Month: December 2013

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #baking

Janet and I slept in a little this morning after being up a little late last night. Laurel and Heather got her helping with some Christmas baking after breakfast and a Skype chat with Mary/Gaga in which Janet wasn’t quite as chatty as she can be. The baking went on for a long time but Janet said she enjoyed it and was glad to help.

We didn’t do any formal exercise today but Janet’s transfers continue to improve and she managed a couple of unassisted stands from her wheelchair one of which included a nice turn to sit on the couch with no help at all. High five! We did a little standing and walking this afternoon as well with no significant changes to report. The ankle brace is helping but the AFO will be much better.

After a little afternoon nap Janet helped with dinner prep but seemed a little low on energy still. She said she was fine and just didn’t have anything to say. The girls all watched a movie before bed and by the end of the day she said she had enjoyed her time with the girls baking and is looking forward to the Seahawks game tomorrow.

Praying for a deep and healing sleep tonight and lots of energy tomorrow.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #Decorating

I never got a chance to talk to Randy today but I am declaring the renovation complete as of yesterday! Seventy three days of hard work by Randy to turn a nice house into our home. Thanks and great job!

Jess and Garrett thankfully put Janet through her paces this morning knowing this was the last chance before the Christmas break. A shower, the Shuttle, the bike, stretching, a full meal deal and Janet seemed pleased about it in telling me how it all went. She knows she needed to take advantage of the opportunity before coming home. The atmosphere around Connect has been very positive lately and combined with the goal of coming home has helped Janet to stay focused. Everyone from her house was in the lobby taking a group photo when I arrived and Janet very loudly invited me into it. Her voice has really improved over the last month and I credit the singing, including the antics at the dinner table with Big Country.

We got all packed up and made the snowy drive home with Janet getting excited when she recognized we were on a street very close to the house. After a happy reuniting with Heather and some lunch the girls got down to the business of decorating.
HJLDecorating
There was singing and laughing and in the end, a very Christmassy looking home. Janet contributed by directing Laurel and Heather at times and by hanging ornaments on the tree. It sounded like fun and wore Janet out just enough that she agreed to a little siesta before dinner. Laurel and Heather made dinner for us tonight and it was really nice to sit down and enjoy a home cooked meal. I reminded Janet her wheelchair is for moving around in and if she’s going to be in a certain spot for a long time she should be in a real chair. Following that policy Janet did a lot of standing transfers today, most of which were pretty good and I’m sure will improve over the holidays. One thing that has improved for Janet is her awareness regarding going to the bathroom. As long as she’s awake she is able to get to the toilet on time almost always, certainly enough to try going without the pull up briefs she’s been wearing for so long and switch into panty liners during the day. Today was day one and it was a success.

Neither of the girls had seen the Carrie Underwood version of The Sound of Music yet so Janet was all over watching that with them after dinner. I’m sure this marks well past the hundredth time Janet has seen some version of the story and she seems to enjoy it equally each time, singing almost word for word the whole way through.

Today was a good start to Christmas for Janet and tomorrow promises more excitement as Cam arrives in the evening. Praying for an uninterrupted night of sleep and a fun day tomorrow.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #workinghard

Renovation Day 73. Is this the last day? Could be! Randy was at the house today to complete the grouting on the back splashes in each bathroom and I can’t think of anything else that needs doing. I’ll wait to confirm with him before making it official but either way, Janet is able to come home for Christmas to a beautiful new home.

I met Janet at the pool this morning for the last swimming session of 2013. As an early Christmas present for her the water was notably warmer than usual and she had another strong session. We started in the deep tank again and did some lengths with Gillian whose doing a Physio therapy practicum with Tez. She showed Janet a few good leg exercises she can do in the deep water and told us how we can adapt them for at home too. Nice to have her there. Janet swam probably her longest times on her tummy today and is clearly getting stronger in the water. She also did a great job of getting her feet down so she could rest against the pool wall. In the kiddie pool Janet did some good balancing and sit to stands. It’s of course much easier to standup when your sitting in waist deep water but I think it’s still good practice for her. The hot tub as usual was a rewarding way to finish.

Janet returned to Connect with the staff for a house Christmas party that had just wound down by the time Laurel and I got there. I think Janet was on a bit of a coffee or sugar high when we got there as she was sitting on the couch with a big mug of coffee and a tray of cookies and butter tarts in front of her. She had way more energy than I expected her to have and it was fun to hear her tell of how it all went.

Knowing she had to get some exercise tonight Janet chose a bike ride first. I challenged her with level five and had her sit farther back than normal. She found it a little hard but still rode well and had a good workout. Dinner was lively tonight as Kieran and Big Counrty were in fine form with Janet in the middle of it all. She was quite proud of the fact she had two servings of dinner to Big Country’s one. To work that off we went upstairs with Dyllon, a part time staff member we haven’t worked with before, to do some walking. We took Tez’s advice and started slow to allow Janet’s right ankle to stretch out and after going about half way down the parallel bars she started to get into a pretty good rhythm with assistance. She was too tired to make it all the way back to her wheelchair so Laurel brought it to her to give her a rest. Her side stepping tonight was actually pretty good and she had one successful unassisted sit to stand from her wheelchair. High five.

Maybe pushing things a little too far I had Janet use the Standing Frame after her walking practice and fifteen minutes in she complained of a sore tummy. Fearing a repeat of that really bad pain she had a couple weeks ago we bailed out of standing and let Janet relax the rest of the evening. The three of us watched the finale of X Factor occasionally joined by some other residents. Janet said that watching the show was fun but I think she was a little too tired to fully enjoy. That should make for a good night of sleep and I pray she has lots of energy for a fun day with Laurel and Heather tomorrow.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #workinghard

Renovation Day 72. Randy installed the glass doors on the remaining cabinets today and I think only has a small job in each bathroom before declaring the renovation complete. Yeah!

Janet did her regular morning routine which included a bike ride and some stretching after a shower and breakfast. She told me she handed out the last of her Christmas cards and did some comprehension work with Mary Lou.

As far as Janet is concerned the day didn’t really begin until Laurel arrived at Connect and the two of them went out for lunch and did a little Christmas shopping. Laurel said her mom did well at choosing and paying for the items she chose and Janet seemed pleased with herself and was all smiles about it when they got home. Janet was a little worn out though and agreed to try a nap for a bit. I think she did sleep for half an hour or so and gained more energy as she ate dinner and watched the final performance show of X Factor.

The deal was if we stayed home for dinner and watched X Factor then she’d have to go to the gym when we got back to Connect and that’s what she did. Since she rode the bike in the morning and did a little walking at home the Shuttle was the best option for tonight. Janet of course didn’t like that idea but cooperated and put in a very strong effort. Her extension is now a consistent twelve inches and occasionally nears thirteen. She managed some good pushes with just her right leg even with more tension on there than she’s used to. There were protests at first but once she realized she just had to try her best she bore down and worked hard. We tried a little balancing board after the Shuttle and got some decent pushes with her right leg then as well. Janet has trouble bending her knees which I think is what you have to do on that board but she tried hard and had a good rhythm going for a while.

I’m not sure if the staff have started Janet’s self medication program yet but for her evening ones I’ve only had to ask Janet questions around what time it is and she clues in that she needs her meds. She doesn’t hesitate at all to find a staff member and ask them for her drugs, medicine, meds, medical things, pills, special things or some other word close to that. We will work on the names of each one over the Christmas break and also see if she can remember to ask for them without prompting. I think she can in the morning for sure.

We all watched a little TV so Janet could wind down and she called bedtime a little earlier than normal after a pretty busy day. Praying for a good sleep tonight and lots of energy tomorrow as well as a safe and on time flight for Heather.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #progress

Renovation Day 71. No action at the house today. Tomorrow?

I met Janet and Jess at KGH this morning for our regular chat with Dr. Miller. As usual the conversation was very positive with Janet talking louder than ever and expressing her thoughts better than ever. She continues to impress and I got the feeling she values Dr. Miller’s comments so hopefully she takes them seriously and uses them to lessen her self doubt.

Janet’s celebrity status continues at KGH as she saw a number of her former nurses, rehab coaches and even Barb, a former patient. Janet didn’t really remember Barb as she looks quite different than when she was in rehab with Janet. We hope to meet her and her husband Cliff for dinner in January and I’m sure once the stories start flying Janet will remember a little.

Jess took Janet back to Connect while I tried to be productive around the house for a bit. Didn’t really happen but I made it to Connect for the last part of singing with John. Their session today was pretty casual and took place in the living room so others could join in. Janet gave me a demo of an old song her and John sang way back when they started working together and she sang it loud and word for word from memory. John has been a huge blessing and we wish him a very merry Christmas.

Tez met us in Janet’s room a little while later to discuss transfers and walking. I was concerned about the verbal and physical cues I’ve been giving Janet now that she is getting to a standing position mostly on her own. Turns out I wasn’t too far off the mark and Janet impressed Tez with her ability to stand from her wheelchair using only the armrest. Sometimes its necessary to give Janet a little lateral boost from behind but other than that she is getting really close to not having to use the transfer poles at all. When walking I learned I was completely out of position and with Tez assisting, Janet took some excellent steps with her right leg, moving it forward more than I’ve noticed before. To finish off I asked Tez to observe Janet on the bike and he proceeded to make things a lot harder for Janet than I had. He believes Janet is capable of more on the bike so he moved her seat back a little to allow more leg extension, increased the level of difficulty and wants her to do that in spurts like hill climbing. The most interesting part was when he had Janet pedal with only her right leg. It was no surprise that she couldn’t complete an entire revolution and really interesting to see that. Janet didn’t seem upset by it and Tez feels she can get that going but has to keep working hard at it. I’m hoping we can do that and still keep the bike fun. Janet had forgotten Tez’s Christmas card so got it from her room and took it upstairs to him all by herself, impressing me quite a bit. She’s such a big girl now.

Janet was pretty exhausted after all that and tried to have a little nap but couldn’t fall asleep so we took off to do a little shopping. We knew what we wanted to get and picked the right time to do it as we were in and out and at home with ten minutes to spare before The Voice Finale started. I decided it was best since we were out to go home for dinner and watch The Voice live instead of trying to stay up till eleven watching it at Connect. It was a good call as Janet made it through the show but had no chance of making it to eleven. We got back to Connect at nine and Janet said she’d go for a bike ride “if it’s good for me”. Certainly couldn’t hurt so off she went for a twenty minute hill climbing ride and considering how tired she was had a good result. That was the capper though and it was into bed right after that with Janet looking forward to Laurel meeting her for lunch tomorrow.

Praying for rest and healing tonight and lots of energy for tomorrow and a safe flight for Laurel.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #Stronger

Renovation Day 70. The Den is now officially useable as a second bedroom complete with wall mounted TV. Randy, I’m assuming, worked from home today and I hope for his sake is nearing the end.

Jess reported that Janet had a great first part of the day today starting with the dreaded shower but right after breakfast they went to the gym and even Janet said it went well and felt better going there first thing. Shuttle and stretching took place there before going upstairs for walking practice. Jess had Janet focus a lot on side stepping this morning and I know Janet is getting pretty good at that and its good practice for being able to flex her right leg out. After her workouts Janet helped Jess prepare dinner for tonight so it was quite the busy morning.

I found Janet in bed but wide awake when I arrived and after hearing her version of the day we started writing her Christmas cards to the Connect staff and residents. Janet’s handwriting is still pretty messy and inconsistent but mostly legible so it was appropriate that she write all the cards. She needed a break after the first eight or so and that helped reset her to a reasonably neat style. Once she was done it was dinner time and she couldn’t wait to hand out cards to those that were there along with a happy face lolly pop with each one. She very confidently went about distributing them and was genuinely pleased when I told her she did well.

As a Christmas present to Tiffany, Janet agreed to do a little walking after dinner. I had her set up at the door to her room with the goal of getting to her bed which is about twelve feet away. Tiffany was busy with Wes for a few minutes so I asked Janet to try and stand from her chair using only the armrest as support. After a few attempts she got about half way up but couldn’t quite push the rest of the way. A very solid effort and proof of increasing strength. There is a technique to that move that I’m not sure of so its on the to do list with Tez tomorrow. Walking to the bed was slow and not Janet’s best and she complained a little about the ankle brace being loose. It was a good effort considering the time and the busy day she’d already had. That didn’t stop her from wanting to go for a bike ride though and for the first time she did her ride at level four! There was some early whining that it was hard but by the end she had still averaged the same she does at level three so again, proof she’s getting stronger.

That pretty much played Janet out and we relaxed watching The Voice to close out the night. Janet sang along to a few of the songs and is finally cheering for my pick since hers is out. We plan on staying up late tomorrow to see who wins. Praying for a restful night that provides energy, focus and brightness for a busy day tomorrow.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #walking

Renovation Day 69. A day off for me and hopefully Randy too.

Janet and I were up a little late last night and therefore up late this morning. I woke up a few times to see Janet peacefully at rest until finally at 9:40 she opened her eyes. I don’t mind the odd sleep in day but will have to watch that over the Christmas break as it’s not a good habit for Janet to be in. The whole being at home thing has been quite relaxing this weekend and that’s good.

Relaxation was the mode of the day today and with the Seahawks game on in the background Janet did a great job making her toast and coffee. I had to cue her as to where some things were but other than that she did it all on her own. She then had a little Skype chat with Heather followed by some actual watching of the football game.

I convinced Janet to help me sort through the inside Christmas decorations as I know we have way too many and I wanted to be prepared for when the decorating takes place later this week. We did a good job purging and are now ready for Friday when both Laurel and Heather will be here and the women can do their thing.

In order to get in a little exercise I challenged Janet to walk from the dining table to the couch. A week ago there would have been significant protest to that challenge but today with her ankle brace on there was no hesitation in trying. I think she did really well. Her grip on me was tight but only to hold on to and not so much to transfer weight through like she used to. The ankle brace seems to have given her a confidence boost at least. A little later I had her walk from the bed to the toilet and she did so admirably. Our plan is to meet with Tez Tuesday so he can coach us on proper technique and hopefully provide advice on a cane. I think Janet is ready to use one for practice at least.

The thought of going back to Connect tonight didn’t make either of us happy at all. All the Christmas talk and decoration sorting along with The Santa Claus being on TV made it very hard to justify going back tonight but we did, after the movie. Janet remembered the film was shot in Oakville and recognized some of the parts of town which made watching a little more fun. Janet shocked me by asking to go for a bike ride once we got back to Connect at 9:20. She said it would help her sleep. Good call. Once in bed I read a few pages of Open to her and said goodnight as she seemed content and ready for sleep.

Thanking Jesus for the time we got to spend together this weekend and for the continued healing and strengthening. Praying for a night of uninterrupted sleep and lots of energy for tomorrow.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #Tree

Renovation Day 68. No renovating at the house today. Randy probably worked at home but hopefully not hard.

Janet was impressed how we woke up at the same time this morning. I said it was my motherly instincts. From what I could tell, she had a good night of rest and was eager to start the day. It was a little later than I had planned on so I served her breakfast this morning and will make sure she helps tomorrow. She had a nice Skype chat with her mom after breakfast commenting after that ” I always talk well with my mom”. Indeed.

Our mission today was to get our Christmas tree, shop for an exercise bike for the house, shop for some kitchen stuff and a book. We got a decent start on the exercise bike and it appears as though anything mass market is not going to work. The pedals are the main issue as standard ones are too small and have no way of securing Janet’s feet to them. The bike she uses at Connect basically has a snowboard boot type of binding on it and it works brilliantly. We have a guy at Rocky Mountain Fitness checking on a similar machine for us. Janet was a little confused after that stop but took comfort in knowing the guy will be researching for us. The kitchen store we went to was a bust but the book store was successful. The other night Janet recited most of Twas the Night Before Christmas from memory so I wanted to have a copy to read and have her read too. With that story in mind we made our way to the Christmas tree lot and Janet chose the second tree we looked at. We talked a little before arriving if we wanted to keep buying real trees and Janet thought yes. Even after being out in the cold to get this one she still thinks that so we will.

We set the tree up after a late lunch with Janet picking a good spot for it in our new house. It’s amazing the decision you have to make sometimes. Church was full of wonderful music tonight followed by celebrity Janet being visited by a seemingly larger crowd each week causing us to not make it out of the building until well after seven again. I asked Janet if she likes all these people talking to her and complimenting her so much. She said she does and “it’s nice to hear those things”. Finally! Keep it up folks.

Janet requested the movie Home Alone tonight as she had watched a little of it with Big Country before I picked her up yesterday. She thoroughly enjoyed it and said “that’s the best movie ever!” When I reminded her she said that after The Sound of Music she clarified that Home Alone is just funny.

There was no formal exercise for Janet today but she did wear her ankle brace all day with no discomfort and she felt her ankle was better supported. I noticed her standing transfers were improved because of her foot position and she felt more confident. Praying for a great night of sleep and a fun day tomorrow.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #Dancing

Renovation Day 67. A day of dramatic results today as Randy installed cabinet door and handles in the kitchen. Now we have to remember where we put things because we can no longer see them.
CabinetDoors

I got out to Connect and helped Janet get ready for the weekend and her appointment at OKAPED with Jeff. Janet seemed eager to go and reported a good day so far. Garrett mentioned he had her standing on her own for fifteen minutes this morning which is a major record. He was quite impressed and is excited to have Janet in an AFO so she can do even more.

Jeff is a very nice and smart guy who really took his time to assess Janet’s situation and to listen to her. I had hoped to walk out of the appointment with a product in hand or at least under construction but Janet will need something custom built and OKAPED doesn’t do the type of device Jeff feels Janet will need. He has referred her to Ortho Design, which is operated by a former colleague who is the best in the business around here. Hopefully we can get an appointment soon. Jeff did sell us an ankle brace that will be better than nothing over the Christmas break if it takes that long to get the AFO. Janet was pleased with the appointment and is happy we are making progress.

We stopped at home to get changed for the Connect Christmas party and we figured we’d give the new dress one more try and I promised not to get all stressed out about it. Janet had the brilliant idea of trying to put it on by stepping into it and wouldn’t you know it, victory!

We even got a nice red coat of hers onto her that she hasn’t worn in years so she was all decked out nice and fancy for the evening.

Because of the OKAPED appointment we were a little late arriving at the party and apparently missed the hot food. I was under the impression it was dinner but turns out it was just appetizers and all the hot things were gone by 7:15 when we arrived. Oh well, we had fun anyways. Karl, who has been off work injured for two months and hasn’t seen Janet in that long was there and couldn’t believe how well she is talking now and was shocked to see her stand. Janet stood with me for a number of pictures and was a bit of a celeb looking as fine as she did.
JanetLarryTiesTiaras
The best part of the night for me was when Janet agreed to try a little dancing. I am a terrible dancer but figured I could handle this as there would not be any footwork involved. Janet of course was a little timid but managed to lose herself to the beat a couple times and was swaying in time better than me. She doesn’t think she did that well but to have her even trying was huge fun.
FirstDance
All the partying really wore Janet out and after a little snack at home it was off to bed. Praying for a night of deep and healing sleep, lots of energy and a positive attitude tomorrow and quick improvement in her control of her right leg.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #Santa

Renovation Day 66. Randy dropped off all the cabinet doors he’s been building and will install them tomorrow. I did no reno work at all today. Hmmm.

Before meeting Janet at the pool I spoke again with the folks at OKAPED re her AFO. She has an appointment tomorrow which is exciting and makes me wish I would have followed up on this sooner but I guess this was the right time. Janet is excited too as she really believes the AFO will give her more confidence and more ability to walk.

Jess was able to work with us in the pool today and tried her best to keep up to the torpedo in the deep tank. The water was a little cooler than normal but having Jess there made it easier to distract Janet from that fact and she swam very well doing some impressive rolls from tummy to back and vice versa. I’m getting more confident in Janet’s abilities as well and can now keep a little more distance between us so she feels more independent. Jess and I took her to the kiddie pool, which was bathtub warm, and had Janet do some balancing. With Jess coaching her she was able to do some good sit to stands and because she was waist deep in water we were able to let her fall a few times to try and break that fear a little. Janet was not scared at all to fall forwards or backwards and I think that helped in getting her to stand properly on her own.

Janet was able to hang out with me the rest of the day as we wanted to get some Christmas shopping done and so headed to the dreaded mall right after swimming. It was surprisingly quiet and because we had no time constraints I was not stressed at all. Janet did a great job of asking to stop and look at things she wanted to check out, something I’ve had a hard time getting her to do previously. I let her pick most things out that we bought but had to work at keeping her within budget. Janet is very money conscious but also loves Christmas and finds it easy to justify an exception. I just couldn’t let her do it. We stopped half way through for a drink that Janet said she didn’t need but she was fading and the break gave her that second wind and we had a very successful round two. On the way out Janet asked where Santa was thinking he was at a courtyard in the middle of the mall. I explained he was down near the end we would be leaving from and asked if she wanted to go see him. She said no but I sensed she really meant yes. When we got to his little village she couldn’t see him very well as we were kind of behind his chair so I wheeled her over for a better look. The Janet that repeatedly said no to going to see Santa started waving and smiling at him the second she saw him. She said no to going in and having her picture taken with Santa but when I said I’d get in the picture too she agreed. You can see by the smile on her face that it was a fun visit and like Santa says, he’s here for kids of all ages.
Santa2013

We had to go home to let the dog out and ended up staying for dinner and watching X Factor. Neither of us wanted to go back to Connect tonight but Janet had to have her meds so back we went. There were some tears as we got out of the car but they passed quickly when we got inside and had a little chat with Curtis and showed him the Santa photo. Janet even chose to go for a bike ride even though it was after nine by the time we got to the gym. I was so impressed by her choice I let her ride for half the usual time but asked her to pedal as hard as she could the whole fifteen minutes. She did, making 1.4 miles in that time. I think she’s ready for level 4!

There were lots of laughs and some shakes of the head as we read Open. Andre Agassi’s dad was or is a lunatic. That was a great way to wind down a very successful day for Janet and she loved hearing all the positives she accomplished as we said goodnight. There was still a little “I don’t want to be here” but the tears were non existent and the smile was bright. Praying for a night of uninterrupted sleep and lots of energy for a big day tomorrow.