My very dearest Maria:

This is day five following your heroic deed and the injuries you
received in saving Jenna. I decided to keep a log starting today to –
well, record your status and mine as well. Before I go further, you
should know that I am proud of your deed but devastated
emotionally given what happened to you. I hope you never
remember the physical pain you are suffering. I will always
remember my mental pain. I remember when I left to go the
company I consult for that is Beta Analytics International (BAI) and
from there to JCITA (the Joint Counterintelligence Training
Academy) you were still cozy in bed and I kissed you goodbye—it
was a very sweet kiss.

Here’s what happened. On Tuesday, 12 October 2004, you and

Pauline did your usual thing walking the park along Beach Drive
with Jenna. This day, however, you started out later than usual
because the air was a little nippy. Pauline pushed the baby stroller
going toward Connecticut Avenue via Beach Drive and you pushed
the stroller for the return trip. Fate would intervene at the Beach
Drive and Cedar Lane crossing. As you crossed with the green light
in your favor and with the little walking man lighted for your lawful
crossing, a pick up truck making a right turn from Beach Drive onto
Cedar Lane struck you at about 10:15 AM– he hit you hard,
actually launched you which in some respects was a good thing as he
did not roll over you. The man, John Purcell, said he was blinded by
the sun and did not see you. He did hear a thump after he hit you, he
said, and pulled over to see what happened. Before you were hit, my
wonderful darling, you had the presence of mind to push the stroller
with Jenna out of the way. You did not step back which would have
saved you but would have killed Jenna. With your action, she only
suffered a bruise when the stroller tipped over after hitting the curb.
You are a true hero – the police said so, the print media and TV too.
Every channel had your story on it as did every local newspaper.
NBC4 was kind enough to send me a copy of the tape. They even
reported the incident on the news in Madison, Wisconsin. Jackie
and Jeff, Jenna’s parents, publicly proclaimed to all (TV and print)
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that you saved their child who otherwise would have been killed.
You are a hero to many now but you’ve been my hero for always so
how could you be anything else now. You saved my life many years
ago and for that I bless you and as you’ve never doubted, I love you
with all my heart and soul.

Your injuries were super-traumatic. You received a skull fracture

and blood ended up on the brain (we do not know the state of the
brain injuries at this time). The bones forming the left occipital
cavity were broken; seven broken ribs (the docs called them
“thrashed”) on the right side and two on the left with both the lungs
punctured; your pelvis and your clavicle were broken too. No legs or
arms broken or internal organs harmed (except the lungs) but you
did have internal bleeding. You almost didn’t survive but being
close to the area’s trauma center helped. You were rushed to
Suburban Hospital which fortunately was only three miles away.

I was at JCITA and people had trouble reaching me as no cell

phones are allowed in the facility. I got to the Suburban Hospital at
about 1:30 PM after a high speed run in our car for 35 miles. Niko
beat me there by ½ hour. Needless to say we were both traumatized
– maybe not of body but certainly our minds were hard hit.

Your first day in intensive care was spent patching you and working
on stabilizing your condition. It was touch and go. On day two it was
determined that you were still bleeding internally and a thoracic
surgeon was called in – he stopped the bleeding (we thought) and he
filed your splintered ribs to smooth them and then tied them
together with suture thread. He also repaired your lungs by excising
some of the really damaged tissue.

Later it was found that you were still bleeding. The pelvic area was
suspected. They used a specialized imaging technique with dye
(called interventional radiology) to find where you were bleeding.
They located where it was coming from and squirted a gel (sort of
caulking) and sealed off the bleeder. No more bleeding. It is called
an “ Angio-Seal,” it is a vascular closure device that is inserted with
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an anchor and a collagen sponge both drawn together with a suture.
Within 60-90 days, the anchor, sponge, and suture are naturally
absorbed into the body.

Day three was a downer. The pressure on your brain was building
up and a neurosurgeon was called in. He operated and a very large
and a somewhat smaller blood clot was removed from the right side
of your brain. They placed a catheter onto your brain’s surface to
monitor the pressure. Things were scary as we couldn’t determine if
the operation would have an adverse impact on your functions. Dr.
Leonard Rubino, the surgeon, was optimistic. Day four was pretty
quite. You were stable. They gave you an epidural to control pain.

During the entire period described above, your family and many
friends were nearby in the ICU waiting room. Dini and Will flew in
from Wisconsin the night of the accident. Nick and Nina were here
every day too. The outpouring of love and support would have been
something for you to see. All of the Vidos family came and even
Mike participated by ordering pizza from San Diego for us to eat at
the hospital. Joe and Debbie came twice and during their second
visit brought a big bagful of sandwiches. Joe came alone on
Saturday (Debbie had a meeting) with crab cakes. Mary and David
(Nina’s sister and brother-in-law) brought a gigantic tray of goodies
and Kathy Adams cookies and pretzels. We shared with other
families in the ICU waiting room. Pauline brought doughnuts one
day. Harry and Mary Anna came and so did their daughter Maria.
Pauline, Jackie, Jeff and Jenna came several times too. Bob and
Kathy Gleeson and folks from work came.

Here’s a cute story. On Tuesday following the accident, the police

used your key to enter our house in an attempt to locate me – they
did find a business card for BAI. Becky, one of the Montgomery
County Police Officer’s who really likes you (she was first on the
scene) said that the officers entering the house were so impressed by
the neatness and cleanliness of our home they told all of their fellow
officers. So, now you have a Montgomery County reputation as the
cleanest, neatest home in town.
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I have been on an emotional roller coaster – I get high and can’t
stop talking and then very low with lots of crying. After all, you are
my soul and my love. Your pain is my pain. As I write this on day
four I am watching TV (not really watching much, my thoughts are
with you and I’m writing this by hand at this point – computer
later). I have no Maria near me to hold her hand. Woe is me!!!!!

Day 5 (Sunday, 17 Oct)–Dini and Will went back to Wisconsin in the

morning. I spent the day in your ICU room and will do so from now
on. I set the little walkman CD player with earphones to play Greek
singer Eleftheri for you. Since we used to listen to him so much
while driving in the car, my hopes are that you might hear his voice
and feel better. I also read some Nora Roberts to you but didn’t get
the feeling that you were listening. I guess I need to take the books
back to the library soon. Your numbers (BP, temperature,
breathing) were good. The catheter was removed from your brain as
your intracranial pressure is under control. Towards the end of the
day your BP went to 180/94 and you fever to 104.2 –scary for me.
They worked hard to fix this and when I left for the evening you
were on a downward trend. I ate dinner with Niko and Nina. I
called Dini and she checked with the hospital and all was well – BP
down and fever 101. Whew!!! Your responses to the neuro check
were good. Yea!!!

Day 6 (Monday, 18 Oct)–in terms of your recovery, there were few

changes today. The neurosurgeon seemed upbeat though and he
doesn’t please easily. We hoped that you would respond to us yelling
your name but you did not. In the morning your BP and fever were
low but began to creep higher during the day. It was brought under
control. You were given two units of blood and insulin as your sugar
was high. The ophthalmologist came and dilated you pupils. Your
left eye looked better than when you came to the hospital but you
pupils did not react as well as we had hoped – we were told not to
worry. Tonight you are to get a CAT scan.

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Father John came and gave you a health blessing (Father Steve
came twice earlier and did the same). He told you that he loved you.
I love you more and said so many times today. Father Vasili called
from Ocean City and said he would pray for you. Niko stayed all
day with you and Connie, Bob and Nina came.

The big story today was from strangers. In the afternoon, a young
Mother with two children approached me and gave me an envelope.
Her boy Michael drew something for you. Inside the envelope that I
later opened was A Hero Award to Maria Pattakos signed by six year
old Michael Gump. I can’t wait until you see it. Later I called their
home to thank them (I looked up their name in the phonebook). It
seems that Mother and children read the paper together on a
regular basis and she read the article written about you. The boy
said, Gee mom she should get the Noble prize. Mom responded,
Well, Michael, they really don’t give that prize for this. Michael then
said, I have to give her an award. It is tacked on the bulletin board
ready for you to see. Here is what the mother wrote in a card that
was with the award: Dear Ms. Pattakos, My family read about your
accident in the newspaper and we were very sorry to hear of your
injuries. Although we don’t know you, we were inspired by your
heroism. Thank you for being a neighborhood hero. Best wishes for a
full and speedy recovery. Sincerely, Karen Gump.

Also on the board are many, many get well cards, a picture of you
and one of Jenna. So my sweet, open those eyes and take a look.

Day 7 (Tuesday, 19 Oct) – Dear Babe, I got up at 3 AM today. I lit a

candela for you in the kitchen under the icons of the Theotokou with
the baby Jesus and Aghia Paraskevi. I placed them on the East side
of the house in the kitchen. I plan to keep the candela going 24 hours
per day. God how I love you!

Well, I am home now and spoke with the Dunn, Vidos, and
Hogoboom families. You looked much, much better today. The
nurse washed you hair and the swelling of your body has decreased.
The numbers were all good. You looked more relaxed. You even
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opened your right eye three times when the respiration therapist
(RT) did her adjustments. You also rotated your right foot. I think
these are all good signs. The left side is limp, probably due to the
operation on the right side of your brain.

They implanted a Braun Vena Tech LP Vena Cava Filter (is that a
mouth full, or what?) in your groin because of their fear that you
might develop blood clots –Deep Venous Thrombosis—which occur
mainly in the leg. The filter is a cone shaped device designed to trap
large blood clots while allowing blood to pass freely through the
filter and around the clots. Over time clots dissolve. Activities are
not limited by the filter and they do not clean or remove it. There
should be no problems but if there is significant swelling of the legs
it might mean some big clots have been trapped, not dissolved and
we must contact our doctor promptly. The material they use does
not interfere with having an MRI. We have a brochure, a card for
you to carry, and a medallion too.

Palmer Esau visited today, he just returned from Colorado. Niko

was with me (he’s taken many days off). I just spoke to Dini and the
grand kids and they send much love. You were supposed to get a
special attachment to the bed today but somehow the order got
screwed up. It is back on track now.

Today was better than yesterday but I am still a wreck.

Day 8 (Wednesday, 20 Oct) – Hey!! Great news today!! You opened

your eyes in response to my voice and later in the day to Niko’s,
Bob’s and later Nina’s voice. Your numbers were good. The
neurosurgeon said your CAT scan looked OK. All-in-all a great day!
I even felt focused enough to bring my computer into the room and
worked a total of three hours in your ICU room. I have a little
corner of your room set up with the hospital’s permission. I can
keep informed of everything going on by staying with you all day.
They even let me attend your rounds in the morning where they
discuss your progress.

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We had a little glitch with a bed attachment that helps shift you
position which is good for your lungs and possible bed sores. Today
the Director of Emergency Services (Marsha) assured me that it will
be in tomorrow or the latest Friday. She just retired from the Army
nurse Corps as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Today, you received a gigantic vase of flowers from Booz-Allen. Joe

and Debbie came and took me to lunch. Both have been warm and
supportive. On Saturday they leave on their trip to Vietnam. Joe
wants to visit the scenes and places where he was during the war.

Day 9 (Thursday, 21 Oct) – you are still opening your eyes especially
when they jerk you around to give you an x-ray or to re-position
you. You are not moving your toes or squeezing our hands when
asked to do so. Please do that soon. Tomorrow is our date day but I
guess it will be spent in the ICU. I will NOT be going to any movies
without you. I need you and must have you by my side. I did some
more BAI work today while at the hospital and plan to do some
every day. It helps distract me and yet enables me to be near you.
Everybody in the ICU is super nice and they are pulling for the hero
(that’s you). All of your numbers are good and they took out a drain
tube. This evening I ate one of the spinach pies you made before the
accident (BA) and a salad. The pie was delicious. Dino and Myrna
sent a get well card (you have many from many people) and Myrna
wrote a very sweet letter. Of course, I cried reading it. You are my
heart and soul (I love you more – hah, beat you saying it). “Re
ghamoto tha phonaxo se ‘ghapo,” as the singer Eleftheri Pantelis
says in one of his songs. I wont translate because of the bad word
used. I am lonely watching TV without your hand to hold. Father
Vasili from Ocean City called. He has you in his prayers.

Day 10 (Friday, 22 Oct) – you kept your eyes open for most of the
day. You still do not squeeze hands or wiggle toes when asked.
Hopefully this will come soon. Good numbers all day today and they
took out your final drain tube. Niko and Nina took me out to the
Athenian Plaka for mezethes (appetizers) and to try and relax me.

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They hosted Dino, Myrna and Connie too. An important person was
missing –YOU!!! I really did not relax!

I did not sleep well last night and was pretty depressed today. In
addition to my worries about you I think that Tylenol PM did me in
–I think I read somewhere that its active ingredient is an
antihistamine which is not a good thing for older folks (I guess that
means me) as it can promote depression. I’m watching John Wayne
and the Green Beret movie. I guess you wouldn’t want to see it.
Well, I’m not going to see much more. I’m soon off to bed.

Today they taught me how to exercise your arms and legs. I’ll be
doing that at least three times per day. Our broker sent a beautiful
basket of fruit from Harry and David. I’ll keep the basket for you
and probably give away much of the fruit since we recently bought
so much of it. Love ya!!!

Day 11 (Saturday, 23 Oct) – well honey, your eyes were open much
of today but to my dismay you are still not responding to requests to
squeeze hands or move toes. Twice a day I play the Eleftheri CD. All
your numbers are good. The orthopedic Dr. came today and said I
could gently move you legs. There was some concern about that
because of your broken pelvis. Of course, I was very gentle.

People keep telling me to go home during the day but I cannot and
will not. I need to be near you. I must admit that I cry a lot and
often. I hate, really hate not having you awake and with me. You
truly are the light of my life and I cannot live without you.
Remember what we said? Panta Mazi, always together!

Niko and I cleared the deck of the tables and chairs. He put them
into the shed for storage. I blew the deck and in front. I washed
away the dirt where the squirrels dug into the plants. I sprayed
some stuff that Niko got for me and hopefully they will now stay
away. Niko took me to Hechts while Nina stayed with you. I bought
corduroy pants. I thought you would want me to have new ones.

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Visitors today included: Fred McDougal from BAI; Nick + Nina;
Pauline, Jeff and Jackie. You cannot believe the love that Pauline
has for you and she has been very, very nice and supportive to me.
She even talks to me using full sentences. So many people love you
but I love you more.

Day 12 (Sunday, 24 Oct)—I did not sleep well again last night and
that was after taking 5mg of a drug called Ambien, the very latest in
sedatives. I only managed to sleep until 4AM but stayed in bed until
5 AM. I got to the Hospital around 6:30 AM. Quite frankly I was a
big mess all day and could hardly stop crying. You seemed to be
sleeping all day until I left in the evening when you did open your
eyes a little. I exercised your legs in the morning and afternoon
(Nina helped too). This is Sunday so I went to Church. I got there at
9 AM for the Orthos. I lit two votive candles for you in front of the
church – one for each icon there. Of course, I lit a candles at the
entrance (the narthex) too. During the Orthos I kissed the Holy
Bible, cried and Father John hugged me. I had communion after
fasting all day Saturday from meat, eggs and sea food (per Father
Steve). I ate nothing before communion on Sunday. Father J at the
end of the liturgy told all attending about your heroism and since
you were a hero and badly hurt asked all to rise and pray for you
while he offered his prayer for heeling and resurrection. He never
did that for anyone before. So, as I’ve been telling you, you have
many, many people praying that you get well.

Myrna and Dino came to the hospital before leaving for Lewes.
Kathy Adams and her boys were here and Connie too. Nick +Nina
came and then later brought food to the house to feed me. Niko
bought barbecue brisket – it was very good.

They removed a lot of clotted blood from the swelling over your
right eye. Your numbers are pretty stable.

Day 13 (Monday 25 Oct) – hi dear girl of mine! I slept well last night
after popping a pill. I was by your side by 7:30 AM and we did your
exercises. You are back to sleeping a lot and I can only hope that
9
this is part of the healing process. Since they are not giving you pain
killers right now I figure you are thinking “Brain let me sleep to
avoid the pain.” All your numbers are great but I do need a hand
squeeze. Please, babe!!

Tomorrow you will have a tracheostomy tube placed into your

throat so that they can move the breathing tube from your larynx –
you’re not quite ready for breathing on your own. Pauline, Jackie
and Jeff came again today. Pauline was petting your arm. In the
afternoon Niko came but had to leave early as he said he and Nina
were off to buy a house. We’ll see how that ends up since they have
not been too successful in the past. Father John came and blessed
you again. Mary Haziannis called – she just found out about you.
Philoptochos wants to do something and I suggested they donate to
the church building fund in your name. Susanne and Noonie just
found out (Pauline went there to tell them). They brought some food
to the house even after I said not too do so (What should I do with
it? – it’s stew of all things, not a favorite of mine). We cried together.

I got very depressed when I got to our home which was totally
empty without you. It was horrible. Another frustration was my
computer – I was typing this letter for about one hour when the
word processing program went mental. I tried to find what stupid
thing I did and could not. I lost the work that I wrote. Given my
lack of typing ability, this dismayed me more than it probably
should have. Dini called and I cried over my frustration with your
status and the stupid computer. She said to restart my computer. I
did and the problem was solved. I still lost my work and I still don’t
know how I screwed up so I don’t somehow do it again.

Oh, my dear, the pain in my heart must at least match if not exceed
the pain you feel in your body.

Day 14 (Tuesday, October 26, 2004) – today is two weeks following

the accident, Maria my hero. I slept hardly at all last night. I got up
at 3 AM and watched some TV (Urban Cowboy with Travolta). I
can’t even read. Since it is chilly, I shut the sunroom door this
10
morning after bringing in the plants (oops, must water them today –
can’t find the watering can). I did remember to take out the garbage
yesterday and the recycling too. Pauline brought the can in.

I arrived Suburban at 6:30 AM. Your numbers are good and I think
you were responding a little more than yesterday. I hope I am not
fooling myself. Niko was just here and left for the airport. He is
going to Chicago. They put in a bid on the house. Good luck!

They just this minute wheeled you out for the trip to the OR for
your tracheostomy tube. I hope you will be more comfortable
without all the tubes in your mouth and down your larynx. At the
same time they plan to check out your neck to determine if there is
any damage there to the spine. Hopefully they will find out that your
neck is OK so they can remove the neck-collar you are wearing.

You are back, the operation was perfect and the collar is off. They
can now use the full capabilities of the bed to move you around
without jerking you. You look much better without the tubes in your
month. Somehow today I felt we were communicating. Maybe it is
wishful thinking on my part because you did not squeeze my hand
when I asked. When I left the ICU at 6:15 PM you had your eyes
open. Your numbers were very good.

Mary Hatzianis came today and met our Nina who was also here.
Bob came too, he looked tired.

I finished some BAI work today. I will e-mail it to the guy I am

helping tonight. I caught up with my hand written notes about you
and us and this horrible situation by working on the lap top here in
the ICU. I am home now and writing more. I just watered the plants
and made myself some cereal for dinner. I’ve getting calls from
everybody asking how you are but it drives me a little nuts since I
get emotional about it. Uncle Alex wanted to come and I
discouraged that. Harry and Mary Anna asked me out to dinner, I
said no. They are coming to see you tomorrow.

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I am sort of watching TV -- NCIS. I hope that I sleep tonight. I am
not as depressed tonight and I did most of my crying this morning.
Hey panapola mou (my everything), I need you back here and well.

Day 15 (Wednesday, 27 Oct)—I am here at the ICU again. I

exercised your arms and legs. You look good, had your eyes open
when I came but are still not responding to requests to do something
like raise your hand. Sweetheart I am scared. I fear for you and am
crying as I type this in my little corner of your room. Why have our
lives turned to such a horrible path? I sometime see myself curled
into a little ball in our bedroom on the rug. I just seem to wither
away and decompose into a pile of dust. A puff of wind comes and
just puff – blows me away.

Your body appears to be well on the way to healing. Today we

discussed your move to somewhere for neurological rehabilitation.
This may happen in the next couple of weeks. Someone is supposed
to talk to me soon about this.

Well, a lot of activity today. They took you for a CAT scan and an
EEG. The CAT scan showed no changes for the worse. The EEG
will be looked at by a neurologist this evening (I just learned that he
is the husband of the nurse attending to you). You have been moving
your left arm and leg lots today and even sticking out your tongue
out to wet your lips. Everyone tells me these are good signs. But
babe, we need you to do stuff when we ask you to do them. You’re
now on your way to get a PICC which is a different way to give
intravenous fluids through semi-permanent needle into your hard to
find veins. It is less subject to infection and doesn’t have to be
changed for up to three weeks.

The Dr. Jebraili, an orthopedic surgeon, was just here and not so
good news about your pelvis. Your right socket joint is fractured in
multiple places and the ball that fits into the joint is displaced. He
recommends a conservative approach given your overall condition.
No operation and let it heal as it needs too without intervention. He
believes you will be able to walk OK but likely will have arthritis. If
12
the walking is a problem and arthritis pain too severe, they can do a
hip replacement to fix things.

Harry and Mary Anna came to see you. The nurse threw us out (in a
nice way) when they came to give you an EEG. They insisted on
taking me to lunch and we went to Geppeto’s located in Wildwood. I
had a tuna salad, salad. Upon our return, Pauline, Jeff and Jackie
came. Bob has come and gone. He brought me food to take home. A
pot roast, I believe. Connie and Nina came and did your nails

Well, you will be on the 11:00 PM NBC news tonight. The story is
the little boy creating the hero award for you. His name is Michael
Gump and his mother in Karen. What a boy! So my dear, your
heroism will be recognized once again.

Niko called from Chicago to see how you are. Guess what? They
were not successful on their bid for the house. They bid $55,000 over
the asking price and still lost out. What a market?

I watched the 11:30 NBC news. It was great. They showed your
picture—the one I took of you in the sunroom. You are beautiful.

Day 16 (Thursday, October 28, 2004) – I slept OK last night and was
here by my usual 6:45 AM. They had a restraint on your right hand.
It seems you wanted to pull on some of the tubes. A good sign, I
hope!!! I’m told it is. I exercised your arms and legs and later Steve
the neuro PA came and took out the stitches in your head. I helped
by holding your head—even put on surgical gloves. Your EEG
looked OK–no sign of any seizures and they saw what was to be
expected at this point in your recovery. The right side of your brain
(where they operated) is a little more sluggish than your left. Again,
I’m told this is what was expected. I had the report sent to Dini. All
your numbers are great. They will try to give you some time off of
the ventilator today. They did and you breathed on your own for
about 90 minutes. Dr. Rabino (neuro-surgeon) came and pinched
you awake. You had great movement in you right arm all day today.
I exercised your arms and legs four times today. Bob Peavey the
13
government guy for our MDA contract came today. He was very
supportive and said all who know us are praying for your rapid
recovery. Nina came too.

We’re looking to the future for your recovery and a transfer to a

neuro-rehabilitation center, perhaps at Shady Grove. Tonight when
I go home I guess I will do some laundry. Baby, if the love I feel for
you were to somehow be transmitted to your brain now you would
wake up and smile at me. But I am sure this awakening will happen.
Maybe not soon but when you are ready. I love you my sweet.

I got home to our empty home and got severely depressed and cried
my heart out. I did the laundry and cried some more. When I see
and do things that have your touch I get overwhelmed. Bob called
me and I couldn’t talk to him and he came over to be with me. He
hadn’t eaten so I made him two Hebrew National polish sausage
with whole wheat pita bread–so, OK, I had some too. I had to keep
him company after all. I only had one pita (he had two) and I
promise I will not get fat again. Pauline brought me a cooked
chicken she bought at Giants. Many, many people call me to see how
you are and it’s very difficult for me to talk to them. It hurts so very
much. I love you–and I can hear you say, “I love you more.”

Day 17 (Friday, October 29, 2004) – I did my usual starting out stuff
after a pretty good night’s sleep. I guess I wore myself out crying
and folding the laundry. I had a little cereal for breakfast and was
here by 6:45 in the morning. I got my coffee from the cafeteria
($1.04), scanned the newspaper and then gave you your morning
arm and leg exercises. Oh, yes, I cried again. You are still sleeping
but you moved your arm and last night they had to tie that right
arm so you wouldn’t remove the ventilator tube.

At rounds, it was reported that all your numbers were good. You
are very stable now and we are all waiting for you to wake up and to
respond to our requests to move hands or toes–your choice.

14
Well, the occupational therapist and the physical therapists have
been in and apparently I am doing the right things right. They
kicked me out so that they could give you a PEG – a tube for feeding
you that goes directly into the stomach. They took the tube out of
your nose.

I spoke to people involved in determining where you go next to start

your rehabilitation. I asked them to select a place that is good and
hopefully near our home. That is what’s good about Suburban
Hospital–it’s only 3.7 miles from our home.

It is afternoon now. I exercised your arms and legs. You are still
waving your right hand and you have opened your eyes a little. I
think you smiled while listening to Eleftheri. Niko just returned
from Chicago and he is here and Nina has arrived. They love you.

The kids came to dinner at our home. They bought some side dishes
and we ate the chicken that Pauline gave me–the barbeque chicken
is not bad–and we had some of Bob’s pot roast.

Day 18 (Saturday, October 30, 2004) – I arrived before 7 AM to

good news. You moved your left arm. Wow is that wonderful. I am
waiting to see it. I saw you move your right hand to your nose to
scratch it and you even stuck your finger in your nose. We did the
morning exercises of arms and legs. Before I left home, I spoke to
Gregory. They are still in the village. All send you their love and
prayers. The Icons and pictures from the baptism are on their way
here. So, you need to rise and shine to see them.

At rounds this morning, your numbers continue to be great. They’ll

continue activities to wean you from the respirator. I mentioned that
you scratched your nose and the Dr. said this is promising
development because scratching is a very complex neurological
maneuver. He says you are right on the edge of waking up. I can’t
wait for that event.

15
Wow, so far lots of visitors today. First, Pauline, Jeff and Jackie
came, and then Myrna and Dino came just for a couple of hours and
then returned to Lewis. Seems like they will do Halloween there
tonight. Nick and Nina came. I bought them all sandwiches to eat.

I went to the commissary for a few things. They changed the places
of things there and it was a real pain to find quickly the few things I
wanted. I also bought you high top shoes (actually boots) at the PX.
It was recommended to keep your feet up and prevent drooping.

Your stomach looks distended and hard and they are going to take
an x-ray to make sure that the feeding tube is behaving. The x-ray
was read and you are just full of air resulting from the feeding tube.

Dini is here and will stay for the week. We went home and she ate
the leftover chicken and I some pot roast. I made a salad. We
watched some TV and went to bed at 10:00 PM.

Day 19 (Sunday, October 31, 2004) – we are here again. Dini and I
had some breakfast and arrived at 8:00 AM. You looked about the
same. I did your exercises and you are breathing mostly on your
own. I gave you a rubber squeeze ball to hold. Oh, I love you so
much, right now I hurt for you so much and have tears in my eyes.
Please, please come back to me soon.

You got good marks during rounds. Clinically, you appear to be just
at the edge of waking up. You stomach is still distended by gas but
they say all is ok. You are moving your hand around, scratching and
so forth. The PT person came and exercised you legs. Everybody
likes the boots I bought for you to keep your feet up.

While Dini kept you company, I went to the Navy and got you some
Clinique perfume and lotion. We have some here, but you know me,
I want back up too. You really did not have much Clinique left.

Niko, Nina, Tania and Mary Anna and Harry visited you today. I
asked Jonathan to mow the lawn and to mulch the leaves. I think
16
Tania will pitch in too. Dini believes you responded to a command
today. With all my heart I hope that she is right. You really pop
open your eyes when they suction you. Most of the time you keep
your eyes closed. Dini is a real sweetheart the way she cares for you.

Today is Halloween. We are figuring out ways to not be home. I

cannot go to the movies without you so I guess we’ll just do the
dinner bit and hope we use up enough time. Across the street the red
headed lady with the red headed little girl really decorated the place
to an unbelievable degree. You would have enjoyed seeing it.

Niko took us out to eat Chinese and then Dini and I went to White
Flint and walked around a little. Borders and the restaurants were
still open but since it was Sunday the rest of the stores were closed.
We went for a little walk until we thought we were safe from trick
or treat. We got home and yes we were OK. Jonathan and I think
Tania too did the lawn and got the leaves off of the driveway.

Day 20 (Monday, November 1, 2004) – we are here with you at the

ICU. You look good. We put on your new boots and sat you up
more. You really do look close to waking up and my heart is singing.
All your numbers look good to us and we’ll find out more during
rounds. You will have another Intensivist on duty today. We
attended your part of the “rounds” and things are going well.

You are breathing on your own. The occupational therapist

massaged you neck and got a big knot out. She was impressed with
the boots you are wearing.

My sweet, at about 12:15 PM today, you definitely heard my voice

and gave me a very, very big smile. Dini saw it too. It clearly is
progress and this time we cried from happiness. You are now
listening to the Rocky Road to Romance by Janet Evanovich. I just
ordered you a cross from the Antioch Orthodox Church in sterling
silver that says in Greek “Phos-Zoe” (Light and Life).

17
Pauline, Jackie and Jeff were here. They were thrilled to hear and
see your progress. Pauline has been very loyal and very positive.

They are going to move you because (yea) your condition has been
downgraded. You’ll be going to a little less intensive area—it’s
called a step down. This is good news. You are making progress.
Your stomach is still full of gas but no one seems to be concerned.
Right now they are sponging you.

I went home and Dini met a friend that was in town from Madison.
She was a big help to Dini with the kids during the earlier part of
this crisis. I ate left over Chinese food, checked email. I prepared for
tomorrow’s voting. Tanya came by and told me they had raked the
leaves in the back and helped me move the cans for pick up. I asked
Jonathan to mow and they did this too. I paid Jonathon. We really
do have nice neighbors.

Day 21 (Tuesday, November 02, 2004)--I went to the voting poles at

the library about 20 minutes before they opened at 7 AM. Once they
opened, they moved pretty fast and I managed to process, vote and
get out of there in 18 minutes.

We arrived at Suburban and they had moved you out of the

intensive care suite to the “step-down” unit one floor down and
immediately below the ICU. This is indicative that you are no longer
on the critical list. The same crew that manages the ICU does the
same here, so we are comfortable with that. In fact, Dr. Morton, the
half Greek (the other half is Italian but he’s Orthodox and goes to
St. Sophia), is the Dr. on for the week here.

We just attended rounds and clinically you are great. We are still
looking for more awareness on your part. It is now 10:15 which is
about the time you were hit three weeks ago today. You were put
back on the respirator at 7 AM which means you were breathing on
your own for about 23 hours. Good for you.

18
We and many, many others are still praying for you. When I got
home yesterday the Icons from Greece were waiting (Gregory
bought them, got them blessed, and sent them here). I called Greece
this morning and thanked him and told him that you seemed to be
coming out of it. The Icons are now in the room with you. Aghia
Paraskevi is hanging over your bed and on the left side hopefully
working on healing that eye. The Theotokou with the Christ Child is
on your personal bulletin board looking at you. We put all of your
get well cards, hero’s award, and other religious items on the board
ready for you when you awaken. By the way, you just opened your
eyes and smiled at Dini.

I mentioned to Dini today how we had discussed in the past what

you would do if I were to proceed you from this life and your fear
that you would be alone. I told her that could you see now the love
that you were getting from her and from Niko that your concerns
would vanish. Dini burst out into tears saying that she felt terrible
that she didn’t make clear that you were wanted and expected to be
with her. She also said that she was a terrible daughter for not
telling you that and calling more and talking to you. She really has
made clear to me and everybody how much she loves you.

Visitors today: Bob, Becky Micozzi (our favorite Montgomery Police

Officer), Connie, Nick and Nina.

I spoke to Detective Ratnofsky of the Accident Reconstruction Unit.

He hopes to complete the investigation this week. He told me,
however, that the man who hit you is clearly at fault. Sun in his eyes
may have been a problem but no excuse.

You spent most of the day sitting up. Your eyes were open most of
that time. You let us into you mouth to swab your tongue which was
new and Dini says that this too is a good sign. You did some more
smiling today but we are still waiting for you to respond more
clearly to requests to do something. We are all looking forward to
this. The physical therapist checked me out and said I was doing a
good job in moving your limbs.
19
Nick and Nina brought two rotisserie chickens to the house with
some sides and I also threw some ready made salad into a bowl. We
ate one chicken and saved the other. I ate mostly salad. Evangalia
from Canada called and left a message on the machine. She heard
you were “sick” and asked that I call her. Roula called from
Greece– she was expressing hope that Bush would win. She does not
know about the accident. We stayed up until 11 PM to hear some
election results but had to go to bed then

Day 22 (Wednesday, November 3, 2004) -- I awakened at 5 AM and

turned on the TV. It appears that Bush has won but it is not official
yet. I called Evangelia (Canada) and explained your situation – we
cried together and she will be saying prayers. I decided to call Roula
too. She was shocked. We cried together. She is going to the Dr.
today as she is still bleeding. She will light candles and pray for you.
She asked that I give you kisses from them.

You look good this morning but asleep. The neuro-Physician’s

Assistant (PA) seemed pleased with your progress and the nurse
said they will get you up and into a chair this afternoon. We
attended your rounds and all your numbers are good and you are
physically stable. We are still waiting for you to respond to our
requests to do something. I just finished doing your arm and leg
exercises. It is 9 AM.

They sat you in a chair. You stayed awake that way and really
moved your right hand scratching different parts of you. The thing
that I liked about that was you closed your eyes when you scratched
near them showing coordination of two activities. Also, you moved
your left hand more than ever-- all good signs. You are back in bed
now and I did your exercises. It is 2 PM.

Bob came today to deliver food again. He prepared that Sekroot

(who knows the French spelling – you know it’s that sauerkraut
with sausages). He really is a good guy. Kathy is now in her training
job and thrilled with the flexibility it gives her in planning her day.
20
Niko just came and later Connie too. We think you responded to
Niko’s request to take his hand and later to let it go. If this was not
our wishful thinking this is great news.

We all left for home (Niko and Connie too, Nina is working on a
project due tomorrow) and ate the second chicken that he bought
yesterday with the sides. It was all eaten and thus no leftovers. The
dishes from yesterday went into the dishwasher and we used it -- a
good idea every once and awhile. Uncle Alex called to ask how you
were. He and Aris have called other nights too.

Day 23 (Thursday, November 4, 2004) – before I left home, I cut my

hair. It is not the same without you. I’m sure I missed spots but, ya’
know, without you to check I don’t really care. Dini informed me
that I’m wearing the same clothes for three days now. Again,
without you to provide me the incentive to change, I don’t really
care either. It is raining and will probably rain all day. It’s gloomy.

I spoke to the physical medicine Dr. on the phone. He was here to

see you earlier this morning. Of all things, he is a Greek-American
(Panagos). He wants to get you up and about. We need your ability
to participate in rehabilitation activities. In other words, we need to
get to the point of when we say hold up two fingers you do that. We
are not there yet--maybe this afternoon?

We attended your rounds and all is stable. They are keeping track of
your bladder to make sure you don’t get an infection since you are
still using a catheter. You are using the respirator this morning but
latter they will try you on your own. I put on your hiking boots so
you don’t get drop foot and we did your morning arm and leg
exercises. I got the boots at the PX.

Since Dini was here, I went to BAI soon after they had you sitting up
in a chair. You looked well and tolerated it. BAI folks send you their
love and hope for a speedy recovery. I got rid of a lot of email. I left
at 12:30 for BAI and returned to Suburban at 4 PM given the
weather, the beltway traffic was not fun. When I came back to you I
21
found you in bed and breathing on your own. I did your arm and leg
exercises. We are still waiting for you to respond when we ask.

Visitors: Pauline came with Jeff and Jackie. She is trying to get you
to respond to her. Nick and Nina came. We are waiting for you to
join us. I ate Bob’s meal and some salad. I was really very
depressed. You seemed so tired and still no hello for me.

Day 24 (Friday, November 5, 2004)—as usual one of the first things

I did this morning was pray. I kissed the Icon where we have our
stefana. I asked the way our stefana joined us in marriage that God
soon join us now with you awake and in my arms. I put the $40 into
our piggy bank for our trip to Greece. Yes, I still do that--$20 from
you and from me on a weekly basis. I ate breakfast and refilled the
candela with oil and lit the wick. I prayed again to the Theotokou
with the Christ child and to Aghia Pareskevi. I prayed for you and
for a Lebanese woman named Helen who after a simple out-patient
procedure had a heart attack and is in a coma and for Calvin who
was in a terrible automobile accident. May God extend his grace to
all of you. I’ve been crying this morning because I feel so sad.

When we arrived you were being exercised by a physical therapist.

She was giving you a good workout. The nurse said that you even
supported your head with your right hand. You are now sitting in a
chair and listening to a book that Dini has on her Ipod. I play the
Eleftheri tunes for you too. You seem more with it today than
yesterday. Everyone says that you are standing in the door, please
step through it soon and say hi. I am waiting and until you do so my
heart is so full of anguish.

Dini pushed me to go home and exercise, so I did. When I got home

I noticed the flower bed (we have been getting home in the dark). It
needed work so I pulled all of the dead hosta leaves and it looks
much better now. I also blew the leaves and dirt away. I walked on
the treadmill for 30 minutes. I thought it better to start again
gradually since I haven’t exercised in awhile now. I showered and
then took the books back to the library. George Contis called and we
22
talked about you. He lights a candela every night for you and you
are in his prayers. Cynthia is in Tanzania.

Today, I also spoke to Shawn (Suburban’s social worker). We are

working with Johns Hopkins to determine where you go next for
rehabilitation. Wherever it is I want to be near you and help. Two
choices head the list: The Kessler at Shady Grove and The National
Rehabilitation Center (NRH) in Washington. Hopefully, I can visit
them and get an impression on how well they might do.

Visitors: Becky came, and Nick and Nina are here. Dini leaves
tomorrow. Connie came too and the kids insisted that we go to bid
Dini goodbye at the Plaka. So we went there and did the orechtika
(appetizers) bit, I paid but Nina was cute – she sold some clothes and
had $26 and wanted to contribute, she gave the tip.

Becky, who was the first officer on the scene and followed the
ambulance to the trauma center told us how serious your condition
was upon arrival. She said that the trauma Dr. said to her that he
didn’t think you would make it. So, my doll, your strength and
courage has brought you a long way. Suburban’s outstanding care
and the Lord’s blessings certainly were key contributors too.

When we got home, an NBC tape was delivered by courier. This is

the tape that shows the little boy, Michael Gump, giving me your
hero’s award. We’ll watch it together when you are really well. I put
$40 in the travel piggy bank

Day 25 (Saturday, November 6, 2004) -- we are here again and we

found you sitting up. They said you did really well doing PT at the
side of the bed. You are very active this morning and you have been
off ventilator support all evening and so far today. We did your
exercises (arms and legs). Today I saw you move your left leg – yea!
You seemed to open your mouth when I asked so that I could do
your tongue. Right now Dini is talking to you and hugging you. She
thinks that you kissed her cheek. She has displayed phenomenal love
and affection for you and tells all that you are her Mom and she
23
your daughter. Whenever she is asked in Madison by those that find
out you are not her bio-mom she always points out that you have
been part of her life from the time she was three years old.

Pauline, Jeff and Jackie came. They are pleased with your progress.
Nick and Nina came too and took Dini to Reagan National Airport.
Dini called and said they were there and eating lunch (she did not
want me to worry about my car keys –I gave them to Niko so he
could take Dini’s bag out of the car). I asked her if she checked her
bag yet and when she said she did I told her to look for a thank you
card when she arrived in Madison. I didn’t tell her but in the card I
put $300 to pay for her airfare. As I said she has been a good
daughter to you and to me.

Nick and Nina came back. I went home to exercise and instead of
doing the treadmill, I decided to mow the lawn and mulch leaves. I
did a good job. Also, I worked more on your flower bed and cut the
sticks that grow out of the hostas. When I came back you were back
in bed and fast asleep. Connie came and she is talking to you.

So far, you have had a very good day and all are amazed at your
progress. Connie told me she had a dream that she came here and
you were sitting up and eating a meal. She’s another one that
believes her dreams to be accurate. Oh yes, before the election, she
dreamed the country was very red (red is the color of the
Republicans when displayed on the map while blue is for the
Democrats). She certainly was right on that one. Bush won!!
(Connie just said “darn.”) Vickie has a cold and that is why she
didn’t come. Mary Hatziannis called and she really had a bad cold
too. Mary Anna is hurting and thus Harry and she have not been
able to come but Harry has called every night.

Today I have been fasting from meat. Tomorrow I plan to go to

Church and receive communion. Stay tuned, I’ll let you know. I did
a load of wash this evening and folded and put stuff away. I know
that I am not doing things to the level you would do it but I am
trying. I’m still making the bed and even shutting closet doors. I
24
received a bill for the epidural they gave you. I don’t know why they
didn’t send it to the insurance. I’ll call. I miss you so much.

Day 26 (Sunday, November 7, 2004)—I came in bright and early

and, had a little run in with the nurse –she reminded me that
visiting hours did not begin until 11 AM. I replied that visiting
hours begin when I arrive. She said I was rude. At any rate, we later
made up and she has been sweet.

I did your arm and leg exercises and left for Church about 8:45 AM.
I attended the Orthos and then the liturgy and then left right after I
received communion. I don’t know if our religion would recognize
my feeling that I was receiving communion for the two of us. (Later
when I told Father Steve this, he affirmed that Jesus would accept it
as such.) I cried a little on and off during church because I wanted
you there in body. I went home to change and ate some leftovers. I
got back to the hospital at 12:30 and found Nick and Nina visiting
you. At the gift shop, they bought you a very soft and cute little
black bear for you to hold and said you were very alert earlier
before I came back. You are sitting in a chair and I’ve been sitting
near you. Your eyes open now and then. Tania and Jonathon came
and I gave them the Sunday paper. Guess where Niko and Nina
went (it’s Sunday, don’t forget) – you guessed it, house hunting.

You have lots of gas again and are making faces from the
discomfort. There doesn’t seem like much they can do. One thing
about it, it keeps you stimulated. Honey-bunny of mine, I wish that
you’d move when we ask so that we’d know your all back. At 3PM
they put you back in bed and gave you a bath. I put lotion on your
hands and sprayed Clinique on you. You are resting now and I am
doing this letter to you. At this point, it is 17 pages long.

I yearn for you to know how special you are to me. I don’t know if
you can hear me when I tell you things like I love you, when I call
you kardhoula mou (my heart), psihi mou (my soul), panapola mou
(my everything), fotia mou (my fire) and other words of
endearment. I feel if you could hear me you would respond but you
25
don’t and I am sick and cry. It is day 26 today and you would think
I’d be numb by now but I still hurt. It is hard for me to see you like
this but it would be harder if I wasn’t near you. If these words could
just take wing from this computer to you and bring you to
awareness, it would be so wonderful. I just promised God that when
he brings you back to me that I would thank him everyday for the
rest of my life. At night before I sleep and in the morning shortly
after I awaken, I kiss the Icon holding our stefana and ask God to
rejoin us the way he joined us when we got married. Mary mou
(mine), you are everything to me and my ability to survive without
you is not very good. So, help me live by coming back to me. I just
wrote a sort of a poem, I’ll keep working on it.

Nick and Nina wanted to bring food to the house but I suggested we
eat what Bob prepared. Nina liked the sausages and sauerkraut and
Niko liked it a lot. After they left, I had a pretty bad evening as I
was crying a lot. I called my boyhood friend in Florida, Gingie, and
he cried with me. He will join us all in praying. Tom Ariosto sent a
nice email to the OPSEC Society board members asking them all to
pray for you. After taking some sleeping pills I finally slept.

Day 27 (Monday, November 8, 2004)—about 7:15 AM I met the

physiatrist, Dr. Panagos, he asked you to raise two fingers and you
did raise one – yea, a good sign (I called Dini to let her know, she
was thrilled). When he pinched your left toe you went wow with
your mouth. He sees major progress from last Thursday AM.

I did your morning arm and leg exercises and they moved you into a
chair at about 9 AM. You are just semi-awake now hence I am
working on this letter to you. Dr Leo is the Intensivist on duty and
he too says you have made much progress. I spoke to Shawn the
Social Worker and he’s still dealing with Johns Hopkins to
determine where you go for rehabilitation. On Saturday, we got
another bill from the folks who gave you the epidural ($831) – I
called today and referred them to our insurance.

26
You are back in bed after five hours in the chair. Some wonderful
news for me was when I asked you to kiss my cheek you gave me a
real, no fooling, smooch. You did that on two separate occasions
today. Wow.

As usual, when you seem awake I play you about 15 minutes of

Eleftheri. An occupational therapist lady came and did some
exercises with you. All comment how well your skin looks. I’m going
to put some lotion on your hands now and a squirt of Clinique. I did
it and you seemed to enjoy both.

Mary Hatziannis came and you seemed to hear her. Father John
came and blessed you. And, good, faithful Niko came too. Nina has
to get projects ready for school and she probably will not be able to
come until Wednesday.

Niko came home with me and we ate the rest of the meal prepared
by Bob. Niko really loved it.

My friend Gingie (John Buono) called. I had called the night before
when I was really depressed. He wanted to come and be with me.
His wife Jean said that she supported him coming but I declined.
They are praying for you. Barbara (Ocean Pines) called and she
asked that I kiss you for her. Harry Doukas called. Mary Anna has
a cold. I went to bed at 9:30 PM.

Day 28 (Tuesday, November 9, 2004)--this is the fourth week

following your accident. This morning Roula called from Greece to
see how you are. I told her about the kisses. She and John are still
having health problems but are hanging in there. She asked that I
give you a kiss from both of them (I did that). I went to the National
Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) today. It seems like a busy place and
its location makes it hard to get to. They have a dedicated brain
injury program and use a team approach for rehabilitation. I hope
to check out the one in Shady Grove too. I suspect that NRH will be
the place to go if the health plan doesn’t give us a hard time.

27
When I arrived, they already had you sitting up in a chair. You look
good and your numbers are good. You gave me a kiss today too.
You still don’t hold up fingers as we ask you too. But you look alert.
Come on my baby, I’m shedding tears as I write this. I need you to
be aware so badly. You really are moving around a lot today and
that is a good thing. Hopefully you will be doing the finger bit.

Joe called. They are back from their trip to Vietnam. They will
come to visit. Police Officer Becky came and stayed about ½ hour.
She had to leave to go fight crime. A new Dr. showed up today, his
name is Westerman and has taken over from the trauma surgeon as
the admitting physician. He is going to help check out where the best
rehab place is for you. Joe and Debbie did come and said they had a
great time in Vietnam. She suspected that one of her meals (at least)
consisted of dog meat. Niko came too to be with you and after we left
at 6PM Connie called to say she came and we just missed her.

Lot’s of people called me at home to include Uncle Alex and Harry

who is keeping close check. This was the four week anniversary of
the accident and I was miserable. .

Day 29 (Wednesday, November 10, 2004)—I arrived at 7AM and

Dr. Panagos, the physiatrist, came shortly after that and said he will
have a meeting with the Social Workers to discuss what’s next for
you. He is encouraged by you progress. The night nurse said you
were really moving your left leg a lot. I did your morning arm and
leg exercises. I just saw you moving that left leg up and down –
yea!!! At 8:48 AM you gave me a kiss on the cheek. I just plucked
some hair from your face. By the way, you are on straight room air
right now—no extra oxygen but some moisture and you seem to be
doing very well indeed. They put you in a chair about 10AM and by
3:30 you were back to bed and exhausted. They will be giving you a
head CAT scan this evening. They are doing this to determine if
they can give you heparin that is a blood thinner. They are cautious
given that you had blood on the brain caused by the accident.

28
Bob came and brought me more food to take home. This time it was
breasts of chicken in wine sauce and real mushrooms. Joe came and
took me out to lunch. We went Chinese and I ate no rice. Debbie
would have come but today is the maid’s day and she wanted to
supervise. Pauline, Jackie and Jeff came today.

Shawn the Social Worker told me that two places have dedicated
brain injury programs. They are the National Rehabilitation
Hospital in DC (12 miles away) and the other is Sinai Hospital (45
miles away). Sinai is part of the Johns Hopkins network and NRH is
not. I hope it can be worked out that NRH will be the chosen
location. The doctors here feel that NRH is great. Dr. Lee called in
response to the fax I sent to him updating your condition. He is now
aware of the rehab situation and hopefully will help us get to NRH.

Niko arrived and wants me to read his resume. Later, Nina arrived
and she spoke to you and stroked your arm. Niko is working on
updating his resume. He’s tired of Oracle. He asked me to read it
and make suggestions. I did.

A neurologist arrived to give you an evaluation. He’s pinching and

poking and you don’t much like it. He seems satisfied with your
progress but his warnings of what might still happen even though of
low probability were very unsettling. He said you could still have a
seizure and even become hydrocephalic.

Well, I cried again at home and I prayed too. The Candela is still
lighted and I pray where I set up the iconostasis near the sink in the
kitchen (the most East place in the house). I also pray in our
bedroom where we have our stefana. I have never prayed harder in
my life. I am kneeling to God to help you and to reunite us.

Day 30 (Thursday, November 11, 2004)—I got up at 5AM, balanced

our checkbook, did prayers, ate some FiberOne, dressed in a suit
(one of my skinny suits, at that), and arrived at the hospital at 7AM.
I was told you had a good night. I exercised your arms and legs.
Nina (no not our Nina) the occupational therapist came and did
29
exercises too. She helped you apply lotion and clean your face so
that you can remember how you did such tasks when you were well.
Right now you are upright in the bed and you are listening to Greek
music. I’m going to bring other Greek CDs for you to listen to.

Rounds are over and as usual your numbers are OK. You continue
to move but you still are not ready to put up two fingers when asked.
Again, I say, I need to see you do that so very badly. They showed
me how to suction you –get the mucus up and how to replace the
trach tube. You make a lot of clicking noises with your mouth and I
suspect this has to do with your injury. I asked about the low
volume of the TV and found we were doing the wrong thing. The
speaker is now on your bed and Regis and Kelley are on. Soon, I am
going to leave and try to teach at Joint Counterintelligence Training
Academy (JCITA). I hope that I can do it.

I left your side at 10:30 and I really felt bad doing that—I was
worried that I wouldn’t be able to teach. But, I managed to do the
job and I think OK. I returned to you at 4 PM but the down side of
the return was that I took the same route I took on 12 October, the
day of your accident. It started me sobbing while I drove. You
looked good but sleepy. You had been sitting up in the bed for most
of the day. You were doing much better with your right hand and
when I tickled your left foot you really felt the tickle. You are not
holding up two fingers when I ask. I pray you will do so soon.

Nick and Nina came (I don’t know if anyone else did). Niko spoke to
you and Nina stroked your arm. Then Niko ordered a bunch of food
from the Outback, picked it up and brought it to our home to eat. I
had spare ribs and they were as tender as Red, Hot and Blue. they
weren’t dry but they were good. Now I am watching…you’re right,
Law and Order – next is CSI. Tomorrow, I go directly to JCITA
from home to teach. I should be with you by 2PM. I love you baby.
Every night when I go to bed I say good night to you, as if you were
right here. Kisses to you, my honey bunny!

30
Day 31 (Friday, November 12, 2004)—this AM I was off to JCITA
and it was raining buckets. I was saying to myself that if I have to
drive 45 miles to Sinai under such conditions I would have big
problems. The class went well. Joe insisted that I meet him at the
Timbuktu restaurant where he fed me a crab cake sandwich. I did
not eat the bread. I then hastened to your side and got here at 12:30
and found you in bed. Father Steve was here earlier and blessed you
and found you much better. I called and thanked him.

I got very good news when I arrived (no you are not yet responding
to requests) – Dr. Westerman (your new admitting physician) spoke
to Dr. Garber, Medical Director of the USFHP and it was OK for
you to go to NRH. I visited there as I wrote above somewhere and it
looked like a very good facility with a dedicated brain injury team.
The good thing, it is only 12 miles away; the bad thing is the traffic
may be horrible but I plan to leave the house early when you are
transferred there and hopefully avoid some traffic. The last time I
went I started at 8 AM which is probably the height of traffic
problems. The transfer may take place next week sometime. The big
deal at NRH is that you must show recovery progress or they will
place you in a skilled nursing facility. So, my doll, you need to get to
the point where you hold up those magic two fingers.

Today is one month since that terrible day. I said prayers this
morning in front of the stefana and where I have the Candela. Roula
called this morning . Harry called too to invite me for lunch, I had to
pass. Since it’s Friday, I plan to put $40 into our trip bank.

In 30 days you have come a long way given the extent of your
injuries. You are very active on your left side now. You are gripping
with your left hand and you are now jiggling your left foot and even
repositioning your left leg. All good stuff! I was told that when the
occupational therapists were working with you this morning that
you were helping support yourself. Again, all good stuff.

Nick and Nina wanted to go to Ambrosia and we went to see if the

new one was opened, if not we would go to the Ambrosia Café. Well,
31
the nearby one finally opened on Monday. The food was good but
the service not so good. What would normally would take us 45
minutes took us 1½ hours. They will need some shake out time.
When I returned home there was a call for the Canadian cousin.

I received the police report of the accident and Purcell is now

officially at fault. I still can’t believe what he did to you

Day 32 (Saturday, November 13, 2004)—I am still making the bed

every day but I must admit that I have not washed the sheets yet. I
gave them the sniff test and they passed. I put $40 into our travel
bank and called Greece. Marianna answered and I spoke to Gregory
too. Of course, I cried.

So, here I am again. You were not being too modest as you keep
pulling your sheets up and exposing yourself. They even tied them at
the bottom but you managed to uncover yourself. You are really
moving your left leg and foot a lot. We exercised and maybe soon
you will be holding up two fingers when asked. I’d like to think so. I
think that you are more aware of what I am asking you to do today.
It seems like you are very close to holding up the magic two fingers.

I went to the commissary to pick up a few things. When I returned

you had Nick, Nina, Connie, and Vicki all visiting with you. You
were in your chair for 4 ½ hours today (you love to slide down when
there) and now you are back in bed and zonked out. Sitting up
seems to really tire you out. I am now going to eat my cheese
sandwich. It is Saturday and I will fast from meat with the idea of
going to church and taking communion. The sandwich was good
and I ate two little apples too. The vegetable drawer in the fridge is
full of them. I’ve thrown a bunch of stuff away that expired (the
yogurt) or spoiled (the cauliflower).

Day 33 (Sunday, November 14, 2004)—I came to see you at 6:45 AM

and you were fast asleep with your legs (both of them) bent at the
knee and brought up toward your chest. A good move! I stayed with
you until about 8:45 when I left for church. They were going to
32
move you to the chair when I left but when I came back you were
sort of sitting up in the bed. Apparently you were too busy moving
around in the chair and they were afraid you would slide out
without somebody watching you. When I’ve been here with you in
the chair, you did keep sliding down even though we had a non-slip
strip under you. I’m glad to hear you were moving but now that
you are back in bed, you are fast asleep.

Church was long today. I didn’t get out until 12:15. I received
communion and in my mind asked for God to bless us both and to
forgive our sins. During the Orthos, I kissed the bible and Father
John asked about you. After church I went to the Navy PX to buy
some stuff for you and for the house--then home to eat and to
change clothes. Today, Terry Livanis called just as I was about to
leave and she sends love and prayers to you. Jonathon mowed the
leaves into mulch. So, while things are not how you would have kept
them, they are not terrible.

Nina and Tanya are working on your nails—shortening and filing

them. Nick is here too. They went house hunting again and saw
nothing they wanted. Mary and Athos came too. We sat you higher
in the bed and turned on the lights so you are more with it and
moving around. I played some church music for you and now we
have the TV turned on. We did your arm and leg exercises a couple
of times. Soon I’m going to go. Another day has passed and God
willing we are closer to you coming fully awake. You’ve been
moving a lot this afternoon and gave some hints that you hear me –
you smiled when I said “I love you.” I do with all my heart and soul.

Bobby called from Chicago as he and Kathy were to board their

flight but since he called me on the cell and I was in your room, I
couldn’t stay on the phone. He called again later when they arrived
in DC. Alex Pattakos called too from Santa Fe. I ate cereal for
supper, watched TV, said prayers and kept the candela burning.

Day 34 (Monday, November 15, 2004)—it is cold this morning, 30

degrees to be exact. When I arrived you were sound asleep. We did
33
your exercises and Dr. Panagos came. You are still not putting up
two fingers for him but I sense you are close. You kissed the
Theotokou and Aghia Pareskevi this morning when I asked. We did
your stavro (cross) together. I am now drinking some coffee and I
finished glancing at the Washington Post.

You have been put in a chair but you are not very alert today. This
makes me sad because I don’t see your eyes and thus you are not
responding or moving much. This pains me deeply and worries me a
lot. It’s clearly impossible for me to write and catch the depth of my
emotions on how much pain I’ve been in over the almost six weeks
now. I cry in the morning and I cry in the evening and often in
between. I am crying now because a volunteer group called “Touch
Toys” just delivered a hand made doll to you. Here is what they
wrote on the card: Dear Mrs. Pattakos: Please get well soon! We
admire your courage! This comes from Touch Toys Volunteers who
make ‘surgical dolls’ for children in surgery at Georgetown Hospital.
Here is one of them for you. I called and thanked them. Oh my, there
are good people around!!!!

I just called a lawyer to represent us in this matter. I left a message

on his voice mail. Things are complicated because while USFHP will
pay the bills, they will also forward information about Purcell’s
liability to DoD for possible recovery by them from him. According
to USFHP, they could decline to do so thus I need guidance.

Harry came and you were listening to Kazantsakis. You seemed to

be enjoying the tunes and were active with eyes open. Harry is gone
and they put you back to bed. They took out the catheter from your
bladder because it is giving you an infection. They will be using
pamper-like stuff.

A reporter from the Gazette called. They will do a follow-on article

giving your status. I will also send them my poem tonight.

Another person who entered a week later than you, Helen, is now
your neighbor. She is the one that had a simple nose procedure that
34
turned into a heart attack and now a coma. I pray for her two. I just
heard some very sad news. A young man was in a terrible auto
accident and came in a couple of weeks before you. Calvin, died
yesterday. He was doing well and then apparently had a brain
hemorrhage. May God rest his soul and give his family peace. His
fiancé, Lynn, was such a sweet person and her Mother Judy was
here everyday to support them. I am crying again. I will now pray
for him, Helen and you.

You seem to be listening to TV. At least your eyes are mostly open.
The nurse is trying to wipe your tongue and you are not cooperating
too well. You love to bite down. But you did let go when asked. Nick
came, we left and we were bad. He ordered from Continental Pizza
a small pizza and a sub. The lawyer called and we have an
appointment for tomorrow. After Niko left the house, I faxed the
police report to NBC (they were interested) e-mailed my poem about
you to the Gazette and then I did the usual—watched TV, prayed,
and cried. I cry at least every morning and evening and between

Day 35 (Tuesday, November 16, 2004)—Roula called from Greece

bright and early this morning. I had just finished taking my shower
and was about to make the bed when the phone rang at 6:15. She
missed me the other day by calling at 7:00 AM and wanted to catch
me. She asked about you and then asked me to kiss you from them. I
did that when I arrived. You were pretty much asleep but we did
your exercises, we prayed and you listened to some Greek music
about Thessaloniki. You are now moving around.

This is your fifth week at Suburban. You move a lot but I’m waiting
for the “big moment.” Rounds are over and as usual your numbers
are all good. You still have mucous but you are spitting it up well.
They suction you but not too often. The catheter to the bladder is
out and they put a body protection lotion on so that your skin stays
as beautiful as always. You are pretty alert this morning and now
you are sitting in a chair. You seemed to help a tiny bit when they
put you there (maybe it’s wishful thinking on my part). You heard a
little Regis and Kelly and now Jane Pauley is on with her new show.
35
They checked your urine and you have a bug that can be
transmitted. Right now I sit here with a gown and in gloves. You are
under isolation conditions. They said it’s unlikely that I will have
any problem but they are also concerned that I not transmit the
bacteria to others. These gloves are not fun (my hands feel clammy)
but the gown is ok. It is awkward typing.

I am now back from the lawyer’s office. His name is David Lease
and he is a friend of Niko’s friend, another lawyer. He is a local guy.
We now have a lawyer to take care of us and guide us through all of
the possible rocks in our path. Since he knows of your heroism and
as a friend of a friend he will charge us $200 per hour rather than
his usual $250 per hour. So, now if anything comes up associated
with the accident, I will refer them to our lawyer.

I left early for the lawyer so I could go home and clean the front
garden areas. I cut stuff that looked weather worn and picked up
leaves. I did some blowing and I washed the area too. The area looks
OK but as I’ve said before, not as good as you would have done it.

I am in the gown and typing with the gloves on. I was never great
typing with my two fingers before, now it is truly a mess hitting
multiple keys. You are still very alert and moving. Great!!!!!! Father
Steve came while I was out and spoke with you, reported the nurse.
I’m sure he blessed you too. Becky visited today too. When Niko
came we went out to a chicken place in Bethesda to eat (my treat
this time—he’s treated many times). It is called Chicken on the Run
and is on St. Elmo street. The chicken was really great, very tender
and very moist. Then I went home for the usual – prayer, TV and
bed--I am sleeping better now.

Day 36 (Wednesday, November 17, 2004)—bright and early this

morning I went to CVS and bought you a new pair of stockings to
wear with your nifty boots. Tonight I will wash them with other
stuff. When I came in you were sort of awake and we did the
exercise bit and said our prayers (the Our Father in Greek and in
36
English). The nurse is in now and she just suctioned you and did not
bring anything up—a good thing. Soon I’ll sit in (really stand in) on
rounds. They are cleaning you up and then off onto the chair.

I just came from lunch with Harry. He and Mary Anna send their
very best to you. Mary Anna still has a cold. You are currently
listening to Greek music and I will be helping you do your exercises.
You showed the nurse two fingers today and you look very alert.

You are back in bed (after 6 hours in the chair). You are tired now
so I guess that is why you are not cooperating too much in holding
fingers up etc.

The Social Worker came and said all is set for your transfer to the
National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH). Since you have this
infection, it requires a special room there so we are still not sure
when this will happen. Channel four called. They are still interested
in your story. They are waiting to find out what happens to Purcell.

Nick and Nina came and I left to do work at their home. I did the
wash when I got home but, of course, I forgot to throw down my
towel so it did not get washed. I am now using yours. I ate a meal
prepared by neighbor Susan (she insisted) and then did the usual,
prayers, TV and bed by 9:30 PM. I woke up at 3:30 AM. It bothered
me that the candela did not make it through the day and I went
looking for an alternative. I’m using a demitasse cup; we’ll see how
that works. I did sleep after that.

I wrote a poem to try to alleviate my pain but it still hurts. Here is

the poem, it is long, not very good but it does express my feelings.

My Maria

Maria, you are my life and my bright light.

We have been in love and together for years

Your warm support has dispelled my fears
37
You always help me reach the highest heights
Your strength in adversity helps me win fights
Your compassion and wisdom sets things right.

Maria, you are the brightest part of my life

Together we’ve endured so very much strife
I survived many tribulations because we are one
Your warmth and nurturing ways are like the sun

There are many ways to express words of love:

My all, my soul, my flame, my heart, my dove,
All seem so very special when I say them to you
My heart sings out as I see how our love grew
Hugs and kisses bind us firmly much like glue

We don’t do things found exciting by some

But we think what we do is simple fun
We enjoy movies and sit in our room built for the sun
Some folks thought it strange when they took my measure
When I drove you here and there for shopping and pleasure
I didn’t mind, not even a bit, for after all you are my treasure

You’re called a hero for saving a child one fateful day

Now you are in a hospital with grave injuries you lay
I did hasten to your side and oh sobbed so very deep
It is hard to believe, it’s like a nightmare’s sleep
Such misfortune makes it hard for my sanity to keep
My love, my sweet was hit by a pick-up truck
Oh, my God what abysmal, horrible, bad luck

I wander the house doing things you used to do

And I cry because they evoke memories of you
Visions without substance are not real, not true
This causes me pain; it makes me so terribly blue
Watching TV I reach for your hand but alas it’s not there
And for me this blossoms into a hurt so very hard to bear
38
Even now you must know how very much for you I care
This whole situation for you, for me, leads to despair

I’m told “be calm” you’ll revive soon and be here

I’m just very anxious it might not be quickly I fear
I continue to cry for you and shed so many a tear
All say “be strong” and I listen and even try to hear
I try to be brave and powerful for you my very dear
You show a little bit of progress each day-by-day
You are standing right on the threshold they all say
When you cross that very line we will shout hooray
and look to the future as you rise from where you lay

Maria, you are my bright light, you are my life, you are my wife.

Day 37 (Thursday, November 18, 2004)—Gregory dreamed of me

last night so he called from Greece at 6:15 our time—I was awake,
had already showered, dressed, and, yes, even made the bed. I told
him that you were progressing and soon would go to NRH. I asked
him to send me some water from Aghia Pareskevi and he said he
would also send me some aghiasmo.

When I arrived, you were fast asleep. Per the nurse, you had a very
active night moving all over the place. You seemed to settle down
when I came and spoke to you. Now you are moving again, have
your right knee up and are holding it with your hand. You even
grabbed the bottom of your right foot and brought it up high. The
nurse just came in to clean you up. I have not tried the “hold up two
fingers” bit yet with you this morning since you seemed so sleepy. I
did play Greek music for you and soon we will exercise. I did ask
for two fingers after you raised all five and I got a response – you
folded two fingers over your thumb. Another thing you did was
respond when I said kiss me without my cheek near you lips—you
puckered up and kissed in my direction.

Rounds are done. Your white cell count is well within the normal
range and no fever thus it is unlikely that you have an infection. You
39
do have a high sugar count so they are giving you insulin. Off I
went about 10:00 AM to go get gas, get some stuff from the
commissary and then home to power wash the front porch area and
walkway. I got the major dirt off but I think this spring we’ll get
professionals to do the work and the back porch too. I ate a little
lunch and was back here at noon. I like to be near you. I got a copy
of the Gazette and there is an article about you in the paper. I have
a copy. They did not publish my poem. Well, it is far from
professional but it does portray my feelings.

You are in the recliner now and very alert and active. You are doing
something new with your left leg—you bend your knee (which you
have been doing) and then straighten the leg—which you have not
been doing. You are listening to Dalaras right now. I decided to
rotate the music you hear so things are fresh for you. Well, I put the
Eleftheri CD we like on too since we haven’t heard it for awhile.
After 5 ½ hours you are back in bed.

Joe came today and brought me a hunk of cheese. Later Nick and
Nina came and we went to Chicken on the Run. You were very
missed sitting outside to eat. Imagine, it was the 18th of November
and we were eating outside. I dripped some grease on my jacket so
when I got home I washed it and the pants I was wearing too. Dr.
Westerman, your admitting physician, called me and said they
would be moving you to another floor since you are so stable.

Day 38 (Friday, November 19, 2004)—I came here earlier than

usual to make sure I was around when they moved you to another
room. I took down all of your bulletin board stuff. I also packed
your beauty stuff. But, as of 9:30, you are still in room 2440. The
word is you will move when they find an isolation room bed. I think
that they’ll wait to get the word that you need not be isolated and
then move you. Stacy and Julie came and moved you into a chair.
You are only supporting yourself a little during the transfer. You
have the strength but bend your knees. I really don’t have to
exercise you now since you move so much on your own.

40
Pauline, Jackie, and Jeff came. They stayed awhile and were most
impressed on the way you move now. I washed your hair, combed
it, put cream on your hands and face and even put a little make up.

I just got a call from the Detective Ratnofsky who investigated the
accident. Purcell will be cited and will have to go to court. There is
no pre-determined amount or other penalty and there will be a
prosecutor there. I will be advised of the court date. I let our lawyer
know about this and NBC4 news is very interested. They have been
following your story very closely.

I asked you to kiss me and you did and then I asked you to show me
two fingers and you put your thumb between the first two fingers.
They just put you back to bed and you sat up on your own in the
bed – yeaaaaa.

When I got home, there was a message from State Farm saying they
are prepared to settle to the limits of their client’s liability. They
asked that I call on Monday and advise them of your condition and
to discuss the settlement agreement. I emailed the information to
our lawyer. Bob called from California where he was on business to
ask about you. Otherwise, the evening was the same as other
evenings, lonely without your hand to hold.

Day 39 (Saturday, November 20, 2004)—good morning my

sweetheart! I had to search you out, they had moved you first thing
this AM. You are now on the fourth floor and the room is not nearly
as classy but you are in a private room. My little corner is not as
good for setting up my computer because the lighting is poor. I
spoke to Gregory and then to Litsa in Greece today. They are both
praying hard for you. Thano celebrated his birthday on the 19th –a
week late (he was born on the 12th) because that is when Marianna
could take off from work. I didn’t ask who came to the party and
other details so I can’t tell you that. I also forgot to ask if he was
walking yet. I’m a guy and I didn’t think to do so. Anyway most of
my thoughts these days concern you and my poor brain has little
room for anything else..
41
Before I came to the hospital, I went to Penny’s and bought two nice
long-sleeved shirts to wear under my other shirts in brown colors. I
had no shirts of that color—I had gray, black, white, blue, but no
brownish. The doors to Penny’s opened at 7 AM and I was out of
there by 7:15 AM and then I came directly here. You were fast
asleep upon my arrival. I try to wear different clothes every day
because I think you would want me to.

They moved you from the ICU to a medical ward and I am not
happy with your new location and the level of care. I told them that
you needed cleaning at 8 and they didn’t do the job until 9:05. They
had many excuses. I have complained and I am very angry--too bad
since things have been great at this hospital until this point. I hope
you’ll be moving to NRH soonest where they will give you intense
therapy to get that brain of yours functioning. You are now in a
chair listening to Greek music and moving your legs and arms. I
have not asked you to raise two fingers yet but we did our morning
prayers and you kissed the Icons.

They seem to be taking better care of you now. I think the problem
was that they transferred you right around a shift change and
everyone was running this way and that. At any rate, since I voiced
my displeasure people have been particularly pleasant and attentive.
I changed your music to Eleftheri’s Filakia (Kisses). I took Niko and
Nina out to lunch for all you can eat chicken at Chicken Out—it was
not too good except for the sides. After I finished and returned I
remembered that I wasn’t going to eat meat on Saturdays. I did eat
mostly side dishes but I feel bad that I ate meat. Since I didn’t eat
meat deliberately to be bad, I guess I might be forgiven. I do not
plan to go to church tomorrow. This weekend (starting Friday) they
have been celebrating the church’s 100th anniversary. Tomorrow,
Arch-Bishop Demetrios will participate. I expect the services will be
particularly crowded and the service long. I will be here with you.

You are now back in bed (3PM) and fast asleep. You are tired from
exercising so much while you were in the chair. Some good news is
42
that you were bearing your own weight when they got you on your
feet for the transfer. Again, I say, while I see baby steps of progress
it hurts me that we really have a way to go until you communicate. I
long and pine for that day. You are my angel and I need you.

Niko and Nina viewed with me another mini-milestone of yours. You

turned yourself on you side and, here too is a good one, you pulled
your pillow down to better adjust it to your head. A good WOW and
YEA to you! Mike Vidos sent you flowers and had a very nice card
that said how wonderful the news of your progress is and his
prayers for more of the same.

Day 40 (Sunday, November 21, 2004)—I got up a little later than

usual—6:21 to be exact. I took pills to sleep. They were needed. I
was disturbed yesterday because of the room change and the initial
lack of response for your care. Now they are very attentive.

Roula called bright and early and in fact called when I just finished
showering. I even spoke to John. They both send their best wishes
and prayers to you. They asked I give you a kiss from them. Since I
am mentioning Greece, I mailed a card and sent the Christmas gifts
and village expense money to them today.

When I arrived, they were cleaning and changing you. After that we
prayed together. Following this you sat in the chair. You supported
your weight during transfer. You are very alert and listening to
Greek music. Earlier I played famous Beatle tunes for variety. With
the Greek music you seemed as if you were trying to sing along.

Results from one urine culture came back today and it looks OK.
Tomorrow we get the results from another and if that passes
muster, we can take off the isolation sign and perhaps accelerate the
move to NRH. The PT person came in and you sat upright in the
chair a little bit and then they got you standing and again you held
yourself up. This is very good physical progress. You inserted your
thumb between your two fingers when I asked you to show me two
fingers. Today you are moving your lips more and I’m wondering if
43
you are trying to say something. You are holding up your head and
really want to chew on something which right now is your gown.

Visitors today included: N+N, Tanya, Mary Hazianis and Harry.

We left about 5:45 and I went to get my meds at Rite Aide, of course
it was Sunday so when I got there it was closed. When I got home all
the leaves were picked up and in cans. I think the leaves are all
done. Jonathon (and Tanya too, I guess) did the job. When she
came to get the blower, I gave her $40 for Jonathon. Following that I
did the usual to include my evening cry out of loneliness for you.

Day 41 (Monday, November 22, 2004)—I cut my hair. It was sad

because you do that for me. As I’ve said elsewhere doing the things
you did is painful because they remind me of you and of us and you
are not with me. I’m even tearing as I write this. After showering
and prayers, I ate my cereal and then off I went to you. When I
arrived they were washing you. I went to the cafeteria for some
coffee and I bought some bacon to add to my pita and cheese
sandwich that I made at home for lunch. When I came back, I
massaged your legs and arms with lotion. I put Avon stuff on you
face after cleaning it and some lip gloss too. We said our prayers.

As usual, you are pretty sleepy in the morning. The nurse said that
you had an active night. I turned on Channel 7.

At home, I am still keeping the candela lighted 24 hours per day and
I change the wick daily. I pray for you twice before I leave home (in
our bedroom and then in the kitchen) and I pray for Helen too, the
Lebanese-American women. God is listening as you improve a little
every day. But, I am still waiting for you to communicate with me.

Stacey from PT came to get you into the chair a little later than
usual (11 AM). You sat a bit at the edge of the bed and then upright
holding your own weight. You are supporting your weight but liked
to lean your head into Stacey’s shoulder and bite some. After she got
you into the chair she did some exercises with you. I then left to go
44
to Right Aide (again) for my meds. You like to chew on your gown
and even wires if they are handy. I came back and had my sandwich
and sat near you after I ate. You are now listening to Greek music
while sitting in the chair.

The latest lab cultures came back and there is still something there.
The nurse must discuss this with the doctor.

I just spoke to Dr. Rao VP of Clinical Services at NRH. They have a

negotiated contract with TriCare for $1700 per day but USFHP
countered with $1200 per day in a fax that NRH received at about 3
PM. I don’t understand USFHP’s position since they are a TricCare
provider. RAO will be meeting with his Chief Financial Officer and
attempt to resolve the problem. I will call tomorrow at 9 AM to find
out if I need to call anyone. I saw Dr. Westerman, your admitting
physician, this evening and alerted him to the problem. He was
writing an order to lift the isolation requirement. I called back Rao
and he was glad to hear that isolation was lifted and then told me
that USFHP basis their calculation at 70% of what they are asked
for thus 70% of $1700 is about $1200. Dr. Westerman and I are
ready to make calls, if required. The USFHP medical director is
supportive but now the bean counters are involved. I reminded Rao
that NBCnews4 is very interested in your situation and that might
dropped into the conversation with USFHP, if needed.

Day 42 (Tuesday, November 23, 2004)—this ends week six here at

Suburban Hospital. Bright and early, Gregory called and told me he
sent the oil from the Aghio Tafou and the water from Aghia
Paraskevi on Monday. I came and kissed you hello and by the time I
came back with coffee, Nina (no, not ours) came and did some
exercises and put you into the chair. This shook up the nurse
because she couldn’t do her morning evaluation with you sitting up.
So, now you are back on the bed. Good Morning America is on and
you seem to be looking at it.

Hopefully, my ritual here at Suburban will soon come to an end and

you will be at NRH not later than tomorrow. Dini called and
45
suggested that I ride with you when the actual transfer takes place
and I will try to do that if they let me.

The nurse is doing a very thorough check of you. You have no

residual from your feeding tube which means that you are
absorbing the food very well. She noticed that you still had some
staples in your back (I saw four of them) and they will be removed
today. She gave you your meds, vitamins, etc. through the feeding
tube and your good to go back onto the chair. Ms. Mary is the tech
taking care of you today—she is the one that cleans you, moves you,
checks your vitals. She calls you sweet pea and is very, very sweet
herself. She offers me coffee and wants to take care of me too.

You are back in the chair, very alert, and waving your feet around.
The isolation notice is gone and you are no longer contagious with a
resistant bacteria that can spread on contact. You are smiling right
now. I am doing some work that I can charge to BAI.

Stacey the PT person came in and she has you standing with you
holding onto a chair. You did terrific and you look great. You are
now sitting upright in the chair with little support. I called out your
name and you turned toward me. Now you are standing again
followed by sitting upright in the chair. This is my most exciting day
seeing you responding so well and so alert.

I called Dr. Rao of NRH promptly at 9 AM and they will be in

negotiation with USFHP and should know something by 1 PM. I’ll
get an update then. I finally got him at 2:30 and they’ve gone back
to USFHP asking them to accept the TRICARE rate of $1700/day.
He will advise me by 4 PM what happens and who I should call if
needed. I hope they solve this now and we get you there tomorrow.
NRH is ready for you. USFHP keeps saying they are not a
TRICARE provider when it says so on their card. I have faxed the
card info to NRH after I found that USFHP rejected the NRH
TRICARE negotiated rate. The guy at USFHP that rejected the
NRH offer has now sent it up to the next level of decision making.
The good news is that NRH contacted TRICARE directly and they
46
said of course you are covered and immediately sent a consent letter.
You are scheduled to go tomorrow afternoon.

Niko came and we chatted a little. You were asleep from all your
activity but you did turn onto your right side all on your own. Joe
Saul came to take me to dinner and we went to that Chicken-on-the-
Run that Niko introduced me to. He loved it and even bought a
whole chicken to take home to Debbie. She wanted to come but she
had a insurance physical to take. Aris and Uncle Alex called.

Have a good evening my baby. You know, every night I say good
night to you when I lay my head down to sleep.

Day 43 (Wednesday, November 24, 2004)—his is the big day. You

get transferred to NRH at 2PM. Judie, your nurse has come in to do
her checks of you and all is OK Mary Owens cleaned and bathed
you. I wrote a Star commendation for them. I did the morning
coffee bit and read the paper. It is a rainy and somber day. Because
of the move I did not bring my laptop as I had your stuff to pack up
and move. They continue to feed you directly into the stomach using
something called Isosource VHN in a 250 ml can at the rate of 70ml
per hour. There are all sorts of vitamins and minerals, 2 ½ grams of
fiber and 250 calories per can.

I spoke to the lawyer and he sent a letter to State Farm advising

them that he represents us. He has not heard back and feels things
will get moving next week after Thanksgiving.

You were put in the chair for an hour or so prior to getting ready to
leave. You have been alert and active. I put nice smelling lotion on
you arms and legs. The nurse said you were very active last night.

Nick and The ambulance was a little late in picking you up and we
didn’t leave until about 2:50. We arrived at NRH near 4PM and
went right to your room 308/2. I rode with you in the ambulance
and you were fast asleep on your side. I hit my head twice once
getting in and the other getting out. Apparently I didn’t learn from
47
the first hit. Luckily I had a Greek sailor hat on my head thus only a
little cut. Dini was worried that you might be scared by the move. As
it is, I was afraid because here is the place that needs to help you get
back to me. You have made exceptional progress but I am still very
anxious. This place is supposed to be very good, all the doctors and
nurses at Suburban rave about it. The VP for Clinical Services Dr.
Paul Rao came by to greet us. He is a colleague of Dini’s.

Nina came to pick me up and return me to our car at Suburban.

Dino and Myrna are in town (they are staying with Connie) and
they invited us to go to the new Ambrosia. I went but I was not very
good company. I miss you so badly and I sort of felt guilty because
you were not there. I came home and I cried. Good night my love.

Day 44 (Thursday, November 25, 2004—Thanksgiving and I

thanked God that you were not taken away from me on the 12th of
October. You truly have come a long way since that date. You are
now at your new location and the doctor that heads the team that
will be getting you better came and looked in on you. He was very
enthusiastic about what you can do. He said he is 99% certain that
you will be back to being you within about six weeks. I’m sure God
is listening and that he will help too. God loves you. I love you.

When I came in, I decorated your bulletin board with your hero’s
award, your pictures, cards and so forth. I hung the Icons, the cross
and some prayers too. Later when Niko came, he had all sorts of
pictures that we tacked to the bulletin board behind your bed.

They sat you in a chair that was not nearly as nice as the one at
Suburban. I hope they change that tomorrow. A new thing you did
today while in the chair was to bend forward completely from the
waist until your chest touched your legs without losing balance and
then you were able to sit up without any help.

Dino, Myrna, Connie, Vickie, Nick and Nina all came to visit you
today. You loved the way first Myrna and then Connie rubbed your
back and shoulders. I could practically hear you purring. You did
48
cuddle your head on them as they were doing the massage. Connie
had not seen you for a week (she had a cold) and she was most
impressed with your progress.

Nick and Nina hosted Thanksgiving in their party room. They

bought two turkey breasts with trimmings from La Madeline (Dino
pitched in with the cost) and others brought stuff--Connie a ham
plus salad, the others deserts and drinks. There were eleven there
including a friend of Vickie’s. I left for home at 5 PM to find clothes
for you to work out in. Later found out the others left at 8:30 PM.

Good night my sweet—yes, I am still making the bed and trying to

keep the house reasonably neat. The leaves are all gone and picked
up. Can you believe that I actually have conversations with Pauline?

Day 45 (Friday. November 26, 2004)--I was out of the door by 6:35
AM today and off to Silver Spring to get a SmarTrip Senior card
for metrorail. Seniors (over 65) travel for half price. The store
opened at 7AM and I had to wait ten minutes in the cold until it
opened. I was first on line (I can hear you say, “Of course!). My next
stop was to the nearby metro station to add $50 to the card. I am
now ready to park at Wheaton and to take metro to NRH. It’s a
straight shot to the Brookland station and then a short shuttle ride
right to NRH. I got to NRH about 7:45 and found a good parking
space in the garage. Parking costs $6 per day. Traffic was light.

I brought you three sets of workout clothes, went for coffee and
when I came back, there you were decked out in the lavender outfit.
You looked very nice. You had a full schedule of therapy including
the speech pathologist who also works on breathing and cognition,
the occupational therapist who works on helping you remember
everyday tasks and the physical therapist who gets you standing,
sitting up etc. Each had an hour with you performed in half hour
increments. Liz is the speech person, Olivia is OT and Natalie is PT.
They are all in their late twenties (at most early 30s) and appear
competent. A woman named Young is the nurse coordinator for the
unit and Judie the nurse practitioner. You were put on straight
49
room air (i.e., 21% oxygen and off of the 28% you were getting).
You are still getting moisture since you are not breathing through
your nose/mouth which automatically adds moisture.

With a little physical prompting, you rolled on your left and right
side when asked by Natalie and did hold up two fingers and your
legs when asked. Liz put her finger over the trach opening and you
breathed through your mouth on your own. She said you did well.
Later you did some edge of the bed sitting, standing and then sitting
in a chair without a head rest. You sat up beautifully straight.

A social worker came and asked what expectations I have for you
upon discharge. I said I wanted you walking (at least with a walker)
and, of course be aware and able to comb your hair and take care of
your personal needs. She asked about our house configuration, and
how I was doing. I said the usual – as you improve so do I. I did say
that I still cry a lot but that we have good kids that check up on me.
Dr. Paul Rao dropped in and asked how you were doing. He said I
could stay overnight if I wanted. I thanked him but thought that it
would be better to get some home time.

I didn’t mention it but yesterday I visited a young Marine who was

wounded in Fallujah, Iraq. He was shot and blown up. He was shot
13 times but the vest he purchased stopped 12. One got him where
the vest didn’t cover. They reconstructed his thigh muscles using
muscles from his abdomen. Oscar married Jennie when he was
eighteen and she 17—married three years, no kids. They’ve known
each other since he was eight and she seven. He told me the story of
how his squad was ambushed and in big fire fight. He also told me
how two Iraqi’s (a man and a woman) came out of a house to help
the wounded. I asked him if he’d be interested in telling the story to
NBC news. He said yes and I called my contact who was interested.

Dino, Myrna, Vicki, Nick and Nina came to see you. Myrna rubbed
your back again and you loved it. The ladies put lotion on your
hands. They were very sweet to you. We all left when they came in
to put you back into bed and into your gown. I went to Modell’s and
50
bought you two more workout outfits for the hospitals. I put $40
into our tin can bank for our trip.

Day 46 (Saturday, November 27, 2004)—I called Greece this

morning, from a health standpoint all is well. They are all praying
for you. They are still in the village. All send love and kisses. When I
arrived here this morning, you had a sitter and you had mitts on
that looked like boxing gloves. Apparently, you were trying to get
out of bed and trying to take out your PIC. They just cleaned and
dressed you. I brought my computer in here for the first time today.
On the weekends I will drive here because there is no shuttle from
the metro so bringing the computer is no problem. We’ll see how it
goes bringing the computer using the metro.

The weekend occupational therapist came and did some stuff such
as brushing teeth and hair with you. You wanted to chew on the
toothbrush but you did help (a little) with brushing. She also put
you in a chair without a head support and you are doing very well
holding your head high. I tweezed you a little and we applied lotion
to your hands together. You are belching this morning. As you did
yesterday, you are displaying excellent torso control. You listened to
some Greek music and now I have the TV on. If you knew how
much it breaks my heart to see you like this, you’d jump out of the
chair and off we’d go home. Baby, I love you so very much.

The weekend PT came and exercised your limbs and a second one
came later and had you sitting on the side of the bed. The weekend
speech person is here and showed you some pictures. You really did
not respond to them. We spoke to you. Dino and Myrna came on
their way back to Delaware. Myrna is giving you one of her
massages and you love it. Connie came and stayed for more than an
hour. For lunch, I ate a big salad—no meat today so I can receive
communion tomorrow. After about 3 hours in the chair holding
your own body erect you are back in bed and relaxing.

51
Niko came and he brought a chicken from Chicken-on-the-Run
located in Bethesda. I am waiting for your new NRH sitter to arrive.
You had a sitter all night and through most of today.

When I got home I did your laundry consisting of two workout

outfits. I had cereal and some cheese for dinner. I finally did some
desk work and caught up with the check book. In that department I
have felt worthless since the accident. The other thing, even during
warmish weather I have yet to go into our all-season room except to
take the plants out. I’ve had no meat today thus I am ready for
communion tomorrow.

Day 47 (Sunday, November 28, 2004)—I got up early, paid some

bills, glanced at the newspaper and got it ready for Tanya. I
prepared and sent a birthday card to Dini with a check enclosed. I
also wrote a combination birthday/Christmas card for Niko, again
with a check enclosed for both occasions. Dini shopped for Nina
from us. She got her a jacket from Jack and Jill that she admired. I
wrote a $500 check for the Church building fund in your name.

I left for church at about 8:30 via the post office. I got there even
before the Orthos started. I lit five small candles and two votive
candles. I said lots of prayers. Initially I was very weepy and then I
had some peace as I heard the chanter Stelios sing. I received
communion and then upon departure at the end of the service
Father Steve gave me two handfuls of bread.

My next stop was the commissary where I bought my milk, cereal

and some other stuff. I also bought you two pairs of socks. When I
left there I went home to change and to eat. I ate left over Chinese
food and two wings from the chicken Niko got for me yesterday. I
arrived ay NRH about 1:45 PM. They came to clean you and change
your gown when I arrived. You also had support stockings on.

My turn came. We said prayers and did our cross. We put lotion on
your hands, I put moisturizer on your face. We then brushed your
teeth. The nice thing was that when I said open your mouth to brush
52
your teeth, you did. When I said lower teeth and then upper you
displayed the appropriate teeth. When I said tongue, you opened
your mouth so we could do your tongue. You did not bite the
toothbrush. You were weighed today and you weigh 110 pounds.

Nick and Nina are here. She helped you brush your hair. With little
help, you applied chap-stick yourself and made the right lip
puckering movement. You are super-responsive today. Your sitter
arrived and sat you in your chair for an hour or so. Your sugar
levels were very good. Today (I guess it was delivered to the wrong
place yesterday), I got a copy of the medical summary from your
stay at Suburban. When you are ready, you can read it.

Day 48 (Monday, November 29, 2004)—my big metro adventure

came out not great but OK. I it took me about 45 minutes from the
time I left the house. There is plenty of metro parking at Wheaton
but I was surprised it is about a block walk to the actual station.
There was no problem with getting a seat on the train as Wheaton is
just the second stop. The Red Line is what I take and it only takes 16
minutes to get to Brookland (five stops from Wheaton) which is the
Catholic U stop. From there it is a short free shuttle ride to NRH
and they run every six to eight minutes at that time in the morning. I
hauled my stuff in the green carry-on and it was heavy because this
old lap top computer is heavy. Maybe I need a lighter one.

You were sleeping when I came. You had a new sitter (Inez). You
have three full hours of therapy spread out during the day until 4
PM. The OT (Olivia) came at 8:00 AM and helped you wash your
upper body and put on your new top and pants. You did not help
her do things the way you did for me yesterday. You didn’t like the
fact she woke you up. You are helping brush your teeth.

The speech therapist is here and blocking your trach and you were
practicing breathing without it. You were breathing at 99% oxygen
level and that is very good. We were trying to get you to say hi but I
guess this will take time. Liz is reminding you about eating and
drinking. She is using some substance that feels good on your
53
tongue. Natalie from PT came and you did a lot of sitting and
standing with her. You supported yourself very well. The speech
therapist (Liz) is back and again blocking your trach so you breathe
on your own. She wants you to say hi or ahh but you are not
complying so far. But, you are breathing well on your own. Now she
is trying to get you to sign your name but you are not ready yet.

I saw Judie the nurse practitioner today and briefly the doctor. You
have a new sitter named Elizabeth. They have someone in the room
24/7. When I left this evening, you made me cry—when I said I
loved you, you reached down, took my hand and kissed it.

My trip home by metro taught me a new trick. When the train says
“Silver Spring” they mean it. When we got there, all of a sudden I
found myself alone on the train. They closed the doors, we went
forward a little and then it started to move backwards. It was now
on the other side of the platform after it switched tracks ready to
head back where we came from – that is, downtown. Fortunately I
figured this out, got out, crossed back over and took the train to
Wheaton. I retrieved our car and home I went. When I arrived I
found the package mailed from Greece by Gregory. The “Holy OIL
from the GROTTO of the NATIVITY BETHLEHEM” leaked a
little and got on the envelope. I’m now trying to figure out how to
destroy it since placing it the garbage does not seem proper. We also
received the water from Aghia Paraskevi’s spring in Hortiati.

Day 49 (Tuesday, November 30, 2004)—this is week seven since the

accident. I got up early and left the house at about 6:15, drove
passed the post office, mailed the voucher and went to the metro
parking. I did not like the green carry-on because it was too bulky. I
switched to yours and it was still too bulky. I am going to try the roll
on bag now. The trip in this morning was smooth but I did not much
care for the bag I was using. I have to find something else.

In the cafeteria this morning I saw Dr. Rao and later met the
President of NRH. He was very nice and expressed interest in you.

54
You just had a nice bath and are dressed in your lavender outfit. I
was told that you had a restless night. Olivia the OT was first on tap
this morning. She got you up and you helped a tad getting into your
chair. Off you went to a “quite room.” I stayed here in your room.
Natalie (PT) said you did real well for about 15 minutes standing
and sitting and then you got tired. Olivia (OT) came back and you
brushed teeth and stuff and helped all the way. She thinks you can
see based on your motions while at the sink. Liz (LSP) came and you
were sleepy. She covered your trach hole to get you to breathe
through nose/mouth. As I mentioned, this is to wean you from the
trach. While they do this, they monitor your oxygen level to make
sure you get enough and you are doing very well. Now she is putting
a lemon taste on your lips and tongue to stimulate swallowing. It is
time for Natalie and PT again. She too said you did great. Liz came
and we put you back to bed (that is, I did). She is working on your
mouth with the lemon stuff again. You are tired right now. Liz is
trying to get you to acknowledge the smell and feel of a rose. No
action! Now you are out like the proverbial light.

Joe and Debbie came and stayed about 45 minutes. They absolutely
thought you looked great and showed great progress. We received a
beautiful basket of flowers from the ARTPC. It had all sorts of
lovely flowers to include a dozen roses.

I just got called by Detective Ratnofsky who is the accident scene

investigator. Contrary to what he told me before, Purcell (the guy
who hit you) only will receive a traffic citation with a fine of $55.
Seems like the quirk in MD’s law is that if you were hit in an
uncontrolled cross-walk (that is, no light) then he would have to
appear before a judge but at a controlled intersection you just get a
ticket. I let NBC4 know.

When I got to Wheaton, I went to Target to get something lighter to

use going back and forth. I found a rolling duffel bag that only cost
$12.60 including tax. We’ll see how it works. Niko wanted to lend
me his $100 one. When I got home I located the State Senator and
delegates for our district 17 (whoops later I found out we are in 18)
55
and emailed them all about the ridiculous law. I also emailed our
lawyer. Niko came to deliver some pictures he printed of Greece
that I took when we were there so we could show them to you.

Day 50 (Wednesday, December 1, 2004)—a new month starts today

and it was gloomy and rainy. When I got off the metro at Brookland
it was raining with gusto, fortunately the shuttle was waiting. It is
supposed to clear this afternoon. You were awake when I arrived
and your sitter was cleaning you up. I went to grab some breakfast
in the cafeteria. I read the paper while eating. Then I bought
parking discount coupons for the weekend—you save over half. I’m
learning the ropes. There is no shuttle on Saturday and Sunday
hence I will drive those days. I’m getting used to metro and even
read one of the free newspapers available at the metro’s entrance
while riding. There are plenty of seats.

Therapy has begun with the arrival of Olivia the OT. You worked
together on getting dressed and are now doing your teeth and
brushing of your hair, face washing, etc. in front of the sink. You
did a lot of smiling but didn’t seem to want to open your eyes very
much. Now it’s Liz’s turn, the speech therapist. We arranged it so
she got to you before PT wiped you out. She is trying to get you to
say ahhh. No success yet. Then it was time for the lemon thing to
help you relearn swallowing. You were reacting to stimuli—you held
a pencil and even made a line. You have lots of stomach gas right
now and are uncomfortable. Here comes Natalie and PT. You did
standing and stuff with her and she tried the walker too for you to
stand. You even took about ten steps each for three times with just a
little support in shifting your weight. Pretty impressive! Right after
PT, Dr. Russell a neuro-psychologist came to do a psych evaluation.
She spoke to me and I told her how great you are. It is now
afternoon and another round of therapy begins. It’s Olivia and OT
used the time to re-introduce you to the toilet. You did not use it but
you did help pull down your pants. So again, little baby steps
forward! Dr. Makki came and changed your trach to a smaller size
so you can breathe better and be more comfortable. This should
eliminate air stacking that causes you to belch. The trach change
56
was fast with a little blood since you had a scab. The trach is
stainless steel (a size 5) while the older, larger one was plastic. It has
a plug that can close the trach to facilitate you breathing through
your nose. Also, you no longer need to get humidified air. It’s Liz’s
turn now. She is very enthusiastic about the fact that your trach is
changed to a smaller size. The sound of your cough is much
different with the new trach and thus it should facilitate your
talking. She is trying to get you to say hi or ahhh. Still no success!
Tomorrow, maybe some eating and drinking, Liz thinks. It’s PT
time again and you did walking without the walker with one person
on either side of you. You did a really good job of moving one foot
after the other. They then took you to the therapy area where you
did more walking. They worked with you propelling the wheel chair.

Dr. McCarthy came and was his usual enthusiastic self. He insists
you will be fine. They had a team meeting and they feel you are
making great strides. It appears the consensus is that you may be
here for up to three months. I hope it is sooner for my sanity but, of
course, you must take the time you need to be well.

Pauline, Jackie and Jeff came and so did little Jenna. They had a
tough time finding the place because Jeff missed the turn. Now that
they are experienced the next time should be easy for them. You
slept during most of their 45 minute stay

The trip to the metro was not fun. A light was out on the route the
shuttle takes and the 10 minute trip took 25 minutes. When I
arrived at Wheaton I drove to the Sports Authority on Rockville
Pike and bought you two more pairs of workout pants. Later I
found another set in you closet. You are well outfitted now and it
relieves me of the requirement to wash as frequently.

Day 51 (Thursday, December 2, 2004)—I called Gregory after he

called me last night to ask if I received the oil and the water. All is
OK but Thano just got over a bad cold. When I arrived, I was
surprised that you now had a roommate. She too needed a sitter
because she tried to get out of her bed. So the sitter now watches and
57
cares for you and her. Miss Winnie can communicate her wishes as
she can talk. Niko came last night after I departed and he left a note
on the white board that reads “Hi Mary, I hear you are walking.
Wow! Love, Niko.” He brought special pens for use on the white
board. My table for the computer was gone but they brought me
another one after I asked. It took them two hours. Seems like the
admin person couldn’t get one until I said I was going to call one of
the VPs who said call them when I needed something. I hardly got
back to the room to call when the head nurse came and got me a
table. We’ll see if it is here in the AM.

Your therapists are working on you. Liz still can’t get you to voice
anything like ah or hi. You are breathing OK with a plug in your
trach. Next week the new one likely will be taken out and you will be
on your own. Natalie, the PT is here and you went off to the PT
room. You walked well by shifting your own weight this time and
you needed a tad less support to stay straight. You’re not great with
the walker as you tend to let it drift and then you step on one of the
tennis balls. Olivia (OT) is working on you getting on/off the toilet.
Olivia is back again and you did the toilet bit again. They are hoping
to get you to the point where you actually go. You still close you eyes
too much and I am still concerned if you can see with your left eye. I
whispered to you earlier that you need to try to communicate and I
had you feel my tears. I am dying slowly. The Post had an article
that reported on a study that confirmed stress shortens life span. If
this is true, my life span has been curtailed a lot. Please, please try to
communicate! Liz is back and now you are going to try and eat a
little apple sauce. You spit it out but then I got involved and with
your hand around the spoon you did take a little taste and swallow.
Next came drinking. You resisted until you grabbed the cup and
then you did drink a teeny little bit and swallowed. Natalie (PT)
came and I took one side and she the other side and you walked very
nicely with good steps. We had two walking sessions in the half hour
period plus a couple up and down exercises.

58
It really breaks my heart to see you this way and my eyes fill with
tears. As I’ve written before, if you realized this you would leap off
of the bed and away we would go hand-in-hand.

Joe and then Niko came. Niko gave me his carry on to try out. We
stayed awhile and then I left with Joe to meet Bob for dinner. We
went to a Salvadorian place across the street where I park the car to
take the metro in Wheaton. We all had the Salvadorian equivalent
of mixed grill. Joe, of course, paid. He said that I am not allowed to
pay until you are with us. Bob made me chili.

Day 52 (Friday, December 3, 2004)—I got a late start today. I woke

up at 4 AM with a headache, took two Tylenol and then slept until 7
AM. This is late for me as you know. I left without eating my
FiberOne and when I arrived here from the Metro you were in the
shower with Olivia (OT). This is your first shower in almost eight
weeks and I missed the whole deal. Liz (LSP) is here now and trying
the lemon on the lips bit to stimulate your swallowing action. You
still resist in the beginning but eventually open. It is 9 AM but you
are sleeping and really did not work well with Liz. I’m told you had
a restless night and didn’t really sleep until around 5 AM. With
Natalie (PT) and me, you did a lot of nice standing and sitting. Inez,
the sitter, took you to the toilet to start giving you the idea of what to
do. Liz came and she gave you some thick apple juice to drink. She
put the cup in your hand and helped guide to your mouth and you
did drink and swallow—a good thing. Liz gave you all sorts of
kudos. Now, it’s applesauce’s turn. You did eat and swallow some.
You then drank the juice again. You opened your mouth when Liz
asked. Inez, the sitter, took you to the toilet and you used the toilet.
Inez asked if you were finished and she believes you said “um-huh”
and when you asked again she heard the same thing. Later when I
rubbed your back and asked you if you liked that, you nodded yes, I
do believe. Inez took you to the toilet and you were dry again and
used it. Olivia came and you washed your hair (with some help from
us) and you combed your hair a couple of strokes on your own. You
did really great today.

59
I went to the cafeteria for lunch. I had a salad and a large drink. I
guess I’ll eat chili tonight. They put a goals sheet up for you. At the
end of the sheet they put the discharge goal that they presently show
as February 24, 2005. I think you’re going to beat that date. Dr. Rao
came to see you and to say he has a week’s vacation. He gave me the
number of his deputy should I need anything.

Your new sitter Josephine arrived, you had her before. I will take
what you wore today and wash. Tomorrow I drive since they don’t
have a shuttle on Saturday or Sunday. I am thinking of driving
sometime during the week too if I can leave the house before 7 AM –
I want to see what it’s like traffic-wise then. I must admit that I
don’t like the shuttle part of the trip at night, it takes longer to get to
the metro and is crowded. They sometimes use a van that is not fun
getting in and out of. I got discount tickets for the parking. When it
snows, I guess metro will be my best bet and safest bet.

Niko came and after he stayed awhile we left and met Nina at an
Italian restaurant on Connecticut Ave near Chevy Chase Circle.
They then took me to my car.

Day 53 (Saturday, December 4, 2004)—before I left, I put $40 into

our travel bank. I had to fold all of them so more could fit. We now
have $360. I drove the car since it is Saturday and I brought a bag of
clothes to donate to the hospital. The trip in was OK and when I
arrived you were fast asleep and your mouth was open too. You are
not using the trach to breathe. They gave you a mild sedative for
you to sleep better. Today is a light therapy day (1 ½ hours instead
of 3 hours). I just washed your support hose and we are waiting for
a second pair for you to put on but since they are not quickly
forthcoming we put on other socks that I brought so you can get
dressed. Your eyes are wide open and you are staring into space. I
wonder what you are thinking.

Bethany is your OT for today. You brushed your teeth and your
hair today but not with gusto. I took you for a ride around the
atrium. Monica came as your weekend LSP. She tried to get you to
60
ID Alec and Maia with yes/no questions but you weren’t quite there.
She then worked on your facial muscles and your jaw. You
cooperated with opening your mouth with the lemon swab bit. She
asked a lot of questions to elicit responses from you but was not
successful and she helped you by helping you nod your head. Alison
the PT came and she got you up, into the chair and we went outside.
You walked with us and sat on a bench together for a couple of
minutes. I think that you enjoyed it. Your eyes were open and you
were smiling. You did well on the walk back. If it is nice tomorrow,
we will try again tomorrow with Niko. I am sitting next to you
holding your hand while I write this with my one finger. That’s it
today for therapy. You are due back in bed at three but first it’s
time on the toilet. You did use the toilet. Great!!!

Connie came and we had a nice conversation. You appeared to be

listening. Nick and Nina just came and brought you two new tops.
Now you are completely outfitted. You are very alert. I think that
the sedative at night helped you sleep when you were supposed to
and helps you keep alert now. This is the most I’ve seen you keep
your eyes open. When I asked if you wanted to be kissed you nodded
yes. When I went to kiss your cheek, you turned your head so you
could kiss me on the mouth.

Day 54 (Sunday, December 5, 2004)—I cut my hair this morning

and after reading the paper went to Church. When I went up to kiss
the bible, Father John pulled me aside and asked how you were I
said you were making progress. He hoped that I was not deluding
myself (or words to that affect)—I found this a strange response and
I think it bugged me all day. When I got home at night I was
completely despondent and cried myself to sleep. I was very
depressed, anxious and tormented at the times I prayed to God.
When I went to receive communion, I asked God if it could be for
both of us even though only my name was mentioned. I am sure he
approved. The Gospel reading today spoke of Christ’s visit to a
Synagogue on the Sabbath where he cured a women who had been
crippled for 17 years. He was criticized by the leader of the
Synagogue for “working” on the Sabbath, contrary to the laws.
61
Christ pointed out that even on the Sabbath, people untie their
beasts and take them to eat and to drink, should he do any less for a
women who has been tormented for 17 years? The moral is that
laws are guides that should not stand in the way of doing the right
thing. Thus, I believe that God saw my communion as our
communion.

I left church right after communion as the service was running long
as Father Steve was with the children and there were three
memorial services. I wanted to see you. The commissary was my
next stop, then home to change and eat. I arrived at the hospital
about 1:15. You were dressed and in the chair. I kissed and sat by
you and then we brushed your hair, brushed teeth, and put on
lotion. I sprayed some Clinique on you. Connie came and found us
in the cafeteria. I had taken you there for me to get a drink and then
to go out to the garden. Connie and I took you there and we (you)
went for a walk and you sat on the bench. This was repeated later
when Niko and Nina came. This time Niko helped. So, today, you
had two outside walks. Vicki and her friend Grant came later. Also
today, Bill Torpey came with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. He was
very nice and said he and his family have been praying for you and
that you were in their special Thanksgiving prayers at Thanksgiving
dinner. He kissed you on the cheek when he arrived and departed
and said all on his contract with the Missile Defense Agency are
praying for you. He wants me to come to their Christmas party
lunch on 16 December. Vicki rubbed your back and you leaned your
head on her shoulder and gave her a kiss on the cheek. We had a
nice visit and I can only hope that you heard. Niko brought me a
chicken from that special restaurant.

I went home and was pretty miserable. Baby, I love you so very,
very, very, very much. Finally, I cleaned the Sharper Image air
filters and they were very dirty. I do not understand why they didn’t
buzz or display the red light. They cleaned nicely but I need to be
more attentive. The house is relatively clean. I do not go into the
living room unless to water the plants so I pretty much stay in our

62
bedroom, the kitchen, and downstairs. Good night may sweet – I say
goodnight to you every night.

Day 55 (Monday, December 06, 2004)—I continue depressed. I need

you to communicate with us. It hurts so much that you do not. I am
supposed to be patient and strong but I don’t know if I can be
strong. It is so painful. I had my bad thoughts this morning where I
curl up on the bedroom floor and wither away until I become dust
and then a puff of wind comes and blows me away. Before I left
home for NRH, I said my prayers and pleaded with God for help. I
asked Christ, the God, Mother Mary and Aghia Paraskevi to help.

I drove in this morning and it only took me a half hour. The traffic
was not bad so I figure if I leave by 6:30 the trip should not be a
problem and about twenty minutes faster than the Metro/shuttle
combination. With the discount parking the cost is about the same.
Hauling my computer and other stuff around is easier with the car.
So, unless it snows, I guess I will drive.

I just spoke to MD State Delegate Simmons about the email I sent to

him (and the other Delegates plus the State Senator) on the law that
seems crazy by slapping people on the wrist if they hit people legally
crossing an intersection controlled by a light. He received the email I
sent on 30 November. He is very interested and is sponsoring a bill
on negligent vehicular homicide and now must consider if serious
injury should be included. He promises to get back to me. Delegate
Barve called me—he is the House Democratic Majority Leader. He
promised to have his legislative assistant check on the law that
seemed perverse to him too. (As I said above, these people are not
our representatives so they never did get back to me.)

Liz the SLP is here working on trying to get you to make a sound.
You are in your chair. You drank some apple juice and very
important, swallowed. We tried to get you to say hi but you are not
there yet. You did open your mouth as if (maybe) you wanted to say
something but no sound came out. Later I gave you something to
drink and you delayed swallowed for me. Natalie (PT) came and you
63
walked with her. She is trying to get you to move backwards but
that still seems hard for you. You did do a good job of moving
sideways. You went to the toilet and used it. Olivia from OT took
you elsewhere to work with you. You opened containers. Now you
are brushing hair and teeth. With help you do this but not on your
own. You are pretty alert today. I wrote a note on the white board to
tell people that I would not be in tomorrow. Miss Winnie your
roommate read the board and said she would miss me. She is about
80, I guess, has Parkinson’s and when she had the deep brain
stimulation ended up having a stroke too. Since you have been
sleeping at night, you have been more alert during the day.

Today when I asked “do you love me” you nodded yes. When I
asked you if you would say “hi” you shook your head “no.” You also
wagged your finger “no.” Liz the SLP came again and worked on
your swallowing apple sauce and apple nectar. You swallowed
quicker this time. You also sighed with a sound and all were
pleased. Liz is working hard to activate your voice. You also
mouthed hi. Liz was thrilled. Now it is toilet time. You sat well on
the toilet but you had already wet. Natalie (PT) came and we put
you into some elaborate harness. It helped you balance while you
walked. You did a great job walking forward and turning. You
worked on going backward and did better in that department too. I
think you are pooped and you are now back in bed. Overall, you did
very well indeed today. For the past week your blood sugar has been
great too. It was just taken and it is 93.

Tomorrow, I will teach and not be able to come. I put a notice on the
white board telling the NRH people how to get me if required. I
went to Linen and Things to buy you the pillows you. I got one in
blue (me) and one in pink (you). Of course I was supposed to pick
up my meds from Rite Aide but to hold two things in my mind was
too much to expect.

Day 56 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)—this day concludes the eighth

week since the accident and I will not be there with you. I feel bad
and even as I was teaching, thoughts of you were wandering through
64
my mind. I think I did OK with the teaching. Nobody fell asleep.
Tonight I did manage to get my meds. From Rite Aide I went home
to eat chicken (again) and then did the usual. I cried when I entered
the house because I felt so lonely without you, my dearest person. I
only hope that you did as well today as you did yesterday.

Day 57 (Wednesday, December 8, 2004)—again I drove in this

morning leaving the house at 6:18 AM and arriving ½ hour later at
NRH. The drive is OK at that hour in the morning. When I arrived
you had already been bathed. I went for a little breakfast. I bring a
two slices of low carb bread and a little cheese. I think I wrote this
before. I brought the two pillows—one blue to remind you of me and
one pink for you. I also brought some thick plastic hangers for the
clothes and got rid of the terrible wire hangers. Other stuff included
more wipes, moisturizing lotion, and beauty lotion to further
enhance your beauty if that is possible. I used a special wipe on your
face and used the moisturizing lotion for dry skin because you
scratch your nose a lot. We did your hands together with beauty
lotion and brushed your hair. You used the toilet.

I saw Dr. McCarthy in the cafeteria and he told me he was

cautiously optimistic with your complete recovery and he described
other cases that he suggested were more severe. I did not ask what
he meant by “cautiously optimistic.” Later in the room he told me
that they would be doing a CAT scan. Today, the trach and the PIC
line that goes into your arm will be removed.

Liz the SLP is here. By email, I was told by Dini that I should not
call her a speech therapist (ST) even though she does do that she
does do more. SLP means Speech Language Pathologist. I sent Dini
an email with my journal notes to let her know how you are doing
and that is where she saw the ST reference. With Liz this morning
you went outside since it was so nice. I stayed so you could work
one-on-one with her. You nodded yes and did some swallowing but
are still not quite there in voicing something. Natalie came and you
worked on your standing to develop your endurance. I wish that you
would keep your eyes open when doing this. You did stand well
65
although you tried to sneak some rest by putting your head down on
the table in front of you. You would smile when you were trying to
get away with that trick. But, we didn’t let you lie down on the job.
You stood as much as four minutes during one set of standing
exercises. The weather is in the 60s today so we will walk outside
later. Olivia came (OT) and the first order of business was the
toilet. You used the toilet and when asked are you finished you
nodded “no” and then when asked a couple of minutes later you
voiced OK, said Olivia. We put you back in bed for an hour before
Olivia returns and you are really sleeping. Dr. Makki came and
plucked out your trach (time: it took a split second) and covered it
with gauze and tape (time: a couple of seconds). Apparently the
trach hole heals itself. Olivia took you to the toilet and you did well
again. Well, the schedule for the rest of the day in terms of therapy
is now all screwed up. They took you away to do the CAT scan. So
here I sit all alone.

You came back at 3:30 and I had the sitter take you to the toilet and
then to bed. I told the sitter to turn on a singing show for you at
eight and Barbara Walters at nine. You received a beautiful vase of
flowers from the OPSEC Society Board of Directors. The note
attached said, “Maria, with our best wishes for a speedy recovery.”

I just bought a 30 day parking pass that lets me come and go. I
doubt if I will doing much coming and going but who knows. Joe
called and I met him and Debbie at Ambrosia. I am glad that I did
because I was very depressed. I guess I fear the family conference
tomorrow. I’m not sure I can tolerate bad news.

After dinner, I went to Barnes and Noble and bought a better map
of DC. On the way back to the car I stopped off at Marshal’s to look
for shoes that used Velcro. Putting on shoes with laces takes time
and they are harder to get on your feet. I found a very cute pair,
Polo, Ralph Lauren.

Day 58 (Thursday, December 9, 2004)—when I arrived you were in

bed and awake. We did our prayers together and then I went to the
66
cafeteria. When I came back, you were on the toilet and you used it.
You had your new shoes on. They look great. I got your hair brush
and you gave your hair a few strokes on your own. When I put the
brush in your left hand and helped you, you decided enough and
took the brush in your right hand and placed it on the nearby table.
This leads me to believe you can see. You are certainly responding to
questions such as do you love me. You nod at the appropriate time.
While I am writing you are listening (?) to TV and are smiling.

I am so happy to see that you are with it. I was very depressed this
morning probably worrying about the CAT scan and the meeting.
Natalie (PT) came and we put you into the walking harness. While
doing that I hit you head and you clearly said OW and gave me a
look. Your walking was terrific, forward and background.
Congratulations are in order and you were smiling all over the
place. Olivia (OT) did the toilet bit with you and you helped pull
your pants up, later you helped wash your face and brush your
teeth. Olivia came again and she said that you made some type of
sound. When Liz came, you had some gas and you clearly voiced the
word “wow,” earlier you did the same thing with the sitter. So, my
darling, you are beginning to voice sounds and soon we’ll be talking.

We had our first family conference with all of the therapists, Dr.
McCarthy, and Amy Bressler Leonard, the case worker who
interfaces with Tricare. Dini attended by speaker phone and she was
well pleased with the reports as was I. Everybody gave you good
marks for progress and all were optimistic. We are really waiting
for you to burst out in speech. The CAT scan report is not yet in.

You received a beautiful vase of flowers today from Craig Gundry

and the S2 Institute – this individual was the instructor at the course
I took in February in Florida when we stayed at the local historic
hotel. Here is what the card said “Maria, we heard about your
unfortunate accident. We are friends and colleagues of Pats. Our
prayers and thoughts are with you. Please get well soon.” I was
really touched. He sent me a letter and a CD to review a couple of
weeks ago and I emailed him that I had not been at work for two
67
months and the reason why. He sent a very nice and supportive
email back and now did this too. He is a really good guy.

It is raining like crazy now and somehow I don’t think that the drive
home will be fun. I left a little earlier than usual so my drive was
not bad. Niko returned from San Diego called to invite me to dinner
but I had already changed into evening wear so he brought stuff
from Mike’s place. We then went on-line with the Exchange and
ordered a new Dell notebook computer in silver that is much, much
lighter than the black Dell I have, faster, with more memory and
with a larger (double) capacity disk drive. I think of it as a
Christmas present from you. We boys must have our toys. After
Niko left, I sent an email to Howard and Martha Ferrell who sent us
a Christmas card. I guess they didn’t get the word from the society
about your injury.

Day 59 (Friday, December 10, 2004)—today, you celebrated your

32nd year in the US. It is raining again and you are still in the
hospital. What a way to celebrate! When I arrived you were still in
bed. We said our prayers (we did more later), I went to the cafeteria
to eat and read the paper, and came back to find you with Olivia.
She was trying to get you to dress yourself. She was not very
successful. In fact you took off the shirt she partially helped you put
on. She brought you other choices of clothes to select and I
commented that I had selected the original set. The look you gave
me was something to behold. It was like “big deal, you have got to be
kidding.” We all got a good laugh, to include you. You actually
laughed out loud. Your behavior this morning was acting like a big
tease. Olivia took you to the toilet and you used it. She said you had
better everything today. Liz took you off to the atrium to work
there. You don’t much like the apple juice and when asked do you
want water you nodded yes. You didn’t swallow right away but
when you did you did not cough. I suggested we put some sweet and
lo in the juice. We’ll try that the next time. When you came back,
you mouthed “thank you” to Liz. Is that great or what? Walking
with Natalie was about the same. No big event to report. You went
to the toilet and used it. I think your stomach is bothering you as
68
you are burping a lot today. You had a replacement SLP called
Beth. She gave you stuff to drink—a thick nectar—to help you
swallow. You were pretty tired.

The CAT scan report is back. The sub-dural hematoma is no longer

there. Another yea for today! They took out your PIC line too. That
was a sort of long term line access to give you shots and so forth.
The scab on the left side of your head also came off. It was still raw
underneath so they put a bandage over it.

A beautiful basket of flowers arrived when I wasn’t looking. The

card said, “Mary. Get well soon. Our thoughts and prayers are with
you. Mark Salser and Oracle’s TBU.” I called Niko at work (he was
not in) and asked him to thank folks on your behalf. Salser is Niko’s
boss. Becky called today. She is the police officer who was first on
the scene of your accident. She will try to visit you next week.

I left a little early because of the rain. When I got home I decided to
finally do the sheets of our bed. So I washed them and some of your
workout clothes, towels, etc. When the sheets were dry, I put them
right back on the bed. I ate Bob’s chili with some coleslaw that I
mixed in with it. I sent some emails to the correct delegates of our
district. For some reason I thought we were in District 17 while the
fact is we are in 18. The rest of the evening was the usual—lonely.

Day 60 (Saturday, December 11, 2004)—Another rainy day! When I

arrived you were in bed and alert. I sat on the bed and talked to you
and asked you to work hard to talk to me. I must admit to crying. I
am a little depressed this morning waiting for you to speak. I said I
would die if you didn’t get well and you nodded “no.”

The Saturday OT (Carrie) is here. She took you to the toilet, then to
the sink, and now you are getting dressed. You are helping a tiny
bit and you did pull up your pants. You brushed hair and teeth
with help. You applied lotion to your hands. When she left I sat
next to you and told you how badly I needed for you to talk. You did
say some words. You distinctly said yes, no and nothing. These were
69
said at the right time. I asked if you wanted to do kaka, you said
yes, but when you got there you changed your mind. You’re
stomach is bothering you. PT (Meredith) came and we went
walking using the parallel bars. You did very well. The SLP (Jan)
came and you drank some nectar and ate some apple sauce. She
gave you a pen and asked you to write Mary. You didn’t quite get
there but after she helped you with an M you did write your own M.
Also, you clicked open and closed the pen and you initiated that and
also did it when asked. So that’s it for the half therapy day.

You had lots of visitors today. Dino and Myrna came—she brought
you Christmas presents. I will put them in the closet. We’ll open
them here on Christmas. Connie and Vicki came. They brought you
an 18 inch lighted Christmas tree. They put on gold beaded garland,
a variety of colored balls, and bows that they made themselves out of
ribbon. It is very cute. They also rearranged your flowers. Nick and
Nina came too. Nina did your nails. You are really loved by many,
many people. (Of course, I love you more.)

I managed to get to the commissary 10 minutes before it closed. I

bought a few things and then went home to eat supper. I had
coleslaw and a cheese sandwich with Arnold low carb bread. We
got some Christmas cards of people who didn’t know about the
accident. I wrote them letters in response. Aunt Mary called and
said you must get well soon so she can come to visit. She asked that I
kiss you. The rest of the evening was spent in loneliness.

Day 61 (Sunday, December 12, 2004)—it is two calendar months

today since the accident. I gave myself a haircut and missed you.
Gregory called this morning (6:30) while I was in the shower. I
called him back and he was happy to hear of the improvements you
are making. He asked that I kiss you from them. They got the
check and they sent us the usual lottery tickets. The only lottery win
I want at this point is you getting well. I did go to church and lit the
two votive candles. I stayed long enough to kiss the bible and then
left for here. It took me about 17 minutes from church and my map
recon worked in taking the right streets. Father John, as always,
70
asked about you and also was pleased to hear about your progress.
He says he feels guilty that he has seen you at NRH. Apparently, a
lot of people are dying and need his services.

When I arrived you were sort-of awake, in bed and dressed. We

said our prayers and you smiled at me a lot but did not say
anything. I really, really need to hear you speak to me. I got you up
and we went to the cafeteria area. I got some coffee and we sat near
the big Christmas tree they have. I did the talking and you nodded
at the right places. You didn’t speak. Back in the room, I put on
Thessaloniki songs for you to hear. Later, after you “ate” (through
the tube), we went back to the cafeteria area (I got some diet coke to
drink) and then when you seemed to feel cold off we went to the 3rd
floor atrium for a ride around. It was cold there too. I must admit
to being very depressed to the point that I cried. I tried very hard to
get you to say at least one word and you wouldn’t say anything. I
pray to God that you will speak soon. He has the power and I don’t.
We both need Him badly. Niko came and we (meaning you) went
walking between the parallel bars. You did well.

Going home I went a little nuts. I reached for my cell phone and it
wasn’t there. I had planned to go straight to Wheaton Mall to get
some stuff but went home instead. I called the cell, no answer, I
called the room hoping it was there and Loraine the sitter answered.
Sure enough it was there. When I kissed you goodbye, it fell on the
bed. You rolled on top of it and Loraine could not find it in time
when I called the cell. She has now out it in the drawer and I will
get it Tuesday. Relieved, I did go to Wheaton and bought a slotted
spoon to dish out Bob’s chili. I looked all over for one the other day
and couldn’t find it. Of course, when I got home I saw all the
various utensils on the counter top. Oh well, we now have two, one
black and one white. Of course, I couldn’t pass up the dollar store
and got a small gold wreath to finish decorating the little tree
Connie and Vicki got for you. I also bought a Crucifix made from
olive wood manufactured in Bethlehem for your hospital room. I
plan to get another tomorrow for the house. I also bought a new
magnifying glass so I can read the DC map I bought.
71
Home, I loaded the pictures into the computer that I’ve been taking
of you and what you have been going through—dear God, you and
us have been walking over the hot coals of hell. Sweetheart, I am so
sad and I’m crying while I type this.

Day 62 (Monday, December 13, 2004) –I’m still crying this morning.
I am still sad and depressed. Please, please dear God, help my
dearest Mary speak. I went to JCITA all day to work on modifying
one of the courses and to teach. Things seemed to go well but I have
to work hard in keeping my emotions in-check. I called the hospital
three times but couldn’t speak to anybody who knew how you were
doing. When I finished teaching, I drove to Wheaton Mall and
bought another Crucifix in Olive wood for our home. I bought a
nativity scene made from olive wood to put next to your Christmas
tree. Niko came to the house and helped me bring up our Christmas
tree. I wasn’t going to do that but I figure the little grandkids are
coming and should at least have that. Both Niko and Dini have been
great through all of this. You should be very proud at how much
they show their love for you and recognize what you have done for
them throughout their lives. We got a card from Cathy in Florida
and I responded by letter to let her know what happened (not too
long later, she sent two Mass cards).

Day 63 (Tuesday, December 14, 2004)—this day completes your 9th

week following the accident. I know it’s been hard for you and it
certainly has been the worst period of my life, ever bar none. The
trip to NRH was easy today since I left the house at 6:15 AM. I set
up the nativity scene and your Crucifix. I bought two little gold
wreathes, one for the Christmas tree base and the other I hung on
the white board to lend a little festive air. We did our prayers, I
read Gregory’s card to you, and pinned his and other cards onto the
bulletin board. Then I went to security and retrieved my cell phone.

I just reviewed your weekly goals and you are meeting them. Olivia
told me you did really well yesterday brushing your teeth on you
own. Today I believe you said hello to me. I can’t tell you how great
72
this makes me feel. You are burping a lot today and the nutritionist
came in. They changed the formula to give you more calories and
maybe that is bothering you. They need to weigh you today and see
if you need the more caloric new formula. We took you to the toilet
and you used it and said yes when we asked you if you finished. You
got up all by yourself using the side bar. We then said that you had
to wipe, you sat back down, we gave you paper and you wiped and
then got up again after throwing the paper in the toilet. Olivia came
and you did a good job with her doing teeth and face, lotion, etc.
Natalie came and you walked great to include backward steps.
Honey, I am thrilled. I did a lot of smiling and so did you. We went
with Olivia to a new area where they have lots of mock ups from
kitchens to a grocery store—they call it Independence Square. You
practiced getting into and out of a car. Liz is here and she told me
that you said several words yesterday and even ate a cracker. Wow!
She will try that again today since you are not too keen eating the
apple sauce. You ate a cracker and followed commands for setting
the table and said “yeah.” You mouthed a “no” when asked if you
needed to go to the toilet. Also, from your actions Liz is convinced
that you can see. Liz will schedule a swallowing study for you
tomorrow at 0830. We walked with Natalie and you used the
parallel bars that have a little incline on and off. You negotiated
this well. You went forward, sidestepped back and went forward
again. Outside of the bars, we walked back to your chair. A great
job! I just put you back in bed to wait for Liz. You said “the hand”
to me in Greek. I think it might have been hurting you as before the
accident you were complaining that the edge of your hand bothered
you. Later you said something else that I thought was Greek and
when I asked you if it was Greek and said the words I thought you
said you looked at me as if I was nuts. As I was driving home, it
struck me that maybe you were saying “I love you.”

I am trying to get somebody to trim your hair. I am having a

problem. Half of the numbers in the patient handbook for
“hairstylists” are disconnected. I went to the front desk on this
floor, the security desk at the entrance, and the volunteer office.
They know nothing. I have a call in to three others in the book.
73
Maybe Nina can do it. This week she is all stressed out because of
exams and projects. This is the final academic bit for her being a
teacher. Next, is her practice teaching semester.

I left early to get to Shady Grove for a flu shot. The traffic was light
so I got there early and they took me early. I got an ornament for
the tree as we usually do each year. I will put one on the mini-tree in
the hospital room. Niko called from NY to see how you are doing.

Day 64 (Wednesday, December 15, 2004)—Liz and I took you to

radiology where you took and passed your swallowing test today.
You now can eat some real food starting today. Also, you walked
using the walker while Natalie and I helped you just a little. You are
not doing to well with the toilet bit and I am trying to convince you
to tell us that you have to go. Your stomach is still bothering you
and you burp. I called the VA and there is a person who does hair
there and I am trying to convince her to come on Friday. She is
hesitant because she does not want to leave her vets – I explained
that I was a 30 year vet and that you were a hero. She will come.

You did your teeth nicely for Olivia (OT) and other personnel care
stuff. We went walking together with Natalie. You used the parallel
bars and you went back and forth and then sidestepped back to
your chair. You held on the bars and moved your hands on your
own. The bars were cold and you didn’t much like that but you did
well. You are making progress. When you were with Olivia the
second time she typified your behavior as purposefully
uncooperative. She actually liked that. However, when asked to
hand her stuff you did. When she asked you to let go of her, you did.
You even said a couple yes and no responses at appropriate places.

I missed your first meal today. I went to BAI for their party and
was back by 1:30 PM. The sitter told me that you ate most of your
mashed potatoes, three spoonfuls of mixed vegetables, two of turkey,
two cobbler and four sips of iced tea. Not bad for a first time at a
meal with real food. I ate chicken wings, meatballs, and green beans

74
at BAI. You are in everybody’s prayers. The trip there and back
took me about ½ hour each way.

Pauline, Jackie and Jeff visited you today and they brought
Christmas presents which I put in the closet so we can open them
here. They were impressed by your progress. They especially liked
the way you got up and stood to be weighed. You weigh 103 ½. I’ve
a lot of laundry to do so I will leave at 4 PM. Leaving then it is still
light out and so is the traffic. I love to see you making progress.

Day 65 (Thursday, December 16, 2004)—your stomach is still

bothering you as it did during the night. I spoke to Dr. McCarthy
and he said he would get the GI doctor to see you. Dr. Brashears
came almost immediately and wrote a bunch of orders that
hopefully will relieve you.

Olivia from OT came and worked with you on morning personal

care. You are doing more and more on your own. The only glitch is
the toilet bit. You did say “good” to her and “maybe.” Liz said you
did well responding to requests and you said a couple of words.
Niko called and spoke to you on the phone. You smiled all over the
place but you didn’t say hi to him. Natalie came and we went
walking with the walker and your stride was very, very nice. You
walked smoothly and took many more steps before you had to rest.
When I asked if you wanted my hands on the walker handles you
said “no.” You’re walking better and better.

Today you are wearing a top with some yellow in it and it looks very
nice on you. I left for the Missile Defense Agency party and all the
people were asking about you. They were very pleased with the
great news that I gave them. They continue to say prayers for you.
I went home from there and ran a bunch of errands to include
buying a Victoria Secrets fragrance for you, a sports bra, and
Pond’s face cleaning wipes. I also bought push-pins for the
Hospital’s bulletin board. Niko called and said my new laptop
computer was in and that he would come to set it up. He did come
but we are having trouble connecting to the internet. We’ll have to
75
work on that later. I washed the stair runners and put them back on
the stairs (so, OK, I am not up to your standards). I can’t seem to
keep them smooth on the stairs. The rest of the night was the usual.

Day 66 (Friday, December 17, 2004)--I got up early and did some
email. When I arrived you were bathed, been dressed but still in
bed. I showed you what I bought and you said “thank you.” That
alone made my day. You went for a tummy test first thing this AM
to make sure the gas is not being caused by something specific such
as gall stones. We went walking with Natalie and you did very well
both forward and side-step. You have been using the toilet more
consistently starting yesterday afternoon. Michelle filled in for
Olivia to do OT. Olivia was taking NRH patients on a field trip.
You did a good job at the sink with your grooming. The VA hair
dresser, Ms. Annie, came and cut/shaped your hair. She did a nice
job of blending with the side that you had your operation. Natalie
came and she did walker work with you. She will leave the walker
so we can use it on Sunday. You were not cooperative with the fill-
in speech therapists. I think you wanted Liz.

When I came back from lunch, I cuddled and kissed you and asked
if you love me. You shook your head yes. I asked if you can say, “I
love you” and you shook your head yes. I said you will make my
heart sing if you say it aloud and you said “I love you.”

They are withholding your food pending the GI doctor reading your
test. They have paged him but no response. They are trying to find
a vein to hydrate you but are not being successful given your small
veins. Finally, they managed to find a vein but not until you said
“ow” a few times. Joe came and showed me the pictures of his
Vietnam trip. Debbie was to come but the curtains were being hung
in their house and as all these people do, they were hours behind on
the job. When I left you, I said that I loved you and your response
was “good.” Joe and I went to the Chicken-on-the-Run place in
Bethesda.

76
I received a TRICARE form to fill out about your NRH stay and
they are seeking reimbursement from the auto insurance companies.
I already did this once for USFHP but I guess another is required
now that you are at NRH. I will complete the forms tomorrow and
send them to the lawyer for review. I plan to send them to
TRICARE on 5 January 2005.

Day 67 (Saturday, December 18, 2004)—one of the first things I did

this morning was to put $40 into our travel bank. I found you in bed
when I arrived. Your first therapy was not scheduled until 11:30.
You were sleepy but soon had your eyes wide open and the sitter
then dressed you. We went out together and I took you to the
ground floor atrium where I got coffee and we then sat and talked.
You did respond with a word here and there. You are saying words
more often now. We looked at the big Christmas tree for a little.
When we came back to your room, we sat facing each other. You
like to take off the seat belt. You did standing in place a few times
and the then you decided to nap with your head on my lap. When
the Saturday PT fill-in came we went to the atrium and you walked
with the walker. You did great walking and maintained it for some
time around the whole atrium. Your stride was very good and you
did not pause much. You clearly are gaining strength. Then you
walked between the parallel bars and walked forward and then
sideways. Backward walking still needs some work. OT came and
you brushed hair and teeth. We tried a transfer to a car from the
walker but that did not go well because you were not comfortable
stepping backwards to get close to the seat. After we returned you
went back to bed for relaxation and some Greek music. Andrea
another PT came and did leg exercises with you. Jennifer the fill-in
SLP is with you now across the hall. When I asked if you wanted to
walk there, you said “yeh.” I left you alone with the SLP so I
wouldn’t interfere with what she planned to do. You wrote your
name Mary using the Greek letter for “r” and a Greek “e” for the
letter “y”—not bad.

Nick and Nina came and you impressed them by unlocking your
seat belt and getting up on your own. I then walked with you to the
77
toilet (more work needed there). You are now changed and in bed
to relax for the rest of the day.

Day 68 (Sunday, December 19, 2004)—I prayed at home, ate and

went to the Orthos and lit candles there to include the ones in front
(votive candles). Father John told me that Father Steve visited you
and gave you communion and you smiled at him. You were dressed
when I arrived at 9:45 AM but did not have your compression
stockings on. I had the sitter do that. We then went to the atrium
where you sat with me while I drank coffee. You took off your seat
belt and wanted to get up so we did that and we took a walk. You
are saying more and more words. I brought you fresh clothes today
that I washed last night. You have plenty of outfits, however, about
six of them. Bob and Kathy came and we walked around the entire
atrium and then sat and talked. You said lots of words and kissed
Bob a lot. I asked if I should be jealous and you said “no.” They
brought me food to take home. Connie and Vicki came just after we
put you back to bed. Connie had a slight cold so did not come close
but Vickie sat with you. She asked if you had a good day and you
responded, “so far so good.” I walked you to the toilet and the girls
were very impressed. After some coaching you did use the toilet.
Good, this is something we have to work more on.

When I left I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond to get a new shower
radio since the old one was misbehaving. I found a nice one. I went
home, ate and started to watch TV when Niko came to the house to
work on hooking up my laptop to the wireless network and to get
my printer attached too. The poor guy worked hard and didn’t
leave until 9 PM making sure all worked as it should. While he was
at the house, Barbara from Ocean Pines called. Apparently Kathy
had called her to advise of your stellar activities while they were
with us at NRH. I guess she wanted to get the info directly from me
and was thrilled when I mentioned your progress. She keeps you in
her prayers and can’t wait for us to drive there and see them.

Day 69 (Monday, December 20, 2004)—I woke up early today and

finally had to get up at 4:45 AM. While driving the car, I noted the
78
thermometer indicated it was nine degrees outside. I can believe it
because it felt cold and was probably zero with the wind chill. I
arrived earlier than usual and went to the cafeteria, I thought it
opened at 6:30 but it opens at seven. I came to the room and you
were cozy in bed. We cuddled a little and then I went to the
cafeteria for coffee. I chatted with the President/CEO for NRH, Mr.
Ed Eckenhoff. He has been confined to a wheel chair for 19 years
following an auto accident. He is a very powerful and positive
personality. He founded NRH. Paul Rao, PhD (a colleague of Dini’s)
joined us. Both were happy to hear about your progress.

You have been talking to me this morning. No sentences yet but a

word here and there. You are certainly aware and responding. For
example, you took the pillow from behind your head and were lying
flat. I said, “Honey, you look very uncomfortable that way, you
should put the pillow behind your head,” and you did. Olivia came
and you walked with her to the toilet and you used it. You did other
positive OT things too. Natalie came and you used the walker with
very little help making a complete turn around the atrium. Natalie
and I are very pleased with your progress. You are responding more
with words now rather than nods. When I said, “I love you,” you
responded, “I love you too.” You really do not like being held onto
and want to do stuff on your own. The sitter fed you your real lunch
but I think you are supposed to try on your own, I’ll check. At any
rate, you ate all of your fish, stewed tomatoes, and rice, finished
your chicken soup and drank some ice tea by sucking it through a
straw (and you did not bite the straw as you had in the past). In
other words you did a good job eating, drinking, and thus
swallowing. Liz worked with you in identifying objects and you did
well at that but you were restless. With Natalie we went walking
again and you showed her how you can now take steps backward.
We tried a cane but you like the walker better.

We went to see Oscar Cowan the marine wounded in Iraq. He

leaves today for Christmas leave and won’t be back until March.
We will be gone from here by then but I gave him a business card so
he can contact us if he wants to.
79
Day 70 (Tuesday, December 21, 2004)—this is your 10th week since
the accident and boy were you restless when I got to NRH. You were
taking your socks off and fidgeting all over the place. You would
constantly take the pillow from behind your head and move it to
between your knees. I said you looked uncomfortable with no pillow
behind your head and you would move it back. A few minutes later
the same thing. When Natalie came you did the faux stairs up and
down. Another wow for you! I left at 11 AM to pick up Dini, Will,
and the grandchildren. They arrived right on time and so was I (of
course). I even had time to find a new cell phone holster at a
reasonable price. I had been hunting for one to replace the one I had
ever since the old one kept falling off of my belt or the phone out of
the holster.

We returned to the hospital but I had trouble finding the way from
route 395 when we got to DC. I wasn’t sure where to turn off. With
Will reading the map I had, we did find the right road. When we
arrived, Olivia was there to help you eat but you had attention
problems when trying to eat on your own. The kids all loved seeing
you. Dini and Will were most impressed with your progress. We
walked to the Atrium and sat there and talked to you. You gave
kisses to Dini; we did not let Maia come close because she has a cold.
Natalie found us and you did the stairs again. You did well and you
showed how you do the parallel bars both forward and sideways.

Liz came and you worked on identifying objects but attention

problems interfered, you kept moving to get up. One time you did
get up and stepped on Liz’s foot and you looked at Liz and said “I
stepped on your foot?” It’s nice to hear full sentences from you.
Dini feels we need to concentrate on focusing your attention and she
and Liz will discuss strategies for doing so tomorrow. When we left
we went to the commissary to buy a few things and then home to
unload. We went to the new original Ambrosia and had a nice meal.
Next, Rite Aide to pick up my meds and finally home. Guess what
we are watching with Maia and Alec. Yes, we are watching Law and
Order. Soon it will be bed time. All seem to be tired.

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Day 71 (Wednesday, December 22, 2004)—Will was already up
when I came out of the bedroom to eat breakfast and get ready to
leave. He was working on his computer and got notice he had
another client. When I left, I went for gas and that traveled to NRH.
Traffic was light. When I arrived you were fast asleep because you
did not sleep well. You were awake until 4:30 AM. I went to the
cafeteria for breakfast and when I came back your eyes were wide
open. I’m not certain that you really know who I am and our
relationship. I told you my name and the fact that we were married
for 23 years. You do respond to me when I say I love you with
“good.” You did repeat after I said it, “Arion, I love you.”

We worked on your breakfast together. I led you to the spoon or

fork and then you raised it to your mouth and ate the food on the
utensil. You ate all of your scrambled eggs, all of your Rice
Krispies. You worked well with Liz by naming things and
communicating appropriate responses. You read words like cup
and ball. You did ID Nadine by name with Liz but later said you
didn’t know who your daughter was. This type of awareness seems
sketchy. You were tired with Natalie and hot too. You did the
parallel bars but not with enthusiasm. Dini is trying to get you to
hum and you say OK but don’t do it. The sitter said you did not do
lunch with Olivia too well. With Liz and Dini, you made Christmas
cards for the kids by gluing some decorations to white paper. You
are saying more and more now and not just nodding your head.

You had a full house of visitors from the Doukas family. Harry,
Michael, David, Jeannie, Caitlin, Alexander, and Christina were all
here. They brought presents for us to open on Christmas. One was
a nice picture of Christina, our Godchild who grows taller and more
beautiful each year. When it was time to go to therapy you refused.
Dini asked what you wanted, you said, ‘kisses’ and when Dini asked
from whom you said ‘everybody.’ After everybody kissed you, you
were ready to go. So, today was better than yesterday. Everyday
and a little better, praise our Lord that it continues that way.

81
It was funny when I introduced the Doukas family to the staff. This
is “Dr. Doukas, and this is Dr. Doukas, and this is Dr. Doukas,” I
said. It sounded like the movie with Chevy Chase and Dan Akroyd
Spy’s Like Us–Dr., Dr., Dr., etc.

We went home and Joe and Debbie came. They know Dini’s love
for crab cakes and they brought them for us to eat. We had a nice
time conversing with them. Later Dini made dough so you could
make koulourakia tomorrow at OT. She also wrapped Christmas
presents. Super-mom in action!

Day 72 (Thursday, December 23, 2004)—it is raining today. I helped

dress you and you went to the toilet. Your breakfast came and you
did very well eating. You ate a biscuit, most of your cereal, some
eggs, and a few sips of grape juice. You had Trazedone last night to
help you sleep better. Dini came and you all went off to work with
Liz. They made a memory book for you. You read numbers and
other things and told Dini not to sing. When she responded that
Maia tells her the same thing, you said, “she’s right.”

Earlier when I was trying to clue you to a turn, you said in Greek,
“Don’t pull me.” When I asked how you were today, you said “I’m
in trouble.” I tried to encourage you by saying your strength will
get you well and you had the discipline to work hard and get out of
trouble. I too feel very sad today. As I wrote, it is a rainy sad day
and I guess your condition and the weather has me down. I do love
you so very much that it hurts me terribly to see you this way. My
eyes are full of tears for the third time today. I hope you get much
better soon because I don’t know how long I can make it. Liz
commented that you had the best day ever. You made a peanut
butter sandwich and sat still for the full half hour. Oh, yes, you ate
most of the peanut butter. With Olivia we tried to make the
koulourakia but you were more into eating the dough—ummm
good. She tried to get you to go to the oven but you resisted. Overall,
Olivia was very pleased with your performance. Lunch was great.
You did the eating again with little cuing. I did help by piercing the

82
chicken and green beans for you but you did all the rest. You ate all
of your green beans, all you chicken and a sip or two of your soup.

Mary Haziannis came today to visit. She was most impressed with
how much you improved since the last time she saw you. I gave back
her book Middlesex. It was not my cup of tea or book, that is.

You had lots of visitors. Dino and Myrna came and she brought a
poinsettia. Connie and Vicki came too and Michael all the way from
California. We all ate in the atrium and you seemed to enjoy all the
conversation. We also did a complete walk around the atrium and
everybody was very impressed.

After we left you we went home and then we went to Maria Joyce’s
home. She had all the relatives for finger food and drinks. I left
early because I really missed you being there and got sad. Our kids
came home at 10 PM.

Day 73 (Friday, December 24, 2004)—this is Christmas Eve and it is

also Alec’s birthday. I left a birthday card for him with $40 and I
also put $40 into our travel bank. You were awake when I arrived
but the outgoing sitter had not dressed you. I got your toothbrush
and put some paste on it and you brushed your teeth all on your
own. Then you got into a chair and we dressed you. You’ve been
doing a good job on the toilet so far this AM. You did a terrific job
eating. Good job!

We walked to the atrium where you decided to rest on one of the

green platforms for about ½ hour. I finally convinced you to go
back to the room after you spanked me a bit and gave me a couple
of karate chops because by golly you wanted to lie down on the mat.
You were sitting in a high backed chair when Dini arrived and you
got up and walked with her to the toilet. You did OK for lunch but
you didn’t appear hungry. While you were eating, Mary Anna,
Harry, Maria, Michael, and his daughter Elizabeth came to see you.
After eating, we walked to the atrium and sat and talked. When they
left, we did parallel bars and stairs. You did very well, indeed.
83
You received more Christmas flowers today, this time from Paul
and Tula Pattakos and the card read, “Dear Maria we wish you a
very Merry Christmas. We think of you each day, With all our
LOVE, Paul, Tula, and family.”

Nick and Nina came on their way to Roanoke. They were closely
followed by a group of carolers who came by and sang Christmas
songs to us. They were great and you enjoyed them as indicated by
the fact you were keeping time with your finger. I could not help
myself but I cried. Your Canadian cousin called to wish you a Merry
Christmas and to find out how you are. Bill and Priscilla Torpey
came and brought you some delicious chocolate chip cookies.

I had a meeting with Alec and Maia and said that dropping towels
on the floor and using many towels was not acceptable behavior
here or in Wisconsin. I told them their parents worked very hard
and did not need extra things to do. I told Dini I was going to do
this and she did not object.

Alec wanted to celebrate his birthday at Popeye’s so that is where

we went. His eyes were bigger than his stomach and thus we took
chicken home that we will probably throw away. Next stop was the
Mountain Creamery for ice cream. The server was not happy being
there but the kids managed to get what they wanted. The adults
were good and had nothing. They all went to the movies to see Meet
the Fockers. I went home and was sad by myself.

Day 74 (Saturday, December 25, 2004)—this is Christmas day and I

cried as I drove here this morning. When I arrived you were being
fed by the sitter. I told her you were to eat on your own with a little
guidance. You were dressed but I put on your socks and you helped
by lifting your feet. I reminded you where you were, why you were
here and who I am. We smooched a little. You did a great job
eating lunch with me just helping put food on your fork. You ate all
of your mashed potatoes, green beans and Salisbury steak. You had
some soup and ice tea too. The kids came and we opened presents.
84
They got you a very nice peach shawl, Pauline got you lotion and an
angel as did Jenna. Dino and Myrna got you a holiday decorating
cookbook, and Nick and Nina a very beautiful warm up suit.

We ordered Chinese food. We all went to the cafeteria where others

were celebrating too. They gave us some cake, fruit salad, and most
important cups so we could pour our Pepsi. We didn’t think of that.
We stayed and chatted quite awhile. I think you enjoyed it. You
even had more to eat and to drink. You did get tired, however, and
when I asked if you wanted to go for a walk or bed you said bed.
For the second time today you asked to go to the toilet and that is
wonderful. You are making progress. You do like to spank me
when I bother you. Then you kiss me. So far it has been a very nice
day given the circumstances. Niko called from Roanoke and spoke
to you on the phone. You smiled but you didn’t speak to him.

I called Greece before I left home. I spoke to John and Roula first
since the village phone was busy. John answered and he sounded
good. I gave him and then Roula the news on how you are
improving. They are thrilled and will continue prayers for you. I
called the village. I wished all Merry Christmas and told them how
you’re doing. Gregory says he lights a candle for you every night.
He said Thano was not only walking but running. All are well.

Your new roommate since Miss Winnie Herd left is Sandy Self. She
has big problems. Yesterday her husband David and son (5 years
old) were here to visit with their minister. As of 3:30 PM no one has
come today. She seems sad. She is a teacher’s aide but I think she is
not much over 30 years old.

The kids left to see some Washington sights. I left later and saw
them when they came home. Before they came I opened Niko’s and
Nina’s present to me. It was a new combination pully/backpack for
my computer for use in coming to the hospital. They also got me
rechargeable batteries for our digital camera and some writable
CDs. I cried since I was alone and without you. I truly am
miserable without you. Later, with the kids, we saw the movie “Elf”
85
that we bought Maia for Christmas. They ate left over Chinese food
and I had a couple of pieces of chicken from the day before.

Day 75 (Sunday, December 26, 2004)—I went to the Orthos and

Father John asked about you. After I kissed the bible, I came to
you. Will is working hard to fill the cracks in the wall we have near
the front door, in back of our bed and the beam in our bedroom. He
is even taking chips of paint to Hardware City to match the paint.

The sitter said you did not eat well this morning. You did well with
Olivia, she told me you said things in context and really were
looking at her. When I saw you, you were doing very well with the
fill-in PT. You did the walker, parallel bars forward and backward
and walked the stairs up and down very well. We went to the
ground floor atrium and we had coffee and cake together. You
enjoyed the amaretto coffee I bought and drank about ¾ of a cup
with some cake. When we came upstairs, you were ready for a rest
in bed. Dini, Will and the kids came and we went to the atrium
cafeteria where I had some McNuggets that they brought for me.
You joined me in drinking my diet soda and the kids played the
game “CSI.” We went for a walk in the dining room and you sat
and spoke with Dini. Dini brought you all sorts of t-shirts from your
closet that I missed. I’ll take the old back home and put it into your
work-out basket. I took you back to your bed and a fill-in PT aide
came and we went walking. She wanted to manipulate your legs and
I told her you have no such problems and that walking would be
better. You used the walker—you still need to learn to steer better
—all the way to the atrium where you did the parallel bars forward
and sidestep with a few backward steps. Next, you did a good job on
the parallel bars. Today has not been a good toilet day.

The kids went to visit with Celia. She and Carl are getting a
divorce. I went to White Flint Mall to return a t-shirt. They forgot to
remove the security tag. I did not buy another one because Dini
found so many.

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Day 76 (Monday, December 27, 2004)—I took a slightly different
route here this morning. Rather than going across Georgia Avenue
and then going south on North Capital Street, I went south on
Georgia until tuning left on Irving where the hospital is located. I
think the trip was faster and almost a mile shorter. Not only that,
North Capital is a mess and the traffic jams up at a couple of points.

You are taking the lowest dose Trazodone to sleep because you have
been very restless at night. Today you were supposed to get Ritalin
(5 mg—a low dose) at 8 AM to get you moving and to be more
responsive during therapy. Staying focused is very important. The
Dr. had not written the order and thus you didn’t get it until noon.
I’m not sure I see any big changes. But with Natalie you did walk
with a cane and you had good balance. Dini and Will came late as
they had lunch at the Cheese Cake Factory with Monica and
Conrad Grant they send you love and get well thoughts. The grand
kids stayed a little and off they went with Will to shop and to wash
Nina’s car which they used all week. You had a fill-in SLP named
Amy who is married to a Greek named Gioriades. You did great
eating for both breakfast and lunch – I don’t know how well you do
during dinner since I am not here.

At 4 PM, Dini and I left for home and did some phoning—she to a
friend and I to Sprint. We went to Ambrosia where we met Niko
and Nina. A little later Will and the kids showed up. We had a nice
meal all together, Niko paid half and we went home so N+N could
open presents. We bought a nice light weight coat for Nina that she
had admired on Dini. We had given Niko money for combined
birthday and Christmas and he bought himself a very, very
expensive pair of shoes. They stayed a couple of hours. I sort-of
kicked them out so Dini, Will and kids could pack.

Day 77 (Tuesday, December 28, 2004)--this completes week 11 and

was a busy morning. The people at 4216 woke up at 3:30 AM and
we actually left when we said we would at 4:30 AM. I drove to
Reagan National Airport and dropped them off at 5 AM for their
6:30 flight. I got home by 5:30 AM and put out lots of recycling, to
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include paper, boxes, and cans. The garbage can was full –I say this
because by myself I don’t generate very much and usually put out
the can every two weeks. I did a load of sheets and put them in the
dryer and started washing towels. I’ll dry them later. I started the
dish washer too and I’ll empty it later. I wrote some charity checks.
There was a 9.0 earthquake yesterday that generated several
tsunamis that hit the coasts of many surrounding nations and
drowned maybe 40,000 people. What a disaster that is.

You did a good job eating breakfast but I don’t think you did as well
with the fill in speech therapist named “Brownrigg,” a very unusual
first name. You rather eat the peanut butter than make a sandwich.
You said you did not know this was December and that we just
celebrated Christmas. You walked with a cane twice today and
Natalie only monitored. She did not hold or even touch you. She
said your balance was “fabulous.” Olivia showed you how to get in
and out of a shower. You walked a long way with the walker to
Independence Square. This is a specially constructed area for
occupational therapy. It has a kitchen, a store, a car, a shower stall,
and all manner of things to help people relearn how to do the chores
of everyday living. During OT with Olivia, you did some washing
and then you decided to sit on the floor. We let you do that until
you thought it would be nice to lie down. We helped you get up.

Nurse Judy came and we discussed your Ritalin intake. We think

that giving you one dose at 6 AM and another at noon might be best
for you to keep up and focused.

When I left, I went to the post office to mail several letters overseas
in response to Christmas cards. Then to the PX and commissary
and finally to Target where I bought a soft pillow for you to sit on
when in the wheel chair. At home, I put away purchases, did some
cleaning, finished and put away the wash and emptied the the
dishwasher. I sent an email to our State Senator in response to a
letter. I told her that I thought the law screwy that gives an
individual a traffic citation and $55 fine for hitting a pedestrian in a
crosswalk legally crossing at a light. If you had been crossing where
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there was no light then the penalty would be more severe. Dini
called to hear how you were and to report that they got home safely.
Earlier Maia had called to tell me the same thing. She asked how
you were and I said you were doing well. We discussed the drug
Trazedone they are giving you which is an anti-depressant that acts
like a sedative. Niko called earlier to see how you were.
Day 78 (Wednesday, December 29, 2004)—so here I am bright and
early. You were curled up in your bed, dressed but without shoes
on. I went to breakfast since yours was not here yet and when I got
back, it had arrived. You got up and with a little help, you ate
everything. I tried to get you to tell the difference between a spoon
and a fork but I don’t think I was successful. However, it just might
be that you find it easier to eat with a spoon.
After breakfast you wanted to go for a walk so we used the walker
around the atrium. They gave you the Ritalin at 6 AM but I didn’t
see you much more alert when I arrived at 6:45 AM. Maybe they
need to take you off of the Trazodone. I discussed that with them
but they want to wait and not put you on something and take you off
too rapidly. You got a second dose of Ritalin at noon. Natalie came
and you walked well with the cane but you really wanted to get back
in bed, it seemed to me. Olivia said you were not cooperating too
well until I got involved. We tried to go outside because people said
it was warm. Well, it wasn’t that warm and we came back in. You
did well getting into the passenger side of the car. You are saying
more things now in English and when I speak Greek you reply in
Greek. You were in bed waiting for lunch and had one foot in the
air. I waved at you and said can you wave at me and you waved
your foot. You are cute and when I said that you said, a cutie
patooty. You did well eating. You did most of the work yourself
until you got tired. An important milestone was that you asked to
go to the toilet—you said tsis. You have been very good on the toilet.
With Natalie we did stairs – you were great and fast. Natalie was
working on getting your left knee stronger.
I took some pictures of you resting between therapies. I asked you
to smile and may have gotten one that way. After I put the camera
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away you stuck your right foot up in the air. I got the camera out
again and asked you to stick your foot up again—you did. I hope
one of these comes out.
The news from the areas hit by the tsunami is terrible. Now they
estimate 58,000 people killed. The big fear now is from disease from
decaying bodies, inadequate sanitation, inadequate sources of water,
etc. I sent a check to the Red Cross for relief activities.
Apparently there has already been some medical billing confusion. I
received a letter from TRICARE North telling me to fill out some
forms that I already filled out for USFHP. It appears that NRH
billed TRICARE North when they should have billed USFHP.
Hopefully things are on track now.
On the way home, I went to the Navy Exchange and bought you a
pair of New Balance walking shoes with Velcro. I also got you three
light weight shirts. At home, I sent David Lease our lawyer a fax
about the TRICARE situation and emailed Amy Bressler Leanord
the NRH case manager. She told me not to respond to TRICARE
North because all was straightened out. I exercised on the treadmill
for the first time in many weeks. I only did ½ hour at three miles
per hour but it is a start. I gave Pauline some food left over from
the kids visit (cereal, bread, broth, and heavy cream). She begins
work soon. The rest of the evening was pretty much the same.
Day 79 (Thursday, December 30, 2004)—this morning you were
much more alert. You even repeated the Lord’s Prayer after me,
first in Greek, then in English. For the first time on your own you
held your fingers correctly for the cross. Way to go gal! You ate all
of your food again. You mostly fed yourself. You also swallowed
your pills after a little convincing. You had a different SLP in the
morning called Monica. I don’t know what happened to the
Brownrigg gal. You made some tea and had a sip or two. They are
working on focus and concentration. You are being assertive i.e.,
when you want to do something like sit, you take action to sit to
include spanking my hand. Katie was your PT person today and
she tried to get you to play some ball. You cooperated until it hit

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you and then you got angry. You did catch and throw it a few times.
You really crack Olivia (the OT) up. She finds you very amusing
the way you act and react. With her you played with a balloon. You
are speaking sentences, when you are in the mood, and always in
context. For sure you recognize me now and you do use my name.
Brownrigg did show up and you looked at Star magazine together.
Connie, Niko and Nina arrived and went with us when it was time
for PT. We went to the gym where you exercised on a recumbent
stepper for about four minutes. You went to the training staircase
with six steps for you to show your expertise. You went up two steps
and turned around as if to come down. We asked that you go to the
top and you did—backwards. You then went down the other flight
in a more conventional manner. Niko was very sweet to you and
enjoyed seeing you with eyes wide open. In fact, he wrote on your
white board, “I love seeing your big brown eyes! Love Niko.”
Somebody in the elevator asked if anybody mentioned to me that I
resemble Anthony Hopkins. I said yes and when I was much
younger it was Steve McQueen, then Bob Newhart and now
Hopkins. He laughed.
I went home after stopping at CVS for more Coricidin HBP. It is
good for colds and those who have high blood pressure (HBP).
Susan brought me roast lamb and green beans for dinner. It was
good. The rest of the evening was the usual and I went to bed a little
after 9 PM but not before Myrna called to ask how you were. She
told me they were going to leave tomorrow. Meanwhile Dino was
looking for his keys and Myrna opened a pair of scissors to help.
Day 80 (Friday, December 31, 2004)—this is New Year’s Eve day
and finally what has turned out to be a lousy year for us will draw to
a close. May God bless us with your renewed health in 2005. There
is no therapy today or tomorrow. There will be on Sunday. You
were dressed when I came and we did our prayers. You made your
cross and then you got up with me to eat breakfast. You like to
stand part way through and tire about half way but you do eat
pretty much everything. You did good work toilet-wise. We did
some walking and stairs but you did what has become your usual
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thing of wanting to sit on the padded platforms they have and then,
of course, lie down. Since I don’t know the cleanliness of these flat
surfaces I try to dissuade you but you are certainly assertive. For
my trouble I got slapped (not hard), pinched, a little love bite, and a
punch or two. You finally got your way. Bob came and found us on
the second floor. I said, “look who’s here, Bob” and he said “hi
Maria” and you replied “Hi Bobby.” Your language skills are
improving. I said, “I love my girl” and you replied, “I love my boy.”
Focus is still a bit of a problem but I’m sure that will come soon.
You are restless even in bed.
Cynthia and George Contis came. Cynthia brought chocolates from
Switzerland and a poinsettia. George brought you an icon from
Russia of Ahgios Pantelemonas. He is noted for healing powers.
Lunch came, Cynthia and George left, Bobby stayed. Again, you ate
all of your food but had to stand several times. Once, you said you
needed tsis and we went to the toilet. We went outside today and
while not particularly warm it was pleasant. You wore the shawl
that Dini got for you. You walked from bench to bench and pushed
your wheel chair. You had good exercise. We then went to the
cafeteria for some coffee to warm up. You had a couple of sips and
then you were ready to go. Connie came and brought magazines and
different colors of nail polish for you to select. She filed and
polished your nails. Nick and Nina called and cannot come today.
The down news of the day is the death toll in S. Asia and Africa is
now estimated at 137,000 people spread throughout 12 countries
and may still go higher. Apparently, there are some 3000 Americans
missing there. The force of the tsunami swept the sea to the foot of
mountains more than a mile away destroying everything in its way.
Canadian Evangelia called to hear how you are and to wish us a
great 2005. You are in her prayers and her sister informed the
priest there who said a prayer for you. Dini called to wish us a
Happy New Year. Harry called too.

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Day 81 (Saturday, January 1, 2005)—Dear God, please let 2005 be a
good year for us. I love my Maria so much and I need her back
home. She is my panapola (my everything).
I put $40 in the travel bank and I want to go on record for the new
year that I am still making our bed. I try to leave the house at least
Arion neat.
This continues to be a very emotional day for me and I am a little
weepy. I hold great hopes for a wonderful 2005 but I am still afraid
and anxious even as you progress to be better. In fact, I called Dini
to tell her that when I asked you for your daughter’s name you said
Nadine and when I asked about your son you said Niko and further
said Nina for your daughter-in-law. You even had a conversation on
the phone with Dini. Roula called from Greece this morning and
said she would call around noon to speak with you.
After your breakfast, we went across the hall to look at Star
magazine. Then you went to a platform to relax. Later when we
returned to your room, you repeated the Lord’s Prayer and did
your cross on-your-own—you held your fingers properly.
Nick and Nina came and we went outside. You did a lot of walking
and a lot of bench sitting. We were out for one hour and the kids
loved to see you alert. You liked walking holding Niko’s hand. We
waited for Roula’s call but none came. Perhaps they can’t call a
mobile phone here. We came upstairs to find lunch and you ate
everything but the desert. We went out again and you walked and
sat your way around the garden. In one of the chairs with the sun
shining on you, you decided it was hot and said so.
Let this beautiful day of 1 January be an omen from God that 2005
will be a wonderful year for us.
Day 82 (Sunday, January 2, 2005)—before I left for church today, I
spoke to Litsa and Gregory and told them about your progress.
They were pleased to hear about it and said Glory to God. Gregory
continues to light a candle for you. Litsa thanked me for our
Christmas gift and expense money. I fasted from meat, eggs and
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seafood yesterday and ate nothing in the morning before leaving for
church at about 8:35 AM. I was there for the Orthos. You really
love the Orthos because much of it is singing. I stayed until I took
communion. If my prayers are effective, the communion was for us
both. Father John is on vacation so Father Steve performed the
whole service. When I arrived, Connie and Vickie were already here
and you had done some therapy. Soon after, Niko and Nina arrived.
It was not warm enough to go outside so we all went to the atrium
where you did some very nice walking to include the stairs. Then
you got very tired. Jan the fill-in SLP came to work with you and I
was concerned that you were too tired but you did well. You even
wrote numbers that she dictated to you up to and including the
number 15. You batted the balloon back and forth with her. We are
working hard on your focus and attention. Every morning when I
arrive, we do prayers (you repeat the Lord’s Prayer with me), I tell
you who I am, who you are, the fact that you had a brain injury and
are now in the hospital to get well. You are working hard to do that
—get well. You have a little sniffle and I think that I might have
given you that. You do blow your nose on your own and select the
tissue too. You have been much better on the toilet too.
When I left, I drove to Trader Joe’s to get you some of that dark
chocolate you like. At home, I wrote an email to the Maryland
Attorney General about the crazy law when vehicles hit pedestrians
in a crosswalk. I called you on the phone at 7 PM (our first phone
call) and in response to my hello, you said “Hi Hubby.” I exercised
for 30 minutes on the treadmill, ate something, watched TV, said
prayers and went to bed at 9:45 PM.
Day 83 (Monday, January 03, 2005)—when I arrived at 7 AM you
were awake but not dressed. Your food tray was here and you ate in
your own. I even gave you a piece of chocolate after the food. You
ate all of your food and drank your OJ too and about half your milk
and your coffee. I walked you to the toilet where you did tsiss.
Following that the sitter dressed you while I went to the cafeteria for
cheese eggs, lo-carb bread from home and coffee. When I returned
you were dressed and resting in bed. I was told that you had a good
night’s sleep. Liz was supposed to do your SLP therapy today but
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she came in with a cold and they sent her home. Melissa took over
for her and said she had the best session ever with you. You wrote
your name and those of the kids. You had the right letters in the
right sequence. Olivia said you did very well attending her eating
club. You ate all of your lunch after which we took a walk around
the atrium. While you were eating in your group I went on-line in
their computer center and found a manual on counterintelligence
that I am using to do some work. I put in three hours. Your
afternoon PT is leg exercises. You only had an aide and that is
really all they can do. Kate was called away to do an evaluation.
Tomorrow, Natalie will be back. You gave Olivia a hard time
getting you out of bed and while helping put on your shoes. You
have more work to do in that area. With the fill-in SLP you did
some writing of names. She said you worked hard for the first ten
minutes and then rested and did some more.
Mary Haziannis came today. She thought you looked absolutely
great. She had been away with her family and she saw big, positive
differences with you. When I left, I did many errands. I ordered
Szechwan Green Beans for dinner. I called you at 7 PM and you
said a few words to me. Niko called to see how you were doing.
Day 84 (Tuesday, January 04, 2005)—this completes week number
12 since your accident. You have come a long way from that day.
You were bright eyed when I arrived and starting to dress. You
pulled on your shirt and your pants too. Breakfast came and you ate
and drank everything much of it on your own. Olivia came and you
did a good job taking a shower. Melissa (fill-in SLP—Liz is still sick)
said she had another great session with you. This time you spelled
your name in Greek and Melissa was not sure what you wrote. You
told Melissa it was Greek. Later, the SLP fill-in Kristen said you
wrote numbers and were very attentive for 25 minutes before you
had to stand up.
Roula called from Greece on my cell and you spoke to her both in
Greek and English. You asked how she was and you told her to have
a good year. She was thrilled. After the call, you went to the dining
group. You liked the spaghetti today but yesterday you did not like
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the fish. You didn’t care much for the sponge cake. You seem to
prefer lemonade over ice tea.
We went outside today with Natalie. They expected it to be 67
degrees. I think it was warmer. You walked absolutely beautifully
with a cane on your own. Your stride and balance were great and
you walked a long distance. Getting to the outside you pushed the
wheelchair. After we got inside again, you continued to use your
cane and then pushed the wheelchair when we arrived at the 1st
floor atrium. You pushed all the way back to the room and you went
and did tsis. You are very alert and focused today.
Sandy left today for a nursing home. She has not been with it for
several days probably because of the pain medicine she was given.
She is in much pain due to extra bone growth on her right leg.
According to her husband, Dave, this should stop and then they can
operate to remove that bone. Because of her weakness in that leg,
she took a bad fall home down a flight of stairs and hit her head.
She speaks with difficulty but cannot walk and is incontinent. She is
still being fed through her PEGG. We said goodbye to her and told
her husband that she is in our prayers. He works for a contractor
supporting the Army at Ft. Belvoir. They live in Laurel and the
nursing home is near where he lives.
I went home and read The Orthodox Observer and you led off the
“People” column. Here is what it said, Hero in DC. Maria Pattakos
of Washington saved the life of an 18-month old granddaughter of a
neighbor in October, and sustained serious injury. While the
grandmother, the child and Mrs. Pattakos were attempting to cross a
neighborhood street, a pickup truck turned abruptly toward them.
Mrs. Pattakos thrust the stroller out of the way and the baby sustained
only a minor bruise but Mrs. Pattakos received traumatic injuries and
barely survived. She has been in the Brain Injury Unit of the National
Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington where she is expected to
remain for months. Mrs. Pattakos is a member of St. Sophia Cathedral
and the wife of Col. Arion Pattakos (US Army ret). Her family asks for
everyone’s prayers.”

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Niko came to our home, we covered the Christmas tree and put it
back to storage. We called you and spoke to you on the phone.
Day 85 (January 5, 2005)—Roula called just as I was leaving. She
wanted to know about your reaction to her call. I said I couldn’t
guarantee that you would remember it today but yesterday you
seemed to be with it. It is raining hard today. When I arrived you
were dressed. You slept well and got up twice to go to the toilet.
You ate all of your food. Yesterday I spoke to Dr. Choltis (she’s
married to a Greek) and a resident at Johns Hopkins on rotation
here about the removal of your PEGG. She will raise the issue with
Dr. McCarthy. It is wonderful to see you with your eyes open and
alert. God is smiling on us.
We went for a walk around the atrium before your therapy started
today. You walked using your cane, unassisted, and did not sit quite
as often. We threw a ball slightly smaller back and forth and you
counted the tosses. We stopped at ten. Liz (the SLP) is back from
vacation and her cold. Your walk with Natalie went well and she
feels that you soon will not need the cane. Concentration still needs
work to develop more of an awareness of your environment. You
are more verbal and express what you want to do. You are following
directions much better. You were social with your dining group but
not much interested in eating. They brought you back to the room
and I tried to get you to eat with me but you were restless. We went
for a walk. After returning to the room you sat on the bed and ate
more as long as I fed you. I probably should not have done that but
I wanted you to have your nutrition.
Afternoon therapy came with the arrival of Liz. You went across
the hall for a one-on-one. You identified numbers and wrote Happy
New (using Greek letters for this word) Year, Love ya.” You sat
for about 20 minutes and then got up and went to the mat to lie
down. Natalie came and you played a game like horseshoes. She
said you did well. Next you sat and then down on the platform you
went taking off your shoes. It was hard work to get you up and to
put on your shoes. You walked nicely without the cane. Focus,
focus, focus is the big issue.
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I left for Harry and Mary Anna’s house and from there to the new,
original Ambrosia where they treated me to dinner.
Day 86 (Thursday, January 06, 2005)—you were in bed when I
arrived on this gloomy day—it’s another day of drizzle. You looked
good—let me say, GREAT. When I asked you my name, you
responded “Arion Pattakos.” You did a good job eating breakfast
and then Olivia came to supervise your dressing. You did a good
job of putting on your bra and a sweat suit. You were not too
cooperative with Liz. She wanted to take you to make tea, you
wanted to take off your top. You were hot. We convinced you to
change into something a little less warm. When Natalie came for PT
you were on-the-ball. We went to the atrium where it is cooler. You
did the stairs a couple of times, the parallel bars and a lot of
walking. You are speaking in more complete sentences. Your
second session with Liz was not too successful. You were restless and
did not want to stay focused. You are not on the Trazedone now
and perhaps taking the Ritalin is too much. You walked with
Natalie and even pushed open doors. You worked on turning left
since you have been favoring right turns. I spoke to Dr. McCarthy
and he’s taking you of the Ritalin. We’ll see how that goes.
Lou Thompson came and brought you a very pretty plant. You also
received a vase of very nice roses from Nina’s family. Joe and
Debbie came and found you great. They had not seen you for two
weeks because they went to Florida. They saw you as dramatically
better. When we went to Chicken-on-the-Run and ate their delicious
chicken. I can’t wait to take you to this little hole in the wall place.
Maia called to tell me that she spoke to you on the telephone. She
remembered every word and was thrilled that you had a
conversation. Dini called you too and so did I.
Day 87 (Friday, January 07, 2005)—when I came, you were being
made ready for PEGG removal and off you went to the Washington
Hospital Center. Apparently they tried to remove it last night but
you were not cooperative and agitated. Thus, you had to go to a
more formal setting and be sedated. It’s a good thing I was here

98
because they needed consent. I gave consent over the phone to the
Dr. and then two different nurses. You are back now and really out
of it. You need to sleep it off and we’ll see if you get any therapy
today. Removing the PEGG is another milestone towards success.
After you awakened, clear fluid was the word for lunch. I was
disappointed with NRH as it took over an hour to react. We went
for a walk around the atrium. You went around three times, did
parallel bars, and stairs too. I wanted to throw the ball with you but
you did not. You kept handing it back to me and then to stop this
activity, you put the ball to your side. Later, you ate some soup. Bisi
a PT fill-in came to work with you and you had no part of it. A few
minutes later Olivia came and you were completely uncooperative.
You said NO to everything. She wanted to take you to the toilet—
NO. You wanted us to take off your shoes and we said no. You then
took them off. Next you wanted us to take off your socks and again
we said if you want them off you do it. You took them off.
Our lawyer called today and gave me an update. State is ready to
settle but wants us to give up our right to go after Purcell, the guy
who hit you. According to USAA, he has no assets anyway. USAA
wants an idea of how much the tab will be between Suburban and
NRH. The lawyer is also trying to sort out with the government
what percent of the insurance should be considered medical
payments and what for pain and suffering. I asked Amy (the NRH
Social Worker) to find out who I should call to determine what
Suburban and their associates have billed.
When I left NRH I went directly home and did some organizing for
income tax. I called you and we said the Lord’s Prayer. Your
Canadian cousin called and I gave her your number at NRH. I told
her of your progress. Harry called too. They are going to the beach
house this weekend. They have a leak in the roof of their sun room.
By the way, when I saw Mary Anna the other day, she was walking
very nicely and looked good. Harry’s brother needed a stint for one
of his arteries.

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Day 88 (Saturday, January 08, 2005)—it is raining again today and
cool. I put our $40 in our travel bank and had to consolidate what
we had there so far so that new money would fit. When I arrived
you were dressed and still in bed. I went and got your food but you
were not ready to get up to eat. Your tummy is bothering you where
they removed the tube. You brushed your teeth and went to the
toilet. The underpants I brought from home were tight so we
changed those. I have to get you others. We did the atrium a turn or
two and with Marlena the fill-in PT you did a little time on a
machine. You are full of “no” today. I’m told that you slept well last
night but you still get tired easily this morning.
You and I did a lot of atrium walking in the afternoon. You were
getting out of bed often. Your endurance is improving. You are
very restless. Your eating was OK. Breakfast was good but you
really weren’t cooperating with Olivia for lunch or the SLP. During
their visits you were in your “no” mode. We made several telephone
calls. We left a message on Dini’s cell (she called back later and
spoke with you), you spoke with: Arti, Aunt Mary, Barbara, and
Myrna. All of these people were thrilled to hear from you.
When I left, I went to the Navy Exchange and bought you new
panties. I also bought you some socks. When I got home Susan
called and insisted that she give me food—she brought me half a
chicken and some vegetables.
Day 89 (Sunday, January 09, 2005)—I got up at 6:15, cut my hair,
ate, read the paper, went to the bank and then to Church for the
Orthos. They had Holy Water so I took some to bless NRH and for
home. You drank some and I sprinkled some on your bed. We said
our prayers and we changed your underwear to the new ones. We
then went walking. A walking milestone was set in the gym where
you went up stairs using each foot in the normal way (i.e., not one
step with one foot and a pause at each step). Very good! We still
need to work on memory and focus.
We walked a lot today. You were constantly getting out of bed to
either walk or to sit in the chair near your bed. During one of our

100
walks, I commented to one of the staff that we needed to work more
on your memory. As we walked away you commented that you
remember more than I think you do. I certainly hope that is true.
We went to Independence Square and you got into and out of the
passenger side of the display car without assistance. Maia called and
you spoke to her. Later Dini called too and you chatted with her.
Connie who was going to come to color your hair has a cold. So,
maybe next week will be the week for hair coloring.
Today, you wanted to eat what was in the facial cleansing box. You
put a bit on a spoon even after I tried to dissuade you. You didn’t
like it. You uncapped the mineral oil and wanted to drink it. You
poured it into a cup notwithstanding my objections. You took a sip,
said “oil” and stopped. You also poured water into your apple sauce
cup. I guess you have to do these things to relearn what is
acceptable. A few times when you got up, you pulled down your
pants and once your underpants before you sat in a chair. Again, I
tried to dissuade you but you persisted. You only stayed that way
moments when I pointed out that a stranger might see you. You
were weighed today and are 100.3 pounds.
When I left, I went to Target to buy a new basting utensil so I can
add oil easier to the candela. I also bought a measuring cup to put
the oil in. I got you three new t-shirt with long sleeves in pretty
colors. I bought myself some nice shelves to use in my computer area
for my scanner and my color printer to have them both easily
available. Assembly of the shelves was a pain as usual but it worked
out. The 3-tier shelves are very sturdy and my set up looks neat. I
called you at the hospital and we talked a little.
Day 90 (Monday, January 10, 2005)—I arrived at 6:45 and you were
dressed and in bed. The sitter said you slept well and that you went
to the toilet a couple of times. Your food arrived and you ate corn
flakes, eggs, one and a half slices of French toast, a glass of OJ with
apple juice mixed, some milk, a few sips of coffee. Yesterday, I
prepared a memo for Liz M. (the SLP), Natalie B (PT), and Olivia G
(the OT) commending them as a Class Act—Partners-in-Excellence.

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I gave each an individual copy and took the rest to the Human
Resource Office. The women really liked that I did that for them.
Olivia came and you were off to shower and to wash your hair.
Olivia said you did great washing and helping dress yourself. It’s
Liz’s turn. She said you were right on the ball. You worked on
pictures together to determine their contents. While you were not
perfect you were much advanced from other days. You got tired at
your dining group and they brought you back to me where you ate
all of the rest of your food. Given that you only weigh 100 pounds I
asked the nutritionist to supplement your food.
Your work with Natalie was rewarding. You were cooperative
notwithstanding we had done a lot of atrium walking prior to your
session with her. You counted, threw things etc. Pauline and Jackie
came and walked with us. They were impressed on how you looked
and behaved. Earlier when I was speaking with you and telling you
what you meant to me, I asked you the word I used in Greek and
you responded “panapola” which is Greek for “my everything,” the
correct answer. Latter when I asked you something similar you
responded in English “you’re my everything.” Your second session
with Liz you flipped through pages to identifiy pictures and talk
about them, you sorted cards into red and black. You are still
inconsistent in naming the number of children we have but you did
name them (Niko and Dini, you said).
Day 91 (Tuesday, January 11, 2005)—this is your thirteenth week in
hospitals recovering from your traumatic injuries. I was not with
you the first thing in the morning because I went to teach. I set up
and my three students came at 8:30. The seminar went well and we
will reconvene on Thursday of this week. I do not want to be
without you for two days in a row. Actually, I did go to NRH after
the class arriving about 4:15 PM. We spoke and walked together . I
saw Natalie who said you did particularly well with her. Tanya came
to see you as did Niko. Maia called and you spoke to her and then to
Dini. Food arrived and you ate your dinner. You did a good job but
did get tired about half-way through but did eat everything.

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Dino called from Florida to ask how you were while I was on the
treadmill. I told him about your progress.
Day 92 (Wednesday, January 12, 2005)—I arrived at 6:50 AM and
found you in bed. We said prayers and then your breakfast came.
You ate all of your food but they did not bring the can of Ensure
they were supposed to as a supplement. I asked for it and you
drank most of it later.
Olivia came to supervise your shower and your dressing. She
reported that you initiated washing with a washcloth on your own.
You also brushed your hair and your teeth. The nurse came to give
you your medicines and you swallowed whole pills for the first time.
Before you would spit them out and then they’d grind them up and
put them into applesauce and feed them to you. Now, you are taking
them with water and swallowing them. Another milestone!
I went with you and Natalie for PT. You did a great job in leading
us to the elevator and then you walked up a ramp and down stairs.
Later, you kicked a ball very nicely and followed this with rolling a
ball back and forth on a table with Natalie. You counted as you
kicked and rolled the ball. Right after PT you went off with Liz to a
quite place. My sensing from Liz was that while you are improving
in your attention, you still need more work and on memory. She is
doing high/low with cards, asking you to describe pictures and
complete sentences. She believes that you are progressing well. I am
praying to God for improvements in those areas. Liz thinks your
memory is OK but that you are having trouble relating words to
that memory. For example, you look at a tooth brush and don’t
know what to call it but when cued by saying br.. you say brush and
then when asked what kind of brush and cued again with something
like tuh you say tooth brush. So, Liz (and I) will work on relating
your memory of objects to being able to articulate them.
We had a family conference today with me attending, the therapists,
Doctor Cholis and Amy your NRH Social Services Case Worker.
They all agreed that you were progressing very, very well. On a
scale to measure progress, the Rancho Scale, you are now a solid

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five (out of eight) the therapists all agreed. A five is described as,
Person is alert and can respond to simple commands on a more
consistent basis. Highly distractible and needs constant cueing to
attend to an activity. Memory is impaired with confusion regarding
past and present. The person can perform self-care activities with
assistance. May wander and needs to be watched carefully. I really
think you are close to a level six which is: Person shows goal directed
behavior, but still needs direction from staff. Follows simple tasks
consistently and shows carryover for relearned tasks. The person is
more aware of his/her deficits and has increased awareness of self,
family and basic needs. Considering you were at a level two when
you got to NRH (Person reacts inconsistently and non-purposefully to
stimuli. Responses are limited and often delayed.) You are really are
doing fabulously well in getting better.
Day 93 (Thursday, January 13, 2005)—today I went to BAI to teach
the second half of my course. The course went well. I managed to
finish by 3 PM and was able to come to you by 4PM. When I arrived
you had just finished PT and were very, very tired and went to bed
to relax. The day was warm (up to 73 degrees) so they were able to
take you outside. I didn’t see the other therapists so I don’t know
how well you did with them. After you rested for about a half hour
you were ready to go walking with me. We toured the atrium. We
sat and talked and worked on your ability to name objects. You did
well. Niko came and joined us on our walk. You recognized him
right away and called him Niko then Nicholas. After our walk we
went back to the room because dinner had arrived. You ate well.
When Niko and I left, we went to “Chicken-on-the-Run.” The
power in that area of Bethesda went out but we were lucky enough
to get our chicken. It was so warm, we ate outside.
Day 94 (Friday, January 14, 2005)—wow, it was raining all night
with gusto and this morning too. The radio reported that there was
flooding in many areas. My trip to NRH, however, was uneventful
and I arrived at 6:50 AM. You were in bed and the sitter said you
slept well only getting up when you had to go to the toilet. You were
not dressed since Olivia is going to come to supervise you doing
bathing and dressing. You came back from your shower wrapped in
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a towel—you looked very cute. Olivia said you did a great job of
bathing. You did a good job of dressing putting on panties and pants
with no trouble. You had a little difficulty putting on your bra
because it was new, I think, and the clips weren’t broken in. You
had no problem putting on your shirt and then brushing your teeth.
Joe came at 10 AM and took me to lunch and a lecture on the
Middle East. The meeting was at the Tyson’s Holiday Inn and run
by the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. Joe is really
something because he drove all the way from Columbia to pick me
up and then to return me before off to Columbia again. Quite a trip!
The talks were interesting, the meal roast pork I was back by 2 PM.
The rain has stopped but as predicted, it is getting cold. It is
expected to drop into the twenties.
One of the speakers we heard believes that Osama lost the war he
envisioned would occur after 9/11. According to the speaker, he
didn’t believe the US would react with such determination and that
the people of Islamic nations would rise up to throw out their
governments to form a new Caliphate. He said, the Islamic nations
are cooperating more than ever with the US in pursuit of terrorists.
Upon my return you were with Liz. She said you did well. You did
well with me identifying black and red cards. When I pointed to the
clock you properly identified it as a clock.
I called you but you did not feel like talking much—the night before
we had a nice conversation. You’ll never guess who called me—Nick
and Aresti Vourlos. They live in Maryland but winter in Naples,
Florida. They found about you from reading the Orthodox
Observer where there was a short article about you. We chatted
about old times. They have two girls, one who lives in Maryland
and the other in New York.
Day 95 (Saturday, January 15, 2005)—when I left home I went by
the Post Office to mail our estimated taxes. I arrived at NRH at 7
AM. The food came and you did a good job eating your breakfast
and then we went for you to shower even though you didn’t really
want to because you felt it was cold. You washed your body but
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were not very cooperative about rinsing your hair after I put soap
on your head. I laid out your clothes for the fill-in OT, Dorothy,
came to help you dress. You did a good job of putting on socks but
did not do as well with shoes. You got one on and promptly took it
off. PT (Rebecca) took you walking and you did not sit on every seat
you saw. Inbal (an Israeli name she said) came as the fill-in SLP.
You did well with her to include writing your first name in beautiful
script. She was very impressed and so was I. That was it for official
therapy today. It was concentrated in the first two hours in the
morning. I would have preferred it spread out. We went for a walk
around the atrium and the outside halls of the atrium. We sat and
then you said to me in Greek, let’s go, and shortly after you said the
same thing in Japanese, something Bob taught you many years ago.
I liked that. You were not good in recognizing the treadmill,
computer, etc. today. We did card recognition and you were so-so.
You went off with Reann (a student PT) for some walking.
By way of news-of-the-day, I read that the death toll from the
Tsunami is now estimated at 157,000 souls. Most of the deaths (over
100,000) are in one province of Indonesia called Aceh. The good
news is that the response to this catastrophe from here and around
the world is wonderful. So far support from the Moslem nations is
not great given that Indonesia is predominately Moslem. Here in the
US, good old California has had lots of rain and mud slides. Ten
people died in those. Why people love CA so much surprises me
given the catastrophes they have on a regular basis.
I went to Trader Joe’s to buy a few things to include more chocolate
for you. Eating-wise I was bad tonight—I ate pasta with cheese. All-
day, however, I ate no meat. I did some desk work again and then
tried to call you. The line was busy so I called the front desk and
they checked and found the phone was under your pillow. Pauline
had called earlier and I guess you put it under your pillow when you
finished. Pauline called me to ask if I thought you knew who she
was and I said yes. She mentioned that she told you too bad that
they went out the day you were hit and you responded in a rather
philosophical way. You said, “If not then some other time.” The
other impressive thing was that you had the sitter dial our number
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so you could talk to me. That was great. Harry called and he has
such a bad cold I couldn’t even recognize his voice. Of course, Mary
Anna caught the cold too.
Day 96 (Sunday, January 16, 2005)—I put $40 in our travel bank. I
called Greece. All are fine and thankful you are getting better. The
village priest asks about you and includes your name in his prayers.
Voula asks about you as do all the other relatives. Marianna and
Apostalos keep up with the news. Gregory says Thano is a
delightful child. All, especially Litsa and Ellie, send kisses. Later,
when we went walking around the atrium I gave you the kisses.
I left the house about 8:25 AM and went to the bank to deposit my
BAI check and then to our church where I lit candles for you and
then attended the Orthos. The singing was beautiful and we will go
when you get better—you will really enjoy Stelios, the chanter. I am
emotional when I attend church. I cry with my prayers and ask that
you continue to get well. I left after I kissed the bible.
I arrived at NRH at 10:50 AM. We went to the cafeteria and got
coffee from the vending machine and shared the amaretto latte.
Your leg is hurting you—the nurse checked and saw no visual
problems. She gave you some Tylenol. Maybe this is arthritic as
predicted by the orthopedic doctor from Suburban. The right side
is where you damaged your hip socket. We went back to your room
and to bed to listen to Eleftheri’s CD Filakia (Kisses).
Niko, Nina and Connie came. After your lunch we all went down to
the dining room area. Niko brought food for us to eat—barbecue
brisket, barbecue pork and chicken, potato salad, green beans and
coleslaw. We bought cokes and one of the hospital food workers was
kind enough to give us plates. It was quite a feast.
When we came upstairs, the girls streaked your hair. You were
very patient with the whole thing and stayed seated until everything
was done. I think they did an OK job but since your hair is still wet,
I can’t tell. You did a lot of walking with me but you are still having
trouble remembering the names for keys and computer. You want
to call everything a treadmill. You did well naming the various fruit
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in the Independence Hall market. You got right four of the five
objects that I showed you. You seemed to enjoy the company and
your sense of humor is really back too. You are fun to talk too.
They stayed with us for about three hours.
It is cold out—in the low thirties and it may flurry tonight. They do
not expect a significant snow fall.
I called you three times in the evening but you kept giving away the
phone and hanging up. I was very disappointed because the night
before we had such a good time talking.
Day 97 (Monday, January 17, 2005)—it did not snow last night but
it is very cold. When I arrived at 6:50 AM the car recorded a
temperature of 23 degrees. Brrrr! You were in bed when I arrived.
Breakfast came early and you ate it all. After that, you took a
shower and you pretty much dressed yourself. I went for coffee and
you went to lie down again. When I returned you were with Sarah
the fill-in OT (today is a holiday—Martin Luther King). You were
giving her a hard time putting on your socks and shoes. This
morning is not one of your more cooperative mornings.
I must admit to being concerned that you are not getting with the
daily living actions you need to relearn. While your language skills
are great, you are still having problems matching words to things.
The memory connections are not quite there. I pray to God that they
will soon improve. Janella the fill-in PT came and you put on your
socks and shoes and went for a walk with her. You practiced
changing directions. We continued the walk and worked on
identifying things. You did well identifying the color of cards and
their numbers. You also identified which card was higher. We
played kickball and catch with a balloon. You did well with both.
Dini called just before your lunch and you had a brief conversation
with her. She thinks you are doing great. When you had enough you
said, “Here talk to your Dad.” This use of language and
relationships impressed her. You ate all of your food. The main
course was fried fish, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

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I left early to take the car to the dealership for an oil change. They
told me that we needed a new air cleaner so I did that too. They also
told me that they should check the brakes and measure them for $45
—I said OK to that too. When they did check the brakes, it was
found that they were only down 25%. They did not charge me for
checking. After I left there, I went to the Navy Exchange. I bought
you two short flannel nightgowns. I also bought some Aramis
Cologne for me—I made believe that you bought it for me as you
usually do. I called you (we had a nice talk).
Day 98(Tuesday, January 18, 2005)—while driving to NRH this
morning the temperature gauge read 15 degrees and it felt it—I
even wore a scarf. Tomorrow afternoon it may snow. You were in
bed when I arrived but got up to eat breakfast. You did a good job
feeding yourself. You went back into bed to wait for Olivia who
came to supervise bathing, dressing, and grooming. Again, a great
job on your own. Olivia said your personality is really emerging
now. All the therapists are pleased with your progress. They are all
concentrating on developing your cognitive skills. You ate half of
your lunch with OT supervision and they (not Olivia—others) gave
up on you. I came back and with a little encouragement from me
you ate the rest. Olivia said you did well in the baking class but
your ability to focus was limited to about 15 minutes at a time. So,
again, maintaining focus for an extended period is still an issue. The
interesting thing was that when Olivia asked how the group could
promote the bake sale, you responded, “signs.” She said you did it
with the look that suggested “duh.” Liz worked with you in the
afternoon. Inbal handled the morning but I missed her to ask how
you did. Liz said you recognized items and were able to write what
most were. She is working on the memory-word connection.
Your right thigh muscle is still bothering you. I spoke with the
doctor and they will x-ray the joint to see how it healed. The right
hip joint was hurt badly in the accident but the orthopedics doctor
that looked at it while you were at Suburban thought it better for it
to heal on its own. He did caution that you might get some arthritis
in the joint. But he reminded me that if it was severe, hip
replacements are rather routine these days. Dr. McCarthy ordered
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the nurse to give you Tylenol and they ordered a cream to rub on
the muscle. I will bring some rub from home too.
I went to the PX and then to the commissary. I bought you some
more nightgowns, this time a little longer. I bought a cream to rub
on your right leg. At the commissary, I bought a few items. coleslaw
and at least that was good. I called you and we had a very nice
conversation.
Day 99 (Wednesday, January 19, 2005)—I arrived at my usual time
—7:00 AM. You were dressed and waiting for me. I massaged your
leg with Theragesic cream and you said it helped. I rubbed several
times during the day. You ate your breakfast and then we went
walking. You are still having trouble identifying a computer but did
identify the mirror when I asked. Your name for the computer
today was “tram.” Where did you get that? You went with Olivia
(OT) to make muffins. She said you mixed and sat for about 10
minutes at a time. You helped make a sign advertising a bake sale
with mixed English and Greek letters. The sign showed that you are
still displaying what they call “left neglect.” She was pleased with
your overall progress. Liz worked with you and you named clothing
in Vogue and read some. Later you recalled daily events, named
items needed to complete daily tasks and answered environmental
questions. Before you worked with Liz, I spoke with her and
suggested that asking you to spell words might be contra-productive
since you have a thing about spelling. Perhaps reading a word and
matching it to an object would be a better approach.
Starting at 9 AM it began to snow. The weather people said only
one to two inches of snow would fall but it is really coming down.
Hopefully the storm will blow through quickly since they called this
a “clipper” storm. In spite of the snow, Pauline, Jackie, Jeff and
baby Jenna came to see you. They went with you to watch as you
went with Natalie to work out. Before they came, we went to
radiology to get an x-ray of your right hip. They were here when we
came back to the room.

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I left a few minutes early tonight to go home and shovel snow. The
trip home took me longer than usual because of the snow. Shoveling
the driveway was pretty easy because it was so cold the snow was
very powdery. I was done in a half hour. We had a nice conversation
on the phone. You remembered that Pauline called you earlier.
Day 100 (Thursday, January 20, 2005)—the trip to NRH was
uneventful. I got out of bed at about 5:10 AM and thus left home for
NRH a few minutes early. When I arrived you were still in bed
wearing one of your new night gowns. The sitter got you up and you
took a shower and then came back and dressed yourself. The food
came and you ate it all. You relaxed in bed and I went to the
cafeteria for a bite. While there the President of NRH saw me and
wanted to visit you. We came upstairs together and he spoke to you
a couple of minutes. He was very gracious and so were you.
Natalie felt you were a little agitated today and somewhat
uncooperative. Later as the “greeter” of the bake sale under the
supervision of Olivia, you did OK but not great as you distracted
easily. You walked the atrium about three times but managed to
stay the entire hour of the sale and helped in the clean-up. You
attended the diner’s club and ate all of your food.
Father Steve came and I took a picture of you with him. After that
you got very tired and while we talked you ended up sleeping.
Father Steve blessed you and used the Holy Oil from Bethlehem that
came to us via Gregory in Greece. Father Steve was very impressed
by your progress and kept saying “Glory to God,” in Greek.
You did well with Liz. She said that you responded correctly to
about 60 percent of the questions dealing with your personnel
history. Walking is of course not really a problem for you.
Joe came to say hi and we chatted a little. When we left, he took me
to dinner at Ambrosia in the Montrose Crossing shopping center. I
ate chicken livers. He had his favorite, roast lamb.
Day 101 (Friday, January 21, 2005)—you were in bed when I
arrived. You were wearing their hospital gown. Before I leave in the
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afternoon, I must lay out one of the gowns that I bought for your
hospital stay. You ate breakfast and the sitter then supervised your
shower which you did on your own. Natalie came and you did great
with her to include working out on the recumbent stepper machine.
You also did different leg exercises such as side kicks, back kicks,
toe lifts and so forth. You walked up one whole flight of real stairs
from the second to the third floor, one step after the other. Later
with Olivia, you continued to have a focus problem—you found it
hard to sit for any length of time. You were OK when I came in to
observe you and the group you were with but the minute I stepped
out to take a call, you lost interest and had to get out of the room to
find me. We then went walking to get rid of your frustration (your
word). As we were walking the atrium, you did name the computer,
the treadmill and the parallel bars when we passed. You wrote your
name (self initiated) in Greek on your room’s white board. You only
had one “t” in Pattakos but when I asked you, you did know there
were two of them in Pattakos. When I ask you what a word meant in
Greek or English you freely and without hesitation translated back
and forth. With Olivia’s return, you still had focus problems. Speech
was late in the afternoon and you started with Melissa and later
with Liz. They both said you did great.
When I left I went to the PX gas station and the commissary. It
seemed that everybody was there in anticipation of the expected
snow storm tomorrow. Fortunately the express check-out line
wasn’t bad. I bought some frozen. Niko called to find out how you
are. He and Nina plan to come on Sunday and to bring some food
for us to eat since the cafeteria is closed. When I got home there was
a letter from TRICARE North disallowing an NRH charge of
$30,000 because your sponsor wasn’t registered in TRICARE
(DEERS). They told you that you had to pay. Seems as if the NRH
used your Social Security number instead of mine as the sponsor
and you, of course, are the dependent. Oh, well!
Day 102 (Saturday, January 22, 2005)—I arrived at 6:50 to beat the
anticipated snow. You were in bed but dressed. Your breakfast
arrived and you ate it all. The sitter told me that you were very
restless last night and did not sleep well. The snow did start at nine
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as advertised but it was not very heavy. We’ll see as time goes by.
All of the snow crews are on alert and ready to salt and plow.
Unfortunately, they will not be doing our driveway so I hope it
doesn’t snow the six to eight inches that they predict.
I spoke to Litsa this morning in case I get snowed in here tonight. I
asked that Gregory call Aunt Maria. I did not want to go through
that emotion. She wrote me a note as she was worried that she did
not hear from us this Christmas. I guess I should have sent her a
card with a check but I was not with it to that degree. Litsa sends
lots of love and many kisses. She told me sad news. Apparently your
cousin Chrisanthi committed suicide. She went to the seaside village
of Mihaniona to a church to light a candle for her late husband
Angelos and then threw herself into the sea and drowned. I did not
tell you this—we can discuss it later, or you can read it here. I told
Litsa that I could understand what Chrisanthi did because the first
two months of your accident, I had very similar feelings. I was
devastated that my soul mate was so damaged she might not be with
me into the future. I was so concerned that you would not recover
and that our lives were destroyed, I did not want to live. In fact, I
accumulated 85 sleeping tablets they prescribed to help me sleep at
night to help me sleep permanently. I even found an internet site
that recommended painless methods for suicide. I still have the pills
and the site so you better get better and come home to me soon. I
decided not to tell you about her death right now or my possible
plans. I’ll wait until I think it is appropriate.
Dini called and spoke to you for a few of minutes. I called Litras’ in
Florida and then Lackey to tell them how you were doing. They
were pleased to hear of your progress and send you lots of love.
You did OK with Natalie and Olivia but when the fill-in SLP came
back with you, she said you were too tired to do anything. Another
PT person came and I suggested that she reschedule and she said
OK. I asked the doctor to give you a mild sedative so that you sleep
tonight and he said he would. You thought you might also need a
laxative but things turned out OK. You did a very good job eating

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your lunch. You really are tired today but not so tired that you
couldn’t give me sweet kisses.
The snow was pretty intense so I left at 2:30 PM. I took me an hour
to get home, not bad as things go. Some people going the other way
had trouble getting up the hills. Fortunately, that did not happen to
me. When I got home, I waited awhile and luckily the snow stopped.
I used the electric snow shovel to shovel the snow. Tanya frustrated
me first though. I had lent her the blower and the electric cord on
the reel and somehow she tangled it badly that it took me a half
hour to get it off of the reel. I was not happy.
Barbara from Ocean Pines called to get an update on how you were.
I gave her the current news. She sent her love to you. You remain in
her prayers. Niko called to say he and Nina would come on Sunday
and bring food again. I put $40 into our travel bank.
Day 103 (Sunday, January 23, 2005)—this Sunday I get to sleep an
hour more since I go to church and that doesn’t start until 9 AM. I
gave myself a haircut and it came out OK, I think. When I left home
I went to the bank for cash, and finally to church. There were a
bunch of people visiting from Chicago during the Orthos. Father
John made excuses why he has been unable to come to NRH. I said I
understood. He said he loves you and will try to see you soon. I
stayed in church until I kissed the bible. Of course, earlier I lit two
votive candles and four regular candles. I asked our Lord to bless
you and to help increase your cognitive and daily living skills. You
need to be blessed with more focus and concentration. By the way,
Stelios was not there because he was in an automobile accident. His
car was rear-ended on the beltway. He was not seriously hurt but
because of the weather, Father J suggested he stay home. Christina
who sings as part of the choir was there and she really has a
beautiful voice—it reminds me of the singer Charlotte.
I was worried about the trip to NRH from church but there was no
problem. When I arrived at 10 AM you were sitting up in a chair.
You had your shoes on but only one sock. I convinced you to put on
the other sock and you removed the shoe, put on the sock and then

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the shoe doing the Velcro too. We then went to the vending
machines got coffee and sat in the dining room. You liked the coffee
so much so that I got a second cup.
Connie and then Niko and Nina came with food from Moby Dick the
Persian restaurant. Earlier you ate all of your food consisting of fish,
carrots and peas, and pasta. You ate it all plus a can and ½ of
Ensure and peach cobbler. You did well indeed as I did with the
souvlaki that Niko bought for me. You really were fun today, you
amused us all with your witty talk. You impressed them playing
hand-ball and then kick-ball too.
The breaking news today was that Johnny Carson died at age 79
from emphysema. CNN had a long piece about him and his career.
The trip home was uneventful. When I got home I worked at
figuring out my final Keogh contribution and doing some tax
organizing while I was doing that. I called you as I now do every
night and we had a satisfactory conversation (meaning you didn’t
keep handing the phone to the sitter).
Day 104 (Monday, January 24, 2005)—I left here about 6:45 AM
after clearing the windshield from ice. Next stop was the post office
and I mailed the Keogh check. The trip to JCITA was easy as the
road crews did a good job. The teaching seemed to go well and I
managed to get to NRH at about 12:45 PM. Finding parking was a
pain and I had to park in the open part of the garage which meant
that I had snow on the car when I left because of some flurries. An
advantage of getting there early (in addition to seeing you) is getting
a nearby, covered parking space.
You had on your short nightgown on and your warm-up pants. The
sitter told me that you were trying to take off your clothes, often. I
changed you into a t-shirt and sure enough you kept trying to
remove it. I worked hard to have you understand that this was not
the modest thing to do. You finally cooperated. Natalie told me that
she had some problems with getting you to participate in group PT
so she went back to one-on-one with you. You did OK. With Liz,
you did very well when asked to tell her the opposite of words e.g.,
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when she said cold, you did say hot. I did not see Olivia so I don’t
know how you did with her. I guess I will find out tomorrow.
When I left at 4 PM, I went to Target to find you v-neck t-shirts
since the other shirts close to your neck were bothering you. The
mall was closed. They had a fire sprinkler problem and the Fire
Marshall said they must stay closed until fixed. It was frozen pipes.
Our call was not satisfactory as you did not wish to stay on the line.
You even had the sitter Titi call me back but then again you didn’t
want to stay on the line. Oh, well!
Day 105 (Tuesday, January 25, 2005)--this is the 15th week since the
accident. You have come a long way baby but there is still much to
do. Mostly, you need to work on focus, concentration, and memory
skills. You are restless. When I arrived you were sitting up in the
chair and the sitter said that you had a shower. You ate all of your
breakfast and then I went for breakfast. Olivia came early and off
you went with her. Then came April who filled in for Natalie and
you did some leg exercises with her. You did well. Liz came and
went to make a peanut butter sandwich. She said you did a terrific
job, did not need any cues and didn’t eat the peanut butter on the
way to putting it on the bread as you did in the past. Next you went
for your Cogs-skills group with Olivia. You were not too attentive so
I ended up involved and you did very well with me there. Later,
when I spoke to Olivia, she was nice but implied that I was
distracting. I don’t understand that since you seemed more
attentive when I was guiding you than with her assistant Amanda.
Well, tomorrow in the AM she has you all to herself since I will be
teaching. You went with Liz after that and then to your diner’s
group where I was told and later shown the evidence that you ate
well. They know that I like to make sure you’ve eaten. Your time
with Natalie was the best ever, she said. You were responsive with
good balance and walking skills. Liz said you did very well in
completing sentences. This was the last therapy of the day and I am
proud that you are concentrating better now.

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Paul and Tula called from Florida to ask how you were and I filled
them in. Next they spoke with you and you had a nice although brief
conversation. It was nice that they called.
Day 106 (Wednesday, January 26, 2005)—this morning I went to
teach at JCITA for four hours. The class went well and I managed
to leave right at 12 PM. I arrived at NRH about 45 minutes latter. I
was told that you did good work with the therapists but that you are
still restless. We are working on relaxing. For example you sat with
me for about thirty minutes. When you wanted to get up and walk
around I said “no, we need to relax” and you did. So, we need to
work on decreasing your restlessness.
We spoke on the phone and it was satisfying. Your Canadian cousin
called to find out how you are. She said she called you at the hospital
but you were sleeping.
Day 107 (Thursday, January 27, 2005)—the big event of the day was
a visit to an Ophthalmologist. We saw Anna Park, MD, who gave
you a series of tests. Some were dependent on your cognitive skills
and I’m not sure you did great with those. The upside was that you
were very patient and cooperative. The downside is that you did
have the optic nerve of your good eye (the left one) permanently
damaged. You can see at about 20/100. An upside is that it is
unlikely to get worse. I thank God that you can see. When we
returned you went to group OT and did better in terms of not being
restless but you did not participate very much in the group I was
told. Liz said you did OK but you get tired when you have her late
in the afternoon. The big challenge is that you control your
restlessness and stay focused. We are working on that.
Dini called to tell me about the CAT scan you had on 8 Dec. As we
knew it would, it showed you have a brain injury that will take time
to heal. I feel so bad, I could cry right now. What did we do to have
this happen? OK, maybe we weren’t great in all we did in our lives
but were we that bad? My heart aches!
You called me (the sitter did the dialing but you did the talking).
We had a nice conversation and you even spoke to Debbie. Joe and
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Debbie picked me up. Joe and I went to a meeting which by
coincidence was near a mall and Debbie went mall shopping. Prior
to that, they took me to dinner at Bennigans. We all had the same—
a grilled sea food platter.
Day 108 (Friday, January 28, 2005)—today is your official birthday.
You are 60 years old and people can’t believe you are that age but
think you are much younger. I got you a sweet card and last night
bought you a cute peanut butter cake. I remembered to bring you
the card but since the cake was in the refrigerator, I forgot the cake.
What do you expect from a guy? Hopefully, I’ll remember to bring
it Sunday. I had trouble reading the card to you because I got
emotional. The card shows two cute bears on the front hugging each
other on a cloud with many hearts over their heads. It reads, For
My Wife, Maria, Whenever we’re together… and then inside, I’m in
Hug Heaven! Happy Birthday with All My Love and I wrote that
outnumbers the stars in heaven and the grains of sand on earth. Get
better and come home with me soon. Your very own forever, Arion.
The temperature was 11 degrees and you were bright eyed when I
arrived. You said you were cold so did not want a shower and the
sitter gave you a sponge bath. I offered to take you to the shower but
you said no for the same reason. I helped you dress yourself.
Breakfast came and you ate everything. Later when I weighed you
(clothes on) you were 112 pounds.
I went for breakfast and when I got back, we went for a walk. Your
endurance is getting good, so is your stride and pace you set for the
walk. After about the fourth turn around the outside atrium
corridors, you told me you were huffing and puffing so we sat down.
We practiced staying seated. You managed to stay in place for 15
minutes although you did want to get up. You went off with April
who was filling-in for Natalie. When you returned April said that
you would start the exercises she asked you to do but you did not
finish doing the requested ten repetitions but would quit at eight
reps. You did OK with the OT group but needed to get up once and
awhile. At the end of the session, you did not help with the clean-up.
When asked if you were supervising, you said Yes, I’m the boss.
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While you were in therapy, I went to the cafeteria. I got something
to eat and arranged to buy carrot cake for you and the dining
group. After everybody ate their food, we sang Happy Birthday to
you (my eyes filled with tears as they are doing now as I am typing
this) and you ate a little bit of cake as did I and the others. Liz said
you worked well with her ten minutes at a time as did Natalie.
We received beautiful flowers from Dr. Barnett (our dentist) and his
staff. That was very thoughtful of them. I will call on Monday and
thank them. Mary Haziannis came and spent about an hour. She
said you looked fabulous and there was a big positive change from
the last time she visited.
When I left, I went to the Commissary where I bought a few things.
Arriving home, there was a message on my machine from a Mike
Ruane who is with the Washington Post. He wants to do a feature
article about you. I said yes but am having some doubts now
because I am concerned that it might be stressful for you. He seemed
like a nice guy when he called me back. Pauline called me up and
told me that she was in Suburban Hospital with pneumonia. She
wanted to make sure you understood that she would not be able to
visit you next week.
Day 109 (Saturday, January 29, 2005)—I arrived at the usual time
just before 7 PM. You were happy to see me as I was to see you. You
were dressed and you had showered. The food came soon thereafter
and you did a good job eating. Today is a light therapy day and fill-
ins are doing the job. You are doing so-so. I did show you some
words and you read them all to include a long word—toothbrush.
When I asked “how old are you,” you responded 26. You may look
as if you are 26 but in reality you are a few years older. You also like
to call strangers Pauline—everybody but me is a universal Pauline.
As you can see, we’ve got a lot of work yet in helping you to connect
the dots. We do a lot of walking together and that is a good thing.
You really enjoyed your Greek music today and would repeat some
the lyrics to me as you were listening. Every once and awhile you
handed me the earphones so I could get the direct flavor. While your
memory might not be great, you are fun to be with.
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We spoke to Dini and Maia today. Dini really did not have an
opinion if we should do the Post thing should they continue to be
interested. Myrna and Dino called today and you spoke to Myrna.
You knew they were in Florida. We called Aunt Mary, Mrs. Lackey
and the Litras’ in Florida. They were all thrilled to hear from you.
Since I planned to take your smelly slippers on Sunday, I went to
buy you new slippers. I went home and washed lots of laundry and
worked on our checkbook. You asked the sitter to call me and we
spoke on the phone. You wanted me back there NOW. I explained
that I had been there with you but you really wanted me. You
thought that the sitter was mean because she would not permit you
to take off your clothes and wander around. You were a little
agitated.
Day 110 (Sunday, January 30, 2005)—I awakened to snow falling. It
wasn’t much but it did require I clean the car before I ventured out.
Not many people were on the road. After I ate cereal and said my
prayers off I went into the snow for Church. When I arrived, I was
the only one there. I lit candles for you and sat to await the start of
the Orthos. When it didn’t start at 9 AM, I asked the candelonafti if
any of the priests had arrived. Father John stepped out at about
9:10 (I was still the only parishioner there) and Father J. said they
would be off to a slow start so he gave me a blessing and off I went
to see you. When I arrived, I was told you had not spent a restful
night even though you had been given Trazedone. We went to the
vending machines and bought coffee. I left you for a second cup and
while out of sight, you decided to put pepper into your coffee. You
didn’t like it much. I managed to get it out and you enjoyed some.
At about noon, just when you finished eating, the kids came—Niko,
Nina, Vicki, and Connie. You like to call everybody Pauline. We
drilled you a little until you seemed to remember everybody’s name.
We went to the cafeteria dining room to eat the food that Niko
brought—barbecue stuff. You were really the life of the party. You
spoke a lot and made many joking comments that were on subject.
You even blew my punch line when I was describing to two Greeks
going to Paris and being concerned with ordering food and not
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being understood. About half way, you chimed in with the punch
line, “La skata.” You really were very cute and it showed that you
remembered. I wonder why names are a problem. After an hour
plus, we returned to your room. You were not restless sitting with
us. When we arrived, the ladies gave you a manicure and they all
left soon thereafter. Niko was going to see Maryland basketball.
I stayed a couple more hours sitting next to you and holding your
hand. When I left, I went to get you another pair of slippers. The
first pair I got you are too small. I found some that look as if they
will fit better. I also bought you a pair of shower flip-flops. I hated
going home to our lonely home. You initiated a call to me because
you missed me and you said you wanted me there next to you. We
had a nice conversation. I called you back later and we had another
nice talk. I washed your slippers and a couple other things and then
went into the usual routine. I always say goodnight to you and
somehow I feel you must hear me even though you are miles away.
Day 111 (Monday, January 31, 2005)—you looked very well today
when I arrived and the sitter said you had a good evening. I arrived
at 6:45 and you were dressed and had bathed. I did your face with a
Ponds wipe and put on some moisturizer. You used the lotion I put
on your hands to moisturize them. You did an excellent job in
eating your breakfast. I called Paul Rao to see if it would be alright
to have the Washington Post do a feature story about you here on
Thursday. I called our lawyer and left him a voicemail to make sure
no problems from a legal standpoint.
You first therapy today was with April from PT. You next followed
up with Liz and speech therapy. You did NOT do well with Liz. You
wanted to get up and take off your clothes. I am very disappointed
and told you that you must work with your therapists or that would
delay your departure from here to home. I walked you down to your
cognitive skills group and admonished you to pay attention and do
what Olivia instructed. You did OK for awhile making a milk shake
but needed to wander. I intervened with tough love and you seemed
to pay better attention. Your second session with Olivia went well
she said and later at dining group you participated and ate well too,
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reported Dorothy. Natalie said that you did great with her and did
things you wouldn’t try last week such as walking along a straight
line, one foot in front of the other. During the second session with
Liz you did well using a check list and observing your environment.
I spoke to members of the team to include Dr. McCarthy for the
development of a joint strategy for improving your focus and
attention. I believe they all need to work in an integrated fashion
and not let you walk around when you want to after a short time
sitting. They are happy if you sit for ten minutes in one place before
moving. I think you need to be “trained” to sit longer by insisting
that you do sit longer.
Dini returned the CD with the CAT scan and a very beautiful music
CD that she made for us. We started to listen to the CD together as I
bought an attachment that lets us hear what’s playing with two sets
of ear phones on the one CD player. The songs are beautiful and
made me cry once again. It seems that a day does not pass that I
don’t cry a little and sometimes a lot.
Day 112 (Tuesday, February 01, 2005)--this is week 16 and I went to
JCITA to teach. It was a whole day affair and things appeared to go
well. I got a lot of class participation. I left there at 4:00 PM and
arrived at NRH to be with you at 4:45. I saw Natalie and she said
that you were very agitated and did not do well with her. When I
saw Noa (one of the OT people) she said you did very well in the cog-
skills group. I spoke to Judy the nurse practitioner and she said that
Dr. McCarthy has changed your medication from Ritalin to
Dexedrine to see if that works better in keeping you alert but not
agitated. Quite frankly, I don’t think they are being strict enough
with you. They should insist you follow instructions and not permit
you to wander. There is to be a meeting on Thursday to discuss
these issues. Your dinner came and you did a very good job in
eating. I stayed with you until 6:30.
Day 113 (Wednesday, February 02, 2005) –I got up early today and
did some on-line research about amino acids and if they might help
you recover your memory sooner. I sent the info to Dini and asked

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her to ask her TBI (traumatic brain injury) friend. I arrived at the
usual time and you were in bed waiting for food and OT to come
and supervise your bathing. The food was late but when it did arrive
you did a great job of eating completely on your own. You cut your
pancakes and ate them plus your eggs.
Olivia came and you did a great job bathing and dressing yourself to
include washing your hair. Later you went off with April to do PT
and I observed half of your session. You cooperated well, walking a
line, doing toe lifts, sidekicks, marching and side steps, etc. In
cognitive skills group you did well. You paid attention and were
there for the entire group activity. You did well with Becky, a fill-in
SLP, getting 100% on identifying objects and listing things such as
what you need to make a bed. You did not do quite as well on
answering questions dealing with the month and where you are. You
only got a 60% rating and at times you would be as high as 90%.
I’m told you did well with your eating group. I came back just a few
minutes too late to verify that on my own. By the way, you are now
doing a great job of putting on your socks and shoes. I brought a
long shoehorn in and you are expert at using it.
We spoke on the phone three times—twice initiated by you.
Day 114 (Thursday, February 03, 2005)—you were dressed and
showered when I arrived. We kissed and talked until the food tray
came. You did well eating and then I went off to the cafeteria to eat
my usual. They told me you were a little restless last night and did
not sleep until about 2:30 AM. You did not seem sleepy to me when I
arrived. Daryl, from housekeeping, said you were feisty last night.
Olivia said you did well with her. Later you did OK with the cog-
skills group. April from PT said you did not do as well as you did
yesterday. With Becky, the fill-in SLP, you were rather feisty. You
told her you were angry and when she asked why you said, Because
you keep asking me stupid questions? Becky recovered well by saying
that if you answered them correctly, she would not ask again. You
then cooperated. In the afternoon, Natalie said you did great. Liz
followed and you did great with her for about 15 minutes before you
tired. Thinking is hard work.
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It is interesting the problems people have. I met a nice couple named
Heinrich and Ruth Rosenleher. They are from Garmish, Germany.
They are in the US to assist in caring for their son (a lawyer) who
lives here in the US. He had a stroke and is now rehabilitating at
NRH. The father (also a lawyer) is retired but was very prominent
in both German and US government circles. We share many mutual
acquaintances. Since 9/11, however, our law is very strict on how
long foreigners can stay in this country and they have been in a
constant battle to remain in the US. Laws need to make sense.
We had a team meeting today with Natalie, Olivia, and Liz. Dr.
Russell the neuro-psychologist also attended. The meeting’s purpose
was to coordinate therapy in an integrated way when you are feeling
restless or agitated. The conclusion was that they needed to let you
rest when it was perceived that you were being mentally overloaded.
They also needed to regulate better the meds you were being given. I
also suggested they needed to control your restlessness better when
it did not appear to be related to mental overload i.e., keep you
seated and focused. They told me that I should not be troubled if
they return her early in a session because she would have really
worked hard during the earlier part of the session.
The Washington Post people came right on time. The staff writer’s
name is Mike Ruane and the staff photographer is Susan Biddle. I
prepared a packet for them and they stayed for two hours asking
questions and taking pictures. We sat in the kitchen and because of
the sloppy weather outside, they took off their shoes. I gave Susan
some pictures of you in Suburban Hospital and one from Greece to
show what you looked like before the accident. I was pooped when
they left. Barbara called from Ocean Pines to find out how you are
doing and so did Niko.
Day 115 (Friday, February 04, 2005)—you were all dressed and
freshly showered. You told me that you had brushed your teeth but
I didn’t think so and we did mouthwash. The Washington Post
people arrived at 7:30 AM. They spoke to you and took pictures.

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You then ate while they watched. You did an overall good job. After
you ate, Mike and I went to the cafeteria for coffee where we met
Paul Rao and then James their public affairs guy.
When we arrived back on the 3rd floor you were already working
with April. You did fantastically well with all of the exercises. As it
was pointed out to Mike, the exercises are important for connecting
the dots in the brain (as I put it). I gave Mike a tour of
Independence Square and the garden. He sat in on your cog-skills
group. I did not since I didn’t want to distract you. Both really
followed you and the therapist around. They even had a meeting
with Judy (the nurse practitioner) and Dr. Russell (the neuro-
psychologist) to get a better understanding of brain injury. The
bottom line is that the professionals really don’t know much about
brain injury other than therapy appears beneficial for recovery by
reopening the connections or establishing new ones. They have
general knowledge of what portions of the brain controls what but
they added that this is not precise as there are slight differences in
all people. The Washington Post people seem to be very nice and I
hope this translates into a wonderful article about you.
Reports back from all the therapists: you did well with them all. Liz
said she took you to the vending machines and you showed her how
to operate one. She also noted that you found it strange that she did
not know how to do the job and relied on you. I watched you work
with April (the assistant PT) and you were fabulous. You did all of
the various exercises to include walking a straight line heel to toe.
Many people came to see you today. Harry and Mary Anna brought
you a very cute stuffed dog that they found you at Bloomingdales
that you call “Curley.” Bob came and so did Joe. Later when I left,
Joe took me to dinner at the chicken place. As usual it was good and
he bought a whole chicken to take home to Debbie. At home I did
the usual to include calling you. We had a nice conversation. Gingie
my boyhood friend called from Florida to ask about you.
Day 116 (Saturday, February 05, 2005)—boy, are you on the ball
today. You are working very well with your therapists. You did

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great PT and then followed up with a wonderful session with Liz.
You completed sentences and responded to questions. For example,
when asked if you could fix one thing in the world, you responded,
Iraq. When asked where you would like to vacation, you said
Greece. You did equally as well with other questions and maintained
focus for 15 minutes before needing a short break. When you came
back, instead of wanting to pop back into bed, you sat in the chair.
We talked and looked at some pictures and you identified everybody
with minimum coaching
Dini called and you had a very nice conversation with her and then
with Maia and Alec. You told them you were in a hospital bed but
were ready to go home. We then called Aunt Mary, Arti, Barbara,
and Mary Anna (to thank her for the stuffed dog). From listening to
your side you seemed to have good conversations with all of them.
Your OT work was supervised eating. I could have done that and in
fact you did not eat everything with them. After eating, we went for
a walk in the garden area. It was pleasant but then the wind picked
up and we went in after about five minutes. Father John called. He
did come yesterday after I left. You know, you told me that he came
but I wasn’t sure that you remembered correctly but obviously you
did. You said he said that he loved you and said prayers and he did
do all of those things. So, my sweet girl, another important thing
happened in terms of your memory improving. We went to the
supermarket in Independence Square. I asked you to hand me
different fruit: you got 100%.
When I arrived home I sent an email to Mike Ruane the
Washington Post writer with my redacted journal attached. You
called me twice from the hospital and you were very upset with the
sitter because you felt she was mean to you. In fact, you called her a
witch. I tried to calm you but you were quite agitated. Later when I
called, you had not calmed down. You are, however, handling a
phone conversation much better now. I thanked God for the good
day he gave you with the therapists.

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Day 117 (Sunday, February 06, 2005)—I slept well—I took some
pills and managed to stay in bed, asleep until 0635. It was very
restful. Instead of showering immediately the way I usually do, I
called Greece. I spoke to Gregory, Litsa and Marianna. I told them
how great you were doing and they were very happy and praised
God for his help. Gregory told me there was about three feet of
snow on the ground. They are OK and little Thano is thriving. He
likes to mimic what his parents are doing—when Apostalos does the
computer, he wants to; when Marianna takes a cloth to wipe, so
does he. They all send you their love and many kisses.
I arrived a church just before 9 AM. I lit two regular and two votive
candles. Stelios was there as the psalti (chanter) and in fine voice. He
and Christina really sing beautifully. Stelios, by the way, is now
sporting a beard. I stayed for the liturgy but left right after I
received communion. As usual, I asked God to consider this a
communion for both of us. I brought you two pieces of aghiasmo
(Holy Bread).
Just before I started the car, I called to tell you I was coming. You
told me to be careful but to hurry since you missed me. I arrived at
11:50 and shortly thereafter so did your lunch. You did a very good
job eating. You weigh 110 pounds today and thus are maintaining
your weight. After eating, Niko, Nina, and Vicki arrived. I found out
that Nina called you the night before and had a nice chat with you.
We all went to the cafeteria dining room to wait for Connie who was
buying the lunch for us today. She brought Lebanese food. Niko
brought drinks (I did too, but we will save them).
Again, you were the life of the party. You were cute, made us laugh,
and stayed seated a good hour until you had to go to the toilet.
When I described your unhappiness with the sitter last night and
that you called her a witch you followed on to say it was another
word that rhymes with witch. At 2 PM Nick and Nina went to look
at a house (their Sunday sport). Connie and Vicki stayed until 4 PM
and you really loved interacting with them. You laughed very hard
at what you guys were talking about and you made them laugh too.
You pretty much kept their names straight too. Connie shaved your
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legs with one of little electric shavers and put lotion on them too. As
I said, you really seemed to have a great time this afternoon.
I left carrying the usual evening laundry. When I arrived home, I
found a message on the answering machine from you telling me to
come soon but to be careful. You called right after I had left for
church at about 8:30 AM. I called you and we had a very nice talk.
Day 118 (Monday, February 07, 2005)—I came earlier than usual
this morning and had to wait in the hall while the sitter was washing
you and your roommate. I was told that you slept OK. You did a
good job when your breakfast came and then I went to eat mine.
They now have lo-carb bread based on my suggestion. I guess I
don’t have to bring mine anymore.
You took a nap until April came for your first therapy of the day.
You did great with her and later you stayed for the full hour with
Cog-skills group and participated. Liz said she had the best time
with you ever. You were responsive and answered questions very
well and again didn’t feel compelled to wander. You went to diners
group and did a great job with them. You did not get up until you
ate everything. You are beginning to stay in place. You still aren’t
doing well with names but it seems as if that too will come soon. You
beat Natalie in throwing horseshoes and you did five minutes on the
recumbent stepper. Liz said you did wonderfully well looking at
pictures with safety implications. For example, one picture showed a
boy with a knife and in response to Liz’s query of what you would
do, you said take away the knife as the boy might hurt himself. You
also stayed in place during the whole session.
Dr. Todd Bernstein who is filling in for Dr. McCarthy while he is on
vacation came to talk to me about your meds. He suggested that we
take you off of the Prozac and the Trazedone and substitute
Remeron for both. It seems that Remeron is a sedative and an anti-
depressant. Given that you are working so well with your therapists
right now, I did not want to change at this time but this is a good
idea if things don’t go as well in the future.

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The Washington Post staff writer Mike Ruane called. He did not
receive the email I sent to him on Saturday with my journal
attached. I went to James, the NRH Public Affairs guy and used his
computer. Fortunately I had the file on the flash drive that I carry.
He called me to say that he received it.
We spoke on the phone four times and Maia called and spoke to you
too.
Day 119 (Tuesday, February 08, 2005)—I went to sleep right away
but awoke at 2:30 AM and couldn’t fall asleep again. I got up and
checked email and checked to see if I had all the info needed for our
income tax. I have not yet received reports from one bank account
(Wachovia) and MetLife (dividends). Apparently, we did not get the
check they sent and we did not get one that they sent in 2002 either.
They will send both. I called from your hospital room to put things
back on track.
After you ate your breakfast you joined me in the cafeteria. You had
coffee and half of my egg/cheese on a slice of lo-carb bread. You
were very patient and greeted all who said hi to you. You are doing
well with the therapists today. You were a little mean to April
during PT but when I joined, you were great and did all exercises.
You went to Rahsaan’s cog-skills group for one hour and were
really with it. You folded clothes like an expert and importantly,
stayed attentive. The same was true with Olivia and Liz. The lunch
was late and you had to wait ½ hour and you chatted with Olivia
during the wait. When the meal came, you ate everything on your
own with very little supervision. Liz feels you are doing so well that
you should start attending a speech group.
This is an absolutely beautiful day. It has to be in the 60s and the
sun is out with no wind. We went outside to the garden and sat on a
park bench in the sun. We both enjoyed the relaxation time.
Somebody made a decision to move your current roommate out and
another person in. The new person was someone who needs a sitter
and they said your current roommate doesn’t need one. The trouble
with doing that is the new person liked to cry and scream and I said
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“no way” do you need that type of roommate to interfere with you
getting better. I must admit to threatening the floor staff by
suggesting I call one of the NRH VPs. At any rate, the decision was
reversed. You kept the same roommate, Jean. She is a very quite
person. This is another reason why people in a hospital environment
need advocates no matter how good the facility might be.
At home, I watered the plants and then did nothing special other
than speak to you on the phone. Susan called to ask how you are.
Aunt Mary sent a nice gift for your birthday.
Day 120 (Wednesday, February 09, 2005)—Aunt Maria called me
from Crete just as I was finishing my prayers and about to leave.
She asked how you were and blessed you. I told her that as soon as
you came home, we would call her. When I arrived, I was told that
they came to draw blood from you at 4:30 AM and they had to wake
you to do so. To add insult, the phlebotomist had trouble finding
your vein. I let people know that taking blood at such an hour was
not the greatest therapeutic approach. Later the Dr. told me that
you had elevated liver levels. They will check this later.
You are very alert. For the first time you are listening to the TV
(Good Morning America) and commenting to me about what you
hear. This is another milestone, to my thinking. You ate your
breakfast and then we went off to the cafeteria together for coffee.
Later, April from PT took over and you did your different exercises.
You did not much like your fill-in OT but did great in your cog-
skills group. Liz said you did very well conversing with her and
responding to open-ended questions. Lunch went well and it looks as
if you will be graduating from your diners club very soon.
I spoke with Amy, the case worker: you are on schedule for release
on 24 February. Then you would return for out-patient therapy for
as long as required to connect your memory dots. I can’t wait for
you to come home and you are looking forward to that too. We also
discussed sitters which generated yesterday’s potential problem of
switching roommates. I suggested that you two only need a sitter in

130
the evening (to make sure you both ate) and at night to make sure
you did not wander. They thought this a good idea.
Before I left, Mary a sitter who likes you very much came and said a
lovely get well prayer for you. Joe came and we went for an OPSEC
Society Standards Committee meeting at the Hamburger Hamlet in
Crystal City. The meeting went well and accomplished a lot.
Day 121 (Thursday, February 10, 2005)—no more daytime sitter for
you guys. Your nighttime sitter said you slept OK and did your hair
with the gel that I brought based on her recommendation. She said I
bought the right stuff and you hair looks much better now. You
waited for me to come to brush your teeth and you did a good job to
include your tongue and you used mouthwash. Brenda the head
nurse came to apologize for people coming to draw blood the day
before at 4:30 AM. I emphasized that this was NOT good procedure
for brain injury people who need their sleep to maximize the
effectiveness of their therapy. They cannot afford to be tired if the
therapy is to work. I also suggested that they have individual
earphones to the TV in the brain injury rooms so there are not
conflicting sensory noises i.e., two TVs playing different programs.
You did a great job eating breakfast. We went down to the cafeteria
for coffee. You even wanted a doughnut. I bought two coffees and a
doughnut and we sat in the dining room to sip the coffee and you ate
¾ of the doughnut (I ate the other ¼). When we returned to the
room, you rested awhile and watched TV. We learned that Prince
Charles is to marry Camilla. You did not remember that Princess
Dianna died in an auto accident in a Paris tunnel. You did track
what was being said on the TV. Then you went off with April and
did all of the PT exercises. Liz took you next and you discussed what
you would take on different types of trips. You responses were
appropriate. In the Cog-skills group with Rahsaan you were put in a
situation where a lot was going on and Rahsaan said you coped well.
Lunch with the diners group was uneventful.

131
Mike Ruane the Wash Post staff writer called me a couple of times
to check on spelling from Greek to English. He also wanted to know
your maiden name. Hopefully, he is close to finishing the article.
When I left, I went directly to the dentist. My teeth were cleaned
and the dentist gave me a clean bill of teeth health. They were very
sweet inquiring about you and gave me a goody bag to deliver to
you. I’ll do that on Sunday when we party in celebration of your
birthday. You called me twice—once while I was at the dentist and
once at home. You thought Mary Anna and Harry were to visit you.
I tried to dissuade you but you insisted. There is nothing more to
report after I got home as I did the usual boring stuff.
Day 122 (Friday, February 11, 2005)—it is a new day and we are
approaching the time when you will be discharged. You still have
some memory dots to connect but you are getting there. Breakfast
went well and then Olivia came and supervised your showering and
dressing activities. She was followed by April who supervised your
morning athletic activities. She reported that you were responsive.
A continuing point of interest is your responsiveness to what is being
said on TV. This shows progress. You made me a very nice valentine
in cog-skills group using the Greek “B” (beta) for the v in valentine.
I loved it and I love you. Natalie came and took you to group PT. I
observed and you did well although you did seem to get bored when
there was waiting while others caught up or finished their set of
what was being done. You attended diner’s club and had a
conversation with one of the other diners, Justin, a wounded
Marine. You ate all of your food and even remembered Lori’s name
(you didn’t call her Polly) who was the club supervisor. We sat
together and finished our soft drinks. We played catch and you
caught everything I threw and you threw the ball back like an
expert. Later you went to a speech group where you did ‘fabulously’
(that is a quote). You participated well and contributed to the
conversation. Reportedly, you were the star. The group is run by
Emily who came to tell me how well you did.

132
When I left here I went to a party shop to buy some things for
Sunday when we party with you. I got some desert plates and cups
with happy faces as well as a plastic tablecloth in the same motif. I
put $40 in our travel bank, wrapped your present and called you.
Pauline called to tell me about your marvelous conversation with
her. She said that you made her day.
Day 123 (Saturday, February 12, 2005) I arrived at the usual time
and you were still in bed. You took a shower, washed your hair and
I added moisturizing gel. You did a good job of eating your
breakfast after which we went to the ground floor vending machines
for an amoretto coffee. You did not have a very restful evening so
we went back to the room so that you could nap a little. You really
only rested ½ hour when you wanted to go for a walk.
On the way to the atrium, we saw Dr. Bernstein who congratulated
me for staying informed. I mentioned to him the other day that
perhaps you should get a flu shot preparatory to discharge. He
didn’t think it necessary because flu season is normally over by now.
Of course, yesterday the Wash Post advised the CDC said the season
was running late this year. I admired the fact that he admitted I was
ahead of him on this issue. He gave you a flu shot yesterday.
Reann found us touring the atrium and she took over. When she
returned you to the room she told me you did everything asked of
you. Beth, the fill-in SLP came and said that she hadn’t seen you for
a couple of months and was amazed how you were speaking to Aunt
Mary on the telephone. Beth said while you did have some attention
lapses, you still did respond well overall.
We also called and spoke to Dini today. She loved speaking to you.
We spoke to Arti, Barbara, and left a message on Mary Anna’s
answering machine. You did a lot of walking with me today. You
showed me your different exercises such as sidestepping, marching,
butt kicking, backwards walking, and stair climbing and so forth.
We also played a great game of catch.

133
Day 124 (Sunday, February 13, 2005) –what a day today! It was
party day for you to celebrate your unofficial birthday of 15
February. I went to church first and lit candles. I waited to kiss the
bible and when I arrived at NRH, there you were sitting in the chair
waiting for me. As usual, you were cute. You wanted to get out
walking and we did. We went for coffee and then did walk.
You waited for the kids to come. Nick, Nina, Connie, and Vicki all
showed up at about 12:30 and we went to the cafeteria dining room.
What a spread Niko had for us from the Rio Grande—it was
TexMex. You ate some steak, grilled chicken, tortia chips, sour
cream with cheese, salsa, and tortias. This was after you had your
regular meal where you ate everything. I had a smiley face table
cloth for you and smiley face cups and plates for use during desert. I
bought a Mrs. Smith Cream-Oreo Pie. It was delicious. Nina had a
cupcake with a candle and you blew out the flame. Nina also had a
little gadget that played Happy Birthday and we sang to you. You
received many presents. Mary Anna called and you chatted with
her. Today, you are doing much better with remembering names of
relatives here and in Greece. You also were on the ball with calling
Connie and Vicki by their names.
After the party, we went to your room. You have no roommate right
now so it was a good place to be. You were tired so you rested in bed
but were nonetheless the life of the party. You made people laugh
and they made you laugh. You hit balloons back and forth with
everybody displaying very good coordination. Bob and Kathy came
too and you remembered Bob’s name. Again you had a good time
but by 4 PM you were pretty much ready for all to go. I left at five
and went directly home.
You called me four times and the sitter said you were restless and
did not want to eat. I said OK because you had a lot of food at lunch
time. You wanted me to come back right away but I convinced you
that I would be there by 7 AM and you thought that OK. I guess
because we had such a high at your party it turned into a low in the
evening for me. I cried for us—that we had to go through such a
trying time.
134
Day 125 (Monday, February 14, 2005) –Happy Valentines Day!!! I
brought you two balloons, a box of candy—in a heart box, off course
—a heart shaped pillow and a bear with a heart and flowers on its
chest. The card that I got for you said: My Wife, My Forever Love: I
love you for all you’ve been, for all that you are, for all you’ll ever be
to me…I’m so glad we’re spending our lifetime together! Happy
Valentine’s Day. I then wrote, I love now and ever unto ages of ages, I
drew lots of kisses and hugs followed by “Your Arion.”
When I arrived, the security people asked if I had seen the paper
yet. I had not and they gave me one and there we were on page one
of the Washington Post. Our picture and story was above the fold, a
very prestigious location. The headline read Love’s Long Road to
Recovery: Md. Man Chronicles Wife’s ‘Miraculous’ Path From Brain
Injury. The Washington Post Staff writer, Mike Ruane, did a
wonderful job. I must admit to crying when I read the article.
Everyone here at NRH agrees the article is beautiful and many of
them cried too. While you did not read the article, many told you
about it and called you a celebrity (you agreed). We certainly were
the center of attention today.
In the spirit of the day, we put on a dark pink shirt on you. The
nutrition lady brought coffee around and then breakfast came. You
ate it all and then we went to the cafeteria and bought a doughnut,
coffee, and cheese-egg scrambled with low-carb bread—all for
$2.58. We sat and while I went for napkins, you proceeded to eat a
slice of the bread and some eggs. You enjoyed the coffee and a little
doughnut too.
When we arrived back at the room you went off with April and did
well. Next came Liz and you had a great session with her. You made
me another Valentine and wrote a lot in Greek and English telling
me how much you loved me and may I live long. You are mixing the
two languages when you write and do so even within words. The
words, however, are in context and are coherent. In Cog-skills you
made cookies and when I kissed you upon your return, the cookies

135
were clearly chocolate. Shame on you, you didn’t bring one back for
me to eat. Next was Olivia’s turn for you and right on time, came
the Martha Stewart flowers that Dini sent requiring assembly.
Olivia said you did well and self initiated a lot of the assembly
activities. We called Dini to thank her and were told that Will had
broken his arm. He slipped and fell down the cellar stairs. He is in a
lot of pain. You got on the phone and wished him a rapid recovery.
Your luncheon session was so-so until I pushed you to eat more. I
bought you a treat from the cafeteria—sliced strawberries. My meal
at the cafeteria was pretty good. The special today was Chicken
Cordon Bleau and I ate that with a double serving of broccoli. When
Emily came for you to attend speech group. Nurse Judy suggested
that you go home with me on Sunday, for the day, on a pass. I said
certainly I would pick you up at 8:30, take you to church to hear the
Orthos and then to home for our weekly lunch with the kids. Sounds
like fun to me.
I have been getting calls and emails from many. The Today Show
and GMA called because they want to do a piece. I called Charley at
NBC since he has been so interested and supportive. They plan to
come to NRH on Wednesday and Wendy Reiger will do the
reporting. If the networks want to do a piece later, they may. I
called you twice and you called me once. You don’t appear to be too
pleasant to your sitters because you don’t want to be there anymore.
You want to be home. Susan called to tell me that Mati called from
Israel to say that the Washington Post article appeared there. So,
my sweet you are getting world coverage too.

Here is the article that appeared in the Washington Post starting on

page one and in the prestigious above the fold position. The date was
February 14, 2005, Valentine’s Day. There were many pictures too,
including a picture on page one.

Love's Long Road to Recovery

By Michael E. Ruane

136
 Maria Pattakos doesn't remember the walk she took that morning in
October.
She cannot recall crossing the street in the bright sunshine, or seeing
the big,
white pickup truck that suddenly seemed to loom from out of nowhere.

She doesn't recollect pushing the baby stroller from the truck's path
at the
last second, and has no memory of being flung into the air, losing her
hat and
sunglasses, and smashing down to the macadam, splintering her ribs
and
collarbone and fracturing her skull.

Four months later, she has trouble remembering what day of the
week it is.

So her husband has been writing it all down.

The first days after the accident were a blur of pain, tears and prayer
as his
wife lay unconscious in intensive care at Suburban Hospital. On the
fifth day
after the accident, Arion Pattakos, 71, started writing. His story opens
on
Sunday, Oct. 17.

"This is day five," he begins. "I decided to keep a log starting today
to,
well, record your status and mine. . . . I am proud of your deed but
devastated
emotionally, given what happened to you."

Arion Pattakos's "log" is an account of his wife's accident, and all

that has
happened since, with the hope that someday she might know what she
has missed,
137
and what both of them have endured.

As he writes, seasons change, holidays and birthdays come and go,

world events
unfold. "We are all waiting for you to join us," he notes.

It is a chronicle of one couple's encounter with a catastrophe:

"Sweetheart, I
am scared," he writes on a bleak day in late October. "Why have our
lives turned
to such a horrible path? . . . I sometimes see myself curled into a little
ball
in our bedroom on the rug. I . . . wither away and decompose into a
pile of
dust. A puff of wind comes and just . . . blows me away."

And it is a love letter, written over more than 120 days, by a retired
Army
colonel to his wife of 23 years. He is bereft, and helpless. "Mary . . .
you are
everything to me and my ability to survive without you is not very
good. So,
help me live by coming back to me."

Maria Pattakos, 60, known as Mary, remains in the brain injury

program of
National Rehabilitation Hospital in Northwest Washington, where she
was
transferred from Suburban Hospital.

She has made what her husband calls a "miraculous" return from
the twilight
state in which she lived for weeks after the accident -- attached to
hospital
life-support systems, unable to walk, or talk, or even squeeze his hand.

138
 She walks on her own, if unsteadily at times. She breathes and eats
on her
own, engages in conversation and shows sparks of humor. Yet she has
trouble
focusing, remembering people's names and recalling where she is.

Her brain still is struggling to handle the avalanche of data that a

healthy
brain can process daily, and it might be many months before her
recovery is
finished.

But she can take her time. Almost every morning, her husband
arrives at the
hospital by 7. He hails nurses, doctors, therapists and aides en route to
the
third-floor room where "panapola mou" -- "my everything" in Greek
-- is getting
ready for breakfast.

They kiss, they pray, and she begins another day on her road back,
which
includes physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy.
When she
does well, he will gently say, "Bravo, baby, bravo."

Nanny, Caregiver, Wife

He was married when they first met.

Arion Pattakos was a U.S. Army officer who had been sent to study in
his
father's homeland at the Greek War College in 1962.

Just before heading across the Atlantic, his then-wife, Thalia,

received a

139
diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, a debilitating disease of the central
nervous
system. After they arrived in Greece, he realized they would need help
caring
for their two children, Nadine, then 3, and Nicholas, only a few
months old.

It happened that there was a 17-year-old girl from a poor farming

family who
worked as a nanny in Thessaloniki. Her name was Maria Koukounari.
She looked
after his wife and children during their two years in Greece, saying
goodbye
when they headed home.

Back in the United States, Thalia Pattakos's illness worsened.

Paralysis set
in. She was confined to a wheelchair and had brain surgery.

"She just disintegrated before my eyes," Arion Pattakos said.

In need of help again, the family asked Maria to come from Greece.

She arrived in 1972, by then a 27-year-old woman. She cooked,

shuttled the
children around and essentially "raised the kids," Arion Pattakos
said. And she
cared for Thalia until her death in February 1981.

"She saved my life," Arion Pattakos said.

They were married in Northwest Washington's St. Sophia Greek

Orthodox Cathedral
on July 26, 1981, and have been inseparable since.

'She Put Down Her Life'

140
 Last Oct. 12, Maria Pattakos was out for a sunny morning walk with
her
neighbor, Pauline Londeree, along Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park,
just off
Rockville Pike, near their Kensington home.

Maria pushed Londeree's granddaughter, Jenna Sauber, who was not

quite 2, in a
stroller.

At Beach Drive and Cedar Lane, Londeree pressed the pedestrian

crossing button
on the traffic light pole.

When the "walk" signal started to flash, the women began to cross.
Maria and
the baby were a few steps ahead. At that moment, a pickup, which had
slowed at
the light on Beach Drive, began to turn right onto Cedar. The driver,
John Paul
Purcell, 54, who lived about four blocks from Pattakos, told police that
the sun
was in his eyes and that he didn't see the women.

Maria must have seen him, because police said she shoved the stroller
out of
the way an instant before the truck hit her. The stroller overturned,
but Jenna
suffered only a few scrapes.

Police reported that Purcell didn't seem to be going fast -- there were
only
smudges on the truck's paint, and smears that were most likely "skin
and other
biological matter" on the grille where Maria was hit.

141
 But the impact tossed her into the air. She crashed to the middle of
the
street. She suffered broken ribs on both sides of her body, two
punctured lungs,
a broken pelvis, eye and hip injuries, a broken collarbone and a
fractured
skull. Londeree told police it looked as if Maria's head had "opened
up" on the
pavement. "She put her life down for Jenna," Londeree said.

When Arion Pattakos reached the hospital, she was unconscious, in

critical
condition, and her survival was in doubt.

Doctors operated on her brain to remove blood clots and installed a

temporary
catheter to prevent pressure, her husband said. She had another
operation on her
shattered ribs. Slowly, she emerged from danger and began to heal.

But her psychic recovery was different. She did not open her eyes
until more
than a week later. She was unresponsive for almost three weeks. She
could not
speak for 58 days.

As time passed, her anguished husband waited, sat with her, exercised
her limbs
and talked to her through his diary.

"It is raining and will probably rain all day," he wrote Nov. 4. "You
seem so
tired and still no hello to me."

A devout Greek Orthodox Christian, he set up a small shrine to her,

with a

142
candle and an icon of their patron saint, Paraskevi. He kept the candle
in the
kitchen sink. This was the easternmost spot in their home -- the closest
to the
Holy Land -- and also would not catch the house on fire.

"I've been crying this morning because I feel so sad," he wrote Nov.
5.
"Everyone says that you are standing in the door. Please step through
it soon
and say hi."

He tried to keep the house tidy, making the bed, doing the laundry,
taking out
the trash. "I'm even shutting closet doors," he wrote. He brought in
the plants
when it got cold, but he couldn't find the watering can. He ate cereal
and
canned chili for dinner.

He wrote to her about the presidential election and the tsunami and
Johnny
Carson's death. He told her stories.

"I came in bright and early and had a little run-in with the nurse," he
wrote
one Sunday. "She reminded me that visiting hours did not begin until
11 a.m. I
replied that visiting hours begin when I arrive. She said I was
rude. . . . We
later made up and she has been sweet."

On Nov. 8, his wife kissed him on the cheek. "Wow," he wrote.

He washed her hair, rubbed lotion on her hands, played her CDs of
Greek music

143
and the Beatles. He bought her hiking boots at the military PX to
support her
feet. He bought himself cologne, and pretended it was from her.

On Dec. 3, she took her first shower, helped by a therapist. "You did
great
today," he wrote.

But her progress was slow. She still couldn't talk. And his moods went
up and
down. Monday, Dec. 6, was a bad day.

"I continued to be depressed today," he wrote. "I need you to

communicate with
us. It hurts so much that you do not do that yet. I'm supposed to be
patient and
strong but I don't know if I can be strong. It is so painful. I had my
bad
thoughts this morning. . . . "

On Dec. 9, she finally spoke. He accidentally bumped her head while

getting her
ready for physical therapy. "Ow," she said. The next day, she laughed
for the
first time since the accident.

On Dec. 17, he asked her whether she could say out loud that she
loved him. It
would "make my heart sing," he recorded. She nodded yes, and said,
"I love you."

But five days later, he wrote that he was not sure she really knew who
he was.
"I told you my name and the fact that we were married for 23 years,"
he wrote.
"Good," she responded.

144
 Weeks passed. Christmas and New Year's came, and he said good
riddance to a
"lousy" year. She could now write her name and talk to him on the
phone.

On Jan. 6, he asked whether she knew his name. "Arion Pattakos,"

she said.

Nearing Discharge Day

One Friday this month, he arrived at the hospital, early as usual, and
made his
way to the third floor. She was dressed in a pink shirt and black
exercise pants
but was still in bed and looked groggy.

Her bulletin board was filled with cards and letters from well-
wishers. Large
photographs of family members hung near her bed, to help her
remember who was
who. The hospital had set a possible discharge day for this month. But
she still
had work to do.

"My pretty girl," he said. "You're still tired?" She needed to be peppy
and
cooperative for the day's therapy, he said. "Yep," she said. She
understood.

Breakfast arrived. He helped prepare her cereal. Eat, he told her.

"I'm
eating," she replied.

When she was finished, he remembered that they had not yet prayed.
"Let's do
that really quick," he said. He leaned over and held her hands.
"Ready?"
145
 "Our Father," he said, beginning the Lord's Prayer. She stumbled,
and he
prompted her. Then they made the sign of the cross together as he
recited: "In
the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever
unto ages
and ages. Amen."

"Amen," she said.

Happy Valentine’s Day, my sweetheart! I have read this article

many times and still can’t get through it without crying. [I read it at
different times—e.g., today is February 23, 2005 and I still cry. You
wanted me to read the article to you on December 11, 2006 and I
did. Yes, I still cry. And, now (September 22, 2007) as I am once
again reading and editing my “log” I read the article and yes cried.]
Day 126 (Tuesday, February 15, 2005)—this is week 18 for you in a
hospital. When I got up in the morning, I noted that I forgot to take
my blood pressure, etc pills the night before. See, still another
reason for needing you home.
Today I taught at the Missile Defense Agency. My subject was
Analytical Risk Management and Program Protection Planning. I
had 18 students. Part two is on Thursday. It seemed to go well and
many asked how you were doing and were most impressed by the
article. I got a lot of student participation and that is a good thing.
Today is your unofficial birthday—the day you believe you were
born because an old village neighbor said so. So far we’ve had three
celebrations. One for your official birthday (28 Jan), one on Sunday
with our relatives and of course one on Valentine’s day. Niko called
you and he told me later that it was one of the best conversations he
has had with you on the phone since your accident. It reminded him
how you were before that fateful day of 12 October.

146
I arrived at 4 PM. You were scheduled to go to the eye doctor earlier
but refused to go without me. We are now scheduled for Friday. All
your therapists said you did great today and you affirmed that you
were a “star.” I am sure you were. You still recount events that I
don’t think really happened but hopefully that will soon stop. I was
reflecting that not too long ago you felt you had to chew on a sheet
or something/anything and how hard it was for the nurse to take
your temperature because you would bite the thermometer. Thank
God those days are behind us. There is still much work to do but
you have come very far.
Tomorrow NBC4 news and the Today show people come to talk to
us. Again, you will be a star.
I left about 6 PM after I sat with you while you ate your dinner. I
laid out two outfits for you to wear tomorrow, and then did the
usual. We spoke on the phone after you got back to the room from a
walk with the sitter, her name is Mary. I will conclude this day with
quotes from the birthday card that I bought for you. As you know,
we make a great effort to buy cards that really express our
sentiments. Here is what the card said:

People Like You Are Heaven Sent (with a birthday thought by Helen
Steiner Rice)

The years go by, and as they do

They only pause to smile on you
For you hold together
in happy thought
All the richness
that life has brought,
And you give so freely
to all you meet
The wisdom
that makes your life complete.
You’ll never grow old,
For you’ve so much to give,
147
And you’ll always be young,
For you’ve learned how to live.
Inside the card I wrote, My very dearest Maria, I am” (their text
follows)
Thinking of you
With life today
And searching for
caring ways to say
How special you are,
How much you’ve always meant—
With generous heart
and ways so wise,
It’s easy enough to realize
Someone special like you
is surely heaven-sent.

I added, With all my very love for you, Your Arion followed by many
Xs and Os.
Day 127 (Wednesday, February 16, 2005)--another day and I
arrived at my usual time before 7 AM. You had showered but were
not dressed because you were to do that with the supervision of
Olivia due at 8 AM. You had your breakfast and Olivia came early
to supervise your selection of an outfit—you selected the new brown
outfit that Nick and Nina bought for you.
The NBC people arrived on time. NBC4 with Wendy Reiger had the
first turn followed by the Today folks. We were interviewed for a
significant period of time and you stuck with it. Things started
about 11 AM and continued on to 2 PM. As I type this they are
shooting what I am typing. They also asked that I read from this
journal and I decided to read something from Valentine’s Day. I
read from the card that I brought to commemorate the day. It really
has a beautiful sentiment and I worked hard at not crying. As it
was, some tears did sneak out of the corner of my eyes.
During this period, you were supposed to be at speech group. I guess
that this whole day filled the bill for group speech. You had a lot of
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people talking to you and asking you questions. You did very well in
responding. People were very impressed on how far you’ve come in
the period you’ve been here. I asked that during their editing that
they keep the part in which I mentioned NRH. I thought this was
important to the work they do. They said they would try and I
certainly hope they will. Since I will not be able to see the show
tomorrow, they said they would send us a tape. So, now our story is
on national TV. I hope people admire you as much as I do.
Joe and Debbie came and they really were amazed how far you’ve
come in one week. You talk up a storm and interact close to the way
you were. When we left, we went to our home to watch the NBC4
news and they truly did a wonderful job. Wendy Rieger was simply
terrific and you were simply GREAT. As for me, I was the beast to
your beauty. Boy, my nose is getting longer with each passing year.
Thank goodness love is blind and you don’t seem to mind. Joe and
Debbie took me out to eat and we went to Ambrosia.
Day 128 (Thursday, February 17, 2005)—I was up at the usual early
time and off I went to teach the final piece of the course I presented.
It went well but I feel almost guilty that I am not at NRH with you.
We have been contacted by Jane Podesta of People Magazine and
they want to do a story about you. I said OK. I think that your story
needs to be told. You are a hero and have been fighting back from
the trauma that befell you as a result of that heroism.
I got to you at 3:45 PM. It took me 45 minutes to drive so few miles.
Traffic is a pain. You were resting and greeted me with the usual
love and affection and then wanted to get out of there. We walked
until your dinner came. You did a great job of feeding yourself.
When I left you, I went to a laundry to turn in five shirts. This was a
new experience for me as you will know when you read this. You’ve
never let anybody else do my shirts. When I arrived home, I sent
Jane Podesta a version of this journal and a few pictures. I received
a surprise phone call. Heidi Blaker called me. She saw the Today
show. Apparently, they never went to California as they were
supposed to. The reason they didn’t call us was that they thought we
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were angry because of some couple they had at a dinner I barely
remember. I assured her this was not so and that we thought their
move to California broke-up the friendship. Miscommunication can
cause misconceptions. Barbara called and we spoke for some time.
Day 129 (Friday, February 18, 2005)—good morning my love! You
know, every night when I get in bed I say “goodnight my sweet
Mary.” Or, I may use some variation such as “goodnight my soul.” I
so miss you being near to me. When you were asked by an
interviewer why you love me you responded because he is he. And, I
guess I have the same answer because you are you. This does seem
like the complete thing to say about anyone you love. Remember
how we smile when we hear young couples respond to that question
with “He (she) makes me laugh.” Trying to parse what love means
seems to diminish the emotion of love. One thing though, to me love
does mean wanting your love near so you can “feel” your lover’s
presence—his or her aura. Some people don’t seem to understand
our desire to be close most of the time during the day or night.
I was in your room by 6:50 AM and I am pleased to hear you say,
“you’re here.” After a kiss and a nuzzle, I do my small chores and
then breakfast comes. Today, we went on an outing with a group.
We visited Union Station. You did very well. I sensed no sensory
overload on your part. Quite the contrary, you took everything very
calmly. You ate a sesame pretzel and later a Hagen Daz Rum-raison
ice cream. You got the hiccups and attributed them to the rum. One
of the other patients bought a milkshake to the tune of $6.50. I guess
I am sheltered because I thought that a ridiculous price. You
negotiated stairs easily but the big deal was you doing well on the up
and the down escalators. You got on and off without problem. When
we returned we had lunch. You had fish and I had shrimp.
I stayed with you until time for you to go to the ophthalmologist. I
then went to the motor vehicle admin office in Gaithersburg. To get
a disability placard for our car. When I got to the window, the lady
said, I recognize this name. You were on TV. God bless your wife for
the wonderful thing she did. If you need anything here is my phone
number. After leaving, I went to the commissary for gas and a few
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items. At home, I got a phone call, this time from Fox, A Current
Affair. They want to interview us. I told them what jerks the local
affiliate was for not sending me a tape they made when you had the
accident. They apologized and they too (ABC said the same thing)
said they were not associated with the affiliate. They would show
good faith by getting the tape. I told them I would think about it.
Later when Charlie from channel 4 called, he said we should
consider doing it.
At home there were several cards and notes. One of these was from
Michael Connor, Dini’s ex. In the letter he said how proud he was of
us and gave us his best wishes and prayers that all would come out
all-right. While he did not come out and say it, it was clear that his
physical condition continues to deteriorate with the disease he
inherited from his mother. This is too bad as he is a really nice guy. I
sent a bunch of pictures to People magazine. I picked up my shirts
and put $40 into our travel bank. The other news of the day is that
Kathy (Seeger) Dayton, Dini’s childhood friend, called to wish you
well. She lives in Rehoboth. Her mother sent her the article and will
go to Madison in the morning to see her sister. She will call Dini.
Love ya, goodnight my love.
Day 130 (Saturday, February 19, 2005)—I arrived and you had
breakfast and then we went to the vending machines for some
coffee. We did some walking and you went off with the PT fill-in
person and of course were excellent. Dr. McCarthy came and pretty
much confirmed that you will be leaving next Thursday the 24th of
February. The thing we need to do is put in place the where and
what of the follow-on therapy. I confirmed that you are scheduled
for a one day pass tomorrow.
The People magazine writer came. You were terrific in responding
to her questions. She seemed sympathetic and hopefully will write a
nice article. She thought it was a wonderful love story and I should
write a book. The magazine will come out next Friday. Jane Podesta
promised me lots of copies. The photographer will come tomorrow
and Monday to shoot pictures. You said, It’s amazing people’s

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interest. This statement certainly shows more dot connections. Sara
your fill-in SLP came and took you away for therapy. Upon your
return she said you did well responding to open ended questions and
interpreting the pictures she showed to you.
We spoke to a lot of people today. We talked to Will and wished him
a get well quick. He said that Dini was out with a friend shopping.
We called her cell and spoke with her. Later the People magazine
person spoke to her too. We spoke to Aunt Mary and Barbara. We
had a lengthy conversation with Myrna and Dino. He said your
voice is getting much stronger. Heidi Blaker came to visit you
today. She stayed about two hours and was very sweet to you.
I went home and did chores and I went to the Blaker’s for dinner. I
had a glass of sherry and the meal was those corkscrew-type
spaghetti. They served ice cream for desert with fruit salad on top.
They were very, very nice and we all felt foolish that we somehow let
five years go bye without contact. I stayed about two hours and
Heidi said she would come visit you again on Tuesday and Jim
probably this weekend when you are going to be home (yea).
Day 131 (Sunday, February 20, 2005)—this was certainly a “WOW”
day. It started normally enough, that is I got up, ate, prayed, and got
to the hospital by 7 AM. When I arrived you were bathed and
dressed but in the wrong outfit. The night before I laid out what you
were to wear and somehow the clothes ended up thrown on the
bottom of the closet. So, you had to dress again. I helped you with
some makeup and we left for church. Upon our arrival, we parked
right in front and the People magazine photographer arrived at the
same time. Her name is Danuta Otfinowski (unusual first name—
it’s Polish), and she is a freelancer. Her assistant’s name is Earl. She
took pictures of you lighting a candle and kissing an Icon.
We were told to sit in the first pew. Shortly before the Orthos began,
the Fathers John and Steve came and hugged and kissed you. They
called you a miracle. They saw you through each of the steps of your
recovery from Suburban Hospital to NRH. You loved the chanting,
it was beautiful. You kissed the bible when presented and then we

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sat in the back so we could leave and not be disruptive when the
Liturgy began. When we left Chris gave us agiasmo to take with us.

We went home and Nouni and Susan saw our arrival. They rushed
over to embrace you. Susan was crying, a lot. They were thrilled to
see you and the progress you’ve made. When we went inside, the
first thing we did was call Greece. You spoke to Litsa and to
Gregory. They were truly thrilled to hear your voice. You were
thrilled to speak to them.
Danuta took many more pictures and then the unthinkable
happened—both her batteries went dead and she had to leave to get
more. She was gone for some time and that was about to screw up
our time-table. While she was gone, Connie and Vicki came and did
your face and improved upon my make-up efforts. Nick and Nina
came about noon. Finally, Danuta and Earl returned and it was
decided we would go eat before we resumed our photography
session. We went to Ambrosia.. You and I hosted the lunch. You had
Lemon-Chicken soup (avgolemano), a salad, taramosalata, and
spanokopita. You enjoyed the meal but above all the company. We
went home: it was picture taking time again. You got tired and
announced you were going to bed and you did.
The photographer left and soon after, channel 4 people came and
interviewed us. I was told later that it aired on the 11 PM news but I
did not see it, of course, I was in bed. The news 4 people were great.

I took you back to the hospital. You really did not want to go back
but I convinced you that soon, on Thursday you would be home and
then to outpatient therapy.

Day 132 (Monday, February 21, 2005)—When I arrived you were

showered and dressed. We talked and then your breakfast came.
You popped back into bed and I went for coffee. We walked and
observed Olivia and another therapist putting up some flags. She
will do occupational therapy with you today. Since this is a holiday,

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the staffing is light but Olivia has the duty for OT. Diane filled in
for Natalie in physical therapy. She reported that you did well but
needed more memory work to remember patterns of requested
activity. Speaking of memory, you didn’t like the idea that your
parents had died. You keep saying we are going to see them when
we go Greece. When you asked your sister about them on the phone
yesterday, she said they were “ekie,” (“there”) which, of course
meant the cemetery. The good thing is that you correctly interpreted
what “ekie” meant. You were not happy with this confirmation. I
mentioned that my parents passed away too. I think that you have
now accepted the fact that they are all dead. I emphasize they live on
in our memories and the pictures we have.

Danuta arrived and took pictures in the room and while you were
with Olivia. With Olivia you led us to the atrium and then got cards
to play the game “war.” You won the game. More pictures were
taken and we were off to the cafeteria. I had a steak sandwich and
you ate the French fries—still more pictures. I took them to see
Independence Square and the exercise room. You showed them how
you do the recumbent stepper. We returned to your room for your
lunch. It was a very hardy meal. You ate most of it—I was satisfied.
This concluded the photo session.

We went strolling after you rested. The place is pretty quite today
because it is President’s Day. Luckily, it did not snow last night as
predicted so I had an easy way to the hospital. At home, I scanned
and emailed a wedding picture to People magazine. I also prepared
the Post article for mailing. While looking at the wedding pictures, I
once again noted what beautiful bride you were. Of course, I cried
and cried still again when I re-read the Valentine’s Day article.

When I called you, you drove me a little nuts by having the phone
off the hook. You have a tendency to not push the red button when
it is lighted thus effectively keeping the phone on and causing a busy
signal. I called the front desk a couple of times until somebody went
to your room and called me. We had a nice conversation and when

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we finished, I reminded you to push the red button and you did. I
went to bed at 9:30 PM.

Day 133 (Tuesday, February 22, 2005)—this is week 19 since the

accident and this is the week you leave NRH. On my way here I
mailed a copy of the Post article to Dini. She was unable to get a
copy of the original in Madison. I also mailed a copy of the text to
Barbara in Ocean Pines since she missed it too. I arrived earlier
than usual but you still wanted to know where I was. You were
bathed and your hair was washed. Once again, they came early to
take blood (5 AM). You very much want to go home but also want to
very much to go to Greece. I told you that hopefully we can go in
June. I think that you have come to understand that your mother,
father, and brother have passed away. It does make you sad.

You ate breakfast and we went to the dining room for coffee. April
took you for PT and you did well. You did well in the cog-skills
group planning the ingredients for making a pizza. When Liz came,
you described your Sunday activities to her with a little cuing. Heidi
Blaker came to visit. You chatted with her for a few minutes before
Olivia came to whisk you off to Independence Square and tea
making. Heidi and Jim will try to see you this week. I missed Olivia
on how well you did. You went off with Amy. She was taking Liz’s
place to teach them Greek dancing. Reportedly you did show them
some steps. Amy is now Greek by marriage and was married at St.
Sophia by Father John as we were many years earlier.

We went to the cafeteria for lunch and ate the same thing, the
combo which consisted of meatball stroganoff, cauliflower with
carrots, and squash. It also came with a soft drink. There was
entertainment too. This week they are celebrating “team work
around the world.” Africa was the theme for this day and there
were musicians playing deafening drums. Three of the staff
performed African dancing and others a parade of costumes from
different parts of Africa. Notwithstanding the rather intense
drumbeat, you sat and ate very nicely. We sat with Heinrich and
Ruth Rosenlehner and their son Marcus who had a stroke and was
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fighting his way back to health. The parents are from Garmisch,
Germany, and the son lives here in the US (Gaithersburg) and is a
practicing lawyer, at least when well. He believes the Vioxx he was
using on a daily basis is what did him in. Vioxx was removed from
the market because of the significant increases in heart attack and
stroke. An FDA panel recently said taking the drug carefully was
OK but required that it have a “black box” label. The Rosenlehners
are all very nice people. The father took some pictures of us
yesterday and he gave me prints today. The father, as a civilian,
was in my line of work.

I spoke to Anna Park, MD (Ophthalmology) who saw you on 1/27/05

and again on 2/18/05. You were much more cooperative but there is
definitely damage to your left eye. She suggests you to go to a low-
vision specialist. As things now stand, your distance sight is not good
and you can’t see well peripherally on the left. Off the shelf glasses
you need are plus 3 (not the 2.25 strength I bought). I should hold
off on any prescription glasses until we see the low vision doctor. I
will buy you stronger glasses today.

I spoke to Charley Bragale the NBC4 News Assignment Manager to

tell him you will be leaving here on Thursday. He wants to do a
follow-up so he asked I call him when I find out the time. I called
and told him 11 AM. Charley has been very interested in you and
your story and they ran many pieces on your heroism and survival.
He asked jokingly what I plan to do when asked about movie rights.
I replied that we have selected who should play us. Given we are
Greek we thought we should be played by Greeks. Melina
Kanakarides seemed like a good fix for my Maria—she’s beautiful
and has the black hair that you sported when younger (she has a
role on CSI New York). As for me, I thought I’d go for hair and
thus John Stamos seemed like the right guy. If one pushed for the
folecularly deprived, Michael Chiklis is the perfect selection. Well,
we’re still waiting to be contacted for the book and movie rights.

At home, I had several calls from Jane Podesta, the People magazine
writer and the New York based photo editor Lynn. They needed
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some added info or clarifications. Jenna’s mom was concerned
about sending a photo of Jenna. Given the kooks of the world she
felt it an invitation to kidnap the baby. She relented but too late to
meet the deadline. It is now anticipated that the story will be in the
March 4th edition. The photo editor told me that they would not be
able to use the 1947 photo of you and your family with the US
donated cow. Apparently, black and white of that vintage looks like
mud when reproduced in the magazine. It is too bad as it certainly
illustrates the difficulties you overcame during your early years.

Your Canadian cousin called. She plans to call again on Thursday

when you are home. I wrote an email to all interested people that
you would be discharged tomorrow. Before I knew it, it was time to
call you and you had the phone off the hook again. I got help from
the front desk. We had a nice conversation. Dino called. He asked
how you were doing and I gave you a good report.

Day 134 (Wednesday, February 23, 2005)—I don’t know if what I

am about to recount has some specific symbolism, but it does seem
to be beyond coincidence. It was your habit to fill a rather large
glass (32 oz.) with water before you left for a walk. It was filled on
the 12th of October, 2004 before your departure on that fateful day. I
did not touch it. Somehow it felt wrong for me to pour the water
down the drain--it would have felt like I was pouring you away.
Well, today the last drop of water evaporated and tomorrow you are
coming home. It does seem sort of mystical, at least to me.

I arrived early, about 6:40 AM. You were dressed and bathed. I
started packing your stuff, taking down pictures and cards from the
bulletin boards and so forth. I won’t have as much to do tomorrow
and maybe we can get out of here earlier. The weatherman says it
will snow anywhere from three to six inches tomorrow. I hope he is
wrong. I’ve already made a couple of trips to the car. I dread
unloading and trying to figure out where to put everything.

You are doing the last hoorah of therapy today and I am taking
pictures of the people who worked with you most. As usual you are
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doing great during the therapeutic sessions. Your OT session today
was to make a pizza. The ladies said you did each task flawlessly.
You determined the ingredients which included feta and olives,
rolled out the dough, pre-heated the oven, knew enough to use a pot
holder, etc. I ate a slice of your pizza and it really, really was
delicious. Oh, baby, another step out of the abyss.

Abyss is the word that now comes to mind of where we have been
and the journey out and up the slope to wellness. It will be forever
difficult to describe this abyss in more than a superficial way. That
old adage of words being inadequate certainly is a truism in this
case. You suffered and I suffered. I’m not sure any scale could
measure who suffered more. You were physically traumatized and I
was emotionally traumatized. As I’ve said elsewhere in this journal,
life without you by my side would be no life at all. Literally, I would
have not survived. You continue to heal and will do so per the
doctor for at least a year or more to come. But as our priests noted,
you have come a miraculous way from that deep, black hole—the
abyss—you were in. I add here what our prayers always include:
Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, both now and ever
unto ages of ages. God bless your medical teams and therapy teams.
They have the skills that helped you as endowed and guided by God.
God bless that you had the spunk and drive to participate in what
was demanded of you to get better. I like that you think of me as
your main therapist and that you can’t wait to go home with me. I
do love you with all of my heart panapola mou.

We went to the cafeteria to eat. You had meatloaf, collard greens

and pasta. You particularly liked the roll. I ate fried chicken. Today,
they celebrated the 19th birthday of the NRH. Happy Birthday to
them from us! Earlier I took a picture of you with your three
principal therapists (Olivia, Liz, and Natalie). At the birthday I took
a picture of the NRH senior staff. I plan to make an album of this
difficult adventure we’ve been through to go along with this journal.

Nurse Judy came in with your prescriptions so we would be ready

tomorrow. We have three of them. One is to help you sleep, the
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other is thiamin (helps the brain), and lastly an anti-depressant. I
will get them filled tonight.

Day 135 (Thursday, February 24, 2005)—I arrived at the usual time
and you were dressed and waiting. I did the final packing of your
stuff. Surprisingly, it was a lot given I took a bunch home last night.
Everybody came to the room to say goodbye and to give you a hug.
We left at 10:20 and it was great to know you were discharged and
well on the way to recovery. Next week we start your outpatient
therapy at the Adventist Rehab (formerly Kessler). It is located off
Shady Grove Road in Gaithersburg right next to the Adventist
Hospital which in turn is near our primary care physician’s office.

It was snowing but really not a big deal as they weather people
implied. It wasn’t minutes after we arrived that Senior Police
Officer Becky MiCozzi arrived. She was cruising and saw us. Becky
is the one who first responded to the scene when you were hit and
rode in the ambulance to Suburban Hospital. She was truly amazed
on how far you’ve come. You could see tears welling up in her eyes.
She really thinks a lot of you and your deed. I invited her to go to
lunch with us after she stayed about a half hour but then you
announced you had to rest and you wanted me to hold you. Becky
got the message and left.

After your rest we went to lunch at Ambrosia. You very much

wanted the avgolemano (egg-lemon) soup and the taramosalata
(fish-roe salad). We enjoyed the meal very much and then went to
White Flint Mall for a walk. We did a turn of the first and second
floors. I offered to get you some frozen custard, you declined. When
we arrived home, you put on your night gown and rested in bed.

It is wonderful having you in the house with me that once again

words fail me. Just the nearness of you fills me with joy. I got you up
and convinced you to go downstairs where we watched TV. You
observed that TV was for morons. At any rate, you did get some
laughs from watching Everybody Loves Raymond and Friends. It is
nice to hear and see you laugh. We had several phone calls during
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the day and evening--Dino and Myrna, Heidi, Pauline, Niko, and
Dini. All are thrilled that you are home.

Day 136 (Friday, February 25, 2005)—this is your first full day
home and we slept late, until 7:30 AM. I got up and took a shower
and then it was your turn. You did well but I kept a close eye on
you. We went to the kitchen for breakfast. You had two types of
cereal with raisons and nuts added. I used “Ensure” as the liquid to
make sure you got added calories. You took your morning pills.
After you finished you were ready to lie down again.

I did some crying this morning. I read your NRH discharge

summary which recapped all of what you’ve been through. It was
very painful to read about your traumas and their aftermath.
Reading that you needed 24 transfusions, that you were treated for
pneumonia, that your chest needed reconstruction, multiple
surgeries were required to repair your lungs, that you had multiple
respiratory failures, and of course, the brain injuries, all these
things (and I mention only some of what happened to you) made me
very sad and as I said, I cried. I wonder if there is something to that
old adage of ignorance truly being bliss. Having been involved on a
daily basis and reading the discharge summaries I can say I am far
from ignorant and it hurts. Please dear God, have mercy on us and
bring her back to a full recovery. Luckily, you remember nothing.

You came back to the kitchen wondering where I was. You said you
were cold and wanted to cuddle. You looked through a magazine
and then we did our morning prayer together.

I got a little frustrated today with what looked like a screw up with
USFHP and a potential refusal to pay for follow-up therapy. Earlier
they had insisted that we use a network provider of theirs, Adventist
Rehabilitation (formerly Kessler). A case manager at Adventist,
Denise Johnson, called USFHP Customer Service to pin down
reimbursement and that started the confusion. She called me and
further confusion was kicked off. I left messages with everyone to
include Amy (your in-patient case manager) at NRH and Sheree
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Gordon the USFHP outpatient rehab coordinator. Sheree called me
back later in the day and told me not to worry, everything was on
track. She plans to meet us on Tuesday when we go for our
appointment with Dr. Lee. Stacy Hill from the USFHP Program
Office also called me and I told her about the run-around that I got
from customer service i.e., their refusal to let me speak with a
supervisor (the customer service rep said she would fill out a
“supervisor slip” and I would get a call within 48 hours). She also
refused to let me speak to the case manager “Foyra” that Denise
Johnson spoke to—another slip to write and a 48 hour wait. Stacy
told me she would have a chat with the director of customer service
and that I should call on her should any further problems arise. I
opined that Sheree seemed to be on top of the situation.

We went to the White Flint Mall with the first stop the Post Office to
mail the letter of thanks I wrote to the President/CEO of the NRH,
Ed Ekenhoff. I named all of the people that had a key role in your
recovery, and then mentioned the support staff from the special
police officers that greet people as they enter to the nutrition and
cafeteria people. I emphasized how important their people centered
therapy was in helping people come back to the world. Here is what
I wrote:

Mr. Edward A. Eckenhoff

President and Chief Executive Officer
National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH)
102 Irving Street, NW
Washington, DC 20010-2949

February 25, 2005

Dear Mr. Eckenhoff:

Yesterday, my wife Maria was discharged from the Brain Injury Unit
of the NRH. I certainly would be remiss if I did not write to you
promptly to tell you how much I appreciate the wonderful work of
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your staff. She left walking on her own but when she came to the unit
she barely was able to sit in a chair. Now she walks and talks and
displays many of the occupational skills she once had. We are not
finished with the therapy and will continue to be part of the NRH
family for some time to come, but she has come a miraculous way. I
attribute much of this progress to the people of this fine institution.

After coming to NRH and being here daily from November 24th, I
noted three prongs to the healing process—medical, therapeutic, and
family. Concerning the medical prong, Dr. Andrew McCarthy and
Nurse Practitioner Judy Gray were excellent in providing medical
support, advice, and council. The second prong executed by the
therapeutic team they lead and the team approach they developed is
truly outstanding. The principal therapists for Maria, Natalie Blonien
(PT), Liz McNulty (SLP), and Olivia Glover (OT) were individually
and collectively terrific. On January 11, 2005, I recommended each of
these therapists be recognized as Class-Act-Performers-In-Excellence.
I thought your form was insufficient space-wise to get across my
assessment of their contribution and attached a letter to make my
points (see the attached). I hope that they will be publicly recognized
and I would appreciate your taking the time to see that they are so
recognized. Additionally, PT Aide April Phillips and Rahsann Holley
(OT) in his CogSkills group have significantly contributed to my
Maria’s continuing recovery.

Family is the third prong supporting healing. The aforementioned

staff as well as Amy Leonard (Maria’s Case Manger), Paul Rao and
Rosemary Welch worked with me to maximize my contribution to
healing my wife.

There are many others that contribute to the smooth running of NRH.
These include the Special Police Officers at the entrance who greet all
with courtesy, housekeeping who keeps the facility clean, and the
nurses and sitters who continually interact in a positive way with the
patients and family. Add to this list Annie Lopez the nutritionist and
the others from food service such as Anne and Deborah who are
responsive to patient needs. Given that I frequently ate in your dining
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facility, James Conley, Director, Food and Nutrition Services, and his
staff should be recognized for their efforts in developing menus and
an environment pleasing to its patrons. His efforts to provide some
form of weekend food service should be supported. Eating from what
is provided in the vending machines is not too pleasant.

I have observed that coming back from a brain injury is very

dependent on the people involved in helping the patient gain back
what they had lost and you have great people. Given the present state
of ignorance on how the brain reconnects the cognitive dots, I see that
your program—people centered therapy—is working. It would be
manifestly the wrong way to go if the tendency found in many
organizations to “bean-count” determined otherwise. Given my time
with the Department of Defense, so-called metrics can and often do
lead to poor decisions when based on faulty premises. The current
approach used at NRH of establishing weekly goals and supplemented
by team and family meetings seems the way to go when dealing with
the imprecise nature of healing the brain. I urge you to continue this
productive approach until science catches up with the art of healing
the brain.

Before closing, I would like to highlight what I think are the most
important personal traits of the staff. These traits are compassion,
patience, and energy. They are compassionate with the patient and
with the family—displaying a wonderful interest in them. They display
a high degree of patience as they apply therapeutic approaches
leading to patient success. The energy they exude in going about their
tasks is marvelous and clearly is transmitted to the patient. Each of
these traits has a positive impact on the patients they treat and is
seminal to a patient’s recovery.

When my wife and I were recently interviewed by “People” magazine I

emailed the writer the following: “Suburban Hospital of Bethesda
Maryland saved my wife’s life. The National Rehabilitation Hospital
of Washington, DC is saving my wife’s future.” I hope they use this
statement in the article they are writing. As I wrote to the writer, I feel
passionate in its truth.
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I wish you and your staff continued success in helping others. You
have helped us in an immeasurable and certainly in a significant
positive way.

Sincerely,

After mailing the letter, we went to the beauty parlor where you got
your hair trimmed and styled. They did a good job to my eye but
again this is a first since we were married as you always did your
own hair. I can remember the many times women stopped to ask
you where they could go to have their hair look like yours. They
were amazed when you told them you did your hair yourself.

We went to the White Flint Mall food court for lunch. You had lentil
soup and a vegetable platter with Greek-style vegetables. I had
blackened chicken with broccoli and green beans. We then walked
the mall, got some coffee, and intended to go to the movie. You got
tired and actually so did I so we went home and rested.

Tonya came over and trimmed your nails and put polish on them—
a very nice neighbor. Initially, she had planned to trim your hair too
until I told her we went to the beauty shop. Next to visit was Noonie.
She brought you sugar cookies. You chatted with each of them but
the conversation showed you still needed follow on therapy. You had
a tendency to say some things that really didn’t make sense or was
not on target with the conversation. I guess this is what the
discharge summary meant when they used the term confabulation.
This is what the dictionary says: to give fictitious accounts of past
events, believing they are true, in order to cover a gap in the memory
caused by a medical condition.

Day 137 (Saturday, February 26, 2005)—we awakened at 7 AM.

Wow, I guess I am catching up with my sleep deprivation of the past
4½ months. You did eat all of the super cereal I made for you. You
did drink a full glass of orange and grape juice mixed.

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We seem to have had another symbolic event during the night. For
the first time ever since I’ve been keeping the candela lighted 24/7,
the cup ran out of oil and of course the wick extinguished. I take this
to mean that I no longer have to do burn the candela on a daily basis
now that you are home. In fact, yesterday, you blew the flame out
yourself. That caused me a clean up job as soot got all over the
place. Well, I had the same problem cleaning up the cup this
morning. We’ll light the candela on Sundays and other special days
from now on.

I showered, you washed and popped back in bed. We went to the

commissary and shopped a few items for you. We bought some
Ensure to supplement your diet and fruit among other things. We
returned home and after I put things away I grilled a porterhouse
steak on our outside grill. You ate the fillet of the porterhouse while
I ate the rest. You loved the meat and coleslaw I made. Following
the meal, I asked you to show me how to wash the dishes (my turn at
being an OT person) and you did a great job. We went to
Montgomery Mall for a walk. You were not much interested in
going but I insisted (now I was the PT person) and we circled both
floors. Interestingly, you have no urge to go into a store and shop. I
guess that will come too. As a reward for walking, I bought you
some soft ice cream with hot fudge and nuts.

We had two sets of visitors today. In the morning, the Blakers came
and in the afternoon, Harry Doukas and daughter Maria. Now it
was SLP time. You did great conversing. Your memory is
improving. You are remembering names well now. But, you seem to
have Iranians on the brain and don’t like them one bit. You speak of
them raping the English. I don’t know if this something you saw on
TV while at the hospital. Perhaps it is Iraqis you are thinking of and
the deaths of our soldiers there.

While you were resting, I cleaned our air purifiers and turned them
on for the first time in a long time. I wanted the air fresh for you
and now that I am not burning the candela, we can run them. Every
so often, you emerge from the bedroom to see where I am. You don’t
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like that I am not there in bed with you. I explained that I had to do
some work and it was too early for me to go to bed and then sleep at
night. You seemed to accept this. We’ll see. Well, your home again
looking for me, oh my.

Day 138 (Sunday, February 27, 2005)—we were up by 7 AM, both

showered, and ready for church. Our calls to Greece included your
sister, cousin Voula, and Roula our friend. All seemed quite
impressed on how well you were speaking. You still get confused on
whose son Thano is and the relationship with Marianna and her
husband Apostalos. But I’m sure that will soon fall into place,

We ate breakfast and I read a bit of the paper and off to church we
went. You seemed to enjoy church because your favorite psalti
Stelios was there. You did very well during the service, no
restlessness. When you got tired of standing, you sat. When we left,
we went to the Navy Exchange where I bought a new battery for the
kitchen phone. Now it works loud and clear. The kids came around
12:30. Niko brought food which consisted of a large pizza and a
variety of subs. You did well eating lunch. Dessert consisted of an ice
cream cake that Vicki bought last week and we saved until today. As
has become usual, you had fun with them all (Nick, Nina, Vicki and
Connie). As I keep telling people we are soon going to put you on the
stage as a comic because you really are clever with your quips. You
still are confused on some issues but that does not interfere or
detract from your sense of humor. You still have it in for Iran and
Iranians and TV that is for “morons.” After the kids left, you went
to rest. Actually, you invited them to leave so you could rest.

Claire our neighbor brought you a very beautiful bunch of flowers

and a nice get well card. Vicki used her former professional
expertise to arrange them. With all the weekend excitement, I forgot
to put money in our travel bank. So, as we were leaving for our walk
at Wheaton Mall, I put $40 on the bench which I deposited upon our
return home. Wheaton was jumping and I guess this is normal for
Sunday. I was going to buy dressy black pants for you but the wait
for a fitting room was too long so we left. We did a full circle around
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the mall with only one short break. You realize you must walk to
regain endurance and strength.

Alex Pattakos called from Santa Fe to ask how you are doing. He
has been following the articles written about you and posted on the
internet. While watching TV, we received a call from a local florist
that they were outside of our door waiting to deliver us something.
They came this evening because of dire weather predictions for
tomorrow. They brought a lovely bouquet of flowers from Arti and
Chuck and a huge basket of goodies from the “Dunn Kids.” I
suspect Chuck sent that too. It was very nice and very thoughtful.

It is Oscar night. We watched the Barbara Walters show and a little

of the red carpet bit and then you wanted to go to sleep. I went
upstairs with you intending to watch in the bedroom but you did not
like that idea. I shut the door and went to watch. Chris Rock was
not an impressive host. The show in general was not impressive.

Day 139 (Monday, February 28, 2005)—it is snowing but so far not
a big deal The temperature is above freezing so the snow is not
sticking even on the grassy areas. Let’s hope it stays that way. After
eating breakfast you went back to rest and I went to do bills etc.
After an hour you came downstairs and were cute-angry that I did
not come to bed with you. You sat on the couch for a bit huddled in
an afghan until I finished my work. We went upstairs, I showered
you sponged and we got dressed. You weren’t thrilled with the idea
of going out but you did. Our destination was Suburban Hospital to
say thanks to all the people that saved your life. Nurse Voula and
Dr. Hanawell, the trauma people were not there but the intensivists
(that’s what they are called) who worked with you during the
critical first weeks in intensive care, Drs. Morten and Markwell,
were and displayed great enthusiasm to see you doing so well. They
said you looked great. You were cute when you said did I look like a
monster before while sticking out your tongue and holding up and
curling your fingers. The nurses all gave you a hug. They truly were
sincere in wanting to see their success. We tried to see the neuro-PAs
(Steve and Jacob) but they were in the OR—we asked that they be
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told that we came to say hi. Next stop was the cafeteria and we had a
light repast. On the bulletin board at the entrance to the cafeteria
was our Valentine’s Day story from the Washington Post.

We went to the Navy Exchange and bought you a pair of Easy Spirit
walking shoes in black to go with your nice black slacks. You will
wear this Sunday at church. Upon arriving home, I called to inquire
about sitters when I go teach. I am not comfortable leaving you with
strangers so that might not be how I cope with the problem. Maybe
I will not teach. I called Arti and Chuck but they were not home. I
left a thank you message on their answering machine.

After we rested, Pauline, Jackie and Jenna came and brought

presents for you. They bought birthday gifts they held onto until you
got home. They also brought food for us to eat. I put Heidi’s
casserole into the freezer since we are overflowing with food now. I
made coffee for the adults and we had some cookies that arrived in
yesterday’s basket and the sugar cookies Noonie baked.

You really disturbed me tonight. You kept insisting that your bra
hurt and that I should cut it off—you were not wearing a bra but
continued to insist it was hurting your right breast. You went off
hunting for scissors and I feared when you found one that you
would harm yourself. You finally discovered you were not wearing a
bra and began to cut off your panties until I took the scissors away.
You were not happy.

Day 140 (Tuesday, March 01, 2005)—week 20 is over and you are
home over one week now. You slept very well last night and you
seemed back to normal. I got up and prepared breakfast. You got
up and ate well. When I finished eating I went out to shovel snow
and clear the car from the accumulated snow. It wasn’t hard to do
and you sweetly waved at me from the kitchen window giving me
moral support. I liked that. It will be nice when you are able to help
again--not because of the added labor, but because the company is
nice. When I came in, I showered and then you came and said you
wanted one too. You also washed your hair. After dressing, we
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listened to Greek music and then did the laundry. You helped. A
good thing is that you are not insisting you have to go to bed or
constantly saying you are tired. You also have not complained about
your breast or bra (you are not wearing one because of your still
sensitive ribs). After the wash was done, you helped transfer the
clothes to the dryer. After they dried, you helped fold the clothes
and even carried your share upstairs. You did a great job.

With the laundry done we headed for lunch on the way to see Dr.
Lee our primary care physician. We stopped at the Ambrosia Café
where Vasili, his wife Maria and brother greeted us with open arms.
You ate egg-lemon soup and we shared taramosalata and a gyro
sandwich. When we left, they gifted us with two pieces of baklava.

We arrived at the Shady Grove Health Center early and they took
us early. All, and I mean all, were thrilled to see you looking so
good. Sheree Gordon, your USFHP case manager met us there. She
seemed very genuine in her desire to help you get better. Dr. Lee
checked you over and decided to put you back on Fosamax to
strengthen your bones. He then proceeded to process the necessary
referrals: three to Adventist Rehab (PT,OT,SLP); one to Wilmer for
a low vision specialist; and one for Dr. McCarthy for an NRH
follow-up. As far as medical support, all went smoothly today. Dr.
Lee also said you need to walk and do light weights.

We left Dr. Lee and went to White Flint Mall for our walk. We
walked on both levels and bought some frozen custard—peanut
butter flavor. I bought a big diet drink and we shared that. You did
well eating and walking. When we arrived home we both rested. Bill
and Pricilla Torpey sent a very beautiful flower arrangement. I
called and thanked him and you spoke to him too. He loved it.

Day 141(Wednesday, March 02, 2005)—we are getting into a

routine. I get up before you, prepare a simple breakfast, convince
you to get up and you eat. Then comes personal clean-up and
dressing. Today was a commissary day and off we went. When we
returned it was time for lunch and we both ate half a chicken and a
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nice salad. You rested while I cleaned up and then off we went to
Montgomery Mall to walk and to look for a jacket that goes with
your brown pants. No luck. Returning home, we both went to rest.
Jane Podesta from gazine called us. She is still waiting for the edits
but feels pretty sure, next week is the week. After her call, I got up
to review the mail and the outstanding thing was you got up, put on
your coat and wanted to go out again. This time we went to White
Flint Mall and did a lot of walking. We returned and you rested a
bit until I called you for light dinner.

I spent some time today making an appointment with the Wilmer

Eye Center which is part of Johns Hopkins located in Baltimore.
You will see a low vision specialist on March 29th. I also called
various places to determine availability of sitters if I go and teach.

We received a nice email from Ed Eckenhoff, the President/CEO of

NRH. Here is what he said:

My dear Colonel....... What a lovely letter you sent me which was

received this morning. Needless to say, I wish to send this around to
all those you mentioned by name as it is a letter such as yours that
reinforces to so many why they are here, why they chose the
professional fields they did and why it becomes so important to do all
we humanly can for those who reach our doors for service.

I shall see that all three team members are acknowledged for the
Class Act Partners-in-Excellence and I thank you for having
recognized these people.

Please know that we all hope for the very best with Maria and
you. Should there be anything we can do to assist, we stand ready and
able! The two of you represent the very best when defining the human
spirit and for this we continue to stand in awe. You are our heroes.

By all means, keep me posted. Cordially, Ed

This is a really nice acknowledgement of your heroism.

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I spoke to our attorney David Lease today. He says that the Ft.
Meade woman that handles claims has been very pleasant but
complains she has much to do. Thus, there is no real action on that
front and he will continue to pursue. State Farm is ready to pay and
he will establish an escrow account for the money pending the
Army’s determination of what is the equitable share between
medical bills and pain/suffering. As far as USAA and uninsured
motorists is concerned, subrogation issues are being worked out.
Here is the definition of subrogation: the substitution of one claim
for another, especially the transfer of the right to receive payment of a
debt to somebody other than the original creditor. They still want to
hold open their right to go after Purcell.

Day 142 (Thursday, March 03, 2005)—today was the big day of
going to Adventist Rehab. I guess I was a little excited and misread
the appointment time so we got there very early. It did give us time
to scout out the place and then we went to Krispie Kreme for a hot
chocolate (you) and a coffee (me). We both had a doughnut. You
were not impressed with the hot chocolate and were not thrilled with
the mothers that were letting their kids run wild. The noise bothered
you (you’re more sensitive to noise now). I went to the mothers and
politely asked them to take charge. They did!

At the Rehab we processed in and fortunately they had the tons of

paper that they required completed so it was rather painless. Your
first session was with Cindy Lawrence a SLP. You did a one-on-one
for 45 minutes and then with us together for 15 minutes. We
discussed goals and directions for therapy. She asked why we did
not go into the NRH Transitions program and I replied that I
thought the daily 9 to 4 program was too early and too ambitious for
you at this point. I would rely on the input from the Adventist team
to determine if/when you are ready. We then broke for lunch and
went to a fast-food style Philips Seafood Restaurant. You order at
the counter and they call your name when the food is ready. We had
cream of crab soup, a grilled crab/shrimp cake sandwich, coleslaw,
and grilled veggies on a skewer. Good food at a good price. Not bad!
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We returned to Rehab. We started out together with the OT person,
Jennifer Milsovic, and discussed goals. Both therapists concluded
that you would need therapy for six weeks, three times per week.

We returned home, rested until Jane Podesta from People called to

say she has the edits and all is on track for next week. She will send
us advanced copies.

You got up from bed searching for me. You like me to nap with you.
I keep telling you I cannot keep napping in the afternoon and expect
to sleep at night. You do not like this. You went back to bed and in a
little while came back with the intent to cut your toe nails. You
brought totally inappropriate stuff to do so (e.g., the crochet-type
needles used to pull hair through a cap preparatory to frosting
hair). I brought you the right stuff and you cut your toe and finger
nails. You only did one hand, the left, and I helped you do the right.
You did the filing. I checked your toenails and you did well.

We spoke to our cousin Mary Anna and you confused some issues
such as who her daughter was but generally your conversation was
OK. You keep calling the hospital California and you still have it in
for the Iranians. After you finished speaking to her, I got pictures
out to review who is who. I showed you Mary Anna’s picture and
our Goddaughter Marianna’s picture. I showed you other relatives
too and told you who was with whom. Following that, I made lamb
sandwiches (Suzanne made the lamb) for dinner and you went to
bed, fully clothed I might add.

Day 143 (Friday, March 04, 2005)—it’s interesting, before the

accident you slept way over on one side of the king size bed and I on
the other side. You believed that you tossed and turned too much
and did not want to bother me. Also, you mostly slept on your
stomach. Now you like to sleep close to me and you mostly sleep on
your back. I like you sleeping close to me and it’s easier for me to
touch you and to hold hands. I find that when I wake up during the
night, I can give you a kiss on the forehead and I like that too.

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We got up, did breakfast – you ate well. We washed and went to the
commissary and shopped and then it was resting time for you again.
We called Greece—first Marianna but she was at work. We both
spoke to Apostalos and you heard Thano in the background. Next
we called Litsa and you had a nice conversation with her. There is a
lot of snow in the village.

Later, we did some walking at White Flint Mall and you ate frozen
custard. At home, I grilled a steak and we had salad. We went out
for a walk, this time at Wheaton Plaza Mall. At home you went to
bed but this time you got up on your own and we went downstairs to
watch TV together. You didn’t sustain the whole movie.

Day 144 (Saturday, March 05, 2005)—I fasted since we were going
to church today and we were both to receive communion. You are
exempted because you are not completely well. In fact, when we
went to dress, I discovered you had cut the strap to the t-shirt top we
got so you wouldn’t have to wear a bra. You had been threatening to
cut the bra you weren’t wearing and I guess this was what you did
as a replacement. I did scold you.

You dressed in black pants, lavender top and a black jacket. The
recently purchased black Easy Spirit walking shoes completed the
outfit. I helped you apply makeup. I guess I need to let you do that
with just some cuing in the future. You did really well at the service.
This is the First Saturday of Souls where lists of names of the dearly
departed are submitted and the priests read and bless them all. We
submitted our list with the following names: Thalia, Chrissy,
Apostalos, Stelios, Nadine, Niko, Olga, Dianne. We both received
communion. Later while handing out the antithero (Holy Bread),
Father John embraced and kissed you. We got our koliva (boiled
wheat with honey and raisons) and left.

We came home, changed and were out again for lunch. We went to a
new Greek Restaurant, Greek Taverna, and the food was terrible.
You had avgholemano (egg-lemon) and we ordered tarama (it was
very runny), calamari (they were bland and rubbery), and fried
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maridhes (the little fish smelled and tasted fishy)—I returned them
and complained. The chef (owner?) was not pleased. When I told
him the fish smelled fishy he replied that they were fish. If the place
exists a year from now, maybe we’ll try it again then.

We went to Montgomery Mall looking for t-shirts for you but were
not successful. At home we both went for a nap, you liked that. We
were disturbed by the banging of mail delivered through our door
slot. Dino called from Florida. You spoke to him and Myrna. That
was it as far as the nap was concerned.

After dinner I resumed this journal and you came and sat across
from me. You asked for a pen and wrote a love note to me in Greek.
You wrote: Arion, what I am doing now I will never do for anybody
else, I hope that you will have a lot of happiness with love and many
kisses. Your Mary, bye for now. I cried!

You were very agitated later in the evening. Your right side hurt
and the Tylenol did not seem to help much. We tried to watch some
TV but you kept talking about cutting off the bra (you had none on)
because of the pain to your right breast. You got distracted by a
particular scene in the movie we were watching until it was bedtime.
With your evening medication, you managed to sleep.

Day 145 (Sunday, March 06, 2005)—this morning we did the usual
after getting up. We went to the Navy Exchange to buy a few items
(some t-shirts and Aleve). I hope the Aleve helps the pain better then
the Tylenol. Connie and Vicki came about 12:15. Nick and Nina
dropped by on their way to Nina’s sister’s birthday party.

We took Connie, and Vicki to Ambrosia. We enjoyed the food but

they are still having problems with service and servers. Some did
not show up today and they were working the floor with just two
people, one of whom was Arthur son of the owner. The food was
good and we had an appetizer. You and Vicki had spanakopita,
Connie gyros, and I had my usual chicken livers. You also had soup.

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For desert we had baklava. The baklava was on the house to make
up for the tardy service.

After arriving home, we went into our all-seasons room—I call it

Maria’s Room. I turned on the heat and it warmed up in a jiffy.
Everybody enjoyed the pleasant nature of the room and we had fun
talking. Really, we need to turn you into a stand-up comic, you come
up with very funny (and appropriate) things. You are remembering
more things. You showed them a picture and identified the people in
it and also showed you had a better grasp on the past.

A really nice thing was when you came into the kitchen while I was
doing this journal. You announced you wanted to pluck your
eyebrows. I helped find the equipment and you returned to pluck. I
can’t say how well you did but wanting to do so was the big thing.

Day 146 (Monday, March 07, 2005)—the usual morning opening

with breakfast and such. I even made eggs today. You are still not
ready to initiate helping clean the dishes but hopefully your old
ways will assert themselves sometime soon. I gave you your morning
med and vitamins. A little later I gave you one Aleve and at about
3PM two more. So far today you have not complained about your
bra or breast hurting.

In the early evening you did get agitated when you discovered the
couch in the family room did not open into a bed. I tried to explain
that we had such a couch years ago but bought new furniture
without that feature because they were more comfortable. You
really did not buy into that explanation. You left in a huff for the
bedroom. When you appeared again a few minutes later, you were
still agitated. I told you Stami was coming on Sunday as she was
attending a wedding shower for her sister. That bothered you
because you kept insisting that you did not want your therapist here.
I worked hard to convince you that Stami was a cousin not a
therapist. You confused her with Jennifer the Adventist Rehab OT.
Apparently, you don’t like her very much. You kept insisting that
Stami was the OT. Well, they told me there would be days like this.
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The warning has not prevented me from getting a bad headache and
a stiff neck to boot. I feel very disturbed myself. Suzanne called and
offered soup and I accepted for you. You came back from the
bedroom (again), I should say stormed back and told me to call
Suzanne and say you did not want the soup. Why, you wanted to
know, should I interfere in your business and make decisions for
you. This has been your worst evening home—ever.

Suzanne and Nooni came with too much food. The interaction with
you was good and you seemed to settle down a little bit—your public
image was working, I guess. You didn’t think the soup had much
taste and ate very little. I had to work hard to convince them not to
leave a gallon or so of soup. They really think you are a great person
and want to be very helpful.

Today, we went to BAI so I could set up for my forthcoming

training. Everybody was truly thrilled to see you. Palmer was visibly
moved to see how you improved and so was Fred. Fred had a bad
cold so stayed his distance. Andrea gave you a hug as did Palmer.
Next we went across the street to recruiting where Connie works
You entertained all the ladies with your wit. We had a good time.

Today Heidi visited and chatted with you. She is going to Austria on
Wednesday for three weeks. As we were going out, Anne spotted you
and came over. She gushed all over you, tears and all. As I’ve told
you, you are loved by all. She also proceeded to tell you how
wonderful I was. You agreed. But, I must tell you that this makes
me very uncomfortable. The reason is (well this might sound corny),
when people love each other, this is how they should behave and
hence this is how I do behave. In other words, I don’t see what I
have done or am doing as extraordinary but normal—at least for
me. Thus to say I am great or your savior or your rock (as you put
it) makes me feel weird.

Day 147 (Tuesday, March 08, 2005)—well, this day concludes week
21 since the accident and it does not start on a good note if last night
is any indicator. This morning you seemed OK. I think you have the
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Stami-Jennifer thing straightened out. You ate a hearty breakfast,
washed and dressed and are ready to go out for therapy. I called
Jennifer and asked her if you guys had any incidents. She said no. I
also asked if the stove had worked OK (you said it hadn’t and she
did not know how to turn it on). She again said all was OK. I
suggested she work hard at developing rapport with you. She
thanked me for the call.

Yesterday was balmy and hit 71 degrees. We even sat in the all-
seasons room and needed no additional heat. Today it is snow
showers again, very windy (our flag was flying horizontal to the
ground), and the temperature is dropping. At 9 AM it is 39 degrees
and expected to drop further.

We went to Adventist Rehab through the snow and blustery cold

leaving at 10:10 AM. I had to clean off the car. The snow was
sticking to the grass and some to the street. The drive on the
highway was tricky because visibility was poor. We arrived without
incident, signed in and waited for about 15 minutes until Cindy
(SLP) came for you. After about 45 minutes you returned with her
and the three of us spoke. She said you did very well. You were put
in charge of keeping time so the three of us could meet and you were
right on the dot. This is just one example of how well you did.
Jennifer, the OT, was nice too. She came and asked if we wanted to
continue with her through the lunch hour rather than take a break
since the weather was so foul. That was better than going to lunch
and having to come back. You went with Jennifer without a
problem (later you pronounced her nice) and also had a good
session. You made fruit salad with yogurt. We took some home and
that is what you ate for dinner.

When we left Adventist, we traveled across the street to Phillips. We

both had blackened tuna with coleslaw and veggies grilled on a
skewer. We both cleaned our plates (I didn’t even get a chance to
have a bite of yours—you didn’t even offer). Next stop was Rite Aide
to pick up my meds and then home for a nap. Before napping with
you, however, because of the high wind, I had to chase down our
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garbage can and searched for (and found) the lid. I returned
Suzanne’s cans to their proper place.

You had a really good day today. I put one of those BenGay patches
on your rib cage and it appeared to work. You had no complaints
about your “bra” hurting. You helped me a little folding laundry.

Day 148 (Wednesday, March 09, 2005)—today it is blustery and

cold again. But, it is sunny and no snow in today’s forecast. For
variety, I micro-waved something called “Scramblers.” It was very
quiche-like and while not great was not bad with eggs, sausage,
peppers, onion, etc. You ate it all as did I.

Your memory is improving in many ways but you are still having
trouble remembering who belongs to who but that is slowly coming.
I guess I will soon diagram the various family trees. Today we
picked up the DVD that has all of the TV pieces that feature you.
We bought some party stuff for Sunday and then went to the
commissary for some food items. Harry and Mary Anna came to
visit and she brought you a gift of your favorite body cream. We sat
in Maria’s Room and I made and served coffee with cookies. You
did not help but you did enjoy the company.

I encourage people to come to stimulate your memories. You also

spoke to Chrisa your niece and Marika her mother in Greece. We
called and spoke to your sister. You did a lot of interacting during
the calls and now better understand the different relationships.

We went to dinner at La Madeline’s. You had mushroom soup and

we shared an entrée of loin of pork with lots of broccoli. We ate
their nice dark bread. We called and spoke to Pauline and medically
her news appears to be good. The event of the evening was when you
came back from one of your rests. You didn’t locate your robe so
you donned my wool shirt, pockets bulging with glasses, pens,
pencil, calendar, and notebook. You marched into the kitchen to
find me while I was working on this journal. You knew you were
being funny because you came in laughing and you did get a big
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laugh out of me too. You went to bed after pronouncing that TV was
for morons (many would agree with you).

Day 149 (Thursday, March 10, 2005)—wow, was it tough getting up

this morning. We had to be at Adventist by 8 AM and thus I started
by getting out of bed at 6 to take a shower. Soon you got up on your
own for the toilet but gave me lots of trouble when I told you to take
off your nightgown and to wash. You wanted to go back to bed.
Fortunately, we don’t have anymore 8 AM appointments.

Of course, we were there early and the place was quite. It seems as if
everybody gets there just on time. You started with Jennifer (OT)
and ironed shirts. You needed some cuing in setting up but that
would be expected with strange equipment. You did well but it
remains to be seen if you’ll want to iron at home. Next was an eval
by the PT person. Nikki is her name. You did well with her and she
established some goals for you especially in the area of endurance
and better balance. After an hour wait, Cyndy (SLP) came and you
did some memory things with her and scored well. We are keeping a
loose leaf book to record your progress.

When we left Adventist, we went to Phillips and ate the blackened

tuna again. You had a bowl of clam chowder I planned to share with
you but your idea of sharing was to leave me one teaspoon worth of
chowder. However, since you didn’t eat all of your coleslaw, I did
get to finish that off. When we arrived home, there was a bag on our
porch table. Suzanne left us food for this evening. At home we
napped and then it was time to get you up for the dentist. We tussled
a little getting you up but off we went on time. Dr. Barnett repaired
one of the teeth on a bridge where the porcelain broke off using a
bonding technique. He believes that will work. If not, the tooth
belongs to a big bridge and would take effort to replace. You had
teeth cleaned. You were very patient and sat through the procedures
without being restless. You were pleased with the dental work.

At home, I worked on abridging this journal from day 125 to the

present. The therapists wanted to review my notes as an aid to
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helping you. They are included as part of the notebook they are
maintaining on your progress. I keep the book and give it to the first
therapist of the day.

The Gazette newspaper of Kensington printed an article titled

Victim’s Husband Pushes Change – it’s about you and the
inadequate Maryland laws.

Here is the article by Stephanie Siegel:

Mar. 9, 2005

When Maria Pattakos was hit by a truck last fall after she pushed a
child in a stroller from harm's way, she was left with a fractured skull,
two punctured lungs, a broken collarbone, ribs and pelvis.

The driver who hit her was left with a $55 citation for failure to use
due care to avoid a pedestrian.

Now, Arion Pattakos, Maria's husband, is trying to change a

Maryland law that allows a driver to receive the traffic citation without
appearing before a judge.

According to Pattakos, a retired U.S. Army colonel, the driver who hit
his wife did not have to appear in court because she was crossing the
street in a controlled crosswalk -- one where there is a traffic light
and/or a pedestrian crossing signal.

But the law differs for drivers who hit pedestrians in uncontrolled
crosswalks. They must appear before a judge and could receive a
potentially higher penalty, according to the state's attorney's office.

"Even though she was crossing with the light in her favor and the
pedestrian sign, it's handled differently," Pattakos said.

Pattakos wants the law reformed so that drivers who hit pedestrians in
any crosswalk must appear in court.

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"My intention is to save other people," he said. "I'm not looking for
any special treatment. I'm doing this for the next Maria who gets
thumped, as she calls it."

Maria Pattakos, 60, a Kensington resident, was hit on Oct. 12 as she

walked with her neighbor Pauline Londree and Londree's 18-month-
old granddaughter Jenna Sauber. Maria was pushing Jenna in a
stroller as they crossed the intersection of Cedar Lane and Beach
Drive in Bethesda. The walk signal was flashing. At that moment,
John Paul Purcell, 54, of Bethesda, was making a right turn during a
green light from Beach Drive onto Cedar Lane. He struck Pattakos
just after she pushed the stroller out of the way. Purcell, who was not
injured, told police bright sun was in his eyes and he did not see the
women.

The case illustrates how important it is for both drivers and

pedestrians to be aware while on the road, said Officer Julia Gilroy, a
police spokeswoman.

"The traffic article says if the pedestrian is in the crosswalk with a

signal they have the right of way and any turning vehicle has to yield
to them," she said.

Pattakos was severely injured and spent more than four months in the
hospital. She's home now, recovering.

"Maria is improving every day," her husband said. "Her memory dots
are connecting. Meanwhile, as he helps his wife cope with her
recovery, he is also working to see that what happened to her isn't
repeated.

After learning of Purcell's penalty in December, Pattakos contacted

state Sen. Sharon M. Grosfeld (D-Dist. 18) of Kensington to ask about
changing the law.

Grosfeld said she would support a change if it was vetted and drafted
by the State's Attorney's Association and if it had the support of
victims rights groups.

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"If we didn't have that, at the very least, we would not be successful in
getting this legislation passed," she said. "The support of these groups
are critical."

Montgomery County State's Attorney Douglas F. Gansler said the

State's Attorney's Office is not involved with whether a person must
appear in court for a citation, but said he is in favor of stricter laws to
protect people like Maria Pattakos.

State Del. William A. Bronrott (Dist. 16) of Bethesda agreed that

current laws could be made more strict.

Bronrott, who chaired a county Blue Ribbon Panel on Pedestrian and

Traffic Safety, has been an advocate for pedestrian safety.

He said that current laws don't provide for "middle-ground

penalties."

"Either you have to prove gross negligence or you can issue a couple
of citations," he said.

Lawmakers are working to pass bills that provide for penalties in

between those extremes.

"I believe that our laws need to be crafted in such a way that we can
have stricter penalties when it comes to death or severe bodily injury,"
Bronrott said.

Several bills are currently in the judiciary committee, he said, which

could possibly be amended to include penalties for serious bodily
injury.

Those bills include one sponsored by Del. Luiz R.S. Simmons (D-Dist.
17) of Rockville and state Sen. Jennie M. Forehand (D-Dist. 17) of
Rockville that aims to allow a driver who is found criminally negligent
and kills another person to be convicted of a misdemeanor and a
second bill sponsored by Del. Pauline Menes (D-Dist. 21) of College
Park, which says an aggressive driver who commits two or more

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specified violations during an incident that kills another person can be
convicted of homicide by aggressive driving.

"I think that is what we ought to be looking at," Bronrott said. "To
just have someone appear in court is better than not appearing in
court, but what judges don't have is these middle of the road penalties.
Victims who are seriously injured and families of those who are killed
feel a deep sense of lack of justice."

Arion Pattakos continues to feel frustrated by the current law, which

he says makes no sense.

In a Jan. 26 letter to the office of the State Attorney General, he

expressed his disappointment.

"It is ludicrous that one can cause grievous trauma to another and yet
receive what is tantamount to a wrist slap," he wrote.

Channel 9 people read the article and want to come interview us

tomorrow. They plan to come at 10 AM.

Day 150 (Friday, March 11, 2005)—well, we had an active day

today. Channel 9 called and said they would be late. I told them to
meet us at the Adventist Rehab because we planned to leave here at
11 AM, go to lunch and then be at the rehab for them by 12:30.
They agreed. We did leave at 11 and went to Phillips and had our
usual plus broiled shrimp on a skewer. We went to Safeway to see if
the People magazine was in the store and the answer was not yet.
We got to Adventist at 12:20 and the public affairs people had us fill
out a bunch of release forms. The channel 9 people were very
prompt (Audrey Barnes and her cameraman). They videoed us in
the “apartment” and then with you doing some physical therapy
with Nikki. The piece was shown at about 5:30 and you looked
great. As I keep saying you are the beauty and I the beast. They
emphasized what I wanted i.e., the law in Maryland dealing with
crosswalks doesn’t make sense. I hope it is heard by somebody that
has some power and will do some good.

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All your therapists said you did great. What was impressive was
that you sustained three straight hours. I was impressed. The
therapists said you answered questions well and what I observed of
your PT was really excellent. Your balance is good and you are
following directions very well.

I spoke to our lawyer David Lease today. I informed him that

Detective Ratnofsky of the Accident Reconstruction Unit called and
said that Purcell paid the $55 traffic ticket on February 17 and
officially the case was now closed.

When we arrived home, we found several copies of People sent to us

by Jane Podesta. I was disappointed. The article was not nearly as
good as the Washington Post article. And, given the number of
pictures they took, they used very few. They used one of us cutting
our cake (that I gave them), one of Jenna (that Jackie gave them),
and only two original shots. Somehow, I expected more from them.
So much for national exposure of your story!

This evening Father John from Boston called. This is not our Father
John but one that heard about our story in Boston. We never met
him. He is Greek Orthodox originally from Australia. He knows our
Father John. His son, attending school in DC, sent him the Post
article. He found our story beautiful and asked how you were doing.
I told him of your great progress and how our faith is helping. We
are in his prayers. He asked to be remembered to our Father John.

You ate turkey pot pie this evening while sitting on the family room
couch watching TV. When Clinton’s picture came on you correctly
identified him before his name was mentioned. You showed many
other indicators that memory dots are connecting. You stayed and
watched TV until about 8 PM. I cut your evening pill in half to see if
this makes you less tired during the day. Truly, you did not have
much time in bed today. When I came to bed I noted that you put on
your nightgown. This is a good thing since when you left I asked you
to do that and told you it was hanging on the back of the bathroom
door. This concludes the fifth month following your accident.
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Day 151 (Saturday, March 12, 2005)—the event of the day, so far, is
that you got out of bed on your own initiative and put on your robe.
We went into the kitchen, ate breakfast and you washed your own
cereal bowl. After the meal, you went to rest on the couch (at least
not bed) with me warming your feet and working on this journal.

Maia called from Wisconsin and you had a nice discussion with her.
Dini told me she is ready to come on 4 April but will not arrive until
11 PM that evening because someone will be in Madison from
Atlanta earlier that day who she must meet with. She was concerned
that she would get lost coming from the airport so we drove there to
make a recon of the signs she should follow. I sent her an email with
the directions. You had a long talk with Aunt Mary and discovered
that Uncle Bob died four years ago and you once again confirmed
that my parents died. Later, Dino called and you spoke with Myrna
and our cousins Paul and Tula who live in Florida permanently and
were visiting them. Dino and Myrna are leaving on Monday for
home and will be in this area next Sunday, 20 March.

Upon our return from the airport we went directly to the

commissary where we bought a few things for tomorrow’s lunch
with the gang. I bought beef brisket for Niko. You pushed the basket
back to the car. We got gas and the price is creeping up as we were
told it would. After unloading at home we went to Ambrosia.

I made you Family Memory reference sheets in big print and bold
typeface. I don’t know all of the names myself so I will ask Gregory
and Litsa. You read what we had about 5 times. I did have to cue
you with some words and to start at the extreme left of the page.
You have a left neglect vision problem. By the fifth reading you were
doing well. After a few more times I asked you who is who. You did
OK but still slip up. For some reason, it is hard to fix in your mind
that Marianna’s son is Thano and that she is married to Apostalos.

Day 152 (Sunday, March 13, 2005)—I was going stop the daily
journal at day 150 and then go to weekly or event driven entries. I
185
guess I am addicted. We’ll see as things unfold how long I’ll keep
this up on a daily basis. I guess everyday has some event of meaning
for me and perhaps for you when you read this at some future time.

I woke up at 3:33 AM. I know this exact time because our atomic
clock shines the time (and the temperature) on the ceiling. What ran
through my mind were the feelings I had early during your
hospitalization. I guess the fact you were pressing close to me in bed
and my happiness with that started the thoughts of the anguish I felt
during the first fifty or sixty days after the accident. It is somewhat
a cliché now to say “words can’t express” or “words are
inadequate” and similar phrases. Cliché as they may be, however,
they are true in this case. Another cliché comes to mind—searing
pain. That certainly is what I felt. The Encarta Dictionary has two
definitions of “searing” that are pertinent: 1) to have a sudden
painful or unpleasant effect on somebody or something; 2) to wither,
shrivel, or dry up, or to cause something to wither, shrivel, or dry up. I
guess the first definition makes the word pain following searing
redundant. The second definition reminds me of what I said about
bad thoughts earlier in the journal. That is the feeling of curling up,
drying up into dust and having a puff of wind blow me away. I also
looked up the word “pain.” When defined in terms of emotion it is
stated that pain reflects severe emotional or mental distress. Well,
all those thoughts seem to fit and yet, still can’t quite capture the
difficulty I had enduring what had happened and is happening to
you. To use a contemporary term of the day, my distress was
awesome. Well, enough early morning introspection.

I called Greece and spoke to Gregory and Litsa to complete what I

have now titled, “Who is Who in Greece.” You spoke with Litsa at
length. We left for Church and stayed for the Orthos. Upon return
home we called Chuck Dunn to wish him a happy birthday and they
were thinking of us since this was my Mom’s birthday too. You
spoke to Arti for some time and I with Chuck. Our next call was to
Roula in Greece. She told us sad news about her mother, Sevasmia,
she died on Tuesday from a stroke. Her mother was a sweet lady
and I am sure she will be very missed by Roula. You spoke with
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Roula quite a bit and she recognized you make up some memories
(confabulation) and still think old memories are current. But she
knows you are on the road to wellness.

Soon after our calls, Nick and Nina came and were closely followed
by Connie and Vicki. Niko was very impressed on how well you read
the Who’s Who and he worked with you. Connie brought two huge
pizzas she bought at Costco. She also brought a huge salad. I made
some BBQ brisket (well, my making it is an exaggeration, I
immersed two pouches of the stuff in boiling water would be more
accurate). At any rate, we had far beyond an all-you-can eat meal.
We pretty much ate one pizza and Vicki took the rest home with
her. I had a lovely Sarah Lee strawberry cream pie and we all
exploded. Of course, N + N went house hunting after the meal.
Connie and Vicki stayed for a couple of hours more and you had a
good time. A good thing for the day is that you arose on your own at
6 AM and stayed up and functional until 4 PM. We went and rested
then. Pauline and Tonya came at 6 PM after our nap. You had soft
drinks with them.

You complained a lot today that your right side really hurt even
after the BenGay Patch. I gave you two Aleve and within an hour
you said all was OK. You again noticed your nails needed trimming
and you trimmed them. You said you’ve done better in the past and
I suggested that you would again in the future. The important thing
is you recognized they needed trimming and did something about it.
I did help find the scissors after you asked. I gave you a choice of
clippers or scissors and you took the scissors. Your job was not too
even but they were trimmed.

Day 153 (Monday, March 14, 2005)—another day and up you were
bright and early. You did not say “I’m tired” but got out of bed
without prompting. We ate breakfast. You said you were hurting so
I gave you two Aleve after you ate your cereal. Then I went to
balance the checkbook and pay bills. Soon you came down to be
near me and you watched a decorating show on TV while I worked.
After I finished, we did our morning bathing and dressing. We left
187
for the Navy Exchange to get you a soft bra you thought you might
find comfortable and some cough medicine for me.

Our next stop of the day was Rockville and the lawyer, David Lease,
where you countersigned a check received from USAA. It will be
placed in escrow until the legal requirements are met on how much
the government claims since they are paying the bills. Lawyer Lease
hopes he can convince them of 2/3 split in your favor. He will also
put the county on notice for a possible suit. I told him that you
wanted Purcell sued. If we do get any money from anybody, I
propose at least ten percent go to our church.

At the Ambrosia Café you had egg-lemon soup then to Phillips

where I had the usual and you had French fries and a couple of
grilled shrimp. We followed this with Starbucks and you had a
mocha coffee with a cinnamon scone. You loved both. Our next stop
was to make appointments with Dr. Lee. We found out that he will
be out all next month on maternity leave. This is his second or third
child. Our appointment is on 17 March—St. Patrick’s day.

Therapy time—today you had PT with Nikki and SLP with Cindy.
You did well with each as recorded separately in their therapy
notes. When we got home there was a message from Katina who
lives in Greece. You showed very, very good endurance today.

Day 154 (Tuesday, March 15, 2005)—an important memory thing

you did today was remembering that Katina called last night and
you wanted to call back. We did and you had a nice conversation
with her. You that both of her sons are now priests one of whom is
married with two children and the other not married. After that
call, you had me call Litsa and you chatted with her for awhile.

When dressing you put on a bra for the first time in a long time and
you did not complain about hurting on your right side or your
breast. It was a new bra that was very soft. I gave you no Aleve but
did use the Ben Gay patch.

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At noon, we went to White Flint Mall for a light lunch. We went to
the movies to see a romantic comedy called Hitch. We only managed
to stay an hour before you wanted to leave the movie. Oh, well, we’ll
try again in a few weeks. We rested after we got home but you were
not behaving very well. You did not want to get up. I told you that
Joe and Debbie were coming with crab cakes and when you came to
the living room you showed up in a nightgown and robe. You did
not cooperate well in changing back to your day clothing.

We worked on your memory book while waiting for Joe and Debbie.
You read the Greek Who is Who very well. You did a good (but not
perfect) job of identifying the people in a series of pictures. Joe and
Debbie arrived on-time loaded with crab cakes and dessert. You ate
well and interacted OK with Joe and Debbie but appeared a little
agitated to me. When they left I asked you to put on your nightgown
and robe so I could wash your daytime clothes you refused. You
kept asking when I was going to leave with Joe. Where and how you
got that in your mind that I would leave the house, I don’t know. I
told you that I was angry with you for not cooperating with me. I
don’t know if this is the greatest therapeutic approach but I feel that
you need to know when you do something I believe is out-of-line.

You came downstairs while I was watching TV and certainly were

not repentant. You were still disturbed with the thought you got in
your mind that I was leaving with Joe. I really can’t figure out
specifically why you thought that but you must have heard
something Joe or I said that you interpreted that way . You were
still in your daytime clothes and displayed your anger facially and
by turning on the overhead light when you left again. A little time
passed and back you came, this time with your nightgown and robe
on—I invited you to sit next to me and we were both repentant,
cuddled, kissed and made up. I gave you a whole med (rather than
½) as directed when you are agitated. We held hands.

Day 155 (Wednesday, March 16, 2005)—we got out of bed early this
morning—no agitation on your part. For the second day now you
complain about having a lack of appetite. Yesterday, when we had
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eggs and you a bagel, you didn’t have much to say about their taste
notwithstanding the fact that I used three types of cheese while
scrambling the eggs and toasted the cinnamon-raison bagel. We’ll
check with Dr. Lee tomorrow. You are really not complaining about
your right breast or rib cage hurting as much and you are still
tolerating wearing a bra.

Before we left for your therapy sessions, I printed out the latest
home notes and inserted them into your therapy book. We left a
little early because you were ready to go and put on shoes etc. with
no prompting. I drove slowly so we were only 10 minutes early. You
had three sessions in a row: OT, SP, and PT. Once again, they noted
your progress in the therapy book.

After therapy you wanted soup so we went to Ambrosia and you had
a bowl of avgholemano and we had taramasalata and chicken livers.
You did well eating but later in the evening you had no appetite.
You went to bed at 7 PM and I thought you would come down to
watch TV but you did not. Even when I brought your evening med
at 8 PM you stayed in bed. I came to bed at 9 PM and you were
sound asleep. It took me awhile to sleep and I got worried when you
were too quite. I checked your breathing and you were OK.

You wrote me another sweet note in Greek on a napkin. It said, My

love, I love you very, very much now and into the future and if you
want to come my sweet come to me. Oh, boy!

Day 156 (Thursday, March 17, 2005)—it is St. Patrick’s Day and I
guess we can’t expect the luck of the Irish. In fact we had a minor
disaster when after we both showered and did a load of wash, the
drain backed up from the sewer and flooded our utility room floor.
The big area rug and bath rugs got wet and water and gunk was all
over. Later I dried the bath rugs in the drier after a spin in the
washing machine and hauled the area rug outside to dry. We’ll
throw that one away. Fortunately the flood waters did not reach the
fourth bedroom and thus did not wet the wall-to-wall carpet.

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I called the plumbers and they came within the hour since we have a
contract with them. I used our free annual inspection to save the $59
service fee they charge just for coming to the house. Gerwin tried
the little snake they have to ream out the pipe. This would have cost
us $189 for the job but that did not work. He then used the large,
more powerful snake for $389. He had to break the drain cover for
access because it was cemented into the floor. Going through the
hole the toilet occupies would cost another $189 for removing and
replacing the toilet. Well, guess what, the large snake wouldn’t work
through the drain and he had to take off the toilet. Doug a more
experienced plumber came to help Gerwin. They had to snake out
95 feet before they broke through the obstruction. Total cost for this
adventure: $474. So much for being a happy homeowner! Oh, yes,
we did receive a 15 percent discount which made it $474 since we
have the contract with them. It took a total of four hours to reduce
the blockage. Since they were there I asked them to fix our kitchen
faucet since it was leaking around the spout when turned on. It
needed new “O” rings. Yea, no charge!

The backup with dirty water all over the place turned into a not so
great adventure. I called the water company and they said they are
not responsible because it was “soft debris” that blocked our feeder
pipe. This implied that it was our fault stuffing stuff into the toilet.
Next I called the insurance company and they said they were not
responsible for the plumbing bill but were for the cleanup. Luckily
we have water backup insurance but with a $500 deductible.

For the first time, you’ve were anxious to go out. When I came
upstairs, you were sitting in the kitchen with ear muffs and scarf on
ready to go. Of course, we couldn’t go until the plumbing work was
done. You are very restless today. You awakened at 5 AM and
started bugging me to get up. That’s new. You gave me no argument
to shower and did a good job washing yourself and dressing.

You made breakfast for us today—cereal. You put a little for

yourself and a lot for me. For the past couple of days your appetite
has not been good.
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We went to the see Dr. Lee today. We discussed your meds and
mine. When we were done, you decided we were not yet finished and
did not want to leave. I feel terrible. As you were marching off in the
wrong direction, I grabbed you by the jacket and you lost your
balance and fell. Luckily, I was holding on so you went down rather
gracefully and without a problem. Notwithstanding that, I was very
upset—more than you, I think. I still feel terrible that you fell.

We went to White Flint Mall for a short walk. The Dr. said you
should do a lot of walking to gain strength and energy.

USAA said they would send out people to assess the damage and
begin the clean-up. The remediation guys called and said they were
coming at 6 PM. Seems like the faster the action when there is water
in the house, the better. They were told by USAA to collect the $500
up front. A lot of work needs to be done to dry out the place and
make sure fungus doesn’t grow. The floor tile must come out, they
took off some baseboards, and some plasterboard from the walls
too. Two big machines are operating to de-humidify the area. They
did not want to remove the floor tile because they noted old
underlying tile and were afraid it was asbestos. Others will come
and check and see if it is asbestos.

Day 157 (Friday, March 18, 2005)—this morning you made us

breakfast. An important memory item was the need to take a recipe
for koulourakia to therapy. I found the recipe in Greek, translated
it, typed and printed it for you and inserted it into your work book.

You washed, I helped you gather your clothes and you dressed
yourself. In fact, you over-dressed because you wanted to go out so
badly you put on your coat and ear muffs. You sat that way in the
kitchen notwithstanding my telling you we could not go out until we
heard from the remediation guys. I was afraid that you would go out
while I wasn’t looking so I double locked the front door and put the
key behind the plant on the pedestal. We normally leave the bolt key
on the pedestal where it is readily accessible by us and not too easily
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observed by others. The interesting and problem solving thing you
did today was realizing the door was double locked, you found the
key behind the plant, and you unlocked the door. I discovered your
success before you tried to escape. I really don’t think you would
have gone out without me.

I took the phones so I could receive a call. We went and sat outside
on our front porch for about ½ hour. The weather was good.
Finally, the USAA adjuster called and she (Sheree) said she would
make an appointment with a flooring company since the tile in the
utility room must be removed and the underlying tile checked for
asbestos. The inspector from Abbey Flooring will come on Monday.
It is unlikely that they will begin work until the subsequent Monday.
He will bring samples for us to select the new floor covering which
will be one piece rather then tiles—that’s better.

We went to Montgomery Mall for a walk. You were thirsty so we

bought drinks and sat in the food court observing the goings on. I
suggested Chinese food for lunch and you agreed. We shared one
three entrée meal. You enjoyed the repast. We then went walking
and you did two full turns with no break. Good for you. After we
arrived home, you napped for one hour before we left for therapy.
You had three hours of therapy in a row and sustained them very
well. We went to Phillips. You conked out when we got home but did
get up after I gave you your evening meds and sat with me watching
TV for 1 ½ hours. You even laughed at Jeff Foxworthy’s jokes.

Day 158 (Saturday, March 19, 2005)—another day and you made
breakfast. We called Cathy Lanzetta in Florida, the lady that was
my mother’s neighbor. She sounds frail but was pleased to hear
from you. We also called Dino and Myrna to see where they were on
their drive home. They will reach Upper Marlboro tonight, they said
and will come for lunch tomorrow. Later in the day, you had a
lengthy conversation with Aunt Mary.

Once again, you were anxious to get out of the house. We went to
Costco and did some shopping and then sat down at their snack bar
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and had a chicken bake and a Hebrew National hot dog. We went to
Lake Forest Mall and had a very long walk, circling both levels.

Suzanne and Noonie came and you all sat in Maria’s Room. After
they left, we left and went to Wheaton Mall for a walk and had a
soft drink. We arrived home and while you rested, I made turkey
sandwiches for us on Ciabatta bread. You loved the sandwich.
Latter Suzanne came again and this time brought cheese pies
(tiropites). We ate some and were they good. Suzanne came while
you were speaking with Arti so she didn’t get a chance to see how
much you like them. You had a very nice chat with Arti and showed
you remembered much more.

Day 159 (Sunday, March 20, 2005)—you were dead set against
having cereal this morning so you ate the last cheese-pie and I made
half a bagel for you. I called Greece and you had a 30 minute
conversation with Marianna, Litsa and Gregory. I had told you on
Friday that Chrisanthi died and you asked Litsa why she died. Her
response was out of sadness for the loss two years ago of her
husband Angelos. A good and true response notwithstanding the
fact that she drowned herself off the shore of the village Mehanonia.
I am certain she did that out of the depression from her loss. I truly
know the feeling as expressed during my dark days the first couple
of months after your accident. When you love with such a deep
feeling, it is difficult if not impossible to be without your sweetheart
for long. It’s a wonder she survived two years.

We bathed, dressed and left for church. Father John made a fuss
over you and we enjoyed all of the music associated with the
Orthos. The head usher gave us some holy bread prior to our
departure at 10 AM. From church we went to the commissary,
bought a few things and then went home.

About 11:45 Dino and Myrna showed up having returned the night
before from their long stay in Florida. They were very pleased to see
you looking so well. Myrna brought you a nice plant. They said the
RV park in Upper Marlboro is the pits.
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Next to arrive was Nick and Nina. They brought ice cream to go
with the really delicious caramel-apple pie we bought at Costco.
Connie arrived with Vicki and the rest of the food she bought for us
from Costco. We didn’t quite eat three of the five chickens and only
about half the salad. I gave one chicken to Myrna, froze one, and
had several other pieces in the refrigerator. I also kept the green
string beans Vicki brought as they were very tasty. Becky Micozzi,
the police officer who was the first responder to your accident came
and joined us too. I believe she had a good time. She really is a nice
person. Becky brought flowers for you. By the way, you do confuse
Becky with Jackie and insist that Becky is Jenna’s mother. Well,
we’ll just have to keep working on that.

Today, we watched the clips from the various news programs

featuring you. Niko did an outstanding job of taking the DVD I had
made from five VHS tapes and turning them into a masterful
production in multiple copies for distribution to other members of
our family. The new DVD he created is truly impressive.

Becky had to leave for she was on-duty. Nick and Nina left earlier—
guess why, you’re right, they were going to look at a house. This is
their usual Sunday activity. The rest left about 5:30. Next on the
docket was Tonya who came at 6:30. She did your finger and toe
nails and boy what a busy day you had and you really hung right in
there. Good for you!

Your Canadian cousin Evangelia called and you chatted with her
for some time. After her call, things went down hill. You got very
confused about who she was and when I tried to explain your
relationship to her you got agitated and to my later embarrassment,
so did I. You kept insisting that the Canadian cousin Evangelia
originally from your village in Greece was somebody else and that
you never met her. You also insisted that the two sisters living in
Canada were named Evangelia even though you found it strange
that both were married to Rudy. You insisted that the one who
called you had two children. Canadian Evangelia has no children (a
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cousin Evangelia in Hortiati, Greece, has two children), there are no
sisters with the same name, but there are many cousins so named.
You knew the Canadian Evangelia as a child and later with Rudy
they had visited us here in Kensington. At any rate, things were
confusing and you would not believe me. You insisted on calling
Greece even when I told you it was 3 AM there. We did NOT call
Greece. We made up before you went to bed. My agitation held for
longer than yours did. I guess the reason was that you did not accept
what I was telling you as true. Again, the doctors cautioned there
would be days such as this. I hate them.

Day 160 (Monday, March 21, 2005)—you got up on your own today.
You weren’t very hungry but I gave you Ciabatta bread with
strawberry jam and you ate it all. You wanted to speak to Litsa and
I dialed for you. Apparently, you still wanted to verify what I told
you last night. You spoke with her at length and hopefully the
confusion has abated. It seems so. While you know who Litsa and
Gregory are, other relationships seem to slip away from you. For
example, during Saturday’s call to Greece, you kept saying that
Thano was from Cyprus. Your sister corrected you but I still think
that you think we are trying to hide his real birth place (which you
think is Cyprus) from you. Somehow you are confused with the role
of your cousin Lewy, who was born and lives in Cyprus. Well,
hopefully all of these issues will get straightened out. We received a
music CD from Greece but no pictures of the family, as promised.

We went to Starbucks for coffee, then four times around White Flint
Mall. Our next stop was the library and got you two novels in large
print. My hope is to get you reading again.

You had a nice meal of green beans and two chicken sandwiches.
The floor guy came to figure out what was required in the utility
room in order to pull the tile from the floor. Before they completely
remove the tile they must send tile samples to a laboratory to
determine if any asbestos is involved. After this determination, they
will strip the floor, then other folks must come to spray an anti-

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bacterial agent, still other people must come to repair the wallboard,
then the floor people will come back to lay the new floor.

Today we went to Montgomery Mall for our afternoon walk. We

also went to the movies and saw Ice Princess about a young woman
whose mother wants her to be a physicist and another mother who
wants her daughter to be a champion ice skater. The mother’s are
attempting to live their dreams through their daughters and, of
course, this doesn’t work. The plot is not deep but the movie was
pleasant with ice skating. You liked it and managed to sit through it
all. Next it was a banana split time from DQ—we shared one, and
you enjoyed the split with hot fudge and wet walnuts.

Linda from MD Delegate Richard S. Madaleno, Jr. office called and

they want us in Annapolis on 31 March to recognize your heroism.
He is our District 18 Delegate.

I finished our income tax. You got angry that I was not paying
attention to you.

Day 161 (Tuesday, March 22, 2005)—this concludes week 23 since

the accident and commences week 24. You spoke to Litsa to thank
her for the CD and to mention that the pictures have not come.
Later, I spoke to the construction guy USAA selected and he will
come tomorrow to inspect the utility room to determine what work
needs to be done. Your SLP, Cyndy, called in sick today so you only
have PT and OT. As we were leaving for therapy, I noticed that all
the neighbors put out their garbage and recycling and I had not.
Luckily, pick-ups had not been made yet so I put out our stuff.
Later, Pauline brought our cans in while we were at therapy.

The attorney I spoke to yesterday at the Attorney Generals Office

called and suggested I speak to Peggy McKee. Peggy McKee who
handles the correspondence for the AG called me while we were at
therapy and stated that they had not received my letter—it was not
listed in the system. She gave me her address so I could send a copy
directly to her. I mailed it today. We’ll see if I get any reply. The
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letter I wrote deals with the Maryland law that holds a different
standard for crossing a street in a controlled and uncontrolled cross-
walk. To me this makes no sense.

Your therapists were most impressed with you today. You showed
improved endurance and attention. You prepared the ingredients
for koulourakia and read the recipe aloud very well. You also got
flour all over the top you were wearing. The top was one of my
pullovers. It is now in the basket to be washed. When we left we
went to Phillips, our fish place. In addition to a sandwich, you had
crab/shrimp chowder. You ate very well. We went to Linen and
Things but did not find the new bistro table we were looking for to
replace the one broken last year by the installers of our new gutters.

We went to Staples and found the photo printing paper I was

looking for. We went to mail the letter to the AG and to check Bed,
Bath, and Beyond for the bistro table we wanted for our porch. We
succeeded this time and bought a nice terracotta table much better
then what we had. We also went to Trader Joe’s and bought cheese,
juice, olive oil and dark chocolate (we were getting low).

The pictures I uploaded last week for printing arrived today and
you opened the package thinking they were from Greece. You came
to me for an explanation and you were not happy to see yourself
during your early intensive care days. I told you to look at the
improvements you have made since that time. They are significant.
You are not completely you as yet but you are getting there a step-
at-a-time. Tonight, you cut the tomato for the chicken sandwiches.
You ate well again and went to bed very early and stayed there—I
surely thought you’d get up and join me. When I came up you were
fast asleep. I did not awaken you for your evening med.

Day 162 (Wednesday, March 23, 2005)—well, it was a big mistake to

not give you a med, even a half a pill. You got out of bed a little after
midnight and tried to get me up by uncovering me. You used the
rationale that since I get you up in the morning that it was only fair
that you get me up. You were not successful even though you left me
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uncovered when you left and went into the living room. You tried
unsuccessfully to call Greece a couple of times you told me. At 2 AM
I enticed you back to bed and I gave you ½ tablet of medication.
When we went into the kitchen for water, you showed me that you
had prepared cereal for me for breakfast. I put it into the fridge.
You slept well for the remainder of the evening until we were called
and told that Gerwin, the plumber, was on his way to complete the
inspection of our plumbing. Our plumbing is ok except for the trap
on the basement bathroom sink and ridiculously they want $129 to
replace it. He said the garbage disposal is only in fair condition and
would cost $600 to replace it. I think we’ll try Sears.

We called Greece. You spoke to Gregory, Litsa, and Marianna. You

continued to show confusion about the hospital pictures we received
yesterday. On the one hand, you thought they sent them to us and
then on the other that I sent the pictures to them. At any rate, you
were not happy about the way you looked with all the tubes, etc.
stuck into you. You told the folks in Greece you dreamed about the
pictures and that someone was chasing you. I’m truly sorry you
opened the picture package yesterday. I’m sure you will come to
grips with what you saw at some later time.

The contractor that will do the wall restoration work came and
made his estimate of needed repairs. He will let the insurance
company know. The job is growing by leaps and the proverbial
bounds. Apparently I’ve been placed in the position of General
Contractor and must coordinate all the activities.

We went to Ambrosia for lunch and then drove to therapy. The

therapy was not accomplished in successive sessions, there was an
hour break between OT and speech (i.e., a break from 3 PM to 4).
You got very restless during the break but when Cyndi came for
you, you went without a problem and you did well with her.

When we arrived home, I prepared a fruit plate and you were off to
bed by 7:30 PM. You really spent a full day out of bed—from 7 in

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the morning. Good for you. I came to bed at 9 PM to find you
snoring away—of, yes, you were snoring.

Day 163 (Thursday, March 24, 2005)—we got up late and ate
breakfast. You vacuumed the living room, kitchen and halls while I
moved stuff out of the way. We also dusted a little. It is nice to see
you start to take interest in the house again.

You thought making chili would be a good thing for you to make so
we bought the necessary ingredients. It was lunch time when we
returned home so after putting things away, I started the grill. It did
not want to light because of the wind, I guess. I used an external
lighter and singed the hair on my hand from that effort. It did light,
however, and I grilled a porterhouse steak. We had a spinach salad
to go along with it. You enjoyed the meal and went to rest a little. In
a short time you were back and interested in going walking so we
went to Montgomery Mall, walked and we were bad. We went to
Dairy Queen and shared a banana split. We attempted to relieve our
conscience by doing two circuits of the mall. We also went to Sears
and bought their top-of-the-line garbage disposal. With installation,
it costs slightly over half of what the plumber told us it would cost
from their firm. They will come on Saturday for the installation.

In the early evening, you prepared yourself a plate with a cookie, a

banana, and some cheese. I ate a little Asiago cheese. You watched a
little TV with me and also determined that you need some facial hair
plucked so you plucked. This was good self initiating action.

Day 164 (Friday, March 25, 2005)—you awakened early, popped out
of bed, and went into the guest bedroom. You called me to help you
fix the bed for Dini’s impending visit. When Dini and Will were here
last Christmas, I had stripped the bed, washed the sheets, and put
them in the bureau drawer. Thus, we needed to put the sheets back
on the bed. We worked well as a team doing the job. After that you
ate breakfast, I did not because I wanted to go for blood work and I
had to fast. Following breakfast we bathed and took off for the
diagnostic lab. When we arrived, the place was packed and we left.
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We went to Panero’s for coffee—that is, I had coffee and you
finished the Fresca you had from our house. I also had a cinnamon
Danish (bad guy—I need to get control again). We also bought some
of their nice bread. Our next stop was therapy. You are not thrilled
to go but once there you are very cooperative. We saw a guy who
was hit as a pedestrian by a drunk driver. He lost a leg and was in a
nursing home for two years, had many, many operations, and
suffered brain trauma too. He could not speak for some time etc. He
speaks very clearly now and his cognitive abilities appear OK. So,
my darling, in our unluckiness, I guess we are lucky—it could have
been much worse. You are progressing well and rapidly.

We went to Phillips. From there, we went and bought some lottery

tickets for the Mega-million drawing. We came home and had a call
from Maria Joyce. She wanted to visit but I told her you were
resting. Perhaps next week she will drop in. I checked to see if my
electronic filing of our fed-tax worked. It did. This is the first time I
tried. We went to Wheaton Mall for our afternoon walk. I made
cheese sandwiches for dinner.

Day 165 (Saturday, March 26, 2005)—we got up at seven and had
cereal for breakfast. We emptied out the closet below the sink in
preparation for the new garbage disposal. Then, you made chili.
You got the pot, browned the meat, I opened the cans and you
added the sauce, beans and seasoning, and stirred away. Tomorrow
when people come, we will have chili over spaghetti with some salad.

The termite inspector came and the good news is we have no

termites. There is no bad news associated with the inspection. Other
good news is that the garbage disposal installers came early and
finished the job quickly. We then went to the commissary for a few
items. Surprisingly, the commissary was not crowded given that
tomorrow they are closed. We went home and I made you salad and
a pork sandwich for lunch.

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You went to rest and then we had an incident. Mary Anna and
Harry were due any minute and you refused to get up and put on
your clothes. We had words. They came and they quickly detected
that I was not a happy camper. You showed up in your robe. I made
coffee, cut the carrot cake we bought and we assembled around the
kitchen table. We had a pleasant time and they stayed for two hours.
During their visit Suzanne came and brought us a gigantic tsoureki
(a sweet koulouri) she bought at Stella’s.

You went back to bed to rest and then got up when I went
downstairs to work on bills, etc. We made up and you got dressed
and we went to White Flint Mall for an evening walk. With our
return, I emptied the dish washer, you went to rest and I went to
watch TV. You came down and watched with me until 8 PM and
then I joined you at 9 PM. After I came to bed I did not sleep right
away. I got very depressed and my turning to dust and blowing
away once again came to mind. Oh, my love, it pains me deeply
when we come into conflict. I know this is supposed be a good thing
in terms of your improvement but it still hurts me.

Day 166 (Sunday, March 27, 2005)—this is American Easter. Ours

is not until May 1. After breakfast we went to church for the Orthos.
As usual, you loved the music and Father Steve called you his
“koukla,” (his doll). This made me think of Maia when she was
younger –we called her koukla and she responded I am not a doll,
I’m a person. I still get very emotional in church. I always seem to
succumb to tears over your accident and the long road to recovery. I
wonder if I am worthy enough to have you back with me completely
well. I pray that I am. You seem to be improving on a daily basis.
So, dear God help my sweetheart get well soon.

After we arrived home, we called Greece and you had a lengthy talk
with Litsa and Gregory. Earlier when we called they were out to the
village restaurant that we frequented, the Koskia. They went there
to celebrate Litsa’s name day. After your call, you did most of the
work setting the dining room table.

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You got very concerned wondering if the kids were coming. I kept
assuring you they all were but you insisted that I call. I did call and
you found what I told you is correct and soon after, Nick and Nina
did show up followed by about twenty minutes by Connie and Vicki.
We had the chili you made over whole wheat spaghetti, salad, and
Pepperidge Farm chocolate layer cake. You cut up a sweet onion
and avocados too. Everybody truly loved the meal. You got many
congratulations over a meal very, very well done.

Nick and Nina left, of course, to house hunt but Connie and Vicki
stayed until 4:30 PM and your interaction with them was great. So
today, you had your OT (the meal) and SP (discussions with the
girls). We called Aunt Mary to say hi and then Tonya came. You
chatted with both for quite awhile.

You weren’t going to eat but fell prey to the garlic bread and the
tsoureki. Your endurance is improving.

Day 167 (Monday, March 28, 2005)—I cleared the dishwasher, put
in a load of wash and did some desk work. You got impatient to go
out so we did after putting the clothes in the dryer. We went to
Montgomery Mall for a walk. After making two turns plus around
the mall, we went to the food court and shared a Chinese meal.

We drove up Rockville Pike since we were very early for therapy at

Adventist and stopped off at Home Depot to buy a recessed light.
When workers come for the re-construction of the utility room, we
will have a light installed in the utility room shower. We arrived
early for therapy but you struck up a conversation with others who
were waiting and you were OK with waiting. You are and always
have been a very friendly person. Cyndi came promptly at 2 PM and
off you went. Upon your return, it was reported that you continue
to improve. We left and went to the Ambrosia Grill and did take out
with avgolemeno (egg/lemon) soup. When we arrived home, we had
a message from Suzanne that they were preparing lamb for us.
Noonie brought the lamb with potatoes and carrots. We did not eat
it because we had already eaten. It will serve us tomorrow.
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You are looking forward to seeing the eye doctor tomorrow with
some concern. You are afraid that he will give you bad news. My
impression is that your eyesight seems to be improving. We’ll see.
The rest of the evening was the usual except we heard about the
earth quake off of the cost of Sumatra and the fears of another
tsunami. You were concerned about that especially when the big
rain storm hit here too.

Day 168 (Tuesday, March 29, 2005)—week 24 drew to a close and

week 25 now kicks off. Today is eye doctor day and you are anxious.
We left earlier then I had planned because you really wanted to get
moving. We arrived about 40 minutes early but since the paper
work was slow that was ok. Driving through the middle of Baltimore
is a pain but we didn’t have any major hang-ups.

They took us promptly, and you met with Dr. Park who is also the
Director of the Low vision center. They gave you all sorts of tests
and the bottom line of it all is that the doctor wrote a prescription
that should enable you to see at 20/25. This is great news and you
were thrilled as well. He recommended you learn to use bifocals and
wear your glasses all the time. He suggested that we go to an optical
store which happens to be on the corner of Knowles and
Connecticut Ave named Wood. It has one of the highest ratings in
the country for providing good optics, he said. After leaving
Baltimore (I managed to find my way back) we went directly to
Wood and ordered you a very light weight pair of bi-focal glasses
with magnetic clip on sunglasses. The cost was $335 after a 20
percent hero’s discount, as the store associate put it. He had read
your story. I hope when you get the new glasses, this will encourage
you to read. The doctor also asked me to have the Adventist OT
(Jennifer) call him so that he could advise what exercises would be
beneficial. I did that and Jennifer said she would call.

We went for a walk around White Flint Mall about three plus times.
We had our afternoon diet, caffeine free coke (with a squirt of

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lemonade) and you also had a Mrs. Field’s oatmeal raison cookie.
You enjoyed the walk and the cookie.

Day 169 (Wednesday, March 30, 2005)—this was an interesting day.

After doing the usual morning stuff, we left for NRH for your check-
up with Dr. McCarthy who was the lead physician on your in-
patient traumatic brain injury unit. He suggested that we get a
breathing device for you to use for reducing the pain you have on
your right side. This goes a step beyond Dr. Lee’s advice to breathe
deeply. Dr. M gave us a prescription for the device and later we
bought one. It is interesting—the idea is to breathe in and support a
little white marble at the top of a tube for three seconds. You’re
working at it but not too successfully. Dr. M was very pleasant and
found you to be doing well. He continued to emphasize that you will
continue to get better. It might take a year or a little more but he
does expect you to be as good as ever. Harry Doukas called last
night and he said that Michael mentioned you are far beyond where
his wife Vicki was five months after she had a brain operation. She
is back at work after a couple of years. So, my dear, you are doing
well. Dr. M also thought cocoa butter would help reduce your pain
as it will make the skin and the scars more supple.

We went to the third floor of NRH to find your therapists. Olivia,

Natalie, and Liz were thrilled to see you. They were beaming and all
hugged and kissed you and said how great you looked. Others saw
and remembered us and came to say hi too. In other words, you
were a big hit. We went to the cafeteria and shared a special
consisting of Salisbury steak, cauliflower, and spaghetti. You ate all
of the spaghetti and half the Salisbury steak. You thought that the
Salisbury steak would make a good meal for our Sunday lunch.

After leaving NRH, we used the Beach Drive route north through
Rock Creek Park as the shortest route to the commissary area
where we fueled up and bought some food items and the cocoa
butter. Arriving home we unpacked and selected your outfit for
tomorrow’s visit to the Maryland House of Delegates. We selected
brown pants, a silk blouse and a tweed jacket. You tried on the
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pants to be worn in Annapolis for the presentation. We had a small
disagreement when you didn’t want to take them off again.
Eventually you did remove them but it was really annoying to have
to cajole you—patience has never been one of my strong character
traits. We needed to go to the pharmacy and I didn’t want you to
wear those pants. Finally, you did comply and we went to the
pharmacy and turned in some prescriptions at Rite Aide. Leaving
there, we went to the Kensington Pharmacy for your breathing
device and CVS for stuff to stop your head from itching.

Home again, we had coleslaw that you put into bowls for us. You
added salad dressing and mixed the two. I heated brisket in BBQ
sauce and made sandwiches. Maria Joyce called and asked if she I
could come. I said yes and she did and stayed for 1½ hours. She
brought you a big box of Godiva chocolate. While she was here,
Stacy Rollins from the Montel Williams show called. They would
like you to be on the show. It tapes on 21 April. They would get us to
NY anyway we’d like to travel to include picking us up by car and
driving us there with all expenses paid. We would return on 22
April. I told them we would think about it and call them. Stacy was
very enthusiastic about the “hero” show, as she called it. (P.S. – this
never happened and we were given no reason—maybe not enough
heroes out there then).

Day 170 (Thursday, March 31, 2005)—a big day! We left for
Annapolis at 8:30 AM and arrived there at 9:30, stopped at the
Naval Academy Stadium parking lot and called Linda, Delegate
Madaleno’s admin assistant. She advised us where to go, she told us
she would be wearing a maroon coat and we would be able to spot
her on the street. We did and she got into our car and directed us to
the delegate’s personal parking space so you wouldn’t have to walk
far. We went to the delegate’s office, met him and others. He led us
to the floor of the house and then we waited initially in the delegate’s
lounge. Chris Gordon from NBC4 spotted us and introduced
himself. After the ceremony he would interview you.

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When the time came, we were seated on the right front of the
chamber. At about 10:10 we all stood and recited the Pledge of
Allegiance, a prayer was said, and some high school students were
recognized for some achievement that I failed to understand.
Following this, we went up on the Speaker’s dais. Delegate
Madaleno rose and spoke for a few minutes about what you did and
your heroism. The speaker then presented you with a house
resolution. Here is what it said:

Maryland House of Delegates House Resolution. Be it hereby known

to all that the House of Delegates of Maryland offers its sincerest
congratulations to MARIA PATTAKOS in recognition of your
heroism for pushing a child in a stroller from the path of an oncoming
truck, saving the baby from serious injury, and your extraordinary
determination and courage that day and during the months of your
recuperation. The entire membership extends best wishes on this
memorable occasion and directs this resolution to be presented on this
31st day of March 2005. Signed: Michael E. Busch, Speaker of the
House and Mary Monahan, Chief Clerk. Delegate Richard Madaleno,
Sponsor, House Resolution, #485.

Following the presentation, you were interviewed by Chris Gordon

and it appeared on Channel 4 at about 5:45. Hopefully, we’ll get a
clip since they have been very, very good in sending them.

Since we were in the Annapolis area, we then went to Red, Hot and
Blue where we got a full slab of ribs with two sides. We decided on
take-out since we weren’t quite hungry yet and you wanted to go
home. Our return home was not as easy as the trip to Annapolis.
There was an accident on the beltway around exit 29 but the back
extended much further. We were bumper to bumper for some
distance. By the time we arrived home, we were hungry and did
enjoy the ribs. The latest development in your healing was your
desire to put away dishes and things. I think your neatness cognitive
dots are beginning to connect.

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We went to Montgomery Mall for our afternoon walk and once
again succumbed to Dairy Queen and a banana split. We walked
twice around the mall. We were both pooped when we arrived
home and dummy me did not check the answering machine—your
glasses are ready. I guess we will go on Friday. We also had a notice
hanging on the door advising we had a FedEx package that required
a signature. I’m sure it is from People magazine returning our
pictures. We will pick that up on Friday too.

Day 171 (Friday, April 01, 2005)—we got up bright and early. You
spoke to your sister in Greece to recount your adventures in
Annapolis. I fasted and you ate a banana. We left the house at 7:15
AM for Quest Diagnostics for them to draw my blood. We arrived at
7:40 and waited 20 minutes even though there were few people
waiting. After the vampire did her thing our next stop was Panero’s
where we had coffee and cinnamon-crunch bagels with a hazelnut
cream spread. You really enjoyed the bagel and the coffee. We left
there about 8:45 and after we arrived at the Adventist rehab, I
discovered I had erred on the time to be there. We were an hour
early. What a dummy I am and forgive me for adding to unneeded
restlessness on your part. You were pretty good about the whole
thing. Today you received only OT and SP and continued your
improvements. While waiting I made several phone calls to include
your case manager, Sheree Gordon, to determine the status of
getting you into the NRH transitions program. It still is in the works
and the NRH manager, Monique, is on vacation this week. I made
another call to the people who are to work on our utility room—they
are awaiting authorization from the insurance company and will
send us a contract. The floor people will lift the tile on Monday and
another bunch will come on Tuesday to spray anti-bacterial stuff to
ensure we don’t have fungus sometime in the future.

With are departure from Adventist, we continued our errands. Next

stop FedEx to get the pictures we lent to People magazine. Following
this we went to Ambrosia and you had “soupa” and fish plaki and I
had chicken livers with lima beans and salad. We picked up meds at
the pharmacy and continued our tour of the area by going to get
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your new glasses. You were concerned that they were bifocals and
you would not be able to manage. The store associate was very kind
and worked at length to instruct you on how to use them and asked
that we return in ten days to determine how you were doing.

I called Stacy Rollins of the Montel Williams show and she was
pleased that we accepted to appear. She agreed to furnish us with a
clip after the show is run. I emailed her some pictures, some articles
about you and will send her hard copy of some articles.

You promised to try to read novels again. After we got home, you
did try.. I placed a “sunlight” lamp near you so you could see well.
You enjoyed your reading and it gave you confidence.

The day was finally nice and I assembled our terracotta bistro table
to replace the one that the gutter installers broke. I also picked up
the many, many twigs that were all over the lawn distributed by a
storm. Luckily, I remembered the gadget we have for reaching
objects that are high on shelves. I figured that if I can use it to reach
up, I could use it to grasp items on the ground. It worked and I
saved my back. You watched while I did all of this. I had hoped that
you would come out to help a little bit but you did not.

I worked on cataloguing (dating) the pictures we took while you

were in the hospital. This is so I can eventually work on the scrap
book of your journey to wellness. I also did such boring things as
working on the checkbook since it was the first of the month. Dino
emailed to tell us that they now have a queen-size bed for the guest
room and “you all come,” he said.

Day 172 (Saturday, April 02, 2005)—you spent a lot of time on the
phone this morning. You spoke to Roula, Aunt Mary, Myrna, Betty
Lackey, and Dini.

Having read my entry above on how well you are doing and your
phone calls today, it made me reflect on the Terri Schiavo case.
There was much about the case in the media, there are family
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members at odds, the courts (federal and state) are involved, and
then the politicians entered the fray too. Terri Schiavo died the
other day as an outcome of removing her feeding tube. It took her
almost two weeks to pass away. Because of what happened to you, it
sure has made me reflect on what life is and how it should be
sustained and lived.

You have listened to the many discussions on the radio and TV and
while we have not discussed it you do not seem to favor the pulling
of her feeding tube. When you were in a coma, I had feared you
would lapse into what they call a “persistent vegetative state” also
called PVS. I remember pleading with you to hold up two fingers
and you did not—though I did interpret all sorts of movement you
made in a positive way. You scratched your nose and the Dr. said
neurologically that was a very good sign. When the neurosurgeon
and neuro-physician assistants pinched you, you did have a response
but it was not indicative you were with us. I didn’t get positive or
very favorable vibes from the PAs—they were sympathetic but not
terribly encouraging that you would wake from your coma.

When we visited NRH on Wednesday, Dr. McCarthy shared a paper

with me that he wrote about the Schiavo case. In the paper he
defined PVS from the 1984 Merritt’s Textbook of Neurology:
Patients that survive coma and assume sleep-wake cycles, normal
respiratory and circulatory function, and primitive response to stimuli,
but without evidence of inner and outer awareness. Dr. McCarthy an
experienced neurologist and chief of the brain injury unit at NRH
for the past 12 plus years, asks in the paper, Just how does one
acquire evidence of someone’s, anyone’s inner awareness? Good
question! If one has inner awareness even without outward response
perhaps that is enough life for that person. Who is to suggest if there
is inward awareness that there is no personhood? How would we,
could we, know? McCarthy feels that images he has seen of Schiavo
do not suggest a total lack of awareness and response. In a US News
article, Dr. B. Healy points to the value of an ECG and the fact no
recent one was done in Schiavo’s case to at least get an idea of
awareness. I guess an ECG might be one way to determine if there
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is any brain activity. With none, one is brain dead and hence
without awareness at any level. Without that level of evidence, I
guess President Bush’s observation is correct that we have the duty
to protect the weak and a life when an issue is not clear or made
clear by the patient’s instructions before they are in such a state.

This is a complex issue that has moral, religious, and now political
overtones. How do you square away spending countless thousands of
dollars on keeping a marginally aware person alive and perhaps
depriving others with survival. Resources are not infinite. I’m glad
that I was not confronted with such a decision even though we have
executed living wills (advanced medical directives). I thank you dear
God for not putting me in such a position and thank you for the
steady progress in healing my Maria’s infirmities.

On this weighty issue of life, Pope John died today. Vatican Square
was full of mourners. We watched and listened to the commentary.

On the level of the mundane, we went to Montgomery Mall for a

walk and checked reading lamps. We’ll buy another from Sharper
Image when our gift card arrives. We walked the Mall twice, shared
a banana split for lunch and then went home. Suzanne brought us
cheese pies and more tsoureki. We ate whole wheat pasta for dinner.
You read a little and did nail cutting and facial hair plucking.

Day 173 (Sunday, March 3, 2005)—I’m writing this on Monday—

this is the first time that I have not written a substantial part of the
entry on the same day. We were pretty busy today (Sunday). The
other confusing factor was the conversion to daylight savings time.
Our so-called atomic clocks did not transition for some reason. Since
we have the old fashion type too, I could readily determine which
clocks were and were not correct but it did throw us off initially.

After doing the usual morning things, we got out of the house and
arrived at church a little later than usual, about 9:10 AM. The
Orthos was underway. We lit our candles and were greeted by the
presbytera (Priest’s wife), Harriet Tavlarides. She was very warm
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and friendly to us both. We stayed for the liturgy up until the time
we received communion at about 11:30. You did very well in staying
focused and patient. When it came time for communion, the usher
moved us to the head of the line so we would not have to wait. They
are really sensitive to helping you.

Shortly after we arrived home, Connie and Vicki came and we all
went to Ambrosia. The meal was tasty as usual and the service was
good. Our server was Elenitsa, a Greek-American gal who knows us
well now and caters to our needs. When we left there, we went to
Michaels, a craft store, to buy a picture frame for your Hero
resolution and Connie mounted it upon our return home. It is now
proudly hanging on the wall in the hall next to our bedroom door.

The girls stayed until 5 PM and you did a lot of gabbing with them.
You really enjoy their company and you made their day by telling
them how much they are contributing to your getting better. It
certainly is the truth. The type of interaction you have with them
contributes mightily to connecting the cognitive dots.

When they left, we washed your hair. You have some type of
scabbing. It may be psoriasis. I looked it up on the net and found the
National Psoriasis Foundation. Here is some of what was said at
their site: Psoriasis is a common…chronic skin disease that comes in
different forms and varying levels of severity. Most researchers now
conclude that it is related to the immune system (psoriasis is often
called an "immune-mediated" disorder). ..In general, it is a condition
that is frequently found on the knees, elbows, scalp, hands, feet or
lower back. Many treatments are available to help manage its
symptoms. More than 4.5 million adults in the United States have it.
… Psoriasis is not contagious—no one can "catch" it from another
person. Because of their genes, certain people are more likely to
develop it, but a "trigger" is usually necessary to make psoriasis
appear. These triggers may include emotional stress, injury to the skin,
some types of infection and reaction to certain drugs. You certainly
meet many of these criteria but not all. Dini does not think you have
Psoriasis. We’ll use the stuff I got at CVS and get some new
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shampoo and see if that does the job of alleviating what you have.
When next we go to the Dr. Lee we’ll have him check.

Our next visitors were Bob and Kathy. They were to come around
five but stop and go traffic at the Bay Bridge caused them to arrive
at 6:30. They brought you Godiva chocolates and stayed for an
hour. By now, you were wiped out and went to bed for the evening
upon their departure

Day 174 (Monday, April 04, 2005)—after breakfast, I gave myself a

haircut. You inspected and said it looked good. After I showered,
you showered and we washed your hair again. The guy scheduled to
remove the tile with its 3 percent asbestos content came at 9:30 AM.
He did the job without a mask or any protective gear for that matter
so I wonder at the big deal the other guys made on the issue. It took
him two hours. I guess they want to spread the wealth in terms of
more contractor involvement. It’s the insurance company’s issue at
this point since I already paid the deductible.

Now we were still stuck at home waiting for DHL. I prepared a

package to send to the Montel Williams show. I sent some pictures,
original Washington Post and Gazette articles, and the little boy’s,
Michael Gump’s Hero Award he gave to you. The DHL person
finally arrived at three and off went the package to the Montel show.

We took our walk, this time at White Flint Mall and even did a little
shopping. We went to Talbots where we almost bought you a pair of
pants until we discovered they were navy blue rather than the black
we thought they were. Actually to Talbot’s credit, it was the sales
associate that pointed this out. Our next stop was Lord and Taylor
where we did find you a pair of brown pants but found no black. I
wanted to go to Bloomies but you were shopped out by this point.

Nadine arrived at midnight, she told us the next morning. We did

not hear her.

Day 175 (Tuesday, April 05, 2005)—this concludes week 25 since

that fateful day of 12 October 2004. I got up early today because I
was to teach at the Joint Counterintelligence Training Academy. I
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got you and Dini up. I supervised your dressing and then tried to get
you to eat something after you took your vitamins. I made Dini
coffee but later after she took you to therapy, she ate eggs at the
Adventist cafeteria. She said your therapy went well and that you
graduated from PT. Following therapy you both went to Phillips for
lunch. You had soup and she had a crab cake.

My teaching went well. The remediation guy came at 4:30 to spray

antifungal/anti bacteria stuff in the utility room. We then went to
Ambrosia for dinner. You stayed up until 9 PM to share Dini’s
obsession with American Idol. She told us that Maia got her hooked
and she feels compelled to watch. Given we don’t watch we felt no
such compulsion and were not terribly impressed by the talent. See,
even PhD neurophysiologists watch moron shows.

Day 176 (Wednesday, April 06, 2005)—you were a sweetheart this

AM. You got up early so I could supervise your shower and your
dressing. Dini arose shortly thereafter and had coffee. I left you gals
to get organized and go to therapy. Since you are a PT graduate, you
only had OT and speech today. Dini reported that you did a good
job at therapy. You did not go to lunch but ate yogurt after you
went food shopping at Giant. At 3:30 you announced you were
hungry and Dini made you a tortia with chicken.

My teaching at the company went OK. I was not pleased that I

didn’t have the conference room. The human resources staff needed
it because they were processing a big bunch of new employees. I had
to use a not so good location. In fact, I did not set up a projector. I
taught from the power point slides reproduced in the student
notebooks. The students were attentive but knew very little about
the subject matter or security for that matter. So I had to work
harder to ensure they got it. You were anxious to talk to me so Dini
called me on my cell and we spoke a couple of minutes. When I
arrived home you were pleased. We received our Sharper Image gift
card so off we went to Montgomery Mall to get you a reading lamp.
Dini did not come as she had a headache and wanted to rest.

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You wanted to walk and we did some of that. I took you into a
couple of shops to look for something appropriate for the Montel
show in case you don’t have something. Then, we had an incident—
you got agitated (over shopping, perhaps) and said mean things to
me. We left and drove home in silence. When we arrived, I put the
lamp together and you went to bed. After I finished I went to the
bedroom and you told me you were sorry. You came to the kitchen
and Dini made us dinner. We went downstairs and prepared for
phase two of American Idol. Well, we did not make it past 9 PM. We
will wait breathlessly for the information in the morning (not).

Day 177 (Thursday, April 07, 2005)—once again you got up on your
own, washed and dressed. We went into the kitchen together and I
brewed coffee and prepared toast and ensure with coffee for you.
Dini got up and I left to do my teaching at BAI.

You guys did well today. You did not go shopping but you did make
pastitso. It was different from my father’s recipe because you used a
book on Greek cookery. We put the large pan in the freezer and ate
from a smaller pan you made. It really was tasty. Dini had to call me
so that I could assure you that you did not have therapy today. You
were pleased to see me when I got home.

Stacy from the Montel show called and the taping is put off until
May (and as I said earlier, this did not happen). She was pleased
with the items I sent to her.

Day 178 (Friday, April 08, 2005)—you got up early and were ready
for a shower. You did a good job of bathing and then dressing. After
I did the same we went into the kitchen and I made you coffee with
slim fast. I found the way to get you to drink Ensure or Slimfast is to
put a teaspoon of decaf into it. You like it that way. You only had
one piece of toast as you were anticipating going with Dini for a
bagel and coffee. You in fact did that—we all left at 8 PM with you
traveling to therapy via Paneros and I to teach one more day. When
I got home, Dini reported that you had a great day. The therapists
reported that they have seen great gains and great gains in this week
alone. You and Dini went shopping for make-up at Montgomery
215
Mall and you bought some nice stuff. You looked gorgeous. Another
thing you did was to go to Stella’s bakery for tsoureki. It looks
delicious—as you do. Dini said you went outside and cut some
flowers to make an arrangement in the house. You did this without
supervision and did a wonderful job.

I arrived home reasonably early and as always you were pleased to

see me. We had a bill from NRH with no explanation and no phone
number to get one. I will call USFHP and then Amy and try to get
the number. I suppose it is for the co-payment but it does not say so.
We also got another bill asking for a co-payment, the second one. I’ll
check on that too. As I read the rules, if you are an inpatient, you
shouldn’t be paying such bills and doctors that ask for a co-
payment. Another question I will ask USFHP.

My teaching went very well. There was good student interest and
good student participation. I taught the whole day as part of a
course called Counterintelligence Analysis. There were about 25
students in the class. I gave them a test and all but one student got
100 percent and she got a 90. It really is not a hard test if they were
paying the least amount of attention and they were.

The material is in to cover our utility room. The only problem is

that the construction must be done and they have not called to set up
a time. This business is a pain and dragging out.

Celia came to the house to see you and then to take Dini to dinner
with other friends. She was thrilled to see you and very pleased to
see how wonderful you are. The last time she saw you, you were in a
coma—a big contrast. She brought you beautiful potted geraniums.
We had a nice chat and then they left and we did too. I gave you the
choice of places to go to eat and you said Chinese. We went to the
Panda where I bought one dinner with an extra side and spring
rolls. You really enjoyed the meal as did I. We then “cleared our
palates” with a Dairy Queen cone of soft vanilla ice cream—just
one, we shared that too. After a walk around the mall, we came
home and watched TV. You stayed until 9:15. You are displaying

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more and more stamina—a good thing. You took off your makeup,
we said prayers and you were asleep when I came up to bed.

Day 179 (Saturday, April 09, 2005)—we got up late this AM and you
wanted a shower and to get dressed. Dini got up and put on a CD
she made for me last Father’s Day. The first song on the CD, was To
Sir With Love. She said that is how she thinks of me (as contrasted to
Niko’s Great Santini.). This is very sweet and had us both in tears.

We went to Brookside Gardens and enjoyed the blooming plants.

They also had a sculpture display with many interesting pieces. We
had a very nice walk around the entire perimeter. Up and down hills
and steps too. The bad part of that was you missed a step and since
you were holding our hands you crumpled to the ground with great
grace and considerable theatrical movement. We helped you to your
feet and continued our walk. You blamed the bifocals and wanted
nothing more to do with them.

When we left, we noted it was lunch time so we debated where to go.

The Cheesecake Factory got the vote. The upside was that we were
seated immediately. The downside was that we ate too much. Dini
had a gigantic salad with chicken, you had an eggplant sandwich
with fries and I had the Factory Meat Loaf with broccoli instead of
mashed potatoes (to relieve my guilt). We enjoyed the meal.

At home, you rested and Dini went shopping. You got up and missed
her and got angry when I wanted you to get dressed—out of your
nightgown and robe and into your clothes. I wanted you too look
good for your grandkids and you resented my trying to control you.
We did not have fun. Dini returned and played the role of mediator,
she fancied herself as the Dr. Phil of the household. We made up.

You got restless waiting for Will and the kids. We went to White
Flint Mall with the idea of listing ourselves for a table at The
Cheesecake Factory. It was a zoo there and then Dini called to tell us
that Will and the kids had to return to the airline terminal. Maia’s
backpack with computer among other things in it was missing. The
police had it (bomb concerns?) thus things turned out ok because it
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was quickly found. Meanwhile, we were very bad—we got a
mudslide cake at The Cheesecake Factory takeout. It was
ridiculously big and certainly more than even two people could eat.
We did our best. It consisted of a large, very large piece of chocolate
layered cake, smothered in whipped cream with scattered chocolate
chips, two scoops of ice cream and hot fudge. What evil!!!! We were
led into temptation and failed the test.

Dini picked up Will and the kids at the nearby Grovesner metro
station and they came directly home to see you. All fussed over you
and were appropriately impressed. The last time they saw you was
at Christmas time. What a difference! They were hungry and we
suggested they not go to The Cheesecake Factory and so they went to
Ambrosia. We went to bed and did not hear them come home.

Day 180 (Sunday, April 10, 2005)—the kids woke up early and Alec
and Maia went with us to church. We went for a part of the Orthos.
Our Father John gave you an Icon sent to you from Boston from
another Father John (who is originally from Australia). It is of the
resurrection—a beautiful icon. We lighted candles and so did the
kids. After we kissed the bible, we left. The kids were very good and
we did not want to test them further.

We took a big group (11 persons) to Ambrosia for lunch. We really

had a very big spread. The food was good and the service too. After
the meal, we went home and Nick and Nina brought us some dessert
—some ice cream and two pies (chocolate cream and apple). You
had a nice time conversing with all but you did start getting tired as
the day wore on. Our sunroom was filled to capacity but enjoyed by
all. It really was very comfortable even with 11 people. With two
windows open on either side of the room we had good cross
ventilation that was enhanced by our ceiling fan.

Nick and Nina were the first to leave—can you guess where they
went? Connie, Vicki and Kathy left a little after 4:30 and you were
ready for their departure. You immediately went and hit the sack
for a much needed rest. Lot’s of stimulation today and later you said
you had a big day. Will and Dini were going to go to a movie but she
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ended up with a headache and went to relax. Will conked out on the
sunroom couch and the kids watched television. I think I napped in
my sunroom chair and finished reading a magazine.

Our gang, the four of them, went out to eat Ethiopian food at the
Red Sea in the Adams Morgan area. You got up and watched some
TV with me and we went upstairs for bed at 9:00 PM and the kids
arrived at that time. It seems as if our daughter is hooked on
Desperate Housewives. Meanwhile, Will took Alex to get something
to eat. Nothing at the Red Sea filled any of his nutritional interests.
He is still the hamburger kid.

Day 181 (Monday, April 11, 2005)—you set off the house alarm
today! Not to worry, I called the false alarm number, gave the pass
word and all was ok. I showed you the numbers to disarm the alarm
but we’ll have to work on that more. The grandkids didn’t even stir,
the adults did.

I made many phone calls today. Among them was to the dentist
about your tooth. We have an appointment today. You left with
everybody to go see the Cherry Blossoms and some of the
monuments too. You called me once and I called you. You were
having a good time except your right side was bothering you. Dini
said you were being very nice in-spite of the pain. Good for you!

The deck and outside house wash guy came and started work at
11:30 AM, given that I was told 11 to 4, this was a very good thing.
The deck looks very good, the rails too and he sealed it all. But, the
windows do not look good where he sprayed the house. The house
siding and cinderblock are clean now and so are our porch area and
the walkway. The deck sealant is guaranteed for two years and the
technician said they normally are not called back to do the deck
again for up to five years.

Sheree Gordon, the USFHP outpatient caseworker called and said

you have been accepted into the NRH transitions program. This will
be three times per week from 9 AM to 4 PM. This rather intense
program should contribute much to your further recovery.
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After you came home, we went to the dentist. You were anxious that
your tooth might come out. Apparently, you have once again been
grinding your teeth and pushing against a one tooth bridge (the one
that became loose). The dentist made some adjustments and all is ok
now. Next week we will go back and make a new mouth guard.

While we were at the dentist the kids called from White Flint Mall.
The young ones wanted to eat at The Cheesecake Factory and it was
not crowded. We met there and had a very nice meal. You ate
shrimp with angel-hair pasta and did very well with the huge
portion. I had a hamburger and substituted broccoli for the fries.
The kids got cheesecake but we took it home as take-out.

When we went home and after changing into “evening-wear” we

watched one of Maia’s CDs, The Incredibles. It really was quite
charming. The good thing was that you stayed up displaying good
endurance after a very long day.

Day 182 (Tuesday, April 12, 2005)—well, love of my life, it is now six
months since your accident. For me, it has been a long and
terrifying six months. For you, it has been a display of making the
journey back to health with successes every day. Everybody shows
you much love and affection and I believe this has been and is an
important part of your recovery. Of course, your therapists so far
have been terrific too and NRH transitions should contribute
further to your achievements. You are anxious to go to Greece and I
think our plan to go in late June should be ok. That too will
contribute to your getting well.

As I type this, I am in the Adventist Rehab waiting room and you

are off with Cyndi and later with Jennifer. The kids are home
preparing to go back to Wisconsin. It has been a very pleasant stay.
You and Dini were wonderful together. You clearly enjoyed each
others company. The interaction helped you a lot, I feel. It was nice
having Will and the grandkids too and they showed you much love
and respect. They were amazed how far you’ve come since they last
220
saw you in December. Cyndi and Jennifer reported that you are
doing very well. Your discussions and responses are all in context.

We called Greece to speak to Litsa and Dini said hi to her. Dini

spoke several Greek words that seemed in context and were pretty
much the limit of what she remembered from when she spoke
perfect Greek as a child. Both she and Litsa enjoyed the attempt at
communication. Later Joe called and Dini had an extensive
exchange with him—it’s a little easier when you both speak the same
language.

We returned home at 11:20 AM to see the kids off and to wait for
the construction guy to come. The kids left a few minutes before
noon and the construction guy arrived right on time. He could not
give us a time when he believes he will start work. I asked for
completion NLT 30 April so we could welcome our visitors. We’ll
see. Our next stop was the optician. We ordered a new pair of
reading glasses for you. We’ll see if that works. We go to Wilmer on
29 April to check your prescription. If it changes, the optical place
guarantees to replace the lenses at no cost. Next we went back to
Shady Grove. Our first stop was food at Phillips since you were
hungry. I went to Paneros and bought a baker’s dozen of bagels.
From there, we went to the Adventist Hospital. You wanted to see
Pauline who was recovering from her operation. She looked good
although she had some pain. The news appeared good too but will
be confirmed at the end of the week. She hopes to leave the hospital
tomorrow and will stay with Jackie for the rest of her recuperation.

I wanted to take you to get some jeans but you were not in a
cooperative mood. We went home and napped together. You were
interested in getting artificial flowers for the deck when I mentioned
they were on sale. We bought a bunch. We took a look at the new
Feline’s Basement which is on the second floor but did not see much
to buy. From there your attitude deteriorated and you got agitated.
When we arrived home you went to bed at 6 PM. Oh, well! I gave
you your vitamins and then later your evening meds.

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Day 183 (Wednesday, April 13, 2005)—Dini called to tell us that
they all arrived safely but late. That is why she did not call last
night. This morning I called the deck people to tell them that we
have some white stains where they sprayed sealant. I also called
window washing people—they come next Tuesday in the AM. We
called Roula in Greece but no success. With all this activity to
include breakfast and bathing, we still arrived for your 9 AM
therapy on time.

Jennifer came to tell me she would not be here on Friday for your
last session and asked if Sandy could sub for her. I said yes. After
your speech session, Cyndi showed me some work she did with you
on recognizing letters. You were given a letter and then had to find
and circle each of that same letter from a bunch of letters. You did
ok but showed that you required more work on this exercise to help
your vision and cognition.

We went to see if Pauline was still at Adventist. When we arrived at

her room the bed was empty and freshly made ready for the next
person to occupy. Later we found out that she was discharged at
9:20 AM. She will stay with Jackie for a few days. The good news is
that she has a clean bill of health. You spoke to her on the phone.

When we returned home we called Roula again and she was very
sad. She had just returned from the cemetery where her Mother is
buried and she is preparing for the 40 day ceremony. You tried to
sooth her and she didn’t want to make you feel sad. Maybe you both
benefited from the call.

Today is the first mowing day of the year. Since I have not been
exercising, we’ll see what body parts will be hurting tomorrow. The
electric mower worked well even where the grass was thick and tall.
I did the whole job on one battery as I have in the past.

We went for a walk in Wheaton Mall after your rest and my reading
in the sunroom. We bought a new temperature sensor. The old one

222
got water in it—my guess is the deck cleaning guy caused the failure
of the sensor.

Today, a lawyer, Mr. Steve Chaiken, from the State’s Attorney’s

Office called us. He and the State’s Attorney for Montgomery
County, Mr. Doug Gansler, would like to meet with us at 2 PM on
17 May to discuss the law relative to your accident. They seem
sympathetic but as I told Mr. Chaiken, I really don’t want to hear
about their frustrations in the weakness of the law but something
positive of what we do about it. I am not confident that will be the
outcome of the meeting.

You were sweet today. No agitation!

Day 184 (Thursday, April 14, 2005)—two milestones today! First,

you decided it was time to exercise and we both did—you the
recumbent bike and I the treadmill. We each did 30 minutes. This is
a good start. The second milestone is that you are reading your
novel again and enjoying it. Your new glasses—reading only, not
bifocals—came and they appear to be doing the job for you. You are
not complaining and really seem to enjoy reading on the sunroom
couch while I type this.

Another project we did today was to replace the artificial flowers we

have in pots on the deck in preparation for Easter. You are not quite
to where you were in decorative skills before the accident but you
did ok. Since I remembered how you did it before by cutting the
bouquets of flowers into individual stems and inserting those into
the pots, all went well with a little cuing. Later in the afternoon, we
went out and bought still more flowers to hang down the outside of
the pots. We’ll do that tomorrow as we are enjoying the sunroom.

We did three loads of wash and you did a great job of folding the
clothes and the sheets too. I put them away lest you think when you
read this that I did not contribute. I also did some deskwork and we
mailed back the parking permit we used when we went to the House

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of Delegates in Annapolis. Linda Eisenstadt, Delegate Madelano’s
Legislative Assistant was kind to let us use hers.

We went to Montgomery Mall and you were up to shopping for

jeans. Dini told you about J.Jill and the fact they sell jeans that
stretch. It sounded like a good idea for to you so we went there and
found a pair that fit you nicely and that are comfortable. Dini also
elected to send you a pair and they are the same size as those we
bought. We walked the mall one turn and came home.

Day 185 (Friday, April 15, 2005)—it was 6:30 in the morning and I
heard noise. There was somebody on the deck—it was the gutter guy
who came to close an opening where the sunroom joins the house.
There was a gap there and birds had tried to build a nest. He did the
job by 7:00 AM—talk about an early start.

I got you up and we rotated the bed topper together and fixed the
bed. We ate breakfast, then bathed and were out of the house by
0830 for Adventist Rehab. Today you had your last day of therapy.
You were supposed to have both OT and SP but the OT back up
person did not come because her child is sick. So, my love, you have
now graduated from the second round of therapy and will begin the
third round next week at NRH in their “transitions program.” The
Adventist therapists know about this program and think it is great.

We bought you another pair of jeans today. This time from the
Army PX! The nice thing was that you did not fight me to go there
and you found a nice pair that fit well and went with your jean
jacket. You were very pleased. We also went to Bethesda to make an
appointment with Marta to get your hair done tomorrow. She was
recommended by Nina.

Home was our next stop for rest before we went out for dinner. You
wrote a note of thanks to Dini and we went to White Flint Mall to
mail it. We did a couple of turns around the mall, sat and people
watched for a few minutes. We left for dinner from there.

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We met Joe and Debbie, and Lew Thompson and his wife Abbey at
Ambrosia. We arrived at 6:35 PM as did Joe and Debbie. The
Thompson’s arrived at the time we set which was 7 PM. Fortunately
I reserved a table because it was crowded. While waiting for the
Thompsons we had a nice appetizer platter. Everybody enjoyed
their meal to include Greek wine and beer (not we teetotalers, of
course). You were very, very quite and responded to questions with
yes/no head shakes. You looked tired but you held out until 8:30
PM. I asked you several times if you wanted to leave prior to that
but you said no. But almost two hours hit your limit. At that time
you had to leave and we went directly home and you to bed. I really
felt very, very bad that I subjected you to such a late dinner and
exposure to lots of stimuli. In fact, before I came to bed, I shed a few
tears of remorse. Really, I felt bad.

Day 186 (Saturday, April 16, 2005)—yea, we exercised again, a very

good thing for us. We both did one-half hour. We left the house at
about 10:30 and went to the Army PX to see if they had another
color of the jeans we bought yesterday in your size. They did not.
We went to Suburban Hospital on the way to the beauty shop to say
hi to Voula, the emergency room nurse that was with you on that
fateful date of 12 October. She was not there but another nurse
recognized you and was thrilled to see how great you looked.

We arrived at Valentino’s to get your hair done at 11:45 and Marta

the hairdresser arrived at 12:00 (as promised). The job was
completed at 4:30. Meanwhile they made me a cappuccino. I went
across the street (twice) to get you a cold drink. I walked to a nearby
pizza place and got a slice we both shared. Marta did a good job of
coloring your hair, frosting, and trimming.

We crossed the street to Chicken on-the-Run and had rotisserie

chicken breasts (one each) with yucca, and plantains. We shared one
meal and were full. Next stop was the Navy PX where we did find
you a black pair of jeans and a nice black top.

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Day 187 (Sunday, April 17, 2005)—I did not sleep well last night. In
fact, I got up and read for about an hour. Of course, when it was
time to get up this morning, I really didn’t much want to do so. We
did get moving, however, and got to church on time for the Orthos.
Before we left, you called your girlfriend in Greece, Aphrodite, and
discovered that she did not know you had an accident. She spoke to
you for awhile and when she got back on the phone with me she was
crying. She realized the extent of your injuries and that you were
still recovering from brain injury. She determined this when you
started to talk about your parents and brother as if they had just
died. You still do that a lot. Her brother’s (Stelios) wife died, her son
has heart problems, and her husband has a kidney problem. So, lots
of pain out there. Later, when you spoke to Litsa, you found out that
your Uncle George passed away. He was 92 years old.

Following church we went to the commissary and bought stuff, some

meatballs and spaghetti for lunch with the girls, Connie and Vicki.
At home, I did the cooking (since this entailed only heating stuff, big
deal). Nick and Nina came by on there way to a birthday. They were
closely followed by Connie and Vicki. After lunch, we went for a
walk all together in the park. They left at 4:30 and shortly thereafter
Tonya came for an hour. You still confuse Becky, the police officer
with Jackie Pauline’s daughter. I have often tried to get this straight
with you and Tonya and I tried to do so today. This is one of those
things you continue to confuse. It is very interesting what you do
remember and what you confuse. I guess it relates to the different
injured areas of the brain. When Tonya left, she was kind enough to
water the plants.

You know, I cried again this evening. I guess I am still fearful that I
wont get my before accident (BA) sweetheart back. Today, you did
some very positive things with the plants for example—trimming the
roses Kathy brought to you so they would last longer and doing the
same to the hydrangeas. Since this was all self initiated, this was a
very good thing.

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Day 188 (Monday, April 18, 2005)—we arose early, showered, ate
breakfast and I even watered the flower beds. Our destination was
NRH. Today you began the transitions program. This day is filled
with evaluations and this Wednesday you will go on a community
trip with your fellow transition’s people. I stayed a few minutes
during your orientation and then with you and Jan, the SLP. We
know her from your third floor in-patient therapy but you don’t
really remember her. After Jan asked me a few questions, I left so
you would be evaluated one-on-one. I guess, I left too because I’m
too chicken to hear your answers to questions, afraid they may be
wrong or off topic. Jan later said your responses were appropriate
and told me that you had no trouble saying what you would write in
a letter to Dini but that actually doing so was a problem. Given that
you have a spelling problem that does not surprise me. You really
should use a computer since it has a spell check program. I know
that I need it. Your next stop was evaluation by Erika from OT. I
said hi to her and then left so you could work one-on-one.

We met Angelique Moran who is the transitions coordinator. We

also saw Paul Rao, Dini’s colleague, and Natalie your in-patient PT.
I saw Olivia, your former in-patient OT, Amy your former in-
patient case manager and from afar Liz who was your SLP.

You were surprised again how fast we arrived at NRH from

Kensington. But you do realize NRH is in Washington, DC not
California as you once insisted. Their lunches here are still pretty
good. I had the “crusted tilapia.” You somehow got by me in the
cafeteria. When I finally found you with your group I noted that you
didn’t eat much. I bought you an oatmeal-raison cookie and you did
like that. Niko called to find out how you were doing with your new
therapy program.

You met with the team social worker Kate. Apparently things went
well with her too. She explained that her role was cognitive therapy
with the other team members. She did mention to you that while it is
alright to nap, you should not over do it. I commented that your
endurance has been improving. At 2 PM until 4 PM, your team
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worked on planning a community outing on Wednesday. At 2:30,
you came out for a walk, Jan said for some air. She said all was ok
but you announced that you had “enough.” We left by 3 PM after
having a not so nice time with each other. You were very agitated
about the whole thing. You did not want to be with people who were
sick. I tried to explain that you could help them get better by
providing an example but you were not buying into that very much.
Jan felt that maybe you should leave early if you wanted to do so.
She wants NRH to be a positive experience for you.

One thing we found out is that we should get clearance from Dr.
McCarthy before we fly to Greece. Pressure can affect adversely
those with TBI. Hopefully, this will not be a problem for you. We’ll
meet with him in May 18th when he returns from vacation.

You continued to be rather unpleasant at home.

Day 189 (Tuesday, April 19, 2005)—the window washing people

came on-time—actually they came a little bit earlier at 7:50 AM.
They did a very good job in a little over an hour. We both exercised,
you did the bike and I the treadmill. We worked out for 30 minutes
each. Following that, we worked outside a bit cleaning the fence line.
You did a little cleaning but mostly held the barrel into which I put
the collected stuff. After showering, we went to Montgomery Mall to
return the jeans to J. Jill that Dini sent you. We got you two pairs of
pants by paying for the second pair. Our next stop was the food
court. You really love the Chinese food there. As usual, we shared
one meal of three entrees. We also had veggie spring roles. I didn’t
have to work hard for a yes when I suggested a DQ banana split.
The lady knows us there now and even gives us a discount.

This completes your 27th week since the accident. Please dear God
continue to bless my sweetheart and make her well. Let Your
treasury of goodness continue to heal her infirmities.

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Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. Holy God,
Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. Holy God, Holy
Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit both now
and forever, unto ages of ages, Amen.

Oh Holy Trinity have mercy on us, oh Lord wash away our sins, Oh
Master forgive our iniquities, oh Master, visit and heal my Maria’s
infirmities, in thy Name’s sake.

Lord have mercy, Lord have Mercy, Lord have mercy.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit both now
and forever, unto ages of ages, Amen.

You kept saying you would not go to NRH tomorrow. I will pray as
usual tonight and ask God to convince you that it is in your interest
to go. You say it is distressing to be with that group of “sick” people.
Angelique, the case manager, called today to suggest I be there at 1
PM to eat lunch with you and take you home after that if need be. If
I can get you there, we’ll do that.

You rested some at home. We then went to the dentist so Dr. Barnett
could take an impression of you mouth as a guard against grinding
your teeth. From there we took a walk once around Wheaton Mall.
They appear to be close to opening the new sections. Perhaps this
will happen next month sometime. Macy’s is the principal new store
to open. The cost of all of the renovations according to a sign there is
$95 million. We both took our blood pressure there—not bad. We
got our usual soft drink at Target and then came home. You rested
for a few minutes and are now working at moving a button so your
khakis would fit more comfortably.

You did a good job on your khakis but we otherwise had a terrible
evening. You insisted you would not go to NRH in the morning and I
insisted that you would go. We had a very bad fight, to the point
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that I seriously considered not sleeping with you. I even took my
pillows to sleep elsewhere. I didn’t do that when I decided I was
being stupid—childish also comes to mind. Forgive me but given the
circumstances I occasionally stress out.

Myrna called at 8 PM while you were in bed. You told her your tail
of woe—the group you were with depressed you, etc. It annoyed me
that she seemed to side with you. She asked to speak to me right
when I picked up the phone from downstairs to determine if you
were still speaking to her. She was siding with you and I announced
that you were going to NRH or should go get another husband—I
hung up. By the way, a good thing was that when I left you so you
could speak to Myrna, I asked you to hang up the phone in the
kitchen when you finished. You did that.

Day 190 (Wednesday, April 20, 2005)—when you got up, I said let’s
compromise. We would go to NRH and if you did not want to go on
the trip we would then go home. You agreed so after breakfast and
dressing we did go to NRH. Jan Cole, the SLP, took you aside and
encouraged you to go with the group. I promised to wait for you to
eat lunch in the NRH cafeteria. By the way, you said the trip was to
be to the Cherry Blossoms but the trip is to go to the zoo. Everybody
has a job on the trip. Your job is to take a photo of something. I
hope you do well with everybody and I can get you back on Friday. I
also promised you that we would leave early today after lunch if you
wanted to do so. We did leave after lunch.

I left you in the room with the group since you were going to leave in
a few minutes. I didn’t want you to change your mind. The cafeteria
was my next location. I had an egg/cheese sandwich with some
coffee. I worked on this letter completing yesterday’s entry and then
read my US News. People who I knew greeted me. Your group
arrived back at about 12:45 and I got lunch for you (on NRH)
consisting of the grill combo (a Monterey Jack cheese burger and
fries), a drink, some strawberries (they were not good), and a cookie.

230
We saw the retired Air Force officer we met on Monday. He is a
Greek-American named Tom who suffered brain damage while
teaching. He said a projector screen fell and hit him on the head. He
was very encouraging by telling you how important it is to continue
your therapy. Hopefully, you will heed his advice. He is a very nice
guy and you think well of him. I also spoke to Jan today and
mentioned the difficulties I was having with you. She said she will
discuss it at tomorrow’s team meeting. They will make every effort
to make your therapy meaningful for you.

Your big comment about the trip was about the roads (potholes) and
the bouncing bus. All shared your observations. You managed to see
the pandas, cute monkeys, and maybe some cheetahs. You guys all
had a soft drink while there but you commented it was not nearly as
good as the way I make it. In fact you said, “not even close.” You
found the trip horrible and vowed never to go again.

Day 191 (Thursday, April 21, 2005)—this was another good day. We
got up around 6:30, had breakfast, you made the bed, and we went
and exercised. As usual, I did the tread mill and you the recumbent
bike for thirty minutes. We watched the conclusion of an old Hunter
episode on TV and then went upstairs for you to shower and dress. I
did some trimming outside and then mowed the lawn. Michelle, a
contractor lady, came to assess the wallpapering job in the utility
room and bathroom. Later her husband Brian came and proposed
to replace our wash tub for $75 along with the rest of the work. I
said OK but later they convinced me to leave it after they cleaned
away the old paint in the tub.

We went shopping for fake flowers for our pots in front of the
house. We bought a bunch and they should look very pretty when
“planted.” It rained so I did not get a chance to do the job. From the
store we went to Monty Mall and had our banana split. The lady
really loves us there and makes a really nice one for us with a
discount. Our next stop was home and I wrote a letter to Alitalia to
see if we could get some discount business class seats for the trip to
Salonika in June. We’ll see. The letter is on its way posted from the
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White Flint Mall post office. While we were at it, we went to the eat
at the Cheesecake Factory and you had your favorite egg plant
sandwich (ugh from me). You loved it and ate well.

Home again you are resting while I work on this journal for my
love. Your Canadian cousin called. This is the cousin you got
confused about a couple of weeks ago. Yes, she is married to Rudy
and there is no other sister named Evangelia married to a Rudy.
You are having trouble keeping names straight but are doing much,
much better. The funny thing is today you were having trouble with
our telephone number. The old 933 number was popping out.

Karen the NRH transition team social worker called. She

emphasized they were working on making your therapy meaningful
and workable for you. We will go tomorrow but will leave NLT 2
PM. You will not be going on the community trips on Wednesday
for awhile and they may take you out of a big group and put you
into a smaller group. The final decisions will be made on Monday
when Angelique the case manager gets back from a conference.

I spoke to the lawyer, David Lease. He said that USAA and the JAG
have not moved much in agreeing to actions favorable to us. He has
filed an intent to sue with the county and the Park and Planning
Commission for their negligence in maintaining the intersection. He
quoted the police report. We’ll see what comes from that.

Day 192 (Friday, April 22, 2005)—it may be raining out but we
started off ok since you did not give me a hard time about going to
NRH. The downside though was our inability to find a cross I
bought for you while you were in the hospital. It is silver and
embossed in blue enamel with the words life and light embossed in
Greek (zoe and fos). Hopefully it will turn up. The other thing we,
and I stress we, forgot was to bring your reading glasses. Hopefully,
this will not impede your activities today. Your big goal is to meet
me for lunch in the cafeteria where I started to write this. We did
have a little breakfast in the cafeteria, a bagel and a doughnut
before you went to the transition’s room to start the day.
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When you arrived at the cafeteria, you seemed to have enjoyed your
morning sessions. You even went to a lecture where you learned how
to protect our home from burglars. We had a nice lunch. You had a
Philly Cheese Steak with fries and I had shrimp. Friday is shrimp
day at the NRH and you even had a couple of those too.

You gave me a little hassle going to the afternoon session. But I

reminded you that you promised to stay until 2 PM. You did stay
with Lori the OT and you said she was very nice but you were ready
to go. You could have stayed for the SLP session but I didn’t want to
push the issue since I had promised you we would leave at two
should you want too.

The day continued to be not pretty. We stayed home and did various
chores.

Day 193 (Saturday, April 23, 2005)—we called Greece and you had
a long conversation. After breakfast, we went and exercised for 30
plus minutes. You did a good job. Dini called and was very
impressed when I told her. We discussed NRH and she wanted to
encourage you to continue going. We also spoke to Aunt Mary in
FL and she seemed very down today. She said she was tired and
didn’t feel up to visiting this year. I hope there isn’t something more
serious. We spoke to Arti and they are coming here for the Easter
party with Greg and Lori.

The Doukas’ came right on time and we went to the Chinese

restaurant on Rockville Pike. We had a pleasant interlude and I
paid over their objections given the many times they took me to
lunch when you were in the hospital. After they brought us home we
went out again to run errands. We mailed a CD to Dini, got money
from the ATM and I even bought another hard drive to back up this
computer. When we arrived home again, you went to Maria’s Room
as we now call the all-seasons room and you fell fast asleep after I
made you a nice drink. After you awakened, I tried to convince you

233
to go out for a banana split but it was raining and even that wasn’t
enough of an inducement.

By the way, when you read this, know that you have really been
whining a lot about going to NRH for therapy. You do not like the
environment and the program so far. From my perspective, it is
necessary for your healing process. Thus, in your eyes I am the
tyrannical Colonel. Such is the price I pay, I guess. I’m not the only
one who believes it is necessary for you to go.

Well, you got up and you are now eating whipped yogurt. Your
attitude is not particularly pleasant, at least that is how I feel.
Apparently you resented the fact that I told you your dressing table
was cluttered and messy. Since I am writing this, I do have the
power of the pen to say what I want—or in more modern terms, the
power of the word processor. Good thing it has a spell check because
I still don’t spell very well.

Day 194 (Sunday, April 24, 2005)—you did not get up in a good
humor this morning. When I asked you if you loved me, you said
“no” later amended by you to say you loved God and I am part of
Him. Later as we were driving to church you said that I am being
too critical of you and your failure to do stuff. Obviously, I am not
using the best of techniques to get you to do stuff. I guess I need to
keep my mouth shut and let it come. You did initiate making the
bed, got dressed by yourself, put on make-up, and washed your
cereal bowl. You also complained that I did not give you your
evening meds. I didn’t want to awaken you to do so and at this point
they are optional. Well, tonight I will give you the Trazedone which
should ease going to NRH. When we got back from church, you
planted the artificial flowers and I added gravel around them. I then
blew the area around the porch from pollen and such.

Today is Palm Sunday and services were very different. We arrived

at 8:45 and services were already underway. Not the liturgy but a
different type of Orthos and it was led by Archbishop Demetrios.
Connie did make church today. She looked very lovely. We all left
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about 10 AM. Connie went home to change and get pizzas for our
lunch from her Costco. We went home to “plant” our flowers.

We had a houseful. Connie and Vicki were first to arrive with the
pizza and salad. Next, Bob and Kathy arrived. Poor Kathy had
stomach problems and did not eat much. Nick and Nina came next
and Niko had a sinuous infection. Nina called to tell us they would
be late because Niko did not feel well. The two very large Costco
pizzas were mostly eaten. As usual, Connie and Vicki left last. They
enjoy being with you and you enjoy having them around.

Day 195 (Monday, April 25, 2005)—today you got up before the
chickens, as he saying goes. In fact, you started to make the bed with
me in it. You got me up and we made the bed together. We plan to
fast this week since it is our holy week and we ate allowable food for
breakfast. After showering and dressing, we left for NRH. You did
not give me a hard time but you did comment how you really did not
want to go. When you spoke to Litsa this morning and complained,
she rightly said that I would only do things for you that were good
for you. This is a very true statement.

We arrived early and had coffee and a soft drink in the cafeteria.
We looked at the newspaper and then went to the transition’s room.
The rest of the group arrived on time too as did Jan, the leader. This
week your schedule will be Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I met with Angelique, the transitions director. She is tailoring a

program for you. You will get visual OT, regular OT and speech.
On Thursday, you will come at 11 AM and we will leave at 3 PM.
She plans to work with Sheree, the USFHP rehab manager to
convince her that you would do better at the Montrose facility on
Rockville Pike. I hope she succeeds because they are supposed to be
very good there and it, of course, is close to our home. Additionally,
you will not be exposed to as many sad sights of people with missing
limbs, etc. Although it is not clear to you, the professionals believe
you need the professional help and I am all for you getting such
help. You are the love of my life and I want you well.
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You finished your morning session at NRH. You met Angelique too.
We met in the cafeteria and we ate food appropriate to holy week—
no meat, eggs, seafood. We then went to the third floor and I
reminded you where we used to walk in the atrium when you were
an in-patient. You really don’t remember much from that period.
Your afternoon session was with Jan, the SLP and she gave you
some homework to do. You had a really good day today.

Day 196 (Tuesday, April 26, 2005)—we got up later than usual
today, the 28th week since your accident. I did not mention this
anniversary to you. We made the bed together. After breakfast, we
exercised on our respective torture devices and continued the
exercise by vacuuming the downstairs. You put the runners back on
the stairs after we washed them. You do a much better job than I
do. You laid them without a wrinkle. In-between chores, we watched
the History Channel and their discussion of biblical archaeology.
You pronounced it interesting. Next, we showered, you dressed
yourself, and went out shopping.

We visited the Montrose NRH facility. It certainly is small but new,

and neat. You seemed to think the environment was good. You do
NOT like the environment at NRH in Washington with the great
numbers of people in wheelchairs, amputees, etc. Hopefully,
Angelique can work things out. Oh yes, the place is about three
miles from home just off of Rockville Pike.

You wanted to try your hand at rice pudding so we went out again
to buy among other things rice and whole milk. You made the
pudding but admitted to not putting in a whole cup of rice. It looked
loose when you poured it into the Pyrex container to cool and set.
We’ll see tomorrow how it did in the refrigerator. The big deal is the
fact that you initiated the desire to make the pudding and even
remembered the procedure for doing so. You handled the whole job
yourself to include cleanup. Good job!!!

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Day 197 (Wednesday, April 27, 2005)—we got up after a restless
night. Woe for the rice pudding. It was still very loose. We discussed
ways to hopefully save it because the flavor was really very good, it
just was not pudding—more like sweet rice soup. The bottom line of
the discussion was to pour the mix back into the pot boil it and add
some cornstarch. The trouble was we had no cornstarch or if we did,
we did not know where it was. I had to get dressed and go out. We
did the job when I got back. Some time later when we checked it
looked ok—we’ll have to give it a taste.

The pot where we reheated the mix was a mess. Lots of stuff was
burned to the bottom. I tried to scrape it to no avail then you
suggested I boil dish washer soap and water in the pot. Walla! It
cleaned up easily. Another ata-girl to you! We did more work today.
I vacuumed the living room and two bedrooms while you dusted and
you vacuumed our bedroom and dusted.

We showered and dressed following this exercise. We went to the

local Dollar Tree where I bought some stuff for a project and you
found some silk flowers for Maria’s Room which you latter put in a
vase on the coffee table.

The great thing today was that you wanted to do your homework.
Jan gave you an exercise to accomplish and you did quite well. I also
gave you an exercise along the lines of one they gave you at
Adventist. You were given a letter to find as many times as it
appeared in a field of many letters. You did not do as well with this
exercise as you did with Jan’s but persevered on a second run. On
that run I told you how many you missed per field and you went and
searched them out. You admitted that you were not paying as much
attention as you should. Using your pencil as a guide and by looking
at each letter, you did much better. We’ll keep working on that.
However, you still rate congratulations for a good job.

We went for a walk at Wheaton Plaza Mall to determine their

progress in creating a new expanded mall. They are still working
and I guess it will be some time in June when the new sections will
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open. We got our usual soft drink at Target and then came home
where you changed for bed and got into it at 5 PM. You stayed in
bed, we did prayers, and later I gave you your evening meds. When
you read this at some time in the future, I have to say that this early-
to-bed bothers me because it feels that I’m alone the way I was when
you were an in-patient at NRH. But, I have to say to myself that this
is part of your healing process and I should not feel that way.

Day 198 (Thursday, April 28, 2005)—we exercised this morning for
30 minutes and later we were off to NRH for your therapies. We will
go to the Washington site next week but Angelique feels certain that
you will soon be going to the Montrose facility. Next week you will
have a PT evaluation too as it is believed they can help reduce your
pain with some physical therapy. We worked with Erika, the low
vision OT, and she suggested certain things for us to do in terms
lighting, contrast, and so forth. All the therapists said you did well.

I mowed the lawn and my knees were not thrilled. We ate fruit and
your rice pudding for dinner. The pudding did thicken and had that
good old rice pudding taste that you are famous for. Niko called and
you told him of your problem. He still plans to try and make some
rice pudding himself.

Day 199 (Friday, April 29, 2005)—after you had a bite to eat, you
decided to exercise all on your own. You did about 35 minutes on
the exercise bicycle while I did some computer scanning of OT
vision sheets so I could reproduce them later. Your exercise went
well and I succeeded in scanning the sheets and printing them for
your use. In fact, after you showered and dressed, you again took
the initiative to do your “homework.” We worked together to insure
you were careful and did not miss to circle the correct letters. You
did not circle wrong letters but in your haste, you did miss some.
When we went back over them, however, you did find them.

We left for Baltimore at 0845 and arrived at Johns Hopkins at about

9:45. Registration was painfully slow even thought we had been
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there last month. We arrived at the front desk of the Low Vision
Center at 10:00 for our 10:15 appointment. I write this because we
were not called until 10:45 for the Dr. I guess that falls into the
category of “what’s new.” We were with Dr. Park for all of 10
minutes and he confirmed the prescription was still good, agreed
that single vision for reading and long distance was better, and
wanted to see us again in one month. Our appointment is for 25
May. Upon return to our home area we went to Wood Optical and
asked them to change the bi-focal lenses to single long distance
vision. They should be ready next week.

We ate salad for lunch and relaxed until Dino and Myrna came for
the weekend and thus Greek Easter. We chatted awhile and then
you and Myrna made spaghetti for dinner. You did not eat. Oh, by
the way, earlier Dino tried your rice pudding and pronounced it
good. You washed the dishes and Myrna dried. You went to bed at
7:30 and the rest of us watched TV.

Day 200 (Saturday, April 30, 2005)—we got up early and prepared
for church. We did not worry about breakfast because we were to
receive communion. We arrived at church at 8:45 and Connie was
already at the door waiting for us. The service was very nice and all
of us received communion except for Myrna.

From church we went home where we all had bagels and cream
cheese. All were enthusiastic with Penero’s bagels. Dino and I went
to the commissary and got gas and a few things. We chatted for
some time and you seemed to tire and then you confabulated. You
made up stories and started to confuse names. You did the Cyprus
thing (Thano was from Cyprus, etc.) and you insisted Thano was not
Marianna’s child. Next, you wanted to cook at 3 PM for our guests
scheduled tomorrow. I worked hard to convince you that it was too
early to cook for dinner. We went downstairs over your objection to
see a movie and pass the time. We saw a 42 year old James Bond
movie with Sean Connery. You did get a little restless but
nonetheless made it through the whole movie.

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We all went upstairs after the movie and you made spaghetti by
popular acclaim. You were the principal cook and now the bottle
washer too. Good for you. We even went for a walk at Montgomery
Mall and you wanted to shop at J. Jill. You bought a nice top and a
pair of jeans. You wanted to wear a new outfit for Easter. Dino
treated dessert and we succumbed to a banana split for each couple.
While we were waiting for the split, and were alone, you apologized
for you earlier behavior. You realized that you were making up
things and that you were worrying me.

Day 201 (Sunday, May 01, 2005)—we had a great Easter. We got out
of bed at about 7 AM and you took your Fosamax. You stayed still
for the required ½ hour and then had breakfast. Dino and Myrna
had a light breakfast since we anticipated eating lots at our late
lunch/early dinner.

Connie was superb at organizing all the food. She brought lamb,
salads to include tzatziki. Vicki brought a ham, you made pastitso
that all liked, Myrna made a cheese cake, Kathy with her boys Brian
and Chris brought baklava, Maria and Bobby (with kids Brendan
and Ryan) added a broccoli casserole and contributed a nice wine
too. Nick and Nina brought rice pudding (he made it) and Easter
bread (she made it). Arti, Chuck, Lori and Greg brought you some
individual presents. We were 18 in the house for food and drink
(Dino brought beer and we supplied the soft drinks). Everything
worked very well and all pitched in for the easy clean up since we
used bright red plastic plates. Our plastic cups were interesting too
as they were patterned after old-style coca-cola glasses. We were
fancy on the flat-wear; we used my Mother’s gold plated set.

Connie and Vicki were the first to arrive. Connie had partially
cooked the lamb with the thought we would complete the job on the
outside grill. Well, we did more oven work with the lamb and then
finished it on the grill later simultaneously warming the ham that
Vicki brought. Dino was in charge of that operation. The majority of
the guests arrived between 2 and 2:30. A good time seemed to be
had by all. Arti and Chuck were literally thrilled to see you and how
240
well you were doing. The group mixed very well and the house did
not seem crowded at all. The weather was good enough to use the
deck and Maria’s Room was well occupied too.

Our new top of the line Kenmore food disposal bit the dust when we
needed it most. It hums (not a very good tune) but does not turn. We
cranked it; pushed the reset button but all to no avail. I called Sears
and arranged for a repair. The earliest they had was 16 May.
Ridiculous!!! I plan to speak to the local Sears manager.

The final guests left at 7:30 and you were ready for bed. We did the
bed preparation things to include our nightly “Lord’s Prayer.” You
took your meds and I tucked you in at 8:10. You were superb today.

Day 202 (Monday, May 02, 2005)—another good day! We got up

and I cooked eggs with cheese and bacon for our guests. We had
toasted English muffins too. After eating we did some wash and then
Dino and Myrna replaced the sheets on the bed they were sleeping
on. You did one of your homework exercise sheets after showering
and dressing. You are getting better at all of these activities.

At 11:30, we went to the Cheesecake Factory with D & M. Dino and

I had a hamburger, you had your eggplant sandwich and Myrna
had a lunch size (big it was) salad. After lunch, they departed for
Lewes, DE, and we went to the library for some large print books
for you. You chose two. We then bought some items at the hardware
store for the sink to prevent the disposal from getting clogged while
we wait for Sears to do their duty.

Our next stop was the dentist and we got your mouth guard to
prevent you from grinding your teeth at night. Upon our return
home, you quickly changed and made a direct assault on the couch
in Maria’s Room. I think you nodded off. I made some phone calls.
Finally, Michelle from the construction company came and stripped
the old wall paper. Hopefully, we’ll see more action this week.

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Day 203 (Tuesday, May 03, 2005)—this concludes week 29 since
your accident and you celebrated by wanting to get up at 2 AM and
woke me up to join you. I managed to convince you that this was not
a good idea and that it was still very dark out. We stayed in bed
until 6:30 AM when we went to the kitchen for breakfast. After that
we exercised for 30 minutes, you on the recumbent bike and I on the
tread mill. You did very well. We also did a load of wash and you
helped fold and carried your stuff.

In the bedroom, we made the bed together. Showering and dressing

was next and you handled the latter very well. You did the rest of
your homework and you are getting better at that. You did some
reading while I did some deskwork to include working on getting a
rebate for a hard drive I bought to back up my laptop.

We left for NRH at ten and arrived at 1040. Angelique said they are
still working on getting you to Montrose but the scheduling appears
to be tight there in terms of fitting you in. Your first session today
was with Inbal, the SLP, who said you did well with her. OT with
Lori went well and Heather, PT, showed you some exercises to
stretch your right side and hopefully relieve the pain. We’ll see.

Your single vision glasses for distance were ready so we left the
house to pick them up. They replaced your bifocals at no extra
charge which certainly was a pleasant surprise. You look very cute
in these eyeglasses and they are very, very lightweight.

Day 204 (Wednesday, May 04, 2005)—today we got up, exercised

and surprise someone from the contractor came to work on the
utility room walls. The construction has started. You did some
complicated homework that required some arithmetic skills and you
did not do too well. But as you pointed out, you were not great in
arithmetic before the accident and that is true. Nonetheless we’ll
work on that. We bought a calculator from Brookstone to help do
the problems. It has big numbers thus it should be easy for you to
see. It really is huge.

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After the construction guy left you wanted to go for Chinese food so
we did that and went to Panda at Monty Mall. Yes, we also
succumbed to a banana split. You, yes you, remembered from
yesterday that I wanted to chew out someone at Sears for the lack of
response to repair our food disposal in a timely manner. The
appointment people set a repair date for 16 May = outrageous. The
appliance manager will try to expedite.

When we arrived home, you dashed off to relax—in bed. You got
out of bed at 6:30 PM and came to watch TV with me. Suzanne
called and she and Noonie came to chat with you at 7:30. They
stayed until 9 PM and you hung in there and I thought this was
great. It shows you can stay up with some stimulation and TV does
not do that for you (it’s for morons, after all). After that you took
your meds and popped off to bed and I watched more moronic TV.

Day 205 (Thursday, May 05, 2005)—we had a busy morning—after

the usual morning things such as eating, bathing and dressing, the
construction lady Michelle arrived to put more “mud” on the walls
in preparation for the wallpaper. She was closely followed by our
UBS stockbroker Greg Kempner. We went over our portfolio and
he explained some different investment vehicles which we may use.
After Greg left we left and traveled to NRH. In between visitors you
and I did some homework using the calculator we bought yesterday
at Brookstone. With its big numbers and big readout you had no
trouble discerning them.

Angelique, the NRH case manger, met with us to discuss the change
to the NRH Montrose location and advised that from an insurance
standpoint, all is on track for the transfer. The only problem is that
they are still fully booked. I expressed the desire that we concentrate
all therapies in the AM so that when we are finished, we are finished
—they don’t offer lunch there. I also mentioned to her that on 17
and 19 May that we had afternoon appointments and thus
scheduling wherever we are should be in the AM for those days.

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Joe Saul came promptly at noon to discuss OPSEC Society business.
We ate prior to his arrival. Joe was good and only had a salad. We
got a lot of work done while you were at therapy. The therapists all
said you did very well with them. Today you were with Lori (OT),
Brian who filled in for Heather in PT (she was doing something for
her PhD this day), and Inbal your SLP.

Paul Rao stopped by to discuss Blue Shield’s attempt to exclude

cognitive therapy by SLPs from their insurance. ASHA is fighting
this and they may want to interview me for my input. Needless to
say, TBI people deserve and need cognitive therapy for healing. You
are a prime example of how SLP therapy helped you.

We went to the commissary on the way home and when we arrived

home, you prepared the marinade for the steak and prepared the
strawberries too. We ate leftovers for dinner and you cleaned up.

Day 206 (Friday, May 06, 2005)—well, there was a little more work
done on our utility room this morning. Maybe one of these days that
work will get done. They are projected to come back next
Wednesday to wallpaper.

You were helpful today in making the bed, dressing, etc. I did the
meal preparation and you did the clean-up. Good partners! I grilled
a porterhouse steak and made salad, you enjoyed them. We ran
some errands such as taking the TV news tapes to get them
converted to a DVD. When we get the DVD back, Niko can join it
with the other work he did in providing us with a consolidated DVD
of your adventure. We also went to get our car’s oil changed and
you were very patient waiting while the work was done. Following
this, it was treat time, so we went to Monty Mall for a walk and for
the banana split. As usual, it was delicious—too bad.

Today, Marta Marie Lotti , Director of Customer Relations, Alitalia

called in response to my letter. She will try to give us a break on the
fare to Thessaloniki and even made reservations for us so we would
not lose the seats. Let us hope it works out. She will be off next week
244
so we’ll hear the week after. Let’s hope she can do something as
business class costs considerably more than economy class. The old
adage that it only costs 10% more to go first class certainly doesn’t
pertain to airfare.

Out of the blue, Thelma Giahari, our over twenty-years ago

neighbor, called after you went to bed at 8 PM. She wanted to find
out how you are doing. She has had some health problems. Her kids
are doing very well and one of them will soon be working for Oracle.
Another is a Medical Doctor practicing in NJ, another triplet is an
airline pilot, the daughter still lives in West Virginia, and the other
boy (David) builds houses. Mohamed sold his business and is
retiring. She would like to talk to you and will call back.

We did some homework today and you practiced with identifying

and making change with coins. You seem to have some problem
recognizing the coins consistently, especially a nickel and a quarter.
This was your problem with Inbal, the NRH SLP, too. We’ll work
on that some more.

I was interviewed by Cindy Mertz, the Suburban Hospital’s new

publicity person. She puts out their news letter Currents and wants
to include an article about you. She and a photographer will come
on Wednesday for a picture.

Day 207 (Saturday, May 07, 2005)—I figured out Aunt Maria’s
phone number in Crete and you had a nice conversation with her.
Next, you spoke to Gregory and Litsa to round out the morning
calls. We had our usual breakfast and you cleaned up the dishes. We
made the bed together and you changed into your exercise clothes
without any suggestion from me.

After exercising, you showered and dressed but I held off doing so in
order to cut the grass. While I was mowing, you came out to do
some work too all on your own. This showed good initiative and I
was very pleased. I suggested you use the tool that gives us extra
reach to pick up the twigs that were scattered here and there. After
245
mowing, I got the ladder and the trimmer and trimmed the Rose of
Sharon and other stuff. You picked up the cuttings as they fell and
put them in the trashcan. We worked together and that was nice. I
wonder what body parts will hurt tomorrow.

Next it was my turn to shower and dress. I even gave myself a

haircut. By the time I finished with all it was lunch time and you
were ready to go. We went to Ambrosia for lunch. You had the egg-
lemon soup and we shared a chicken liver dinner plate. You ate the
Greek-style green beans (not my favorite) while I ate the salad.
From there we went to the nearby newly opened Target. It was in a
newly constructed building and was really quite nice. We found a
halogen desk lamp to help you see better while at the kitchen table
and I moved some other lamps around to better help you in the
areas you are likely to read. For example, you now have a lamp near
the couch in Maria’s Room. We also found you three tank tops you
wanted to wear as undershirts. Our next stop was Bed, Bath and
Beyond. We bought several items there and departed for Trader
Joe’s and bought some Olive Oil, chocolate, and cheese. This
completed our errands for the day.

You changed into “evening wear” immediately upon our arrival

home much to my displeasure—it was only 2:30 in the afternoon.
We sat in Maria’s Room for awhile. We called and spoke to Dini to
wish her a happy Mother’s Day. We worked on your coin
homework and you are still having some difficulty differentiating
between nickels and quarters. You did moderately well in giving me
the amounts I specified. We will work on this some more. I did some
OPSEC Society work as I promised Joe.

Day 208 (Sunday, May 08, 2005)—today was truly a wonderful day.
You seemed to really enjoy it and you were certainly with it. We got
up at about 6:15 and you disarmed the security system flawlessly
and then proceeded to take your bone pill (Fosamax) and stay still
for the required half hour. Then breakfast, which you made and
cleaned up. You dressed yourself after making the selection of what
to wear. The only small disagreement was that you wanted the
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yellow shirt tails to be on the outside of your black pants and I did
not think it looked right with your short black jacket. You decided
that you did look better with the tails tucked in.

Church was different today as the first Sunday following Easter.

There was a lot of chanting as usual but we did not kiss the bible as
is usual during the Orthos. Father John started with singing the
Christos Anesti (Christ has Risen). I really was moved by this. I even
cried some as it reminded me how you arose following near death.
Looking beyond the alter, you could see the cross but of course,
Christ was not on the cross. We stayed for an hour.

We got Vicki’s condo about 10:15. We received a guided tour of her

rooms and new furniture and then left for a cup of coffee at a
nearby coffee shop. When I went to pay the server said it was “on
Nick.” He said we looked alike and apparently Niko knows the
owner. We all had a mocha latté. Connie met us and a few minutes
latter we departed for an 11 AM appointment for a pedicure and
manicure for you and for Vicki. The process took about an hour and
you were very pleased with the process and the outcome. It was the
first time I remember you doing something like this.

We walked across the street to a restaurant called Janni’s, yes it was

Greek and he is originally from Athens. He’s had this restaurant for
a number of years. Years ago we went there shortly after it opened
—we were not impressed then but this time it was at least OK but
still not great. We ate at their outside tables and it was delightful to
do that since the weather was very pleasant. We ate smelts as an
appetizer (the girls declined) and sandwiches for lunch. Vicki
insisted on paying. We preceded half a block away to the Creamery
for ice cream (treat on me) and it was very tasty. At this point, you
had enough socializing and wanted to go home. We did go home but
then went out to the commissary for a few things. You were very
tolerant.

Back home, we relaxed in Maria’s Room and did some homework

with the coins. You did much, much better today. Suzanne dropped
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off a tsoureki (again) and we renewed our invitation to go out and
she agreed to a late breakfast next Saturday. We ate some tsoureki
with cream cheese. We then went outdoors and waited for Joe Saul
to come for some work I did for the OPS committee he chairs—I am
the writer-in-chief. He came loaded with cake and he also brought
us very lean corned beef—I had a little and it is very good. He
stayed for about one hour and we all chatted until you excused
yourself at 6:30 to prepare for bed. Joe left a few minutes latter. I
went to see how you were doing and to join you in prayers. I then
worked on this letter that has become a journal and did my TV bit.

During the day, you spoke on the phone to Suzanne, to Dino and
Myrna, and Aunt Mary. Niko called during your pedicure. He said
he would try to call later but he was in Charlottesville to meet
Nina’s mother. We also received an email from Apostalos in Greece
wishing us Chronia Polla (Many Years).

Day 209 (Monday, May 09, 2005)—as nice a day as yesterday was,
today is not turning out so swell. We got up by 6:30 AM, you made
our usual cereal breakfast and coffee for me, juice for you. You
cleaned up and then we went and exercised. Following our showers,
etc., we went out and renewed my driver’s license. They have a new
style now. The clerk thanked me for being the first normal person
he’s had that day. He commented that by 10:00 AM he usually
processes at least 10 people and I was only number six for today.
From there, we went to the bank, deposited a check and withdrew
dollars. Our next stop was to pickup the DVD made from the NBC
and CBS tapes. Then we got some elastic cords and bought some
more flowers to use in our outside planters. Following that exciting
shopping we went to Monty Mall for Chinese food and over ate.
Usually we get one serving of a triple entrée to share this time we got
a triple and a double and finished it all. Not only that, you wanted a
split. We got one of those too but at least we left some.

I proposed we go to the movies but by now you were too tired. We

got home and I started to round up the trash. Literally, when my
back was turned and notwithstanding the fact I asked you to rest in
248
Maria’s Room, you went into bed in our bedroom. So this was
where things took a turn for the worse. When you got up and came
to me in Maria’s Room, you were totally confused as to morning,
night, day of the week, etc. You even turned off the alarm system—
it was already off. You would not believe me when I tried to clear up
your confusion. You announced that you were going back to bed. A
short time later, you came and found me sitting outside in front of
the house. You asked if I wanted coffee and you made me some.
Finally, you put on some clothes and came outside too. You are
upset and you commented, I don’t know were I am. I said, in your
home on Knowles Avenue. Your response, It was never my home. You
left for Maria’s Room.

You are confused and I am concerned. We had so many good days

in a row, I hate today, so far. What happened? I went into Maria’s
Room and somehow convinced you that you would feel better if we
took a walk and (yea) you agreed. We went to Wheaton Plaza Mall
and did a turn around. They’ve opened the new level and we took a
look at that. Only a very few stores are opened. Many of the stores
in the new food court are functional.

We went to Target, had our soft drink and returned home. You
watched TV with me and stayed with me until 9:30 PM when we
both went up for meds, prayers and bed. You seemed much better
and less disoriented. No more going into bed in the afternoon,
hopefully you agree.

Day 210 (Tuesday, May 10, 2005)—you got up at 6 AM and I

followed shortly thereafter. You made the cereal and cleaned up.
We made the bed and you said you did not want to exercise and I
agreed since today is a therapy day to include PT. We did do some
homework with the coins and you are doing better. You went
through your various therapies at NRH. Angelique has set us up at
Montrose and we start a limited schedule next week. When we left
there, we went to the commissary and bought some food. We arrived
home and put purchases away and relaxed in Maria’s Room until
dinner time. We ate coleslaw and you cut a tomato into the salad.
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Nice job by the team! We called Myrna to wish her a happy
birthday but she and Dino were out. You left a message. I then
emailed her best wishes.

Earlier in the day, Fatima the Montrose coordinator called to chat

about the schedule. I told her morning was our preference. We’ll see
what she comes up with. Today was a good day. You worked hard
and you were cooperative.

Day 211 (Wednesday, May 11, 2005)—we got up at 6 AM to eat and

exercise early. We are waiting for the construction people. We’ll see
if they come on time. Today is Thalia’s birthday and we said may
she rest in peace. Tonight we’ll include her in our prayer.

We stayed home all day today. The construction people did come
(late) and worked some. Michelle “sized” the walls preparatory to
applying the wall paper. She also cleaned the inside of our tub—
removed the old paint. Brian came and installed the light in the
shower. It looks good. Dale delivered the wallpaper border so now
we have all the wallpaper. Hopefully, we’ll be done with this phase
next week. Brian and Michelle have a funeral to go to starting
tomorrow so no more work this week. Following the construction
work is laying the new vinyl floor.

Joe Saul came to go over some Society work. We were going to

lunch with him but with the construction people in and out we had
to stay in. You made noodles for us to eat and you heated frozen
meatballs in sauce too. You cut up fresh tomato to put on top and
grated fresh cheese. You did a very thorough job of cleaning up too.
The meal was very good especially so given its last minute nature.
Today you did a lot of reading in Maria’s room. It was really very
impressive. You are getting back to doing things slowly but surely.

Niko called. Niko and Nina were the ones that brought the Azalea
that was left at our doorway. We had already eliminated Pauline
and Suzanne—or next bet would have been Tonya.

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Day 212 (Thursday, May 12, 2005)—this completes the seventh
month since your accident. Almost the first thing you said to me this
AM was: “I don’t want to go to NRH.” I explained this was the last
time downtown and that next week we shift to Montrose. So you said
OK. We exercised after breakfast (you did the honors of getting the
cereal plus the cleanup). When you went to put on your exercise
clothes you put the pants on backwards hence they would not go on
properly. You thought you could correct the situation by just
removing one leg. I explained how this would not work but my
explanation must have been deficient because you kept on insisting
removing one leg would do the job. You tried again—still
backwards. At this point my gentle prodding turned into insisting
you take the pants off, totally, and start again. I helped. I wish I had
the nice gentle approach of the therapists when you don’t comply.
My lack of training and impatience shows during these occasions.

I called Dr. Rubino’s office (337-494-4720) and left a message for

him since he was not in when I called. He is the neurosurgeon who
operated on the right side of your brain to remove pressure and a
large and two small blood clots. He left the Maryland area for
Louisiana because of the escalation in malpractice insurance. About
half an hour after I called, he called back. He was very pleased to
hear about you and you even spoke to him and thanked him for
saving you. He asked how you were walking and you said fine. As
many of the doctors have already told us, he appreciated hearing
from us and getting feedback about success.

We left for our last therapy sessions at the main NRH a little before
10 AM. That was a good thing because the traffic was terrible on
Connecticut Avenue. I had to use an alternate route through Rock
Creek Park. We heard on the radio that a bus had broken down in
the center lane in Chevy Chase. We arrived at NRH on time and
Angelique was surprised to hear we were starting at Montrose next
week. Since we were not fully scheduled at Montrose and she had
already planned for you next week she offered to have us continue at
main NRH. You nicely told her you would prefer Montrose. There is
nothing remarkable to report about your therapy. You cooperated
251
and we said our goodbyes to all. Next Wednesday we go back to see
Dr. McCarthy and get clearance for our trip to Greece.

After leaving NRH we traveled in a not too straight line to the

Reatig townhouse office on 8th street between O and N. Suzanne was
thrilled to see us. We saw Noonie’s art work and had a tour of the
rest of the office. Suzanne has four people working for her. We went
to a near-bye coffee shop to see Noonie who was having coffee with a
friend. We had some coffee and chatted with them. We told Noonie
how great her work was --you liked it.

When we got home you made a beeline to change and I watered the
garden areas. Then I changed and heated the left over pasta and
meatballs from yesterday. We both ate some. Our plan for tonight is
to watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding on one of the local TV channels.
We’ll see if you can make it until 10 PM. You did!!!

Day 213 (Friday, May 13, 2005)—well, today is Friday the 13th but
since Niko was born on the 13th, we don’t find this a bad thing. We
got up at 7:30 and again you did the breakfast bit. You did one of
your homework sheets connecting pictures to the words describing
them. You were flawless.

We exercised, bathed, dressed and departed for Costco and bought

a few things. We had our lunch there. When we returned home, we
called Greece for the second time today. The reason was your
continued confusion over who gave birth to Thano. You kept
involving yourself and the story seemed to go like this: you adopted
Thano from Aunt Helen of Cyprus (who is much too old to give
birth, oh well), you gave the boy to your first cousin Voula since you
could not care for the baby because you had the accident, Voula in
turn gave the baby to Marianna. It was Marianna who answered the
phone and tried to assure you she gave birth to Thano. I’m not sure
you were convinced. At any rate, Marianna told you not to worry as
all will be straightened out after you arrive in Greece.

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We went to the movies at White Flint Mall and you watched the
movie The Interpreter without a fidget. Good for you!! You enjoyed
the flick and the performances by Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman. I
enjoyed the fact that you sat through the whole thing.

Next stop, the food court to get something to drink and we also
shared a snack. We went to the Sports Authority and I bought
exercise pants plus a many pocket jacket for the trip to Greece. We
went to Giants for some baking powder because our refrigerator
does not smell right. Some veggies spoiled. Hopefully, the baking
powder will set things right.

Except for the confabulation described, you were great again today.

Day 214 (Saturday, May 14, 2005)—we did a bunch of different

things today. After the usual bed making, breakfast and cleanup, we
went out for a walk in the park. We walked for 45 minutes and you
were ready for it to be over when we finally finished. There were
many women joggers, in groups, so my guess it was a club. We got
home at 9 AM and quickly showered and dressed.

The next thing we did was meet Suzanne and Noonie at La

Madeleine’s for breakfast. After so many nice things they have done
for you, at least we could take them for a late breakfast. We went in
separate cars because Suzanne wanted to go shopping after we
finished. We went home, I did some desk work and you read. At
about 2 PM we went to the St. Sophia Spring Festival. We snacked
while we were there and bought an electric candela and a CD by
Eleutheri. It was quite warm by mid-afternoon.

When we arrived home, I was going to do the lawn but convinced

myself it did not look bad. This is too bad because the lawn was nice
and dry and not so later. In the early evening we had thunderstorms
and lots of rain that will likely continue into tomorrow. Not good for
mowing and worse for the festival. I checked different locations for
the candela and opted for the bedroom in front of our stefana

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(wedding crowns). We’ll see if the light is bothersome at bedtime.
The bulb is red so it should be OK.

Dino called to tell us he sent us pictures he took on Easter. I already

knew this because I had opened his email with the attached pix. You
spoke at length with Myrna. We also had a call from Niko who
suggested we meet at the festival at noon tomorrow. We transmitted
the message to Connie who will also meet us there.

You did a lot of reading today and watched TV with me until 8 PM.
I wonder how long the satellite will hold the signal given the stormy
weather. You had a good day and I once again thank God.

Day 215 (Sunday, May 15, 2005)—we were planning to go to church

later than usual today since we were going to stay for the entire
service and take communion. We figured the later we stayed in bed,
we would feel less hungry since we were fasting. Well, it did not
work out that way. We got up early and after I read the paper, we
showered and dressed. You wore your long black skirt with a purple
blouse and looked great. We got to church as soon as the Orthos
started and stayed until we received communion.

When we left the church, it had suddenly turned cold. Not good for
the Festival and for us at least eating outside was out. We went
downstairs to the Church meeting room and grabbed a table. It was
cold in there too and I put my jacket around your shoulders. Nick,
Nina, and Connie were to join us. We were hungry so we got some
food while we were waiting. You had manestra (orzo) this time and
included some of my chicken livers. After eating sandwiches, Niko
treated us to many different Greek goodies. The baklava was really
very, very good. We took a tour around the tent area. Niko bought
each of you ladies a little cross with a greenish-blue stone. He felt
good at being a sport at $4 each, he said. Before leaving, I gave Niko
a DVD with two additional news segments (one CBS and one NBC)
for him update his DVD production tying together all the broadcasts
and pictures plus adding music where he included individual
pictures. We’ll take a completed version to Greece with us.
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Upon departure from church, we went to the commissary/exchange
area and gassed up and, as usual, bought a few things from the
commissary. At home you put on your robe and went into Maria’s
Room to read. After putting away things, I finished the paper, put it
outside for Tonya, changed clothes and joined you. We read for
awhile and both nodded off. When we awakened we read more,
called Dini and Aunt Mary. Tonya came and stayed for about half
an hour. She recently returned from a Caribbean trip.

All-in-all, it was a good day for you and thus for me.

Day 216 (Monday, May 16, 2005)—we waited for the Sears repair
tech and for a writer from Johns Hopkins, Ramsey Flynn. Mr.
Flynn arrived at the promised time and was a very interesting
person. He wanted to interview us for The Patriot, the quarterly
newsletter of the Uniformed Services Family Health Plan. He was
very personable and, in fact, had suffered some brain injury himself
following a heart procedure thus he was very understanding. You
liked him. The sour note was when the Sears guy Andreas came
while Ramsey was here. He arrived at 10:30 which was a good thing
but pronounced our food disposal dead and beyond resuscitation. Of
course, he did not have a new unit in his truck. To say that I was
furious over the ineptness of Sears is an understatement made more
so by the inept responses from their customer service. The end
result was the requirement to pick up a replacement unit from the
store that hopefully will be installed on Friday. I must admit to
really unloading my feelings to one of the store’s Assistant
Managers. Her name is Dipti and she looks about 16 years old.

While at Monty Mall we did our Chinese lunch bit. We really enjoy
the food from the Panda. Are we gourmet food experts or what? I
guess the answer is “or what” given that sharing one meal led us to
sharing still another. This was followed by you know what. I asked if
you wanted something else and you gave me the little “I’d like a
banana split” smile. So we got one of those too.

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We returned home and had a call from Michelle the contractor
person. She plans to come on Thursday AM. You changed into
something more comfortable and read. I changed into outdoor work
clothes and trimmed and then mowed the lawn. It seemed as if it
took forever. After I showered, I did some reading too. Pauline
called and then came to chat with you. You had a very nice
conversation with her. I tuned in and out since I was reading my
book in the same room—Maria’s Room.

When she departed, we went downstairs and watched TV. We

watched the final show of Everybody Loves Raymond. This show
concluded 9 years of some pretty funny stuff. Another good day!

Day 217 (Tuesday, May 17, 2005)—today you and I conclude 31

weeks since your accident and we continue your journey towards
wellness. You went for your first therapy at Montrose. Sarah was
your fill in SLP (Jan will be your regular) and she was familiar with
you from the main NRH. She said that you did well.

At home we had lunch. You had chicken with cheese and vegetables.
I had shrimp scampi and shared some with you. Sounds impressive,
right? Well, of course, these were frozen things cooked in the
microwave. They were not bad. Our evening snack consisted of a
cheese sandwich. I put olive oil on the Ciabatta toasted bread. It
really was pretty good.

Our big occasion of the day was when we met with the State’s
Attorney for Montgomery County. It was pretty impressive that
Douglas F. Gansler and Stephen H. Chaikin, Assistant State’s
Attorney took the time to meet with us to discuss MD traffic law and
more specifically the law relating to your situation. They both voiced
frustration with MD traffic law and mentioned that motorists who
kill people get little in the way of punishment unless drunk or they
purposefully try to run someone down i.e., intend to murder them.
Even negligent drivers get little in the way of punishment. Thus, in
your case, there was nothing they could do to ensure that Purcell
had to appear before a judge. They did point out that his paying the
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$55 ticket was an admission of fault and thus admissible in civil
proceedings. Mr. Gansler advised that he does work with the MD
legislature but has not been able to rationalize the system.
Apparently, there is little incentive to do so as the lawyers who are
part of the legislature are predominately defense lawyers. Mr.
Gansler is head of the State Attorneys’ Association Legislative
Committee. They asked that I continue my interest in promoting
better legislation and that I contact them in the early fall and get
updated on proposed bills. They suggested that I testify if called
upon. We were there about twenty minutes and both were very
polite and supportive but, of course, had no quick fixes to a problem
that has plagued Maryland for years. Montgomery County in
particular has a terrible record of traffic fatalities and injuries.

On the way home we stopped at For Eyes and ordered a pair of

back-up reading glasses for you should something happen to your
principal glasses. I had them check your reading glasses and they
said they were off 10 degrees. Since you are reading a lot, I didn’t
want a glasses problem to interfere. We went back to Wood Optical
to verify your prescription and they said your reading glasses were
fine. They suggested that whoever evaluated them did not place
them in the reader properly. Who to believe and to trust?

Another good day!!

Day 218(Wednesday, May 18, 2005)—we got up bright and early

and you did the breakfast honors. We prepared to go to NRH for PT
when we received a call at 7:30 AM that your PT person was out
sick. You were pleased because you did not want to go anyway.

In the morning, I sent an email to Detective Ratnofsky telling him

about our meeting with Gansler. Ratnofsky is the detective who
investigated your accident. I asked him to give me input relative to
changes he thinks are necessary in MD traffic law and to direct me
to sites where I can get stats on traffic accidents.

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We went to BAI and I did about 3 hours work reviewing and
clearing out training files. You were very good and spent time with
the recruiting ladies of BAI, one of whom is Connie. When we left
BAI, we went to NRH where we had lunch (it was not very good).
We saw Tom, the Greek-American guy who had a projector screen
fall on his head that caused him brain damage. He encouraged you
to keep up your therapy to get well faster. He was pleased we were
going to Greece. We signed in early to see Dr. McCarthy. Our
appointment was for 3 PM but he managed to see us about an hour
before our appointment—amazing for a doctors office. He said that
going to Greece would contribute to your rehab but that you should
fly at least business class so you have room given the injuries you
sustained. You should also wear pressure stockings during the
flight. He will write a letter recommending the travel.

We went home and both read a little. We then went to Ambrosia for
dinner. We shared a chicken liver dinner and a taramosalata. It was
more then plenty for the two of us. When we returned home, we had
a call on the answering machine from the garbage disposal installers
and, of course, they want to come tomorrow when we have a
doctor’s appointments. Sears is really screwed up. We had already
discussed when they needed to come because of you medical needs. I
left a message on the installer’s answering machine telling them
when we are available. We’ll see tomorrow if they get the message.
Earlier, I left a message on Ms. Lotti’s answering machine. She is
with Alitalia.

Day 219 (Thursday, May 19, 2005)—we started the day as usual but
then went into a series of phone calls. First was to the A-1 installers
to tell them this afternoon is no good for them to come. Very little
sympathy from them and it did not appear that Sears tried to give
them an acceptable time based on our discussions. A-1 will come
tomorrow, sometime after 10 AM. I wrote an email to Sears
Customer Service and told them of my displeasure with their entire
system. The next call was to Dr. McCarthy’s office to remind him of
the letter for our trip to Greece. I called Lotti again and again got
her answering machine. She did call back later and you took the
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call. She is working on getting a fair reduction. I called Tibti of
Sears again and told her how screwed up her people and system
was. She promised to follow up this time. You know, I think two
separate entities are coming tomorrow. I am not going to try and
straighten this out because if I do, no one will come. Whoever comes
first can do the installation.

Michelle came promptly to start hanging the wall paper. Maybe this
job will get done. What a pain there too. She left at 12:30 and we
went to our health center in Shady Grove to see Dr. Lee. We met the
people from the USFHP “Patriot” they were nice and wanted to
have a picture of us with Dr. Lee but he refused. We went in for our
appointment and we were delayed so I went out to tell the Patriot
people but they had already left. I think they were disturbed that
Dr. Lee would not cooperate.

Dr. Lee adjusted our meds—he changed two for me and yours
remained the same. He checked your scalp and he recommended T-
Gel as the shampoo to use. He also examined a mole you had and
excised it and sewed the cut with five stitches. My PSA was high so
he sent me to get another blood test. Following that, we went to eat a
Phillips. We both really enjoyed the meal, as usual.

Michelle called and decided to come to work on the bathroom. She

finished that and planned to return tomorrow to wallpaper the
exterior walls of the shower.

Pauline came to visit. She brought us bagels, cream cheese and

Triscuits. It was another good day.

Day 220 (Friday, May 20, 2005)— it is raining today and we must go
out for PT early. Before we left, you wanted your hair washed so we
used the kitchen sink to do that. You were not thrilled to go out in
the rain but you were a good trooper. Our first stop was CVS and
we got the shampoo and an antibacterial cream to use when I
changed your dressing where Dr. Lee excised the mole.

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We arrived at Montrose with time to spare for the 8:30
appointment. But Ann (the PT) didn’t come to get you until 8:50. I
voiced my displeasure. I cautioned her about the incision you have.
We got home at 9:45 and Michelle arrived at 10:30. She told me that
Brian said for me to schedule the floor. Sears called and said their
tech could not come and would I like to reschedule. I told them to
convey to management that they stink. I then checked with A-1
installers and they still have us on the schedule.

A-1 arrived at noon and within 20 minutes they had everything

hooked up. The new one seems quieter than the one they removed.
Let’s hope it will work for the entire warranty period. I really do
not want to deal with Sears again. Upon departure of the installers, I
made us lunch—a cheese sandwich. I used both olive oil and mayo
on the Ciabatta bread. I added thinly sliced Vidalia onion and
tomato on the toasted bread. It was very tasty.

Finally, Michelle finished her work. All the wallpaper is done. Now
somebody from the construction company must come to add the
shoe molding and then Abbey comes on 30 May to install the vinyl
flooring. It will be nice when this is finished. Actually, this will be
great!!! It has been a stressful time.

When Michelle departed, I convinced you to go with me to Rite Aide

to get our meds. Maybe convinced is not the right word, enticed is
better. I promised to get you some dessert. The weather was still bad
but we survived. Our next location was Monty Mall and the
inevitable banana split. We enjoyed the split, took a walk, went
home, changed to relaxation wear and read our respective books. I
also changed your dressing without a problem. The only down-side
of the day was your desire to go to bed at 7 PM. We did have a little
excitement, I armed the alarm and then promptly opened the side
door to put our the recycling out. The alarm really is noisy. Within a
minute or so, the alarm company’s Central Station called to see if
we were OK. I did throw out the stuff. I was pleased at the
responsiveness of the Central Station.

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Day 221 (Saturday, May 21, 2005)—we went for a walk at Wheaton
Mall for exercise today. We did two full circles, one on each floor
and checked for new store openings. Macy’s is not open yet but
seems imminent. Also, many of the smaller stores seem on the verge.
We did our Target drink thing and then went to the commissary
where we bought some food for lunch. It is a beautiful day today
with sunshine and mild temperatures.

I grilled the Angus Beef loin on the grill, but you did not like it much
—you said it was tough. We had a little tiff while you were making
the salad. You dropped some of the hot red pepper sauce (for
hoagies) and when I asked you to pick it up you refused. I
mentioned that you bend better than I do and you still refused. I got
angry and so did you. You marched off into Maria’s Room. By the
way, you put the whole jar of red peppers into the salad and it really
was hot stuff. I convinced you to come and eat but you did not enjoy
it as I mentioned. I didn’t much like the salad either given it was
awash in red peppers.

Just when we finished eating and while I was cleaning up Tonya

came and chatted for a bit. She was on her way to the library and I
said we were going too. I finished the clean up and away the three of
us went. We returned two books you had and got three more for you
and I got a few too. Our next stop was to the Navy Exchange. On the
way, we apologized to each other for the lunchtime exchange and
accepted each other’s apology. At the Navy, you got some lipstick
and I bought some miscellaneous stuff.

Day 222 (Sunday, May 22, 2005)—we went to the early church
service. We left the house later than usual (I got absorbed reading
the paper) but we still arrived on time. We kissed the bible and
Father Steve greeted you as koukla (doll). Chris gave us Holy bread
and we left shortly after Father John censed the church. We weren’t
sure if anyone was coming today. We called Connie and they are at
a wedding shower. We called Niko, got his voice mail, left a message
and got no response. After returning from Church, I used the
trimmer here and there, picked up twigs and used grass killer on the
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driveway. You were reading and I joined after I finished. At 1 PM
we went out to eat lunch.

We went to Ambrosia and they changed their hours again. They are
no longer open on Sunday. We then exercised our fall back position
and ate Chinese at Monty Mall. Next stop was the Navy exchange
where you bought a couple of lipsticks. We also went to McDonalds
on the base, bought two hot fudge Sundays, took them home and
added strawberries and Cool Whip. Not bad!

We called Dino and after I chatted with him, you spoke to Myrna.
Earlier in the day, Dini called and you spoke with her.

Day 223 (Monday, May 23, 2005)—well the construction work is

done. Boy, those people are something else and it is not flattering.
Now all we need is for the flooring to be installed and that is planned
for next Monday. They have not asked for more money for the light
or the sink trap they installed in the bathroom. They also stripped
the old paint away from the inside of the wash tub at no cost. Given
their performance, I am not going to volunteer to make any other
payment to them. They charged the insurance company $3000 and
change for the work they did.

Sears once again showed their ineptness. UPS delivered a second

garbage disposal. I called Dipti the Monty Mall Sears Assistant
Manager and she said bring it in when I want to. She thanked me
for being honest. I suggested they needed to get their act together.

You did a lot of reading today, a good thing. We also did some
homework together. You did very well with making change and
completing sentences. You are doing better and better.

I called our lawyer, David lease, and he has not heard from the
Army. The county denies responsibility for you accident
notwithstanding their poor maintenance of the intersection. I called
the Fort Meade JAG action person on our case and asked the status
of the case. She seems very nice (Lease said she always seemed nice)
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but not on the ball. She promised to call me back tomorrow. We’ll
see! I also called Karen at Analex to find out about my check. She
has no record of my voucher—she will check.

We went to Ambrosia for a late lunch/early dinner after the

construction guy finished. You had egg-lemon soup, Greek-style
green beans, and some of my chicken livers. We also shared a
tarmosalata. It really was an all you can eat thing—we left some
tarama and I even gave up eating all the livers.

We picked up your new reading glasses from “For Eyes.” We then

went to Staples and got Nina a gift certificate for her college
graduation as a full-fledged teacher. We then bought a graduation
card and a few other things. At home, I changed your bandage and
you and I both changed into our evening wear.

Day 224 (Tuesday, May 24, 2005)—another week over from the time
of your accident—week 32 to be exact. What an adventure I hope we
never replicate that day in any form again. You are doing better and
better but still are not back to where you were. For example, today
we decided to do some housework. You undertook the vacuuming.
Instead of using the Oreck upright, you used their smaller canister
model. When I came up from putting in the wash and doing some
desk work, you were on the couch understandably tired. I showed
you where the upright was and you resumed work and completed
vacuuming the entire floor. Earlier, you had stripped the bed and
the pillow cases so I could put them in the wash. Later and together,
we put the sheets and pillow cases back on. So, my love, today was a
very productive day in terms of making our home look better.

Lunch was not great. We had frozen dinners—I had meatloaf and
you had Chicken Alfredo. They both were far from being good. I did
the selection and micro waved them.

We both did some reading in Maria’s Room and you even sneaked
in a nap. It has been raining a lot today and it is only 55 degrees
outside. It is a good day for reading and napping but we also did
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some commissary shopping. I did manage to make an appointment
for you for SLP therapy at 4:30 at Montrose. Sheree Gordon, the
USFHP case worker, called me back. She is not certain if our
insurance covers vision therapy with a neuro-ophthalmologist. She
will check and get back with us.

I called Karen and apparently my voucher was misplaced. But, since

Andrea scans them, they will get a copy and cut me a check this
week. We then left for White Flint Mall for a walk. We did two full
circles of the mall and then sat and listened to a choral group of
youngsters. They sang without music and were pretty good. Then it
was time for your speech therapy with Jan. You did well with her
and seemed to enjoy it. We went to Trader Joe’s and another bread
place looking for Ciabatta bread to no avail.

At home, we changed into evening wear, had our dinner (well, not
really, we ate peach pie with ice cream and cool whip). We read,
watched some TV and you were off to bed at 8 PM.

Day 225 (Wednesday, May 25, 2005)—as usual, we got up bright

and early and did the usual things to start the day. We called your
sister and you had a nice chat with her and with Marianna. She has
quit her job because Thano is very active and needs much
supervision now. You also initiated doing your SLP homework that
Jan gave you yesterday. You did very well.

We left home for the therapy sessions via CVS. We got to the
Montrose location about 15 minutes early. The therapist Ann took
you for PT and you seemed to enjoy it today. Later Jessica started
your OT evaluation. She did not quite finish because we had to leave
a few minutes early for BAI and Palmer’s farewell lunch.

We made good time getting to BAI. Everyone was pleased to see

you. In fact, Palmer in his going away talk spoke about you as his
hero and of me as his mentor. Very nice words! We overate—too
much good food and a variety. Gracie once again did the catering
but many others brought food too. Gracie is the lady who sponsored
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a mass at her Catholic church for you. Connie was there and she
supplied one of those fabulous caramel-apple pies from COSTCO.
As I wrote, we overate—especially desert.

Since we were close to Andrews AFB, we went there to the PX. On

the way, you commented that you had no money. I responded that
you had me. You said, Oh yes, your money is our money and my
money is my money: Only kidding! Of course, the great thing about
this cliché is that you remembered it. You bought a pair of shorts
and a couple of other items.

Once at home, you puttered to prepare for our guests scheduled for
7 PM. It was only three but you wanted to be prepared. You kept
asking when I was going to make the coffee. We retired to Maria's
Room and read—well, I sneaked in a little nap too.

Our guests, Jim Blaker and his wife Heidi, came right on time with
six beautiful roses for you. You were the perfect hostess. You used
the tray we took out earlier to bring them coffee and cake to Maria’s
Room. You added strawberries to their dish around the cake and it
looked (and tasted) very good with the store-bought carrot cake we
had. They hadn’t seen you for about 5 weeks and thought you had
improved immensely. I agree. They stayed until 8:30 and we had a
pleasant time. Upon their departure, you went to the bedroom and
decided it was time for you to go to bed. You did.

Day 226 (Thursday, May 26, 2005)—the weather today was OK.
You did a lot of reading in the AM because a colleague of mine
(Jack Emanuelson) came to prepare for a class that he is giving for
me at JCITA. After he left, we did too for your therapy at Montrose.
You had Jan, the SLP, and worked on reading and writing. The big
emphasis was on looking left. You still have a problem with left
neglect. You did not enjoy your therapy today and later in the
afternoon, you told me that you were depressed and that your
recovery was too slow. I assured you that all was on track. You felt
that Jan was PMS-ee and Jan said that she hoped she didn’t nag you

265
too much about the look left bit—I guess she did in your eyes, hence
the PMS comment. Jan gave you a bunch of homework to do.

When we left therapy, we went to Ambrosia for a late lunch/early

dinner. You said you did not enjoy it too much. Perhaps we are
going there too often. With lunch/dinner out of the way we went
home and I mowed the lawn. It seemed like an endless job and it did
make me tired. When I came in for a shower, I noticed that you had
prepared the bed for sleep and you were in your nightgown and
robe—it was only 4 PM. You were proposing we go to bed. Needless
to say, I resisted. I convinced you to read more and then we watched
some TV together. The travel channel had a segment on London.
You enjoyed the piece since you lived there a year and recognized
many of the places. The next segment was about Florence, Italy, it
was very interesting too.

Day 227 (Friday, May 27, 2005)—I got up early and read because I
couldn’t sleep. You got up later and made the bed on your own. You
came into the living room, were certainly pleased to see me with
greetings that included many kisses. You once again made breakfast
for us and washed the dishes. Following that, you were interested in
doing therapy homework and you did that very well. Everyday and
a little more improvement! You are a sweetheart.

Just prior to going to the Montgomery Grove Health Center, we

went to Home Depot which is in the same area to look for a few
things. We did not get anything but I got some ideas about covering
the deck with some composite material to reduce cleaning efforts. At
the health center, the nurse removed the five stitches from the spot
where Dr. Lee removed your mole. Good news! It was benign. I also
got good news today. My PSA was the lowest it has ever been for
many, many years now.

We went to Philips and each had a shrimp sandwich with a grilled

veggie skewer and a grilled shrimp skewer. It was very good and
you enjoyed it. From there, you wanted a bagel for desert and we
went to Paneros. I also learned how to spell Ciabatta as in Ciabatta
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bread. From there it was home and you went on the couch in
Maria’s Room while I grilled the steak we bought a few days ago—I
was concerned it might spoil if I left it another day in the fridge. The
bad news about your temporary repose on the couch was that you
sat on a pair of your reading glasses (at least they were the cheaper
ones). Since the bottoms of the lenses were rimless, you broke the
nylon cord holding the bottom in place of one lens. Not a good thing.
I could not fix them.

We went to Montrose for your therapy and I signed you in for OT

and then went to “For Eyes” for repair of your glasses. No problem,
they were fixed in minutes. I was concerned they would have to send
them somewhere. When I returned to Montrose, you were with the
OT therapist evaluating you and the therapist who will conduct
your therapy on a regular basis. Her name is Melissa.

Our next stop was Montgomery Mall. We went to the movies and
saw Kicking and Screaming with Will Ferrell. It is a comedy about a
guy that has issues with his father played by Robert Duvall. If I
remember correctly, Duvall also played in the Great Santini and this
role was similar but revolved around a kids’ soccer team. The flick
will not get any Oscars but it was pleasant and you enjoyed it. The
Great Santini relevancy reminded me that Niko gave me a CD of
that movie. I guess he was telling me something.

Following the movie, we went to Sears and like the good people we
are, returned the two, yes two, extra garbage disposals they sent to
us for replacement of the one that broke. If Sears displays such
ineptness on a regular basis, they will go bankrupt. Dipti, an
Assistant Manager gave me a handwritten receipt.

Our day was not over. Niko called me earlier and he and Nina asked
to take us out to dinner at the Athena Plaka located in Bethesda. We
arrived there at the same time and enjoyed the good weather by
sitting at an outside table. Niko did the ordering (paid too) and we
enjoyed many orechtika (appetizers). We gave Nina a
congratulations card with gift certificate to Staples in recognition of
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her being graduated as a teacher. She even has a job offer to teach
first grade in Montgomery County. Niko completed your “hero”
DVDs and we got those from him too.

You were fabulous all day today.

Day 228 (Saturday, May 28, 2005)—this was another good day. We
did some small jobs here and there and some shopping too. The only
downside was that you insisted on going to bed at 6:30 PM after you
had a visit with Suzanne and Noonie. They called and you went by
yourself to their house. I told you not to lock the door but you
misunderstood so when you came back you knocked but I did not
hear you since I was downstairs. Suzanne called on the phone and I
went upstairs and opened the door for you.

In the morning, we took a walk in the park together. It was a

beautiful day and we had a nice stroll. You did very well even
though you had lousy shoes on your feet. You were wondering what
happened to your good shoes. You thought a bit and then you asked
what happened to the shoes you were wearing when you had the
accident. That was a good question because those were the shoes you
usually used for walking. They and all your clothes that day were
disposed of by Niko. He told me there was blood on them and they
were torn. I certainly did not want to see them.

After we arrived home, bathed, et cetera, we went to the Navy

Exchange and got you a nice pair of Adidas. So, next time we go
walking you’ll have the appropriate shoes. I did buy you two pairs
of walking shoes while you were at NRH but for some reason, you
do not like them--maybe because you used them while at NRH.

Tonya came in the afternoon and chatted with you. She also watered
the tomato plants she planted in our garden. She then went to the
library and took back some books for us too.

Day 229 (Sunday, May 29, 2005)—we got up about 6:30 and I gave
you your Fosamax med that requires you to not bend over or eat for
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½ hour. Hopefully it will help increase your bone density. I retrieved
the Sunday paper and began the usual Sunday morning newspaper
reading ritual. I prepared the breakfast today—a slice of raison
bread. After the bathing bit, we went to church and then to Vicki’s
condo in DC. We took her for coffee and later for lunch. I like it
when you have a chance to interact with others as I think it helps
with your rehab. Your memory is getting better but you still do not
show much initiative in doing things around the house. You do when
I ask or with me but don’t initiate much. We do need to use your
checklist more as a reminder of what needs doing around the house.
My fault that we don’t check it the way we should.

When we came home, we snoozed and read some. You went to bed
about 7:30 and Dini called shortly after. I spoke to her and then
brought the phone to you in bed. You had a long chat with her. She
told us the sad news that their dog Zoe died and that Maia found
her. Poor Maia was traumatized and is planning the memorial
service while vacationing with the whole family (less us) at Boyd’s,
this summer. Zoe is to be cremated by the vet.

By the way, you did take the initiative to prepare the bed for sleep
and to prepare yourself for sleep too.

Day 230 (Monday, May 30, 2005)—hip, hip, hooray!! The work in
the utility room is done. The new floor is in and looks very good.
The installer was very good and even did some extra stuff along the
cinderblock wall to hide some bad areas. He didn’t want anything
for the job but I tried to give him $40 and he said no. Finally, he
took $20. This is in stark contrast to the other contractors who I just
noticed did not complete painting a small section behind the door.
My fault, I should have checked.

The vinyl floor installers arrived at about 10:30 AM and finished at

5 PM. Tomorrow, we’ll have to put stuff back into the rooms and
do some vacuuming. You did a lot of excellent homework and we
did some reading throughout the day. We ate leftover Chinese to
which I added some fried egg. After the installers left, we went to
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Monty Mall for a banana split dinner and a walk. Before we left we
put in a load of wash and when we returned dried them. You
prepared for sleep and folded and put your clothes away.

Day 231 (Tuesday, May 31, 2005)—thirty-three weeks since the

accident! Time continues to march on and you continue to improve.
I called the therapy place and we managed to catch a cancellation
with Jan the SLP for 10 AM. I also called the USAA insurance
person and repeated how bad their contractor did the construction
and I also reported how great Abbey was in putting in the new floor.
I also called Abbey and told them the same thing and how good
Nahm was in doing the job. Once again, I called Alitalia and left a
message but we received no reply by close-of-business.

After eating the breakfast you made for us, we went downstairs. I
got the vacuum cleaner and you did the vacuuming after we both
returned things into the utility room. I did some scrubbing in the
bathroom and the shower. Everything looks spic-and-span and neat
too. It is a pleasure to look at the place.

We left for therapy via the Post Office and Hardware City. I bought
a little yellow paint and edging stuff to fix some areas in our
bathroom. Later, I used the paint and it seems to be doing the job at
the base of our shower. There are some other projects I am
planning. Note that I am not saying what they are until I do them
and write about them later when done and successful.

Jan said you did very, very well. Your focus and concentration
continues to improve. Tomorrow morning we have more homework
to do. I also managed to make another appointment with Jan on
Thursday. When they revised the schedule, we missed out on any
SLP this week. By the way, according to the Army, expenses related
to the accident as of 5 May now exceed $444,000. Wow!!!

After therapy, off to Target to buy the advertised seamless bras.

Later you tried one but you are still troubled on the right side. This
was your most banged up side and I guess it still will take time to
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heal. When we arrived home, you put a salad together while I
cooked sausage. Salad and sausage was our lunch/dinner. You did a
good job with the salad.

We read a bit and later went for a walk at Wheaton Mall. Macy is
now open there as are many of the other stores. We got our usual
drink at Target and then went home.

Day 232 (Wednesday, June 01, 2005)—you made the comment that
a lot of time has passed since your accident but that you are still not
completely well. Of course, I told you that you have come a long,
long way and are improving every day. I reminded you that the
doctor said it could take up to two years before you are truly where
you were BA (before accident).

After you did the breakfast bit for us, we did some of your
homework and I would rate you at only OK doing the tasks. You
have done better. You had some focus and inattention problems.
But, you did “check left” pretty well. Following the homework, we
bathed, dressed etc. I then asked you to get ready for therapy and
you gave me a very hard time until I made clear that I was stressed
enough without you not cooperating. You immediately got up and
prepared to leave. Thank you.

You did well at therapy today. They had you do several things with
playing cards. One of the tasks was to find the cards they taped to
various locations in a room. Melissa said your scanning and
awareness techniques were very good. The PT gal said you had very
good balance and you used their upper body bicycle-type machine.
Following therapy, we went to Target to return the bras we bought
yesterday. You are still not comfortable wearing a bra. When we
returned home, you made yourself some salad and I made fried eggs
for myself—you did not want any.

The big news of the day is that Alitalia will give us discounted
business class tickets. This should save us about $2000. Ms Lotti will

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send us “e-tickets” and then I’ll arrange for the seats and for a
wheel chair to meet us in Milan.

I sent our lawyer an email to help him fill out the form necessary for
a claim negotiation. I scanned the NRH discharge summary and
emailed him that too. Now that I have the Army moving, I hope to
get him moving. I also did a little (very little) painting and even
some spackling.

It is afternoon now and we are waiting for Joe and Connie. Joe will
take me to Palmer’s retirement party and Connie was kind enough
to come stay with you. I left our credit card so you guys can go to
Ambrosia for dinner. A good thing was that you checked the pouch
I had the house key in to make sure it was there. It was and good for
you for checking. You never know and checking is good.

Joe and Connie arrived promptly. I helped download pictures from

her camera to my computer that Connie took at the wedding she
went to in Chicago. Her computers were not working right and she
wanted to put the pictures she took onto two CDs. Joe and I left and
you and Connie went to Ambrosia for dinner. You and she had egg-
lemon soup and vegetable stew. When I arrived home, you were
both sitting in Maria’s Room. You seemed to have a good time with
each other. I cautioned you that you should not go to bed right after
you came back from Ambrosia. You told me not to worry because
you had “couth” and would not leave Connie alone. However, you
had changed into your nightgown and robe.

Day 233 (Thursday, June 02, 2005)—we did the usual morning bit
and then I pushed you to do some recumbent bike. You did about 45
minutes worth while I kneeled and reached to spackle many, many
of the areas missed by the lousy construction guys. It looks much
better now and I’ll touch up with some paint soon. My poor knees
hurt and you said your legs were jelly. But, truth be told, you made
no such complaints during the day. We finished your homework
assignment and you did much better.

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We went to the Navy exchange and bought some presents for Niko
and Will—birthday or Christmas. We looked for a special cuticle
scissor you wanted but no luck. Our next stop was Monty Mall and
we did more cuticle scissor shopping and you saw a shirt you wanted
at Sears. We met Harry and Mary Anna at the food court, ate
Chinese and chatted for almost two hours. On our way to speech
therapy, we stopped at CVS and they had the cuticle scissors you
wanted (latter, at home, you found another pair, the ones you were
looking for). Jan said you did terrific at therapy.

We got our E-tickets from Alitalia. So, everything is set. Good old
Discover Card called to verify the charge. That certainly makes me
feel comfortable security-wise. I called Alitalia for seat assignments
and to ensure you got a wheelchair especially in Milan. If they don’t
leave very late from Dulles (as they did last year) we should have no
problem changing planes in Italy. But the distance is far between
terminals and it’s much better for you to ride.

At home, you read some, spoke to Barbara (from Ocean Pines) and
Mrs. Lackey in Florida. You really did not remember that Mr.
Lackey died some years ago but I reminded you before you spoke to
her and thus you did not mention him. Her friend Jack who we met
when we visited, however, is very ill and she told us he is not
expected to live. She also told us that she will be going to Greece on
a cruise with a group from her church in November.

Day 234 (Friday, June 03, 2005)—well, you really upset me big time
today. Again, you gave me a hard time about going to therapy. I
really can’t explain how much that upsets me. It literally upsets my
stomach and gives me heart palpitations. After much discussion and
a call to Dini, I think we are going there and then to Lewis,
Delaware, as planned. I guess when you say you’re not going to
therapy, I should say OK and then just get you into the car and
surprise, surprise take you there anyway. I wonder if that will work.
My stomach is still in pain. Well, you did go to therapy and for the
first time you took a purse. You were OK with PT but not so with
OT. Melissa said you were agitated and thus you only spent ½ hour
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with her. Oh, well, we had to go back to the house anyway because
we forgot to take our Crucifix for our evening prayer.

The weather right now is NOT great. It is raining and only 62

degrees. Perhaps tomorrow will be better. I am not taking the
computer so I’ll make notes and catch up later. We arrived at Lewes
at 2:30 PM. We did not eat lunch on the way as we planned because
we stopped at WaWa, had our 24 oz. coffee and a bear claw. I guess
that filled us. Dino and Myrna were very happy to see us. I gave
Dino my old lap top and spent time setting up his Juno internet
connection. I even checked my email. You chatted with Myrna. For
dinner we had lasagna and you really enjoyed it. You went to bed at
8 PM. I guess you felt you did not need to use “couth” when with me
around. D + M bought a brand new queen-size bed. We brought two
of our pillows but you had Myrna take away the pillows she had
there and thus I ended up pillow deprived. The bed was comfortable
but we were not used to the different environment and we did not
sleep too well. By the way, you insisted on sleeping on my left side
instead of my right where you usually are and that my have
contributed to our unease.

Day 235 (Saturday, June 04, 2005)—we got up at our usual 7 AM

and so did Myrna. Dino got up early as well. He usually sleeps late
but he did want to display some couth. We had a nice breakfast of
pancakes and bacon and then showered and such. Following that,
we went to a book store in search of big print books for you to read
in Greece. Of course, we also plan to take some homework with us.

Since I am not losing and in fact have gained weight, it was time to
buy some new jeans for me. I have an excuse for the weight gain,
namely stress. I guess I am still stressed. No—I know that I am still
stressed. We bought three pairs of jeans for me and you need to
shorten two pairs of them. This will be a good project for you. I
bought a couple of little storage bags to put our vitamins and such
in. Later at D and M, we had a sandwich and then went out to the
movies. We saw Miss Congeniality II. You had a good time laughing
and commented laughing was good for your health.
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Shortly after we returned to the house, Vicki and Connie arrived.
You were very pleased to see them. You clearly love and like them
because of all the affection and support they have shown to you. The
bunch of us went to the Mexican restaurant we like—Toltec.

Day 236 (Sunday, June 05, 2005)—up and showered at the usual
time, we got ready for church and so did D and M. The girls stayed
in bed and later went to the beach. We arrived at the church, St.
George, in Ocean City at 10:15. The traffic was light.

The liturgy ended about noon and when we went for holy bread,
Father Vaslios recognized you and gave you two big kisses on the
cheek and said how well you looked. We joined the parishioners for
coffee and sweets. They were very cordial and someone even
recognized you from the People magazine article.

The girls arrived from the beach shortly after we did. Since we
decided to leave today instead of tomorrow, we caused a move-up in
eating plans. You wanted to leave and get back to your bed. You
also have mentioned a couple of times that you fear the trip to
Greece. I hope that will not become a problem. Hopefully, flying
business class—Magnifica Class--will make the trip tolerable.

Dino grilled hot dogs, hamburgers and kielbasa while Myrna made
salad, hamburger fixings and corn. You wanted Myrna’s lasagna.
You ate a very big piece, corn, and salad. You really ate very well
indeed. I was surprised that when we got home, you even ate a
banana with left over strawberries.

We arrived home at 6:40 PM. Dino was worried we would hit

NASCAR traffic since there was a race in Dover. We did not. The
traffic was a breeze.

Day 237 (Monday, June 06, 2005)—well, today you once again
brought tears to my eyes. I had told you that this coming weekend
we would go to Vicki’s place for a manicure and a pedicure the way
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we did several weeks ago. You seemed to like the pampering at the
time but today, you decided to do your fingernails and toenails
yourself and did not do a very good job. Why did I cry? Because you
always did you own nails beautifully and now, not so well. It made
me sad. You also did your toenails—again, not well. Where was I
while all this was going on? I was doing trimming outside.

You actually were proud of the way you did your nails and I really
did not know what to say. I suggested that you remove your nail
polish which you did. I guess I should be more encouraging because
it did show initiative on your part.

You took a shower with very, very little supervision from me. You
have been selecting your daily clothes for sometime now. After the
shower, I went out and mowed the lawn. I was pooped by the time I
came in but still took the time to do some painting where the lovely
(bah) contractors missed. I also put in some wash and you began
working on shortening my jeans. I wish us luck with this activity.
(Later this afternoon: Yea, you did a great job on the jeans.)

After breakfast and before all of the above, you did some
homework. You are getting better. It is hard for me to determine
when you do have problems with the work how much of it is due to
your brain injury and how much is due to the fact you never learned
this type of stuff when you learned English. For example, you really
never learned how to spell in English BA (before accident) so why
should we expect you to do so now? Your failure to start at the
extreme left when reading is part of the injury as is your occasional
skipping of words or your not reading the whole word and guessing
what it is. When I push you to read the word again, you do it
properly. Well, we must keep working, it does help, I am convinced.

Vicki called and said she is not coming with Connie this evening.
Last night after she returned home, she went to turn on her ceiling
fan and the globe around her light came loose and hit her on the
head. She has a bump, no cuts, and had a headache that was cured
with Advil. She had no dizziness and was at work when she called. I
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cautioned that if she had any headache tomorrow that she should go
get checked by a doctor.

Pauline came over to chat. She also brought you some bagels. She
stayed for about an hour while you were sewing my pants. Connie
arrived and we left for Ambrosia for dinner and then to make a
recon of your therapy location since she will be taking you there
tomorrow. We followed this up with a trip to Kinkos where Connie
went to get her credit card that she accidentally left a couple of days
ago when she mailed the wedding picture CDs to her friend. She was
the photographer at the friend’s wedding. Our next stop was Rite
Aid for our meds. Connie left when we arrived home and you went
to bed. There is lots of thunder—a big storm and we lost our
satellite signal. That’s ok, I went to Maria’s Room and read.

Day 238 (Tuesday, June 07, 2005)—week 34 since your accident. Oh,
my! You are improving everyday. Your memory is improving and
so are your actions in caring for yourself. We still have a way to go
but you are taking positive steps on the journey to wellness.

This was one of my teaching days at the Missile Defense Agency

(MDA) located in Virginia about 20 miles from here. Connie came
to stay with you. I got up at around 5:10 AM, showered, etc. When I
asked you to get up to shower, you did so readily. You were very
cooperative. You dressed, I made the bed and toasted a bagel for
you. You ate the bagel and then waited for Connie to come. I left
before she arrived as I had confidence you could remain by yourself
for a little while, at least. I feel certain you’ll be OK by yourself all-
day when we return from Greece.

We decided to meet at Le Madeline’s. You guys arrived early

because Jan took you earlier for therapy. Connie said you did great
together. Other than just enjoying each other’s company, you did
the remainder of your homework, you dusted and you ironed your
shirts and mine. You did a good job as a homemaker.

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When I arrived at Madeline’s you both were snacking. You had a
cup of tomato bisque and Connie a potato pancake. Then you had
another cup of tomato bisque and we shared a cordon bleu and
Connie had a chicken something. You did well eating but since you
didn’t eat any lunch it was to be expected. You enjoyed the bread
and jam that they provide.

Connie, as usual, was a sweetheart and you were very cooperative

with her. She’ll be here tomorrow. When we arrived home, you
ended up going to bed at 7 PM. You did have a long day.

Day 239 (Wednesday, June 08, 2005)—I did not sleep well and got
up and read. You were sleeping peacefully. When I returned to bed
I slept until the mean old alarm woke me. I could have slept more.

You got up with me without urging and while I showered you made
the bed. I went into the kitchen and made our breakfast while you
dressed and did your face and hair. Again, it is nice to see you
initiating stuff on your own. That is the key—initiating on your own.

I left early for gas. Next stop was MDA for another day of teaching.
All appeared to enjoy and learn. It was tiring for me to be “on” for
two days, eight hours each day. I did leave a little early and arrived
home where you and Connie had done the preparatory work for
dinner. Connie said you were ready to make the pasta from noon
and she had all she could do to prevent you from doing so. She
named herself the “Pasta-Nazi.”

The women who took our pictures for the Suburban Hospital
newspaper dropped in and gave you a copy of the picture that will
be used in the newsletter. Her name is Patricia and she even framed
the picture for us. What a nice lady!

We had a long wait for Niko. Traffic was terrible, the worst he’s
been in for a long time now. Nina came too and also complained
about the traffic, she said Cedar Lane was terrible.

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You made the sauce, and the salad and finally got the chance to cook
the pasta. All enjoyed the food and Nina did the cleanup. We talked
about what they are doing—Niko goes to Las Vegas for a week’s
work and then when he returns, he and Nina go to Germany on
vacation for one week. They will check on our mail and water the
plants. I gave them the gizmo to arm and disarm the alarm as well
as keys for the car since we will be parking the car at Oracle while
we are gone for six plus weeks.

You and I had a good time with the kids they were very sweet.
Connie, of course, is a real sweetheart and very good with you. You
enjoy her company and she appears to really enjoy yours.

Day 240 (Thursday, June 09, 2005)—good morning to us. You got
up a little after six and after saying several times that you had to do
the door (meaning turn off the alarm and unlock the double bolt)
you went and disarmed the door. Next you wanted to shower and
dress and you did that too. Following that, you made us breakfast
and then went into Maria’s Room (our sunroom) to do the
homework given to you by the speech pathologist as part of your
rehab. This was all self-initiated. Good for you.

After your homework was done, you were ready to go out so we

went to the commissary, and the Post Office (I returned the shaver
Amazon sent me—they wrongfully advertised it as world-wide
voltage and it was not). We returned home and put away groceries. I
then went to the Wachovia bank to pay for our safe deposit box and
I also ordered Euros. I used the money from our piggy bank. Even
while you were in the hospital, I continued to put $40 per week away
(ostensibly $20 from you and $20 from me). It was another one of
those things that made me feel better as it was projecting confidence
in your getting well and that we would make the trip. It looks as if
we will make it. At least we have paid for tickets.

Next stop was the library to take back books and to renew a book.
When I returned home you were relaxed and we waited for Joe
Saul. He took us to lunch—we selected a Mexican fast food place. It
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wasn’t bad. Joe then accompanied us to therapy. You worked with
Jan and we chatted. Jan says you are doing very, very well. Another
bravo to you! Joe left for his home when you finished your therapy.

We came home, read some and snoozed a little. We then went to

Monty Mall and had our you know what—a banana split followed
by a walk. You went to bed very early but I decided I should not
worry about this as it contributes to healing (I hope). I read and
Niko came and dropped off a shaver that will work in Greece.

Day 241 (Friday, June 10, 2005)—today was another one of those
days that you did not want to go to therapy. I did manage to get you
into the car as you thought we were going shopping and for lunch.
When I made the turn for therapy, however, you did detect that we
were not going the right way for shopping but rather the route was
for therapy. When we arrived, we luckily found parking right away
as I had difficulty getting you out of the car. You finally did get out
and had your PT. When it was time for OT immediately following
PT you balked. You even went outside and Melissa the OT and I
talked you back. After a half hour, you were ready to leave. I went
to speak to Melissa and discovered that she had you and another as
a patient. I told her that this was not working. She agreed and said
she told the administrators last week when you left early and were
agitated that one-on-one was required. This time I spoke to the
office manager and she promised to rectify the situation. I will
certainly monitor. As daughter Dini said, patients must have
advocates. Given that she is with the medical school at the U. of
Wisconsin, she knows what she is talking about. Of course my eight
months experience also underscores the need for advocacy.

We left there and went to a food store and bought some rolls,
seafood salad and hamburger meat. I was going to grill outside but
it started to rain. We went home and put stuff away. You reminded
me to make sure we see these items in the refrigerator because in
April I put hamburger where it was hidden from view where it
proceeded to spoil and stink-up the fridge. We then went to Monty
Mall and had Chinese, a little McDonalds hot fudge Sunday (we
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both did not eat it all) and then walked the Mall. We went to the
movie at the mall to see. Mr. and Mrs Smith with Brad Pitt and
Angelina Jolie. Ah, it was so-so, the action was too extreme to
believe and Jolie’s action reminded me of Tomb Raider. I give it at
most two out of four stars. The upside was that you sat through it all
without complaint.

You went to bed very, very early. This bothers me because it makes
me lonely and it has me worried about your brain damage. I can
only hope that this is a sign of healing and not something else. I will
ask Dr. Lee when I see him on 21 June. I watched some TV after
working hard to reconcile our check book. I made some errors that I
was able to find after a little work.

Day 242 (Saturday, June 11, 2005)—you disarmed and unlocked the
door after we made the bed together and then you made us
breakfast and cleaned up too. I then went downstairs to figure our
estimated taxes for the June 15 deadline. That took a little work
because I had an error in my estimating spreadsheet. I didn’t put a
zero where it belonged. The other thing I did was fill out my annual
Keogh retirement statement which is due to the IRS while we are in
Greece (i.e., 30 July). I will mail this before we go.

While I was doing these things, you came downstairs and told me
you were going to take a shower. I was going to come upstairs to
supervise and you said no, you only wanted to know which shampoo
to use. I said Head and Shoulders and off you went. This is the first
time you have taken an unsupervised shower. From what you said,
you did very well. When I came up, you had dressed too.

Bill and Priscilla Torpey came to visit and to take us to lunch. We all
went to Le Madeline’s and had sandwiches. I wanted to share but
Bill would not hear of it. We had a nice lunch and very pleasant
conversation. We were together for a couple of hours. They had to
leave because Bill is traveling on business tomorrow and he must get
ready. They also have a church dinner to attend this evening.

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We went to Panero’s and bought a couple bagels. The good thing is
that while you got ready for bed early you stayed up with me until 7
PM. While watching TV, we ate the seafood salad we got yesterday.

Day 243 (Sunday, June 12, 2005)—you took your bone building pill
and made us breakfast while waiting for the half-hour before you
ate. You did a little homework with me but you initiated the lesson. I
read the paper and then we both showered (you on your own
without me present) and then we left for church. We stayed for
about 45 minutes and Chris was kind enough to give us Holy bread
before we left.

Connie and Vickie came right on time and we made pasta with
shrimp scampi. I think you may have put a tad two much salt (not
really bad). The meal was tasty nonetheless. The girls stayed for
three hours and we had some of your nice strawberries for desert
just before they left.

Day 244 (Monday, June 13, 2005)—we arose early as usual. After
breakfast, you finished your homework with some oversight by me.
You still have a tendency to skip words and not scan as well as you
could if you concentrated more. Well, therapy and homework is
what this is all about.

A gold star for us—we went and exercised for ½ hour. You did the
bike and I the treadmill. I am in really terrible shape as manifested
by my aching back later in the day.

I did some desk work and you watched TV while we waited for
clothes to wash and then dry. Later, you did the folding and then
took a shower while I completed my desk work (e.g., paying bills).
Before I showered, I grilled one hamburger each for lunch and we
had a cheddar sausage each too. You cut up onion and tomato to
add to our meal. I showered given my grill-like smell. We then went
to the Navy Exchange (I bought a new belt, you didn’t want
anything). Our next stop was Rite Aid for meds and then Target for
a drink you like. We also went to Giants and bought the fish salad.
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When we arrived home we went to Maria’s Room for R and R. You
then got the idea to hang the large gold M that Dini got you some
time ago that was on our downstairs mantel. Well, I did the hanging
and changing around of pictures we had on each wall. It would have
been easy to do except the nails I was using did not cooperate. They
would bend or break necessitating additional trips up and down the
stairs. The changes do look nice. I even measured well.

You did disturb me again—mentally that is. You decided to go to

bed at 5 PM. I tried to convince you to stay up with the enticement
of the sea food salad, to no avail. This really causes me to question
how well you are getting. I hope I don’t forget to ask Dr. Lee when I
see him next week.

Pauline called at 6 PM in response to your earlier call. I gave you

the phone to talk to her. You got up from bed because Pauline was
coming over to visit. She stayed until 7:30 and then you got ready
for bed. So you can stay up if stimulated and I guess my habit of
watching TV for me to gear down doesn’t suit you and you prefer
going to bed rather than stay up. I came to bed at 9 PM as I teach
tomorrow and get up a little earlier than usual.

Day 245 (Tuesday, June 14, 2005)—this completes week 35 since

your accident. The alarm woke us this morning at 5:30. I took a
shower and you got up too and showered. We made the bed together
and while you dressed, I toasted a bagel for you and I had cereal. I
left the house at 7 AM for BAI and you waited for Connie.

I had a good day teaching. The group I had was very stimulating
and interesting.

When I arrived home you both were relaxing. Connie said you did
very well and you clearly once again enjoyed each other’s company.
You went to Feline’s and bought a top and CVS to buy a tanning
spray. I offered to take you guys out to eat but you were not
interested and Connie followed your lead. But then, I was informed
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that Marta called to enquire about you coming in for a touch up and
I called her back and we agreed to Thursday at 10 AM—Connie will
take you. This, of course, necessitated my taking her there to show
her the route. You got shanghaied as well and lo and behold we saw
Valentino’s across the street from our favorite Peruvian chicken
place—Chicken-on-the- Run. All decided that chicken might make a
nice evening dinner. I bought meals for us that included beans and
rice and plantains for Connie and plantains and yucca for us—
chicken too, of course. We picnicked at our kitchen table, in the air
conditioning. It was a very hot day in the hole-in-the-wall restaurant
would have been out of the question. Connie left at about 6:30—she
is joining a band as a singer.

Day 246 (Wednesday, June 15, 2005)—we went to Suburban

Hospital to see Voula, the trauma nurse that was your receiving
nurse at the emergency room until they transferred you to the care
of the “intensivists” on the third floor. She is a Greek-American and
has worked at Suburban for 18 years. You wanted to meet her. She
found you looking wonderful and was amazed how well you are
recovering. She affirmed that based on her experience and the
extent of your injuries, she didn’t think you were going to make it
that day. You mentioned that Father John called you his miracle
and Voula agreed. She was very nice and gave you big hugs. She was
super-pleased to see you so well.

We went to see the neuro-PAs, Jacob and Steve, but once again, they
were not available. I really want to see them because while they were
compassionate, they were not encouraging in terms of your brain
trauma. I think they will be amazed when we do get to see them--
perhaps after we return from Greece. We did go to the PT area and
did see Stacy the PT person and Nina the OT person who gave you
some limited therapy to include getting you to sit up in a chair
during the last weeks you were at Suburban. Their big challenge
was to figure out how to prevent you from slipping out of the chair. I
even brought some of that non-skid shelving material to put under
your butt. It did help a little. They also exercised your upper (OTs
work) and Lower (PTs work) parts of your body. They too were
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very, very pleased to see you, gave you hugs and even shed a few
tears. All of the medical people seem to really appreciate seeing
survivors that are doing well.

We left Suburban for your PT and OT sessions. You did not give me
much of a hassle. You did some baking as part of OT. When we got
home, you cut onion, tomato, and left over chicken for the leftover
seafood salad. It was good but you ate only two bites. You did eat
two of the sausages I grilled. As before, you liked them very much.

By the way, before going to Suburban, you initiated the action to do

your SLP homework. You still have some problem looking left and
need to be oriented every so often as to where you are in the
exercise. But, you are steadily improving.

We went to BAI so I could do a little work with the new business

development person. She really didn’t seem to have a plan on how to
develop business and I hope I gave her some good ideas on how to
proceed. I checked the many and I mean many emails I had. You
were with the recruiting section ladies (Connie is a member) and
you seemed to have a very good time. You were with them over two
hours and only were ready to leave when I came for you. I offered to
take you to the PX at Andrews to look for a skirt but you declined.

When we got home I cut the lawn and when I came in you were
ready to try on blouses and skirts. We were successful in finding
jean-type skirts and some nice shirts but were out of luck to find a
skirt you could wear to church. My sweet, you have gained weight
and had some redistribution and thus the hips, waste and boobs
have gotten bigger. Your skirts have not grown to keep up with you.

Day 247(Thursday, June 16, 2005)—we got up early today to shower

etc. because I was going to teach at BAI. Yes, I even painted you—
well, not painted exactly but I did spray tanning solution on you so
you could display a tan albeit it artificial. You like the idea of
tanning without the possibility of sunburn. We ate and I was off by 7
AM. While on the beltway and between Connecticut Avenue and
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Georgia, it occurred to me that I forgot to leave the handicapped
placard for use by you and Connie. Today she was going to take you
for a hair trim and color treatment. I returned.

My teaching went well. I called you about 1 PM and you were

winding up with Marta and were pleased with your hair. You guys
then went to Chicken-on-the-Run for lunch and did some looking
for a skirt while in Bethesda. You found the prices to be outrages.
You went to Chico’s and were surprised that they didn’t have skirts
but were filled with Capri pants. Talbot’s was your next destination
as they were having a sale. You did find a very nice skirt there at a
sale price—50% off. You put a top on hold as you wanted me to see
it. Connie then took you to speech and language therapy at 3:30 PM.
Reportedly, you did well with Jan.

We met in front of Ambrosia but we decided to go next store to

Tony Lin’s for Chinese. Mistake, the food was not up to par. Well,
we will not go there for another ten years. We all went to Talbot’s
and got one of the shirts you had on hold. Connie stayed to do some
more shopping prior to her going to band practice—she sings.

While you are getting well, some of the BA Maria has not completely
surfaced. For example, when we arrived home, there were partially
finished glasses with soft drinks on the kitchen table and a used
paper plate. The sink had some dirty cups and flatware. The Maria
of BA would never have left the house without cleaning up
completely. I’m sure that will return too. You are now replacing the
toilet paper when it finishes. Sounds like a small thing but every
little thing does mean a step towards total wellness.

Day 248 (Friday, June 17, 2005)—you gave me a little trouble on the
issue of therapy again today. You see no point in going for PT or OT
for that matter. You tolerated the PT but only lasted through 30
minutes of OT. I guess that when we return from Greece, we might
not do either of these and just concentrate on SLP. You seem to
tolerate that well and to like Jan. Of course, you call it kindergarten.

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We ate at Madeleine’s and then went to the Navy Exchange where
we bought some shirts for you that matched your skirt and some for
me that I plan to leave in Greece. One of these days we should be
able to go just with carry-on. We probably could have this time if it
wasn’t for the new comforter, etc., we got for the bed there. Next
stop was the commissary where I gassed up and got some groceries.

We went to the movies at White Flint Mall. We saw a light movie

called Perfect Man that had a happy ending. Heather Locklear had
trouble finding or rather holding onto a man (that was a stretch)
and she changed towns every time she was dumped dragging her
two kids with her. Hillary Duff, her movie daughter, then dreamed
up the Perfect Man to keep her in New York. In case we were not
able to catch on to the plot, we saw Hillary in class where the
English teacher asked the class to explain what was meant by Oh,
what a tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive. Duh!!!
There was one line I did like in the movie—Love is friendship on
fire. Certainly this describes us. You are my very, very best friend
and my feelings for you are ablaze. When you were in intensive care
and even at NRH before you began to walk and talk, the pain I felt
was searing. We still have a healing road to travel but we will
traverse it hand-in-hand and with God’s help, you will be 100
percent.

After a brief rest at home following the movie, we met Nick and
Nina at the Athenian Plaka at 6 PM for a Father’s Day dinner. They
even beat us there. Niko did the ordering, the usual selection of tasty
small dishes such as chicken souvlaki, gyro, tzaziki, taramosalata,
etc. I even had a glass of Retsina. They gave me a nice card with a
gift certificate to Ambrosia. Tomorrow, they go to Germany for
vacation. Bon Voyage!!

Day 249 (Saturday, June 18, 2005)—you took a nap today and yet
wanted to go to bed at 7 PM. I am disappointed. You were doing so
well staying up.

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After eating and showering, we worked on your tan some more—the
spray on type, of course. Joe came promptly at 11:30 AM and we all
went together to Ambrosia where we met Debbie and her mother.
They are out together on a shopping safari. Everybody but Joe had
salads. He did a gyro sandwich and all had the avgolemano soup.
We did not have soup because we are fasting from meat, eggs, and
seafood preparatory to receiving communion tomorrow. We hosted
this time although Joe wanted to pay (as usual). We then showed Joe
our local Trader Joe’s where he bought a few things and Debbie and
her mother went on their own looking for clothes.

Joe brought us home and we went into Maria’s Room to read and
relax. Later I made us a fruit salad with the strawberries you had
cut up and some sliced peaches we had. Later while watching Global
Trekker and a History Channel presentation “in Search of Greece”
we ate some nuts and I a piece of cheese. You went to bed early
again—booo!

Day 250 (Sunday, June 19, 2005)—this morning, as I predicted to

myself, you got up before five AM and wanted me up too. Of course,
you went to bed early and I didn’t. I would have liked to sleep more
and managed to stay in bed until 5:30 with you.

We did not eat breakfast as part of our fast for receiving

communion. You showered and I helped spray you for more tanning
action. We left for Church and arrived a little after nine. But,
because this was Pentecost the service started earlier than usual. We
received communion and then went to the commissary to buy a few
things for lunch since Vicki and Connie were coming. They arrived
at 12:30 and I grilled stuff, also we had left over Chinese, and the
deli stuff we bought. It was an unusual combination but we all
seemed to like it. You guys chatted up a storm.

After we ate, we went to Maria’s Room, chatted some more and

then you guys decided to go for a walk. I stayed home and goofed
off. You were gone for awhile. When you returned you and the gals
admitted to getting lost. You exited the park at one of the side exits
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and got turned around in the neighborhood. Connie finally asked
someone and they directed you back to Knowles. I thought that you
were visiting Suzanne or Tonya. The girls stayed until 5:30 PM.
Myrna called just after they left. She wanted to say bye to us.

Tonya came over too and chatted with you for awhile. After that
and some TV your day was complete. OK, you stayed up until 8 PM
but I think you thought it was 7. Nonetheless, you get the proverbial
gold star for staying up.

Day 251 (Monday, June 20, 2005)—another day is drawing to a close

and Pauline is here to wish you Bon Voyage. I’m glad that she is
here since you started out wanting to go to bed at 4 PM. You didn’t
do that but even saying it was not pleasant for me. As I told Bob
when he called and while you were listening to my side of the
conversation, I don’t keep you interested or stimulated enough, I
guess. I did prompt you to read your magazine and you did do that.
You went and changed for bed and read some more, gave us
strawberries, and then went down with me to see some TV. That is
when Pauline called and came to chat.

We left the house early today and you initiated some of your
homework before we left. I had an appointment with Dr. Lee to
review my meds. All are OK. I asked and got a prescription for
Lunesta to help me sleep if I needed it in Greece. It is supposed to be
an improved sleeping pill but having read the Rite Aid info on the
pill, I am not impressed. In reality, Dr. Lee did not seem so either.
This is the first time he prescribed it and wants my feedback. By the
way, Dr. Lee said we really must start walking again as we both
gained weight. We’ll have to try in Greece.

From Shady Grove, we went to the Navy PX and we bought a few

more items for Greece. The packing is going really well and I hope
we have everything we want to have when we get there. You’ve been
a little, tiny bit of help when I asked you what you wanted to take.
You never much liked packing so it is no surprise that you are
taking advantage of your situation to have me do all of the work. I
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worked on our meds today too so that we have the ones we need on
the plane and arranged our vitamins too.

We went to the Nordstrom’s Café where we met Harry and Mary

Anna for lunch. We had a nice meal and enjoyed their company. We
even did a little mall walking looking for a radio for Mary Anna. I
bought a little transistor for us to use in our bedroom in Greece.

Our newsmagazine had a brief article about Terri Schiavo

describing the findings of her recent autopsy. Nothing—not even a
mother’s soothing voice—would have gotten a response from…the
comatose Florida woman whose right-to-die case entangled the
courts….Any message would have to travel the neural pathway to a
part of her brain called the neocortex. But that incoming route was
destroyed some 15 years ago when, her brain deprived of oxygen, she
slipped into a coma. Examiners said that Schiavo was blind….There
was no evidence of abuse.

Day 252 (Tuesday, June 21, 2005)—this completes week 36 from the
date of your accident. You are really cute when you get up in the
morning. You have taken on the daily responsibility of disarming
the alarm for the house and unlocking the double bolt of the front
door. That is your mission, you feel. Of course, you now fix me
cereal and coffee on a daily basis and clean up the dishes too. We
washed the sheets and pillow cases in preparation for our trip and
you helped fix the bed when they were washed and dried. You also
used Swifter on the kitchen floor and even used the wet version to
mop. You did not want to vacuum. With a little urging you did a
good job of dusting. You still are not back in terms of your
fastidious approach to keeping house. I wonder if that will come
back. Don’t forget, you became the rage of the Montgomery County
Police Community when they had to enter our home in attempts to
locate me following the accident. They had never entered, ever, such
a clean and neat house they said. You do have a reputation to keep.

On the way to therapy, we went to Rite Aid. They had shorted me

one of my meds that I would need in Greece. They gave me an
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additional amount with no argument. We also made a stop at
Giant’s Food to buy some bagels as emergency food during our trip.
Jan said you did well at therapy and she gave us stuff for you to do
while we were in Greece. She said she wished she could join us as
she had a wonderful time when there last year. Our next stop was
Montgomery Mall. We had our Chinese meal and then you wanted
to go to J. Jill for shopping. You bought two pairs of linen pants in
different colors and a nice cotton blouse. The pants should be very
comfortable for travel.

We went to the movies and saw The Sisterhood of the Traveling

Pants on Nina’s recommendation. It is a sweet movie about four
girls who are best friends from birth and all on the cusp of woman-
hood who exchange the same pair of jeans over the summer as a
bond of friendship and the magical impact on their lives. Each of the
girls, of course, has issues. One of them is of Greek extraction and
for the summer she went to visit her Yiayia and Papou on Santorini.
The island is very picturesque. Her issue is to grow up and accept
the risk of doing so. The girls lived in Bethesda. The movie was
sweet, I could have done without the sadness of a little girl who
suffered and died from leukemia. The hospital scene particularly
bothered me (as they all do) as it causes me to reflect about your
days in intensive care. Yes, there was a point made to the viewers
about the friendship of this little girl to one of the four, but….!

While we were watching TV, Suzanne called. They wanted to come

and bid us Bon Voyage. They stayed until 8 PM and then we
watched a little more TV specifically a Kati Couric special about a
so-called run-away bride. This woman has a history of instability
that manifested in her running away (literally—she went out jogging
and disappeared) from her home, family and friends and thus from
her marriage ceremony that was to take place a couple of days
hence. She even led people to believe that she was kidnapped. The
wedding reception cost $50,000 and she had selected 14 bridesmaids
and groomsmen. A ridiculous extravaganza! Her town and the
police mobilized to search for her. Later, I think in Vegas, she called
and turned herself in. Hometown agony turned into anger when the
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townsfolk found out her departure was voluntary. We only saw ½
hour of the show when you announced she was crazy and you had to
go to bed. Actually, the guy (the groom to be) is nuts too as he sat
there in front of the cameras holding her hand and looking at her
adoringly. He has forgiven her—ain’t love grand? He will have a
fun future—not. Oh, yes, she has been offered a movie deal for her
story. Only in the USA!

Day 253 (Wednesday, June 22, 2005) and Day 254 (Thursday, June
23, 2005)--this is our big day, travel to Greece. We got up at 6:15
and you did your morning job of disarming and unlocking the door.
We got dressed and made our traditional pre-going-to-Greece run to
I-Hop for our pancake and eggs breakfast. Later, we decided not to
keep this as a tradition because we were not satisfied with the meal.
Laundry was our next event and making sure that the house was
neat. We forgot to do the towels until the last minute so I left a
message for Niko to take them out of the dryer when they come to
water plants etc. Before we left, I gave myself a haircut too.

I decided to combine this entry because as we depart on Wednesday,

we fly into Thursday. To be continued………..

We are now at Dulles airport after an uneventful trip to the Oracle

building and its parking lot. I unloaded you and the luggage in front
of the building, called for a taxi and then parked the car in front of a
security camera where Niko said I should. After joining you, a
young man asked if we were waiting for a cab. I said yes and he said
there was one parked on the other side of the building but not to
worry, if it was ours he would send it around. It was ours and he
did. The Alitalia check-in line was very long but since we were
Magnifica class we went right to that window and its short line.
After check-in we were given tickets to the Northwest Airlines
lounge where we sat comfortably and had complementary drinks.
They had wine we could have had but we stuck to soft-drinks and
you had some decaf coffee. There were many people in the lounge.

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By the way, you were a great help getting to the check-in desk. You
pulled our carryon while I pulled the two suitcases. They relocated
the Alitalia counter so we had a couple of false starts finding the
ticket counter. You were a good trooper. When we went through
security they had you take off your shoes—I don’t know why. Did
you look dangerous? I don’t think so. I sailed through. I guess it is
my trusting look. To be continued…

EEEEK, “de je vous all over again” as my favorite philosopher the

former New York Yankee Yogi Berra once observed. The flight
departure time was scheduled for 5:20 PM. The agent arrived at the
Northwest lounge, gathered us up about twenty minutes before the
scheduled take-off time and a special shuttle took the 18 business
class passengers directly to the plane. We entered without reference
to the passengers flying economy. And then, we sat and sat, and sat.
We did not depart until 8:00 PM and I envisioned the race through
the airport to catch our plane without our luggage getting to
Thessaloniki the way it happened to us last year. Oh, well!

The Magnifica accommodations were really terrific. There was lots

of space between rows and the seats had footrests that operated with
the touch of a button. The seat backs went far back also with the
touch of another button. The seats were very comfortable. The food,
however, really was nothing too special, we had mixed grill instead
of the fish they also offered. The penne course was pretty good and
the catering excellent. We abstained from the wine, etc.

They had two movies, one in English and the other Italian with
English subtitles. The movie Hitch came on late because of the late
departure and I conked out, too bad as I wanted to see it. You did a
lot of your usual in-flight fidgeting but you did manage to catch a
couple of winks too. I wrote a note to the head flight attendant
outlining our problem with the connecting flight and the fact that
you needed assistance to travel through the terminal to the next gate
quickly which was at some distance. When I gave it to the attendant,
he promised to take action.

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Our flight made very good time to Milan and we made up a lot of
the hours lost due to the late departure. We landed about 35 minutes
before our connection was to leave. Waiting for us was a wheel chair
with an attendant and off we went to the races. And, they were
races. We arrived in-time, were boarded early and guess what?
There was a thirty minute delay before take-off. Actually, this was a
good thing because it gave our luggage a chance to catch up. We
landed only five minutes late in Thessaloniki and our luggage
arrived too and was quickly unloaded. We picked it up, passed
customs with a wave of the hand from them. Marianna, Tarzanaki
(little Tarzan i.e., Thano), and Litsa were waiting for us. I had a
moment worry that we would not be able to load us and the bags in
her car but we managed. Off to the village we went and were
greeted with tears of joy by Gregory and Ellie.

While you interacted with everybody, I got the bags upstairs with
Gregory and unpacked all. I can’t believe the amount of clothing we
brought for you and what you had left here from previous trips. I
guess that I had not properly recorded all we had here and I must
do that before we leave this time. Next time we come, we probably
only need carry-on luggage.

We had a nice evening. I ate some of Gregory’s great salad and

dunked bread in the dressing called an hypobrechio (submarine).
You had Ellie’s spinach-cheese pie. We went to bed a 10:30 PM.

Day 255 (Friday, June 24, 2005)—it is a beautiful day. You stayed
up interacting with all until 10:30 PM. A very good sign! For
breakfast we ate the bagels we brought with us and later in the day
you helped make chili to eat over pasta. We even walked to the
supermarket to buy kidney beans for the chili. Walking there down
“main street” was not fun because of the traffic and we did not
much like the cars zipping by and the lack of good sidewalks. We
returned a back way and that was fine although the hills were
steeper. You did very well walking.

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We did one two page lesson today that we brought with us from the
US. You are doing a little better but still require cues to focus and
occasionally must be reminded to read from the extreme left. I
teased you that I needed a ruler to tap you on the hand when you
skipped words or questions. In Greek they call what they spank kids
with a “verga,” (a switch). You didn’t buy into the verga idea. You
display more memory of things past but still retain some confusion
on details. Don’t we all!

In the evening, Gregory got the key to the nearby Byzantine church.
The Church of the Transfiguration also known as Hagias Sotiris (in
Greek) was built sometime in the 11th Century AD. It is octagonal in
shape which is very unusual. We went there to pray and to light
candelas in thanks to your vast improvement since the accident and
our safe arrival. I took some pictures so that we can remember the
occasion. The church is small and it is was desecrated by the Turks
when they set it on fire hundreds of years ago. You can imagine how
beautiful it was inside by examining the outlines and coloring of the
remaining wall paintings of Saints. We said our prayers, lighted
candelas and kissed the icons.

Marianna and Thano came to the house a couple of times during the
day. You enjoyed seeing the baby in action. And, I do mean action.
Like many boys his age he is like a wind-up toy that never stops.
Again I took several pictures.

Day 256 (Saturday, June 25, 2005)—up bright and early, to wit 7
AM, work began on a nearby townhouse under construction. This
was not conducive to further sleep. Gregory cranked up the hot
water and we bathed. You continue not hungry in the morning. You
ate half a bagel while I had cereal. The morning was cloudy but it
cleared and warmed as the day pressed on.

You made chicken salad for us all today. You put egg, onion,
parsley, celery, and mayo on toasted bread. You cut the sandwiches
in half. You didn’t eat a sandwich but did eat the salad straight.
Marianna went to the Kioskia restaurant and added tsoutsoukakia
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(football shaped meat balls), fries and roasted Porto Bello
mushrooms to the meal. We had sort of a picnic and the food and
company was enjoyed by all. I, of course, was pleased with the
degree of preparation that you engaged in. You appear more alert
and involved every day.

I loaded pictures on the computer that Appostalos took on Easter

day and showed you all a slide show. I also showed the pictures that
I took here in Greece so far. Our little Thano is a cute kid. He is
very alert and likes to get into everything.

Marianna and Apostolos asked us to go to their home after our

siesta. They will come and get us. After our nap, we went to the
Byzantine church to once again light candelas and say our prayers.
From there we decided to walk to their house and bought sweets for
them on the way. And, nobody was home, seems as if we got our
messages confused. We walked back to the house, mainly uphill, and
really got in our exercise for the day. Later we found out that they
had taken the baby to the beach. I think they were embarrassed and
said they would come and get us for a 9 PM for the visit.
Surprisingly, you said ok.

As we were walking to Apostolos’ car, Voula your cousin showed

up. You didn’t recognize her at first and thought it was Marianna.
There was a choice to be made—go to Marianna’s or return to the
house and visit with Voula. You chose Marianna. We saw
Marianna’s in-laws and they embraced you commenting on how
well you look and wishing you all the best. After chatting awhile, we
returned home and found Voula waiting. I must give her credit for
being the first cousin to come and to wait to see you. You chatted
with her for a bit until you tired. This was a full day and we didn’t
get into bed until 11 PM. This is worth a big, WOW!

Day 257 (Sunday, June 26, 2005)—the St. George church bells
started ringing at 7:30 AM. We got up and did our bathing bit, took
our pills and ate some breakfast. You dressed in a silk skirt and
blouse that we left here from visits past. You looked very, very
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lovely. We went to church at 9:30 while it was well underway. We lit
candles and kissed the Icons at the entrance. We noted that some old
traditions still prevail in Greece. Most of the women sat on one side
and the men on the other side of the church. More women then men
attend. There were very few people in the 20 to 35 year old range
among the 100 plus people there. Those that were there brought
their young children. This lack of young people doesn’t seem too
encouraging for the future of the church. In the US we have more
young people attend. We received our Holy Bread from the Priest
and he recognized you and blessed you for your current and
continued recovery. When I mentioned the lack of young people to
Gregory, he said that many are at the beach hence the sparse
attendance by the young.

For lunch, we had roast katsiki (goat) with potatoes and salad. The
goat was tasty but a little tough, the potatoes great. We had wine
(retsina) mixed with some cola for our drink and we both enjoyed
the mixture. We’ve had that drink in the past and enjoyed it then.

Your friend Aphrodite called and asked us to meet her and her
husband at the restaurant Kioskia at 8:30 PM. You said OK. She
later called and changed it to 9 PM and you again said yes. I was not
happy with that and after several tries (the line was busy for 20
minutes) I got her and said that was too late and perhaps another
time. The time was reset to the original 8:30. Our sweet Marianna
came and drove us to the restaurant. We spent about an hour with
Aphrodite and Niko recounting your adventure (rather,
misadventure) and catching up on our mutual kids. They drove us
back to the house.

Day 258 (Monday, June 27, 2005)—today we went to Carrefour (it’s

a super-market plus owned by a French company) to buy some
groceries. I like that they accept credit cards. Marianna, the Thano,
Litsa and we all piled into the car at about 10:30 for the ride there.
We bought a bunch of stuff to include two rotisserie chickens for
lunch today. The bill came to 123 Euros and I charged it to our
Master Card. We saw the village priest there (he was shopping with
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one of his daughters) and he blessed you on-the-spot. Since
Marianna is driving us all over and I noticed she had only a quarter
tank of gas, I had her stop for a fill up. You noted, gas costs more
than twice what we pay. I mention this as a reminder that things are
not particularly cheap in Greece any more and is rated far down
among EU nations in terms of wages.

Back home, we ate lunch (you made the salad), had a siesta, and you
agreed with little encouragement to do some of your homework. You
start out pretty well doing the work but tire when we hit the second
page of a two page exercise. When you get tired, you lose your
ability to concentrate. From here on out, we will only work one page
per day. The good thing is that you are trying. I wish that I had
more patience. I say again, I wonder how the therapists do it for a
whole day times five with many different patients? Your memory is
really pretty good and you continue to correct my Greek which is
also a good thing for you and for me. I still make frequent mistakes
selecting the wrong article for its corresponding noun. Oh, well!

Your balance is good, you walk fast when required, but your steps
are still a little tentative and you look stiff. You negotiate stairs with
little problem and we do go up and down the two flights of marble
steps frequently each day—I counted them, there are 22. However,
there is still a child-like quality that you display and often you cast
your eyes downward when you should be looking up. That before
accident sparkle in your eyes is not quite there yet. You walk
differently from before the accident. All of this and other small
things mean that you still have much healing to do. The doctor said
it would take time.

Day 259 (Tuesday, June 28, 2005)—this day completes your 37th
week since the accident. Everyday there is positive progress towards
wellness. This morning after breakfast we showered and dressed
and then did a lesson about Walt Disney. You did very, very well
reading the paragraph and answering the associated questions.
Tomorrow we will finish page two of the lesson.

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Apostalos and Marianna came right on time. We took Litsa to their
house to baby sit and off we went to look for screens to give us some
shade while sitting in the patio in the afternoon. We also went on a
hunt for a gas barbecue grill. We compared the offerings from
Carrefour and Praktiker (a German owned store on the order of
Ikea) and got the one from Praktiker. It was a little more expensive
but overall appeared of better quality. It’s called an Outback. The
instructions are in English thus it is either English (Australian?) or
American made. Gregory loves to cook outside but the grill and
charcoal he uses makes it more work rather then pleasure. He liked
our grill when he was in the US and thus he should like this one.

We got two bamboo screens from Praktiker too. We checked out

several other stores for these items, to include Ikea. Apostalos, as the
driver, was very nice to drive us around here and there and back.
His station wagon made it possible to haul what we bought. We were
lucky that the grill we wanted was the last one they had because we
were then offered and got the floor model which was fully
assembled. Since I hate assembling things, this was a nice touch.
Apostalos assured me, however, that he is used to putting things
together and thus one in a box would have posed no problem.

We went to the Panorama Goody’s (the Greek equivalent of

McDonalds) for lunch and after lunch we all went to our respective
homes for a siesta. Following our nap, Gregory and I put up the
screens. I impressed my self at the ease I went up and down the
ladder. I guess the few days we’ve been going up and down the stairs
have had some benefit. The screens are nice but they could have
been about three feet longer. We bought the longest they had. We
did a good job of making them even on the top but one was a little
longer than the other by three inches. They are doing the job of
providing us with some shade in the afternoon on the patio when the
sun is most intense.

We walked to Hagia Paraskevi church with Marianna, Thano, and

Litsa. You did well going up and down hills and stairs. You led the
way showing you remembered the route. This was more exercise for
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us following the walking we did while shopping. We tried lighting
candles just outside the church to no avail because of a breeze.
There was no place to light them inside the church because they are
renovating. The floor is now all made of marble. We did kiss the
Holy Icons and then went to the place where water runs from under
the church. This is considered holy water blessed by Hagia
Pareskevi and I applied it to you and to me. After that we sat and
watched Thano on a children’s carousel and Marianna chasing him
around after his ride. You did a god job walking back too.

We spent a pleasant evening sitting outside and talking. We went to

bed at 10:45. You did very well indeed today with all our activities.

Day 260 (Wednesday, June 29, 2005)—we arose late this morning in
spite of the construction noises starting promptly at 7 AM. Hot
water was ready for us so we showered, you washed your hair, I
shaved, and we went downstairs to eat. Following that activity, we
did your studies. We concluded page 2 of the reading. You did very
well answering the questions. It is a little overcast today and cooler.

You are ready to go home, you said. You like being with your sister
but not here. You miss your own nest. It is true we don’t do much
here but I think the interaction is good for you. You are not happy
with the constant construction noises from nearby as they are
working on finishing a townhouse. The cement mixer is making a
constant noise as it turns. They are applying cement over the brick
front of the house. This is a tough job and certainly must be tiring
and back breaking work.

You went with your sister to the beauty parlor where your sister is
getting her hair done. It is run by a cousin and she wants to see you.
I encouraged you to do so because the more interaction you have
with people, the better for you. I love you baby and I need you
completely well. This exposure to others is beneficial and helps you.

We had a very relaxing day today. We went nowhere and no one

came to visit except for Marianna and Thano. Our lunch consisted
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of squash filled with chopped meat and rice with an egg lemon sauce
and salad. Everything was very tasty. Later in the day we were once
again bad as we had a desert called profiterole, that delicious
combination of cake and chocolate pudding with whipped cream
and topped with a cherry. Ellie and Gregory had ice cream.

We sat around and chatted. Gregory disappeared to buy a chain

and a lock for the barbecue grill. They feel it will be too tempting a
target for the “Albanians” if not chained to the fence surrounding
the patio. The Albanians are blamed for most of the crime in
Greece. Apparently they also do most of the disagreeable jobs too.

Later in the evening Gregory cut some delicious watermelon. You

really enjoyed it and so did I. Of course, I had to embellish and did
the Greek thing by eating feta too.

Day 261 (Thursday, June 30, 2005)—we arrived a week ago today
and awakened to church bells that sounded just prior to the usual
construction noises starting at 7 AM. Today is the day of the Twelve
Apostles and Gregory went to church for the liturgy which ended at
9 AM. Meanwhile, we ate breakfast and then showered after the hot
water was turned on. While I was still in the bathroom, you dressed
and off you went to Marianna’s with your sister to baby sit while
Marianna went food shopping. Today is her husband’s name day
and she must be prepared to receive guests this evening.

When I came downstairs, Gregory was gone—I guess he went to the

KAPI (the senior citizens’ club). I made my initial entries in this
journal and then read my book. It is another delightful day.

I paused reading my book to watch a workman apply cement to the

front of the townhouse covering the cinderblock (actually they look
more like blocks made from red brick clay). He is thin as a rail and
no wonder given the work and the calories he must expend. First he
puts cement on a pallet, walks on a scaffold to the place of
application, puts some cement on a trowel and then slings it onto the
side of the building where it adheres. Following the application, he
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uses a long board to smooth what he applied. Talk about work! This
guy looks to be in his sixties. Of course, he may be younger given the
outside construction work he is engaged in would likely age one. I
wouldn’t last five minutes mentally and certainly not physically
doing such a job. While I don’t know how much he earns, I’m sure
it is not very much. He does this eight hours per day, five days a
week, at least at this construction site. There is another worker
doing the same thing on the inside walls of the structure. While I am
not thrilled with the noise these people generate starting at 7 AM,
watching them work is interesting.

It’s just afternoon now and you are still at Marianna’s with Litsa.
About an hour earlier you called to see how I was doing. I could
hear Thano in the background making his noises. You voiced a
concern that he could fall off of the balcony and that he had to be
watched. We had a nice conversation. Ellie is killing time too and
every so often tries to communicate with me but I really don’t
understand much of what she says. She just told me that Gregory
called (I did not hear the phone) and he is on the way home. Right
now it is quite here as the construction guys take a lunch break. The
day is still very pleasant.

You came with everybody after the shopping was done. It was lunch
time and fish was on the menu. Gregory bought “ghavro,” a type
sardine, yesterday. Litsa fried the fish until they were nice and
crispy while Gregory made a great salad. We all enjoyed the meal.
We then went up for the usual siesta, napping for an hour.

We went to celebrate Apostalos’ name day. We wished him many

more returns of the day and we enjoyed the nice spread Marianna
made for expected guests. She did a very nice job and dummy me
forgot to take pictures even though I had my camera with me. We
left at 9:30 PM—you went by car with Litsa and Ellie while Gregory
and I walked. I got my exercise in this way. I was surprised that
Gregory got out of breath and had to stop to catch his breath.
Surprisingly, I didn’t have the same problem.

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Day 262 (Friday, July 01, 2005)—you slept like an angel and I did
not sleep worth a darn. In fact, I got up at 12:30 AM and read for an
hour in the sitting room. I returned to bed and still had a rough time
of it, sleep-wise. I was hot and you were covered. When I observed
you in the AM light, your cute face was framed in the cover and I
enjoyed watching you sleep. Church bells rang again at 7 AM and
shortly thereafter the construction people began their construction
noises. Eventually this awakened you. We went and showered and
did the breakfast bit.

We started your morning lesson and then your cousin Evangelia, the
Chiropractor’s wife, came to see you. I withdrew to read so that you
could interact with her and your sisters. I sat on the balcony and
finished the book I was reading while you chatted on the patio. After
she left, we continued with your lesson. You are improving. You
responded to twelve problems and we will complete the other 13
tomorrow. Litsa said you did very well conversing with your cousin,
asking and answering the right questions.

We ate leftovers for lunch and added a spicy spaghetti we bought

from Carrefour a few days ago. Then it was siesta time again and we
napped for an hour. You started reading one of the books we
brought with us (we bought it in Delaware while visiting Dino and
Myrna). You are enjoying the book whose title is Clearing the Aisle
by Karen Swartz. It’s about the trials and tribulations of getting
engaged and then married. You find it light and amusing—a great
vacation book, you said.

Marianna came and took Litsa to the Thessaloniki apartment so she

could wash the sheets we brought—no washing machine here yet. I
went along for the ride and then Marianna and I went to a
supermarket owned by a German firm. Lidl is a discount place and
they don’t accept credit cards. We bought lots of cola since you seem
to like it so much, and other stuff to include cute little running shoes
for Thano. We were looking for new ice trays but found none there
so we drove to Carrefour where we found some. I even bought a
pair of rubber sandals to use back in the US. I have a pair for here
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that I like to wear with my cargo shorts. These shorts a very
comfortable and its multiple pockets make it very convenient to
carry stuff securely. I have no fear of pickpockets.

You were up and waiting for me when we returned at 8:30 PM. It

reminded me of NRH when I would come in the morning and you’d
say “he’s here” with joy and love in your voice. We ate watermelon
and feta cheese and were in bed by 10:15. I took a “Lumenista” pill
to sleep better than I did last night. I was a very nice day but there
may be severe weather tomorrow afternoon on its way from Italy.

Day 263 (Saturday, July 02, 2005)—church bells woke us up but no

construction noises. We did the usually morning things and ate the
usually breakfast things. I was not impressed with Lumenista.
Gregory and I went to the supermarket in the village to buy
sausages fit for grilling. Apparently, the hot dogs I bought a few
days ago are better when boiled. On the way to the market, we
stopped off at the local betting parlor where Gregory cashed in a
winning ticket for 10 Euros. He filled out new bets for Lotto and a
game called Joker.

It seems that every time we go to the supermarket, I find stuff to buy

beyond what we originally went for. When we returned to the house,
you were sitting with Litsa looking at pictures from last year and
even older. Litsa said you recognized everybody in the pictures.
Another sign of memory improvement. You also read your book.
We are waiting for Gregory to return from the “KAPI” so we can
grill the sausages.

So far it is a very nice day. The temperature is perfect and there is a

nice gentle breeze. So far so good! We’ll see if the severe weather
predicted hits later in the day. The guys (Gregory, Apostalos, and I)
are supposed to go see War of the Worlds at 5:30.

We used the grill for the first time today. We bought Greek-style
sausage at the village supermarket for 4.50 Euro the kilo. They
grilled nicely and I supervised Gregory in lighting the grill and in
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their preparation. The grilling disclosed the fact that we needed
barbecue tools such as a long pair of tongs. I burnt my hand slightly
moving the sausage to a safer spot on the grill when the dripping fat
led to flames. As instructed, Gregory used squirts from a water
bottle to reduce the flames.

The sausage was delicious and the mashed potatoes and salad were a
hit for lunch. We followed what is our tradition here and went for
an hour nap. A little later I went to Apostalos house to go on the
internet and sent emails to Dini, Niko, and Bob/Kathy. Gregory
came and the “boys” went to the movies and what a lovely theater it
is. It is located near Ikea and McDonalds. It has ten screens and the
lobby is like any new multiplex in the US. When buying tickets you
are assigned specific seats in the theater. The lobby is big and well
appointed and popcorn abounds. They sell hot dogs, nachos, soft
drinks and even beer. As in the US people line up to buy stuff to eat
which is cheaper than counterpart movie food in the US. The
theater itself is stadium-style but not as steep as ours stadium
seating. The seats are comfortable but with more constrained
legroom and without drink holders.

War of the Worlds was OK. The critics gave it a good write up, I
would have rated it less then the four out of five stars they gave it.
Maybe I have outgrown science fiction movies. Tom Cruise did a
good job and Dakota Fanning the little girl that played his daughter
was excellent as always. She really is a great performer. The special
affects were great and up to Spielberg’s standards the monster
machines looked real and the aliens evil. The guys liked the show
probably better than I did—you would have hated it, too much
noise, destruction, violence, and nothing to laugh about.

We arrived home at 9 PM and you were up. I snacked, we all

chatted for a bit and we were lights out at 10:30. Oh, yes, the wind
did pick up, the temperature did drop, and it did rain. The weather,
however, was not as severe as expected.

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Day 264 (Sunday, July 03, 2005)—it rained during the night. As
usual, you slept very well and I not so great. The church bells rang
at 7 AM and we got up by 7:30 to prepare for and go to church. We
met many people you know and they all wished you get well.

It is cool today. When we got home we changed clothes and wore

jeans. Shortly thereafter, your sister-in-law Marika came to visit
followed by her daughter Chrisoula and granddaughters Natasa and
Maria. They brought sweets. Maria is as lovable as always and
Natasa is growing into a lovely young woman. We gave her a little
Euro gift to celebrate her graduation from grammar school. She
starts middle school in the fall which is located in the village. They
will build a high school here in the near future too. This is another
sign that the village continues to grow. Maria brought you and your
sisters an invitation to her birthday party to be held on July sixth.
She was six on 30 June. They stayed a couple hours until we were
ready to have lunch.

After lunch and our siesta, we went to Marianna’s house where I

went on the internet and you watched DVDs of Marianna’s wedding
and Thano’s christening. You said that you don’t remember being
at either occasion or having seen the DVDs. You didn’t see the
christening DVD but you did see the wedding DVD. A little memory
gap here. You really were beautiful at the wedding in your long
dress. While at the computer, I sent many emails to friends and
relatives. This is much easier than sending postcards. Dini replied to
one I sent yesterday saying that it felt funny being in Bethesda on
business without us being there. She, Nick and Nina went to some
expensive restaurant where a hamburger was $41. She sent us love,
misses us and hopes someday to come to Greece with us.

We were going to walk home from Marianna’s but it began to rain

so Marianna drove us back. On the way, we stopped and bought
some sweets. Marika had left us koulourakia which we later found
out were left in error—they should have been pastries. Natasa came
and made the exchange. We were all bad and ate the sweets we
bought saving the new ones for another time.
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There was a very nice Greek film on TV. It was an old movie, in
black and white, that Gregory said won many awards in its time. I
must admit to liking it more than War of the Worlds. The film’s
name was The Counterfeit Gold Coin and consisted of four vignettes
all connected by the counterfeit gold coin. The first was about a
craftsman who made the coin. He was an honorable and church
loving man until seduced from his righteous path by a man, depicted
as Satan, and by his mistress. Satan’s seduction was through words
and tempting images of wealth and travel while the mistress used
her body for the craftsman’s ultimate fall from grace. The
craftsman made a perfect looking coin that matched those in
circulation but there was one flaw, the coin when dropped on a
surface did not make the sound of a true gold coin as this was a
common test for authenticity when they tried to pass the coin, all
determined it was counterfeit. Thus, the get rich scheme to
counterfeit countless gold coins failed. The craftsman/counterfeiter
who was really a good person came to his senses, disposed of the
tools used to counterfeit the coin in fear of being arrested. He went
to church and prayed for forgiveness and was redeemed because of
his innate goodness. The incarnate Satan was arrested for theft at
the place of his employment while the woman was punished because
she now had no one and no money.

The next vignette was about a mean landlord just interested in

amassing money by collecting his rents from his rental properties.
One of his leasers was a poor family consisting of a wife, husband,
and their lovely little girl. The kind father was a house painter who
died part way through the vignette leaving the family even more
destitute than they were before his death. As is usual in such stories,
the mother became ill, she and the child were starving, and faced
eviction. The mean landlord, who had no children, was scolded often
by his wife because of his obsession with money. She observed how
terrible it was that they were childless and suspected his attitude
was at fault. All was not lost, however, and redemption was possible.
The mean landlord became captivated by the sweetness of the little
girl and recognized the errors of his ways. The little girl when all
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was at its blackest found the counterfeit coin on the street. Her
mother believing it was real asks the child from her sick bed to cash
it, shop for food, other necessities and to pay the rent. The little girl
fails because all recognize it as counterfeit. The landlord finds her
crying and succumbs. The landlord knowing the coin is counterfeit
gives her cash in exchange for the coin and tells her she will never
have to worry again, that he will be there for her.

The third vignette dealt with a beggar posing as a blind man and a
prostitute both working the same corner and in conflict. The beggar
finds the coin and spends days trying to cash it to no avail. He
figures that he can fool the prostitute that is working his corner with
the coin and thus derive some pleasure from her. All goes as planned
until the next morning when he discovers that he has a hole in his
pocket. There is no coin to pay the prostitute for services rendered.
Screaming and yelling ensue between beggar and prostitute until a
policeman comes and arrests them both.

The final vignette was about a poor artist and a young woman from
a wealthy family. The counterfeit coin finds its way into a New
Year’s round loaf of sweet bread. As is the tradition, the bread is cut
into slices with the objective of awarding the coin and its good luck
to someone in one of the slices. The coin is between two slices, one
for the artist and the other for the young women. They see this as a
sign that they as lovers should marry. They do and the young
woman is disinherited by her disapproving wealthy father. The coin
is placed into a small clay bank to safeguard their love and they vow
never to spend it. The artist has his wife pose for him. While she was
posing he asks her to say “se ghapo” (I love you) to achieve the exact
facial expression he seeks. Their life together becomes more and
more difficult because there is little income as the artist focuses on
his art. Services such as electricity, gas, etc. and credit are
extinguished one by one. Her ability to say se ghapo becomes
strained as the passing days become truly harsh. She comments that
artists should not marry since they are wed to their art. To his
credit, he does go to earn some money by painting the walls of a
local tavern and excitedly returns with the money to find her gone.
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A note in the room announces her departure. She returns to her
father, gets a divorce, and eventually marries someone that she has
known since childhood. He is a wealthy banker. Upon return from
their honeymoon, her husband reads a notice in the paper that an
artist (her artist) is having a show and that he is critically acclaimed.
The newlyweds go to the showing and there is the portrait of her
displayed and it is titled se ghapo” It is not for sale, the artist
declares, and never will be as she herself was for sale. More years
pass. The couple has a little boy. The artist becomes even more
famous and now rich. The artist and the woman meet on the street
and clearly they still love each other but too much has passed. He
tells her that he opened the clay bank and found the coin to be
counterfeit as perhaps their love. After they take leave, he takes out
the coin and throws it away while commenting All money is
counterfeit. TELOS!!! (The End).

So, OK, maybe it was hokey but we all liked it.

We went to bed at 10 PM. I give these times to show that you are
able to stay up when there is some stimulation. Of course, every
once in awhile, you do say “nahni” (sleep) in a very cute way.

Day 265 (Monday, July 04, 2005)—Happy Birthday USA!

Construction, not fireworks, woke us up this AM for in Greece it is a
usual work day. It is cool again today but nonetheless we showered
since the bathroom is warm and the water hot. When we went to
breakfast, we found that Litsa was at Marianna’s to baby sit Thano.
Marianna and Apostalos had to go to Thessaloniki to receive a
payment of some sort.

You did some homework with me. For some reason you continue to
make your Ns backward. Given that the capital N in Greek is the
same as in English, I can’t figure out why. You practiced making the
letter N as well as responding to the lesson. Following that you read
your book a bit and then announced you were bored. We went for a
walk to Marianna’s that you enjoyed very much. On the way, we
saw Voula’s husband Theodore and he greeted you with much
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affection. After the kids returned, we walked back home with Litsa
and had a lunch from leftovers and then the usual siesta. The day
continues cool and you felt cold in bed.

We had the usual afternoon sweet—bad us but we can’t seem to

escape the really wonderful pastries they make here. Marianna
came and we decided to go shopping for Maria’s birthday party.
Before we left, I noticed that you dropped some chocolate ants on
yourself and they stained your shirt. You didn’t seem to care. This is
certainly not Maria BA. I tried to clean the spots and they did clean
but of course the shirt got wet. Your sister did not approve of your
going out that way so you went upstairs and changed.

We went to the toy store Jumbo and Apostalos met us there in his
car arriving from work. We put Thano in a basket and off we went
to search out gifts. This store is by far the largest toy store we have
ever seen. It had a numberless amount of toys and related items
such as notebooks, beach stuff, etc. We bought a gift for Maria and
one for Jenna, cute porcelain doll. All and all the shopping went well
and I paid by credit card.

Upon our return home, Gregory cut some watermelon and I had
that and feta. You didn’t eat any because you had lots earlier. It was
very nice with us all sitting outside tonight.

Day 266 (Tuesday, July 05, 2005)—this closes 38 weeks since the
accident. We got up to the sounds of the usual construction. We
slept under blankets last night and boy did it rain hard. We both
slept very well. We showered and made the bed. You preceded me
down and prepared breakfast. Outside everything was very wet.

Following our meal we (meaning you) did your homework. It

consisted of 25 questions each with three terms or words that have
some association or similarity and required the student to provide a
fourth term. For example, they supplied the words: screw driver,
pliers, hammer and then the respondent would provide the name of
a fourth tool. You did very, very well. One thing that stumped me
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(and you) however, included the following words: ant, penny,
paperclip. For the life of me, I still can’t figure out what the
commonality is between these terms. I’ll send an email to the kids
and see what they say. Hey, maybe the answer that alludes us is
copper as these items may have that color. Overall, you did very
well and I gave you an “A.” We practiced more letters N too.

Gregory asked me to keep him company on his trip to the city. We

had to take two busses there. We walked quite a distance to pick up
his wrist watch, then a bunch more to go to his apartment to potty,
next stop was to get you “sporia” (pumpkin seeds), and then we
went and bought two rotisserie chickens for lunch. Gregory insisted
with vehemence to pay. We had to wait about 15 minutes for the
return bus. We got off at Panorama to buy the nice wheat bread we
like and walked far to the bakery where we bought five loaves—
Gregory permitted me to pay for these. We now had more packages
to carry and to walk with. We returned to the bus stop and it was a
good 20 minutes before it came. We changed busses at the bus
station about five miles from the village and arrived at the end-of-
the-line about 12:45 PM. More walking to the house and it was
uphill at that! I really got very, very good exercise today.

As usual you were pleased to see me and said that you missed me.
While we were gone, Marianna wrapped the presents for Maria and
for Jenna. You liked getting the sporia and you informed me that
you got your sister to make French fries for me. Greek French fries
are really wonderful. Our meal of chicken, French fries, and salad
was very enjoyable. You and I made many submarines (the Greek
term for dipping bread into the salad dressing). You had some
sporia and did your amazing trick of shelling these very flat seeds
with your teeth and extracting their contents. I was never able to do
that and your sister says she can’t do it either. Our Siesta was for
the usual hour. Litsa and Gregory did too and then they watched
Young and the Restless They enjoy it very much. They are addicted.

We went for a ride with Marianna to a nearby Goody’s near the

bay. You had the urge for soft ice cream much like we eat in the US.
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We walked a bit and then went and got our soft ice cream, vanilla
with chocolate syrup—you liked it and so did I. We walked some
more, and found a place to sit overlooking the bay. Marianna took
our picture with the bay in the background.

Since we were close, I proposed that we visit Avdela 28 where we

lived from 1962-1964. The house was still there looking much like it
did 40 plus years ago only now it was surrounded by apartment
houses. Kitsonides son, the dentist, still lives there according to the
signs at the entrance way. I took two pictures of you standing in the
mouth of the entrance gate. It was a nostalgic moment as Thalia, the
kids and I lived there for two years and you were the kids Nanny
and a member of the family even then. Just prior to our arrival in
Greece, Thalia had been diagnosed with MS. Seventeen year old you
were wonderful with the kids and would be with them and us again
eight plus years later when you arrived in the US in December 1972.

Day 267 (Wednesday, July 06, 2005)—as has become usual these
mornings, construction noises woke us up but we lolled around in
bed anyway ignoring the noises until almost 9 AM. We then did the
showering, breakfast bit and then did your homework. You did well
in both spelling and the thinking processes involved in completing
the series figuring out similarities and adding one of your words to
each. Of course you had to be cute too when you responded “Arion”
to the given words of “weight, elephant, and dinosaur.”

Next we read some and Marianna called to go somewhere only to

discover that she left her driver’s license in Apostalos’ car. Litsa
puttered around making bean salad for our lunch and Gregory went
and did his KAPI thing. When he came back, we ate and then the
usual siesta for one hour. I copied photos to the computer from the
camera and adjusted some. It really is nice to have a program for
fixing one’s photographic errors.

You, your two sisters, Marianna and Thano went to Maria’s

birthday party after Litsa convinced you to change from shorts into
jeans. Maria (she calls herself Malia as she still has trouble with the
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letter R) is Chrisoula’s daughter and while she turned six years old
on 30 June today was selected as the party day. There were about
ten kids in attendance and assorted mothers, aunts, grandmas, etc.
You met a classmate, Eleni, that you hadn’t seen in years and she
was surprised to learn of your accident. You were taken aback for a
moment when you saw your nephew Apostalos, your brother’s son.
You said it was like seeing your brother resurrected.

You told me that they had the usual food for parties of this type.
You didn’t much like the cake as you found it mushy. Since I like
mushy cake, I was disappointed that you did not bring me some to
eat. You left for the party at 6:30 and didn’t return until 8:30. You
said that you enjoyed yourself.

We had a late bite to eat. You said you wanted nothing until I got
my “tost.” Tost is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. You like what
you saw and ate a half sandwich, mine of course. After the snack, we
went inside and watched some TV and watched a movie about a
unicorn (in Greek, monokeros which literally means one horn). Niko
called from the US. Litsa answered and was thrilled to hear his voice
and his few words of Greek. All is fine at home, he took the towels
out of the dryer and our Oracle parked car is OK too. He told me
that a letter was sent to our lawyer from the Ft. Meade JAG
requesting certain information and telling us that there was a new
action person on our case as the former had been promoted. It was
nice to hear from Niko. You stayed up until 11 PM.

Day 268 (Thursday, July 07, 2005)—Marianna came for us at 10

AM as promised. We got up late so we were rushed to bathe, get
dressed, and eat. We did not squeeze in the early morning lesson.
Perhaps later!

We drove to Thessaloniki in very, very dense traffic—a trip that

should have taken 30 minutes took an hour plus. The traffic has
increased with a vengeance but the road network is still horse and
buggy. Street parking is a terrible problem and people leave their
cars every which way and double parked. There seems to be little
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traffic or parking enforcement. The traffic situation and the way
folks drive reaffirmed my decision to not drive here unless there is
some emergency. Driving in the US even in heavy stop and go traffic
is a dream compared to here. Marianna does drive well but I did
find myself constantly applying a phantom brake—she has a
tendency to tail gate.

We parked in a parking garage near the YMCA. It was a really

advanced parking structure and very impressive. You pull onto a
turntable, get out of the car, the car is turned on the table and lifted
onto an elevator where it is whisked off to a parking space. The
garage was well lighted and very clean. Upon our return, the reverse
took place after we paid for our stay. An hour-and-a-half (up to two
hours) cost 5 Euros thus not cheap but it does avoid the headache of
trying to find a hen’s tooth of a parking space.

We went to the emblem of Thessaloniki, the White Tower, which as

we know, is not too white. I still don’t know why they don’t paint it
given it supposedly was once white. I asked Gregory but he didn’t
seem to know. There is much construction around the Tower to
repave the area. I tried to take a picture while avoiding the
construction. We’ll see if I was successful. We went present
shopping at a tourist store and found a calendar for Niko and a
cookbook for Nina and one for Dini. We need to buy something for
Connie and Vicky too. We’ll make another trip to some other tourist
location to avoid traffic and parking problems.

We used the grill today. I took a couple of pictures of Gregory

making hamburgers. They were very good eaten with salad. Siesta
was next. Marianna came to take you gals shopping but you all
declined and she left Thano with us. He is a very noisy and active
kid. He requires a lot of attention.

We did two lessons in the evening and you did OK on the first and
great on the second. For these lessons, you read a paragraph (one
about the Grand Canyon and the other about the Empire State

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Building) and answered question—five with yes or no and five
multiple choice.

I was going to check email this evening but Apostalos was called
away to work--hopefully tomorrow. Marianna came back with
clothes that she purchased at Jumbo. She will give these to the boy
being Christened on the 16th.

Day 269 (Friday, July 08, 2005)—the usual construction noises

started promptly at seven but you slept through them. We got up at
8:30 and bathed. I took longer because I gave myself a haircut. To
your credit, you made the bed all on your own and then went
downstairs and made us breakfast. Litsa went to Thessaloniki to
cash a check, Gregory went to buy peas with Ellie and then the
KAPI for him. You did your lesson for today and really got an A+.
You did very, very well. I uploaded the most recent pictures I took
from our camera to the laptop and then worked on them with my
editing program. They all look pretty good now. In one, I even
“painted” an ugly kidney bean can that was on the table blue and
stuck a flower into it to make it look better. After the family
reassembled, we ate peas and pilaf with some of yesterday’s
leftovers. We seem to overcook here and always have something to
eat from the previous day.

Litsa showed me a magazine published periodically by the Mayor of

Hortiatis. It was interesting and had articles on many subjects from
how to have a safe summer to the various activities scheduled
throughout the summer in the area. One article I particularly liked
concerned the history of the area and I thought I would include my
understanding of what was written here.

The name Hortiatis is not only ascribed to the village but also to the
municipality. The Municipality of Hortiatis consists of four villages:
Avestohori is the largest with an official population of 4,789 and is
thus the current seat of the mayor and his administration; next in
size is Filiro with 3,620; Hortiatis is third with 2,946 and then Exohi
with 1,511. Hortiatis is designated as a historic district.
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Asvestohori was first called New village and established in 1600 AD
while the Turks occupied the area a location for a protective force to
guard the passage toward Thessaloniki from nearby lakes. The
population quickly increased there because it also enjoyed a
significant economic potential. The inhabitants exploited this
potential by exporting lime that was quarried nearby. Known for its
lime exports, by 1700 the name of the town was changed to
Asvestohori (literally in English, “Limetown”).

Filiro was established in the early 1930s and occupied by refugees

expelled from Asia Minor and the Black Sea area by the Turks.

Hortiatis is located some 600 meters above sea level rising from the
base of Mount Hortiatis part way up its slope. The name Hortiatis is
probably derived from and in honor of the blessed Monastery
Hortiatis sometime during the 11th Century AD. Its first inhabitants
occupied the area during the 4th Century BC under a king named
Kiso. One of the first major building efforts in the area was the
construction of an aqueduct by the Romans during the 3rd Century
AD. On 2 September 1944, the German’s as a reprisal against the
local resistance movement, burned the village and with it 149
villagers that they had locked in a local bakery. Not too long ago, the
village was designated as a “martyr” village by the President of
Greece. This is the only village so designated in the area dominated
by Thessaloniki. A more contemporary 21st Century problem is
villager dissatisfaction with the vast number (over thirty) antenna
erected at the crest of the mountain used for TV and radio
broadcast purposes. The villagers believe that such a vast array
brings or will bring health problems to them but especially their
children. There are frequent demonstrations held to protest and to
ask that something be done.

The smallest village in the area is Exohi (literally in English,

“Countryside”). The village was established in the early 1900s to
house the staff of what was then called the Sanitarium for patients
with TB. Today, it is the site of the Papanicholas Hospital. The
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former and current medical facilities enjoyed a great gift of the area
—a good climate and clean air.

Sweetheart, I hope you will enjoy this capsule of history when you
read it at some future time. I did read it to you while you sat on the
couch with your feet on my lap and my computer on you. I
explained what I wrote to Litsa and she clearly remembered the day
that the village was burned in 1944. Even when you are only eight
years old as Litsa was at the time something so traumatic will leave
a lasting impression. Here is her story:

Your mother was alerted by other villagers that the Germans were
coming to retaliate for the killing two of their soldiers. While some
said retaliation would not be taken against women, children, and old
men, others counseled all to run for the hills surrounding the village.
Your mother, Chrissy, rounded up your bother and sisters—Stelios,
Litsa, and Ellie--and she told your brother to take you all to a
location she thought would be safe. By the way, your mom was
pregnant with you. Your mother’s plan was to stay home until the
bread she was baking in the stone oven was finished—it would only
be a short time. She wanted to take the fresh bread for food and
then join her kids. When your siblings left home per instructions,
they saw a group of villagers going in a direction different from that
designated by your mother and Stelios chose to follow them—he felt
safer as part of a group. A villager noted they were without an adult
and told Stelios he and his sisters needed to be with your mother
and he obeyed. As he started back towards home and at the point
where the trail was at a crossroads, one road leading to the area
designated by your mother, your mother appeared and led all to
safety. Your father, meanwhile, was already away from the village
herding his animals and managed to locate the family that same day.
The Germans did search the open areas of the hills (Litsa said they
could hear gunfire) but the Germans feared to go into the woods
and be subject to ambush by the resistance. Your family lived in the
woods in a primitive shelter constructed by your dad until late
November when it appeared safe to go back home. When the family
returned home they discovered it had been ransacked and many
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precious belongings stolen. Since most of these belongings were
clothes, Litsa believes other Greeks were the thieves. Not a pleasant
piece of history for Hortiatis or your family.

After our siesta, you and I walked to Marianna’s and Apostalos’

house. You were entertained by her and Thano while I went to
check on any email. We received several in response to my
“Greetings from Greece” email. It was nice to hear from home. Nick
and Nina both sent their love, Connie wrote as did Dino, Bill
Torpey/Priscilla said hi too. I got an email from Fred McDougal
confirming Connie’s info that BAI is to move to Tyson’s Corner
area in Virginia with Analex in November. I’ll have to think about
what I will do with all the stuff in my “consultant’s office.” I don’t
know if Analex will provide me with one or even if I want one there
—I don’t much like the drive to and especially from Tyson’s—my
experience is not pleasant with that drive if after 2PM. It looks as if
my working days may come to a close. Another thing Apostalos and
I did was to use his scanner to scan a picture of your father as a
Private in the Greek Army taken on 7 July 1924. The scan worked
pretty well and I don’t think it will need to be repaired.

Litsa, Ellie and Gregory came and off we went to visit your cousins
Panayotis and Georgia Mane. They had invited us yesterday to come
at 7 PM for some pita. Marianna and Apostalos came later when we
found out it was Georgia’s intention to invite them too. Georgia
made spinach pie, a sweet squash pie, and even dolmades. I focused
on the squash pie, it was delicious and you stuck with the spinach
pie and likewise found it very good. She also made us American style
coffee which I managed to have black, you just used cream. As the
final item to top everything else off she had some very tasty ice
cream. We all chatted while feeding our faces. You told everybody
what you learned happened to you when hit by the pickup truck
and saving Jenna. You did a good job in general chatting as well as
holding forth about your accident. We left there at 9:30 PM.

Day 270 (Saturday, July 09, 2005)—there was no construction work

today but the church bells sounded at their usual 7 AM. Shortly
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thereafter we got up because today we were to have a big adventure.
After breakfast with Gregory and Litsa, we took the two busses
necessary to go to Thessaloniki. You tolerated the trip very well and
had no problem getting on and off the busses. It is a good thing that
we board early enough on the route to be assured seats. While you
tolerated the trip, you weren’t particularly happy on the bus as it
negotiated the serpentine curves.

We got off the bus about one mile from our initial and ultimate
destinations. Our first stop was Litsa’s Thessaloniki apartment, she
needed to unload some stuff and get my Greek-American/American-
Greek dictionary. Next, we walked to what we would call the
Farmer’s Market and what in Greek is called the “People’s Market”
(laiki). Everyday throughout the city, streets are closed off to permit
farmer’s the sale of their produce and others to sell their wares
(such as skirts and stuff). The place was jumping and after just a
short time we were loaded with purchases. We teased you by letting
you carry a package with some sponges and parsley. You announced
that you could manage the load.

We took a cab back to the village. I am angry with myself for getting
angry with you during this phase of our journey back. It was a small
cab and you got into the back seat first, followed by me and then
Litsa. For some reason, you would not scoot all-the-way across the
seat next to the door. I told you move, I pushed, to little avail. I don’t
know if you did not understand what was wanted of you or if you
were (you thought) being cute. Finally, you did get you over so Litsa
could squeeze in. I was not happy with your intransigence. I’m still
not sure what was going on. Later, I apologized for my anger and
you apologized for you behavior. The ride was not very comfortable
and Litsa said we should have waited for a larger cab.

At home, we unloaded the grocery bags, and Gregory made a

beeline to his favorite KAPI. At about 1 PM, he returned and we
had lunch. We grilled bratwurst we bought a couple of days ago at
the German owned supermarket. To that, was added those
wonderful Greek French fries, salad, fried eggplant and green
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peppers (ugh from me for the latter two, you liked them). After that,
we bathed and then went for our siesta. You slept for about two
hours. You have the weekend off from lessons.

The evening continued in a relaxed mode until 9:45 PM. While we

were watching TV, your sister-in-law Marika and her 6 year old
grandchild came for a visit. We were watching a Greek comedian
who was skirting the limits of propriety for little ears to hear. I
asked Gregory to change channels and he did. About 10:10,
however, you gave up and we went upstairs to sleep. You got the
hiccups and we tried the hold your breath bit to no avail. Finally, I
gave up and went to get you something sweet. Guess what? Marika
and grandchild were still here. I got you a half-teaspoon of cherry
jam, you ate it and away went the hiccups. Something sweet and an
immediate cure. Amazing! We had our lights out at about 11:15 PM.

Day 271 (Sunday, July 10, 2005)—what a busy day we had today.
The church bells awakened us at 7 AM. We went downstairs about
7:15 so you could take your bone building pill. You did make me
breakfast of coffee and cereal and ate the same when it became your
after pill time. We dressed and went to church with Litsa at about
8:30. The church really filled up as there were two memorial
services following the liturgy. Today, we supplied the wine for
communion and the oil for the candelas of the church. After
services, I engaged in a tradition I’ve never seen done in the US
Orthodox church or anywhere for that matter. Last night we
received seven loaves of sweet bread that we ordered a couple of
days ago. The bread was sliced and blessed and at the conclusion of
the services, I stood outside of the church’s main door with the
bread in a basket. As parishioners filed out they took a piece of
bread and offered a blessing for God’s help in making you healthy.
Gregory said that he had done the same thing for you about a
month after your accident.

We came home and changed from our Sunday clothes into

something we could travel in. Marianna’s in-laws, Thanasi and
Alkesti, came about 11 AM and off we were for the 90 minute car
320
trip to Vergina. This was where Alexander the Great was born and
where Philip II, his father, had a Palace. His tomb, with others, was
found in the area in 1977 by Manolis Andronicos with excavation
completed in 1984. The tomb was something to see as were the
artifacts. The art work was beautiful including golden diadems and
weapons. They even had a silver service on display used during
festivals and parties.

Thanasi gave us a present of a very, very nice book written in

English by Andronicos which tells the whole story of the area and
the excavations. We also visited the Palace grounds and the size and
scope was truly magnificent. The defensive walls are more than 250
meters in length and two meters thick. The internal walls of the
palace are 180 meters in length. The palace was constructed in the
last years of the fourth century BC. There was a drawing at the site
depicting how the archeologists believe it might have looked.
Anybody with a little imagination will view these ruins in awe—as
by the way, you did. You were most impressed. We also visited the
amphitheater which is 60m to the north of the palace. It is believed
that Phillip II was assassinated here in 336 BC. It was interesting to
note that only the first two rows for seating were made of stone, the
rest apparently of earth and wood. There didn’t appear to be any
special seats for the King and retinue and it is surmised that a
portable wooden throne was moved into place on the occasion of the
King’s attendance. The Kings of Macedonia trace their lineage to
Heracles.

Thanasi told us the myth on how an early king of Macedonia

selected the site of his palace. This King Karanos (I later found out),
the founder of the Macedonian dynasty, supposedly saw a herd of
goats going up a hill in the area. He reasoned that where they
stopped to graze would be a good location for a palace. He followed
them and sure enough, they grazed in an area that was commanding
(with a beautiful view of the plain stretching before it), it was cool in
the summer, and with plentiful water. The area was called Aigai
which is a term meaning goats. This was the first capital of the
Macedonians.
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Following our archeological adventure, we went to the town of Veria
for lunch. We sat in a restaurant that was perched on the top of a
hill and enjoyed the shade, a cooling breeze and a good meal with a
bottle of the local white wine. You ate well and were really hanging
in there with all of the activities. We also stopped to buy some of a
local sweet that this town is famous for—Revani, a cake steeped in
syrup—a wet cake, if you will.

Thanasi suggested that since we were in the area that we visit a

church of some fame. The Church is called the Holy Virgin—
Summela. Summela was a place in Asia Minor where many Greeks
lived until cast out of the area by the Turks in 1924. Talk about
ethnic cleansing! Those cast out by the Turks left with some of their
possessions, their most prized one an Icon of the Holy Virgin. They
built their church to house the Icon high up in the mountains. The
road leading there is serpentine with many, many hair pin curves
and that climbs higher and higher. As you reach the heights, the
climate becomes very refreshing and the quality of the air
invigorating. This part of Greece is very green with many trees. The
visit to the church was interesting but you were not thrilled with the
road and its twists and turns. We lit candles and kissed the icons. I
even purchased Icons of the Panaghia for Connie and Vicki.

The trip from the church this time travelling in the direction toward
home was equally harrowing as the road fished hooked
continuously. We were looking for the national highway to start
back to the village. Eventually we could see it from the road we were
on in the distance. Getting there was another matter and that too
was an adventure. Thanasi looked as if he knew where he was going
but he took many wrong turns and we could not find an entrance
onto the national highway—he finally stopped and asked for
directions and we were soon on the way home. The road we got on is
a recently completed national highway. It really is a great feat of
engineering and must have cost big bucks to construct. There were
many (and I mean many) tunnels carved through the mountains one
of which was at least 2 KM in length. Quite impressive! It took
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another 90 minutes to get home after we found the highway.
Through it all, you were a real trooper.

After we returned home, you chatted with Litsa. I had some of the
Revani that we bought and then we went up to shower. At this point,
you decided to rest. I could not object to your going to bed early
given your good attitude throughout the day. You were terrific!

By the way, you seem to have finished engaging in “confabulation.”

I haven’t detected you making up any stories to fill in memory gaps
for some time now. As I have said, earlier in this rather long
journal, you now seem to know who is who and who belongs to
which person. Once again good for you! I haven’t used the term for
awhile, but your cognitive dots are being joined. You are still not the
BA Maria but I continue to see positive steps in that direction.
Physically too, you are getting better. Your ribs seem to be
improving and since we have been here, you have tolerated wearing
a bra. I couldn’t get you to try wearing one earlier but your sister
has been a good influence. You are dressing better, doing your hair
better, and generally doing more things for yourself. You continue
to voice a degree of homesickness and stated that six weeks is too
long. I, however, feel the interaction with people and the
surroundings are of a great benefit to you.

There was a lot of noise. Marianna and Thano showed up and you
decided to come and join us all after what became brief rest. We all
sat comfortably in the courtyard and chatted. After Marianna and
Thano left, we went inside where we had melon and watched an
American made romantic-comedy. You enjoyed it and we stayed up
until after 11 PM.

Day 272 (Monday, July 11, 2005)—nothing much to report today.

We did all of the usual things plus I uploaded pictures from the
camera and read many pages of this journal to you. I do that to
correct obvious errors in the journal and I do make them. Also, I
want to make sure what I write makes sense.

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We ate lunch, had our siesta and then walked to Marianna’s home.
While there, I got on Apostalos’ computer and looked for email. We
walked home in the sun but it was quickly turning cloudy again.
You chatted with your sister while I worked with the computer. You
came back to me and I asked if you wanted to do homework and you
agreed. You did two lessons designed to make you think. One was to
select the word that did not match the category of the four other
words listed and the other was to read a paragraph about Eli
Whitney and answer questions. You did OK on the word lesson but
I would not say great. You did much better with Eli Whitney.

Gregory bought watermelon and we had some in lieu of dinner. The

watermelon was not nearly as good as others we had. We tried
honeydew melon and that too didn’t quite make the grade either.

Day 273 (Tuesday, July 12, 2005)—this day closes 39 weeks and thus
it is nine months since your accident on 12 October 2004. What a
monstrous day that was. Thankfully you do not remember since
there was much physical pain involved for you. But, all of us that
love you certainly felt much mental pain. As I’ve described
elsewhere, I have never felt such complete anguish.

The tintinnabulation of the church bells and the not so

tintinnabulation of the construction work awoke us as usual. The
story to tell about the wee hours of this morning (about 12:30 AM)
was that you had to go to the bathroom and got disoriented in doing
so. First, you had trouble opening the sliding door and I got up and
helped you. Next, you turned left into Litsa’s and Gregory’s room
instead of to the right and the bathroom. You even turned on their
light. You woke them up and your voices got me up and I asked why
I was not invited to the party. Apparently, you were more asleep
than awake. Thankfully, you did not turn in the direction of the
stairs—they are hard as only marble can be and a fall would be
disastrous. The door leading to the stairs remains closed. This
morning when you awoke, you told me about this dream of walking
into….I told you, no dream. You pronounced yourself a jerk.

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We ate breakfast and then bathed. You hung things outside to dry,
we went downstairs again and you read your book while I continued
to make corrections to this journal. Marianna came and off we went
with Lisa and little Thano to Carrefour. Thano was in a car seat this
time and he really seemed to enjoy being high in the car and having
the opportunity to look around. He was quite for the entire trip. He
was quite in the store too riding around in the shopping basket.

We did a lot of shopping and bought a lot of stuff for the house. We
bought two chickens for lunch but I sneaked in my first gyro
sandwich since arriving in Greece. It was delicious. You sneaked in
some rice made with muscles, shrimp, and I think bits of chicken.
You enjoyed that. We even bought a frozen apple pie to make later
(it certainly did not match US versions). You were disappointed that
they did not have Cool Whip.

After lunch, the traditional siesta was enjoyed by all. Following that,
we did two lessons and you did “fabulous darling, simply fabulous.”
You are catching on and your writing is improving. By the time we
leave, you should be aces. By the way, you are still expressing a
readiness to leave, like now.

I’ve been reading the book Marianna’s father-in-law gave us—

Vergina, the Royal Tombs by the archeologist and excavator Manolis
Andronicos. It is very interesting but frankly when it gets into too
much detail one needs to speed read i.e., skip.

Day 274 (Wednesday, July 13, 2005)—what noise we had today from
the construction people. They were packing up and throwing the
pipes from their scaffolding into a truck and yelling instructions to
each other. There is more work to be done but by others such as
installing windows, the floor (probably tile of some sort as is the
norm here) and so forth. Our hope is that it will not be as noisy
work. You, by the way, slept through the noise and the usual
morning church bells.

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I went into the sitting room to read but Litsa and Gregory were up
and thus we chatted. At 8:30 I got you up. We had breakfast and
then bathed, shampooed your hair and dressed. Your sister
convinced you to use your hair dryer to help style your hair when
you combed it.

Apostalos was here when I arrived downstairs. He was waiting for

the new village post office to open. He said they are supposed to
open at nine but it did not open until 10—Greek-style, he said.
Apparently, unbeknownst to him one must still go to the post office
to get one’s mail (they were supposed to deliver if you had a mail
box and he had one). He failed to do go--hence when the phone
company sent the phone bill he never got it, did not pay, and as of
last night had his service cut. Starting it up again will be a pain and
of course an extra charge.

Apostalos took you and Litsa to visit Marianna and to do a load of

wash. They have a washing machine. The clothes to be washed are
all mine. In the old days, I would wash individual items by hand
practically on a daily basis but I guess I have grown lazy especially
now that I know there is a washing machine close by. Litsa, by the
way, still does the clothes while in the village by hand. She even did
our bath towels yesterday. Litsa hung the clothes at our house
clothes line and they dried very fast in the sun. She was kind enough
to fold and you put the clothes away.

We ate chili and tomato flavored spaghetti for lunch. Boy, were they
hot. Chicken and salad supplemented the pasta. After our siesta,
Marianna came and Litsa went to baby sit. You, Gregory and I went
with Marianna for a ride. She needed to get some stuff at Carrefour
and then Lidl. Gregory bought a bunch of bratwurst from Lidl as he
very much enjoyed them when last we grilled them. I bought a
brighter night light to guide your way and hopefully prevent you
from making any wrong turns.

Day 275 (Thursday, July 14, 2005)—the thunder crashed and

lighting lit the sky during the night. At one point, I thought the
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thunder was in our very room it was so loud. You, however, slept
through it all you told me the next day. It also poured down rain.
You did say that you heard the rain sometime during the night.

We awoke in the morning later than usual to the delicious smell of

spinach pie cooking. Ellie used the dough she made yesterday and
rolled into her “village filo” and used a type of spinach she grew
herself. To that she of course added eggs and feta. The result was
delicious and we ate some for breakfast. Today is cool 70 degrees so
we are both wearing jeans. It is cloudy and the storm clouds seem to
be gathering again. They did and let loose—another downpour. We
heard on TV that parts of Thessaloniki got flooded and then saw
pictures of people bailing out there ground level apartments and
stores. The weather is staying cool today and it is raining off and on.
This is not at all weather for Greece in July.

Today will end up being one of those super restful days. You are a
little bored and express a desire frequently to be back in
Kensington. I am disappointed in many of our and your friends and
relatives. I thought more would visit and thus provide you with a
diversion. Your sister and Marianna have been great. They are both
very, very hospitable, very kind and understanding. I really have to
remind them to let you or even ask you to do stuff. You, in most
cases, are content to have others do for you right now. Not the BA
Maria style at all!!

We spent most of the day inside. We walked to the sweet shop and
bought some pastries for everybody. We had one each too and I
decided I am going to try to avoid them in the future. They are tasty
but as you like to point out “a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the
hips.” My hips are growing.

We walked to Marianna’s. Apostalos just finished synchronizing his

laptop with his desktop and I was offered the opportunity for
checking my email. Yesterday, Apostalos went to the telephone
office to pay his bill and restart his phone service. He found out that
his phone bill had been padded by some internet site that redirected
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his connection to one that he had to pay for. The telephone company
while sympathetic still wanted their money. They pointed out that he
was lucky because others have paid thousands of Euros because of
this scam and he only had a 30 Euro charge.

We got an email from Niko, from Kathy and another from Bob.
They had been to the beach for a week with Bob’s brother and his
family. They both sent love and hugs. Fred from BAI wrote and said
that Bill Torpey has been offered the job as President of BAI. We’ll
see what happens. After the email bit we returned to the house and
sat and chatted some more. Apostalos and Marianna came too and
he fixed an extension cord for me so that I could run electricity
outside for use with my lap top.

Day 276 (Friday, July 15, 2005)—we got up at 8 AM and you

jokingly asked if we are going home today. No construction noises
this morning to awake us. You had a restless night probably due to
no pill. We’ll try a quarter pill tonight. Both Dr. Lee and the NRH
folks said we can stop it as long as you don’t get agitated during the
day. We’ll see how you behave today. At 10 AM you are fine. Earlier
you made breakfast and cleaned up, then we showered, you dressed
in jeans and a jean shirt (it is cool again today), you hung out the
damp towels, and we made the bed together. Of course, you combed
your hair and applied some make-up too.

During the night and the many times I got up, I reflected how the
village changed over the more than 20 years we have been coming
just from the changes in the noise we hear or the lack of certain
sounds or sights. During the day, there are people hammering and
other construction noises indicative of village expansion. There are
fewer partially completed houses while people save money to finish
them and now you can get loans. There are no sounds of donkeys
braying and very few chickens chattering or crowing--an indication
that agriculture is no longer the principal occupation of the
villagers. In fact, I’ve only seen one flock of goats in the fields since
we’ve been here and within the village confine saw no indications of
their passage. We’ve only seen one donkey munching away in
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somebody’s yard. At night, while you hear occasional dog barks and
cats mewing or fighting they are not nearly what they were in the
past. Apparently, some type of animal control is at work. At 3 AM it
really is very, very, quite and the mountain air delightful.

Gregory was off to the KAPI and your sister had an appointment at
the beauty shop and asked you to go and keep her company. She
was disappointed when you said no so I intervened and convinced
you to go. Upon return, you said there was nobody to speak to so
you read a magazine. When you got back, you gave me a spinach pie
snack. I was still working on reviewing this letter-journal and
adding new items. You were dissatisfied with the book you were
reading so I gave you a new one. We’ll see how that goes. I
encourage Gregory to go to the KAPI because I don’t want to feel
like a burden and besides I like to read and enjoy the courtyard. We
both stay happy that way.

We did two paragraph readings today for homework: one about the
Pyramids and the other about the Roman Coliseum. You were not
to with it and the best grade that I would give you if I were to grade
you is a C. Well, we’ll keep working, you have done much better.
Since you were not into academics in the past that might be the
problem with what we are doing: it smacks of school. Your memory
seems to be as perfect as we could expect of anybody’s memory—
both short and long term.

After we ate Lunch, we napped and then went for a walk to Haghia
Paraskevi. We sat under the trees on a park bench and chatted. It
has been pretty cool today and we both had jeans on. Marianna and
Thano came soon after we arrived back at the house. He was
sporting a haircut, his curly locks had been shorn. He looked pretty
cute. I took his picture sitting on Gregory’s lap. After a bit Gregory
went to KAPI again and Marianna disappeared. After she left, you
told me she was going to Panorama for Gyro sandwiches. She came
back loaded with them. I wanted to pay for them but she refused.
When she went inside, I gave you money to give to her and you
convinced her to take it. The sandwiches were really crammed full
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of stuff and the French fries tasty. You didn’t want any gyro but did
eat French fries and the pita bread from one of the gyros. Thano is
used to seeing us now. He sat on my lap and ran around the patio
with me. He allowed you to give him some French fries.

Day 277 (Saturday, July 16, 2005)—you had a very restful sleep
while I seemed to get up every two hours. We ate breakfast, then
bathed and dressed. You and Litsa did your fingernails. I gave
myself a haircut. You got your book and read for quite awhile and
even got a little sunburn while doing so. I finished checking and
correcting earlier entries of this letter-journal and then made an
extract for submission to the Washington Post writer Mike Ruane
should he want it for a follow up article. I started from Day 134 to
Day 276 which was yesterday.

The day was cool and very nice. We did the usual things for the
majority of the day but this was in anticipation of going out in the
early evening. The news of the day is that we went to a Christening
of your first cousin’s child’s child. Evangelia son Iani christened his
son Haryton (a very unusual name) in St. George which is very near
the house. You wore the flowered skirt you bought in the US with a
green top and a linen jacket. You looked very nice indeed. The
Christening was to begin at 7 PM but as usual in things Greek it
began at 7:30. That’s ok, we had seats and waiting in church was
not too tiring. You had the chance to greet many relatives during the
evening but were pretty quite. Perhaps there was too much sensory
stimulation for you. At any rate, the Christening took the usual hour
or so, the child was immersed in the baptismal font, then dressed in
his new white finery. He took the whole ceremony very well.

Upon exiting the church, we congratulated the parents, received a

boubouniera with its almonds and a little cup of ice cream. Your
cousin invited us to the celebration dinner which was at Tsitsos’
restaurant. A granddaughter of Tsitso is the Nona and thus this
location was very convenient and very close-by which made it good
for us as no car was required. Our whole immediate family to
include Marianna and Thano walked there and we sat at a nice
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table. Soon we were joined by Evangelia, her husband, and Iani’s
wife’s parents. There was quite a crowd of people at the celebration
both old and young adults and lots of kids running to and fro.

The meal was substantial and the service excellent. The meal started
with drinks. We, and all at our table, had Retsina wine with Coca
Cola. Next came feta cheese with bread, then salad followed by roast
potatoes. The main course consisted of one of a variety of offerings:
grilled chicken breast, souvlakia, grilled pork chop or hamburger.
We shared the grilled chicken breast and the pork chop. We did not
stay for dessert but left at about 9:45 PM. When we left and as
exiting we said goodnight to a young women who you were very
gracious to but I had the feeling you did not recognize. She was
Christina, your cousin Voula’s daughter. When I told you, you
apologized to her and gave her a kiss. She is a very pretty young
lady in her early twenties.

We went to bed at about 11 PM but it was noisy outside. I figured

the Christening party turned into a dancing party given the
significant number of young people there. The Greek music was
pulsating into our room until 2AM or so.

Day 278 (Sunday, July 17, 2005)—I guess we were tired from last
night and we got up late and thus did not go to regular church
services. Since we lighted candles, etc., and prayed last night,
hopefully we will be forgiven for this lapse. Also, you had to take
your bone pill today which curtails your movement for ½ hour. We
had the usual breakfast bit following your pill wait.

We read a lot today. Later we anticipate a visit from your cousin

Anna. Her sisters, Evangelia and Helen, live in Canada. You now
understand this relationship and the fact that Evangelia is married
to Rudy. In March (the 20th to be exact), you had a big problem
getting this straight and you got very agitated as did I.

You sister made delicious stuffed squash for our luncheon meal
today as supplemented by the usual salad. We did the siesta bit and
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when we got up we awaited the arrival of Anna. She came right on
time. You ladies had a nice chat with her during the 2½ hours she
was here. When she left, it was about to storm. She was lucky
because when it did start raining she had already boarded the bus
and in Thessaloniki it did not rain. Here it rained a lot.

While you guys were chatting, I went and used Apostalos’ computer
to check email. We received one from Connie and one from Niko
where he announced the purchase of a house in Washington, DC
near Van Ness. Another email was from Mike Ruane from the
Washington Post. He asked that I send them a letter outlining your
progress. He observed that I write well—yeah!

We had more visitors today. Marianna’s in-laws came with Thano.

They stayed about an hour. We were asked how late we go to bed
and we said NLT 11:00 PM. They were disappointed. They wanted
us to go with them to a musical review. Here in Greece such reviews
normally end at 1:30 AM and to that add the time devoted to
unscrambling of the parked cars and the trip home. We gracefully
declined because you thought you’d never be able to stay awake
comfortably. They then suggested we take a day trip on Saturday to
the village of Ourianopolis which is the gateway town to Hagion
Oros (the Holy Mountain also known as Mt. Athos). Oros has many
monasteries populated by monks with significant ecclesiastical
treasures. Unfortunately, no women are permitted to enter the Holy
Mountain. The only thing female allowed are chickens. Too bad, the
monasteries throughout the peninsula are very interesting to see.
You’ll recall that George Contis and I went there several years ago
for several days and visited many monasteries. There is a boat that
tours around the shoreline pointing out some of the monasteries and
their significance. Perhaps we’ll try that.

Day 279 (Monday, July 18, 2005)—we both slept well last night. We
got up around 8 AM did the breakfast and then bathing bit.
Marianna called and asked if we wanted to go anywhere and we
decided going to Carrefour was required for milk and such. Of
course, it is the “such” that adds up. In addition to the “such” you
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wanted spinach pie and later ate a free sample cookie and some
really interesting yogurt. We bought some luncheon items for the
home folks (and me) too—gyro, to be precise. We gassed up
Marianna on the way home.

When we returned you went upstairs and hit the sack. I stayed
downstairs and had a bite to eat and then joined you for the ritual
siesta. When we came downstairs we did some homework—reading
a paragraph and responding to questions.

The afternoon was uneventful. No visitors and no calls. Of course,

Marianna did come after going to the pharmacy and buying some
ointment for me to treat my bites or whatever they are. We ate
watermelon, feta cheese and bread we bought from Carrefour.

Day 280 (Tuesday, July 19, 2005)—this day concludes 40 weeks

since your accident. What a ride this has been. I have finished the
piece for the Washington Post that Mike Ruane will use as
background for what he writes as an update. I will email it to him.

The morning has been very calm. Your sister went to her
Thessaloniki apartment to do some wash. Gregory went off to get a
haircut and then KAPI. Ellie puttered here and there, and we read
our respective books. We both got hungry for a snack and Ellie
brought forth the tsoureki I bought yesterday. We all enjoyed a
couple of slices of the sweet bread.

Gregory finally arrived and was disturbed that nothing was done
for lunch. You were very, very stubborn in refusing to supervise
preparation or even to participate with Ellie in preparation of lunch.
You just wanted to sit. Later you said that you had to go inside and
you did help a bit. Marianna and Apostalos came and Gregory
grilled the pork chops and supplemented them with bratwurst. Ellie
fried a bunch of French fries and salad completed the meal.

We accompanied the kids back to their house where I checked our

email. Dino and Myrna wrote and Nina sent me birthday greetings.
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I sent the article above to the Washington Post. Marianna drove us
home because it was very hot. When we arrived Litsa had finally
returned. Later she went to Mariana’s, by invitation, to check out
how they rearranged their furniture. You were invited but refused
to go, another show of stubbornness.

Today, you showed a lot of stubbornness. The therapists et al say

this is a good thing as you’re asserting your personality. This, of
course, is not the first time as reflected by my troubles in getting you
to therapy. Already you have started a campaign to not go when we
return to the US. I hope to convince you to go to speech, at least,
since this helps cognition. As far as PT and OT are concerned, I
think you can skip those.

Day 281 (Wednesday, July 20, 2005)—well, today is my birthday—

72 years old. I am certainly beyond question a senior citizen. I
believe my mind is staying young and it seems to be working well
(praise God) but there are body parts that don’t move well anymore
and functions that are not functioning as they once did. Plus, I am
fat right now and hope when we return I’ll be able to diet once
again. I’ll avoid starches and such—a modified Atkins. When I am
around my colleagues, it still amazes me to think about my age
because I used to be the younger guy of the group and now I am the
elder statesman. Here in Greece, a lot of the relatives are around my
age so the differential is not as bad.

The nice thing early today was that you remembered it was my
birthday and greeted me with that salutation, a kiss, and a nice hug.
You felt bad that you didn’t have a present for me. I told you that
you were my present and that truly is the case. I need no other
present but a healthy you.

We invited all to the Kioskia restaurant for lunch today to celebrate.

Today is also Marianna’s anniversary but her husband left early
this morning for Athens on business. Next week is our anniversary.

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You helped Litsa strip and change the bed. You then went off with
her to go to Marianna’s to wash the sheets in her washing machine.
Gregory says that by next year they will get one for the village. They
do have one in Thessaloniki. Gregory was off to church—today
celebrates the Prophet Elijah. His next stop was KAPI.

You guys came home and hung out the wash and then you and I
were off walking to the restaurant. We were there promptly at the
designated 1 PM and ordered Retsina, Cola, bread and oil for
dipping while we waited for the others. For Greeks, their arrival
time was pretty good—everyone here by 1:15. We had a quite a
spread: potatoes (both fried and roasted), fried squash, tsatsiki,
salad, roasted Porto Bello mushrooms, and a variety of meats
(chicken breast, pork chops, lamb chops, sausage, hamburger). We
also had rice and mixed veggies. The meal concluded with some
sweets. All of this including two bottles of Retsina and many colas
only cost 90 Euros for seven adults. Our guests included: Gregory,
Litsa, Ellie, Marianna and baby, and her father-in-law Thanasi.
Alkesti was at work and Apostalos in Athens.

After the meal, we returned to the house with Thanasi leading us a

back way. It was very uphill and hopefully we walked off at least a
tiny bit of what we ate. The number of houses under construction on
the route we took must have exceeded 15. Soon parking will be a
problem in the village as it is in Thessaloniki.

After siesta time, Marianna and Litsa went to pick up your

Koumpara, Kati, from Thessaloniki. She is not in very good health
and her husband had a mild stroke. She also doesn’t hear very well
and given you speak softly now, you had difficulty communicating.
The visit was pretty boring, you thought. Marianna left right away
for Thessaloniki to pick up her mother-in-law. She left at 7:30 and
did not return until 9 PM with Alkesti. Marianna now had another
drive to Thessaloniki to take Kati home.

Gregory bought us a beautiful torte cake. I say “us” because he had

it inscribed with “Happy Birthday Mary and Arion,” in English.
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While it was my birthday in a chronological sense, he felt you were
born again from your accident (it is nine month now after all). To
say the torte was delicious would be an understatement. The icing
was whipped cream followed by cake, a layer of whipped cream,
cake, a layer of chocolate mouse and the final cake layer. Wow!!!

Day 282 (Thursday, July 21, 2005)—another day and it is overcast

and stayed that way all day. It was cool but humid. You noted that
we are approaching a month here and observed that it felt like two
months. You still want to go home and I’m wondering if I should
check on an earlier departure. I’m concerned that if we do, Litsa,
Gregory, Marianna will be insulted. We’ll play it day-by-day.

Another relaxing day until the news came on and we learned that
there were four additional bombings in London. I didn’t write about
the four that occurred there exactly two weeks ago that killed 51
people when they exploded at three different subway trains and a
bus. There was extensive coverage here on TV of both terrorist
attacks. The bombers committed suicide exploding their devices. In
Greece they call them “Kamikaze” bombers. Today’s explosions
occurred at three subway stations and a bus. Fortunately, there was
only one person wounded. You didn’t recognize the names of the
stations although you lived there for one year.

You insisted that today was St. Elijah day. I insisted that it was not.
You would not believe me until verified by another source—your
sister and Gregory. You did very, very well doing homework today
and I gave you an A +.

We visited Marianna and I used Apostalos’ computer to access my

email. We got a message from Kathy and Bob wishing me a happy
birthday. Nothing else significant to report.

A thunderstorm in the evening--lighting near by and very loud

thunder. We even unplugged the TV to include its attachment to the
antenna. It was over in short order and the evening was very cool.

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We are lucky to have cool weather here. Reports from home
indicate that it is very warm and very humid there.

Day 283 (Friday, July 22, 2005)—you got up early today, before the
church bell at 7:00 AM. You dressed while I still lounged in bed.
You selected a very appropriate outfit for the day and coordinated
in color. We ate the usual stuff for breakfast.

We went shopping at Praktiker and found the lava stone we were

looking for plus some grill tools, as well. Next. we went Carrefour
and bought you a nice tank top and two for me. We bought some
groceries to include chicken for lunch. Lunch went well with the
chicken and the potato stew your sisters made upon my request. I
really must stop eating sweets. In transferring the birthday pictures
to the laptop, I saw one taken of our group where I was closest to the
camera. I have entitled that picture “fat Pat.”

We had our siesta and then did homework. Today we did two
exercises that required you to read a table of contents and then
answer questions about the table. You did very well and I give you
an overall A. You only had trouble with one of the questions but you
did figure it out.

We sat outside in the shade. I worked on this letter-journal and then

read. You finished one novel and started another by Nora Roberts,
Charmed and Enchanted. It is warmed up a little and we both wore
tank tops.

The evening arrived and Marianna called and asked if you wanted
to go to a discount women’s clothing store. You really did not want
to go but your sister convinced you and I pushed too. I suggested
that you take the opportunity to take Ellie and you did. Earlier
Gregory went to KAPI. You all left at 6:45 PM and I was left all
alone until Gregory came about 9:15 and then I got worried—you
guys finally arrived at 9:45. You were in the same store for the
entire period and you were not impressed. The styles were mainly

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for young people. Marianna paid for a t-shirt that you wanted to
charge which became too complicated. We plan to give it to Maia.

Day 284 (Saturday, July 23, 2005)—to say this was a full day would
be to belittle the meaning of the statement. In fact, you commented
upon our return from our trip this day that we had just journeyed
to the US—we were gone for 11 hours with most of the time spent
traveling by car or boat. We got up at 6:30 so we could bathe, eat,
dress and be ready for an 8:00 AM departure with Marianna’s in-
laws for Mount Athos (The Holy Mountain). Actually, we were
headed to the village just outside of its boundaries called
Ouranopolis (literally in English, Heaven Town).

Mount Athos is an autonomous region in Greece located on the

easternmost leg (there are three) of Halkidiki. It is an area devoted
to the Eastern Orthodox religion and is governed by monks. The
Athos peninsula was populated by monks starting as early as the
early fourth century with specific documents citing no later than the
ninth century AD. By the mid-point of the ninth century several
monasteries were constructed and monks began to gather. There are
twenty principal monasteries that govern Athos and they, in turn,
oversee other religious communities located in their areas of
responsibility and authority. Seventeen of the monasteries are
Greek, one is Russian, one Serbian, and one Bulgarian—all
Orthodox, of course. Prior to WW II, its population consisted of an
estimated 5,000 monks and 430 others. There are no women.
Women are not permitted entrance to Mount Athos, in fact the story
is that the only females allowed are chickens. Today, it is estimated
there are 1,600 monks spread among the monasteries and their
communities—and even in this modern epoch, still no women. The
peninsula is about 60 KM in length and eight to 12 KM in width.

It took us two hours traveling a road with many curves to reach our
destination. We wanted to board the tour boat that left 10:30 AM
for a look, from a distance, at several of the monasteries. Thanasi
went off to buy the tickets and refused my offer to pay. We sat and
had some delicious “bougatsa,” a creamy cheese wrapped in filo.
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The cruise boat departed promptly for its 3 hour round trip with a
guide describing the different monasteries and the history of Athos
in three languages—Greek, English and German. It was a pleasant
and calm day and the trip about ¾ of the way down the west side of
the peninsula was uneventful. I took pictures of a few of the
monasteries and we’ll see what develops (is that a pun, or what?)
when I upload them to my computer. Typically, the monasteries
look like fortifications or at least surrounded by fortifications. In
earlier times, Pirates frequented the area and were attracted by the
reported treasures under care of the monks. These treasures are
both ecclesiastical (rare manuscripts [12,500 plus], relics, and icons)
and historic. To satisfy the taste of pirates there are gold and gems.
There are crowns, scepters, bibles encrusted with pearls and gold
and other similar valuables. The largest piece of the Holy Cross of
the crucifixion known world-wide is kept at the Abbey (Monastery)
of Vatopedi. We are told that the second largest bell in the world is
located at the Abbey of St. Panteleimona—it weighs 15,000 kgs (you
do the math, 2.2 lbs to 1 kg). Apparently the biggest danger to the
monasteries was fire. It seems that all at one time or another were
destroyed or almost destroyed by fire. What I read did not indicate
the causes of these fires but probably the many candles they use.

Again as a reminder, George Contis and I did travel through Athos

about five or six years ago for four days—permits to non Greek
citizens to travel into Athos are restricted to four days. It was
fascinating. We slept overnight at three different monasteries, ate
their food with them in a common dining hall, prayed with them,
and were offered the opportunity to view sacred relics. No payment
is required but donations are gratefully accepted. We visited about
eight monasteries. We journeyed to them by car over dirt roads and
had some scary moments looking over the side of the road far, far
below to the water. The roads were very primitive and carved into
the sides of the mountain. We even hiked between two monasteries
on a path. It’s good that my sense of direction and map reading
skills were still sharp as the trail was poorly marked and there were

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many forks on the path leading in different directions. We made it
as I recall and were very pooped upon arrival.

On this trip and when the boat turned for the journey back to
Ouranapolis, we went to the boat’s lounge and had Ouzo made by
the monks of Athos and appetizers (made by the ship’s crew). Once
again Thanasi paid. The boat docked, Thanasi retrieved his car and
we began our journey back to our village using a different route.
But first, Thanassi wanted to stop for lunch. We drove and drove
and finally came to the village of Marmara (Marble). This was on
the middle peninsula of Halkidiki. We found a nice restaurant
overlooking the bay. After many appetizers, we ate gigantic grilled
shrimp. Umm, ummmm, very good! I managed to pay this time.

The return journey began once again continuing on the new route
home—we were not backtracking. We drove and drove, it felt
endless and Thanasi wanted to stop for coffee and sweets but his
wife would not hear of it. She wanted to get home (as we did but
were too polite to say). On the way, we saw the aftermath of a very
bad traffic accident. From the looks of it, two cars crashed head on
and at high speed. There was nothing much left of the cars and I
suspect the same is true of any passengers. Police were on the scene
directing traffic that was alternating one way at this point. The
traffic was backed up which added to our delay returning home.

We arrived home at 7 PM. Thanasi and Alkesti were very, very

hospitable all day as they were on our trip to Phillip II’s tomb. As I
told you then, I’ll say again, you were quite the trooper. In spite of
the tiring trip, you hung right in there—no whining or complaint.
That’s my sweetheart!!! Of course, when we got home, you wanted
to rest and who was I to object given how good you were. You rested
for about an hour and then you were up and at ‘em. We went to bed
at 10 PM and we both conked out.

Day 285 (Sunday, July 24, 2005)—we awoke early again today so
that you could take your bone pill. Following your half hour wait,
we ate and dressed for church. We arrived at Church at 8:30 and it
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was over by 10:00 even with a memorial service. It is nice to walk to
church and that it begins and ends early. We changed clothing and
waited for Marianna to arrive with her car. She was to take us to
visit John and Roula Nikolopoulis. Litsa came too and it was not a
comfortable trip for you given you, Litsa and a car seat with Thano
in it occupied the back. I would have had you sit in the front but no
way could my butt have fit with the others. It was a 40 minute trip
to their apartment that fronts the sea shore. What a pleasant view of
beach, swimmers, and sea. We visited with them at their home for
about one hour and they were delighted with Thano and his antics.
Of course, they were delighted with you looking as well as you do.

You could tell that Roula was under a lot of stress. Her mother
recently died and John looks very bad, health-wise. They both have
finally stopped smoking—locking the barn door after…comes to
mind. John and Roula invited all of us to a local fish tavern where
we once again gorged on food. Today again, seafood rather than
meat was the theme. We had muscles (both fried and sautéed),
grilled octopus (very tender), fried calamari, fried fish, broiled fish,
tzatziki, and skordalia with cod fish. The ubiquitous French fries
and plentiful bread complimented the meal. We also had ouzo with
orange drink and cokes too. Another all you can eat spread.

We got home by 3:30 and found out that terrorists had struck in
Egypt this time killing over 80 people and injuring perhaps another
200 people, 25 seriously. They were mostly tourists. A hotel was the
target this time with a drive-in kamikaze.

We managed a siesta. Later, I caught up on writing this letter-

journal and loaded our new pictures into the computer. You chatted
with your sisters and then you all came for the slide show of the
pictures taken the past couple of days. I even added something to
one of the birthday pictures taken at Kioskia. The caption now
reads “Fat Pat’s Birthday” with an arrow pointing to my gut.

There was a nice play in Greek on TV. It was a comedy that, I

believe, was adapted from a British play about a man with two wives
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with whom he had children and how paths were crossing. It was
very amusing and you laughed a lot. It kept us up until 11 PM.
Later Gregory told me that it went on until after 1 AM when he
gave up. Thus, we don’t know how the complexities associated with
one man having two families was solved.

Day 286 (Monday, July 25, 2005)—we got up late today—about

8:30. I guess getting up early the past two days, the travel and the
food tired us. We ate breakfast, bathed, dressed, made our bed and
are waiting to hear from Marianna. If she plans to go somewhere,
perhaps we’ll tag along. You helped your sisters clean the house.
Another ata-girl for you!

We left for the village of Panoroma with Marianna, Thano and

Litsa. Marianna went to pay some bills while Litsa cashed a check
for me at the National Bank for some Euros. We were lucky while
we were parked there—a cop was writing tickets and placing them
on car windshields for those (such as ours) illegally parked. We
managed to leave on time. Next stop was good ol’ Carrefour where
once again we stocked up on groceries. I think we are preparing
Ellie for the winter.

It was hot upon exiting Carrefour and a relief to get back to the
cooler village. We ate, had our siesta, you chatted with Litsa, and
then we did homework. You read a paragraph about Cracker Jacks
and then answered a page and a-half of questions. You are showing
progress and I more patience.

A little while ago, Gregory brought a watermelon weighing in at 28

lbs. He was really huffing and thus puffing upon his arrival. While
the distance is not great to the supermarket, walking the mostly
uphill return is not fun—we’ve been there done that. Encumbered
by a 28 lbs watermelon makes it even less fun. You wanted
watermelon and of course, he complied.

The sun has finally hidden itself behind a building and the
courtyard is nice and cool. Gregory and I are outside—he is doing
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his cross word puzzles while I work on this journal. It is interesting
that what I thought were hives I now suspect are bites. But I can’t
detect the biters although I know I itch as the bitee. You don’t seem
to be nearly as susceptible as I.

Litsa, Elie and Marianna decided to go to the festival area and

partake of the festivities and religious activities preceding
tomorrow’s holiday in honor of Hagia Paraskevi. She is a martyred
saint who when pressured to renounce Christ, choose death instead.
She is the patron saint of Hortiatis and thus a festival is held near
her church annually. They returned around ten.

Day 287 (Tuesday, July 26, 2005)—happy wedding anniversary to

us—I love you baby with all my heart!! This completes our 24th year
of marriage and the first 23 years were filled with magic and with
love. This last year, at least 41 weeks of it as of today, has been super
stressful but still filled with lots of love and some miracles too. This
especially is true commencing 12 October 2004—the day of the
traffic incident and for three months following. That you survived
such trauma is miraculous and stands in testimony to God’s grace
and your toughness—the Greeks use the “setherenio” which means
“steel,” as a way to encourage someone injured or in bad health to
hang tough. You certainly have been “setherenia.” The fourth
month and after following the accident were filled everyday with
your steady progress toward wellness—you learned to walk, to talk
and to use your cognitive processes.

You have not quite achieved a return to the old you but in many,
many ways you are doing oh so well. Your memory seems very, very
good now. You don’t confuse the who’s who of relatives and friends.
Communicating in Greek and English are no problem for you.
You’re still doing a great job of correcting my Greek. When
walking, your stride still seems a little stiff but your balance and
flexibility is very good (better than mine) and you can walk quickly
when required. Left eye neglect is still apparent and you still need
occasional cuing to look left. You often appear introspective and
when I ask what you are thinking you don’t respond—I wonder
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where you are at those times. Something is still missing in how you
act and react but I really can’t put my finger on what it is.
Hopefully, it too will soon pass. I am still waiting for that little extra
sparkle in your eyes. Notwithstanding some of the downer things
I’ve mentioned, by the time we get home I do believe I will be able to
leave you alone in the house and to do some teaching. From what I
observe, you know what you are doing and you will stay out of
trouble on your own when I am not hanging around. I am confident.

We went to Hagia Paraskevi for this morning’s church services.

They were long but Gregory got there early enough to grab a chair
that he relinquished to you when we arrived. By the time services
were over, I must admit to an aching back from standing.
Nonetheless I made it to the end. There were two visiting priests
participating in the ceremony in addition to the village priest. One
of them, the representative of the Metropolitan, gave a very nice
sermon (albeit a long one). It reminded me of our Father John who
is a long sermonizer. Many more than usual received communion.

The area around the church square has vendors setting up for the
days festivities. Some are selling small stuff such as bracelets and
necklaces that are mostly for kids. Others are setting up food stands.
We huffed and puffed are way back home (we huffed and puffed
getting there too) and I for one was pooped. You held up very well.
We changed into cooler clothes, you chatted with your sister and I
worked on this letter-journal. Gregory went to KAPI. Marianna
came and dropped off Thano and she went somewhere. We await
Gregory’s return and lunch.

After lunch we had our usual siesta. We did your homework and
there continues to be improvements in that area. Our next activity
was a walk to Marianna’s where you chatted with her while I went
to Apostalos’ office. He had me set up on his lap top as he was doing
some work on his desk top. I had problems connecting with Comcast
and even after I did, there was some problem that caused the laptop
to shut down on a frequent basis. All-in-all, a frustrating experience!
Tomorrow the desk top will be free and I’ll try again.
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We walked back home with Thano in tow. You held one hand and I
the other. Given the distance and the uphill climb, he was really
great. He just kept plugging along observing the cars as they went
by and making no move for one of us to carry him. We were puffing
by our return but I don’t think he was.

Later in the evening, we went to the festival honoring Hagia

Paraskevi. The place was jumping with song, dancing, and lots of
people. The smells were delightful too-souvlaki on the barbi,
roasting corn, hamburgers, etc. We didn’t stay too long since we
couldn’t find seats but we did see a bunch of different relatives and
what was nice, you recognized them. We each had a loukaniko
(Greek hot dog) sandwich (too much bread but the loukaniko was
tasty) followed by some loukoumathis (they were very, very tasty
sweet). We returned home, sat with all to include Apostalos and
Marianna, and then went off to bed.

Day 288 (Wednesday, July 27, 2005)—the really great thing is that
you want to do homework. You did exceptionally well with the
exercise requiring you to determine which word did not fit with four
other words. I gave you and “A” as a grade.

We ate fish on the barbie today—tsipoura (porgies, in English).

They were very tasty with olive oil and lemon as a sauce for them.
You enjoyed the fish very much and did a good job of de-boning it.
After siesta and you read more of your book and I read mine. Later
I went to Marianna’s and checked email. I found that an article
about you appeared in the Washington Post, the Sunday edition, 24
July 2005. Mike Ruane wrote it based on my input. It was in their
“updates” section and thus Mike emailed me that it could not be
very long. Here is what he wrote:

The Washington Post

July 24, 2005 Sunday

Final Edition

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SECTION: Metro C02; LENGTH: 504 words; UPDATE:

Memory Recovery a Daily Task for Md. Woman

The gaps in Maria Pattakos's memory still are there. Were her
parents really deceased? Yes, her husband, Arion, gently assured
her. They died years ago. Her brother, too? Yes.

And how did the alarm system in the house work? And how did you
make the bed? And fix breakfast? Arion showed her.

Nine months after Maria Pattakos of Kensington was struck and

seriously injured by a pickup truck on a neighborhood walk after
pushing a friend's granddaughter to safety, she is still reassembling
the shattered pieces of her memory.

Five months after she was released from Washington's National

Rehabilitation Hospital, where she was treated for a severe brain
injury, her restlessness and weariness are waning, she shops and
goes to church, and she is painstakingly reconstructing the person
she once was.

Pattakos and her husband, a retired Army intelligence officer, are

currently on a therapeutic trip to the village where she grew up in
Greece.

"Is she completely the Maria of old?" her husband wrote in an e-

mail from outside the city of Thessaloniki. "Not yet.

"She still needs some cuing to do some things," he wrote. "She is not
yet the proactive person she was. . . . At this point in her homework,
she still needs a lot of help and explanation. But, she is getting there
and the hope is within at most two years she will be back
completely."

Maria Pattakos, 60, was out for a walk with a neighbor on Oct. 12,
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pushing the neighbor's granddaughter in a stroller. They were
walking along Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park near their homes
when they paused at Cedar Lane to cross the street.

After waiting for the illuminated "walk" signal, Pattakos started

across with the stroller. At that moment, a pickup truck driven by
John Paul Purcell, 54, who lived about four blocks from Pattakos,
turned onto Cedar.

Pattakos shoved the stroller out of the way, police said, and then was
struck by the pickup. Purcell told investigators that the sun was in
his eyes and he didn't see her. Pattakos suffered broken ribs, a
broken collarbone, a broken hip, punctured lungs, a fractured skull
and brain damage.

She spent weeks at Suburban Hospital, unable to speak or walk, and

then three months in the rehabilitation hospital, relearning who she
was. She went home Feb. 24. All the while, her husband kept a daily
journal, recording her progress and his emotions. He is still keeping
it: "Entries every day," he wrote.

"Her interaction with relatives and friends in Greece has been

wonderful. We have been in her home village of some 3000 people
for about 31/2 weeks now and every day is a step toward recovery.
She engages in discussions without fault, displays an improved
memory on a daily basis . . . and walks up and down the hills of the
village where we are staying: showing more and more endurance.

"The journey to wellness thus far has had its very, very low points
but we are overcoming them as they occur," he wrote. "It has had
many, many high points too and for these we rejoice."

-- Michael E. Ruane

Another email informed me that Bill Torpey will be the new

President of BAI commencing 1 September and Lew Thompson will

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be a Vice President. If this really happens, I guess that I will
continue to work for BAI. With those guys, it should be fun.

Apostalos rented a video called National Treasure with Nicholas

Cage. He lent it to me for viewing with you, Litsa and Gregory. You
were not interested and disappointed me by going to bed at 9:30
PM. This is your earliest bedtime since we’ve been in Greece. Litsa
went to bed at that time too.

Day 289 (Thursday, July 28, 2005)—the big event of the morning is
confirmation of our flight back to the US on 7 August. All is on
track for our seats and for a wheel chair to be there for you in Milan
to make the trip between terminals easier. So, my sweet, in ten days,
God willing, we will be home. You are ready to go now and have
been for some time but as I’ve said before, the stay here has done
you much good. Your sister has been great with you.

Today is another beautiful day. It is cool here in the village but once
again hot in Thessaloniki and reportedly hotter still in Athens. Near
Athens there is a bad forest fire that has burned some 1.200 homes
in addition to valuable forest area. Fire fighters have been mobilized
and the flames attacked from the ground as well as from the air.
Progress has been made but winds hamper the effort.

Today you had a good day. You made lunch for us all consisting of
tuna salad and in the process taught Litsa how to make it. You also
set the table. Lesson-wise you did very well too. You read a
paragraph about the Pyramids in Egypt and responded to five yes
and no questions as well as five multiple choice questions. You also
read your Nora Roberts novel for about an hour.

I went to Marianna’s and checked email. You did not walk there
with me but stayed and chatted with Litsa and Ellie. We received
and email from Nadine. She and Will are in California vacationing
without the kids. Another one came from Niko and the house deal
once again fell through. It faired poorly in the inspection, he wrote.
So, they continue their quest. Following email, I watched the last
348
hour of “National Treasure” with Apostalos. It was nicer to watch
on the bigger screen. He drove me home and given it is mostly an
uphill walk that was appreciated. Upon my return, we sat outside in
the courtyard enjoying the cool evening and chatted.

Day 290 (Friday, July 29, 2005)—it is another cool day—so far. We
are venturing off somewhere with Litsa and Gregory to visit a friend
of his father’s. Gregory’s father died some time ago thus she is
probably not too young. Apostalos is to drive us there if he is not
summoned to do any emergency repairs on a dialysis machine
somewhere here in Northern Greece. So far this week he has made
two trips to Kavala—a two hour drive.

Apostalos came right on time and off we went on the trip to Plaghia
located at the upper end of the first peninsula of Chalkidiki. The
trip took about an hour. I dreaded a trip back using the bus system.
Surprise, Apostalos hung there with us. We visited with the lady for
about 1½ hours. She made coffee and had sweets for us too. You had
coffee but no sweets, Apostalos and I ate and drank nothing.

When we left, we searched out a restaurant that we had gone to

many, many years ago—Saliaris. Gregory found out that it was in a
town called New Trighlia. Since it was also on the way home, we
decided to go there. We remembered them serving very, very tender
meats. We were not disappointed. You made a particular point of
saying how much you enjoyed it. So, I guess you can return to some
places years later and still feel satisfied. It is too bad that they closed
their place in Thermi which is just 20 minutes away. We did the
usual appetizers bit followed by a main course each. The guys,
excluding me, had a German beer called Kaiser (a Pilsner). It was
another of those all-you-can-eat deals and you in fact could not
finish the meat we ordered. Too many appetizers do prevent a full
appreciation of the main course.

The trip home was uneventful and the day grew hotter. We were
ready for the cooler village and our siesta. Upon arrival, we went
straight away to our bed to nap. We slept about an hour and then
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came downstairs. You and Gregory ate ice cream—I abstained. Next
on our agenda was homework. This time the paragraph you read
was about the Roman Coliseum. You enjoy these paragraphs
because you feel that you are learning something not only being
subjected to therapy. You did well answering the exercise questions.

Day 291 (Saturday, July 30, 2005)—we started the morning off early
today. You agreed to go with Gregory and I to the agora in
Thes/niki. We left the house at 7:45, caught the two busses required
to reach our destination and arrived downtown at 8:35, the stores
were to open at 9 AM. You were not thrilled with the bus ride
although we were lucky it was Saturday and thus not crowded. On
the way, I noted that there were parking spaces that during the
week were almost impossible to come by. Many flee the city for the
beaches on the weekend.

We went to a small store and ate some bougatsa to pass the time and
since I ate no breakfast. Gregory and I had the cream and you had
spankotiropita (spinach-cheese pie). Both of you did not finish your
portions since you both ate breakfast. We then ventured into the
area where all the stores (more like stalls) sell a variety of goods. We
found the tee-shirts we wanted for Niko and Alec with just the
Greek flag on the front. I also found a couple of tank-tops for me
and a pair of long pants with side pockets. They need shortening
and I trust you and Litsa will perform the operation. Gregory
bought some nice shrimp—you said you wanted fried shrimp and
Gregory wanted to please you. He also bought some green beans.

To save you the trouble of a bus ride back, we took a taxi to the
village. It was getting hot and it was a pleasure to return to the
cooler village. Upon arrival, we showered and you rested a bit.
Marianna called and she and I went to buy Cola at Lidl and other
stuff at Carrefour. You helped prepare the noon meal by making
the salad. Litsa made two types of shrimp—fried and others cooked
in a tomato-feta sauce. Both were tasty but your focus and mine
were on the fried shrimp. As usual, we enjoyed our meal very much.

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After our siesta we read our respective novels. Then, you engaged in
a big discussion with your sisters. You wanted to hear a cassette of
your brother singing and Ellie could not find it. You are very
disturbed with the behavior of your sister Ellie. You observed that
she needs much therapy to at least alleviate her handicaps. You said
that it was too bad that your parents were uneducated and poor and
thus did not seek help for her when she was young (if any existed
here in Greece at that time). My guess is that the necessary therapy
such as that administered by a speech and language pathologist did
not exist here some 50 or so years ago. You should take comfort in
the fact that she can take care of herself and really does not need to
be cared for in a day-to-day personal care sense. It is too bad that
she does things that bug Litsa and Gregory (she bugged you too)
because she does need them for shopping, home repair, etc. It is
difficult to have rationale discussions with her given her thought
processes and her speech impediment. Because we have been here so
long this time, you now find many of Ellie’s actions to be very
upsetting. Well, we only have one week to go until our early Sunday
morning departure. You also took the time to point out that since I
have no brothers or sisters I really don’t understand your feelings in
this matter. You are probably right.

The Greek singer we like very much was on TV this evening. His
name is Eleutheri Pantazis and he is a Greek who was raised in
Russia around the Black Sea somewhere. He was participating in a
program honoring the first Greek women athlete to win the Gold at
the 1986 Olympics in the 100 meter hurdles. Her family also
immigrated to Greece from the Black Sea area. In fact, all on this
particular show had that heritage.

Eleutheri produced a CD that we both loved and played incessantly

in the car before the 12 October incident. You don’t remember, of
course, but I played it to you frequently while you were in a coma
with hopes that the music and his singing would get through to you
and bring you back. I would put earphones on your ears and play
the CD for 15 minutes several times each day. To play it longer, the
experts say, would cause you to ignore it. I don’t know if it helped
351
you but I think it did and some of the readings I did support the
notion. You really enjoyed the program. Maybe your subconscious
remembers my playing the CD for you or do you just remember
that I told you I played it frequently while you were hospitalized?
We’ll probably never know but you really did enjoy the program.

Day 292(Sunday, July 31, 2005)—we went to church today and it

was very crowded and hence it got very hot inside. After services, we
went home and goofed around i.e., I read and you chatted with Litsa
and then helped make lunch again. Today, you made me green bean
salad while everyone else ate Greek-style green beans which, as you
know, are far from my favorites. Thank you my sweetie. I
appreciate the effort and really enjoyed the beans.

We had our siesta, I got up and read some more plus made entries
into this letter-journal. I also spoke to Ellie and told her she should
not stay angry at you since we are leaving soon. We’ll see if I had
any affect. [Note, it did and Ellie is speaking to you.]

It is now 4:40 PM and this certainly is a quite Sunday. Again, I must

say I am disappointed in friends and relatives, except of course your
immediate family. The people who have been the greatest in terms
of interest and hospitality are Litsa and Gregory, Marianna and her
in-laws. Your interaction with Litsa has been very, very good and
helpful to your rehabilitation. Others haven’t knocked themselves
out to see you. Chrisoula came with her Mother and kids after we
were here three weeks. She did invite us to dinner last Sunday but
we were busy with another engagement and she failed to follow up.
Aphroula took a couple of weeks to invite us out to dinner at the
Kioskia and said she would invite us to dinner at her home after her
husband returned from a trip, but that hasn’t happened either. We
only saw John and Roula once during our six week stay when we
went out to lunch with them—we invited them to the village but they
were non-committal because of John. As I said last week, he looks
bad, has trouble breathing and walking—so they have their issues
too. Voula came the first evening we came to Greece but not since.
Georgia and Panaioti invited us to their house three weeks ago but
352
have not visited here—she is very involved with her grandkids and I
heard they have left for vacation in their little mobile home. So there
are a lot of excuses but I wish these people tried a little harder to
visit with you and I sense your disappointment in them too.

Oh, well, back to reading for me while you chat with Litsa. We went
inside after it cooled some to await a program about Princess Diana.
You wanted to determine if you had seen it before. Litsa said it was
to begin at 10 PM and you said you thought it would be 11 PM but
were willing to wait if it was 10. You were correct, by the way, it was
scheduled for 11 PM.

Falling into the category of beware what you wish for was a visit by
your sister-in-law Marika and her granddaughter little Maria at
9:45 PM. This is the second time she came so late. Her daughter
Chrisoula and granddaughter Natasa are working at Costa’s
(Chrisoula’s husband) restaurant and she was at loose ends (I
guess). We stayed around until 10:15 until we confirmed the
Princess Diana show was not on until 11 PM and then said
goodnight to all. We don’t know what time Marika left.

Day 293 (Monday, August 01, 2005)—our morning adventure was

going to the church we visit before we leave Greece each time. You
did this before we got married and I have joined you since. The
church, Hagia Irene Hreso Valandi follows the old calendar and is
somewhat ostracized by the main stream church. You like to go
because somehow you feel it ensures your return to Greece and I
guess it did do just that under more trying conditions than usual.
We did go last year just before we left and here we are again—not a
small thing given the 12 October incident.

Apostalos picked us up and found the church in its obscure location

in Thes/niki. He took us last year and remembered enough to find
the church easily this year. We left the house at 9:15 to beat the heat
but it rapidly warmed up. You had to wear a skirt since women are
not permitted to wear pants into the church. Fortunately, there was
someone their to let us into the church. We bought and placed
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candles, unlighted, into holders as there was nothing to light them
with. The acolyte advised that they would be lighted later during the
service. We said our prayers and kissed the icons. I was permitted to
take a couple of pictures.

We weren’t long and off we went with Apostalos for the return trip.
He needed to stop for some florescent bulbs. It got hotter still while
we waited in the car and until he made his purchase. We returned to
the village at about 11:15 AM. Litsa had gone to Marianna's and
Gregory to KAPI so you relaxed in front of a fan to cool off while I
read outside in the shade—later you came and read too.

For lunch we had chili over spaghetti. The spaghetti was a unique
type—very spicy made with tomato, chili, and paprika. All-in-all, it
was very tasty hot stuff. Next was the usual siesta—we have napping
for one hour down to a science now. Others were still napping so we
came downstairs and did homework. You read and responded to
questions about Eli Whitney and got 100%. We also did an exercise
requiring you to add a fourth term similar to three other terms. You
recognized the similarities well but sometime found it difficult to
think of something else similar.

I walked to Marianna’s to access the internet and to send a message

to Niko. I wanted him to check and make sure the car would run
when we arrived this Sunday. We received a message from Bill
Torpey advising that he has accepted the position of BAI President.
We received another from Joe telling me the same thing and adding
that Dick Powers would once again become PM of the MDA
contract. Joe and Debbie send their best to us. Connie wrote and
said she was to go onto Bill Russell’s contract—a good thing because
she will no longer be on company overhead. She will also save about
$100 per month as she can now walk to work in Crystal City. Dino
wrote too and said the heat wave finally broke as did his TV.
Something went wrong with his tube and with this particular RCA
replacement is difficult and would cost $1100 which is more than
buying new. He also said he can get an ear operation that would

354
likely result in better hearing. Harry is not having good luck with
his new (and expensive) hearing aids.

Day 294 (Tuesday, August 02, 2005)—this closes week 42 since the
incident and is another day closer to our Sunday departure from
Greece. Gregory, Marianna, and Thano went to the beach for a
swim. We declined to go with them although later in discussion we
thought it might be nice to go tomorrow if there is some seaside
place we can sit in the shade and sip cool drinks. We walked the
entire village downhill and up (wow). That was a job given our poor
shape—we vowed to start our exercise program upon our return
home. We were searching for a birthday card for Apostalos = no
luck! The only place that might have had one was the book store
and it was closed while the owner went on vacation. Hopefully we
can go somewhere later with Marianna and find one. On the walk
back, we bought some coffee and a “koulouri.”

The beach guys came home and they really enjoyed the beach.
Thano did not want to get out of the water. The beach they went to
has a lot of nice sand, no pebbles as others have. Where they went is
called Potamos (River).

Meanwhile here, it is getting hot getting hotter—right now (1:30) it

is 90 degrees. There is a slight breeze. Thes/niki must be hell!

We ate and then the one hour siesta was followed by your daily
lesson while in the distance we heard much thunder. Today you read
about the Grand Canyon and did very well indeed responding to
questions. Marianna arrived and we went with her and Gregory for
the final shopping trip to Carrefour. We bought groceries and a
birthday card for Apostalos who celebrates today. He is 32 years
old. On the way home, Marianna stopped at Miltos and bought a
black forest “tourta.” It rained a few drops but that was enough to
cut the heat a little.

At 8:30 PM, our family, Marianna, Apostalos and his father and
mother went to “Remvi,” a combination pizza, spaghetti, ice cream
355
place. It is run by Chrisoula’s husband Costa. Apostalos treated us
all to pizza. Thano had fun running around pursued by Marianna
and corralled by grandpa Thanasi. The view of the village from
Remvi was spectacular since it is located higher up on the mountain.
The pizza was very tasty and enjoyed by all. We went back to the
house and had some delicious tourta. We gave Apostalos the card
with a cash gift. In the card I wrote in English: “Apostalos, may you
live to be 100 years old and beyond in good health and joy.”

Day 295 (Wednesday, August 03, 2005)—we arose late today to new
construction noises. I had one of the best nights of sleep in a long
time and did not get up at all for 7 ½ hours. So, what was different
that enabled me to sleep so much better? Maybe I need to have pizza
and chocolate cake each night before I sleep.

We had planned to go to the beach today but our plans have

changed. Litsa wants to come and the car will not take us all with
Thanos in a car seat. The new plan is to go tomorrow by the bus that
is especially for that purpose that leaves from the village. I guess
we’ll spend another peaceful day here relaxing.

Plans changed again! Gregory wanted to go to Thes/niki to do some

stuff and Litsa decided to stay home and catch up with housework.
Thus, we went to “Potamos” about a 45 minute drive from the
village. It was a nice sand beach and not too crowded. Since there
were no trees there, shade was hard to come-by but we were lucky
to find a small table under some shade at the local “kantina.” We
parked ourselves there and drank iced coffee, some bottles water,
and shared an ice cream sandwich. Marianna and Thano went
swimming. We stayed about 1½ hours and returned home for lunch.
Gregory had not yet returned and I started to grill the hamburgers
when he showed up. He said Thes/niki was hell with the heat. It was
warm in the village so I can image what it was down in the city.

After lunch, the traditional siesta but you were not in the mood for
homework and you and Litsa went to visit Marianna. There was no
argument from me as I thought that such a walk and visit was
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certainly as good as sitting here and reading a paragraph and
answering some questions. You stayed away until 9 PM because on
the return trip you saw Voula and chatted with her for awhile. She
says she has turned over a new leaf and no longer talks about others
(I bet!!) and is now good buddies with her sister-in-law Georgia. It
will be interesting to see how long this entente lasts.

Day 296 (Thursday, August 04, 2005)—we tried the bus-bit to the
beach today. Every day, an air-conditioned bus leaves from the
village at 9:15 for the beach at “Vergia.” The trip takes about 1
hour 15 minutes, one way, and departs the beach promptly at 12:50.
The round trip costs 5 Euros and every seat in the bus was taken.
Obviously, this is a very popular outing with oldsters and young
taking advantage of swim-time.

Gregory, Litsa, Marianna with baby Thano and the two of us joined
the crowd. Gregory insisted in paying for us—Thano travels free on
Gregory or Litsa’s lap. He was a good boy and did not fuss. Upon
arrival, Gregory, Marianna, and Thano were off for a swim and we
remaining three searched out a place to sit in the shade and relax.
We did find a location but it really did not permit us to see the beach
well. It was warm but with a breeze so it was comfortable in the
shade. You had iced coffee, I a coke and later water. Litsa passed on
wanting a drink. Later when Gregory joined us, he had Greek
coffee. Litsa has some spanakotiropita with her and the three of you
made short work of what she brought. I passed to search out some
cheese bougatsa. I found some but it wasn’t the usual type and I
didn’t care for it too much. You had a couple of bites.

The bus did depart at 12:50 for the return. I make a point of this
because Greeks are not famous for their promptness but in this case
all were there and ready to return. The trip back as was the trip
going was uneventful. Traffic was light.

So, OK, we are spoiled. We both commented that taking a bus for
such a venture was not for us—even in this relatively new and air-
conditioned bus. We are used to our air-conditioned car. Many of
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the passengers do this practically every day—a good example is
Chrisoula, her kids and her mother.

Upon our return, you went promptly upstairs to rest. You and Litsa
were not hungry but of course Gregory and I ate. Following lunch, I
completed the novel I was reading and then joined you for a few
minutes. I did not sleep, just rested. While we were doing this, it
rained a few drops but the big thing was the temperature also
plummeted about 10 degrees. A 5 PM as I write this outside, it is
now in the lower seventies. I like it but apparently the flies do not as
they seem to be hiding out somewhere.

Your friend Aphrodite came at about 6 PM bringing some sweets

she bought while visiting the island of Thasos. I was not here when
she came. I went to Apostalos to look at my email. I really did not
want to see her as I was disappointed in he overall lack of interest in
seeing you as manifested that she only made the effort twice in over
six weeks. As a childhood friend, she is a bust in my book. She
stayed about an hour so I missed her when I came back too.
Apparently, you were not overly impressed with her visit because
you had little to say.

I received two emails from Niko. In one he reminded me how to get

back to our car at Oracle and in the other he assured me that my
car was in running condition although dirty. I guess washing the car
will be one chore for the week. I do dread the mail chore. I am sure
the amount will be overwhelming and who knows what pain-in-the-
neck issues will be hidden there. Lew Thompson sent me an email to
tell me he has accepted the position of Vice President with BAI. I
hope that joined with Bill Torpey as President things will improve.
Another email was from the place where I teach and they want me
to teach in October.

Marianna drove me home--a good thing given the rain. Apostalos

was home watching Space Station 9 from a DVD. It was all in
English (no subtitles) and he was following it intently to understand

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the words. I had trouble understanding all said. I wonder how much
he got. He assures me that he can follow the dialogue.

Day 297 (Friday, August 05, 2005)—it is cool this morning, barely
70 degrees. We are both wearing long pants--a first for me in a long
time except for church on Sunday. It is overcast and we expect more
showers. It is 9:25 AM and we are sitting outside. You are reading
your novel and soon will read my archeology magazine.

At 1:30 PM we went to Panorama with Marianna to buy gyro

sandwiches for all for lunch. Upon arrival, we got caught in the rain
and had to wait it out for a short time. The drops were huge. We
went to a hole-in-the-wall called “Manderini” that makes very good
sandwiches. We bought eight and three side orders of French fries.
All were hungry by our return and ate with gusto. For the record,
gyro sandwiches differ from those in the US. Here they are made
from thin slices of meat that were stacked on a skewer and grilled on
a vertical electric grill. As you know, in the US, they make the gyro
out of a shaped hamburger meat. Thus, the taste is different but I
like them both. We also bought a tourta of whipped cream and
pineapple, topped with a thick meringue. We ate that later in the
afternoon. It was very tasty.

You, Litsa and Ellie went to visit Marianna and ended up baby
sitting. She and Apostalos drove to the small city of Drama so he
could repair a dialysis machine. We had lots of rain and plenty of
lightening and the thunder was very, very loud. After the rain
slowed up, Marika, Chrisoula and kids showed up at 9 PM to say
goodbye to us. Gregory and I were upstairs watching a DVD, The
Day After Tomorrow when we heard the doorbell. After, we let the
visitors in, we called you and Thanasi brought you home. Alkesti
arrived to take over the baby-sitting chores. You got home and
chatted with them while Gregory and I went upstairs to finish the
movie. Chrisoula brought us a beautiful icon of the Theotokos.

Day 298 (Saturday, August 06, 2005)—well, this is the day before we
leave. What shall we do today—I guess the usual = eat. We invited
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all the relatives to the Platanos restaurant and had a fantastic meal
with wonderful appetizers and individual entrées. I had the grilled
lamb chops and you had roast pork. The serving amounts were very
substantial. We drank a little wine, had much conversation, and all
seemed to enjoy the time together. We, in turn, were invited to go at
7 PM to Panorama for iced cream or some dessert.

At home we had a short siesta and then started that terrible time—
packing. You were marginally helpful and I got stressed. You kept
insisting we did not bring certain items when we had. Since you
didn’t do any of the packing when we came, I guess that is
understandable. Anyway, we got through this effort and I closed
and bound the bag with a bright yellow band for easy identification.
I struggled with it down the stairs so I could avoid doing that early
on Sunday. The whole effort required a lot of perspiration so my
next step was bathe and shave (I wanted to avoid that early Sunday
too). You opted to bathe after we came back from Panorama.

The unpleasant feature of the evening was generated by Marianna.

She got it in her head at about 5 PM to go to the beach. She and
Apostalos took off there over the objection of Litsa. In order to
accommodate us, her father-in-law Thanasi had to make two trips to
Panorama, about ½ hour round trip. We went to the Hotel Asteria
which had a commanding view of Thes/niki. It was a very pleasant
interlude. Thanasi said he would pick us up and take us to the
airport tomorrow. Everybody was miffed with Marianna.

We were on the first trip to the village. Litsa, Gregory, and Alkesti
waited for the second round. When we got home, you bathed, I
worked on packing the carryon.

Day 299 (Sunday, August 07, 2005)—we got up at 2:45 AM—we had
to be at the airport at 4 AM for our plane’s departure at 6 AM.
Marianna came to take us and, of course, the wires got crossed and
she arrived at 3 AM instead of the 3:30 time we had set up. Gregory,
to his credit, loaded our big bag into the car (and let me tell you it

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was heavy). We then sort of hung out until 3:30 before we left. Litsa
was up but Ellie was not.

Gregory came to the airport too to keep Marianna company on the

return trip. We arrived right on time but the ticket takers didn’t get
there until 4:15 AM. We processed through quickly but were
disappointed that the business class lounge, The Philipos, was not
open. Seating there would have been much more comfortable than
the terminal. Our flight departed right on time for Milano. They
gave us a little snack on the plane and just before landing at 7:30
AM we were advised to stay seated until the wheelchair arrived.
Actually, the plane stopped a distance from the terminal and people
had to take a bus. In short order, a van came and picked us up—
personnel transportation. We were then escorted to your wheelchair
and the attendant got us quickly through security (she bucked the
line for us) and into the Alitalia lounge in the international terminal.
We would stay there until the 10 AM boarding time. The attendant
then had us board first.

The business class seats were once again comfortable. The food was
OK but nothing special accept for the pasta course. The movie was
good but you didn’t watch it much. We were both anxious to get
home and it felt as if the 8 ½ hour trip was taking forever. Finally,
we landed at Dulles a few minutes before 2 PM, processed through
immigration quickly and had the usual wait for our bag. We really
need to travel with just a carryon each given the amount of clothing
we now have in Greece. Customs was a breeze too after waiting the
obligatory ½ hour for our one bag to spin around the carousel.

A taxi was waiting, we boarded and made a quick trip to the Oracle
garage. The car was waiting, responded to the twist of the key in the
ignition and off we went. It felt good to drive again after six weeks,
in a car of reasonable size and power with great air conditioning.
Our first stop was Safeway for milk, some fruit and then home. It
was great to enter our home. Nick and Nina did a god job of piling
the mail—there had to be at least thirty pounds of it.

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You were very tired and got into bed while I unpacked. I piled your
stuff on one of the bedroom chairs so you could put the stuff away
on Monday. I put my stuff away and sent stuff down the laundry
chute too. I did a wash and while that was happening, sorted mail—
stuff for Monday action, stuff to look at but no action required,
magazines to read, and lots, I mean lots of stuff to go into recycling.

Day 300(Monday, August 08, 2005)—I got out of bed at 4:30 and
read the Sunday paper. You got up at 5:30. You made me some
breakfast and I then went down to do the immediate action stuff. I
called Sheree the USFHP rehab lady and left a message. I spoke to
our lawyer and we’ll meet Wednesday in the AM. I talked to a
billing department that submitted their bill to the wrong insurance
for some x-rays they took of you while at NRH. I called the guys who
are supposed to do our driveway this Friday and left a message. I
wrote a bunch of checks and worked on updating our check register.

Meanwhile, you put away your stuff and did a load of wash too. We
then exercised, you on the recumbent bike and I on the treadmill.
We showered and then went to the Post Office to mail a package to
Maia—she is at camp and Dini thought it would be nice for Yiayia
and Papou to send her a note.

We lunched on the chicken and coleslaw that Nick and Nina so

thoughtfully brought and put into our refrigerator. I then went out
to do a little trimming. I was really pooped. Fat Pat needs to lose
weight badly.

We went to the library and got you some big print books. You did
some reading today without complaining about your eye sight. We
even went to Montgomery Mall as I needed a new battery for my
Casio “atomic” watch. We had a cold drink at McDonalds and left
for the Chinese restaurant in Kensington.

Day 301 (Tuesday, August 09, 2005)—this concludes the 43d week
since your injuries. It is cool and rainy day. I got out of bed at 4 AM
and you followed at 5:30 AM. I guess jet lag is still bothering us. We
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went into Maria's Room and read (I might have napped too) until
7:30 when you did our cereal bit. I made a phone call to the
driveway people and they will come next Wednesday instead of this
Friday. We did our second day of exercise for thirty minutes each
and then showered. Oh, yes, I cut your toe nails per your request.

I spoke to Sheree Gorden, USFHP, outpatient rehab coordinator.

We agreed that you no longer needed PT and OT but if we wanted
to continue SLP we needed another referral from Dr. Lee.

We went to the commissary and restocked on fruit, salad, and other

stuff. You were very helpful. By the way, you are now carrying your
purse on a regular basis now. You have your ID card and presented
it when we had to pass through security. When we got home we both
worked on putting what we bought away.

You cut up an onion for me to use as I prepared an onion-cheese

omelet for our lunch. You told me it was very good and I agree, if I
do say so myself. You did the clean up.

We went to the movies at White Flint and saw Wedding Crashers. It

was so-so, but you stayed and were attentive through the whole
thing. You gave it a so-so rating too.

My computer network is acting up as it did yesterday. My laptop

does not seem to want to connect so I started writing this and
precisely at this point, it connected. Weird!!! You came in and
advised you couldn’t find your mouth piece. It was on a white
surface in the bathroom (not next to your bed) and to the left.
Perhaps that is why you couldn’t find it.

Day 302 (Wednesday, August 10, 2005)—I got early—4 AM, and
tried to get my computer to behave. I did a system restore, checked
for viruses, and installed updates. I then returned to bed. You called
for me and said you missed me. We slept together again until 6:15.
You made us breakfast and cleaned up. While we were eating, at
6:40, Tonya showed up outside and was puttering around with the
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vegetable garden she planted in our garden square. We tried calling
Litsa but nobody was there or at Marianna’s.

We both exercised for thirty minutes with you on the exercise bike
and I on the treadmill. After that, we went outside to do yard work
since the yard looked terrible. I started out with the trimmer and
you started clearing our garden areas from weeds. I joined you
doing that when using the trimmer started hurting my back. We
worked for about 1½ hours and the sweat was pouring off of us. We
have more to do and we’ll try again in the morning after exercise.

After showering, we did some reading and left the house a 10:30 for
David Lease’s office, our lawyer. We departed his office at about
11:35 and off we went to eat at Phillips on our way to our physicals
with Dr. Lee. I found I-270 with no problem but then missed our
exit at Shady grove somehow and we had to backtrack. In spite of
my poor exiting skills we were OK time-wise.

We arrived at the Shady Grove Health Center about ten minutes

before our appointments. We were there for annual physicals—we
missed them last year as they were scheduled for October 15, the
Friday following the Tuesday incident. Everything appears OK. We
have several referrals for me and for you. Dr. Lee said I need to lose
at least ten pounds before I see him in October. I need to loose much
more than ten pounds overall. We found out from Carol, the admin
person supporting Dr. Lee that they could not authorize another
referral for SLP beyond the 12 visits they already authorized. Since
Sherree is away, I could not call her and discuss this.

Next, we went to the NRH/Suburban rehab center to coordinate

follow-up therapy. Fatima, the office manager cancelled all OT/PT
that we had scheduled. She also advised that we had two more SLP
visits authorized and we scheduled them with Jan Carl when she
returns from vacation. At that point, if more SLP work is required,
she will deal with USFHP. I will call Sheree next week and advise
her of what is going on. We received the letter from her advising
that visual therapy is not authorized. I will forward to our lawyer.
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We went to the commissary again to buy a few more things that we
forgot yesterday.

At home, you put what we bought away and you cut up the
strawberries and added peach brandy to make a delicious dessert.
You added some Cool Whip that you missed having in Greece (that
was one of the few items we did not find there). This became our
dinner. We then read some more, watched TV to include a special
about Peter Jennings, the TV journalist who died this week at age 67
from lung cancer. His career was very interesting as was the fact
that his father was a TV journalist on Canadian TV.

Day 303 (Thursday, August 11, 2005)—I got up at five and you
followed at six. I was working on the letter-journal and when you
came, you disarmed the door and then made us some breakfast. We
did our exercise—are we good or what, four days in a row now. We
then went out and worked for another 1½ hours in the yard,
cleaning and trimming. Hopefully, I’ll mow tomorrow, perhaps
around 7 PM when it is cooler (I hope) and the grass dry—this
morning it was very wet. When we came in, we were really
perspiring and, of course, showered. We did a lesson about Mt.
Athos. I downloaded some information from the internet and then
developed questions based on the text. There were five yes/no and
five multiple choice questions. You did very well.

I made many medical appointments for us today—two for you and

three for me. I am not looking forward to a colonoscopy. The nice
thing is that Joe volunteered to drive me when we get to that point.

You prepared Greek-style green beans for lunch (your own

initiative). Luckily, I am going out to a lunch meeting with the BAI
PMs. I say luckily because as you know, I do not like Greek-style
green beans as they are too cooked (mushy) for my taste.

This is the first time since February 24, 2005 that I’ve left you
completely alone—no sitter such as Connie or anybody else. I left
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the house at 11 AM for a BAI meeting in Virginia (the Marriott off
route 50) and returned at 5 PM. You told me that Pauline dropped
by to chat for awhile and you didn’t get a chance at a siesta. I’m
pleased that you did have some outside company today. At the BAI
meeting, I ate chicken fajita filling (no soft tortia) and a little salad. I
am proud to say that I ate no dessert and that was something
because they had several types all of which I love—chocolate mouse,
chocolate layer cake, and crème broulé. The trip back was as
horrible as I remembered it in the past when I taught for Booz-
Allen. It was bumper-to-bumper traffic from Tyson’s to the
Wisconsin Ave exit. Given the temperature was 95 degrees; it was
nice to have an effective car air conditioner.

When I arrived home, you were in Maria’s Room and contrary to

previous behavior (BA), you did not get up to greet me with a kiss.
After I changed, I came to you and gave you a kiss. Next action was
grilling the porterhouse steak outside (in the heat). You enjoyed the
filet portion. By the way, I tried your green beans and I liked them.
They were not mushy but in your opinion they also were not as good
as your sister Ellie makes. You did the clean up honors.

Day 304 (Friday, August 12, 2005)—jet lag, jet lag, jet lag—I
awakened at 3 AM, read until four and we both got up at six. You
disarmed the alarm and I went out to test the lawn to see if I could
cut it at first light. The answer was no as it was soaked from dew. I
checked email, and you made us breakfast.

This day marks ten calendar months since that horrible incident.
You have come a long way since then but still have a way to go
before you are completely well--still not too much initiative in doing
things around the house. You do make the bed and get it ready at
night. You do make breakfast and clean up and even a little bit of
cooking. But, not much activity in the house-work arena. You were
the original white tornado but not so much anymore.

We left the house a 9 AM to mail a package to Dini with presents

from Greece. Next we drove to Shady Grove so I could have an
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echocardiogram. We finished that at 10:30 and we decided to go to
Phillips for lunch. Once again, we enjoyed the meal very much. On
the way home I stopped at a sign store to price a bronze sign with
“Maria’s Room” would cost. Unfortunately, the appropriate
pricing person was not there and will call.

Home we rested and had a siesta. You then said you wanted
something sweet and I wanted a tower fan so off we went to the
Navy PX and found the fan. Since McDonalds is there you wanted a
soft ice cream hot fudge Sunday.

When we got home we had a package from Dini containing

workbooks. I assembled the fan and set it up to blow air
conditioning into Maria’s Room. We’ll see if it works—it does say
for circulating air conditioning. While Maria’s Room does have an
air conditioner it is very noisy as all such wall units are and thus
hard to tolerate.

I wrote some emails, one to Dini thanking her. I searched for a

possible movie for us and found none. It is very hot out. When the
sun goes down, I’ll start mowing. We went to White Flint Mall for a
walk. After two turns around we sat on one of the couches and
observed people. It was nice and cool in the mall and there were a
lot of people there.

It was about 90 degrees when we got home but that was better then
the 98 it was and the temperature was gradually dropping. I did
mow but was very disappointed in you because you did not partner
with me and use the light weight blower we had. So, not only did I
mow, I did the blowing and rinsing with the hose. I only did the
front and the hill. I still have the back to go.

Day 305 (Saturday, August 13, 2005)—today is another heat alert

day. After breakfast instead of doing the treadmill, I decided to mow
the lawn in attempt to beat the heat. The grass was moist from dew
which added to the difficulty of cutting it. I stopped twice to clean
the undercarriage of the mower. Luckily we have an electric mower
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so hopefully I did not disturb the neighbors. It took me ½ hour or so
and meanwhile you did the recumbent bike that you had started
some 15 minutes before I mowed.

After showering, we picked up our meds. By 10 AM, the

temperature reached 88 degrees. We went to the commissary for
milk and South Beach cereal. We returned home and you gave us
some of the green beans you made yesterday. They were very good
since you did not cook them to yucky softness. You’ve been doing a
lot of reading today which I really like to see.

After our siesta, we went out and bought some country bread you
wanted and then went to Monty Mall and walked too full circuits.
We bought a large drink at McDonalds upon arrival and managed
three free refills. You were thirsty today.

Since our return from Greece you’ve been carrying your purse.
Your purse has your wallet and your dependent’s ID. You are
watching it very carefully to avoid a repeat of what happened at the
church in Greece when you forgot it and we didn’t even realize it.
This is still another step toward wellness.

Day 306 (Sunday, August 14, 2005)—we were up early again. No

breakfast this morning since we plan to receive communion. After
taking morning meds and my reading the Washington Post we went
downstairs and exercised. Good for us.

We left for Church at 7:45 AM and arrived about 9:15. We lighted

candles, said some prayers and sat in the first pew. When Father
John brought forth the bible to be kissed, he welcomed us home,
said how good you looked, and even said that Harriet, his wife, saw
us on Greek TV. I think she must be mistaken. Church was tiring
for me today (my back was hurting) but you did well by standing
during the appropriate time without finding it necessary to sit. Our
usher friend Chris gave us some holy bread in advance and put us at
the head of the line when it was time for communion. When we

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departed at the conclusion of services, Father Steve welcomed us too
and remarked that you looked well.

Connie and Vickie came at 12:30. We called Niko and apparently he

and Nina went to Annapolis yesterday and stayed overnight. We
went to Phillips for lunch. We all enjoyed our selections. On the way
home, we stopped at Target so the ladies could do some shopping
and they did buy. They are going to the beach this coming weekend
and next and want us to go too. Maybe we will, we’ll have to check
with Dino and Myrna.

At home, we had cool drinks. You also gave them some sweet Thasos
walnuts. I think Vickie liked it better than Connie. We also gave
them some dark chocolate for the brain. They left at 3:45. Connie
had to go to band practice. We went into Maria’s Room and read.

Day 307 (Monday, August 15, 2005)—we arose early again. I went to
exercise prior to going to BAI while you rested in bed. I even made
my own coffee and cereal when you showed up. When I returned
from BAI, you told me that you dusted and vacuumed. I only hope
you did those things. You did make up our bed and did a great job
of cleaning off the cement slab at the back of our house.

I went to BAI for ½ day to review a proposal. It needed some

additional work so I edited and provided input. Since it is your
name day, when I arrived home I offered to take you to Ambrosia
for lunch but you declined—you said we should go for dinner. Your
Canadian cousin called to wish you a happy name day. Later, Roula
called from Greece to wish you the same thing. Since you did not
want to go out, I reread the BAI proposal, made additional
corrections and called them in.

We left for Ambrosia and arrived at 5:15 PM. There were a few
customers but there was plenty of room for us and no line. We
ordered a combination appetizer (with tarama, fire feta,
spanakopita, and skordalia) and chicken livers with a salad and
Greek green beans (on a separate plate). We shared everything but
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the green beans which I left exclusively for you. I brought my own
lo-carb bread to eat with the appetizers and the chicken livers. We
enjoyed the meal very much but both of us started to generate a lot
of gas while we were walking off our meal at White Flint mall.

After we arrived home, we read some more, watched a little TV and

went to bed. I was awakened by fire engines at 11:30 and because I
had so much acid reflux I couldn’t sleep. I read some more and then
made this letter-journal entry. I took some stomach stuff and hope it
works soon. Myrna sent an email inquiring about your eating
habits, etc and I replied. I told her you LOVE cola now. I went back
to bed at 2 PM.

Day 308 (Tuesday, August 16, 2005)—this day ends the 44th week
since “the incident.” We got up a little later than usual, about 7:30. I
could have stayed in bed some more given my crazy sleep pattern
last night but you were up and at ‘em. I just had coffee for breakfast
because I felt that I overate last night.

We exercised and increased our time to 40 minutes. I read that a

two mile walk each day reduces the probability of dementia by 50%.
I assume this is good for the recumbent bike.

I called Sheree Gordon, the USFHP rehab coordinator, and told her
what I found out from Dr. Lee i.e., that he cannot authorize more
than 12 visits. I mentioned that for SLP we had two to go and those
will take place next week. After an eval, Fatima the NRH/Suburban
Office manager will coordinate with Sheree. I cancelled all OT/PT
as no longer necessary. I think she saw that as proof we were not
trying to milk the system. She will keep in touch.

Bobby dropped in. He stayed about 15 minutes. He seemed pleased

to see you so well. He is talking more and more about retirement
after Kathy retires next year. The truth of the matter is that they
will have a significant income and need not work. Given the number
of hobbies he has and sports activities they both like, I’m sure he
will not be bored. He does have his health to worry about so it
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doesn’t make sense for him to retire and go into some high pressure
corporate job. We’ll see!

It is a gloomy day with rain and such. Hopefully it will only last
today since we are expecting the driveway folks tomorrow. We went
to the commissary—you wanted fruit. When we returned home, you
chopped up a whole onion and I used it to make an omelet with
cheddar cheese. I used four eggs and with the other ingredients, it
seemed like plenty. I gave you a little less then half (as you
requested) and you had rustic bread with it and I lo-carb bread. I
am giving all of this detail because you all of a sudden decided you
had not eaten. I ended up making you four more eggs with cheese.

Later after reading, I wanted to go for a walk somewhere. You

refused to go out. We did a lesson and you did well. We read some
more, you made us some dessert and of course after I ate it I
chastised myself.

Day 309 (Wednesday, August 17, 2005)—we got up at 7:30 AM. You
made me breakfast and then went to exercise while I waited for the
driveway people. You showered and dressed and I went to exercise.
You called me to tell me that they had arrived but it wasn’t them
but it was Jack Emanuelson who is a colleague and works with me
as my back-up instructor. He came a ½ hour earlier than expected.
You did not let him in—I did after you came and got me.

Jack and I worked on making some revisions to a scenario we use in

teaching while you read. He left at about 11 AM and then the
driveway people came and did some preliminary work in
preparation for covering the driveway tomorrow. They seem to
know what they are doing. They are covering it with something
called durastone which is a combination of epoxy and stones.
Hopefully, it will last the 40 years that our concrete driveway lasted.

When they left, we went to Montgomery Mall and ate Chinese. Our
next stop was Bed, Bath and Beyond, followed by Panero’s where we
bought some more country bread for you. At home, we read, napped
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and you ate your last yogurt and some ice cream too. I don’t think
you have this diet thing down yet. We did a lesson and you did not
do too well. We will try the same lesson again tomorrow. This one
required you to draw a conclusion e.g., a nail is smaller than a: pin,
a microbe, a car. You had to choose the appropriate response but I
don’t think you got the premise of the exercise.

Day 310 (Thursday, August 18, 2005)—I don’t know why I am

having trouble sleeping but I am. It is now 4:30 AM and I decided to
get up for awhile and then go back to bed and try again. You,
meanwhile, are sleeping like an angel with a little snore thrown in
every now and again. When I returned to bed at 5:30, you said hi to
me, we chatted for a few minutes and then slept until 7:15. The next
event was your preparation of breakfast for us and then cleanup.
You then went to exercise while I waited for the Dura-stone people.

The guys came just minutes after nine and were complaining about
the traffic they hit coming from Woodbridge. Even using the HOV
lane they took two hours to get here they said. The driveway looks
great. Hopefully it will hold up without a problem. We left with Joe
for Chicken-on-the-Run at noon so we didn’t actually see them
complete the job. One of the guys will be back tomorrow to remove
some edging boards they still have in place. I will pay the remainder
of what we owe them. The coating looks very substantial. The color
we selected looks very, very, nice. No walking is allowed on the
driveway for 24 hours and no parking for 48 hours. This will not be
a problem since we leave for Lewes tomorrow AM and the car is still
parked in Pauline’s driveway.

We ate as a guest of Joe and then all went to observe you getting
your hair shaped and trimmed by Marta across the street from the
chicken place (convenient, huh). It took her an hour to do the job.
Next time we visit Marta, we will get your hair tinted again. Joe and
I chatted while you were undergoing your haircut and when you
were finished, he brought us home and we went forth in our car to
gas up for our trip to Lewes tomorrow.

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When we returned home, you went to Maria’s Room to read and I
did two miles on the tread mill. You finished your book and have
started a new one. Heidi Blaker called and invited us to dinner the
following Sunday. Her newly wed daughter Ursula and her husband
will be there.

Day 311 (Friday, August 19, 2005)—I will not take the laptop with
me to Dino/Myrna’s in Lewes, Delaware, so the entries from now
until then will depend on my memory or better still any notes I jot
down. If I have to depend on my memory, the entries will be sparse.

We got up at 7 AM, ate and exercised. We packed and are ready to

leave except it is raining with gusto. So, I am writing this and you
are sitting quietly in the living room, eating chocolate, you informed
me. I will move the car from Pauline’s driveway to the mouth of our
driveway since I can’t drive on the driveway.

One of the driveway guys came to pick up the wood edging they had
to contain the new surface while it dried. He also picked up the red
tape they had to prevent people from walking on the surface. I had
hoped they would leave the tape across the mouth of the driveway to
prevent cars from entering the driveway. They did not and I had to
make up a sign asking drivers not to enter.

We packed the car with our carry-on bag and our pillows. We
departed at 10 AM, as planned. There was little traffic on the way.
We stopped at WaWa for coffee the way we used to when traveling
to Ocean Pines and also bought an apple fritter (bad us). For some
reason, we each did not find the coffee mixture to our taste and
didn’t even finish the fritter—remaining coffee and fritter into the
trash when we stopped at Denton’s Burger King. We both ate
chicken tenders, French fires (bad again), and coke with a dash of
lemonade. I ate while in the King and you made yourself a little
package and consumed your share while I was driving.

We arrived at 1:15, or so, and were warmly greeted by Myrna and

Dino. We chatted a lot and then at 8 PM, Connie and Vicki arrived.
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They said the traffic departing DC was really bad but once they
were on route 50 they had no problem, not even crossing the bay
bridge. Perhaps the earlier monsoon discouraged people.

We watched TV all together then hit the sack at 10 PM. Dino bought
a new TV since his old one went bad. This one is a 46 inch rear
projection theater style. It has a very nice picture.

Day 312 (Saturday, August 20, 2005)—we got up earlier than

everybody else (about 7:30) and thus went on the porch to read until
the others were up-and-at-‘em. The group managed to arise at 9:00
AM and we all had breakfast. Myrna made eggs and other stuff.

We left for the beach at Cape Henalopin around 11 AM. We took

the handicap permit to help us find parking. No handicap parking
was available but we did find parking at some distance. The beach
was crowded because much of it had eroded and thus very narrow.
We got you under an umbrella and into some shade. We were right
next to the fence that protects the sand dune. You had no interest in
approaching the water. Of course, you did not take a bathing suit
and only had shorts on. We others went into the water—it was not
cold but the contrast with the heat of the day made it seem so. I used
the boogey board. I offered it to others but all declined. The waves
were not great but I managed to catch a bunch and rode them into
shore. I did this for about 45 minutes and was pooped. The others
were too. We stayed on the beach to dry and left about 1 PM.

After showering and changing, we hosted lunch at our favorite

Mexican restaurant. We had chicken fajitas and they were very
good. You were stuffed. After eating, we took a ride to Black and
Decker. I wanted to see how they placed the string on the spool of
the edger. I was doing it right. Connie and Dino made some
purchases. You were with Vicki and Myrna at the Dress Barn.

Vicki treated us to a TCBY cone but you did not think much of it. I
agree. We went to the house and the girls went out to do some

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shopping. After they came home, we saw a TV movie, The Judge. It
was good and kept us up until 11:30.

Day 313 (Sunday, August 21, 2005)—again we beat everybody up.

Bobby called and said he was disappointed that they could not see us
because he had to catch a plane in the afternoon.

After breakfast, we left for the beach. This time we went to Dewey
Beach in hopes that it was in better condition. We did find
handicapped parking right next to the ramp leading to the beach.
This is a good thing given all of the stuff we were hauling. The beach
was in good condition and we managed a place near the water. After
setting up, we all went in while you guarded our belongings. The
waves were less than inspiring but I did manage to ride some and
Connie took pictures of me the great surfer. The big event was that
Myrna and Vicki convinced you to get your feet wet. You came to
water’s edge and got in up to the height of your ankles. This was a
very good thing and I complimented you all over the place.

We left the beach about 2 PM. After showering we had an all-you-

can-eat buffet at the house. Dino grilled all types of sausage and
some hamburgers, Myrna had stuffed peppers, squash pie, a squash
fritters plus more. Once again, we stuffed ourselves. We went to visit
Jim Linnen and his wife Gabriel (Gaby) who now live in Lewes near
the Cape May ferry. Jim worked for me a long time ago when I
commanded the 902d MI Group. They have a huge house that
includes an elevator. They live on the third floor while their
daughter uses the second floor. The daughter was visiting with her
four daughters—she is a doctor and so is her husband and he is
currently serving in Afghanistan. Jim and Gabby are collectors and
their house was chock-full of stuff. We stayed about an hour. They
were full of compliments about you.

On the way back home, we stopped at DQ for a soft ice cream

chocolate dipped cone. It was much better than TCBY. At home, we
watched Mystery Woman on the Hallmark Channel.

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Day 314 (Monday, August 22, 2005)—we got up at 8 AM. You
dressed and went to the porch and I did some packing and then
dressed and I joined you on the porch. Myrna was there. We chatted
a bit and then Dino got up and we had breakfast. We loaded the car
and left at 9:37. You agreed that we had a very nice time. You did
not get restless during our whole stay and participated very nicely.

The traffic was light as expected. We arrived at the restaurant Red,

Hot and Blue, near Annapolis, at 11:15 and ordered our whole slab
of dry ribs to take home. We got home at 12:10, unloaded and ate
our lunch. We unpacked and threw stuff that needed washing down
the laundry chute. You went downstairs and started the wash.

We had a brief call on our answering machine from our brother-in-

law Gregory. I guess he was worried when we did not call on
Saturday. We forgot to tell them we were going to Lewes. We called
back but got no answer. We then called Marianna and spoke to
Apostalos. Litsa and Marianna with Thano went shopping. I told
Apostalos that I sent him and email but he doesn’t often access his
email. He said he would (later he did reply to my email). We
received another book from Greece written by Uncle Stelios.

You called Pauline and left a message on her answering machine

and then you called the Reatigs to wish them a welcome home.
Suzanne was at work but Noonie was there and came over to visit
with you. Meanwhile, I was catching up with this letter-journal.

We went to White Flint Mall for a walk. Initially you did not want to
go until I pointed out it was good for our health. One circuit of each
floor took us a total of 25 minutes. When we came home, I tried to
get you to blow the leaves off of the front porch—you were not
ready to do that so I did the job.

Dini sent us pictures from their trip to Boyd’s. They looked very
nice and Alec seems to have lost a lot of weight.

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One bit a confusion you had today is insisting that we had two cars
—both Buicks. I assured you that we only have one car but I’m not
sure that I convinced you. We’ll see.

Day 315 (Tuesday, August 23, 2005)—this concludes week 45 since

THE incident. You got up shortly after midnight to go to the toilet
and got disoriented. You were not sure where the bathroom was
located. Fortunately I was awake and thus told you where to go.
From thereon you were OK. In fact when you got up early this AM
to go, you had no problem. We both got out of bed at 7:00 AM and
you made us our usual breakfast.

We exercised for 45 minutes and you then showered and dressed

while I did some desk work and watched a movie. After filing some
stuff, I showered and then we both read a bit. Now the good news,
you made a great salad while I grilled the bratwurst. We then read
some more and here is the bad news. You were terrible when I said
it was time to go see Jan Carl the SLP. You frustrated me to the
point that I can’t coherently describe how bad it was. We both were
not at our finest. We had not so loving words, you got down on the
floor and refused to get up. I felt betrayed by your attitude and your
earlier expressions of love. It did not seem very loving what you did.
After all, I am thinking of you and the need for you to improve your
thought processes. I guess you feel that this is school and you are not
pleased (perhaps embarrassed) by your performance. Finally, I had
to put on your shoes, you wouldn’t go outside but somehow I got you
there. You begrudgingly got into the car. At least you did not make
a scene going into the center. Jan was the sweetest thing to you. She
expressed how much she missed you. I sat in on the first half hour
per her request and you responded well to her questions and
observations. You wanted to be more in control and independent,
you told her. I guess you resent having to rely on me. You explained
all of the independent things that you do such as showering,
dressing, and often making the bed, etc. Later you said being with
Jan was like marriage counseling and that we shouldn’t fight.
Hopefully, you won’t carry on this way on Thursday, our next
appointment. That is, if you honor your promise to Jan.
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Following your SL therapy, we went to the commissary. We got a
bunch of stuff and I gassed-up the car. Mail was waiting for us when
we got home. We received the two pairs of scissor tongs I ordered
over the internet—one is for Greece when next we go. We also got a
magazine for you and one for me.

We did more reading, Noonie came with tsoureki from Stella for
you. You came downstairs to watch TV with me until 8 PM. I did
not encourage you to stay longer. I am still an unhappy camper and
depressed. See, I suffer from human frailty.

Day 316 (Wednesday, August 24, 2005)—well, I woke up at 3 AM

after coming to bed at ten. I had trouble getting back to sleep and
gave up at 4 to go to Maria’s Room and read. I finished the book I
was reading by 6 and came back to bed. You were awake and said
you missed me. That was nice of you to say so I hope we are back to
normal. We both got up at about 7:15—I did snooze a little. You did
the breakfast bit for us.

You exercised for about 1 hour on the bike and I did 40 minutes (2
miles) on the treadmill. We showered, dressed and went to Costco.
We have not been there for awhile. For the most part, we
replenished our vitamins. When we got home, you marinated the
steak which I later grilled on the Barbie while you made us another
nice salad. I did some BAI work in the afternoon while you read in
Maria’s Room. So far we’ve had a pleasant day that I hope extends
into tomorrow when we once again go for SL therapy.

Joe came and picked me up at 4 PM to go to an OPSEC Society

meeting. He found you looking really well. He sat in Maria’s Room
for a few minutes and was really impressed with it and the way it
was decorated. He said that Debbie thinks you have the best
decorating sense and taste over everyone else she has ever seen.

The meeting was not a big deal—they didn’t even have a quorum.
We returned at 7:30 and the big deal was that you stayed up to greet
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me. We watched TV and you went to bed at 8:15 and I stayed up
until 11 PM. Hopefully, I will sleep better.

Day 317 (Thursday, August 25, 2005)—I slept really well this
evening and until 7 AM. Of course, I took a couple of non-
prescription sleeping pills. I really did not want to get up this
morning but you were up and at ‘em at the usual time. You let me
stay in bed a little longer and after you ate breakfast, you informed
me mine was ready. I got out of bed and ate breakfast; you went to
do the recumbent bike. Today, you did about an hours worth of
exercise. I did the usual 40 minutes and then did some filing while
you dressed, made the bed and went into Maria’s room to read.

After I showered, it was time to go to therapy and you were

wonderful. We went there without argument and you had a great
session with Jan. You told her your goal was to become more
independent and relieve me from things I have been doing for you
or on your behalf. She (and I) thought very highly of that answer.
You both agreed that one session each week for one hour was
adequate and that you did not have to do homework for the
remainder of this week.

When we got home, you noted that you did not have your purse. We
looked in the car, no purse. You determined that you must have left
it at therapy. I called and they held it for you until we finished lunch
and went there. You went in by yourself and retrieved the purse.
Next, we went to hardware city and I bought a tube of asphalt crack
sealer. A little piece came off where the new driveway meets the
asphalt. I sealed the piece and I hope it works in keeping it together.
I guess I am going to have to buy 5 gallons (the smallest amount they
have) of the stuff and seal the whole mouth of the driveway. It needs
to look better the way the rest of the driveway does.

At 6 PM we went to the Athena Plaka and met Niko and Nina. They
invited us for dinner there. They arrived right on time and Niko
ordered and we had a variety of appetizers the way he likes rather
than an entrée. I even had two glasses of retsina. Well, not really
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two glasses since when I turned my head you took my first glass and
poured it into your glass of diet coke. You like that mixture. We had
a nice couple of hours with the them.

Day 318 (Friday, August 26, 2005)—yesterday, we noticed that the

headlight and touring light of the car were out. So, after breakfast, I
went to the dealer to get them fixed. I had to wait awhile because
they did no have one of the bulbs. When I arrived home, you had
exercised, made the bed and were reading. I proposed we go to the
movies and you agreed. We went to White Flint Mall and saw The
40 Year Old Virgin. It was a little raunchy but we did have a couple
of good belly laughs. You seemed enjoy it. We then went to the food
court for lunch.

After we arrived home, we decided to do some yard work. We

trimmed some plants and the hedges. We worked like a good team.
Just as we finished, Dee from NRH showed up (an hour early) for a
six month follow on to some testing they did of your memory. They
are doing research into brain injury. She was here for about 1½
hours asking you many questions and I filled out two questionnaires
too. You received $20 for your participation in the study.

You did a load of wash to include the stair runners. After the wash
was dry, you put the runners down on the stairs once again. You
have the knack of laying them down smoothly but this time you
didn’t lay them properly. When I went upstairs with you I noticed
that you left the bottom step uncovered because you made an
excessive overlap at the landing. You did not make an adjustment
on your own when this happened—I pointed out the problem and
helped you strip the stairs starting at the landing. You then laid
down the runner perfectly.

Day 319 (Saturday, August 27, 2005)—at breakfast, we called

Greece and both spoke to Gregory and Litsa. I asked if they had a
zip code and they said no. I told them that we would be sending a
card to the house and to be on the look-out for it. After exercising,
we did the usual and then took off for the Post Office. We went to
380
there to mail Marianna’s birthday card. You wrote some nice words
and I included a check. She will get it late but we will call her and let
her know it is on the way.

Our next errand was to Shady Grove Road (Gaithersburg) to pick

up the sign I had made for your name day. It reads “Maria’s
Room.” They did a very nice job. Next stop was Home Depot for
screws to hang the sign and to by some asphalt to make the mouth of
the driveway look better. I then started further down the road when
you asked where I was going. I said to eat at the fish place and you
vetoed the idea—you were not hungry, you said. I guess we had an
earlier miscommunication. Rather than come straight home, we
went to the commissary to buy a plant for our visit to the Blaker’s
tomorrow and we also bought some chicken livers for lunch and
harvest brand spaghetti. Here again we had a miscommunication
because even though you filled the pot with water for the spaghetti
and we got the water boiling, you announced you did not want any.

I cooked the livers, you chopped some onion which I added to five
eggs. You also made some salad with avocado that I thought was for
the both of us but you ate it all and thus you were too full for the
livers. You saved your share and the leftovers from the frying pan
for a later meal. You did the entire clean-up while I put up the
Maria’s Room sign. Something strange: our calendar that normally
hangs on the side of the refrigerator is missing. You claim no
knowledge of its location. After lunch, Pauline called and you had a
nice long chat with her.

It rained all day so we stayed put and did the usual reading. We
watched an adventure movie on TV that managed to keep your
interest until 8:30 when you decided to go to bed. I stayed up until
11 PM watching the story of Pope Paul II. It was very interesting to
see what he went through with the Nazis during the war and later
with the communists.

Day 320 (Sunday, August 28, 2005)—you, of course, got up early

(6:30) and I still wanted to sleep but you got me moving at 7 AM. By
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7:30 you were exercising and I read the Sunday paper. I told you it
was time for you to dress so that we could go to church. We got
there a couple of minutes later than usual for the Orthos. We lighted
our candles, enjoyed the singing and the prayers. Chris, the head
usher, gave us Holy Beard and we returned home about 10:20. It is a
very humid day, not hot, but the high humidity makes it feel so.

After changing clothes, we went to the Navy Exchange and bought a

few things—a plant for Heidi and something for Ursula. We also
have a nice bottle of wine to take with us when we go there for
dinner tonight. When we got home, we warmed up the left over
chicken livers and ate them for lunch.

We did some reading and I took a short nap. We went for a walk at
Wheaton Plaza Mall. The place was really jumping. It was full of
people. We did a circuit of each floor, sat on a bench, and bought
some vitamins (B1) for you. As the day progressed, the temperature
went up and with the humidity high it was not pleasant.

As usual, we arrived at the Blaker’s precisely at the time invited—6

PM. They live close in Chevy Chase so the trip only took 10 minutes.
Ursula and her husband Otto arrived at about 6:30. They are a very
cute couple and were married on July 15. Ursula was a beautiful
little girl and now a beautiful young women. Otto is an
entertainment attorney working for the Discovery Channel.

You were terrific the whole evening—you were funny, engaged in

conversation, and overall great. Since Heidi visited you while you
were at NRH, she had a basis for comparison and was most
impressed by your progress. They went all out with the meal: grilled
marinated flank steak, fresh corn, and from their garden green
beans, tomatoes (with mozzarella), and small potatoes. For desert,
she made peach cobbler topped with ice cream and Cool Whip. It
was an excellent meal with very, very nice company. We stayed until
8:30 and you were in bed by 9 PM. I watched TV until 11 PM.

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Day 321 (Monday, August 29, 2005—we were up by 7 AM again
generated by you. First, you nudged and petted me followed by a hi,
Arion. Shortly thereafter, you popped out of bed and asked if I
wanted breakfast as you headed for the kitchen. So, I got up too.
You did the breakfast honors and then went downstairs to exercise.

After exercise, I announced that I was going outside to do some

work. You said OK but evidenced no other interest on what I
planned to do. In fact, even though I was gone for some 90 minutes,
you made no effort to determine what I was doing. This makes me
sad as it shows that the “initiative dots” have not connected.
Anyway, I spread asphalt on the mouth of our driveway. It was a lot
of work compounded by the fact I had a hell-of-a-time opening the
can. I finally had to tear a whole in the lid. Unfortunately, I got a
couple of drops of the stuff on our new driveway area. Not much but
I hope it will wear off. The mouth of the driveway looks much better
than it did and all the cracks are sealed. Hopefully, it will not break
up the way it was beginning to do. I now have an achy-breaky back.
I took some Tylenol after I showered.

Last week we received another book from Uncle Stelios. It is nice of

him to think of us but my Greek is no match for his writing. On a
little card inserted in the book, he complained that I have not
written to him. Since we are waiting to go for your mammogram, I
wrote him a letter.

We went to Shady Grove Radiology. They took you about 15

minutes late but that was OK given the forms we once again had to
fill out. The annoyance was two little girls the parents were not
controlling. I mentioned that the kids should not stand in front of
the door or they might get hurt if someone opened it. No sooner did
they move them the door was pushed open. I was thanked.

You were not happy. You let her do your left breast (and that hurt
given the compression). You did not let them do your right breast.
Even though it’s been hurting less and less it is still too sensitive to
be flattened like a pancake. This depressed you. You wanted to go
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home and not eat out. I made some pasta and shrimp scampi but
that still did not entice you. In fact, you tried to sneak off to bed. I
asked if you were sick and you responded, yes, mentally. I guess the
whole mammogram thing depressed you. You were even angry with
Dr. Lee for suggesting it. Well, at 4:30 you did go to bed and said
“see you later.” This, of course, worries me. Hopefully after you rest
you will get up.

I went downstairs to watch TV and you appeared at 6:15. You

watched a TV movie with me and were hungry so I heated up the
pasta with shrimp scampi that I made earlier in the day. You asked
me to add a piece of feta and enjoyed every bite. I told you that if
you stayed up with me until 9 PM I would go up to bed with you.
You sneaked away at 8:30. I tracked you down (it wasn’t hard, you
were in bed) and we said prayers. I went back to watch TV. I saw
Turning Points in History which dealt with the battle of Salamis
between the Persians and the Athenians. The Athenians won.

Day 322 (Tuesday, August 30, 2005)—this day closes the 46th week
since “the incident.” You awakened me at 6:30 AM (I could have
slept more) and went into the kitchen to make breakfast. Initially,
you couldn’t find my cereal bowl. I told you it was on the counter.
You said you looked there and in the cabinet but when you went
back you did find it on the counter covered by a piece of paper
towel. I mention this because you are still not very good at searching
for things. I wonder if your vision injury is the problem.

After cleaning up, you went down to exercise. I followed a little

later. You did about an hours worth and I (with cool down) did 45
minutes and a distance of 2.5 miles. We are certainly getting better
exercising. I had put the bed pillows away, but you made the bed as
you have been the past few days. This is a good sign as is the fact
that you straighten the throw rug in the hall.

We left for your SL therapy at Montrose with Jan and Fatima gave
me a once per week schedule for the rest of the year. Except for one
day when I teach, Tuesday will be the day we go. Jan said you were
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fabulous today. Later Dee the research person from NRH called as I
had missed a couple of questions on the form she had me fill out.
She too said you did remarkably well. She called you a sweetheart.
In the afternoon when I called the Blakers to say thanks, Jim said
you were terrific too. So, my dear, as I keep saying, everyday and a
little bit better.

Following therapy, we went to Rite Aide to pick up meds and I had

to get phospho-soda as a lovely drink for tomorrow prior to my 1
Sep colonoscopy. From there, we went to Monty Mall for our weekly
Chinese. Both of us did not finish our meals. When we arrived home
you went to Maria's Room to read. I walked to the mail box and
mailed letters and then to the library to return books and get some
new ones. I joined you and read some and then did my BAI voucher.
I also called the Montgomery County Public Works sidewalk people
to mention the poor state of repair of the sidewalk. They said they
would send someone to check it out.

Day 323 (Wednesday, August 31, 2005)—you got up at 6:20 and I by

6:30. You had a nice mug of water waiting for me and were cute
about it. You remembered that I could not eat dense food today in
preparation for “the day” tomorrow. In fact, I will confine myself to
water all day.

We went and exercised and after I showered and dressed I was off to
BAI for a couple of hours to catch up on what was going on. I got
home around noon, continued to drink water, and at 1 PM took the
1.5 ounces of Phospho-soda in about 4 ounces of water as required.
It was not fun. I drank plenty of water and shortly after I went you
know where many times. That too is not fun. I can’t wait for the
next dose (only kidding).

You’ve are pretty relaxed today. You made the bed but not the
proper way. You only pulled the comforter halfway and then did the
regular bit with the pillows and the shams. When I asked about it,
you did not give a coherent reason. We made the bed correctly
together. You read much of the day. And, you did not eat anything
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except breakfast until 3 PM when you had the rest of the tsoureki
with some cream cheese and orange marmalade. Nothing interested
you, you said.

You really enjoy laughing to Everybody Loves Raymond. We saw an

hours worth and you chuckled a lot. You went to bed at 8 PM and I
waited up to see how much reaction I would have to the additional
Phospho-soda I drank per doctor’s orders. I’ve already made one
trip. Well, make that two trips. I guess my anxiety and desire to
finish the book I was reading kept me up. At any rate, I did not go to
bed until 12:30 AM. I said my prayers, kissed you goodnight again
(you grunted) and hit the sack

Day 324 (Thursday, September 01, 2005)—you got up bright and

early, kissed me, ate breakfast and went to exercise. I got up at 8:00
AM. I was very tired from my late bedtime. I admired the fact you
went to exercise while the good and the bad Arion argued about
going to exercise. The bad said, Oh you’re too tired and weak from no
food. The good said, You must exercise, you’re fat and out of shape. I
am pleased to report the good Arion won the battle and I managed
(I know not how) to walk 2 miles. When I came upstairs, you were
sitting on the floor in Maria’s Room tending the plants. You
watered all of the plants in the house and cut the dead leaves. I find
this a very good sign and stride toward returning to the BA Maria.

Joe arrived promptly at 10:00 AM. When I say promptly, I mean to

the second. He is a good friend. After greeting you, we were off to
the doctor for the colonoscopy and by 11 AM I was undergoing the
procedure. It was completely painless, at least during the procedure.
I got home feeling a little weak but the bad part was that I had
severe cramps for most of the rest of the day. You were very, very
sympathetic. I had some eggs at about 6:30 PM (my first food since
Tuesday evening) as I was not at all hungry earlier. I really wasn’t
very hungry at that time either.

Sometime during the day, you did the homework Jan gave you. You
asked me if I knew where the Grand Canyon was and I said no. You
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informed me that it was in Arizona. You enjoyed doing the
homework because you were learning something. You did not want
me to check your work as that was Jan’s job working with you. You
were being very independent, a good thing.

Pauline called and came to visit. You chatted for about 45 minutes.

Day 325 (Friday, September 02, 2005)—you got up at 6:30 AM,

again. You roused me. After you made breakfast, you went to
exercise. I didn’t see you go because I didn’t get out of bed until
7:15. But, you had all of my food ready to eat. I feel much better
today. I did not exercise because I plan to cut the lawn.

After you came up, I went with you into the bedroom and noticed
you had another lapse in bed making skills. You pulled up the
covers and had them very smooth and then placed the pillows and
shams on them. You did not, however, pull up the cover. We did
that together after removing pillows, shams, etc.

We went to the commissary after you showered and dressed. You

put on one of my shirts that matched your pants. The only trouble
with that was it was gigantic on you—a men’s size large. I suggested
you change and you did. On our way back from the commissary we
mailed a donation to the Red Cross for the victims of Katrina. What
awful devastation!

I was going to do the lawn after we returned from the movies but
did it upon our return from the commissary while it was relatively
cool. There is low humidity today. The good thing about mowing
was you. You came out and swept the grass clippings making things
look neat. You did this without any suggestion from me. With the
lawn done I showered, dressed and then looked at email. I found the
time for the movie (2:05) and suggested we eat lunch/dinner after.
You agreed. Later you asked what time the movie started and my
mind was blank. You recalled 2:05, how great is that! We will read
some before we depart for White Flint Mall.

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We saw The Constant Gardener. The critics gave it four stars. Here
is what it is all about: In a remote area of Northern Kenya, activist
Tessa Quayle (Rachel Weisz) is found brutally murdered. Tessa's
companion, a black doctor (Hubert Kounde) appears to have fled
the scene and the evidence points to a crime of passion. He is later
found crucified. Members of the British High Commission in
Nairobi assume that Tessa's widower, their mild-mannered and un-
ambitious colleague Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes), will leave the
matter to them. They could not be more wrong. Haunted by his love
and remorse over her death and jarred by rumors of his late wife's
infidelities, Quayle surprises everyone by embarking on a personal
odyssey that will take him across three continents in search of the
truth. He risks his own life, stopping at nothing to uncover and
expose the truth – murder and conspiracy committed by two drug
companies with apparent government sanction that is far-reaching
and deadly. At the end, he dies too and joins his Tessa.

I mention this detail because the plot was intricate with many flash
backs and forwards. You did not like that type of thing in the past.
You watched the movie intensely and were not restless. When I
asked you if you liked it as we left the theater, you said yes. You
seemed to understand it. Since there was more talk then action, I
was surprised you liked it. P.S. – we ate popcorn and had a drink.

When we got home, you gave me the burgers you marinated and
while I grilled them on the barby, you boiled corn. You cooked them
perfectly and they were tasty. We ate two each. The marinade was
called Southwestern and it was spicy. Nonetheless we enjoyed it.

I put in a load of clothes and our towels. Later when you came
down, you chastised me for not doing your workout clothes. Oh well,
you didn’t tell me and I didn’t think of it. When the clothes were
dry, you did the folding. You took them upstairs and put them away
too. You don’t yet quite remember which drawer to put my
underwear. You just picked a drawer, I think. But, you did put my
socks in the right drawer.

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You went up at what has become the usual 8 PM. After saying our
prayers, I returned to our TV location and watched Forrest Gump.
Of course, we had seen it when it first came out but I enjoyed it once
again. I even shed a tear when his childhood sweetheart who finally
became his wife died. Such scenes all too vividly remind me that I
almost lost you so, of course, I cried a little. When the movie was
over, I finished my book and was in bed at midnight.

Day 326 (Saturday, September 03, 2005)—you awakened at 7 AM

and nudged me awake too. We called Greece and you had a nice
chat with Marianna and then Litsa. While you were talking, Thano
hung up the phone. Since we had talked awhile, I wasn’t going to
call back but Gregory called us so I told him to hang up and we
called again since we pay far less for the call than they do.
Everybody there is OK and all were gathered for the mid-day meal.
Gregory cooked porgies (tsipoures) on the grill. Thano is saying
more words now. When Marianna asked him what’s your name, you
heard him say Thano. I really miss gathering around the table for
lunch with them. Marianna and Apostalos were going to the beach
after lunch. While the beaches are very nice nearby, they have no
waves and hence for me, at least, going into the water is boring. I am
really looking forward to being there next year, God willing. We’ll
see how you feel next year. This year you felt six weeks was too long.
We’ll only plan a month next time.

You made us breakfast while I worked on this letter-journal and

then went and fixed the bed. I asked if I should check because
you’ve had some lapses in bed making the past couple of days and
you said sure. You did a perfect job and I told you that. You were
pleased to hear my praise. Your next stop was exercise and I soon
followed you. After exercise, I used the trimmer to trim here and
there and then to edge the driveway. You came outside upon my
request to pick up twigs with me and then to use the blower to blow
the grass away. The lawn looks nice now.

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I showered and did put some stuff in the washer too—our exercise
stuff and my outside work clothes. You made us a salad for lunch
and did the clean up too. We read in Maria’s Room and then went
out shopping. We went looking for fall fake flowers for our planters
that were supposed to be on sale—we did not find any. The Healthy
Back Store was our next stop, they were having a tent sale and we
bought two pillows to take to Greece with us next year; we will leave
them there. Next was Trader Joes and we got a seedless cucumber,
Kalamata Olive Oil, and Greek-style yogurt that all have raved to us
about. We’ll see how good it is.

Day 327 (Sunday, September 04, 2005)—we continued our fast

preparatory to going to church for communion. Today, you got up
at 6:50 AM much to my displeasure. You drummed me out of bed
shortly thereafter. You started cooking your beans and then got
dressed for church. I read the paper and then prepared for church.
We left at 8:45 and attended most of the Orthos and the entire
liturgy. When it became time to receive communion, Chris put as
right at the head of the line. You were the first to receive
communion and Father Steve called you koukla (doll). Father Steve
read a letter from Archbishop Demetrious about Katerina. Tbey
added an extra collection tray to help those unfortunate people. We
contributed in addition to our other Sunday contributions.

When we arrived home, the beans were cooked and ready to eat. We
changed clothes and you put yourself a mighty serving of beans with
the addition of feta and country bread. I grilled the steak that had
been marinating for a couple of days. When it was cooked, I gave
you the filet and I ate the other part of the Porterhouse. You ate
your steak and so did I. I then had some of your tasty green beans.

I looked at the kitchen floor and was appalled at how dirty it was. I
tried to get you to vacuum after I brought it into the kitchen to no
avail. I tried to get you to sweep under stuff that the vacuum
couldn’t get to—to no avail. I did that job too followed by a wet
Swifter to mop the floor. Oh well, the homemaker dot is still not
completely connected yet. I say not completely because you did the
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lunch dishes, washed the pot, and put everything away. While the
floor cleaning attempt was a disappointment, the dish/pot clean up
was a good thing.

We went to Michaels and selected some artificial fall flowers to redo

our pots in front of the house in a couple of weeks. They were on
sale so we got a many. From there we went to White Flint Mall for a
walk. We did two turns and then we were bad. You wanted
something sweet and we went to the Cheese Cake Factory and
bought a chocolate mouse cake. I took two anti-carb pills with the
hope that would make my eating not too bad. We devoured the cake.

We spoke to Dini and to the grandkids today. They were all fine.
Alec lost about 5 inches around his waist and Maia is now in 7th
grade. Wow!! You also spoke to Aunt Mary in Florida and she was
pleased to hear from you.

Day 328 (Monday, September 05, 2005)—this is Labor Day. We

both slept very well last night and didn’t get out of bed until 7:15. I
guess I needed to catch up with the sleep I lost during the week. You
made us the usual breakfast and cleaned up. Next we both exercised.
I did a little more today by jogging a total of 12 minutes. Not fast
and it was not all at one time rather two minutes after a walk of 3
minutes. At any rate, I was glad that I could do it. We’ll see if I do
the same thing tomorrow.

After reading a bit, we went out and deposited my BAI check and
did a little shopping. Our first stop was Sym’s where they were
having their semi-annual “bash” which is what they call their sale.
Your shopping dot was activated because you did not complain and
we in fact found you a very nice Jill Clayberg suit and a very nice
long grey skirt. I even found a nice jacket for myself. Our next stop
was Giant’s. We bought some watermelon, corn, and pieces of the
fake crab with some cut up cooked chicken pieces. We made a salad
with the later, you cooked the corn perfectly again and even sliced
the watermelon. We had a very nice lunch. While we were making
the salad, we discovered that we used the last of the wine vinegar so
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we made another shopping trip to the Middle Eastern store. It was
closed, so we went back to Giant’s where we bought more fake crab
and chicken for tomorrow and the vinegar.

Before we left the house for the vinegar, you asked me to check your
homework. I did and noted that you did not answer all of the
questions on the four exercises Jan gave you to do. I checked those
off, and asked you to read each paragraph again and to answer the
questions. You are doing much better. You did not want me to tell
Jan that I supervised. We’ll see if you tell her.

When we arrived home, I watered the lawn for 15 minutes. We have

a lot of dry areas. We then both read until it was TV time. While we
were watching, we heard a tap at the door. It was Niko. He bought
me the rest of the attachments (the cleaning gizmo) to the Braun
razor he gave to me. We chatted with him for a few minutes. He
likes the resurfacing of the driveway. Nina was home preparing for
her teaching duties tomorrow. They both saw the Constant Gardner
and liked it very much.

Day 329 (Tuesday, September, 9, 2005)—this concludes the 47th

week since that terrible incident. We did the usual morning things.
You made the breakfast, cleaned up, exercised, showered, dressed,
and made the bed. You arranged the floor of your closet per my
suggestion, it was messy. I faxed the letter I received from Dr.
McCarthy to our lawyer. We both went into Maria’s Room to read.

We went to SLP after eating lunch at home. You did very, very well
Jan said. It always pleases me to hear of your progress. We went to
Michaels from there to buy a bunch of fall artificial flowers that
were on sale to replace the spring/summer flowers that we have in
our outside pots. While it costs more to use these flowers, they
certainly require much less maintenance. We will “plant” them
around the end of September.

Day 330 (Wednesday, September 07, 2005)—we got out of bed a

little later than usual. You disarmed the door, made us breakfast,
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and cleaned up. I retrieved the paper, scanned it and then joined
you downstairs for exercise. We both did about an hour and I
managed to jog (slowly) for 14 intermittent minutes. You came
upstairs after showering, dressed, and made the bed. I did some
desk work and then Pauline called and came over with Jenna. I
went to shower since I was still in my exercise outfit and thus did not
see them. You told me later that Jenna still looked like a little angel.
You gave her the doll that we bought for her in Greece. They didn’t
stay long—Jenna wanted her mamma.

We went to the commissary, bought some already cooked ribs for

lunch (they were OK but not great) and other stuff. After putting
things away and eating lunch, we went into Maria’s Room and you
engaged in homework. Some of it was really tough e.g., determining
which two words out of five were opposites. You did well. You are
getting better and I think you are now enjoying the challenge of
your “school work.” We read some more, sneaked in a nap, and
then went outside and watered the lawn for 15 minutes as we did
yesterday. We are trying to get it green again; it has some burned
out spots. I wonder if they will regenerate.

Joe called us today and told us David’s wedding to Rachael went

well. He and Debbie were pleased and Joe is pleased that it is over.

Day 331 (Thursday, September 08, 2005)—today is the day that our
Theotokos was born and there were church services. We got up at 6
AM to do our exercises after we ate and still depart for church on
time. Actually, we ended up leaving early because we could not find
the schedule and I thought the liturgy was to start at 9 AM when in
reality it was 9:30. The traffic was not good and thus we got to
church at 9:15. The usual Sunday trip of 20 minutes took us about
double. Since this was a work day, church was sparsely attended
and was mostly women. We did see Amelia and her mother Mrs.
Katakis. They both use canes now. They both thought that you look
great. Father Steve said you looked radiant as we departed.

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We came home, read some and you did a very good job at two
homework lessons. We left the house around 3 PM for
Gaithersburg. We went to Phillips for lunch/dinner. At the
conclusion of the meal, you said you wanted coffee so we went to
Panerra’s and we had a Mocha Coffee and a cinnamon bun (bad
me). After we finished that we were off to the Cardiologist, Dr.
Soffat. I had an appointment with him as a follow-on to my echo-
cardiogram and for further examination. We were early and on top
of it they ran 30 minutes late. Very annoying, but they apologized all
over the place. I received a EKG and the Dr. gave me a thorough
exam. My test results were well explained to us. I would say they
really all fell into the moderate OK. Nothing of an emergency nature
but he does want me to keep up my exercise, cut down on food
portions (i.e., lose weight), and cut salt to no more than 2000 mg per
day. I will take a stress test on 10 November.

Day 332 (Friday, September 09, 2005)—I did got up early and
exercised. I wanted to jog but there was no way that I could
overcome the early hour so I just walked 2 1/3 miles. When I came
upstairs, there you were. You had my coffee and my cereal waiting
for me. You even made the bed. How nice. You then went
downstairs to exercise while I finished eating, showered and dressed.
I bid you adieu and went off to BAI to do a days work.

At BAI, I helped review a proposal for the Air Force. It needed

more work and I made several suggestions. We also had a meeting
for developing a BAI Security Training Academy. We will take steps
to do so. As one of the principal trainers, I will be heavily engaged.

I called before I left to advise you that I was leaving and I arrived
home about 4:30. It was like old times. You were waiting for me,
opened the door and greeted me with a kiss. This was clearly a BA
Maria action. Since I had not eaten all day, I was pretty hungry.
You cranked up the hot water and cooked corn. I took the steak that
you had marinating and grilled it. While I was doing that, I noticed
that you had done some really nice weeding around the apple trees.

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Later, you told me that you also worked on your homework today in
addition to reading your novel in Maria’s Room.

Per your request, I did not salt the corn. You remembered that the
doctor recommended that I minimize salt in my diet. The next step
will be to minimize the amount of red meat we eat. I guess we’ll start
to focus more on fish and white meat chicken.

You told me that Heidi called and that she, Jim, Ursula, and Otto
would join us at Ambrosia tomorrow at six. You reminded her of
the time and the place. You suggested I call her too and verify. I did
and Heidi was very impressed that you had all the details correct
since she did not quite remember them from the last time I spoke to
her. I also called Niko and reminded him. He forgot to tell Nina, so
we’ll see how that unfolds.

Day 333 (Saturday, September 10, 2005)—well, we did the usual

getting up and moving things i.e., breakfast, cleanup, bed. We both
went downstairs to exercise. I am pleased to report that I did
manage to jog some and even at a little faster speed. I warmed up
first for five minutes and then commenced to jog for two minutes at
each five minute point. I did seven of these two minute segments.
You did the recumbent bike for one hour. Ata-way to go girl! You
are getting stronger but you are having trouble losing weight.

After we showered and dressed, we went hunting for small photo

albums for the prints we ordered on-line and received from
Snapshot I wasn’t totally pleased with the Snapshot results as they
seemed to have cropped edges of the photos because they were
digital photos. We got 55 photos and printed an additional set to
send to Greece. We found just the right album too. Then off to the
bank to get one and five dollar bills to use when we go to church.

We did not eat lunch today since we are going out to Ambrosia this
evening. Nick called to say he and Nina will join us. We read our
books for most of the afternoon. At 5:30 we went to Ambrosia. We
went early to wait on-line as necessary because Pete the owner was
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not firm in making our reservations for eight people at 6 PM. You
know, it is our busy time, I can’t guarantee, blah, blah, blah. The
bottom line was that he did set up a table for us and we could have
arrived closer to six. All our guests arrived on time—the Blakers,
Ursula and Otto, and Nick and Nina. We ordered two appetizer
platters and then everybody ordered what they wanted as an entrée.
Everybody seemed to love the food, the conversation and the
company. You did very, very well in engaging with everybody.

Day 334 (Sunday, September 11, 2005)—today is the anniversary of

a not good time. It is four years ago that terrorists hijacked planes
and crashed them into the World Trade Center Towers in New
York City and another into the Pentagon. The Trade Center Towers
collapsed killing many and Vicki who worked at the Pentagon might
have lost her life in that strike as the plane hit very close to where
she worked. In fact, had not someone helped her to evacuate
promptly she would have died as a portion of the building she was in
collapsed about ½ hour later. Some 3000 people died in these
terrorist attacks. I was at what they call the Navy Annex at the time
and saw the Pentagon strike from a window. There was a fourth
plane hijacked but the passengers attacked the terrorists in an
attempt to secure control. Unfortunately they could not seize control
before the terrorists crashed the plane into the Pennsylvania
countryside killing them all. Many believe that this plane was
headed to Washington to assault the White House. These incidents
kicked off what is being called the war on terrorism. May those
terrorists and their sponsors be defeated quickly and especially
those that profane God by citing Him as a reason to kill.

You woke up at 6 AM today and so did I but I wanted to sleep

longer. You wanted to call Greece and I recited the numbers to you
and you punched them into the phone. You were successful on the
first attempt and spoke with the relatives for at least 25 minutes. We
got to the kitchen at 7:10 and we had to wait ½ hour before eating as
it was your Fosamax pill time. I’m trying a starch blocker that also
requires a half-hour wait before eating starchy food such as cereal.

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The amazing thing was that we managed to eat, shower, dress and
leave for church by 8:35 and arrived before the service began. You
wore your new suit, the one we bought at Sym’s on Monday. We
stayed for the Orthos and, as usual, very much enjoyed the singing.
Once again people there were very kind to us and said how great
you look. They made me feel uncomfortable when they each assured
you that I was a very good husband because they observed how good
I was to you. I’ll say again, I don’t find what I’ve done or am doing
as something unusual because (in my opinion) if you love someone,
you are good to them. Apparently, many do find it unusual which
does not speak well of many relationships. I thanked everybody for
being nice and broke free as quickly as I could to light our candles.
During the service, Father Steve read from the Evangelio (bible) in
both Greek and English as I asked him too last week.

We changed clothes upon arriving at home and you set the dining
room table for our lunch with Vicki and Connie. You got the
spaghetti sauce out, poured it into the pot and added the meatballs.
You also got the big pot out, added water, preparatory to making
the Harvest a lo-carb spaghetti. When the girls arrived, we were
ready to go with the meal and you did all of the work to include
grating cheese. Everybody really enjoyed the meal and the
conversation. You guys all pitched in for the clean-up.

After lunch cleanup we went to Brookside Gardens in Wheaton and

literally smelled the roses. They had many, many different types. We
also walked in a butterfly garden and saw many beautiful Monarch
butterflies. The roses smelled very nice and we sat on a bench in the
shade and communed with nature. Connie used my camera to take
pix. We then went to Wheaton Plaza Mall to look for some dressy
pants for you. Since the three of you were thirsty, we went to Target
for drinks. You also spied popcorn being popped and I bought a
small bag for you guys to munch. Since it had salt, I abstained.

After drinking and eating, you girls went looking for pants both at
Target and at Macy’s. You did not find any. We left there and
arrived home after a very nice day, the girls went home. You went
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into Maria’s Room to read and I went to the bedroom to cut my
hair. Suzanne called and asked to come and you and she chatted for
about ½ hour while I showered. She brought a tsoureki. Upon her
departure, you joined me downstairs to watch some TV.

Day 335 (Monday, September 12, 2005)—it is 11 months since that

horrible day in October. You have come a long way my baby. Your
memory is much improved and you are doing more and more
around the house. Connie made an interesting observation yesterday
—she said it was wonderful to see your stages of development that
seemed to be akin to developing from child to adult. I also perceived
the same thing that you were going through such stages. You still
are not completely back to your old self but you are getting there.

We got up at 7 AM today. We ate breakfast, exercised and you put

on a load of wash. You then showered, dressed, and made the bed.
After exercising, I prepared our estimated taxes and waited for the
wash cycle to complete and then put the wash in the dryer. Later,
you took them out of the dryer and distributed them to their
appropriate places. What team work!

We went to the post office and mailed our taxes to the State of
Maryland and to the Federal Government. From there, we went to
the Navy PX to look around and we did find you a nice suit, a jacket
and a pair of brown pants. They looked very nice on you so we
bought them all. The sleeves are a little long as are the pants. After
we got home, you did shorten the suit jacket that we bought today as
well as the one we bought at Sym’s. Tomorrow, you said you will
shorten the rest.

You did the rest of your homework and some reading too. I read the
US News until the mail came. The mail brought a bill from
Suburban Hospital for $11,268.73. I called to see what that was all
about but they closed their office at 4 PM so I called the USFHP
customer service. Tyrice told me that it was likely a “balancing bill”
and they had no right to bill me. A balancing bill is the difference of
what the insurance pays and the hospital billed. She said for me to
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call tomorrow and if they give me any trouble for them to call her. I
will do that.

Day 336 (Tuesday, September 13, 2005)—this concludes week 48

since THE incident and it will soon be 52 and thus one year. It is still
hard for me to grasp the pain and torture that has been part of this
whole process or as I have called it, “the long journey into wellness.”
Given the extent of your injuries, you have come a long way indeed
and I pray on a daily basis that you will continue your journey
without interruption. I tell you every day how much a love you and I
hope that my words and actions together with God’s blessings do
contribute to your getting better and better day-by-day.

Wow, did you get up early today. It was before five when you
planted a kiss on my cheek and woke me up. You already had your
housecoat on and went into the kitchen to eat. I lingered until 6 AM
but earlier you informed me that my breakfast was ready and you
were going downstairs to exercise. You forgot to tell me that we had
very little milk yesterday so there wasn’t enough to make me coffee
and us cereal. You used what was available for my coffee. You are a
sweetheart. I used the coffee for my cereal and made some more
using a dry milk. My breakfast was pretty horrible and I’m sure
yours was bad too since you used water to wet down your cereal.

After you exercised, showered dressed, made the bed etc. you went
into Maria’s Room. You shortened the brown pants we bought
yesterday at the PX and the jacket sleeves too. You said you did a
good job but I didn’t see them so I have to take your word for it.

I read a sad story this morning in the Washington Post that I will
not tell you about now but will write about here for you to read at
some future time. “Susan Anne Catherine Torres, whose mother
was declared brain-dead and kept on life support for three months
so she could be born died early yesterday. She was 5 weeks and five
days old.” The mother, Susanne, who died the day after she was
born had a cancerous brain tumor. Jason, the husband, slept at his
comatose wife’s side for three months. I won’t elaborate further
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except to pray that both mother and daughter are together with God
and that He is helping Jason survive to take care of Peter their two
year old son. I cried. I remember your coma period and the
desperation I felt. Notwithstanding my personal experience, I can
only imagine what Jason has been through.

I made a bunch of phone calls in the morning. I called Suburban

Hospital billing, they called USFHP and then called me back. Chris
Hagen of Suburban told me that Tyrice had not done her
homework. Suburban had filed an appeal for the $11,268.73 (so why
send me a bill, I thought?) but he said if the appeal failed, I was
responsible to pay. Supposedly, this amount was for the last ten days
you were at Suburban prior to our alleged refusal to be transferred
to NRH. I told him we made no such refusal and you were in fact
transferred to NRH on 24 Nov 04. After speaking with him, I called
USFHP and tried to get Tyrice. Instead, I spoke to Joe as Tyrice was
in some meeting. This required me to tell the story for the fourth
time. He had me hang on and I think he spoke to Tyrice. They will
dig into the matter and I said I hoped things move quickly and are
resolved favorably as I did not like an $11,000 plus bill hanging over
my head. Joe said I would be called back. This type of thing is very
frustrating. Later it was determined that Suburban could not
charge us because the program we are in is a Federal program and
they must abide by the decisions made.

We went shopping at the commissary. This time we bought three

half gallons of milk which should hold us until next Tuesday or
beyond. We also bought fruit, cereal, and soft drinks. When we
arrived home, we unpacked and there was a call on the answering
from Harry Doukas asking us to go to lunch or early dinner. I called
back and told him today was out but tomorrow was OK. We will
meet at Ambrosia at 4 PM.

We left for speech/language therapy at 12:30. After a good session

with Jan, we returned home for a minute to get our Greek pictures
as we promised to show them to Marta. We arrived at Valentino’s
right on time. You had your hair done—it took 2½ hours while a
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read my book. Your hair looks very nice but you hate the idea that
we are spending money to get it done since you had been doing it
yourself for so many years. Nonetheless, you don’t feel ready to
assume the job yourself. When you finished, we walked across the
street to Chicken-on-the-Run and got our two rotisserie chicken
breasts and two sides. We put everything in the car because you
thought it better to eat at home.

Before we left the area, however, we decided to get a lottery ticket

since a gentleman who came to get a haircut told us the Mega-
millions drawing was no up to $200 million. Wow, wouldn’t that be
nice to win (we did not win, and got very few of the numbers drawn
—so what’s new?). We walked a couple of blocks to where they were
selling the tickets, bought five dollars worth and started back to the
car. Before we went to the car, we stopped at the cigar shop that
Niko frequents and I stuck my head in and told the gang there to say
hi from me to Niko when all of a sudden from a hidden vantage
point, up jumped Niko. Everybody there had a good laugh. Niko
came outside, said hi to you and walked us back to the car.

Day 337 (Wednesday, September 14, 2005)—we rolled out of bed

late today (8 AM) after you had a long conversation with Litsa. All
is OK in Greece and they miss us as we miss them. The card and
check we sent to Marianna arrived. The only problem is that I
addressed the check with her married name while her ID still has
her maiden name. She has not tried to cash it yet. Voula is at odds
with her sister-in-law again. Neighbor Maria is replacing her roof
and adding insulation. Gregory and Litsa are thinking of doing the
same thing. The house is very lacking in insulation and the doors
and windows are really bad. Thano is saying more words now.

You did the breakfast bit, I read the paper, you went to exercise and
I got a call from Joe at USFHP. They are working the problem.
They had denied 10 days of your stay at Suburban. Joe did not
know the reason. Ms Knox the manager has now undertaken the
responsibility for resolving the issue. Chris from Suburban called in
response to my message on his voice mail. He confirmed the denial
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of the 10 days and went on to say we had refused transfer to NRH
which is ridiculous since you were transferred there on 24
November 2004. I suggested he do a better check of the records.

Through all of these calls, I managed to exercise too. I did 3.5 miles
on the tread mill while you did more than an hour on the recumbent
bike. You then showered, dressed, made the bed and then read while
in Maria’s Room. After I exercised, I balanced the check book and
discovered I had not made some entries. We had $500 less than we
thought we did.

We left the house at 3 PM. Our first stop was the post office and we
mailed the pictures. From there, we went to Ambrosia to meet Mary
Anna and Harry for an early dinner. We arrived early so we sat on
a nearby bench and waited for them. I got a menu and we made our
selections. H and M came early too so we did not have a long wait.
We chatted and hey looked at our Greece pictures. Harry insisted
on treating. I couldn’t finish my chicken and thus took a piece home
to eat tomorrow.

Day 338 (Thursday, September 15, 2005)—you woke up at 6 AM

but managed to stay in bed with me until 7 AM. We stripped the
bed and put the sheets and pillow cases down the laundry shoot.
You made our breakfast. I asked you to add some cinnamon to mine
and by accident you grabbed the oregano. Well, you threw my
oregano-cereal away as I did not think I would like it very much.
The big thing is that you realized you goofed without me telling you
so. However, when you did add the cinnamon, you went overboard.
You added a lot. At any rate, I could eat it and I did.

I read the paper and you went downstairs. You started the wash and
then exercised. After exercising, you put the wash into the dryer,
showered and dressed. Meanwhile I did an hour of walking on the
treadmill. When I finished, I got the dry sheets and we both took
them upstairs and reassembled the bed together. You are getting
better and better, there is no doubt. You put the pillow cases on the
pillows all on your own while I showered and dressed.
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We went to Wood Optical as you had something on your reading
glasses that a simple washing would not clean. Apparently you had
gotten hair spray on them. Within minutes, they had them clean.

When we arrived home, you used my leftover chicken and tuna fish
to make a really great salad. You cut up everything, added onion,
boiled eggs, and capers. It was excellent.

We read in Maria’s Room and then adjourned to the kitchen for

your homework session. You did OK but you still needed a lot of
cuing. Your reading is fine but you really don’t yet grasp the
requirement (what you are supposed to do) too well. Hopefully, that
will come with time and work.

Artie called and asked us to go to Lori’s on Saturday. We said OK.

Day 339 (Friday, September 16, 2005)—we got up early because I

planned to go to BAI and I wanted to exercise before I left. You
made us breakfast and we both went downstairs and used our
respective machines. I managed to jog my 14 minutes. Somehow the
exercise seems to go faster when I include jogging. With cool down, I
did one hour and traveled 3.6 miles and the treadmill said I burned
in excess of 400 calories. You even said I looked as if I lost weight.
You did over an hour on the recumbent bike.

We both showered, dressed and I left for BAI. At BAI, Bill Torpey
updated me on what is going on, I assembled some missing pieces of
the request for proposal that we were working on and I assembled
reference material that I can use when I make my review of the
proposal on Sunday.

I called you when I left. When I arrived home, you greeted me at the
door the way you used to and gave me a sweet kiss. You also had our
lunch ready. You made a wonderful salad, no salt, and just the right
amount of oil and vinegar. You heated the spare ribs in the
microwave perfectly. It was a great meal and you did a great job.
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Following the meal, you put our dishes etc. in the dishwasher and
with very little instruction from me got it going. You told me that
you watered all the plants today too. All of these things you did are
very, very positive.

Following our meal, you did some homework. You did very well at
that too. The homework consisted of reading a sentence and
selecting the best course of action for solving the problem the
sentence posed. For example, If you see a fallen power line, the best
thing to do is: kick it; move it out of the way; call a neighbor; call the
fire department and the power company. You chose the last one. So,
kudos to you for a good homework job: you needed very few cues.

I thought our stockbroker was going to come this afternoon. I had it

wrong, it was to be next week. When I figured that out, we went to
Trader Joe’s. Before we left, you had a nice talk with Ann, our
neighbor, who said how terrific you look and talk. You are back, she
said. When we arrived at TJ we bought a few things—Kalamata
olive oil, Greek yogurt, and dark chocolate. When home, we had two
little pieces of chocolate (its good for the brain). Later, we had some
yogurt with some almonds and a little lo-cal orange marmalade.

We read in Maria’s Room and then you got up and emptied the dish
washer and put everything away. No prompting from me. So, this is
another indicator of progress. You also have been preparing the bed
for sleep for some time now, again all on your own.

Day 340 (Saturday, September 17, 2005)—we had a nice day today.
We got up early, ate, exercised, bathed and were out of the door by
9:30. We drove to the Post Office to send a new check to Marianna
for her birthday, this time in her maiden name. They wouldn’t cash
the first check because it had her married name and her ID was in
her maiden name. Next stop: the commissary. We bought a plant to
take to Lori’s house and, of course, a few other items for us.

We left for the Perryville area around 10 AM and took about 1:45
minutes to get there. We stayed within the speed limits as everybody
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else sped past us. Since we were early, we grabbed a chicken breast
each at KFC. We weren’t sure when we were to eat at Lori’s and
you wanted some KFC. After munching, we went to the Prime
Outlet Mall which is right there. Your shopping cognitive dots
kicked in, much to my pleasure, and you found some really nice
clothes. Our shopping expedition lasted for about an hour and we
arrived at Lori’s and Greg’s at the designated 1 PM. We are famous
for arriving on-time and we got the usual kudos.

They had an appetizer of boiled shrimp ready but you weren’t

interested. The chicken had cut your appetite. Next, Greg grilled hot
dogs and burgers on the barbie and they had many sides. You ate a
little slaw and a tiny bit of baked beans and pasta salad. I ate more,
of course. Oh well, one of these days I will hopefully control myself.

In addition to Lori and Greg, Nicole their daughter was there.

Nicole was home from James Madison where she has a double
major of math and statistics. That is worth a Wow!!! Arti and
Chuck were there and so was their daughter Pauline. All were
thrilled at how well you were doing. Lori who is a nurse, as you
know, really felt that your progress is miraculous. We do hear that
term often. No wonder we thank God.

We left about 4 PM and had a mostly uneventful trip. I write mostly

because to I-95 ramp onto the beltway was jammed and the beltway
itself became bumper to bumper. We got off at University
Boulevard and took this local road home. It took us over two hours.

Day 341 (Sunday, September 18, 2005)—well, it’s time to say Wow
again. I got up at 3 AM and finished my BAI work. I read and
critiqued a proposal until 7 AM. You then got up, took your
Fosamax and made us breakfast. I retrieved the Sunday paper and
read some of it until it was time to get ready for church. We got
there a little before 9 for the Orthos and did the usual reverent
things we do. As usual, people were very kind to you. All inquire
how you are and Chris gives us Holy Bread.

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We arrived back home around 10:20. Changed clothes and I called
Joe and Bob to see how they were. They usually call during the week
but didn’t and I was worried that there was something wrong. Not
to worry, they were both OK. Debbie was arriving back from
Florida today after visiting with her grandkids and Bob and Kathy
were at Ocean Pines. Kathy had hurt her back a little yesterday
when a wave tumbled her.

Connie and Vicki came at 12:30 and we promptly went to lunch at

Phillips. We had a pleasant time with them. After eating our fish
sandwiches, we took a short walk and bought some whole grain
bread at Panera’s. I’m sorry I did that because you had a good
nibble on the way home and a sizable bunch of bites with
cinnamon/brown sugar whipped cream cheese. You once had better
eating discipline. I tried to verbally restrain you but to no avail.

The ladies stayed with us for about three hours. It was very nice.
I’m pleased when you have outside stimuli. I believe that is really
good rehab stuff. I caught up with my journal entries and we both
went to Maria’s Room for R & R. You spoke to Aunt Mary in FL
and she is fine. We returned Dini’s phone call but she was out so we
left a message on her machine.

Day 342 (Monday, September 19, 2005)—we got up at the usual time
and did the usual things. You exercised but I did not as I read the
paper. I had to remind you after 45 minutes that you needed to
shower and dress so we could leave for the Dr. Hammer our regular
ophthalmologist. We arrived at his office in Olney 15 minutes before
our appointments and were summoned pretty much on time. A
technician checked our prescriptions and they were accurate when
matched to our glasses.

Dr. Hammer took over and did our glaucoma tests and we are OK.
He verified your nerve damage by saying the nerve in your good
(left eye) was pale. He did not think your vision would get any
better but he also said it was stabilized. He added that the
prescription you already have is the best that could be done. So, my
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sweet, you have to work at scanning left and doing the best that you
can. You congenital cataract is about the same. While he doesn’t
think a neuro-ophthamologist will be able to give us any better
news, he none-the-less said he would encourage us to go. He does not
believe that “vision therapy” is helpful—he didn’t come out and say
that it was phony but I got that impression.

He was really surprised how well I was doing vision-wise for over 70
years old. My eyes showed little change from the last time he saw me
and off-the-shelf glasses are still good for me. The unusual thing was
that the papaloma seems to have diminished to the point it is
difficult to see where it was.

When we arrived home, I changed for yard work and mowed our
burnt up lawn. It has not rained for weeks now and the lawn looks
sad but it still needed attention. My exercise for today, therefore,
was walking back and forth, forth and back, with the lawn mower. I
did a bunch of trimming in the back. Later I noted that I seemed to
hurt more mowing than walking on the treadmill.

After my shower, I made us lunch. We had a shrimp-cheese-omelet.

It was good you said. I used shrimp scampi that I micro-waved and
then cut up into the egg. I did not use the garlic sauce that is part of
the scampi. I enjoyed it too. You did the clean-up.

The mail came and you got a magazine with one of those perfume
ads that has perfume from Este Lauder. You really liked the smell
and wanted to get some of the body lotion so off we went to the Navy
Exchange. We found it and you liked the real thing so we bought it.
I really, really like the fact that you are taking interest in wanting
stuff for yourself. For me these are good signs of getting well and
cognitive dots connecting. Yea, baby!!! From there we went to
Penny’s in Wheaton Plaza Mall and after a big search found the
advertised flannel shirt I wanted. The only color they had was blue
but since that was the color I wanted, we were in business. We went
to Target for a drink and for the first time, you hated the concoction

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I put together. You found it too sweet. When we arrived home you
went to Maria’s Room to resume reading your magazine.

Day 343 (Tuesday, September 20, 2005)—so this day closes 49 weeks
since you know what and we were up and at ‘em at 6:30. You made
breakfast thing. I got and read the paper, you went down to exercise
and I followed later. I took my blood pressure using the wrist
machine and it was not too good. When I went downstairs, I used
the arm cuff and it was better. I guess I’ll use that one as it appears
more accurate given what my pressure was at the cardiologist.

You did over one hour on the recumbent bike while I did one hour
on the treadmill. I did not jog today. Since you started earlier, you
preceded me upstairs, showered, dressed and made the bed. I did
some desk and internet work when I finished working out. When I
came upstairs, you were in Maria’s Room reading your magazines.

We went for your lesson with Jan and she said you did very well.
Since she will not be there next Tuesday, we will go on Thursday.
From there, we went to La Madeline’s and you had a half Reuben
chicken sandwich with a cup tomato soup while I had the full
sandwich without soup. You stripped your sandwich of bread but
still complained that you ate too much. We both did not have any
dinner later this day. I was full too.

You are still complaining that your right side bothers you and I
guess it will for some time to come. You literally were thrashed on
that side and will probably take years for you to be at least
comfortable. Your memory continues to improve but you are not
your perfectionist self. You don’t mind letting things slide such as
my leaving “little papers” as you used to call them (i.e., my little
reminder notes) here and there. Also, you hated when leaves would
accumulate in front of our front door—now not so much. In fact,
when I offered you the broom, you declined. It’s OK, I did the job.

Day 344 (Wednesday, September 21, 2005)—we stayed in bed until

7:30 and made a call to Greece while relaxing. You spoke to both
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Litsa and Gregory and alerted them we would not be calling this
Saturday. You told them we sent pictures and Marianna’s birthday
check. She and Thano were at the Children’s Depot which is an in-
door type park with games and things as well as other kids to
interact with. He needs to do that since he is around adults too
much. Everybody there is fine.

We ate, exercised, bathed, and dressed. We each worked out for one
hour on our respective torture machines. No jogging for me but I
did go up to a 7 % grade.

I went to get the car serviced and washed. While I waited for almost
two hours, I started to input phone numbers into my new phone. A
neat thing is that if I press and hold the talk button, the phone asks
me to give a command such as voice dial. At this point, I can recite a
number or mention a name in my directory, it finds it and dials.
That is a much better feature from the old phone and no voice
training is required.

While you were home waiting, you shortened a new pair of pants.
You also did some reading. After I arrived home, we went to the
commissary and we bought stuff to include the cereal we like to take
with us to Lewes tomorrow. On the way home, we went to Mike’s
and picked up a steak sub with fries for our lunch at home. We have
not had one for a long time and it was delicious. Our next adventure
was to look for a cable for my phone so that I can directly load the
pictures I take with the phone onto my computers. We went to
COMPUSA, they had none, and then to Radio Shack, they too did
not have the cable. The associate said the phone was too new. They
only received it a month ago. By this time, the only place you wanted
to go was home and there we went.

Day 345 (Thursday, September 22, 2005)-- we got up at 7 AM and

did the usual AM things i.e., eat, exercise, bathe and dress. We made
the bed together and then packed for our trip. We left for Lewes a
little before 10:00. As usual, we stopped at the Annapolis

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Wawa but you didn't want to get out so I went in myself and filled a
44 ounce cup with caffeine free coke and a couple of other things.
Crossing the Bay Bridge was a little of a pain as they were doing
some construction which caused some back up and then after the
toll caused us some jockeying to get into the open lanes. From that
point the traffic was OK until we made the turn onto route 404
where we encountered some one lane controls as they were patching
the road. The patches they've already made are not fun to drive on
as they make the road rough. Fortunately the one-way traffic didn't
hold us back too much.

We arrived at Dino and Myrna's at 12:45 and carted in our pillows,

pills, carry-on, and some other stuff. We sat and chatted for a bit
and then all went with Dino to drop off his car for new tires. From
there we went to our favorite Rehoboth Mexican restaurant and had
fajitas. They were delicious and very filling for luncheon portions.
You didn't finish yours and Myrna brought her left over food home
and she ate them at night. Speaking of the evening meal, you just
had some fruit and I had nothing.

You gals also didn't mind our plan to go to the movies without you.
We went to see The Raid that was based on the true story of how US
Army Rangers saved 511 POWs from being murdered by the
Japanese in a Philippine POW camp. It was quite an adventure but
not something you guys would have liked. It was a guy flick. The
movie was almost two hours in length.

We watched some TV on his new TV. It has a nice 46 inch screen

and the picture very clear when you sit right in front of the screen.
We waited for CSI to come on. We'll see if you stay up for that.

Connie called and said she was waiting for Michael at the airport
but found he had not left yet from Chicago at 9:30 PM EST due to
weather. They sat on the tarmac so long returned to the terminal to
disembark while they refueled the plane. We had no further news on
what happened after that.

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Of course, Hurricane Rita is the unlikely source of Chicago's bad
weather but all are apprehensive as what will happen when it strikes
Texas in the Galveston and Houston areas by Saturday AM.
Galveston has been evacuated and given what happened in New
Orleans, Galveston residents responded appropriately. Traffic
moved slowly out of the cities given the traffic density. It was
bumper to bumper.

Day 346 (Friday, September 23, 2005) --we both woke up a little
after midnight to go to "the place" as the Greeks call it. When I
woke up I initially was disoriented. I looked at the ceiling to look for
the time from our clock that projects the time and temperature
there. When I did not see it, I was concerned that we had a power
failure until I realized we were at Dino and Myrna's and hence no
projected time or temperature on the ceiling. I went to the bathroom
and when I returned and got into bed, you said you had to go. You
got up and headed in the wrong direction--towards the window. Had
you been home, the direction you were heading in would have led
you to our bathroom, but not at Dino's and Myrna's. I told you that
you were heading in the wrong direction and where we were but you
would not heed my directions. Instead, you got angry with me and
got back into bed. I then got up to lead you to the bathroom but you
gave me a hard time and I literally had to pull you out of bed,
Finally, you got up but I asked you to be quite as you were not being
too cooperative. You went and we both got back into bed and we
slept through until 7 AM. You said you did not sleep too well as the
window was open and you heard too many of nature's sounds.

We went on the porch to read while waiting for others to get up and
at 'em. It was a delightful morning and reading on the porch was
great. Soon Myrna showed up and you guys put breakfast together.
We waited for Dino but eventually ate before he showed up. He is a
late sleeper since he goes to bed late. We are still waiting for news
from Connie and Mike.

Vicki, Connie and Michael arrived at 3 PM. Their trip here was
uneventful but Michael's trip from Chicago was tough. He sat in the
411
plane that sat on the tarmac for four hours. Connie and Vicki
waited at National airport until they found out how late he would
be. Mike was asked to call when he landed and she would come. He
arrived at 12:15 AM. Connie lives in the Crystal City area, it was
not much of a drive for her to pick him up. The reason for Michael's
delay was very poor Chicago weather--lots of thunder storms.

We had fun chatting with the young people and you were very
engaging. You enjoyed their company and they yours. Dino made
reservations at a restaurant in Milford, about 20 miles from Lewes.
Supposedly it was a Greek restaurant since it was owned by Greeks.
One of the owners was from Iannina. You and Myrna had the so-
called Aegean Platter. You hated it. I had the seafood combo and I
should have asked if it was broiled or fried. It was fried, I hated it.
Dino and Connie shared a pastitso. They liked it. Mike ate the same
but could only eat half because the portion was so gigantic. Salad
and dessert were part of the meal as was spaghetti. The dessert was
rice pudding and that was pretty good. You did not want any of that
either as you couldn't believe it could be any good. All-in-all while
the food was abundant, the twenty mile trip was not worth it.

Everybody decided that a walk on the boardwalk would be a good

thing to do. So, we drove to Rehoboth. It once again seemed like a
forever drive. We arrived, parked and walked. There were many
people out and walking--mostly families. A lot of the stores were
open and people were shopping for food or souvenirs. The noisy
game centers were functioning too. We walked for about a half
hour, went to the house, watched some TV, and we went to bed at 10
PM. The others stayed up later.

Day 347 (Saturday, September 24, 2005)--we were awakened to lawn

mower noises from next door. It was 8 AM. We exited the bedroom
and found Myrna already up and doing pre-breakfast preparation
things. By the time everybody got up, Myrna had buzzed around
putting all sorts of stuff on the breakfast table and making
pancakes, soy bacon, sausage, fruit salad, and other stuff. The soy
bacon is pretty good. The apple cake she made yesterday was
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delicious. We all enjoyed the meal and the conversation. We then
went to shower and dress. You wore jeans because it is much, much
cooler today, more like a late September day. It is not a beach day.
It is supposed to warm up tomorrow.

After breakfast we all went to the Rehoboth Mall to get some stuff
that Connie left for repair. The person who did the repair was Soula
who was a seamstress that once worked out of a store next to Dino’s
wine and cheese in Bethesda. She is originally from Cyprus. While
you and Connie had a chat with her, Dino, Mike and I went to Radio
Shack. They didn't have the cable I was looking for the phone
camera and said they usually don't come in until at least three
months after the new phone is received. So, on that basis, we have a
couple of months to go. Both Dino and I got new batteries for our
car door openers. From this mall, we went to Outlet Mall # 1. The
gals wanted to do some shopping and Connie did find a nice jacket
at Anne Taylor. Since the weather was very cool, you gracefully
declined their idea of walking on the beach after shopping.

You wanted to go to the movies, so we did. We saw the Jodie Foster

movie Flight Plan that arrived today. It didn't get the best write up
from the critics, but we enjoyed it very much and you were
surprised that two hours had passed so quickly. Since we had no
lunch, we ate popcorn while we watched the movie.

When we arrived at the house, the Vidos clan was still out. In an
about an hour, they returned and Myrna whipped into action. She
made chicken breasts for you and herself while Dino grilled steaks.
As usual, she had a bunch of sides too. The meal was enjoyed by all.
We stayed up until ten chatting and watching a movie.

Day 348 (Sunday, September 25, 2005)--we were the first ones up at
8 AM. It is cool out again today but it is supposed to warm up. You
took your bone pill. I sat on the couch next to you and wrote for the
letter. I've been trying to keep up by writing e-mail messages to
myself with what we’ve been doing and so far have written

413
everyday. You are getting better but still complain about your right
side. I guess that will continue for some time.

People got out of bed in increments. We had our cereal and ate it on
the porch. It was very pleasant. Myrna made coffee and laid out
bagels for the rest. I also had some of Myrna’s delicious apple cake.
We went into the bedroom and stripped the bed. You took the sheets
and pillow cases to the laundry room and then came back and
dressed. We packed our stuff to include our pillows and we loaded
the items in the car. We forgot the cereal and zucchini bread that
Myrna packed for us and had on the kitchen counter. After chatting
with everyone, we left at 11 AM and arrived home at 1:30.

The trip was uneventful except there was a bunch of traffic. After
we arrived home, we unpacked and put a load of wash in the
washer. After that chore, we went to Chicken-on-the-Run. We then
went to the commissary as we needed cereal among some other
things. By now, we were hungry and ready to be home at our
kitchen table to eat our nice chicken and sides. We were not
disappointed. The food was delicious.

You went downstairs to take the clothes out of the dryer. A few
minutes later, Tonya showed up and went to find you. You and she
brought the clothes upstairs. She followed you into the bedroom and
said how beautiful it is. She also said we had a very homey home.
You enjoyed hearing such nice things. With her departure, we
changed and watched TV until 9 PM. The program I wanted to see
at 8 PM was delayed by 50 minutes by the football game so I opted
out and went to bed with you. Of course, after two hours of sleep (a
nap) I was wide-awake but managed to stay in bed.

Day 349 (Monday, September 26, 2005)—we got up at our usual

time and then at 7:30 AM a Davis and Davis tech called to remind
us that they were coming between 9 and 11 for our furnace
inspection. I had completely forgotten. I was going to take the car
for maintenance but I guess that will be tomorrow now. We both
managed to squeeze in our exercise. The tech came at 9:30 and
414
checked our furnace. Apparently, the new furnace doesn’t need all
that much checking as it is sealed (thus no oiling required) and
computerized and shows any problems on a readout on the front.
The humidifier does not require much maintenance except for a
change in pads but he also reduced the amount of water that it
sprays thus we shouldn’t overdue it in that department. The furnace
filter needed changing badly (we had not changed it in two years
and it was DIRTY). He changed it.

We called Greece twice today. Litsa was not in for the early morning
7 AM call (our time) and you spoke to Gregory. Litsa went with
Marianna to cash her birthday check. Later at 10 AM our time, you
called again and spoke with Litsa. She confirmed that everybody is
OK and our little Thano is saying more words now.

You are making rice pudding. Hopefully it will come out better than
your attempt a week before Greek Easter. It was very, very loose
then and we had to engage in repair work by adding some starch.
The taste was good but not the consistency. After it cools we gave it
a taste test. Your effort was GREAT. It was a perfect consistency
too—nice and creamy.

We waited all afternoon for the Verizon tech to show up and he/she
didn’t. I called and there was some glitch associated with the order
that they failed to resolve and thus failed to let me know. I let them
know that I was displeased and prepared to cancel the order. I was
asked to wait until the order department calls me. I asked the
Verizon person to note on his summary of our discussion that I
would not wait four hours again and that I should be first on
whatever next date we select. Here’s another, “we’ll see.”

You did your homework. I read a short (one paragraph) story to

you, asked you to summarize what I read and then to offer a
solution to the story’s problem. You did very well in coming up with
multiple solutions. You also solved a series of mazes by drawing a
line from the start to the finish point. You did well at scanning and
finding the proper route.
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You went downstairs early to watch TV. Later I came and we
watched a movie. Niko called to see how we were doing and I told
him about your rice pudding. He was in FL for work and hoped to
take a flight out of Ft. Lauderdale and get home this evening.
Pauline came and brought you some figs from her tree and you
chatted with her.

Day 350 (Tuesday, September 27, 2005)—well, my sweet, this day

closes the 50th week since that day. As you can see by your initiative
in making rice pudding and making it well that you are progressing
toward wellness from the terrible brain injury you sustained. You
look forward to doing the homework Jan gives you and you do
better at it each time. The downside is that you continue to complain
of pain on your right side. But, God willing, that too will pass.

I woke up early (5 AM) and you got up at about 7 AM. I made my

own breakfast and then went and exercised for an hour. When I
came upstairs, you had finished your breakfast and cleaned up. You
headed down to exercise while I went to shower, etc. I left the house
at 8 AM to get car work done. I informed you before I left and you
were still on the recumbent bike. When I arrived home (I walked),
you had showered and dressed. Everyday now you make the bed—
when I am there we make it together—but mostly you do it on your
own and in the evening prepare it for our sleep too. We waited
together while waiting for the car to be finished.

When the time came, we walked to pick up the car. You were a little
apprehensive about walking where there is traffic but I convinced
you that you had to get over that fear plus I would be with you and
thus you would be safe. It took us about ten minutes of walking and
you were fine. We crossed streets as required—no problem.

We got the car. By going to Meinke, we saved over $150 from what
the Buick dealership wanted for the same work. The other
interesting thing was that the dealership said that we needed new
rear shock absorbers. Meinke said we did not need new shocks.
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Given that they could have made extra bucks by agreeing with the
dealership, I will go with their judgment. By the way, the dealership
wanted $502 to replace the rear shocks. Shame on them!

From there we went to Rite Aide to pick up a prescription. Our next

stop was Monty Mall for our periodic Chinese meal fix. Panda
Express filled the need and we both enjoyed the meal very much.
We walked a little after eating and then went home to rest and
watch TV. You like to watch Oprah these days and later
Entertainment Tonight.

Day 351 (Wednesday, September 28, 2005)—we both got up early

and after eating were off to our respective exercise machines. After
one hour, we quit and showered. I wrote a check for our real estate
taxes. Boy have they gone up! When I left for BAI, I asked you to
relay the cover we have on our stairs. When I returned from BAI,
you had done the job in great fashion.

Joe called to tell me that this evening’s meeting is cancelled. Later

he called back to say that Debbie was going out with her girlfriends
and he would like to take us to Ambrosia. Given that we ate the
usually great chicken from Chicken-on-the-Run, I don’t know how
hungry we will be. We’ll see. I told him about your rice pudding and
he is looking forward to eating some.

We went to the Navy PX and looked around and bought some small
items. This includes a cordless beard trimmer that I hope will work
on keeping my bald head bald—well, with just a little hair showing.
The good thing about going to the PX was that you did not object
and were very cooperative looking around. You are tolerating going
shopping much, much better these days and this is another good
sign of your getting better.

Joe arrived a little after five. He got stuck in traffic near the
Mormon Temple on the beltway. He said it was bumper-to-bumper.
Since we know he is very prompt, he made sure we knew he would
be late by calling us from his car. Ambrosia was not crowded when
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we arrived but was full by the time we left. Both of us were not
hungry. I had taramoslata which I did not finish and even shared
some with you and Joe. Both you and Joe had a cup of soup (more
like a bowl) of Avgolemano and he supplemented that with their
gyro and chicken souvlaki plate. When we came home, you gave him
some of your terrific rice pudding. He enjoyed it very much.

Day 352 (Thursday, September 29, 2005)—we got up later than

usual today. After breakfast, we did our one hour on the treadmill.
Showered, dressed and ready to go, we left for the dentist. We both
had are teeth cleaned and got a clear bill of dental health from the
doctor. As much as I like Dr. Barnett and his staff, I really hate
going to the dentist and you are not thrilled either. The bright side,
was that everybody found you looking terrific and much improved
since our last visit in I think May. If I wasn’t lazy, I could search
this letter-journal and provide the exact date.

We went to our local Chinese restaurant and brought spicy green

beans home. You ate the beans with left over pasta while I ate the
rice. The beans were truly spicy but we both liked our lunch very
much. After lunch, you read and I did some BAI work for about two
hours. We did a little homework together too and then left for your
therapy. Jan was pleased to see you and you were pleased to see her.
You had a good session. Your homework for Tuesday is to watch
Oprah and to tell Jan what you saw. Another requirement is for you
read an article or a book and be prepared to discuss them with Jan.
We went to the library upon our return home but found it to be
closed. We’ll try again tomorrow.

We ate some rice pudding after our failed library venture and went
into Maria’s Room to relax. A neat Maria analytical thing happened
a little later. I suggested that we give Connie a “tea candle light
fountain” that we had, never used, and in fact never taken out of the
box. Her birthday was coming up and I thought she might enjoy
that. You pointed out that it was not such a great idea. The reason
was that she had a cat—you even pantomimed the little paws
knocking the fountain off of a table.
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Day 353 (Friday, September 30, 2005)—okay, so I didn’t write
anything on this precise day so I must reconstruct. One of the
reasons I did not write was that we did a lot. After getting up, eating
etc., you went down stairs to exercise. I continued to read the paper.
When I got up to change into exercise clothes, I noted the sad state
of the kitchen floor. It had little of this and of that on the floor and
was even dirty in spots. I bit the vacuuming bullet and went to work.
First I did the kitchen and then the rest of the upstairs. I even used a
wet Swifter and cleaned the dirty spots. I took the vacuum cleaner
downstairs with me and did that area too. I did not sense any desire
on your part to help. I don’t think you thought it was a big deal. I
guess since I am writing this, I think it is because the BA Maria
would have helped or more probably taken over the whole job.
After vacuuming, I exercised.

We went to the commissary. After returning home, you did the

unpacking while I cut the chicken gizzards and chicken hearts we
bought into tiny pieces (we wanted livers but alas there were none).
Cutting them that way makes them easier to cook and tenderizes
them somewhat. I sautéed them in olive oil while you cut up some
onion. Then we added the onion some Irish cheese and at the
appropriate time five eggs. Thus, we had our omelet for lunch. I
used catsup for a little flavor and you used hot sauce. You convinced
me to try the hot sauce and I enjoyed it too.

We called Jan but she was not in. I left a message to tell her the book
you were going to read and discuss with her on Tuesday. The book
is Rose by AC Andrews. You read about an hour.

At about 1:45 we were off again to White Flint Mall and our usual
Friday movie. We saw A History of Violence. It got good marks by
both critics and moviegoers—4 ½ Stars out of five. I would have
given it 3 ½ stars. You seemed to like it. It was about a mobster who
has straightened out his life and evaded the mob He is married to a
good woman and has two children. He is forced into displaying his
violent past when two crazy thugs attempt to rob his restaurant and
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are about to rape one of the employees. He becomes a hero and is
acclaimed. Thus, the mob finds out where he is and his life goes
downhill from there. His chief antagonist is his brother. Does it have
a happy ending? Maybe, they left that up to us.

Following the movie, we sat in the Mall and shared a designer

coffee. Because there was a brother involved in the movie, you ended
up thinking about your brother. You told me how sad you were that
he died but were angry about the way he treated your mother. You
really were quite upset.

After we arrived home and I did some BAI work and you read your
book assignment some more. We watched TV together. I had hoped
to keep you up until ten watching Faith and Hope since you like
Kelley Rippa one of the leads.

Day 354 (Saturday, October 01, 2005)—we got up after you had a
lengthy talk with Litsa in Greece. You mentioned your thoughts
about your brother but she did not allow you to dwell on that for
very long. As you know, she did not think highly of your (and her)
brother for a number of reasons that I need not state here. The
weather in Greece is very stormy with much rain. Last night, they
thought that a close lightening bolt and the related thunder would
knock down the house. Thano and Marianna were there for lunch.
They attempted to get Thano to talk on the phone but he would not.
Ellie still has a cold but everyone else is fine.

Breakfast was next, I read the paper, you finished and went to
exercise. After I ate, I went to the bedroom to change into my
exercise clothing. I was pleased to note that you continue to do
things on your own initiative, the bed. As observed from yesterday’s
note, you are not doing any vacuuming yet.

When you finished exercising and headed upstairs, I reminded you

to cook the cauliflower. You came downstairs to bring your towel
back and said the front of the house was messy. I suggested you use
the blower and reminded you where the battery was and how to put
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it in the blower. You went and did the job. You didn’t like how our
little garden looked and started to clean it out. I came up and
assisted. We worked well as a team and trimmed back the ugly
Hostas and picked up twigs. We filled two cans. Maybe you have a
fear of vacuuming. Only kidding!

The trimming was a lot of work. You went into the kitchen and
finished turning the cauliflower into a salad. I ordered Chinese food
and went and got it from the Hong Kong. We enjoyed the spicy
green beans with lo-mien and rice. No meat for us today since we
will receive communion tomorrow.

I checked our email and there was one from Nick Vourlos telling us
that they were going to the festival at St. Sophia and asking us to
join them there. We did. It was nice seeing them after the passage of
over 20 years. They looked great. We also met one of their lovely
daughters who works for Booz-Allen. The other daughter lives and
works in NY. Nick and Aristi live near Annapolis but in November
will be traveling to FL. The have a house in Naples and spend six
months or more there now.

After getting home, you read and I finished my BAI work. We then
both went and watched TV. The interesting thing while watching a
movie was when you asked me who the actor was. I said his name
was Hugh something (his last name escaped me) and you then
immediately piped in with the last name—“Grant,” you said and
you were correct. I love it when you display memory recovery.

Day 355 (Sunday, October 02, 2005)—we did not eat breakfast this
AM as we were fasting so that we could receive communion later
today. You dressed in your nice brown pants, a brown t-type shirt,
and your paisley jacket. You really looked super. I wore the new
jacket we bought for me at Sym’s with brown cords, etc. Later we
got compliments from the kids on how we looked. Father John also
said you looked great.

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We arrived at church during the Orthos and, as usual, enjoyed the
chanting. The liturgy began promptly at 10:00 AM. The Sunday
School children were in attendance. When Father John spoke to
them, he expressed the importance of hearing what is said by their
parents, priests and teachers if they were to gain meaning from their
religious studies. He told the story of the grandfather who owned a
hardware store. He worked hard in the store and was always very,
very busy—running here and there. One day he could not find a
clock that he loved very much. He told his grandson how sorry he
was he lost his beloved clock although he was sure it was in his store
somewhere. The grandson told him not to worry. He would find the
clock. He went into the store and closed the entrance door firmly. In
a short time, he emerged with the clock in his hand. His grandfather
was overjoyed but also perplexed. How did you find it, he asked.
Grandfather, the grandson replied I patiently waited in the quiet of
the store until I heard the ‘tick-tock. Father John asked the children
to listen for the ‘tick-tock’ so that they could find true meaning.

We received communion and stayed for the entire liturgy. They had
a memorial service for a colonel who was a member of the Church.
He died some 40 days ago. When church ended, we emerged and
found a table outside in preparation for eating at the fall festival.
We waited for a few minutes for the kids but you were hungry so I
left you at the table and went to stand on line for food. Meanwhile
the kids arrived and called me on my cell and reported that they
were taking you to a new table in a shady spot. I bought chicken
livers (one portion each) for us, some taramosalata and three rolls. I
then went searching for you guys.

Nick and Nina were there as were Vicki and Connie. The kids ate a
bunch of food. Niko bought drinks for us to include retsina for me.
Later he treated us all to dessert. We enjoyed their company for
about 2 ½ hours. When we left, we noted that there were many
people there. The lines for food were long. This is a good thing for
the church. I hope the income is beyond their expectations. The
weather has been great (except for the farmers).

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Tonya came to visit while I was working on the journal. She sat with
you in Maria’s room and you guys chatted. I went out to mow the
back and our hill. The front needs no mowing since the drought got
it. When I finished, Tonya was gone, I showered and you went to
watch TV. I prepared an email that I sent to the close-by relatives
concerning Thanksgiving. Niko and Nina reserved the party room in
their building so we will hold our party there with everybody
bringing stuff. I made a list of what I thought was needed, solicited
volunteers to bring what was listed or to identify gaps in my
suggestions. We’ll see what responses we get.

I joined you and we watched a movie. You went to bed at 8:20. You
tried to double-lock the front door but could not you yelled down to
me. You did arm the system. The reason you could not lock the door
was that it was not completely closed. Apparently when Tonya left
she left it slightly ajar. When I came up at nine the problem was
solved and I mentioned to you what happened before we said the
“Lord’s Prayer.” You are still having a problem remembering the
prayer especially the line hollowed be thy Name. I have to prompt
you for the lead us not into temptation line too. Not much of a
prompt for either line but a prompt nonetheless.

Day 356 (Monday, October 03, 2005)—you are great! After the
usual breakfast things, you exercised. No, that’s not the great thing
yet. You then showered, dressed, and threw laundry down the chute
for washing. No, that’s not the great thing yet. The really wonderful
thing is that on your own initiative took the new pants I bought and
shortened them 3 inches. You would not stop until you completed all
three and you did an excellent job too. I am wearing one of the pants
now and they look great. Well done my sweet. While you were doing
that, I was fussing trying to balance the checkbook. I took the
laundry out of the dryer, folded, and brought clothing upstairs. I
put mine away and placed yours so you could do so.

Yes, I exercised too for 70 minutes on the tread mill for 3.7 miles
and according to the treadmill burned over 500 calories. Even
though I do the mill every day, I am not losing much weight. Bah,
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humbug!! Even resisting eating evening meals does not seem to do
much. Maybe I need to just drink water.

We went to Wheaton Mall. We passed a Starbucks as well and you

wanted a latte and a scone. Upon return home, we went to Maria’s
Room and read/napped a bit. I was not thrilled when you left and
returned with your “evening-wear” as we call your nighty and robe.
After all, it was only 4:30 in the afternoon. You went downstairs to
watch TV at 5:30. Booo!!!

Day 357 (Tuesday, October 04, 2005)—51 weeks ago, a Ford Pick-up
hit you. Next Thursday will be October 12 the one year point since
that fateful day. Interesting how the weeks and year dates differ.
Anyway, this AM, I was awakened by the sounds of you disarming
our alarm system a little before 7 AM. I managed to drag myself out
of bed and stagger outside for the newspaper. Upon my return, you
had our breakfast cereal ready for consumption. We ate, I read the
paper and we did our respective exercise routines. After the usual
shower and dressing, we went to the NRH/Suburban rehab center
on Montrose for your hour session with Jan.

You were a little hesitant to go to therapy (your teacher) because

you did not feel adequately prepared for your homework
assignment. It was to be ready to discuss a book you were reading.
We chatted about that for awhile and you actually did pretty well
voicing an opinion about what you had read. We didn’t get the book
until Friday afternoon and we were busy over the weekend plus you
did a lot of pants shortening for me (four pairs) on Monday. Thus,
you really didn’t have much time to read. And, by the way, Jan
didn’t have time to go to the library and find the book. So sweetie,
you really should not have felt bad about not being totally prepared.
Jan said you did really well during your session with her.

When we left, our plan was to go to Giants for some salad fixing and
then home to eat followed by a visit to the commissary. We didn’t do
that. The traffic was backed up on Rockville Pike and it would have
taken us forever to reach Giant’s even though it was not far away.
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Later, we found out that an individual in a wheelchair was struck by
a cement truck and was badly injured. If this was the same person
we saw last week driving his motorized wheelchair I can see where
he might be in trouble. He really was not careful from what I
observed. I almost stopped to tell him so—maybe I should have and
he would have been alright today. I doubt it though.

Given the traffic tie-up, we went to the commissary and bought our
salad fixings and other items. You plan to make pastitso for Sunday
as a trial run for Thanksgiving. So, we bought milk, hamburger
meat, tomato sauce, and ziti as the basic ingredients. We’ll work on
the pastitsio toward the end of the week.

When we got home, I recovered our recycling and refuse cans. You
unpacked and stored what we purchased. We made our salad with
the fake crab meat, some chicken slices and romaine. With a touch
of olive oil and wine vinegar the salad was very tasty.

You read a bit and then came to the kitchen and prepared the
hamburger meat for the pastitsio. It smelled delicious. You cooked it
up without reference to a recipe and without any assistance for me. I
was doing my computer stuff. We got an email from Becky Bull at
Suburban Hospital. She sent me a copy of the final letter they will
use to solicit money in support of the hospital charity. You are the
key for the solicitation. What they wrote is posted in your Maria
file. I tried to extract it but it ended up being more than I could do
since it was in a special format.

Day 358 (Wednesday, October 05, 2005)—we both woke up a little

before 5 AM. You stayed in bed a little longer but I went downstairs
to exercise. While I was doing that, you showed up at six and told
me my breakfast was ready and then you exercised. I finished
shortly thereafter and went to bathe, shave, and dress. I then ate
breakfast and after kissing you goodbye, left for BAI.

I worked for five hours today. When I arrived home, I found that
you did Name on Card________________________ Signature______________________________
E-mail Phone______________________________
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Please use my donation toward:r Care to the community through outreach
r Expanding the Eby Emergency/Trauma Center r
Funding in Amex
Mastercard the area of greatest
Account #_____________________________________ need• 301- 896-3971
Exp. Date_____________________
considerable cooking. You made the pastitsio and rice pudding too.
You had a little pastitsio left over from the main preparation
(without the meat). You had some for lunch and saved me some too.
You made a tiny error with the pastitsio, instead of topping the
béchamel with grated cheese, you used a round box that looked like
a grated cheese box but was in reality a fine “Wondra” flour. Well,
at least it was not sugar. We fixed the problem. The funny thing is
that I thought of telling you where we put the grated cheese but
forgot. Notwithstanding that tiny error, what I ate tasted very, very
good so I think you were successful overall.

After lunch, we went to Wheaton Mall for a little walk and you had
some Starbuck’s Mocha Coffee and a cinnamon scone. You enjoyed
it very much. I also learned something new—a frapacino is a cold
drink. I apologized to the guy and he said “no problem” and made
the hot coffee.

I ordered a new topper or the bed this evening. It too is memory

foam but is 4 inches thick not the 2 ½ inches we now have. We’ll put
the 2 ½ incher on the guest bed.

Day 359 (Thursday, October 06, 2005)—it looks like rain today. In
fact, when I went out for the paper there was a light drizzle that
soon fizzled (a fizzle of a drizzle—how poetic). As of 1 PM there is
no rain to speak about but it still looks threatening. I read the paper
and ate the breakfast cereal you prepared for me prior to exercise
using the recumbent bike. You are showing good endurance.

Since the rain is threatening and after I ate and read, I went outside
and scrubbed the dirty areas on our front porch and the sidewalk
leading to our new and beautiful driveway. The areas were very
dirty and look much better now. They are better but could be better
still. I figured if it did rain, this would help rinse the bad spots in
addition to the hosing down I gave the areas I worked on. By the
time I finished, you finished exercising and then bathed, dressed,
and made the bed. Congratulate me—I did not use my outside work
as an excuse to not exercise. In fact, I walked four miles today on the
426
treadmill, my best for quite awhile. While I was treading, you came
downstairs to see how I was doing and even did a little hootchie-
kootchie dance for me in keeping with music from the TV program
I was watching. You were very cute.

I finished my workout and by the time I looked at email, shaved,

showered, etc., it was time for lunch. You made us Healthy Choice
pasta (I took a carb blocker too—hope they work but I don’t think
so) and we had some ready made meatballs that we micro-waved. It
was a nice lunch and you did a terrific clean-up job while I did more
computer fiddling around. It is now time for some Maria’s Room
relaxation. We not only read but you did some of your homework—
some more of the “what would you do” situations.

We hung out home most of the day but then we decided to do our
afternoon mall walk. You were interested in drinking a Mocha
Starbuck’s Coffee with a cinnamon scone. So, off we went there to
Wheaton Mall for a walk and a coffee for you. We did both and took
the coffee to one of the couches to drink and people watch. When we
finished, home we went. I had to turn on the air-conditioning
because it was very humid.

Day 360 (Friday, October 07, 2005)—well, they said it was going to
rain and it did rain. In some areas near DC it rained 6 inches by 5
PM. We got up at 7:30 AM. Did the usual newspaper, breakfast bit
and then you went to exercise. I tried to make some appointments
after I changed your therapy day for one of them from Tuesday to
Thursday. Guess what? The appointments fell through as one of the
people who thought they would be available had another sudden
meeting called in the morning. Bah!

I did the treadmill and even jogged today. Yea, I hope I can keep it
up. Actually, the exercise seems to go faster when I jog. More proof
that the passage of time is relative. You did the recumbent bike for
an one hour. After you finished, you bathed, dressed, and made the
bed. When I came upstairs after exercising and paying bills, I found
you in Maria’s Room reading your book. You are almost finished.
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We decided to eat our lunch meal after we returned from the
movies. We went to White Flint Mall and saw In Her Shoes with
Carmen Diaz, Tonnie Collet, and Shirley McClain. The Washington
critics were not too complimentary as usual but common folks rated
it high. Given that we are common folks, we enjoyed the movie.
Later when we got home, you were a little confused on who was
living and who died. You seemed to confuse the grandmother
(Shirley Mc) with the mother that committed suicide by crashing
her car. We discussed this a bit and hopefully you understood who
was who. Here is how the movie is described on the internet: An
irresponsible and sometimes-employed party girl (Carmen) and her
older sister (Tonnie), an ambitious attorney, clash when they move in
together. In fact the pairing doesn't last long, what with the party girl,
Maggie, waltzing around her dumpy sister's apartment in her skivvies
and upsetting the general order of things. Maggie also doesn't feel like
looking for work or doing much else but turn men's heads. Eventually
Maggie gets booted and seeks out a grandmother (Shirley) she never
knew she had. Maggie settles in to her grandmother's retirement
home, but neither Maggie nor her sister can escape the legacy of their
mysterious mother.

When we exited the movie, I called the Cheesecake Factory for take-
out. You wanted the grilled eggplant sandwich and I the Factory
Meat Loaf. We circled the mall twice and then got our takeout and
took it home. Note if we ever do this again: substitute the fries with
something else. They were limp and you did not eat them but you
did like the sandwich. My meal was great. But, you announced that
we might never do this takeout bit again. After dinner, you cleaned
up the kitchen area. I took out the garbage/recycle (it is raining).

Day 361 (Saturday, October 08, 2005)—it is still raining buckets!

You got up early and I stayed in bed until 7:30 AM. You told me
you were going to exercise and you did. I was still at the breakfast
table when you finished. Finally, I exercised too (I did not jog but I
did walked at a steep incline). I had a good and sweaty workout. I
did some desk work after I finished my treadmill walk. When I
428
came upstairs, I found you making yourself some large slices of toast
for lunch with some cheese. After I bathed and dressed, I joined you
in Maria’s Room to read. You are re-reading the book Rose. You
decided you wanted to understand it better. I encouraged you.

You offered to make me lunch at 11:30 but I wasn’t hungry yet.

Later, I heated up left over pasta and left over meat loaf. My meal
was very tasty—the microwave really is great for heating leftovers.

In the morning, we called Litsa in Greece. Thano was at the house

running here and there. You very much enjoyed hearing about his
escapades. Later you called Pauline and Aunt Mary in Florida. You
had a long chat with Dini. They are off to a wedding today. Their
niece Sarah is getting married in Milwaukee. Niko called to say that
this Wednesday would be a good day for celebrating their (Nick and
Nina) birthdays. This is the day before his birthday and the one year
anniversary of “the incident.” In the early evening, your cousin
Canadian Evangelia called. Harry called too and said they would
come Thanksgiving and they would bring an appetizer tray.

We did more reading and it continued to rain with gusto. We

sneaked in a nap, you on the couch and me in my chair. You woke
up and wanted to go to bed and nap. I said no way—bed is for
sleeping at nighttime, not for napping. At about 3 PM we went and
watched TV. It was unusual but we did not go out today. I really
was a very rainy day.

Day 362 (Sunday, October 09, 2005)—this is a nice day, not

weather-wise but content-wise for you. The only down side of the
day for me was the drive to church. On the way there, I turned on
the program I listen to on Sunday morning called The Wise Investor
hosted by Rick Malone. He wasn’t speaking. Another person from
his office was and told us that it was a memorial program for Rick
who died last week from a fall at home. Now, I did not know Rick
except as a radio personality but he seemed to be a very nice and
savvy guy. This was confirmed by calls to the program from clients
who truly lauded him and the positive affect he had on them, not
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only money but his integrity and other positive character traits. I
really felt sad because it once again spelled out how transient life
was which led me to thoughts on how close I was to losing you. I am
very sensitive to these issues. Of course, Malone’s passing is only one
of many deaths this week. We heard this morning about the huge
earthquake that killed thousands in India and Pakistan.

We arrived at church for the Orthos. As usual, we enjoyed the

singing. Better still, Father John came down from the altar and said
to me “move over.” I didn’t know what was going on but I obeyed.
He sat down next me and asked how you were, you responded fine
and I endorsed the fact that you are doing great. He repeated what
he has said before that you are a miracle. He wanted to visit with us
for a minute and it was very thoughtful and nice of him to do that.
After the Orthos, we went to the commissary and had to track down
the gate to get in. Apparently, the gate we usually go in during the
week is not open on Sunday. We had to go around to the other side
of the installation to find the entrance.

When we arrived home, we unpacked, stored what we bought and

then changed into more casual clothing. We decided to eat in the
dining room but did not want to eat on the beautiful table cloth we
have there that is hand-made by your mother. You went to the linen
closet and found the perfect table-cover to use right on top of your
mother’s. It was plastic but looked and even felt like cloth. You then
set the table but there was a problem—you only put four set-ups
when there were to be five of us. When I mentioned that to you, you
said you were not going to eat. I’m not sure if you were kidding but
I said you had to eat or at least keep us company. You put another
setting in place. You did a very good job.

Connie and Vicki came at 12:40 PM carrying flowers for you. Vicki
put them in a vase. We sat down to eat right away as all were very
hungry. Your pastitsio was terrific. The taste was just right and
everybody over-ate and complimented you extensively. We really
enjoyed the meal and the conversation. The meal was topped off
with your very tasty rice pudding. Again, you did a great job. All
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were very impressed that you stayed home on your own while I went
to work and that you cooked too. I mentioned that I was not home
when you made the rice pudding and the pastitsio all by yourself
and from memory. The gals helped clear the table, rinsed the dishes
and loaded the dishwasher.

The girls (I should really say women) stayed for about five hours
and we had a good time together. The conversation was very nice
and covered many, many subjects. You made a few appropriate
comments that really got people laughing. Tonya dropped by and
we fed her the last of the rice pudding. She enjoyed it too.

Day 363 (Monday, October 10, 2005)—we got up, we dressed and
were out of the door by 8:45 to have blood drawn at Quest
Diagnostics at Shady Grove as part of our physicals. There were few
people waiting and we were done within 15 minutes. We decided to
see if we could get a flu shot at our health center but they said not
until Friday. We have an appointment the following Friday, we’ll
wait until then.

I had planned to take you out to breakfast but you declined. You
neither wanted to go to the Ambrosia Café nor to I-Hop. You
wanted to go home. When we arrived, you wanted some left-over
chicken we had plus the left over pastitsio. This is very unusual for
you (not me, but for you it is). I complied and we both ate lunch for
breakfast. You did the clean up and then emptied the dish washer
from yesterdays dishes and put them away except for those too high
for you to reach. I did those.

We both did our exercise routines followed by showers and dressing

We read some, did your homework, and then read some more. We
went for a walk at Wheaton Mall and bought a few things to include
hairspray for you, work out socks for me, cake mix and icing for
Nick and Nina’s birthday cake . Earlier I went on line and ordered
gift certificates for each. It bugged me that hotsy-totsy Saks Fifth
Avenue charged $5 for shipping and handling while the good ol’
people’s store, The Gap, charged none. No more purchases at Saks!
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After we arrived home, we changed and watched some TV. It really
bothers me that you can’t stay up until 9 PM. In fact, when I said
OK stay until 8:30 and then we will both go upstairs, you couldn’t
even wait until then. Perhaps it’s childish for this to bother me but I
did spend many lonely nights when you were in the hospital and
when you do that and leave me alone, it reminds me of that period.

Day 364 (Tuesday, October 11, 2005)—so, this concludes 52 weeks

since the accident or as I now like to call it, “the incident.”
Tomorrow will be the one year anniversary date. The milestone that
I want to note today as far as your progress is concerned relates to
reading. When I came downstairs to exercise, I opened the door to
say my usual hello to you while you were exercising and before I
started and there you were reading while pedaling away. This is a
first since the incident. In BA days, you always read while exercising
using the music stand that we had to hold your book. You had
placed the book on the stand and when I came in, I helped you
adjust its position a little better plus I helped to better position the
floor lamp so the light would shine with more intensity on the book.
It was really wonderful seeing you do a BA thing once again.

After exercising, you placed clothes into the washer and informed
me to put clothes there too. You added our towels and I started the
wash. Before we left for your therapy, we put the clothes into the
dryer. We are a good team working together. In fact, after we
returned from therapy we made our lunch together too. We made
an omelet with cheese, onion, and cut up meatballs. You added hot
sauce to your portion and I mayo made with canola oil. It was very
tasty meal.

I left for my BAI meeting while you were setting up to make Nick
and Nina’s chocolate cake. My drive and meeting were uneventful as
was my return trip. When I returned home, you had baked the cake
and frosted it too. It looked good but as you said, we’ll have to see if
it tastes as good as it looks.

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Our new mattress topper was delivered. It is four inches thick and
king-size. It is really something how they “machine compress” it and
how, as advertised, it assumes its shape when unrolled.

Day 365 (Wednesday, October 12, 2005)—on this day one year ago a
difficult odyssey began for us. At about 10:15 in the morning where
Beach Drive intersects with Cedar Lane you were struck by a big
Ford pick-up truck. The driver turned into you and Jenna. He
claimed he did not see you in the pedestrian crossing because the
sun blinded him, he said. You saved little Jenna’s life, neighbor
Pauline’s granddaughter, by thrusting the stroller you were pushing
out of the way. She only got a scrape when the stroller tipped over
but you almost didn’t survive the impact. We were blessed that you
were near Suburban Hospital, a trauma center, where the trauma
team and the trained intensive care doctors saved your life. As I
have written and said many times, this incident and the
uncertainties of your survival had to be the most painful experience
of my life. When we knew you would survive, the uncertainties of
how you would survive were, to put it simply—scary. You had
traumatic brain injury, multiple broken bones, and damage to your
optic nerve. Fortunately, you don’t remember any of it and can only
accept what happened from what we have told you.

As the old and now clichéd saying goes, you’ve come a long way
baby. Your progress toward wellness has really been something
beautiful to behold. Father John frequently says it has been
miraculous and that you are a miracle. Jan, the NRH Speech
Language Pathologist, your cognitive therapist, said the same thing
yesterday. Thank you dear God for making it so!!! We still say an
evening prayer to Him and will continue to do so for the rest of our
lives. You are getting close to remembering the entire Lord’s Prayer
in English with just a little bit of cuing from me every once in
awhile.

In June, we traveled to Greece and stayed for six weeks. You

interacted with your family and significant strides were made in
your rehabilitation. You tolerated the long trip there and back again
433
and the plane changes very well. When we work as a team inside or
outside of the house, you are very helpful and do your share. You’ve
started to cook again. We’ve even entertained at home. You set the
dining room table with an appropriate table cloth and then plates,
forks, spoons, knives, glasses, etc. in the right place. You clean-up
after we cook and eat. You baked a chocolate cake for our son’s and
daughter-in-law’s birthday and made terrific rice pudding (twice so
far) as well as a successful pastitsio—without reference to recipes.
You are remembering things very well indeed—no more confusion
about who is who and where they are located. When I ask you to
remind me to do something, you do so at the appropriate time.

In terms of physical well-being, you still complain that your right

side hurts—that’s where the truck hit you and the ribs and tissues
will take time to heal completely. While you’re still walking with a
bit of a stiff gait, your balance is great and I have no fear that you
will fall. You complain about your eyesight but you still navigate
well and your reading and scanning skills are improving. Exercising
is again part of your daily routine and once again you’ve started to
read a novel as you pedal away on your recumbent bike.

You express yourself well verbally and display problem solving

skills. You make the bed each morning and prepare it for sleep at
night. You know what buttons to push on the washer and on the
dryer. You fold our clothes when they are dry and put them away.
So, OK, you still haven’t manifested much interest in vacuuming or
dusting as yet but I guess that will come too—I don’t mind
vacuuming as part of my exercise program. I do not fear leaving you
alone at home while I put in a few hours of work. I have confidence
that you can care for yourself while I am gone for those hours and
that you can reach me on my cell phone if you need me. I would not
have said that in June.

There are many, many more things you do now that you had done
before the accident but the items mentioned above hopefully give the
flavor of your accomplishments. Yes, they are accomplishments
because when you went into the National Rehabilitation Hospital
434
(NRH) in late November for three months after six weeks at
Suburban Hospital, you could barely sit in a chair or stand, you
could not walk or talk. You were fed through a tube and breathed
through one as well. So once again permit me to say—you’ve come a
long way baby. Your story of being a hero and your journey to
wellness continues to resonate. Both Suburban Hospital and NRH
asked permission to use your saga in their respective fund raising
letters. We have granted them that permission and we hope that
they raise money for those with few resources in need of their help.

I would be remiss in not saying how loving and affectionate you are.
We hold hands wherever we go and sneak in a hug and a kiss or
two. Once again, I thank you Lord for having my Maria by my side.

So what did we do today? We got up at the usual time, we exercised,

bathed, dressed, and then replaced our bed topper with the new one.
We’ll see how comfortable we are. We put two inch topper, on the
bed of the guest bedroom. These actions were good exercise too.
Next we were off to the commissary and when we returned home, we
made some spring rolls purchased there. When we concluded this
light repast, you put the chicken and associated vegetables on
skewers awaiting grilling. You alternated the chicken with the two
colors of peppers (red and orange) and with sweet onion. We
marinated the chicken plus the veggies for about two days. You also
made tzaziki from yogurt, fresh garlic, grated cucumber, dill, and a
little olive oil. Both Nick and Nina love that sauce.

We went to the Middle Eastern store looking for wine vinegar from
Greece. No luck! We went to Trader Joe’s and found a small bottle
of wine vinegar but not really what we wanted.

N+N came early by about ten minutes and just caught the NBC
Channel Four update on your condition. NBC extracted a couple of
quotes from the email I sent to them and used some of the old
footage they had. Niko brought a bottle of Retsina and he even tried
a glass. He found it so-so but Nina liked it. You started to eat some
of the Rice-a-Roni with tzaziki while I made the souvlakia on the
435
Barbie. We all enjoyed the meal very much and Niko really dived
into the Rice-a-Roni—he loves the stuff. All agreed that everything
was excellent. When we finished the main course, I brought in the
cake with a single big candle on it in recognition of both their
birthdays. Nick enjoyed his favorite chocolate cake you made for
him. He called it a “classic.”

I told N+N my story about Saks. Interestingly, after my complaint to

them not only did they say they would credit my account for the $5
handling charge but they sent the gift card to Niko by FedEx in a
little gift bag. Nina had not received her Gap gift card yet but I told
her that I received an email that they shipped it. I forwarded the
email to her. They stayed for 2 ½ hours which for restless Niko is
something to record. Nina did all of the clean-up, by the way. This
day was in celebration of their October birthdays. It also was a
celebration of your survival.

This is my last daily entry into this, my letter/journal to you. I

wonder when you will read it. I guess I should consider printing at
some point. Another project I have is to work on a scrap book.

Since today is so very significant and we have so many well wishers,

I sent an email to advise everybody of your one-year status. The
email consisted of extracts from what I wrote above as of 11:30 AM
this day. Here are responses we received:

“Thank you Pat for sharing this (as I wipe the tears from my eyes).
What a miraculous story and recovery. I cannot express to you how
happy I am for you and for Maria and for both of your families. It
is absolutely amazing how the body can heal and recover. And
miraculous to me also that in that painful process we discover things
we never realized about ourselves and others and our whole
perspective of the world and ourselves change. It is amazing to me
that out of something so tragic we can grow and our walk and
relationship with God can deepen. May God continue to surround
you and Maria in peace and love, Suzanne” She was a colleague at
BAI who is now Security Director of the Holocaust Museum. She is
436
the wife of Mike Chalmers who served with me while I was on active
duty. He is now the Director for Counterintelligence at the Missile
Defense Agency.

“Our prayers are with your both -- Christina asks often, so this is
wondrous news. Love, David” Doukas

“Pat, Thank you for this missive. You have done a wonderful job in
documenting the trials you and Maria have gone through the past
year. I have kept you in my mind and have prayed for her
regularly. As I have followed this saga, it has been truly miraculous
and there is no doubt that your constant and persistent presence was
vital to Maria’s healing process. You should be happy with Maria’s
progress and very proud of your contribution. Best Wishes Bill
Feidl”

“Dear Arion: Thank you very much for sending this last,
momentous journal entry. I am honored. What a year, and what
majestic chapters in two lives you have shared with
the rest of us. I'm glad you guys are doing so well, and please keep
me posted on further progress. All the best, Mike Ruane” The
Washington Post.

“Dad: Thank you for sharing this today. This is a very significant
day in all of our lives. It certainly is a reminder of what is
important. Imagine that a year has gone by! It seems like a long
time, yet a short time for all that has transpired. Remember where
we were last year at this time! It is wonderful that your journal can
now end on such a positive note. Your love for Mary and her
will and determination to make it out of the dark are inspirational
for all of us. This is what love is about. Love to you both, Dini.”

“Arion, Thank you for the e-mail update. We will do an update

today. Give Maria our best!
Charlie” from NBC 4 News. At 5:45 or so they did do an update.

LYN S TURKSTRA <lsturkstra@wisc.edu> 10/12/05 1:35 PM

437
Hello, SLP grad students, The second year students might recall
when Nadine Connor's stepmother sustained a severe TBI last year.
The story received a great deal of press, as Maria Pattakos is a hero:
in the accident, she saved the life of an infant. Nadine's dad sent out
the email below today, as this is the one-year anniversary of the
accident. Those of you who were introduced to Mrs. Pattakos last
year might appreciate the follow-up information. For the first year
students, this might be a good reminder (while you're working on
your TBI case assignments) that people really do get better! The
original story, published on Valentine's Day last year, is at the link
listed below, and Mr. Pattakos email is after that. Lyn
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21851-
2005Feb13.html “

“Thank you for the update Arion. I am so happy to hear

that Maria's health has improved to the point where she is today.
Thank you for sharing this personal section of your diary with us as
well. I will continue to pray for you both. Take care, Tina” Dallas,
who is the daughter of my first cousin Paul Pattakos and his wife
Tula.

“Arion, I am so touched by your last entry. What a tribute to love

and strength. May the next year be happy and marked by only
beautiful strides and continued enjoyment in the quality of life….
Thanks for sharing and keeping in touch. Give my love to Mary.
She is an incredible woman! Celia”

“I am in tears reading your final entry into your journal of Mary’s

long year of recovery. You and Mary are a remarkable team. You
have always been a remarkable team and an inspiration to Conrad
and me and, I am sure, to others. I am so happy for you both that
your journey, though so hard, has had so much success. I want you
to know that Conrad and I have kept you and Mary in our prayers
all these months and we will keep you in our prayers. Thank you so
much for sharing your journey and letting us know how far you
both have come. Our love to both of you. Monica” Grant.

438
“Pat and Maria, We continue to offer thanks for the progress made
and pray for your future. We look forward to seeing you once again
in Florida. Sam and Helen” Fisher, a colleague from my NSA days.

“Dear Arion & Maria: It's hard to believe that it's been a year since
the accident. We are cheered by the news that Maria continues to
improve every day, and we keep you both in our hearts, minds, and
prayers. I know that Maria will very much appreciate your journal,
Arion, when she eventually reads it. It's a very moving story and a
great testament to the love you share.

By the way, my Dad is the one who does the vacuuming in my

parents' house. The vacuum cleaner is just too heavy for my Mom
to handle. And, as for dust, who cares? I've learned to make dust
my friend. It's always hanging around, anyway, so I thought I
should get to know it better. I have! Big hugs to you both, Kathy &
her Honey Bob”

“Pat, My thoughts and prayers are certainly with you and Maria. I
am thankful to hear things are moving forward for you all. I ask
Bob for updates when I see him. Dan” See, a colleague from Booz-
Allen

“Dear Maria and Pat: Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us
who have prayed and hoped for these many months. Our prayers
have been fulfilled by the grace of our heavenly Father and I am
thankful that the physical and emotional scars are healing. The
faith, constancy, strength, and love that you both share have
sustained you through the past year, and I hope will continue for
years to come. Maria, welcome back! Pat, I am proud to have
known you over the past 30 years – you are a good man. Paul”
McLean

“Arion -Thank you for the wonderful update on Mary.

Unfortunately, I lost your e-mail address when I switched from
AOL to Comcast. I think about you & Mary often & pray that
Mary continues to progress in her recovery. I have a small article
that I saved from the paper over the summer, which I've been
439
meaning to send to you. I wasn't sure if you were in Greece at the
time that it was printed. I also read part of this beautiful journal
entry on Channel 4 news last night. Thanks again for keeping me
posted. Happy Birthday to Niko. Love, Dana”

“Pat: You and Maria are very special people. You both were in our
prayers all through the year, and will continue to be. Thanks for
letting us in on your journal. Best to Maria. Ron.” Duchin

“Dear Arion, Your Maria's miracle is very touching. She is blessed

indeed. Glory to God that you have your Maria again by your side
only one year after such a wild impact. We continue praying for her
completely rehabilitation. We also believe that wonders can be
created through prayer. God bless you too, Arion. Rosa & Andre
Meintassis, writing from Patmos, Greece”

“Mary and Arion, Congratulations on one incredible year of

recovery. Your story is an inspiration and it’s great to hear you are
both doing so well. All the best-Kristi Herrity (Nadine’s friend)” She
sent a beautiful card she made.

We changed and watched TV together until 9:30. We went to bed

around that time to try out our new topper. May we sleep
comfortably and near one another for the rest of our lives—may our
lives be long, together, and healthy. Our Journey Continues!!!!

Saturday, November 12, 2005—It is thirteen months since the day

that changed our lives. You continue to take cognitive therapy once
per week for an hour each time. Jan, your therapist, is pleased with
your progress and so am I. She suggested that you keep a daily
journal (a diary) of your activities, just a few sentences per day. You
have been doing that pretty much on your own with encouragement
from me. You decide what to write after we discuss the day’s
activities and I help as needed with the spelling. You are doing
pretty well with the spelling on your own given that you were not
great in that arena before the accident. Your handwriting has
changed a lot. It is not as smooth as it once was. What is great is that
440
you want to keep the journal and you feel a sense of satisfaction for
a job well done. And, you are doing a great job.

Your cooking skills are returning. You made spinach pie

(spanakopita) last week that was delicious. A couple of weeks ago,
you made pastitsio and rice pudding. They came out perfect too.
Importantly, you did all of this cooking without reference to a
recipe, it was strictly from memory. You are taking a more active
role in washing dishes and doing the laundry. You still do not
initiate dusting or vacuuming but you do make the bed in the AM
and prepare it for sleeping in the PM. The house is still not in BA
condition because I am not up to what were your standards and I
don’t push you to do things. I try to subtly prod you because I want
you to initiate. We are not quite to that point yet. You love to read
and we get large print books at the library to facilitate your vision.
You read novels prior to the accident written in big print so this is
not a change. You are not complaining about your vision as much
now but your right side still gives you problems—it either aches or
you describe a tight feeling on that side. You enjoy going on our
Friday dates that consist of eating out and a movie. You follow the
plot of the movies very well, seem to concentrate on what is
happening and express enjoyment or disapproval as appropriate.

Yesterday, Dini arrived to attend a neuroscience conference being

held at the Washington Convention Center. Today, the Dalai Lama
speaks and Dini said he was as depicted—a wise, spiritual person.
On Monday, Dini makes a poster presentation at conference.

It is nice having her in town and you graciously gave her much gold
jewelry that once belonged to my mother. There really were a lot of
gold bracelets, pins, and some other old style pieces that Dini liked
very much. We took her to the convention center after eating at
Ambrosia. She decided that taking the Metro back would be less
stressful than coping with Washington traffic.

This evening, we went to the Blaker’s “for drinks” in celebration of

Ursala’s marriage to Otto. Dini came too as did Niko and Nina.
441
Month 14 (December 12, 2005)—the passage of time is amazing.
They say time is relative and it is. Just think, on December 10th,
you’ve been here in the US for 33 years. With your improvement,
the metaphysical days are brighter – today the physical day is
overcast and only 40 degrees. Snow remains on our lawn from its
fall last week. Across the street where they get more sun, it is gone.

I prepared Christmas cards and here is what I wrote about you in

our enclosed Christmas letter written on December 2, 2005:

Christmas is a time for joy and this year we can express that joy. My
Maria is getting better every day. The severe trauma she received some
14 months ago when she was struck by a pick-up-truck is healing. The
many bones she broke are back in place and the traumatic brain
injury she suffered is dissipating. She still has some pain on her right
side where seven ribs were “thrashed” but when measured against the
universe of problems that could have been, she is coping well. She
exercises on her recumbent bike daily, her balance and walking are
terrific and she even cooks once again. For the Thanksgiving party we
had at Niko’s party room, she made pastisio and rice pudding
recalling the recipes from memory. She is reading novels once again
and based on the recommendation of her cognitive therapist she is
keeping a journal of her activities. She’s not completely her old self
yet. I say this because I’m still not getting yelled at for leaving little
slips of paper with notes and such, here and there. Before the accident
this was one of her pet peeves and one of my principal defects,
according to her. Kidding aside, we thank God every day for the
blessings we are receiving and ask the Lord to continue healing her. If
you have been praying for her, please keep her in your prayers for a
complete recovery.

Maria was released from the National Rehabilitation Hospital on 24

February 2005. As I like to point out, the Suburban Hospital staff in
1½ months saved her life while the NRH therapists in three months
saved her future. They taught her how to talk and walk once again.
She continued her therapy as an outpatient until we went to Greece in
442
June. We stayed at her village house near Thessaloniki for six weeks.
I figured being with her sister and others would be great therapy and it
was. Her cognition improved exponentially. We had a very good and
relaxing time to include a few day trips to see such things as Philip
II’s tomb and his palace (you will recall that Phil, as I like to call him,
was Alex the Great’s pappy) and we also toured Mount Athos (the
Holy Mountain) from a cruise ship inasmuch as women cannot enter
the area.

Over the year, people have been very kind in recognizing my gal’s
heroism. The Maryland House of Delegates presented her with a
resolution, the Washington Post ran a beautiful article on Valentine’s
Day, People Magazine ran an article in March, and our local NBC TV
station highlighted her situation and progress several times. Many
wrote or called to tell us they were praying for her and had formed
prayer chains. Our Priest, Farther John, still calls her our miracle.

Since I am confident leaving her home alone now, I’ve recently

started to go to work once or twice per week. I still do some teaching
and consulting at Beta Analytics International Inc.”

Today we left the house at 7 AM for an appointment with Neil

Miller, MD, a neuro-ophthalmologist. He is at Johns Hopkins
Wilmer Institute and rated by our regular ophthalmologist (Dr.
Hammer) as one of the best in the country. His resident did a quite
lengthy work-up. The bottom line when we saw him was that you
not only had damage to your good eye but that the right eye suffered
some damage too and contributed to left side neglect. I told him that
as far as reading goes, you now do remember to read left. He was
pleased to hear that you are compensating when reading. We spoke
about visual rehabilitation therapy (VRT). He said it was still
controversial and I sensed he was neutral about doing what he
labeled as expensive and not covered by insurance. Dr. Hammer did
not believe in it. Wilmer is a participating clinic for Nova that
specializes in VRT but with the departure from Johns Hopkins of
Dr. Park, the lo-vision chief that saw you in March, the clinic is on
hold. The only other participating clinic is in Hagerstown. He
443
advised that he had no treatment to help you at this time but he did
say there was a lot of research on-going and is confident certainly
within 10 years there will be a treatment for your condition. He said
you were now in their data base and would be told of any progress
that might help. We were at Wilmer for four hours.

On our way home, we stopped at the restaurant, Timbuktu. We met

Joe there and treated him and ourselves to a broiled crab cakes. We
also had cream of crab soup. As usual, the food was very good and
you enjoyed it very much. After we left, we went to the library
turned in some books, got new ones and then home to finally relax –
well, we both wrote in our respective journals. You’ve been making
entries since October 28th and doing very well with a little help.

Tomorrow, we go to your next to last cognitive therapy session on

Montrose Avenue with Jan Carl. Last week she gave you some tests
to see how well you’ve been doing by comparing your results to the
same tests you took when she started with you in April. She showed
me the results. You did very, very well.

Some other milestones to mention: you coordinate your clothes very

well; you are once again the champ at making rice pudding
(pastitsio too); you are doing a very good job of applying your
makeup and remembering to take it off before bed; and, two days
ago you led us in saying The Lord’s Prayer without a mistake. Baby,
you are the greatest.

Christmas Day – 2005 to New Year’s 2006

Christmas is a day to rejoice and I do so with all my heart. It is a

day for me to celebrate the Lord’s greatest Christmas gift to me and
that is you. We went to church today and received communion. As
we departed the service, Father Steve blessed you as he gave us the
Holy Bread and said “strength.” You have and continue to display
great strength.

We called Greece again today and wished our family there a blessed
holiday. Yesterday, we called lots of folks in Greece: Litsa and
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Gregory (twice), Marianna and Apostalos, John and Roula. We also
called your Aunt Eleni in Cyprus. Litsa, Gregory, and Eli went to
our Maianna’s in-laws for Christmas lunch. Alkesti made a turkey.

I went back in the journal to my 2004 Christmas entry and read it to

you. I shed a couple of tears and you told me to “cut it out.” I did
but with difficulty. The distance you’ve traveled since that last
Christmas is amazing.

It is raining today. We are waiting for our Wisconsin kids to come in

the early evening. Nick and Nina called from Roanoke and you said
that made your day. You made two pans of spanakopita and they
are in the oven cooking. They looked delicious and I am sure they
will taste that way too.

Baby, I love you and thank the Lord that He has kept you with me.

Our WI family came on Christmas day as scheduled. Since they

rented a car, we did not have to pick them up at the airport.
Madison to Reagan National is now serviced by a once per day
direct flight by Northwestern. They enjoyed the trip. Upon their
arrival, we had a very simple dinner ready that all wanted to eat
some part of (since we have some dietary inconsistencies among the
group). We had spaghetti, meat balls, shrimp scampi and salad. For
desert we had chocolate cake and ice cream to celebrate Alec’s
birthday of the day before Christmas. We also had New Year’s
bread that Suzanne and Nouni were kind enough to bring to us. You
cut the bread and our home received the imbedded coin for luck.
We opened presents to end the festivities of the day. We had a
second Christmas when Nick and Nina came on Tuesday after their
stay in Roanoke. Prior to the present opening bit we took all to
Ambrosia for an early dinner.

Dini, Will and the kids drove to NY for two days to see the sites
there. All were very excited and had a good time. They even went to
see the old apartment house where I was raised. From the pictures
they took, the building on 71st street just off of Broadway looked
very good. So what did we do New Year’s Eve? We went to bed
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early. You and I did not need to usher in the new year just pray that
2006 continues the upward climb of your improvement. May the
Lord continue to bless us.

You were a very good hostess over the holiday period. We made the
beds together, cleaned the house before and after, set the table,
made breakfast, and so forth. You were great. Of course, you still
don’t yell at me for cluttering the kitchen and the fact that I have
my laptop on the kitchen table. Perhaps you don’t mind the laptop
because it keeps me upstairs near you rather than hide out, as you
put it, with the other woman, working downstairs on the desktop.
You have been keeping up with your journal. You started in a new
notebook that has darker lines that you can see and thus line-keep
better. While you don’t make entries completely on your own (I
dictate some), your line keeping, spacing between words,
handwriting, and spelling is improving. You made spanakopita
from memory which was very, very tasty and are doing a little more
housework. You make the bed in the AM and my breakfast and
prepare the bed for sleep in the evening. You exercise every day and
you do love to read the library books you select.

I just finished reading your January 12, 2005 entry. You have come
a long, long way since coming home. Wow! Then you needed a lot of
memory help, but you began taking your pills whole (before they
had to be crushed and put in apple sauce), your speech was Ok, and
you started to wash yourself in the shower. You needed guidance
and help to eat. You have no problems in those areas today.

We went out looking for a rack for a bake pan but were
unsuccessful. But we did successfully eat Chinese Food at
Montgomery Mall. Another memory plus for you today was that
you reminded me to call the church to enroll in the annual course
Father John gives on Orthodoxy. It is four hours per week for five
weeks. This will be his 44th year presenting the course. If you didn’t
remind me, I probably would have forgotten again to enroll.

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You are now leading me in the The Lord’s Prayer and doing so
perfectly. May the Lord continue to bless and keep us both well and
together!

Month 16 (Sunday, February 12, 2006)—It’s really the day before

Feb. 12th but I decided to start writing a few words today since we
are both sitting home waiting for a big snow storm. So far this
winter we have had little snow to speak of and in January none. The
weather people tell us that in a few hours (it is 10 AM now) the snow
will begin to fall and we might accumulate 8 to 12 inches. I’ve
parked the car along the edge of the driveway in anticipation and to
make the shoveling easier. You said you will help the shoveling
efforts. We’ll see!

We started the morning as we do many mornings by writing in your

journal after breakfast. You have not undertaken this activity on
your own but together you do write a short page or so on the
previous day’s activities. For Friday, you advised that we had our
“date day” and that we went to see The Pink Panther with Steve
Martin playing the role Peter Sellers made famous, Inspector
Cleuseu. You recorded your impression of the film as “so-so.” I
agree but maybe even that is too high a rating.

It is hard writing this journal on a monthly basis because of

recollection problems. I guess I should make notes as things
noteworthy occur during the month. They do occur but we both
forget what they were. We have started taking Father John’s classes
on Orthodoxy. We’ve had three evening classes so far of two hours
each. They are held at the church Monday and Wednesday for five
weeks and a pretty well attended. Vicki and Connie have been
attending too. Speaking of them, they continue to be the sweetest
gals and they hardly miss a Sunday to be with us. Last Sunday, they
bought chicken from “Chicken-on-the-Run” for us. It tasted
especially good since we were hungry from fasting as we received
communion that morning. Tomorrow, Nick and Nina are supposed
to treat for your birthday at an Irish restaurant if we are not
snowed in, that is.
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Right now, you are shortening a pair of jeans on your own initiative
that I bought you for your birthday. You already shortened another
pair of more elegant tweed pants. This is indicative of your
continued progress. On your own initiative you have commenced to
straighten things here and there. We both do a full-house cleaning
every two weeks. I use the vacuum cleaner and you do the dusting
and polishing work. You make my breakfast every morning and you
do some cooking too. You usually do the kitchen clean-up. You still
do not complain about my little notes or my laptop on the kitchen
table but hopefully that will come too. I looked at my entries for a
year ago, you showed significant recovery at NRH in your speaking
and ability to walk. Those that had not worked with you for
sometime were amazed at your progress. In 12 days, you were to be
discharged. Of course, you continue to mention that you don’t
remember your NRH stay.

Our life continues in its slow pace. We do our movie thing, read,
exercise, watch TV and enjoy Maria’s Room. Joe and Debbie invited
us to their new home for dinner. The home located in Columbia,
MD, is very big (five bedrooms) and Debbie is doing a great job
decorating. Bob and Kathy came too and they both look great after
the kidney exchange. The meal—grilled salmon and a standing rib,
plus veggies, desert, etc.—was delicious and the company delightful.
You were quite and not as talkative as you are with Connie and
Vicki but I guess that is to be expected at this phase of your
recovery. We went to Marta for your hair a couple of weeks ago.
You are still not ready to try the job on your own as you did BA.

I am putting about 40 hours per month with BAI mostly from home.
I did teach at JCITA last Tuesday. I insisted that you get up from
bed as I wasn’t going to leave after kissing you while you were still
in bed. Call me superstitious but 16 months ago that is what I did
before I left for JCITA to teach and I didn’t want some type of
repeat of that day’s horror for you or for me. You did get up, I did
kiss you, and the day went well. I still can teach for eight hours even

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though I’m fast closing in on 73 years of age. The students seem to
enjoy and learn from my approach.

The 31st of January was the State of the Union speech and also the
State of Maria presentation on Fox News (Channel 5). The day
before the Channel 5 people were at NRH to get some background
to use on the Bob Woodruff story. He was an anchor man who was
injured in Iraq when a bomb went off near a vehicle he was riding
in. He survived the explosion but suffered significant injuries to
include brain injury. The Channel 5 people asked about similar TBI
cases treated by NRH and what could be expected. You were
mentioned to them as being an outstanding example of favorable
progress. Will Thomas a Channel 5 “anchor/reporter” loved your
story and contacted us to do a follow-up. They came the afternoon of
the 31st and the program aired immediately following the State of
the Union. They did a very nice job and we gave NRH a plug.
Thomas promised us a copy of the tape but so far has failed to
deliver. Channel 5 did your story on the day of the accident (among
others channels) and they wanted to charge me $75 for a copy of the
tape. I guess they still have the same policy as contrasted to NBC
who has been completely cooperative and sensitive to your heroism.
I’ve tried to email Thomas but the emails have bounced and I left a
message on his voice mail to no avail.

The Winter Olympics kicked off today in Turino, Italy. We

awakened early (6 AM) and caught the opening ceremonies. They
did a very good job and the lighting of the Olympic Flame Cauldron
was pretty impressive. The US has already won a gold medal in
speed skating.

2/13/06—We awakened bright and early to a winter wonderland. It

snowed with gusto starting at about 8 PM last night and dumped
about 10 inches on us while we were cozy in bed. At 8:30 AM it
stopped and I was outside shoveling away. I decided to do the work
on my own but had you standing by to make sure that I was OK. I
figure as I age that this is a good idea. I tried using the electric snow
shovel I had but it was only marginally effective given the depth of
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the snow. But, not a problem, I did the job with little effort using my
bent shaft shovel—it alleviates having to bend to lift the snow filled
shovel. The new driveway surface is a big help as the shovel glides
over it easily and doesn’t get hung up on the cracks that were in the
old concrete driveway.

Niko called—your birthday lunch is put off until next week. The
restaurant called him and said they would not open today. Olympic
News—Nancy Kwan announced that she has withdrawn from the
figure skating competition as she sustained a groin injury during
practice. Too bad! With all of the successes she has had Olympic
gold has eluded her.

Since no one was coming here today and we were not to meet others,
we went to White Flint Mall to go to the movies and to have a late
lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. Our plans were only partially
successful. The movie was not going to open until 4 PM, a delay of
four hours. We did go to the Cheesecake Factory and we were
seated immediately not a usual occurrence at lunchtime. You had
your favorite eggplant sandwich without the bread (so I guess you
can’t really call it a sandwich) and I had a turkey burger. Instead of
fries, we were both good and ate veggies as side dishes. The meal
was very filling for us both. Our next destination was home. I
shoveled the sidewalk to finish the job and we both spent the
afternoon reading our respective novels. Later we did the usual TV
bit and thus ended month 16 since your (I should say our) fateful
day a year ago October.

Month 17 (March 12, 2006)—It is amazing to say that seventeen

months have passed since “that day.” Well, they have and we are
still coping with your recovery. You scared me a little during this
period because I thought your short term memory was going. I told
you something in the morning and you seemed to forget by the
afternoon, for example, going out to dinner with the Blakers. We
went with them to a restaurant called the Mandalay located in Silver
Spring and you did not like it very much. At any rate, I think the

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memory bit was just be lack of attention at the time I told you
something because it does not happen very often.

We have been going to class at church. Father John, for the 44th year
presented his Inquiry into Orthodoxy. It is very interesting and I
admired the way you stuck to it with me given the chairs are those
old student arm chairs with the hard seats. There are about 40 in
the class. Father John complimented you many times and mentioned
your heroism to the class. We still go to church at least once per
week, usually on Sunday for the Orthos and for Communion at least
once per month. By the way, you’re super-perfect with saying the
Lord’s Prayer at bed time and you lead me now.

You celebrated your birthday on the day you believe is your actual
birthday that is February 15. Actually we celebrated, on the 19th of
February, Nick and Nina treated us and the girls at the Irish Inn in
Gel Echo for lunch. You enjoyed the food but more so the company.
You have been expressing some disappointment with Niko because
he hasn’t been calling very much now and we don’t see him and
Nina very often. This contrasts mightily with what they did in the
past and with Vicki and Connie who very rarely miss a Sunday
afternoon. Today, we all did assemble at Phillips at Shady Grove for
fish sandwiches.

You continue to read large print novels and in fact, I like to read
them too. They are easier on the eyes. You have been doing some
cooking but you are still not hi on house work and especially
cleaning. You still make the bed in the AM and ready the bed for
sleep in the PM. You discontinued doing your daily journal which is
more my fault than yours since I’ve been working on a proposal for
BAI. You have shown some concern with you’re your weight gain.
From the time of the accident you have gone from a size 2 or 4 to a
size 10. Of course, I gained lots of weight too. We try to eat only one
big meal at day but that hasn’t helped us with losing weight even
with daily exercise. You are doing a much better job with applying
your makeup but your eyesight problems impair complete success.
You come to me for inspection and I try to help. Your principal
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difficulty is applying blush. You have no problem with dressing and
color coordinating your clothes. You converse very well on the
phone with the folks in Greece as well as here. You’re more
interested in shopping for clothes and looking around a store on
your own. We have bought you a bunch of clothes. You have shown
some anxiety and concern about my health because of a “shadow”
the cardiologist saw on my heart following a nuclear stress test.
Well, next month I will get results from a CT angiogram I took. We
had to travel to almost Baltimore, Owen Mills to be exact.

By the way, Channel 5’s weekend Anchor Will Thomas did come
through. He sent us the tape of their interview with us that was
aired following the State of the Union. Good for him! He apologized
for the delay in a short note to us.

Month 18 (April 12, 2006)—Whew, a proposal is done and

submitted to the Defense Advanced Research Agency now lets see if
BAI wins.

Marta did your hair on the 16th. She really did a good job in both
cutting and coloring. We did the usual following our three hour stay
at the beauty parlor—we went to Chicken-on-the-Run and got two
rotisserie chicken breasts. As usual, they were delicious. We even
got you a new Military ID card since yours expires in April. We
went to the Navy Hospital, the processing was rapid and they took a
very good picture of you for the card. On the 4th of April, I went to
the Joint Counterintelligence Training Academy (JCITA) for the
day to teach. That’s where I was 18 months ago when you were hit. I
do get anxious when I go as those thoughts flit through my head and
I am very cautious to alert the desk that I gave you their number
should you need me. You did some work around the house, read,
and you missed me (you said). The teaching went well. Thanks to
our Lord that all was uneventful.

You’ve been coming along well. Your major recent complaint has
been some dizziness in bed or when you bend over rapidly. You
went for a CAT scan and the doctor said all looked ok there. Yes,
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there is still evidence of your TBI but nothing that would contribute
to dizziness. Yesterday, we went to an ear doctor. You had some
virus that knocked crystals loose in your inner ear which causes the
dizziness. There is even a name for it—“benign paroxysmal position
vertigo (BPPV).” Given that he had a pre-printed sheet of exercises
to return the crystals to their place, it must be a common happening.
He went through a set of the exercises and you were not happy with
the fact that you got nauseous. He said you should do them twice per
day for about three days. I tried to get you to do the second set
before bed and you refused. You also were given a hearing test and
all is fine in that department. The dizziness cleared up.

On several occasions earlier this month, you experienced some

depression. I did some praying and each time the depression cleared
up. I was ready to get you some medication but that was not
necessary. The depression apparently has something to do with
anxiety. You have not been happy with the tests I’ve been
undergoing for my heart. You did accompany me when I took a CT
Angio-gram and we finally got the results last week. Johns Hopkins’
Elliot Fishman, MD said all was fine and concluded his report with
“…the patient has minimal atherosclerotic disease normal for age.
No other findings of note.”

During the month, you continued your preoccupation with the

passing of your parents and your brother. You still can’t get over
the fact that they died years ago. Apparently, you have no original
memory of their passing only what others (Gregory, Litsa, me) have
told you. This, of course, probably contributed to your periodic
depression too. These loved ones died might Arion be close behind?

In addition to our habitual movie going diversions, this month, on

April Fools’ Day no less, we went to West Virginia. First we drove to
Joe and Debbie’s home in Columbia and from there Joe did the
driving to Bill and Helen Feidel’s home located a little beyond
Berkley Springs, WV. It is a very beautiful home set in the middle of
a forest at the edge of a state park. Literally, a herd of deer crosses
his lawn frequently. There are wild turkeys too but we didn’t see
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any. Pat and Una Geary with their six month old baby came too.
The baby is a delight and has the big, beautiful, alert eyes. The
occasion was a meeting of the OPSEC Society’s Standards
Committee which gave us a pretext for socializing too. Bill and
Helen were marvelous hosts and you were proclaimed the life of the
party. They all much appreciated your sense of humor.

Next week is our Easter. This Sunday, Roman Catholics and

Protestants celebrate. Too bad they can’t calculate the same way
and celebrate together. Nick and Nina have reserved their party
room and we expect 20 adults to attend. Everybody has their
assignment of what to bring. We assemble at noon.

You continue to show more initiative. Today for example you did
three loads of wash, folded, and put them away. You also cleared
our garden square of weeds thus preparing it for planting. For both,
you did a very good job. This was all unsupervised since I went to
half a day work. I taught for a full day this month, and you coped
well with my absence doing stuff around the house and reading. You
are really reading up a storm. We go to the Library together and we
identify books that you might like. The latest batch seem to be hits. I
am enjoying them too.

We continue to call Greece two or three times per week. Given that
we use a 10-10 access number it is very cheap for very long
conversation. You really like speaking to your sister. One of your
big complaints is that you don’t have a girl friend handy to gossip
with. While you acknowledge that I am your friend as well as
husband, it is not the same as having a girlfriend. Pauline has
seemingly abandoned you for some reason and Jackie has not
brought Jenna for a visit for sometime. Clearly this makes you
unhappy. I wrote an email to the Saubers whishing them a Happy
Easter. They replied with the same wish and they advised that all
are well. We’ll see if that leads to a visit.

Month 19 (May 12, 2006)—On the 15th/16th of April you showed

some wonderful initiative. We received our sofa and love seat covers
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and put them on. We both like them very much but you felt the
extra pillows that were part of the original arrangement were no
longer appropriate. Since you had some material left over from the
curtains you made some time ago for our TV room downstairs you
thought that pillows covered with that would make a nice match.
You undertook to make the pillow covers. You tried to use the
surger to sew them but both of us couldn’t figure how to thread it. It
is a little complex with its four spools of thread. You used the
regular sewing machine and things were going well until you
decided to change thread. You had trouble passing the thread
through the needle because of your eyesight and I barely had better
luck. The eye of the needle is rather small but I did succeed after
several attempts. But, there was a bigger problem. When you tried
to sew, the machine would not stitch the material together. I was
invited to make another rescue but failed miserably. I wasn’t sure
what route to follow with the thread originating from the spool and
terminating at the needle. You weren’t quite sure either. We
couldn’t locate the book for help. Finally, after much frustration I
called our neighbor Noonie and she fixed things up. Apparently the
main problem was the bobbin needed rewinding. Oh well, after that
you did use the machine and you made the pillow covers. They
weren’t quite up to your BA standards but that’s not the point at
this time in your journey. The point is you wanted to make the
covers and did your best. Thank you sweetheart, it made me feel
good and hopefully you too.

Well, there is more progress to report for this month. First, at our
family Easter get-together on 23 April at Niko’s party room, you
were more animated in a group than you’ve been in quite some time.
There were twenty people there (including us) and you were great.
Artie and Chuck came from Bridgewater, NJ, and Dino and Myrna
from Lewes, DE. All the rest were local. You made rice pudding for
the group and used lactaid milk so that Connie could enjoy some.
You got an “A” for the effort. Together, we prepared roast potatoes
with boned roast leg of lamb. You did the prep work of peeling
garlic and potatoes. I stuffed the lamb with plenty of the garlic and
you made the marinade. We marinated the lamb for two days and
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everybody raved on how delicious and tender the meat was. Every
brought something and we had a cornucopia full of food and
goodies. Apparently the party was enjoyed by all and you interacted
with all really well. Here is an example of your wit: You really don’t
remember much (actually hardly anything) from your stay at NRH
but there is one story you like to tell when a therapist asked you
“Mrs. Pattakos, how old are you?” You said you responded, “I’m
50.” The therapist replied, “No Mrs. Pattakos, you are 60.” Now
here is what you subsequently added to the story to get some laughs,
“Why, how long have I been here?”

We passed this month in a rather relaxed way. We read novels and

magazines, I go to work about once a week for a few hours and
otherwise work from home, we go to the movies at least once per
week, and of course, we go food and other shopping. Pauline visited
you a couple of times this month while I was at work. We enrolled in
the Bethesda Regal Theater’s club and discovered that we get free
popcorn on Tuesday. This changed our usual movie date day from
Friday to Tuesday. When we go to the movies, there are very few
others that go for the first show and it’s like having a private
showing. The seats are very comfortable and we can park in Public
Parking a couple of blocks away. One movie that we saw this month
was Akeelah and the Bee. It was about an 11 year old black girl from
the “hood” not in great elementary school who goes on to win the
national spelling bee. The writer/director/performers did a great
job. The movie was exciting, inspiring, loving and one of the nicest
we have seen in a long time.

This movie was certainly different from the one we saw last week—
Mission Impossible III. That movie was ALL violent action from
start to finish. It too was well done but what a contrast with the Bee.
The first week in May, we also went out for lunch with Mary Anna
and Harry and spent a nice three hours with them. First we went for
chicken at a Hispanic place—Primo Pollo—the food was not as good
as Chicken-on-the-Run. Next, we went to Ambrosia for desert. You
and I shared a baklava and galatobouriko and so did Harry and
Mary Anna. Again, it was great interaction on your part.
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Another milestone this month occurred yesterday. After going to
Arlington Cemetery to visit Thalia’s grave (it was her birthday and
we left flowers from our garden), we went to Henderson Hall and
the Marine Exchange. You shopped on your own, bought a blouse
and khaki pants and paid by credit card. You emphasized that what
you purchased was on sale—you really wanted to make the point of
being a good shopper. Interestingly, for about four, five or more
months following your release from NRH at the end of February
2005 you had no desire to shop even though I would take you to
various malls for walks and to expand your environment. You really
didn’t even want to go into a store. This has changed over time and I
think you are ready to shop until you drop. I have turned you loose
in stores with a scheduled place and time to meet and you have done
well. I’m not quite to the point of feeling ready to let you wander an
entire mall on your own.

Today we had a nice surprise. Dini, Will, Alec and Maia sent you a
Martha Stewart gardenia plant for Mother’s Day. It is nice and now
located in Maria’s Room. We called her to say thanks but she did not
respond to her cell phone. You left a message and will call later.
Niko called to tell me something about the new job he started on
Monday with Identix, a biometric device company. He is the VP for
Technical Solutions. We see him and Nina on Sunday for Mother’s
Day lunch at your chosen restaurant, the Cheesecake Factory.

In conclusion for this month is the fact that the doctor finally found
the right combination of medicines to bring my blood pressure to
120 Systolic and 70 Diastolic (plus or minus 7 points). Whatever I
had been taking was not doing the job and even causing me to have
shortness of breath. I feel much better now. We both are eating food
provided by Nutrisystems to hopefully lose a few pounds before we
go to Greece next month and we both exercise every day but
Sunday. By the way, you have started doing the treadmill—two
miles at the rate of 3.3 miles per hour and follow this with your
exercise bike. Great!!!!! We walked outside when it was over 60

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degrees, our minimum walking temperature. The pollen was not
fun.

Month 20 (June 12, 2006)—yesterday was Pentecost (the 50th day

since our Easter) and we went to church and received communion.
It was a long service and we did a lot of additional kneeling while
the Fathers kneeled facing us and recited prayers. The kneeling
would have been fine if my left hip and leg didn’t hurt as much as
they did (reason?). You held up very well. There was a young man
there in a wheel chair who was mightily afflicted and in some level
of a vegetative state escorted by his father. Apparently, he makes the
rounds of churches in hope of divine healing and to raise some
money. We gave him some to help. Father John observed that a
miracle occurred with you and perhaps the Holy Spirit would
intervene with this individual. Before the service Father John
blessed you for a safe trip to Greece. Today is Holy Spirit Day and
today I will add the young man to my prayers.

Every night we still say our prayers. We say the Lord’s Prayer
together and you now do it perfectly. You added one word, “please
deliver us from evil.” I continue to do an additional prayer and that
is when I pray especially for you and for other individuals.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal have mercy upon us.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal have mercy upon us.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal have mercy upon us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit now
and ever and unto ages of ages Amen +
Holy Trinity have mercy upon us, Lord wash away our sins,
Master forgive our iniquities, O Holy One visit and heal our
infirmities for thy name’s sake.
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit now
and ever and unto ages of ages Amen +

Given the seriousness of your injuries, you have come a long way my
sweetheart. You still display some childlike characteristics asking
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permission to do some things you would have normally initiated on
your own. Your interest in maintaining the house is not what it was
but I try to work with you to keep things clean. One disturbing
statement you made was “I don’t care.” Every once in awhile you
question if you have a home because you feel if you did the accident
wouldn’t have happened. But, you do prepare the bed for sleeping
and do make it up in the morning and you make me breakfast. You
do a great job of applying your make-up but ask that I check it to
make sure it is OK and so you don’t look like a clown. You select
clothes and dress as of old-a good sense of style. Your shopping bug
is back and in full swing. You really enjoy searching for more
clothes. I try to restrain you now given the fact your closets are once
again full. You started doing the treadmill for 30 minutes but you
only do it when I am present to supervise. It concerns me that you
might fall but so far so good and you are doing very well. By the
way, our old treadmill bit the dust after eight years of almost daily
use. We had to buy another. The new one seems of better quality,
functionality, and has a better warranty. Following the treadmill
you still exercise on the recumbent bike for another half-hour or so.

There was one down side to the beginning of the month and that was
your continued preoccupation with the passing of your brother and
your parents. I finally got to the point that I wrote down the specific
dates thus assuring you that it has been sometime in the past i.e.,
your father on Nov 26, 1994, Mother on Jan 25, 1997 and your
brother on May 29, 2000. My father passed on his birthday Nov 28,
1992 (at age 99) and my mother on July 15, 2000. I keep mentioning
that they had a long life and will live on in our memories. With their
long life, of course, came a series of ailments but my mother
deteriorated the most after the passing of my father with her senile
dementia and her refusal to move from Florida. You observed we
are now orphans. The better news is that during the second half of
the period, you dwelled less on their passing. The fact that our
friend Roula called from Greece to tell us of the death of her
husband John might have been the distracting influence. John was
really a very nice person, both witty and very generous. He was very
ill for some time. In my opinion, his chain-smoking finally got the
459
better of him. Roula stopped smoking about a year ago, I hope it is
soon enough so she doesn’t walk in John’s footsteps.

Roula called several more times and asked we bring her something
—souvenirs of her travels to DC and MD. She’s been here so many
times but did not get them as she has at other locations. On the
surface, it was a very simple request for refrigerator magnets that
took a considerable effort to fill. We went from place to place where
we thought souvenirs would be sold but to no avail—even K-Mart
failed us. Eventually one person suggested we visit a Hallmark store.
The first one we went to drew a blank but the second one at White
Flint Mall came through, they had what was wanted.

We had a couple of lunches with Harry and Mary Anna, and

Pauline came with Jenna a couple of times too. Jenna is still the
cutest thing—a little blond angel look. She is still shy. I wonder what
she will think when her parents describe your role in saving her life.
They saved video and news articles that describe what you did. We
also went to Marta for a haircut and coloring. I say “we” because I
sit and read there while you get three hours of the action. This time I
brought a footstool to prop my legs. Following the hair-bit we went
to Chicken-on-the-Run across the street from the shop and bought
their delicious rotisserie chicken breasts and fired yucca.

We traveled to Lewes, Delaware, to visit with Dino and Myrna and

had a pleasant time with them. You once again shopped and got a
very lovely suit and an every-day type dress. We even found outdoor
thermometers that read in Fahrenheit and Celsius. They broke the
one they had in Greece and requested a new one—we had difficulty
finding one until Lewes and good old K-Mart. We went to the
movies too and saw a comedy. It was dumb but we did chuckle.
Myrna and Dino went all out in the preparation of dinner. Dino
cooked a marinated London broil on the grill to perfection and
Myrna prepared many, many sides. We ate on their delightful
porch. On another day, we went to the Mexican restaurant we like
so well and enjoyed their fajitas. It still amazes me that Dino eats
Mexican food. We drove home by way of Ocean City to see any
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changes made to our old stomping grounds. There is lots of building
going on, as usual.

Ocean Pines looks pretty much the same. We stopped at our former
home and visited with Bob and Kathy. Neighbors Charley and
Barbara came. Bob did a wonderful job of preparing crepes and
presented them artistically. It was a lovely and nostalgic couple of
hours there. The house furnishings are as we had them some
changes in paintings and of course personalized items. Bob did a
great job in creating a work space for himself in the garage. You
really loved that house and the wonderful time we had furnishing
and decorating it. After awhile managing two full sized houses and
grounds and the three hour trip got to us both—hence the sale. Bob
and Kathy live in a condo in DC and they can better appreciate the
house and Bob always liked the drive. We both were stuck with
feelings of nostalgia being there—it was our house after all where we
lavished our creative and decorative instincts. Luckily, we decided
to sell it to good friends because it is in good hands. I don’t know
how we would have managed if we still had it after the incident.

You were never a barrel of fun before a trip before your accident
and you continue in that tradition 20 months later. On the 16th we
leave for Greece and to me falls the majority packing chore to
include your stuff. Between 12 and 16 June things were quite hectic
getting ready for our trip to Greece. As usual, you were not the
greatest help in packing our suitcase. Nothing new here, you hated
packing before the accident and you still do. Your hands-off
approach almost led us to forget taking underwear for you. I have
lots of underwear there and thus it didn’t sneak into my mind that
you needed to take some too—and this is the 15th of June.

You did help me put cellophane wrap around the two boxes we were
taking—an Alitalia requirement for cardboard boxes. So they
wouldn’t get wet? I didn’t ask why, we just did as we were told and
hence had no check-in problem. Why two boxes? Well, in one we
had the topper we bought for the bed we sleep on with its too firm
mattress and in the other box we had pillows similar to the ones we
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use at home with a bunch of other stuff such as ceramic briquettes
for the grill to replace the lava-stone, grill tools and a cover for the
grill, books for me to read, and so forth. We took one large suitcase
for clothes for us both based on the usual two-thirds, one third
principle. That is one-third of the space for me and two-thirds of the
space for you. We also took a carry-on full of our vitamins and
meds, your cosmetics, etc.

Nina picked us up promptly and we arrived at Dulles the required

two hours early. There was a sky cap available who helped us to the
ticket counter. Included among the many nice things associated with
flying business class is little to no waiting for check-in followed by
relaxing in a VIP lounge prior to boarding. They give nice snacks.

This year, the flight left Dulles right on time (5 PM, EDT) which
meant no race for our connection when we arrived in Milano-
Malpensa, Italy. Upon arrival, there was the requested wheel chair
for you. While we did not need it to rush from one plane to the
other, the wheel chair was a smart thing to do as the escort knows
where to take us and enables us to get ahead at passport control and
security. She took us to a VIP lounge where we relaxed again prior
to boarding for the final leg of our journey. This time the plane left a
little late, but arrived right on time at 2 PM (7 AM, our time) on 17
June. We cleared customs without incident, really just a wave of the
hand after I briefly stated what was in the boxes. Marianna, her
husband Apostalos, her in-laws Thanasi and Alkisti and your sister
Litsa were all there to greet us. I had a momentary concern where
we and all of our luggage/boxes were to go for the trip to Hortiatis.
Not to worry! Thanasi brought his pick-up truck and Apostolos his
Ford Focus. We were very grateful for the help.

When we arrived at the home in Hortiatis, brother-in-law Gregory

and your sister Ellie, gave us a big greeting. In fact, Gregory had a
special whip-cream/chocolate cake with “Welcome Home Mary and
Arion” written in English on the top. Um, good and fattening too!
We were very tired and went early to bed and late to rise. In fact,

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Gregory came and woke us up at 1130 AM to tell us our friend
Roula came to visit.

Roula, of course, was all dressed in black. She lost her husband
John in May. He was a great guy and he certainly will be missed by
us and all who knew him. He was gracious, generous, and had a
wonderful sense of humor. As the Greeks say, “may his memory live
on through the ages.” Smoking is a bad thing and it continues to
amaze me when intelligent people persist in doing it. Roula started
smoking again, a little she says. Litsa counted five during her visit.
She stayed a couple of hours and we reminisced. She has been very
busy settling John’s affairs.

21 Months (July 12, 2006)—this is the month of bombs bursting in

air, the rockets great glare that gave proof in the night that our flag
was still there. We acknowledged the 4th of July in Greece (I can’t
write celebrated) but we did say “Happy Birthday America” and
saw the traditional Athens embassy party on TV here in
Thessaloniki—well, actually we viewed the party in the rapidly
growing village of Hortiatis, the place of your birth. The village
really is growing with townhouse construction everywhere with a
bank planned for next year.

The weather in Greece has been good. It started out pretty warm
but settled down to a nice comfortable 75 to 80 degrees with lots of
sun. Of course Thessaloniki temperature-wise is much different, at
least 5 plus degrees warmer. We don’t go there too often. The
weather in the Washington area has been severe. In fact, on the 5th
of July our neighbor Suzanne called us to advise that a large (very
large) tree branch fell across the driveway. Luckily, it missed the car
and the house. I asked her to call Niko and I also sent him an email.
He went to the house and checked and called us with his cell phone
and gave me an on-the-spot report. Pauline had called him too. I
suggested he check with the Randlette’s and sure enough they had
called Pepco and their grand-son-in-law Brian. Brian said he would

463
cut it up. By July 8th all was cleaned up perfectly per an email from
Niko. I’ll check with Brian and see how much he wants for the job.

Here is what Dino said about the weather in an email to us: “Let me
tell you about bad weather! We have had rain and more rain for
the last two weeks. Parts of Delaware in the Laurel and Seaford
area have flooded badly and Cambridge, MD, was hit with floods.
We here in Lewes have been spared any flooding and that is because
I just got flood insurance (I also had sewer back up insurance
added to my homeowners' policy, remembering the problem you
had) Connie said that when she went to get to her car parked in the
garage, she had to go back to her apartment and get her boots as the
garage was flooded with mud and water up to the tires on the car.
Fairfax county was hit hard and had wide spread flooding there.
Your house is on high ground so hopefully, it is alright. The flooding
went through Maryland and parts of Pennsylvania and up into New
York State. After all that, we have had three days of ninety plus
degrees of hot and sunny weather, which was good for evaporating
the standing water and drying things out, but it was so hot that we
were stuck in the house and Myrna is now going stir crazy.”

We added some improvements to the village house that made our

stay more enjoyable. We bought a washing machine on the 19th of
June from Carrefour and it was installed the day after purchase. It
is great to not do things by hand anymore and your sister doesn’t
have to haul clothes to her apartment in Thessaloniki either. The
pump to increase water pressure to the second floor made the
purchase possible. The other thing we did was to have custom-made
and installed a 3 meter by 2 ½ meter curtain to screen us from the
sun when we sit in the courtyard. In the early afternoon until 8 PM,
the sun is quite intense and screening is needed to add some shade.
This year the grape arbor is filling in well adding to the shade. I
truly love sitting in the courtyard and reading. I have gotten quite
tan. People find it strange that we don’t go to the beach but their
water here is so calm as to make it very boring. Of course, Marianna
and 2½ year old son Thano love the beach and the water.

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We had a credit card problem. It worked when purchasing the
washing machine but when tendered an hour later, it was rejected—
at the same store. We were in a hurry so I ended up paying in cash.
A week later when we went shopping again and it was rejected, we
waited to find out what was going on. The National Bank of Greece
was called and they in turn called the US and we spoke to a Master
Card rep. Apparently security put a hold on transactions. This
really peeved me given I had called before leaving for Greece and
advised them we would be in Greece. The problem was resolved and
there was no further incident. By the way, later after our return to
the US, I noted that MC now charges a surcharge of 3% for charges
made in a foreign currency. Next year, we will use cash only.

Speaking of shopping, there is a huge mall with a couple of hundred

stores on Thessaloniki’s outskirts. We are familiar with some of the
names such as Body Shop, Sephora, Simon-Marks. They have a
movie theater with multiple screens and stadium seating as well as a
huge food court with a variety of foods to include Chinese. The Mall
is called the Mediterranean Cosmos. It is on two levels and air-
conditioned. Such is progress.

Dini called on Father’s Day and we had a nice chat and so did you.
All is well with them and the kids are enjoying camp.

Apostalos lent me his lap top so I could access my email through his
provider. I started checking on the 21st of June. The problem I had
was that I did not have email addresses with me to initiate emails
and had to wait for somebody to write to us so that I could reply.
The Verizon email program is really very poor. A sad email that we
received was from Niko advising us that Nina’s father Jack passed
away after a long illness. Dini sent flowers on our behalf and I wrote
a letter to her mother Faye expressing our sorrow. Niko sent us a
more pleasant email with a picture attached of Dini, Nina and
himself in a DC restaurant. Dini was attending a meeting.

We go to church on Sunday as we do in the US. The church is pretty

full but it is mostly women who attend. There are more people in
465
attendance when there is a memorial service. They do pass one
collection tray but Litsa says they do not pass a tray in Thessaloniki.
No reason was given for the difference. Parents really need to
control there little kids better. Our priest would never tolerate their
running around the way they do here. The priest remembers us and
offers us God’s blessings when we receive our bread at the
conclusion of the service.

We did make a couple of day trips while we were here. First,

Apostalos and Marianna took us to Edessa, a little over an hour
from Hortiatis. He did some work at the local hospital while we
wandered around and later we all had lunch together. Edessa is
famous for its waterfall. It is not nearly Niagara Falls but it is
certainly pleasant. We ate in a restaurant that sits just above the
falls. The food was very good. Our next trip was around the first
“foot” of Halkidiki. The peninsula is called Cassandra. Many years
BC, the Persian Xerxes is his invasion of Greece cut a canal through
the narrowest point to enable the passage of ships in his invasion of
Greece. Apostalos’ parents, Thanasi and Alkisti, were our guides as
we made a full circuit of the peninsula. We exited the main road
often and drove through many of the old towns along the way and
stopped for coffee at a very nice refreshment shop and later to eat at
a restaurant overlooking the water. Good food and a good view with
good company make for a very enjoyable occasion.

You cousins and friends are all very strange when it comes to seeing
us (really you). They all wait until its almost time for us to leave.
The only cousin that goes out of her way to invite us is Georgia who
invited us to eat spinach and cheese pie. Friend Roula invited us out
for a drive and lunch. First we visited the cemetery where John is
buried and then took a drive to see various seaside resorts. We ate at
a restaurant in Epanomi overlooking the water. It was very pleasant
although you got tired from the drive. Friends Aphrodite and
Nikolaos took us out to dinner. On another occasion she visited us at
the house and brought you a blouse and a dish she made by fusing
different colors of glass. She is very artistic and this is her current
endeavor. Other cousins who visited were sisters Voula and
466
Evangelia. Sister-in-law Marika came a couple of times. Her
daughter Chrisoula came and you went to a birthday party she gave
for her daughter Maria. Marika, Chrisoula, and kids came the night
before we left and brought gifts. You also visited your cousin
Evangelia, Uncle George’s daughter, the one they call the teacher.
She invited you, Ely, and Litsa for coffee. You met her children
during the visit too. Of course, we saw Marianna and Thano every
day and Marianna was a most gracious chauffer, taking us wherever
we wanted to go—mostly shopping. I do not like driving in Greece
any more given the traffic, the roads and the drivers.

So, let’s talk a little bit about you. The interaction with all helped
you. However, you are still very much preoccupied with the loss of
your parents. Towards the end of our stay this abated somewhat.
The church bell solemn ring to announce the passing of someone
doesn’t help much in this regard. You say that you are having
“mental problems.” When I asked what mental problems, you think
awhile and say, a spark of vitality. This is an impressive answer.
When we get home, we’ll go to Dr. Lee and see if you should visit a
mental health professional. After about the first two weeks here, you
seemed a little depressed on and off and wanted to go home. Litsa
has been very good in trying to lift your spirits and interacting with
you. She really has been very sweet to you as well as helpful. Your
memory has been good, you continue to improve cognitively, and
while your right side still bothers you, there has been some
improvement there too. We were advised by Dr. McCarthy that it
could take a good two years to get over the majority of the damage
you sustained and it appears that this is a valid estimate.

We only have four more (really three) days in Greece. I expect it will
be hectic with last minute visitors, packing and the like. May we
have a safe and easy trip home.

Month 22 (August 12, 2006)—well, the first four days of this period
was spent preparing for our trip home from Greece mostly mentally
since we packed the day before our departure on the 15th. That day
we also took everybody to Kioskia for lunch. We feted eleven adults
467
and of course little Thano. Our friend Roula came too and brought
us many presents. It was a very enjoyable time with good company
and very, very, all-we-could-eat food.

We arose at 3 AM on the 16th for our 3:30 AM departure from the

house to the airport. The flight left at 6 AM and we had to be here
two hours before the departure. Marianna was right on time and the
trip to the airport was easy as one would expect at that time in the
morning. Upon arrival, we checked in and spent some time in the
Olympic Lounge prior to boarding our Alitalia flight. The trip home
via Milan, Italy, was uneventful and you tolerated both legs of the
trip very well. It is nice flying business class given the wider seats
and foot rests. We arrived at Dulles at the prescribed time about 2
PM but were delayed there as the carousel went round and round
again. Our one bag was almost the last one delivered and that was a
really a pain as well as a worry in terms it being lost. It took some 45
minutes for it to come plopping out of the little access portal onto
the carousel. While others were getting their multiple bags we
waited for our one bag. It was easy to spot given the yellow band
encircling it plus the fact that there were so few people remaining.
We cleared customs without a problem.

We took a cab home and it was very nice to see 4216 once again. The
car was still safely parked in the driveway and the house was
undamaged. I say this because last month they really had foul
weather with high winds that sheared big branches off of one of the
trees near the driveway. It was also nice to note that the large tree
branch that reportedly fell across the driveway had be been
removed as had been other sundry branches. Unfortunately there is
still a tree branch hanging broken from the tree. We’ll have to do
something about that.

Since you were still showing feelings of depression and continued

concern about your parents’ passing—more-so than before the
accident and more than I thought was healthy—I took you to see Dr.
Lee shortly after our return. He increased your meds and I’ve noted
much improvement. You do not talk as much about the death of
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your parents anymore and you don’t say that there is “something
missing” in your mind. You still don’t initiate doing much around
the house, for example, the distribution of your shoes in your closet
continues to be very, very, helter-skelter, something you would not
have tolerated in the past. I tease you about it but to no avail. You
continue to make the bed and prepare it for sleep on a daily basis.
You also make me breakfast. You complain that your eyesight
impedes doing such things as cutting your toenails and I either do
them for you or periodically take you for a professional job. I think
the eyesight impedes the housework as you just don’t see what needs
to be done. We both gained more weight in Greece and must fight
that battle. You are doing well on the treadmill and on the
recumbent bike. We do the treadmill at least five days per week for
30 minutes and cover 1½ miles. You went for a bone scan and they
found some slight improvement in bone density. The doctor
suggested taking at least 1000 units of vitamin D in addition to the
Fosamax. Overall things are progressing well.

We started our movie on Tuesday with free popcorn. The first

movie we saw was Superman Returns – good review but only so-so in
my opinion. Other movies we saw during the period were: Pirates
of the Caribbean II on my birthday and after we lunched on some
nice Chinese food. The movie was ugh, weird, stupid, way too long—
the critics and many others loved it. Next was My Ex-Super-
Girlfriend = fun; The Devil Wears Prada = fun. We also saw
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Boby and we should have
know better just by the title but critics and fans alike fooled us. Here
is what I thought about this film: if you like NASCAR it has the
swirling race and the associated noise. If you don’t it’s another ugh
of stupidity.

Nick and Nina took us and Connie and Vicki for a nice brunch for
my birthday at a cutesy restaurant in Garrett Park. The food was
OK but the company was grand. We had cake following the meal at
our home. You made carrot cake.

469
On the 26th we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. It seems
remarkable that so many years have past. Its one of those it seems
like yesterday and it seems like we’ve been together forever things.
We drove to Annapolis and had a very nice walk around the town,
we bought two nice scrumptious cookies to fuel our walk and then
had a nice seafood meal overlooking the harbor. After lunch we
boarded the Harbor Queen for a 40 minute tour of the harbor. It
was informative and the breeze from the water made the trip very
pleasant. We also bought you a nice pants outfit and a sports jacket
for me. You even had a pedicure.

We decided that it would be nice to see our Wisconsin kids. We

made reservations for WI with Northwest airlines. They have a non-
stop flight there and back which eases the trip. Before we had to
change planes and thus we opted to drive most of the time. I was
younger and a 15 hour trip even with the occasional overnight stay
didn’t bother us. We leave on the 24th of August and return the 28th.

We call Greece frequently to speak to Litsa and Gregory. Poor

Gregory twisted his ankle and that deprived him from going to the
senior citizens center, the KAPI. He loves to go there so this truly
was depriving him of that pleasure on top of the pain he was feeling.
He even went to the hospital. Marianna took him at 10 PM and they
did not return home until 2 AM. Wow!!! By the 10th he was OK
enough to go to the center.

On August 24th we went to Wisconsin to see daughter Nadine, son-

in-law Will and our good looking grandchildren Alec and Maia. We
are not alone in this “good looking” observation, others say it too.
The trip to Wisconsin was easy. We left from Regan National
Airport and our flight on Northwest Airlines was non-stop. It takes
two hours of flight time but we arrived at National more than two
hours before our flight time to ensure we would find parking and to
comply with the new “orange alert” concerns while flying. Some 15
people were arrested in Great Britain in the week before our travel
for planning to blow up US aircraft. Their method was to mix

470
chemicals that they were going place in their carry-on luggage.
Hence, for the present, no liquids or gels are permitted in carry-on.

It is hard to believe given our Dulles Airport experience but our bag
was the first one off of the plane. I do believe that is a first for us.
Nadine and Will were waiting and soon after we were at their home.
The grandkids were a delight and Will and Dini were great hosts.
One evening we ate at the Olive Garden, another Bill and Sarah had
us to their home for the traditional pasties, and another evening we
took a dinner cruise on Lake Mendota. We even took in a movie
titled Invincible. It is based on actual events surrounding the
selection of Vince Papale for the Philadelphia Eagles. Given that he
had only played one year of high school ball, no college ball, and had
no previous professional experience, it was quite the Cinderella
story. We four adults (the kids declined to go) enjoyed the movie.
During our stay, we also went to two different farmer’s markets, one
located in a shopping center and the other around the State Capital.
The one at the capital was slated to close earlier than usual because
American Nazis were to be present in the afternoon to explain their
philosophy. Our constitution recognizes their right to speak but it’s
too bad that their ideas are so perverted. While at the market we
bought a beautiful Hibiscus for Sarah and Bill and Nadine bought a
delicious rhubarb pie.

You did a lot of gabbing with everybody. At Sarah’s and Bill’s you
did have some confabulation when discussing your stay at NRH.
You usually say you don’t remember much about that period but
this time you kept insisting that you were living with a family in
your room. I tried to explain that you had a roommate and that her
family would visit but you weren’t buying into that explanation.
Sigh (from me)!

We returned from Wisconsin on the 28th and the trip was

uneventful. The trauma was when getting our car, I could not open
the drivers side window. I did fix it the next day by running a
spatula around the gasket. I guess the sun baked it to the window.

471
While it was nice visiting our Wisconsin family, it is nice to be home
in our nest.

Church and prayer is still very much part of our lives. We go to

church every Sunday and pray everyday. God truly has blessed us
with your continued recovery from the traumatic injuries you
received. Thank you God and please continue to bless us—may we
be healthy and celebrate another 25 years together. Love ya!!

Month 23 (September 12, 2006)-- On the 20th, we took Niko and

Nina to lunch. We went to the Lebanese Taverna Café in Silver
Spring. They have a very neat street there with lot’s of restaurants
that is open only to pedestrians. While at the Taverna, we had a big
appetizer platter that was very tasty and enjoyed by all of us. It was
good seeing the kids. Too bad we don’t see them more often.

Dino and Myrna came from Delaware to visit. They arrived in the
early evening and we had pizza for dinner followed by TV. Myrna
was her usual helpful self and you worked with her nicely. On
Friday, we all went to the movies to see Trust the Man—all but the
last 15 minutes was pretty mediocre. This has NOT been a very good
month for movies. Saturday, Dino and Myrna went to see Kathy and
took her to lunch at That’s Amore. On Sunday, we all went to the
Orthos at church and then the girls came to our home at 12:15.
Connie has a brand new car that she appears to be thrilled with. We
had lunch—rotisserie chicken from “Crisp and Juicy” with sides,
plus we made a loin-of-pork that we bought at the commissary.
Everybody enjoyed the food. Later Mary Anna and Harry came to
join us for dessert. The little-bit of rice pudding (Dino had been
consuming it) disappeared quickly and did you get many
compliments. You really did a great job and prepared it from
memory. The tiramisu we bought at Costco was enjoyed by all too.
It was a lovely afternoon but I once again noted that you were very
quite in a group. The next day when I questioned you about it, you
said that too many people were talking and that they wouldn’t hear
or listen to you if you contributed. I disagreed saying that all loved
you and would listen. You mentioned that you knew everybody
472
loved you but that there was already too much chatter. The fact that
you don’t seem to do well while in groups is one of the reasons I
declined BAI’s invitation to attend the Military Intelligence Ball.
Given the number of people that go and the activity it certainly
would approach sensory overload.

Myrna and Dino left at about 1030 AM on Labor Day. Upon

departure, they decided to go look for a vitamin dispenser at the
Container Store located on Rockville Pike—they were successful.
Good thing that they decided to do that because Connecticut Ave
was jammed with the Kensington Labor Day parade. Parade people
parked in the Knowles Ave shopping center parking lot and that
gave me problems at Hardware City where I went to buy sand to fill
the edges of our driveway apron. When the county installed the new
apron, they dug a deep trench along the outside edges which they
later filled with dirt. Apparently they did not tamp the dirt and
when I attempted to back in my wheel went out of sight into a
quagmire of mud. After wheel spinning futile attempts to get out, I
called AAA and they towed me out. It was not a fun experience and
mud got all over the place. When I stepped into the mud by accident
it sucked my sandal right off of my foot. I had to use a shovel to get
it out. Hopefully with the sand and other stuff I put in the hole,
things will be OK.

It is the morning of 9/11 and a day of remembrance. Five years ago

today terrorists flew aircraft into the World Trade Center Towers
killing two-thousand-seven-hundred-forty-nine people and another
aircraft was flown into the Pentagon killing an additional 184. In
New York, the 16-acre site went quiet at 8:46 AM and 9:03 AM, the
moments American Airlines Flight 11 and United Flight 175 hit, and
again at 9:59 AM and 10:29 AM, when the south and north towers
fell. Another aircraft was hijacked with the purpose of again
attacking the Washington DC area—perhaps the Capital or the
White House. The brave passengers attempted to retake the aircraft
but a hijacker crashed United Flight 93 into the Pennsylvania
countryside near Shanksville. There were no survivors among the 40
passengers and crew. Fight 93 had been slated for San Francisco
473
from Newark, NJ. One of the leaders of the passengers was an
Oracle employee. Niko did not know him.

Vicki was working in the Pentagon when American Flight 77 plowed

into the building at 9:37 AM. She worked in the general area where
the plane hit—between corridors four and five. Lucky for her the
plane struck low on the building and she was on the fifth floor on C
Ring. She was helped out of the building by a quick thinking good
Samaritan who recognized that she had a vision handicap. Some
thirty minutes after they got out, the section she was in collapsed.
Meanwhile, I was ½ mile from the Pentagon in what is called the
Navy Annex when the attack came. I was there for a meeting. A
bunch of us had just heard what happened in New York and were
absently-mindedly looking out of the window toward the Pentagon
when one of the guys shouted that a plane was flying into the
Pentagon. We could see things quite clearly. We were shocked and
numbed by the sight and the billowing black smoke. Soon thereafter
loudspeakers in our building ordered us to evacuate as there was
concern that there might be subsequent attacks and we might be a
target. Our friend Joe Saul was in the parking lot on his way to meet
with us and the plane flew right over his head. He later said it felt as
if he could reach up and touch it.

There were many ceremonies associated with this grim anniversary.

We viewed several TV presentations and you got very angry, as did
I, with the atrocity that we witnessed. In the evening we saw two
interesting shows on the History Channel. The first dealt with Rick
Rescola who was the Director of Security for Morgan Stanley. He
felt certain that terrorists would once again attack the World Trade
Center and this time using aircraft. He convinced management that
evacuation plans were needed and importantly they had to be
rehearsed. Management agreed. His efforts resulted in saving 2700
people of his firm—only six were killed. He died as he reentered the
building to save more just prior to the South Tower collapse. While
I had heard about Rescola, I did not hear about the miracle that
happened in the North Tower when it collapsed. Thirteen fireman
and one civilian woman survived. The were in stairwell B and
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somehow a hollow occurred during the collapse and while trapping
them, kept them alive. They were rescued and did survive.
Thank God for saving Vicki and may God take care of the souls who
passed on to Him that day. God certainly would not transport the
terrorists to paradise given the twisting of their own faith. A hero
saves lives (such as you did) and does not take them claiming it is
God’s will.

Let me write about you. On the very improved side of the ledger,
you select appropriate attire for occasions such as exercising, daily
living and going to church. Things are well coordinated to include
shoes and purse. When you dress up you seek my opinion but you
often did that before. You apply your make up well but you still like
me to check for flaws. I don’t find any lately. You are really doing
great on the tread mill. You exercise there for 30 minutes covering
1.65 miles at an average speed of 3.3 miles per hour. You’re even
getting close to mastering the start-up procedure to access the
program we use. After the tread mill, you do an additional ½ to ¾
of an hour on the recumbent bicycle. You watch television while
doing both appliances. You are in the exercise groove.

When you cook (not often) you do a good job. You marinate meat,
cut up the salad, make the occasional meal and dessert such as
delicious rice pudding. While you have retained your skills, I seem
to be doing more cooking than I have in the past, especially snacks
in the evening. You laud my accomplishments—maybe to encourage
me to keep doing it and relieving you of that responsibility. Only
kidding or am I? Engaging when part of a group appears to be a
problem. I wish you would enter a conversation more when with a
group of people but hopefully that will come in a few months. Given
your body language, I am not sure you are really listening when
others are speaking. You are much better and appear more
comfortable when there are only two or three other people with us.
You are great on the phone and have very sensible discussions with
friends and relatives here and in Greece. We call Greece frequently,
about three times per week, so that is very good for you.

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You still do remember very, very little about your stay at either
hospital. While you don’t remember much about your hospital stay
you occasionally make up stories. The most recent was the one you
told in Wisconsin about another family residing in your room.
Subconsciously, you probably remember visitors and especially the
kids running in the hall. You deny ever having a roommate which is
true in Suburban and the first two weeks in NRH. For 2½ months in
NRH you did have roommates—four or five, actually.

You do a bit more cleaning and are especially attentive in making

the bed in the morning and getting it ready for us in the evening.
You do initiate disarming and arming our alarm system on a daily
basis and making me breakfast. Coffee included! You do initiate
clothes washing and drying but earlier this month you pushed the
wrong buttons and locked the washing machine. That panicked me
because I couldn’t unlock it until I found the manual. Now, you
operate both washer and dryer without a problem. You are far from
interested in ironing. When I asked, you dust and vacuum. I
generally ask you to do that when I go into work to keep you busy.
You do not initiate any gardening activities the way you did. Again,
if I ask, you’ll join me.

Unless we have visitors, you insist on going to bed at 9 PM and have

me trained to go with you. We are up around 6 or 7 AM. We do a lot
of hand holding by the way, to include during the night while in bed.
Well, we both like that. Your memory is generally OK. In fact you
remind me of things we need to do the next day or so after we
discuss them. Sometimes you don’t think actions completely
through, however. To mention but one very minor example: I had a
few sections of the paper spread out in front of my chair to read
after we returned from church and other sections folded and on the
side since I had already read them. We usually give the paper to our
neighbor when I finish the whole newspaper. You scooped up
everything and bagged it for the neighbor (a little premature) while
I was dressing. You follow instructions pretty well but as noted
don’t initiate actions well. In many cases, this might be an eyesight

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problem. You don’t really perceive that the kitchen floor needs
sweeping, for example. Big deal, I say.

On the evening of the 12th I was discussing what you might make for
lunch the next day while I was at BAI. You became uncomfortable
with the discussion and didn’t want to talk about the next day’s
requirement. I said something like cooking shouldn’t bother you as
you were known as the expert. You shook your head and said No.
You then made the statement, that Maria is dead. I asked why you
believed that and you pointed to both sides of your head. When I
asked what you meant by that you said my brain. Well, that
exchange was certainly sad for me. I tried to convince you that the
old Maria was not dead and that she was just coming back as a new,
better, and stronger Maria. Oh, well! Considering the hell you went
through and all of the terrible possibilities that could have been, you
are doing great my sweetheart.

Two-years and eight days (October 21, 2006)—Well, I was not

precise on making this entry exactly at the two year mark. Quite
frankly, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write inasmuch as this was
to be my last entry in this my special letter to you describing what
happened and your recovery from that dreaded day. As noted by
the last entry at month 23, immediately above, there still seems to be
some concerns about your feelings and self assessment of your being.
During this month you haven’t repeated the that Maria is dead
statement and in fact, yesterday you made rice pudding for the joint
birthday party we are planning for tomorrow and it was as good as
the old days. This month here in our area, Nick, Nina, and Connie
all celebrate October birthdays. Connie made the chocolate cake
and we took all out to lunch in downtown Silver Spring to the Red
Rock Cafe. The food there was tasty, plentiful and enjoyed by all.

Once a week when I go to work for a bit, I suggest you carry out
some household project such as vacuuming, dusting, etc., and you do
so well. On your own, you do the wash and water plants. Today you
did a great job blowing leaves from our entrance and deck with the
battery blower. The really neat thing was that you changed the
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battery on your own and put the used one in the charger to be
recharged. This suggested to me a return of your problem solving
skills. When speaking on the phone with friends or family, you do
recall past events that I don’t even recall until you mention them.
So, the memory function seems quite good. You do a lot of reading
(as I do) and that very good for your cognition.

I must comment about your smile. It is beautiful to behold and

perhaps I am cliché ridden when I say that when you smile at me my
heart literally sings. No kidding, your smile really does fill me with
much joy. You are of good spirits and I’ve mentioned before your
sense of humor is still with you. Still somewhat of a downer is your
periodic sadness and dwelling on the fact that your mother is gone.
You often comment that she didn’t even say goodbye to you.

—The Holiday Season---2006

Thanksgiving was lot’s of fun. We had eighteen people in our house

and all sat at the dining room table which we turned lengthwise in
the room to accommodate the expanded table. If we had anymore
people, we would have had to establish a senior’s table in the
kitchen for us and Dino and Myrna. In the old days, we had a
children’s table. I guess now the table has turned (an accurate pun).

Attending the festivities were the Vidos family to include Michael

from Chicago plus Kathy and her two boys as well as Nick and
Nina, plus us. Dino and Myrna came two days before armed with
the turkey and fixings which we dutifully roasted on Thanksgiving
day. On that day, the others arrived and brought their offerings.
You made rice pudding which tasted great. A good time appeared
to be had by all.

I sent emails to NRH, Suburban Hospital and other friends who

were kind to us during troubled times. Below are some of their
replies.

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From Ed Eckenhoff, President/CEO, National Rehabilitation
Hospital: My dear Arion and Maria, How very nice to receive your
Christmas note. We, at NRH, think of you often and hope that all not
only continues to go well, but that small incremental steps forward are
taking place in Maria's recovery.
Our NRH continues to grow, having this past year provided
services to over 2000 inpatients and 300,000 outpatient visits. With 40
ambulatory out-patient sites, and a growing hospital......and with a
staff of over 1000 people, complexities, needless to say, arrange and
rearrange our days. However, we all have but one thing in common
and that is to serve, as best we can, those who enter our doors for care.

While I very much enjoyed seeing you, and frequently Maria, in

the dining room (and I miss this), my hope is that you both have a
wonderful and loving Christmas. I also wish you the very best as we
enter 2007, and hope for a healthy, successful New Year. God Bless.
Ed

P.S. --A holiday message from Arion and Maria Pattakos. I have
sent this to those whom Arion has named...and copied service
leaders to pass on to staff who may remember Maria. A
wonderful holiday perk for us who remember that devastating
injury! Remember to the front page story of this wonderful
couple on Valentine's Day!!!

Arion...You were THE general in this battle over disability...you took

no prisoners, you kept your eye on the prize, you prayed to God and
you pushed the team and Maria to do it one more time! This
wonderful outcome is what makes rehab so rewarding ...thank you so
much for remembering us and sharing your personal and life
affirming letter. Kalemera???My best to you and your family...Have a
happy and healthy big fat Greek Christmas!! Peace! Paul R. Rao
Ph.D. CCC CPHQ CHE Vice President, Clinical Services, Quality
Improvement, and Corporate Compliance Privacy Liaison National
Rehabilitation Hospital
===================================================
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Dear Col. Pattakos. How wonderful to hear from you and to get a
little update on Maria’s progress. You are both amazing! I will gladly
pass on your note to the ICU and others who keep you in their
thoughts. Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year. Cindy
(Cynthia Merz, Director l Communications & Publications, Suburban
Hospital

We also received emails from Mike Ruane the Washington Post

writer who wrote the beautiful piece about us for the Post that
appeared on Valentine’s Day, 2005. Charley Bragale from NBC
news who followed your story also replied with kind Christmas
sentiments.

Christmas—Nick and Nina went to Roanoke so we opted to go to

Lewes, Delaware, to spend Christmas with the Vidos family. We
were a bunch and thus Connie and Michael used the RV as their
slumber locations, Vickie the so-called “Greek Room” while we had
the “Civil-War Room.” Dino and Myrna went all out decorating
which was really something given they were to leave for Florida on
the 27th and thus had to take everything down by then. The number
of presents under the tree was awesome. They have a tradition of
buying a bunch of small items (to include silly stuff) to make present
opening fun and at least one really good present for each other.
Present opening was fun and we really enjoyed the four days we
spent with them. Myrna prepared most meals for home
consumption but we did go out a couple of times. We took Dino and
Myrna to the local Mexican restaurant that we like (later, as a
Christmas present D&M gave us a gift certificate that we’ll use
when they get back in March) and the day after the rest of the gang
arrived we took the group to “Five Guys” reportedly the best
hamburger joint around. They have good hamburgers as we all
were willing to testify after the first bite. Their French fires were
delicious too. Nothing like eating healthy meals over the holidays.

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New Years Eve—We went to Nick and Nina’s after church for
brunch and to celebrate a late Christmas. We had a nice breakfast
and then proceeded to open very nice gifts they had for us and we
for them. We, of course, displayed senior laziness and gave them gift
cards while they, with youth and exuberance, were inventive and
generous. We did not do anything special that evening and followed
our usual routine after asking the Lord to keep blessing us with
good health and our wish to be together, in health, for many, many
years to come.

The journey goes on--So, how do I close this letter to you after two
plus years of writing? Of course, by now it should go without saying
that the incident deeply and emotionally affected all of our lives.
When they say love hurts, I can testify to that—my love for you
brought me and continues to bring me joy but when you were struck
followed by the iffy aftermath of your condition, I was in profound
pain. Things have improved miraculously and I thank the Lord. As
both Fathers John and Steve said, you are their miracle and you
certainly are mine. You still need some healing and I pray each day
that the Lord will continue His healing and mend you cognitively,
mentally, spiritually, and physically. So far, He has and you are
progressing well on your journey to wellness.

I found something on the internet that makes sense as a concluding

observation:

Find something to be happy about every day and every hour, even if
only for a few minutes and if possible, moment to moment. Unknown
—

Don’t stop reading yet – an epilogue follows.

Epilogue

October 12, 2009 ( Monday): It is five years to the day from the
incident. I have reread this entire journal for the first time and did
it need fixing from typos and incoherent thoughts. As I write and
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fix, you are in Maria’s room reading and listening to satellite radio.
We did not go out today but you did take out our recycling and
refuse cans to the curb for pick.

So, where are we after five years?

We call Greece on a daily basis which continues to be very

therapeutic for you. We travelled to Greece in 2005, 2006 and in
2007. In 2008, our Gregory and Litsa came here and in 2009 we
went there. With each visit, I saw great improvement in you.
However, you don’t remember our 2005 trip and confuse some of
the other trips too. This year (2009), we went to Greece for six weeks
beginning in early May. You had an anxiety attack prior to our
departure—you did not want to go to Greece. Needless to say I was
surprised and thought some intervention was required. We went to
see our Dr. Lee who explained this happened to him too before a
trip and thus he had just the right pill to get you over the problem—
it did help. We flew business class with Olympic Airlines from JFK.
The trip was uneventful except for the fact that you wanted to come
home right away. You were not happy in Greece notwithstanding
the hospitality of Gregory, Litsa, Marianna and Apostalos. His
parents even took us on a day trip. We squeezed out the six weeks
but you weren’t pleased. Greece has changed much over the years
and I sensed your disappointment with those changes. Oh, yes,
additionally your relatives and friends behaved as they have in the
past. That is, inconsiderate. However, simply put by you, you are an
American now and you want to be in your nest, our home.

Given the five years from the time of the incident are you the Maria
of old? Not completely. You still need some cuing to do some things.
You are not the proactive person you were for a variety of activities.
The doctors advised that there probably would be personality
changes. You are not the outgoing person you were in large groups
and prefer to be quite and “buy into what is going on and what
people are talking about,” you say. In smaller intimate settings you
do interact well with those present. You still have a keen sense of
humor and make people laugh. Before the incident you were the
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epitome of the homemaker, the so called “white tornado” of
neatness and the commercial could have used you as a model. Not so
much now. Your gardening skills and interests have declined. I
never had any such skills so our garden areas no longer look great.
You have not undertaken doing your hair as you did BA and, in
fact, this month we went to Marta for hair-styling and coloring.

You are not motivated to cook as you have in the past. You are
recognized as a marvelous cook and when pushed a little still do a
good job with rice pudding and a variety of Greek dishes. You do
make us breakfast every morning and clean up too. The damage to
your eyesight from the incident seems to be the principal culprit in
any negative or lack of performance. One solution to the motivation
problem and other associated issues is my more active participation
in the activities you once considered your exclusive province. We
work together now. You dust, I vacuum. I loosen the garden soil,
you pluck the weeds. I trim, you pick up.

You recite the Lord’s Prayer flawlessly and follow with individual
prayers for our family. Dressing is no problem—you select and
coordinate well. Sometimes you can’t find things you want and I am
called to rescue you—again, a vision problem. You put on make-up
but still come to me for final approval over your concern with
putting on too much blush—you emphasize that you don’t want to
look like a clown. You do initiate some things such as watering our
house plants, disarming and arming our alarm system, fetching the
daily newspaper, making our bed and breakfast, doing the dishes,
taking the trash and recycling out for pickup and later retrieving
the cans. You read large print books and periodicals. You enjoy
shopping and eating out. Meeting others in small groups is a positive
experience for you. You exercise on your own and program the
treadmill for 45 minutes at three miles per hour at a 2% incline
followed by a half hour on the recumbent bike. Since your balance is
perfect, I don’t find it necessary to supervise.

My sweet you still display some periods of agitation. This is not

necessarily a bad thing as it asserts your individuality and
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personality. One area of particular concern is when you reflect on
the death of your parents, especially your mother. You feel you were
“bad” to leave Greece (in 1972) for the US and thus you believe you
disappointed your Mom. I try to convince you that while your
Mother clearly missed you the help you were able to offer the family
from here, let them enjoy their senior years better then they would
have if you had not come here. Of course, in our many annual trips
to Greece while your parents were still with us I never detected any
resentment related to your departure. They seemed very pleased
that you were with me. Nonetheless, you still express how much you
miss them and do so more frequently than you did prior to the
accident. Missing them, of course, is a very normal feeling.

Note to you and anybody else that reads this: The most important
aspects of your personality have not changed and you remain warm
and loving. You even kiss my bald head a lot!!

One trip that you really enjoyed in September of this year was to
Santa Fe where we visited with our cousins Elaine and Alex. You
wanted to go. They just finished and moved into a marvelous home
and welcomed us with open arms. They arranged their work
schedules so they could be with us. We walked around town and
they took us to a variety of places to include attending a
performance of Mariachi bands, visiting a museum, and a visit to
the small town of Madrid (with the accent on the Ma) where the
movie Wild Hogs was filmed. We even had our pictures taken in
front of Maggie’s a key location in the movie. Coincidently, upon
our return home the film played on one of our cable channels and
we enjoyed it given we could relate to the Madrid site. Alex had an
urge for rice pudding like his Yiayia used to make. You complied in
a training session with Elaine. Alex pronounced it just like his
Yiayia’s. Santa Fe is an interesting and fascinating amalgam of
cultures. Our cousins are super-hospitable and we both enjoyed our
stay with them. They each gave me a copy of their books.

By way of concluding this journal, you should know that the

traumatic brain injury (TBI) you suffered occurs more frequently
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than many realize. In Maryland, for example, I read it is estimated
that 12 percent of all hospitalizations is due to some form of TBI. Of
course, there is the well known and publicized case of television
reporter Bob Woodruff. His TBI was sustained in Iraq (2008) while
on a reporting assignment. His subsequent road to recovery took
him through NRH, by the way. Many of our military returning from
combat suffer brain injuries when too close to explosions from
improvised explosive devices (IEDs)—something we as a nation
must address. Recovery from such traumatic events is long and it is
arduous for the victim and for the family.

As stated elsewhere but worth repeating, our journey to wellness

thus far has had its very, very low points but we overcame them as
they occurred. The journey has had many, many high points too and
for these we rejoice. You are my sweetheart and I celebrate that we
can live our simple life together and hold hands when we watch TV
and as we stroll here and there continuing our journey.

Many Xs and Os to you my Maria, I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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