Verbal Request
Dear All – we need your help!
As I’ve written before, one of Greg’s hourly challenges is that he needs to learn to speak in an entirely new manner. The more he fails to do this, the more the right side of his face will get pulled over toward the left side. Already a slant is visible in the space between his upper lip and nose. But it is so hard for both of us to remember. I get frustrated at myself by how little I even think to catch him. It’s hard, because the old way is obviously – for the moment – the most natural. And it is difficult and tiring for him to speak the new, the right, way. And in French it is even more difficult for him to articulate clearly. But he’s got to do it. The way you can help is by helping us be more attentive. When speaking to him either on the phone or in person, if he sounds pretty much like he used to, ask him how the speaking is going. That should be clue enough to trigger him back to how he should be speaking. Consider it a requested subtle nag. A crucial one. It’s funny how sometimes it’s the seemly tedious day-by-things that are the most important over the long term. ‘Formation.’ Rarely easy. Significantly more achievable with external aid.
What made me so very aware of this the last 2 days was being confined to bed with the flu. We tried to avoid it, as it has been ravaging Grenoble, but it has hit – me at least. We really hope Greg doesn’t also get it, for the continual rise in blood-pressure induced by stomach upheaval will be pretty painful in his head (and considering I experienced ‘stomach-upheaval’ several times an hour for well over twelve hours, it would be a long time of pain for him). But we know the chances are high – & for my brother too, who arrives tonight from Vancouver (via several other cities, so his body will also be tired). Greg was a star in looking after me, when really it should still be the other way around. But because of the RA and my meds etc, I tend to get double-whammies…and when I’m not keeping stuff down, that means none of my pain/anti-inflam/etc meds either, so I become fairly helpless! But with desperate hopes that it might improve his chances of not getting sick, he didn’t spend much time in the room. And being the type of person who quickly gets bored with lack of company, he was thus on the phone a fair bit. Hearing his voice in the background, with little else to concentrate on, I soon realized that he was always speaking too clearly. And I realized neither of us have been pro-active enough on this point. So we need to do better, and we’d love your help.
I shan’t write more now, as I’m still quite knackered and a bit woosy! But Bruce’ll be here tonight to help try to reign in that husband of mine, and maybe that’ll mean more energy for me to write tomorrow!
Bon soir,
Kirstin
As I’ve written before, one of Greg’s hourly challenges is that he needs to learn to speak in an entirely new manner. The more he fails to do this, the more the right side of his face will get pulled over toward the left side. Already a slant is visible in the space between his upper lip and nose. But it is so hard for both of us to remember. I get frustrated at myself by how little I even think to catch him. It’s hard, because the old way is obviously – for the moment – the most natural. And it is difficult and tiring for him to speak the new, the right, way. And in French it is even more difficult for him to articulate clearly. But he’s got to do it. The way you can help is by helping us be more attentive. When speaking to him either on the phone or in person, if he sounds pretty much like he used to, ask him how the speaking is going. That should be clue enough to trigger him back to how he should be speaking. Consider it a requested subtle nag. A crucial one. It’s funny how sometimes it’s the seemly tedious day-by-things that are the most important over the long term. ‘Formation.’ Rarely easy. Significantly more achievable with external aid.
What made me so very aware of this the last 2 days was being confined to bed with the flu. We tried to avoid it, as it has been ravaging Grenoble, but it has hit – me at least. We really hope Greg doesn’t also get it, for the continual rise in blood-pressure induced by stomach upheaval will be pretty painful in his head (and considering I experienced ‘stomach-upheaval’ several times an hour for well over twelve hours, it would be a long time of pain for him). But we know the chances are high – & for my brother too, who arrives tonight from Vancouver (via several other cities, so his body will also be tired). Greg was a star in looking after me, when really it should still be the other way around. But because of the RA and my meds etc, I tend to get double-whammies…and when I’m not keeping stuff down, that means none of my pain/anti-inflam/etc meds either, so I become fairly helpless! But with desperate hopes that it might improve his chances of not getting sick, he didn’t spend much time in the room. And being the type of person who quickly gets bored with lack of company, he was thus on the phone a fair bit. Hearing his voice in the background, with little else to concentrate on, I soon realized that he was always speaking too clearly. And I realized neither of us have been pro-active enough on this point. So we need to do better, and we’d love your help.
I shan’t write more now, as I’m still quite knackered and a bit woosy! But Bruce’ll be here tonight to help try to reign in that husband of mine, and maybe that’ll mean more energy for me to write tomorrow!
Bon soir,
Kirstin
posted by Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson at 6:53 pm
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