Yesterday Jonathan 'personalized' Wendy's power wheelchair with noise-makers to attract my attention more effectively than the little tweeter with which it was equipped when we got it. That little tweeter sounds exactly like the warning signal a reversing truck might make on the street outside, so when I heard it I took no notice. Jonathan got two simple non-electronic noise makers, a little bicycle bell, and - at my suggestion - a little trumpet operated by a rubber bulb. These are screwed to the frame, one on each side just below the arm rests. I'm happy to report that the trumpet with the rubber bulb is a great success. It's easy for her to squeeze and it makes a very distinctive noise. It even evokes happy memories: in 1977-78 when we lived for a year in New York City we had one each of these on our bikes and could communicate with each other by coded toots -- until someone nicked our tooters. Unfortunately they were secured to the bike frame only with wing-nuts, not nut-and bolt, so were very easily undone and spirited away.
Wendy is continuing to fade away. Yesterday her weight had dropped to 77 pounds, much of the loss being further wasting away of muscle mass. She is increasingly afflicted with excessive mucus and salivary secretions, so the little portable suction machine is her best friend.
We are so pleased that Jonathan managed to persuade her to venture out into the open air yesterday. It was a perfect sunny Fall day, not a cloud in the sky, hardly a breath of wind, the trees a blaze of colour. Overnight it turned cold and today it's raining, so she made her open air expedition in the nick of time. Jonathan took lots of photos too, so as soon as I've had a chance to look at them I'll post a selection on this blog.
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