the entire time I was there and able to be-- well--Anna. In all her nutty, funny, sweetness. I taught her and Pen (who was also visiting) sign language and by the end of the weekend we were "talking" up a storm just like we would normally. I also tried to teach it to her two sisters and we've posted the sign language alphabet on the bulletin board by her bed and would like to encourage anyone who stops by to use it until Anna can speak more normally. (To be truthful, it took everyone less than a couple of hours to pick it up and figure it out, so it's not very hard to do.)
In fact she asked me to send along a message to everyone:
"Thank you to everyone who is writing me. It means so much. I'm already thinking about the future and how soon I'll be able to get back to you all."
Contact Info - To write Anna please send letters to her PO Box. Her sister (Angela) is picking things up for her.
Anna Man
PO BOX 1145
New York, NY 10002
ATTN-Angela, please give to Anna at Sinai.
Other Info - We are still trying to gather information about helping Anna access as much disability aid as possible as money and paying for rehab are soon going to become a real concern. If you know anything about this area that is concrete and/or specifically for New York State please feel free to contact me or Anna's sister off sides.
Regarding Stargatefan, Pyramids Press, Foundation 7, and Brotherhood, and Anna's e-mail - I have spoken at length with Anna privately about her e-mail accounts and Stargatefan and Pyramids Press. I have her pass codes and we hammered out a plan together. I'm going to be slowly trying to contact everyone as I go and putting up automatic messages on some of her sign-on's. Mysti from AgentWithStyle has agreed to take over temporary publishing for us and we are currently discussing those arrangements.
Please continue with your wonderful patience and feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions as I welcome the help and input. (CathyL6 (at) aol (dot) com)
If anyone has been left off this list that you think would like to know about Anna, feel free to forward this latest update.
Thank you!
Cathy
Despite being the instigator of the postcard campaign, I have yet to mail mine. Fortunately, I now know to write BIG on it so Anna can read it!
