Joni Behrends seems to want to say something. Breathing through a ventilator, she can’t.
So, Casey King, RN, hands her a pen and holds a pad of paper as Behrends writes a series of letters on it: W….I…..T….S….O.
King signs to her interpreter, who turns to the patient: “Let’s try a marker.”
This time Behrends writes something resembling cursive. Still, neither King nor her interpreter can figure it out.
King signs to her interpreter, “Do you want some paper just to draw on?”
Behrends nods.
Earlier, Behrends mouthed responses to questions about her name, what year it is, where she is, all of which was huge progress as she recovers from brain surgery on the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).
“I’m seeing her come to life again,” King says through her interpreter.