Month: January 2013

Pizza Party

A better start to the day for Janet than yesterday. She had two eggs for breakfast and then a nice shower and was all smiles as I met her coming out of the shower.

The gym was busy so we cut our visit there short and headed out for the day. First stop was Toys R Us to see if we could find some board games to play together. Chutes and Ladders was an obvious first choice and the Dora the Explorer version made it even more exciting. We also found a memory card game with a Sesame Street theme and a Spelling Bee Bingo game that looks like fun. All these games in theory will be good brain exercise for Janet and all in different ways. I’m glad we found some to try but was disappointed with Toys R Us. Quite the dump, reminded me of Zellers.

Despite the snow we held to our plan of doing a little house hunting and went downtown to cruise by some of the potential buildings. On the way we noticed there was a realtor in at the Remax Kelowna office so we stopped in. That franchise is owned by Cliff and Barb from KGH Rehab so I felt OK going in there knowing we are just kicking tires right now. The agent on duty was very nice and has already emailed me a list of potential properties for us so I guess the game is on.

At home it was time for lunch and Janet was all excited to try her first grilled cheese sandwich. I made sure it was toasted really well as Connie has mentioned bread is a big no no. Janet really enjoyed the sandwich and accompanying dill pickle and surprisingly added some potato chips to her plate. Never would have done that before. We watched a little football before Skypeing Leslie. Janet wasn’t too loud but did OK considering it had already been a busy day and she had not had a quiet time. She did have a bit of a rest after the chat with Leslie as I gave her a little stretch.

Since we are breaking all the food rules I decided to go for broke and have Janet and I make our own pizzas tonight. It was really fun helping her build hers and she devoured it faster than she would have before. I even let her have a glass of Pepsi with the pizza but she actually did not like it and was adamant there was “booze” in it. The little of it that she did drink she handled just fine as she did all the other food she ate today. My confidence is high for her swallowing X-ray.

Janet faded pretty rapidly after dinner so I quickly shoveled a path to the car and we went back to Connect and got her into bed. Another solid day filled with firsts. Praying for a restful and healing night and a productive day tomorrow.

2012 in review- Blog Stats

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 9,300 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 16 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Candy

Today was a bit of a test for me and Janet. I elected to stay home this morning and get some domestic stuff done and also to see how Janet and the Connect staff would handle things. Both Mary Lou and Tez have provided the staff with instructions as to what they need to have Janet do so I was curious to see how that all would go down. I told Janet last night that I would see her after lunch and she said she thought she could handle that. I had lots to do at home so despite my constant wonder of how Janet was doing I was not tempted to go in earlier than planned.

I arrived just after 1:30 and Janet was in her room listening to music, “waiting for you”. She was in a really positive and chatty mood and I saw no signs of her being too stressed or bored. She gave me a run down of her day which she thought was “terrible” but clearly by what she told me it was not. I went to get Lorne’s take on the day so far and he agreed with Janet on the getting up and refusing to eat breakfast part and the going to the gym then having lunch. Janet could not remember Christi’s name as the one who spent some time in her room writing and reading with her but she did remember someone had come in to do that. Lorne told me he toileted Janet after she asked to go. He left her in the bathroom with instructions to push the button on the call pendant if she needed help and walked down the hall about fifteen meters. His phone rang and it was Janet already. She had peed and was ready to get out of the bathroom. A first time successful call for help!

When I got back to Janet’s room after talking to Lorne, Janet was smiling at me kind of mischievously. I looked closer and could see she had something in her mouth. Turned out to be a candy from the bowl I left on her dresser. We used them as nurse bait at KGH but I haven’t told the staff at Connect about them yet. Janet was able to reach the bowl and help herself. I told her Connie would consider that a big no no and her smile got even bigger. As we talked Janet’s words got more and more scrambled and then she said “if I don’t rest it’s harder for me to talk and think”. Finally! She still didn’t want to lay down despite realizing it’s good for her but I offered to join her so she agreed. This time I think she actually slept for fifteen or twenty minutes and after an hour and a bit of quiet time she was noticeably brighter and we went to the gym for a pre-dinner stretch.

Dinner was a challenge as the staff won’t and can’t allow anything other than pureed. I offered Janet a choice of a few things and she chose the left over pasta I brought in despite my warning it would be mushed up. She ate maybe half of it as it’s no where near as good pureed. I plan on having her home for lunch and dinner tomorrow and Sunday so will feed her well then. The staff are aware of the challenge and everyone is hoping Connie will up the diet after the swallow X-ray. While I was watering her after dinner I remembered the Tootsie Rolls in her room. I offered her one and she was all over that idea. That was the first one she was “allowed” to eat without the chewing cloth. She really enjoyed it.

I encouraged Janet to stay out in the living area after dinner and we played a game of Monopoly Deal. First time for both of us and she beat me. We then watched America’s Funniest Videos and Janet actually laughed at some of them. We agreed that most videos were just of really stupid people. That took us to bedtime and the promise of a busy day tomorrow. Praying for a restful and healing night and thanking Jesus for the progress made so far.

Tez

Janet surprised me this morning by greeting me with a huge smile as she sat in the living room at Connect watching CNN. She said she had a good breakfast and was having a good morning so far. In anticipation of the appearance of Tez the Physio Therapist, we headed down to her room and had a little chat and played a math game on the iPad. Janet impressed me with her recognition of patterns and grouping from smallest to largest. I realized we forgot to weigh Janet yesterday so I asked Garrett if we could do that. Janet has gained again so I think it’s safe to say we are done with tube feeds. Next step is to get her drinking water well enough to get rid of the peg tube altogether.

Mary Lou dropped by to see if Janet had any time for a little Speech session. I left them at Janet’s newly installed desk and chair and when I returned a half hour later they both had big smiles on their faces and gave an encore performance of a vocal exercise they had just done. Janet was nice and loud and clear and was very much enjoying the singing aspect of this session. I will try and get music therapy man in soon as Mary Lou thinks that would be really good for Janet.

It was clear by this time that Tez was not going to appear before lunch so we headed to the kitchen and I blended and heated some vegetable soup for Janet. It was actually pretty good and she ate all but a few spoons full. We got word that Tez would appear between 1:30 and 2:00 so we hung out in Janet’s room for a while reading and talking. To speed the arrival of Tez I put Janet on the toilet and like magic he appeared. All I had heard about Tez before was he was an Aussie. Usually I know what that means and I was looking forward to ribbing him about being the last therapist to see Janet and being late today etc. He’s not your stereotypical Aussie and although I think I will eventually be able to give him the gears today was not the day as he was all business.

As the lone PT at Connect it is Tez’s job to create programs for all the residents there. This afternoon was his chance to see what Janet can do and can’t do and figure out what to work on to help her recover the most physically. He came in with pretty much a blank slate, not relying on Janet’s chart and only using a few key things that Moira had passed on to him. Since Janet had just gotten out of the bathroom and was sitting on the edge of the bed it was the perfect opportunity to watch her transfer using the sliding board. We then went down to the gym with Garret and Lorne in tow and Janet transferred onto the table mat. Tez talked to her for quite awhile about what she felt she could do, what she liked to do prior, what she wanted to be able to do and about a wide range of other things. I was very impressed with Janet’s responses to his questions and her engagement in the conversation. I only had to correct her a couple times and elaborate on a few things otherwise she handled it all remarkable well. It was then time for the let’s see what you can do test and after a thorough workout, sometimes painful, Tez said “your going to be fun to work with” and “I usually put together a program pretty quick for people but I’m going to give yours some long thought”. He seems truly intrigued by Janet’s case and I think sees quite a bit of potential for her. His short term goals are to protect the functionality she has now and start building strength in her legs and arms. Long term will be discussed at the coaches meeting next Thursday but likely will be similar to Brian’s. Independent transfers and walking short distances, maybe some use of that right arm. It was a very interesting session and a tough workout for Janet at times but she realizes the importance of it and I think will respond well to whatever program Tez comes up with.

We finished in the gym just after three and I decided to bring Janet home for the rest of the day. She enjoyed playing with Nash again and is getting really good at telling him what she wants him to do. He is learning to put the ball on the floor where she can reach it so they actually can have some decent play time. We sat by the fire and watch the start of the Fiesta Bowl and Janet remembered she was cheering for the Oregon Ducks as soon as I reminded her of their nickname. Dinner was a bowl of pasta and meat sauce which Janet ate with gusto. Ice cream followed and then after helping me fold laundry she had another dessert, one of Laurel’s Turtle Squares.

Bob and Chris were watching the game in the living room when we got back to Connect and Janet wanted to stay and watch with them for a bit. We stayed until the end of the third quarter then got ready for bed. Another busy day for Janet and I asked her to recap it for me before I said goodnight. She was able to tell me most of what she did in chronological order with a few names different than reality. Breakfast was lunch, our home was Ontario and her room was Bolivia. That’s still the best recap I’ve had from her and she is no longer giving the automatic “terrible”, or “nothing” answer to my questions. Nice.

Praying for a restful night and a productive day tomorrow.

Pole Dancing

These once a day blog updates are shaping up to be the norm as it appears the majority of my time with Janet will be mid afternoon through to bedtime. From what I can tell so far most of her heavy duty activities will be in the morning and early afternoon with things getting quieter by three o’clock. It’ll be a few weeks yet before the true pattern emerges but that’s what it looks like now.

Today started off busy as Sara had Janet in the shower when I arrived and it was after 9:30 by the time she was sitting at the breakfast table. Janet was offered two scrambled eggs for breakfast but chose to have only one. She gobbled it up and I know would have eaten more and I wish she would have as that’s one breakfast she enjoys. It was her call though.

Back in her room I was about to have her put away her laundry when Mary Lou hauled her away for a half hour Speech session. I declined attending as I want Janet to build a relationship with Mary Lou. Janet reported the session was boring but Mary Lou said it went well. She tried an app on her iPad that pops balloons every time you talk loud enough. She thinks this will be a good tool to get Janet’s volume raised and Janet was successful a few times. Mary Lou is concerned about the excessive saliva Janet has and I know Connie is too. We will be helping Janet become more aware of it. Not only did Janet put away her laundry, she also helped rearrange her clothes so it is easier for her to find them. That was a really good exercise to go through and she seemed to enjoy the challenge of remembering where things were and thinking about how to group them in a way that makes sense.

By the time we finished rearranging her stuff it was lunchtime. Garrett was all excited about his beef barley soup but it was a complete fail. I tried saving it by adding some carrot and broccoli and Janet ate a little of it then but I think I’ve spoiled her eating at home so much.

We made our way down to the gym after lunch with Brian and Rebecca promising to meet with Janet there a little later. I had time to give Janet a good stretch on the table mat and was finishing off a stretch of her hand when Brian and Rebecca came in. They spent over an hour with us talking wheelchair, accessible homes, Janet’s vision, the various equipment Janet can use in the gym and how daily activities will be incorporated into Janet’s workout plan. All this will come into better focus over the next couple of weeks. When asked about goals, Brian is confident Janet will become independent transferring from wheelchair to bed etc. and is hopeful she will be able to walk short distances, i.e. around the house. To gauge that possibility he had Janet sit on the edge of the table mat and hold onto a stripper’s (or fireman’s, depending on your gender) pole in front of her. On command Janet attempted to stand up and Brian acted as the muscle for her right leg. She managed to get up a fair ways both times she tried and was clearly frustrated each time that she couldn’t get all the way up. We all praised her effort and Brian was truly happy with her first attempt at that and hopeful he can get her standing relatively soon.

That was a busy day so far and being unsure of dinner I decided to take Janet home for a few hours for a change of pace and some food I knew she would eat. She played with Nash a lot, ate a good dinner followed by a bowl of fresh fruit and a relaxing conversation time. We headed back to Connect for bedtime in anticipation of a busy morning as Tez the PT has promised an early session with Janet.

Thankful for the productive day and praying for restoration of Janet’s ability to walk, use her right arm and hand, total restoration of her vision and the ability to talk loud all the time.

Only the Beginning

Still in holiday mode Janet and I had a very relaxing afternoon. Lunch was a bowl of pasta and cheese that Janet gobbled up after helping to set the table. When she is eating food she likes I no longer need to prompt her to eat like I did before, now I have to tell her to slow down.

The only way I could convince her to have some rest time was to offer her the chance at laying on the sofa bed downstairs to watch some of the Rose Bowl. With the fire on it was nice and cozy and she at least got an hours quiet time even though she never closed her eyes and was quite chatty the whole time. We Skyped Mary/Gaga and had a brief but loud chat with her and got to see David and his family who are visiting and attempting to do some skiing. A bonus opportunity for a rest arose when Janet agreed to a little stretching action. No change in the spasticity but Janet did have another hour of quiet time and it seemed to give her a nice burst of energy for the rest of the day. It also gave her an appetite as she totally cleaned her dinner plate of chicken strips, fries and baby carrots followed by ice cream. She was heavier for sure as I carried her to the car to go back to Connect.

Once in bed we finished off Anne 2 and agreed it was a good book with an abrupt end. Clearly a set up for the next one. I said goodnight with the promise of seeing her after breakfast and plans to spend the day at Connect tomorrow. I’m hoping the coaches (therapists) are around tomorrow and we can start developing Janet’s program. Praying for a restful night and a day of learning tomorrow.

Happy New Year!

Another early start for me as I took Cam to the airport this morning for his flight back to Calgary. This could be the official start of Janet and I being Empty Nesters as Cam plans on staying in Calgary once school is done. We wish him well.

Janet was hanging out in her room listening to music when I arrived at Connect. Breakfast and meds were done and Lorne told me she declined a trip to the toilet. Right after our Happy New Year greeting she told me she had been trying to get to the bathroom but couldn’t. She had the call pendant around her neck so I had her push it and wait for Lorne to come so she could see how it worked. He was in her room within two minutes of her activating the pendant and I think she could do it on her own now.

We headed home for the day and had a decision made for us shortly after our arrival. I got Janet inside and into her wheelchair and pushed her into the family room a little before going back out to the car to retrieve the Christmas stuff we brought home. As I was starting back up the stairs Janet’s rear wheel started coming down them. If I wasn’t there she likely would have tipped all the way down. A scary moment that can perhaps be avoided in the future by having the baby gate at the top of the stairs like it is now but I’m not sure that’s the best solution nor do I want to live that way when Janet comes home. I think we’ll start house hunting soon.

Our time at home so far has been spent playing with Nash, talking and preparing this video.

I thought of posting a clean and polished New Year’s greeting but decided to leave it raw like this as its more fun and you all can see where Janet is really at. Happy New Year everyone!

Just Like Old Times

In anticipation of 2013 I gave Janet a manicure and painted her nails a sparkly silver. After applying two coats of polish she asked me when was I doing the next one. I told her I was finished and she actually seemed disappointed, not in the quality of the paint job or the color but in the fact I was done pampering her. We attempted a game of Scrabble but her concentration level was pretty low so we sat by the fire for a bit so Janet could warm up before helping me make dinner. She is complaining more often about being cold and its nice to hear as that is the Janet we all know.

The dinner we planned was a variation on what has become our traditional New Years Eve dinner. A warm scallop salad, this year without the salad. I’ve been allowing Janet a lot of illegal food lately but I’ve drawn the line at lettuce so our scallops were served over a mix of brown and wild rice. Very yummy and Janet agreed by eating every morsel and finished it off with some ice cream. Really cool to see her eating something she really enjoys.

Janet was fading steadily after dinner but didn’t want to leave yet so we watched a little tv before heading back to Connect. Janet was tucked in for the year by nine, quite tired and not at all missing out on any festivities.

In a lot of ways I could look at 2012 as a negative year. I honestly don’t feel that way though. Janet and I have been blessed by an outpouring of love from our family and friends and community. I love Janet more than ever and look forward to each day as a new beginning. With Jesus leading the way 2013 promises to be a very exciting year. I pray that it is for all of you as well.