Janet spent some time watching basketball with the kids before lunch today. She used to be an OKC fan but has switched to the Lakers, at least for today. I was writing the previous update at the time and she would often wheel over to me to see what I was up to, she also spent some time snooping around the kitchen. Once I caught her wheeling around with an oven mitt and she laughed when I asked her what she was doing with it. I asked her to put it back and with a little coaching she did. There were a few other things that needed putting away and Janet happily helped with that chore. She kept pestering me and everyone else about lunch seemingly ready to make some herself so we had to get on with it.

Since she is so determined to eat “real food” we let her start with some nachos that Heather made as well as some Melba toast crackers with antipasto as well as hummus. She ate everything she could and did very well swallowing. To get some protein and more substance in her I gave her a good portion of chili which she enjoyed as well. None of these foods are Connie approved but maybe it’s time to challenge that as Janet is doing really well in my opinion.

Later in the afternoon we Skyped Mary/Gaga who was wearing her elf hat and blinky necklace. It was a good conversation with Janet talking nice and loud for a lot of it. We also called Brittney and Ashley and it was nice to hear their voices and nice to hear Janet talking out loud to them.

In what I’m hoping is a new Christmas tradition, we ordered Chinese food for dinner. Janet chose what she wanted which turned out to be a little of everything except the spicy dish. The chow mien was a little challenging for her to eat as the noodles are quite slippery but she really enjoyed eating what “all of my people are eating”. We even allowed her a dessert of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Anxious to hear what Connie says about all this.

I took her back to Connect after dinner and this time there was no crying until she was in bed and trying to answer my question about which food she liked best today. She couldn’t come up with the name and got frustrated by that. I explained to her that I couldn’t even remember everything she ate today and that seemed to help. Her brother Mike called soon after that and brought smiles and a burst of energy to Janet. She was quite excited to talk to him and used her loud voice a lot. Good timing Mike. Janet let me give her a good leg stretch then lay beside her for a while till she fell “asleep”. A good ending to a really special Christmas Day.

Praying for a restful night, complete healing and a positive morning at Connect.

Yesterday was quite emotional starting with the goodbyes at Rehab. Moira was first and I could see her fighting hard not to cry. Her and Janet got along so well and the work Moira did resulted in some significant gains, namely being able to transfer from wheelchair to bed. Moira will consult with the PT at Connect to ensure he knows as much about Janet as possible. Connie was next and she surprised me by totally losing it as she wished Janet well. Connie will continue to work with Janet on her swallowing and will visit her at Connect for dinner on Boxing Day. We then said goodbye to Jessica who was working with Barb at the time. Barb started crying then so did everyone else. Janet handed out happy face lollipops to everyone that was there to say goodbye to including all her table mates. She held it together really well, better than the rest of us and was ready to go to Connect by the time we were done. There could not have been a more fitting end to Janet’s stay at KGH than to have Emma as one of her nurses. She was there to help us through day one in Rehab and she got Janet up in the morning of her last day there. She told me she was so impressed with Janet’s ability to communicate and smile and is amazed at how Janet is progressing.

We pulled into the parking lot at Connect much later than expected and Janet started crying like she didn’t want to be there. She was fine once we got to her room and she saw where Laurel had put her clothes and things. Garrett, a staff member, came in to introduce himself and offer his assistance. He seems like a real nice guy and Janet will get along with him just fine. He got Janet some lunch and sat with us as she ate so he could see how good she is at swallowing. Shannon, the house coordinator, joined us as well and has already started making notes as to what Janet likes to eat and what she doesn’t like. Our visit was brief but gave Janet a good feel for the place before we rushed off home for Christmas Eve.

At home Janet had time to visit with Laurel, Raju, Heather, Allan and Cam before we all headed off to Trinity for the Christmas Eve service. Everyone was warned of the impending tear fest when it came time to sing Silent Night but that didn’t make things any drier. Janet enjoyed the service, singing along to some of the carols, watching the drama and listening intently to Wayne’s message. The tears started flowing even before Wayne was finished instructing everyone on how to use that moment to express love for those you came to the service with. Janet is so aware now that she was clearly comprehending what Wayne was saying as she started crying in anticipation of what was about to happen. The whole family surrounded Janet in the aisle and had a good happy cry. Thanks to the team at Trinity for delivering a service that allowed for a moment like that to happen.

Back at home it was time for our traditional “Nibbly Night”. We treated Janet to a variety of foods that Connie would not approve of yet but with close supervision Janet did just fine. I think she is capable of eating more real food, she just needs to be reminded to swallow and not put too much in her mouth at once. The opening of the Christmas pj’s was next, always a highlight, and Janet was very happy with hers. We Skyped Andrew in for the big event and even got to “meet” his girlfriend Rachel.

We got back to Connect at 8:30, well past Janet’s usual bedtime but she was resisting all the way, pretending she wasn’t tired. She started to cry again as we hit the parking lot but once she was busy putting things away in her room she was fine and by the time she was lying in her very comfy bed she started to move towards sleepy time. I laid down with her and she was sleeping within three minutes of me doing so. Bob, the evening staff member, came in it make sure all was well. He said someone would check on Janet every hour as this was her first night. I’m glad Janet was content enough to fall asleep before I left.

Raju and Laurel went out to Connect to get Janet this morning giving me a much appreciated chance to sleep in a little. When they arrived at the house Janet was all smiles wearing her Christmas pj’s. She gobbled up more illicit food at breakfast enjoying some scrambled eggs and fruit salad, not puréed, along with half a cup of coffee. She was quite determined to be independent in her eating often rolling her eyes at my instructions or cheekily showing me her empty mouth. We opened our $30 in 30 minutes presents and then the ones from Mary/Gaga. Always good for a laugh.

More tears flowed as Laurel and Raju said goodbye on their way to Edmonton. Janet has had a fun and emotional Christmas so far and it has been a real blessing having her so involved. Hard to believe she is able to participate so well. Looking forward to more fun this afternoon.

A brief note to say the move to Connect went fine. The goodbyes at KGH were very emotional. We had lunch at Connect and Janet will settle in just fine. She even said “I think it’s ok” as we drove home to get ready for church.

More details later.

After an enjoyable day of skiing with Allan I headed down to see Janet just before her dinner time. It was super nice to see her smile and wave at me from her window as I walked by. She was very chatty describing her day so far. The main theme of her comments was “I didn’t really do much” but it took her fifteen minutes to tell me all the things she “didn’t” do. She complained quite vociferously that it was too early for dinner but of course she pretty much ate all of it without any assistance from me. She even drank one syringe worth of water from a cup all by herself with some really good swallowing times.

Back in her now rather stark room she agreed to let me do her nails special for Christmas. I chose an effect that was a little more challenging than I thought but it turned out well. I was very pleased with the stretch I got on her legs tonight and happy I didn’t have to work too hard on her with this being her last night at KGH. With that in mind I gave her choices of what to do for the rest of the evening. She was pretty tired and getting a little confused with her speech reduced to a whisper of sporadic Klingon. I decided to just lay in bed with her and try and prepare her for the big day tomorrow. Overall I think she is ok with the move to Connect but when I listed off tomorrow’s itinerary it seemed a little overwhelming to her. The change the subject trick worked and we were able to have a nice goodnight chat. Jason came in to check on Janet as she was brushing her teeth and I made sure she gave him a happy face lollipop. He was thrilled and gave Janet a big hug and a kiss and she had a huge smile on her face. Jason is definitely a star.

Praying Janet gets a good sleep tonight in preparation for a busy day tomorrow.

A quick update from Laurel:

I arrived before 8 this morning surprised to find Mom already dressed and ready for her day. She was still lying in bed and not much was going on in the unit, so we stayed in her room for a nice little chat before heading out to breakfast. We talked about her move tomorrow to Connect, and at one point she became sad as she was worried that Larry would not visit her there anymore. I assured her that that would not happen. Overall, she seems nervous about her move, but could name many things that would be “better” about connect: the set-up, not being shuffled “from here to here to here,” having fewer patients, etc. After our chat, we joined a few others at the breakfast table, with Mom saying “hi” to those who greeted her. Mom ate all of her apricots and yogurt, and seemed to be alert to everyone around her.

Back in the room, we had a long wait for the nurses to get ready to help Mom in the washroom, and Mom noted that she thinks the nurses “forget about her” sometimes. We later had a good stretch and some more visiting before I left Mom to go pick up Heather who was going to join Mom for lunch and an afternoon visit. Now off to join them again!

Janet and Leslie had a long but enjoyable conversation on Skype this afternoon. Lots of grins and giggles. Janet seemed content afterward to explore the house a little while we all visited and snacked. I gave her one of her favorite crackers with some of Maureen’s antipasto on it and Janet loved it. She’s not really supposed to have things like that but what the heck, it’s Christmas. Just before heading back to KGH for dinner we had time for a quick photo op with mom after Janet very loudly and sincerely presented her with her Christmas present. My mom got some nice loud voice from Janet this visit and that was especially moving for me to hear.

Laurel and Heather hung out with Janet for the evening at rehab while I went to the Christmas Eve service at Trinity with my mom, Courtney and Mike. They report that dinner went well with Janet feeding herself all of her entre. They watched a movie and chilled in Janet’s room before stretching her and getting her ready for bed.

Today was a good day for Janet. The pace was fast to begin with but settled into a mode where lots was happening but Janet was able to keep up with it all. She ate well and talked well and swallowed well most of the day. I’m blessed with support from a great family and a great faith community. So proud of everyone at Trinity for the inspiring and entertaining Christmas services, Endless Light. Looking forward to experiencing it with Janet on Monday.

Today started the way Janet would love to start everyday, with a trip to the salon. Chelsea graciously agreed to cut Janet’s hair this morning and it turned out really nice with Janet enjoying the whole experience, smiling most of the time and sitting all nice and straight and pretty. Chelsea is a true blessing and we are blessed to have her in our lives.

We picked up my mom on the way home so she could do some Christmas baking for us and hang out with everyone. On the way, while mom was at the bank beside Sandrine’s, her and her staff came out to wish Janet merry Christmas. Janet was very pleased to see them and we look forward to seeing more of Sandrine after the Christmas madness is over. While she was baking the rest of us headed off to the mall for our “Mall Blitz” shopping adventure. We drew names and had thirty minutes to get a thirty dollar gift for one person. That was definitely enough shopping for but Janet had a big grin on her face the whole time and probably scored the best deal of the day. Back home and after lunch it was time to wrap presents with Laurel and Heather.

Janet had a little rest time while I gave her a stretch and then we Skyped Leslie. Seems that Janet is really happy to be home with everyone and I am glad she is able to do that.

Janet’s visit home today ramped up when Heather and Allan made their first appearance and were able to officially tell Janet of their engagement. I had told Janet of Allan’s intent to propose a couple of weeks ago and she was quite pleased with the news. When I told her she would see Heather today and asked what news she would have for her she said “that So and So was going to ask her to marry him”. We are thrilled to have Allan join the family officially as we feel he has been a part of it for along time already. Blessings to both of you!

Heather and Janet did some Christmas baking this afternoon in addition to some measuring spoon karaoke and some wheelchair dancing. She enjoyed the banter from everyone and hung in there enough to stay for dinner which I went and picked up from KGH. Chicken and gravy with mashed potatoes and puréed vegetables is what she got and she plowed through most of it.

My mom and I took Janet back to rehab and I gave her a light stretch before getting her ready for bed. She got quite chatty when we got to the familiar and quiet confines of her room. I think we need to be careful with the amount of “partying” she does.

Praying for a restful night and a fun family day tomorrow.

My mom and I arrived at Janet’s room this morning to find her in the process of getting washed and dressed. She had a nice loud “hi” for my mom, first time she’s heard Janet’s loud voice and pretty much the only loudness of the day.

Breakfast was a little slow and quiet but the room was buzzing and that may have had Janet a little overwhelmed for so early in the morning. Afterwards she Bam Bam’d her way down to the gym fairly well and was happy to see Moira and get on with some activities.

I drove mom out to see Connect and she gave it a passing grade. We met a staff member I had not met yet and saw Janet’s room. It’s in house C1 and was being readied while we were there. Seems like Connect is ready for Janet, I hope she is ready for them.

Janet was sitting at the lunch table when I got back to rehab and quickly said she’d rather have lunch at home when I asked her. We are here as I write and hoping she can stay for dinner too!

Dr. McCann did his Botox thing with Janet. Mostly in the right arm and shoulder as he is not convinced he could do enough to make a real difference in Janet’s legs right now. He did inject some into her right ankle as there is a bit of deflection starting there. If the tone in her legs persists over the next few months he said he would then try to Botox in a more concentrated form. Guess I have to trust that he knows what he’s doing.

We got to the house just after three this afternoon and Janet helped Laurel and Cam make some Christmas baking. Janet was very happy to sit at the table and help with mixing and stirring but mostly I think she really enjoyed being home with two of her kids. Janet F. came by for a nice visit complete with some yummy Christmas baking of her own and another scarf for Janet’s growing collection. They are really nice accessories that thanks to Jason I now know how to install on Janet. I went back to Rehab to get her dinner tray so we could all eat dinner at home together. Fish was on her menu tonight and she seemed to like it. She didn’t eat a huge dinner but she did have a large lunch not that long before. The visit home ended a little sooner than hoped for as Janet was having some toileting issues that needed to be addressed back at Rehab. It was just after seven by the time she was back in her bed so that was a pretty good outing. I gave her legs a little stretch before saying goodnight. Janet seemed happy with the busy day she had and is looking forward to seeing a whole bunch of family tomorrow.

Praying for a restful night and a happy day of visiting tomorrow.