Condo

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #AGT #trinitykelowna #memory #cards #yardwork

After a good night of sleep Janet was up at a decent hour this morning to enjoy breakfast in the sunshine with Laurel. That was her intention anyways and she did get to do that in between bathroom visits. Nothing was wrong with Janet other than I think she saves up for her weekends at home. Just sayin.

In order to take advantage of the nice day and still be productive we all went outside and did yard work for an hour or so. Janet and Laurel worked together clipping off dead flowers and such while I pruned back a large tree that hangs over one of our parking spots and the road. We didn’t really have to do any of this stuff but I remember moving into this house six years ago and taking the entire summer just to clear enough jungle to see the property we had bought. I don’t want to leave a jungle for the next folks and Janet enjoys contributing and being out in the sun. We paused to have a Skype chat with Mary/Gaga and are grateful for the technology that allows us to do that on a moments notice and even from outside. Janet faded a little before the end of the chat so we went in and made lunch. Janet helped chop things for Quesadillas and I think enjoyed hers more because she made it. She needed a little more assistance than recently with the chopping but still gave it a good go.

When I returned from meeting with a prospective painter for the new house, Janet and Laurel were playing cards. There was no gambling involved, just a good game of memory with Janet doing very well. In fact she even won a game. She agreed to a short nap before church and actually did sleep for over an hour. Tonight’s service was very good and Janet was engaged pretty much the whole time.

As usual, Saturday is Janet’s day off from exercise so no hot tub tonight or standing on her own. We all relaxed after dinner to watch AGT before heading to bed. Janet agreed this was a good day, especially being able to hang out with Laurel. There were lots of laughs, we accomplished some things towards the move and Janet was involved and contributed to many things today. I’m feeling very blessed by the skills she is regaining and pray for continued healing and re learning.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #hyundai #laurel #pizza #okanagan #SYTYCD

Summer continues here in the Okanagan so I was a little disappointed to find Janet in pants and a long sleeve shirt this afternoon. She insisted on keeping them on even as I tried to explain it was thirty two degrees outside. Before we got home she was asking me to roll up her sleeves because she was hot. Stubborn.

We weren’t in a rush to do anything today so on the way home we stopped at Kelowna Hyundai to do a little car shopping. Unlike other car lots we’ve been to, we got service pretty quick and the guy pointed us to a car that actually suits are needs very well. Janet can get in and out easily and even did her seatbelt up unassisted while I put the wheelchair in the back without folding seats down. The car drives well and seems to make a lot of sense, even the price is good. It just isn’t very sexy. It’s a 2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring. Not bad looking but not a wow car either. Quite plain Jane on the inside and no sunroof. Janet was quite comfortable during our test drive and any new car has to be mostly right for her and not me so we will consider this one or something similar. Anyone know a comparable car? I think Mazda makes one close to it?

The car shopping got us home right at dinner making time and Janet built what I believe is her best pizza yet. No coaching on opening the can of sauce. No coaching on anything other than making sure she got toppings in the middle as well as around the outside and she needed a little help with some slippery sun dried tomatoes. Out of the oven, hers looked better than mine. We managed to sneak in another dinner outside at sunset and are feeling pretty blessed that we can do that. Janet enjoyed her post dinner hot tub so much that while she was floating I let go of her completely and unlike me, she didn’t sink. She was so relaxed she kept on floating.

With Janet’s legs in the extenders we watched the finale of SYTYCD and enjoyed it very much. I thinks this was the best season ever and Janet would agree especially since her guy and girl that she picked right at the start, won! She was almost as excited as they were. Fun to see.

While Janet was brushing her teeth I heard Nash bark and get all excited so I knew someone was at the house. I asked Janet if she thought it was Laurel or a stranger. She chose stranger. Guess she can’t pick them right every time. We had a good and chatty little visit before bedtime and are looking forward to the sunny weekend with Laurel here.

Praying for lots of healing rest tonight and a productive day tomorrow.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #realestate #house #strong

Janet was laying in bed looking at her watch as I walked into her room this afternoon. She had agreed to nap for one hour and was very aware that the hour had passed. I doubt she slept and we had things to do so I helped her get up. We had some real estate business to take care of and I’m excited to announce we have removed the subjects on the home we are buying so its full steam ahead for the big move now. Janet is excited its all happening and a little unsure of the transition period knowing she won’t be able to come home for a few weeks depending on how much work we decide to do. That’ll be a big adjustment and I’ll have to think of some fun ways to fill that time.

With time before dinner Janet elected to do the Shuttle and I challenged her today by upping the tension for each of her sets. She was not happy with me but persevered and did very well. Standing on her own was great today as she is gaining confidence and is more willing to try and put weight on her right leg. Her Standing Frame session after dinner was complaint free for once as she enjoyed watching football while “standing”.

No fancy dinner out tonight and lots of boring real estate stuff to do made for a tired Janet a little earlier than normal. She is really looking forward to coming home for the weekend and I’m praying its a good one.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #smackdab #sunshine #okanagan

Today was another glorious summer day in the Okanagan and Janet was able to enjoy it to the fullest. Annette brought lunch for her and Janet to Connect and they enjoyed eating that outside before going for a little walk around the neighborhood. As instructed Janet went for a nap around two and when I arrived in her room at 3:30 she woke up briefly, asked if I wanted her to get up, then went right back to sleep when I said no. It was 4:15 before she opened her eyes and it took a little while for the cobwebs to clear. As soon as they did, we had a great evening.

Annette had offered to take us out for dinner and with such beautiful weather we couldn’t think of a better place than Smack Dab. We were not disappointed as we got a table outside, right on the lake with good wine, good food and good conversation. A very nice evening and Janet ate and drank everything put in front of her.

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I think she paid the price for eating a big meal as when she was in the Standing Frame tonight she complained of a side ache. Her complaint was consistent enough that I shortened her session by ten minutes and she was fine after being able to sit in her chair for a bit. We got back kinda late so the Standing Frame was all she did tonight and she promised to work hard tomorrow.

Plans for the move are starting to come together and today I found somewhere to stay that’s really close to Janet while I’m homeless. I can’t take the dog though so if anyone is willing to own Nash for five days or so let me know, otherwise I’ve no problem putting him in the kennel. He’s well looked after there.

Jess mentioned to me today that she’s having a bit of a challenge with Janet on Tuesdays in that she’s often pretty tired. It could be from getting back to Connect late Monday nights so I’m going to try bringing her back for dinner for the next two weekends and see how that goes. I’ve noticed her strength is not the same Mondays or Tuesdays so I believe we need to change the routine a little so Janet can take full advantage of her time at Connect.

Janet had a good couple of days with Annette around and we wish her a safe trip back to Vancouver tomorrow. Praying for a day of significant progress tomorrow.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #friend #sunny

I gave Janet a call around lunch time today to see how she was doing and she explained she had done all the usual things already including going to the gym. The way she said it implied she was a very good girl and shouldn’t have to go to the gym again. Nice try. It was fun to talk to her on the phone and I think she was happy to get the call. When I arrived in her room a few hours later she was anxious for the arrival of her friend Annette so didn’t nap at all. I got her up and we went outside to wait. I gave Janet a few options for how the evening could play out, all of course included a trip to the gym. She was not impressed but settled on a walk then dinner with Annette and a session on the Shuttle at eight or so.

Annette was running late so we went for a walk to check out a resort in the area that I thought might be ok to stay at while I’m homeless but it turned out to be pretty sketchy so I’ll keep looking. Janet was very excited when Annette arrived and we enjoyed a good conversation over a mediocre dinner at the local Greek restaurant. Janet and Annette have known each other for over thirty years now and have lots to talk about. Janet was bright and talkative the whole evening and is looking forward to visiting more tomorrow and hopefully having a better dinner.

There was no real protest from Janet when gym time rolled around and her Shuttle performance was solid. As it was getting a little late, I shortened her Standing Fame session and she was in bed and very sleepy by 10:15. That was a busy day for Janet with no real rest and she was pretty amped up to see Annette so the fast crash tonight was no surprise. Praying for a night of deep sleep and a productive day tomorrow.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #fish #swimming

Today was getaway day for Cam and Gina so Janet started her get up routine a little sooner than she would’ve liked. Once up she was bright but reserved, anticipating the goodbyes about to happen. With promptness not being a Cam specialty Janet had plenty of time to finish breakfast before the tears started to flow. It was fun having Cam here and a real pleasure meeting Gina, we look forward to seeing them again soon.

It was back to the pool at KGH today after missing last week due to the stat holiday and Janet excelled in the first session. Her swimming was great with good turns in each direction and really fast at times. The emphasis today was on trying to get some action out of that right leg. We tried walking which was good from a balance perspective and although she was moving her right foot forward each step, the walk was still mostly a hop. Janet did lots of exercises that required her to move her right leg and the more she did them the more success she had. The second session was completely different as a result of Janet being the shortest one in the pool by far so the water was too deep to do walking or balancing so we focused on swimming. For the first time Janet executed a roll to her tummy followed by a roll onto her back all in one length of the pool. She actually seemed pleased with herself for once on that one. High five.

Lunch was in the sun on our patio followed by a short nap before Chelsea worked her magic with Janet’s hair. It’s amazing how fast Janet’s hair grows and now that its all the same length I think she’s cuter than ever. br />
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Just because she’s cute doesn’t excuse her from kitchen duty and Janet did a great job chopping onions and potatoes and setting the outside table for us as summer has returned thankfully. Janet had a brief Skype chat with Laurel then rode contentedly out to Connect. There was no arguing about doing the Shuttle but there was a lot if arguing about the amount of tension to be used. Janet ended up doing a decent workout followed by lots of good standing on her own which earned her a night off from the Standing Frame, that and the fact it was getting late.

So ends a good day and a good weekend for Janet. I continue to see cognitive improvements and am really praying for large scale physical improvements.

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The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #Seahawks #SEAvsCAR #chef #AGT

Today was a sunny and bright day outside as well as for Janet inside.

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With her nails painted and jersey on we hunkered down to watch the first real football game of the season right after breakfast and Janet was genuinely excited or at least interested in it. She paid close attention most of the first half and commented appropriately a few times when big plays were made or big mistakes were made. She also noted the Seahawks didn’t look too good in that first half. To her disappointment halftime meant exercise time and I asked her to do some standing in front if the mirror in our room. My goal with the standing right now is to get her putting as much weight through her right leg as possible and she did a good job today. I noticed when I instructed her to lean or come over to the right she would use primarily her upper body to do so. That wasn’t getting us the results I wanted so I placed my hands on her hips and told her to do the hula a little bit. That worked! You could see and feel weight being transferred to her right leg and the more she did it the closer to the floor her heal got. Being in front of the mirror enabled her to see herself and adjust her posture accordingly. We used the whole fifteen minutes of halftime then returned to the game. Cam joined us towards the end and good thing he did as that was when our offense got going and we won the game. Janet laughed at Cam and I as we reacted to the game and overall enjoyed the whole thing.

Football and fattening foods go together naturally but there isn’t much football food Janet will eat but she did agree to pancakes for lunch. That worked out great as she helped make the mix and even broke an egg by herself into a mug. Talented!

Janet had a little rest time this afternoon then we sat out on our balcony for happy hour and enjoyed the warm sun that we’ve missed dearly the last couple of days. Being all warm and relaxed I saw an opportunity for more standing and this time was even better than the first. Janet was more confident this time too. She played prep cook for dinner and did a great job chopping vegetables and feeding the dog. I love it when we have time to prepare a meal at her pace. She loves to contribute.

I was able to stretch Janet well in the hot tub after dinner and with her legs nice and straight in the leg extenders for her wheelchair we watched AGT before calling it a night. Like during the football game Janet had some insightful comments about some of the acts we saw. This was a solid day for Janet as she got a little exercise, a little sun, watched the Seahawks win and ate ice cream. What could be better? Praying that the snoring she is doing now continues through the night and she has a strong session in the pool tomorrow.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #trinitykelowna #skype #oloffs #kaltire

Janet awoke refreshed and ready for the day this morning. She seemed to really enjoy breakfast with Cam and Gina and had a good Skype chat with Mary/Gaga right after that. Her answers to questions were not always correct but she was enthusiastic during the entire call.

I thought about doing some moving related chores with Janet before lunch until I noticed a tire looking pretty flat on our car. Thankfully it wasn’t raining like it did yesterday so we were able to go out, pump a little air into it and drive over to Kal Tire and have it fixed. For FREE, and in half an hour! While we waited we walked over to Rona to check out paint samples for the new house. That was a good test of the porter wheelchair and I’ve determined that I like the idea of having two chairs but this one is not ideal for Janet. It’s too high and the foot rests are too far apart.

After a quick lunch and a look at Cam’s new car it was nap time which resulted in about an hours rest time but no sleeping. It was enough rest to give Janet a big enough boost to enjoy the rest of the day which started with the service at Trinity. Janet got really excited about a book Wayne referenced in his message called Not a Fan, by Kyle Idleman and we are going to start reading it right away. We haven’t been reading anything lately except emails and such so it will be nice to get into a book again. From church we went straight to Sandi and Henrik’s for a nice meal and good conversation. We hadn’t seen them in a while and it was really nice to reconnect. Janet managed to sit in a real chair the whole time we were there and her porter chair proved inadequate in wet gravel and for bringing into the house after getting wet. You don’t know until you try.

It was pretty late when we got home but Janet still had energy, so over a cup of tea I got her nails painted for the first real football game of the season. Seattle vs Carolina. We’ll be watching over breakfast with jerseys on. Go ‘hawks!

Thanking Jesus for everything we’ve been blessed with, especially family and friends. Praying for complete healing.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #floor #sytycd

Garett and Karl report that Janet’s morning was very busy as she did the full routine in the gym plus the Standing Frame along with some Speech and a shower. She was ready to go when I arrived and remembered we were stopping along the way but couldn’t remember what for. It was to check out flooring options for our new house and gave us our first test of the porter wheelchair. I try never to judge anything after only one attempt so let’s just say I’ve yet to be impressed. There will be more opportunities tomorrow. Our visit to Nufloors was a success with our salesman scheduled to meet us at the new house Tuesday morning to get accurate measurements. He will bring the sample of the flooring Janet chose so we can see it in real light. Janet surprised me with what she decided on and showed some real thoughtfulness in her decision making. Her descriptions of all the samples we saw were accurate and insightful. I was very impressed and like the new wheelchair you’ll have to wait to learn what she chose.

Once we got settled at home we decided to start packing while we waited for Cam and Gina to return from wine touring. I had the pleasure of finally meeting Gina this morning and Janet was eagerly awaiting her chance. Two boxes later they arrived and the sizing up began. Just kidding. We’d heard so much about Gina we felt like we knew her already and she’s quickly fit right in. Pizzas were on the menu and Janet did her best job yet at chopping peppers and tomatoes. She was a little quiet during dinner but when asked said, “they are being loud enough”. In other words she was enjoying listening.

After a good stretch in the hot tub the evening concluded with SYTYCD and ice cream. A long and active day with Janet and she handled it very well for not having had a nap. The cognitive gains continue, please pray for her right leg to join the party.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #NFL #kickoff #wheelchair

It was an early start to the day for me as someone named Brian scheduled a wheelchair meeting at Connect for 9:00am. This meeting was actually long overdue so I’m glad we could finally have it even if it was on the early side. We went over Janet’s chair part by part so that the rep could put together a quote for the purchase of her very own ride. Hers will be a little more tricked out than the one she’s using now and Janet chose the color from quite a wide selection. I won’t disclose the color until her chair arrives in a few weeks. We also tested and will continue to test this weekend a “porter” wheelchair. This is a lightweight rather simple chair that folds up easily and could be used for shopping trips, dinner outings and church in place of her larger rigid chair. Having one of these would widen our options for a new car but Jared the wheelchair guy also showed us how easily the regular chair breaks down to fit into any car. Nice to have choices.

I had a little time to spare before my dentist appointment and the staff were a little busy so I took Janet to the gym after our meeting. Jess explained the not needing to go to the gym last night mystery saying she’d told Janet if she did the yoga thing she wouldn’t have to do her stretching routine that morning. Makes sense and Janet agreed after hearing it from the source. Janet did a great job on the Shuttle this morning and is definitely slowly gaining strength. I left her in Jess’s capable hands and went off to improve my smile.

On my return Janet was dusting in the living room so I secretly watched her for a few minutes. I love how she was really concentrating on what she was supposed to do and looking for areas that needed cleaning. She probably wouldn’t pass a white glove test but she made a great effort and used good technique. A nap was out of the question as she was busy doing chores and next up was dinner prep. Grating carrots is hard work for me let alone Janet but again, lots of good concentration and effort but not the greatest technique. Chopping potatoes went really well and chopping peppers was much improved over previous attempts. Janet admitted that was hard work and she was tired afterwards.

While dinner was cooking we went for a little walk so I could get some dinner for myself and the fresh air gave Janet a nice energy boost. She enjoyed her dinner and never complained about going to the gym afterwards where she again had a solid session on the Shuttle. We then watched some real football while Janet was in the Standing Frame. The end of summer is always sad but the start of football season sort of makes up for it. Baltimore and Denver were playing and Janet remembered she used to cheer for Baltimore because of Michael Oher from the movie The Blind Side. He got injured and Baltimore lost badly but the parts of the game we watched were fun and a good warm up for watching the only team that matters Sunday morning. Go ‘hawks!

Praying for continued improvement in Janet’s strength, memory and awareness.