Condo

Easy as 1,2,3. Janet returns to domestic duties and more. #TSJ

Another progressive week for Janet with some interesting trends starting to show.

On Thursday Janet was basking in the sun waiting for me with a big smile and a self initiated kiss. When I asked her why she was waiting for me she said “now we can have some fun”. Nice to know that she still thinks that way sometimes as most of the time she complains about all the things I make her do. To start our fun we went for a nice long walk. Janet is improving with her directions and did well at naming things we saw along the way. We really took our time and I tried to keep her talking and observing as much as possible. As we returned to Connect we noticed the ice cream stand was very busy and I suggested we go there after dinner. No surprise, that got a very positive response. There was a CFL football game on TV as we waited for dinner and to prove her cognitive gains Janet said she was cheering for Saskatchewan over Toronto. That’s my girl. Not that I really care, as real football doesn’t start until September but it was still fun to hear her pick against her hometown. Janet had a good Shuttle routine and shocked me by choosing to do the Standing Frame before going for ice cream. There was a real risk of missing the ice cream by doing this but I had to honor her choice. We made it to the stand in time and Janet enjoyed her mint chocolate chip while spilling only one little drop.

On Friday, Janet was waiting on the patio again but was a little upset that I wasn’t there sooner. It was only 1:30 but I guess she’d had a fairly quiet day so far and was aware she would be going home with me so was looking forward to that. We made some shopping stops along the way, one of which resulted in Janet getting some clip-on sunglasses. She’d been refusing to wear her regular ones as she can’t see well without her prescription glasses so her optometrist suggested the clip-ons and I think they work great. Janet doesn’t mind wearing them so if nothing else her eyes get some protection now. By the time we got home it was too late for a nap so Janet just had a little quiet time lay down then got ready to go for dinner with a friend of ours from Nanaimo. The Rotten Grape turned out to be an excellent choice as we were able to sit outside in the sun listening to the Music in the Park happening right across the street. We even had a visit from Janet’s former PT, Tom. It was really nice to enjoy good food and conversation with Wendy and Janet really impressed us by sitting on a backless stool the entire time.

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After a good hot tub at home and while getting ready for bed Janet called Nash, Calamity. That was the name of one of our cats that died a few years ago. Janet realized that almost as soon as she said it but was upset that she didn’t realize Calamity had died. Took her a good fifteen minutes to get over it.

We were up pretty late Friday so Saturday started off late with a nice Skype chat with Mary/Gaga. I then put Janet to work as we cleaned up the spare room in preparation for Laurel & Raj 2.0. Janet had fun with lots of laughs as we found things we hadn’t seen in a long time, one thing in particular I hope you’ll here a lot more of in the near future. Stay tuned. The more I get Janet to help with domestic stuff the more I realize how much she wants to contribute. She really goes at a task with determination and concentration and is visibly pleased when its done, usually asking if there’s anything else to do. That is, as long as she feels she can do it but occasionally now she’ll take my suggestion that she can do it and run with it. Previously my suggestion was met with self doubt. I’m seeing a little less of that now. Almost as impressive as her domestic enthusiasm was Janet’s choice for lunch Saturday. Grilled cheese with BACON! Totally her idea, never seen her eat it before and did she ever eat it. That gave her enough energy to do a little house hunting with me followed by a stop at the grocery store. Wanting to press on she insisted we go to church which turned out to be a good call on her part. She was able to have nice visits with quite a few people there and the service was really good too. Our evening was quiet and Janet wound down nicely to wear she was sleeping by 10:30.

Start time Sunday was a little more normal but Janet maybe should’ve stayed in bed a little longer as for once she picked the wrong puppy on Pick a Puppy. She’s now three for four and was a little upset about being wrong. We went for a rather long walk to a local store for some dinner supplies and Janet asked to take a shorter route home so I guess it was a little long. Our thirty degree pool water was too cold for Janet so after a relaxing hot tub I laid her down for a good nap. We had another hot tub after dinner then Janet passed on ice cream in favor of going to bed. Lights out at 9:45 seemed strange but sleep is good.

Janet’s sleep must’ve been good as she woke Monday very chipper and chatty. She wasn’t really looking forward to going to the rehab pool as her mind was very much on the impending arrival of family for Laurel & Raj 2.0. Janet is having a bit of a tough time realizing this is not a full on wedding and she worries about her appearance and abilities. I think once people are in town and things start happening she’ll be fine. Her swimming was decent with her most notable accomplishment being able to swim to the wall, grab on and “stand up” all by herself. Really nice smiles after doing so too. On our way home we did a little more house hunting and Janet asked afterwards why we didn’t look at the upstairs. It didn’t have one. At least she’s thinking. Needing to do more cleaning of the house I decided to test Janet’s vacuuming abilities. She was never very fond of this chore but loved it this time. She can only do the hardwood and furniture as she can’t maneuver herself around on the carpet. Here’s a link to a short video of Janet in action,

.She was also a huge help in dusting some shelves and nick nacs and again I could see the satisfaction she was getting from being able to help. Relaxing in the sun with a Fresca Janet explained she was afraid she’d miss something if she wasn’t coming home until Thursday. She also came out with the comment that “it’ll be awkward having Chris here”. Chris is Janet’s first husband and their parting was not amicable but I assured her he would be polite and so should she. Janet hasn’t talked about the battles she went through in that former life since she got sick but I hope the encounter on her home turf on a happy occasion leads to truly forgetting all that nonsense and moving on. It will be fun to see. Janet and I had a lot of fun eating dinner outside on an absolutely gorgeous evening and it was really difficult to gather the motivation to head back to Connect.

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By the time we got there Janet was pretty much done and after a little bedtime reading it was lights out at 9:30.

After a busy Tuesday morning I met Janet and Brian at KGH for her appointment with Dr. McCann. The main goal for this one was another round of Botox, this time, both hamstrings and a little in her right arm finger flexors. The previous treatment was a huge success and we are looking forward to similar results this time. The decision to treat the finger flexors came as a result of Janet clenching her right hand less and its hoped the Botox will enable even more relaxation of that hand. Dr. McCann agreed to refer Janet to the hand clinic at KGH where they can make a brace she can wear during the day to further promote a more relaxed position for her right hand. The next round of Botox will be in three months or so using Dr. McCann’s new machine that will allow him to treat Janet’s right subscapularis in hopes of increasing range of motion for her right shoulder. Another big plus that came out of this appointment was the discontinuation of Baclofen. Janet had a terrible reaction to an increased dosage a few weeks ago and the amount she was still on was too low to do any good so now its one less drug for Janet. Yay! Brian followed us home as best he could and took a look around the house to assess what he’d do if we were determined to stay here. We ended up agreeing it doesn’t make much sense then we enjoyed a nice cold beverage in the sun. Janet later commented that its nice having Brian around, “he’s easy to talk to”. Not surprisingly Janet enjoyed herself in our pool with the water being a ridiculous 32 degrees. She still wanted to hot tub afterwards too so I was able to get a good stretch and start working that Botox into her. Quite the busy day so far and Janet easily agreed to have a short nap. I woke her an hour later and positioned her so she could watch for Laurel’s arrival. I really wish I’d recorded that moment as it was absolutely priceless when Janet started giggling and smiling and laughingly saying ” there’s someone here! It’s her, it’s Les, Na, Laurel!” I thought she was going to cry but she just kept on giggling and waving like a star struck little kid. Awesome. The excitement continued as we went back to Connect for a Shuttle and Standing Frame session. Janet was very cooperative I think because Laurel was there and did a good job on both apparatus. There was very little pouting and once given the goal time for getting down from the Standing Frame did a great job using her watch to tell what time it was and how much time she had left. That was a pleasant surprise as she was bang on with fifteen and five minutes remaining. That watch has been a very effective tool so far. Well done Jess! While in the Standing Frame Janet demonstrated more cognitive abilities in correctly identifying Sally Field in a movie that was on TV. Impressive.

Wednesday morning the focus was on Janet’s regular therapy routine. She went to the gym for a thorough workout then had Speech with Mary Lou. Laurel and Heather met up with their mom in the afternoon and hung out until bedtime, making sure she got in another gym session. When I arrived with Andrew late into the evening Janet was talking very loud and clear, was obviously excited to see her kids and I think is going to have a really fun time this weekend.

One of the more noticeable improvements Janet has made over the last few days has been in the quantity of liquid she will drink at one time. Historically her drinks have been very tiny sips. Now they are not near gulps but I’ve seen her do what would qualify as a shot more than a few times. She still needs to be reminded a lot to keep drinking but there is a definite increase in the speed with which she can down a beverage. The volume of her voice has gotten louder and she is definitely more “with it” than she was even a couple of weeks ago. Praying for continued healing, an increase in her water intake, for the Botox to have maximum effect and for everyone to enjoy themselves at Laurel and Raj 2.0.

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Suspicions Confirmed. A path to improvement. #TSJ

Janet was waiting in the Connect living room for me with a smile on her face. She knew we were going somewhere but wasn’t sure where. Jess told me they let Janet sleep in until after nine as the night staff reported Janet was awake at 2:30 and again just after five. Janet told me she ate a good breakfast and was ready to go.

Her doctor and I were both shocked at the high level of Dilantin in her system and the doctor is very confident that all the symptoms I brought to her attention are from the excess of Dilantin. Good news I guess. My suspicion is that there was a mix up in the conversion from liquid to pills and instead of the moderate increase the doctor ordered last time Janet actually got a fifty percent increase. Not sure if the error was with the pharmacy or in the doctor’s orders but something went wrong somewhere. To be safe, I agreed to have Janet go back on the liquid form until we get the right dosage then we can talk carefully about what that looks like in pill form.

Janet was quite drowsy today, even nodding off in the doctor’s office. After that appointment we had a quick lunch next door then met our realtor to look at a couple condos in the same building as the doctor’s office. Neither were to our liking but it was good to have a look.

I offered Janet the choice of a nap at Connect or home, she chose home and went down for a two hour snooze as soon as we got there. All that sleeping meant we only had time for a quick dinner then it was back to Connect for bedtime.

Everyone I’ve spoken to today is confident Janet will snap out of this pretty quick now that we know she was overdosed on the Dilantin. I expect a much improved Janet after a good nights sleep tonight and am praying for such.

Tubeless #TSJ

Just finishing her morning routine as I arrived Janet was all smiles but her eyes showed a little apprehension as well. There was no time to spare as we headed for her doctor’s office and the much anticipated peg tube removal. Janet held it together quite nicely right up until her name was called. She calmed down as soon as we got into the room and was totally fine when her doctor came in. I wasn’t though as despite a conversation with Janet’s GI I could tell her doctor had no idea of what she was about to do. Before leaving Connect, Jess had applied a topical anisthetic around the peg site and the doctor was pleased with that work. I asked if she’d spoken to the GI and she said yes and that he repeated, “just pull it out”. And so it began. What should have taken thirty seconds took more than thirty minutes including a call to the GI for further instructions which came back as “pull harder”. Janet was very calm and patient during all of this but when the tube finally came out she burst into tears. Can’t blame her as the suddenness with which the thing loudly popped out surprised us all. In the end it was a good learning experience for us all and even if the doctor had done it a hundred times before there was no other way to do it than pull harder. Now the healing process begins with the hole apparently sealing over within a matter of hours and the wound needing care for a little over a week maybe.

This is me flushing her tube for the last time.

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Before the doctor left I made sure to ask two questions. One was about Janet traveling. Can she? If not, what has to happen before she can? The doctor’s answer was as long as Janet is strong enough to last the time it takes to go somewhere, do it. She recommended some short drives before attempting a flight anywhere and said there is nothing stopping Janet from going anywhere other than her stamina. I think I feel a sushi run to the coast coming on. My other question was about alcohol. I received a shocking yes to this one as well. No harm in having a glass of wine with dinner once in a while. Janet was smiling big as her doctor said this. Never thought I’d get that response ever. Yay!

Janet was absolutely fine within minutes of the extrication and we were on our way home for lunch. She had a well deserved relaxing time before we went house hunting this afternoon. We were visiting a new condo building that I was quite hopeful for but the floor plans are just too tight for someone in a wheelchair. Since we were in the area and needed a nice white wine for dinner we stopped at Discover Wines and thanks to Kris, a former CedarCreeker, we went home with a nice Desert Hills Viognier.

It was kind of late but I tricked Janet into a rest time anyways and as she was laying down she said “I’m pooped” and slept for well over an hour. She would have slept more if she hadn’t been woken up by the dog barking because some other dog was barking. She still loves him though.

Dinner was made even nicer by being able to enjoy the Viognier. It was a nice pairing with our Basa Thermidor.

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Desert was a scrumptious heart shaped macaron for two from Sandrine French Pastry and Chocolate. Thanks Sandrine! The only down side to the day was it was too short. Back at Connect Bob changed the dressing on Janet’s former peg site and coached me on how to look after it this weekend. Janet was happy the day was over and is looking forward to a more relaxing weekend.

Praying for a restful night and a strong day of rehab tomorrow. Thanking Jesus for the progress Janet has made and for all the people that have helped get her here.

Super Sunday #TSJ

After a busy week and a late night Saturday I elected to not push an agenda on Janet at all today. She woke up just after nine this morning and was in no hurry to get out of bed. We did manage to have breakfast in time to go to church but it would have been a rush and I was not prepared to be rushing around today and Janet was not too excited about going so we had church at home. We watched a sermon podcast from Elevation Church with Steven Furtick on how change (and our growth in faith) is not a project but a process and he mentioned how important it is to not think you have reached some high point and then judge others as though they haven’t. That helped me forgive and pray for the strata council at Invue who now for the final time rejected our request to modify the condo we were considering purchasing there. Their loss.

Leslie joined us for a nice Skype chat then while I was making lunch Janet requested a bio break. I can’t use a standing transfer at home so part of that routine is to lay her on the bed. After her successful session on the toilet and while she was laying on the bed getting dressed she agreed that she was pretty comfortable there and maybe she would have a rest. Shocking! An hour and a half later she was ready to get up and get ready for the Superbowl. I made some pregame snacks of which Janet said she would only have a little as she wasn’t very hungry. From the amount she ended up eating it was a good thing I made as much as I did.

As game time neared I asked Janet who she was cheering for. For the past two weeks whenever that question came up I encouraged her to say San Francisco. Just before kick off she chose Baltimore. A choice I allowed because she did cheer for them previously because of Michael Oher. I tried a little football 101 with Janet as the game started and have to say she’s starting to catch on a little bit. Overall she enjoyed watching the game and was quite proud of herself for picking the winner. We both enjoyed Beyonce’s halftime show and wished she would have sung more.

When it came time to head back to Connect Janet asked me where I was going after I had gotten her ready and was heading out to open the car. I told her we were going back to Connect and that’s where she would sleep tonight. She asked “with you?”, and started crying when I told her no. She really enjoyed being home this weekend and I think especially enjoyed the relaxing day today. I hope she’s not enjoying being home so much that it adversely affects her performance at Connect. I got her calmed down and told her I hoped she would sing during the car ride and she did for the first couple of songs. By the time we got near the airport she was asleep. She seemed to accept my bedtime pep talk once she was tucked in and I’m praying that she continues to work hard at getting better and that her therapists and the staff continue to do their best to help her.

Sing Along #TSJ

A rare morning start for me today as I wanted to be sure we were able to Skype Cam for his birthday. Janet was finishing her after breakfast bio break and was quite cheery about it all when I arrived. This is the first time in a while I have seen her early in the morning and was impressed with how bright she was and how well she was talking. Garrett said that was typical. I was also impressed with how straight she stood up in the Arjo type machine that Garrett was transferring her with. All she needed was skis and poles and away she’d go. We ended up Skypeing Cam from a slightly noisy gym but Janet managed to sing happy birthday to him. Even after about four perfect practice runs she still called him Andrew when it came time for the real thing but she is no longer singing Karaoke style. It’s all her.

Janet’s workout was actually pretty good including a real strong effort on the Shuttle. Janet set a personal best doing seventeen reps with one band with her right leg only. She got good extension most of the time and was visibly working hard. First time I’ve seen the effort in the face. A very welcomed sign. By the time we were done in the gym it was lunchtime and Janet ate well as expected after a good workout. I took her to the laundry room after lunch to transfer her clothes from the washer to the drier. She very confidently did that chore then we got ready for our appointments downtown.

The meeting went well but ended sooner than I thought it might so we had time to use up before our next appointment. We spent that time talking about Invue and looking at it from a block away. I used that time to check Janet’s vision a little. She for sure could see vehicles approaching us and crossing in front of us. She could see Invue and commented that there was a lot of big windows but couldn’t zero in on details like the large concrete pole running through all the west side balconies nor could she see the light pole kitty corner to us. I think this is all associated with her processing challenges and not an inability to actually see something. When we finally got into the building Janet had no recollection of having been there before but still said it’s pretty nice and she would like to live there. With the help of Courtney’s boyfriend, Mike, we are putting forward two proposed changes to the balcony door to the Strata Council. If they say no then we forget about Invue as it would not be fair to Janet to not be able to access her own balcony by herself.

Because Janet did so well in the gym this morning I allowed her to come home for dinner when usually she would be back in the gym for another workout. We had a little snack as we had been out for a while and we really had no clue what to get for a snack while out. Laurel got in on a Skype call and I had to keep coaching Janet through it as she was getting pretty tired. So much so that by the time I served dinner I thought she was going to fall asleep in it. After a few mouthfuls she seemed to gain enough energy to make it through the rest of the evening. As I was getting her ready for her after dinner bio break I could tell she was really full and when I got her onto the bed she commented, “are you OK with girls that eat too much?” The only proper answer was to laugh. I made sure we headed back to Connect in good time as I want Janet well rested for the weekend coming up. The drive back was the most fun one yet as Janet asked to listen to the XM channel that plays all these old sappy love songs. I placated her but asked her if she thought there was a channel that played songs you could sing along to easily. She immediately started singing to the song that was playing and continued for four or five more. They were all familiar songs of course but she still surprised me with her knowledge of the words and melody. I always hated the thought of family sing songs on car rides but this one made me smile.

Praying for a night of rest and healing, and an active day of recovery tomorrow.

Shopping Saturday #TSJ

Day two at home felt pretty hectic to me but I think it was a good one for Janet. I know she liked breakfast especially being able to enjoy a bagel and peanut butter along with an unlimited supply of coffee. Laurel kindly instructed me on how to make coffee for Janet so she doesn’t get all grumpy when we are home alone next weekend.

In preparation for John and Lisa’s wedding next weekend Laurel helped Janet find an appropriate outfit from her vast wardrobe and I was finally able to present her with the anniversary gift I got her last year which happens to accessorize her outfit quite nicely. We eventually got ready enough and headed out for a shopping expedition trying to find shirts, pants and PJs for Janet to have at home so I don’t have to pack a bag each Friday. We managed to find everything she needed including two pairs of slippers so she doesn’t have to wear her sneakers all the time and only paid retail for one item. Lunch was food court Chinese at the mall and even though it was the mall it was really nice having Janet out. We even saw Lorne from Connect there with Fred and Clint. I guess it’s the place to be.

We did a drive by of Invue on the way home so Laurel could get a glimpse and we could check the walkability of the neighborhood. From her three minute scan from outside Laurel thought it looked pretty good and Janet still remembers it being “very nice”.

Janet had a good long afternoon nap after saying she didn’t need one then enjoyed some time with Laurel while I made dinner. They got in a nice Skype chat with Heather who we are looking forward to seeing in person in two weeks. Janet impressed us by noticing that I spiced up the vegetables more than she would. They had more of a kick than she would have tolerated before but she was ok with them tonight. Dinner took way longer to prepare than I thought so we didn’t have much time afterwards but enough to watch some recorded American Idol while eating ice cream. My goal was to have Janet in bed long before 10:30 like she was last night and we barely made it by ten tonight. The good thing about that is she is asleep within minutes of being tucked in as opposed to restlessly squirming around and perhaps going into Houdieno mode and it gives me time to realize she is soundly sleeping.

Today was day one of going virtually tubeless. Connect is working with me to reach my goal of getting rid of Janet’s peg tube in two weeks. She is to drink all her fluids now with her tube being flushed with thirty ml twice a day only. Janet seems to have accepted the challenge and has really improved her water drinking. She still says she doesn’t like it but is taking bigger sips and drinking much faster overall. Yay. I also challenged her to swallow her lunchtime pill instead of me crushing it for her. She complains of the taste of the crushed meds so Laurel and I reminded her that if she swallows them whole she wouldn’t really taste them. She tried and got it down with the second sip of water. Janet has historically found it a challenge to swallow pills but was quite motivated to get this one. As soon as she is comfortable with the one little one at lunch we’ll try the three dinner ones. The horse pill at breakfast will have to wait till she reaches expert status.

Praying for a restful night of healing and an enjoyable day tomorrow.

Sleep? #TSJ

I spent the first part of today watching Janet sleep as I had done most of the night and despite the ticking clock I had no intention of waking her. I was surprised how well she slept last night. She only woke up briefly a few times, once trying to grab the bedrail but of course she was grabbing me. I was awake a ton of times as I was in “mother mode” concerned all night that she was OK. I helped her turn onto her side a couple of times and other than that she had a peaceful nights sleep.

I was all set to make her eggs for breakfast, it would be a first as Janet didn’t like eggs before so I was kind of looking forward to it, but she chose fruit and yogurt instead and very excitedly accepted an offer to have her first toast and peanut butter. She even drank a glass of orange juice, something she never liked before. We got the warm clothes on and raced off to church. A nice surprise in today’s service was a brief wedding ceremony. A young couple with a story of overcoming addictions and bouncing around foster homes were married during the service as they had no means of getting married themselves and no family support and no real friends to witness the marriage. All 1,200 congregants acted as witnesses as the church rallied to support them in their new lives. Janet loved seeing the bride walk right past her at the start and then walk by again with her husband at the end. She even had a little tear in her eye when Wayne announced them as husband and wife. It was a nice moment and a solid demonstration of our faith community coming alongside people needing love, guidance and support. No mention from Janet that things were too long today. I think she enjoyed the whole thing.

Lunch was a bit of a rush as we had a two o’clock appointment to view a condo in a very interesting building. Joel and Kiko joined us as they live nearby and have been curious to see inside the place too. We all really liked it and I will investigate further to see if we should put in an offer. Janet liked it so much that when we were chatting with the realtor in the suite, she nodded off. I asked her if she felt so much at home she could sleep and she said yes. The place is called Invue and if any of you know anyone that owns a place there I’d love to talk to them.

We had a nice Skype chat with Andrew before dinner with Janet talking fairly well but still getting her words mixed up a little. She was surprised it was dinner time already but still ate it all including ice cream and the last Christmas brownie in the house. I carried a very full Janet out to the car for the drive back to Connect and once there got her settled in to bed where I’m sure she will sleep well without me. I gave Bob the weekend food report and was able to see that Janet’s vitals have been tracking really well the last while. I miss seeing those taken everyday but her numbers are in a good range so there is no need for that anymore.

Praying for rest and healing and thanking Jesus for the community we get to be a part of.