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Say Yes to the Dress? Janet & the girls shop for a wedding dress for Heather. #TSJ

Janet awoke earlier than I thought she would this morning and we were eating breakfast by nine. As planned there was no rush to do anything this morning so once breakfast was well underway I brought out a whole bunch of bathroom type stuff for the girls to purge. It didn’t take long to discover that Janet is a curling iron hoarder. Six pairs of them! She is also a contact lens case collector, dozens of those were found in various spots. It all made for some good laughs and Laurel and Heather each managed to find something they could use that Janet no longer will and we have less to pack come moving day, whenever that is.

More purging took place downstairs as we sorted through an old cedar chest that contained a lot of old dresses the girls used to wear and a cute pink lacy sleeper that Janet says was Andrew’s. I hope not but you never know.

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That was a pretty active morning and I think Janet maybe got up a little too soon as she was pretty tired by 11:30. Laurel and Heather gave her a good stretch then she agreed to have a little nap before the big event of the day.

An hour later Janet was awake and re-energized for an afternoon of wedding dress shopping for Heather. I dropped Janet and the girls off downtown so they could go for lunch before the two o’clock appointment at the bridal salon. When I picked them up at City Park later on Janet was hanging in there nicely and said they’d had a good time. Heather was unable to say yes to a dress though.

We met Courtney at church tonight then all went for a pre Cinco de Mayo dinner at Hector’s Casa for what is a family tradition. As far as I know there is no Mexican blood in our family but its always fun to go out for Mexican food on Cinco de Mayo. Janet was doing really well so was allowed to have a margarita. There is a Keek of her first sip. @larrylatour . Dinner was good with the conversation centered around weddings of course as Courtney is getting married late this summer.

The day was quite busy for Janet and after lounging in her wheelchair for a little bit once we got home she fell asleep before I could get her PJs on. Praying for a night of rest and healing and looking forward to an enjoyable morning with Laurel and Heather before they both head back to their homes in the afternoon.

Hot Tubbing. Fun in the sun with the girls. #TSJJ

Unbeknownst to Janet, Heather and I drove out to Connect this morning so Heather could hang out with her mom before Laurel arrived. We got there as Janet was finishing breakfast and I sat with her for a minute then cued Heather for the surprise appearance. You can see the reunion on Keek. Janet seemed very bright and was talking well. She ended up going to the gym shortly after I left and had a solid workout with Lorne and Karl.

The girls all arrived home around one thirty with Janet all smiley and enjoying herself. She had quieted down quite a bit since the morning and seemed a little tired. It could be that she was a little overwhelmed having her two daughters all of a sudden here instead of just being talked about. She agreed to have a nap so she would be better able to enjoy the evening.

Happy hour took place out on the deck and I managed to carry Janet down there reasonably easily. Laurel and Heather had gotten all the patio furniture washed up during nap time so Janet was able to sit in a patio chair like she always did and have a nice visit in the sun. We convinced her to try the hot tub kind of by bribing her saying if she did and got a good stretch in there we wouldn’t have to stretch in the house later. Not sure if that’s why she agreed or not but into our bathing suits we got. Lifting her into the spa was easier than I thought it would be and Janet settled in quite nicely. The pool at KGH is thirty six degrees and our hot tub is thirty eight and those two degrees made a big difference. I was able to stretch both her legs out better than ever before and Laurel got some decent range on her right shoulder. There is barely enough room for Janet to float straight out on her back and as she did I was able to let go of her for about three seconds without her sinking. As expected, getting out was a bigger challenge but we managed and before doing so Janet stood with me in the middle of the tub and did some squats. The deepest ones I’ve seen her do. Warm water is magical.

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Everyone pitched in to help make pizzas for dinner then we had a nice family chat with the last of the 2012 CedarCreek Riesling that had gone nicely with the pizzas. Janet was very tired but determined to stay up so that she didn’t miss anything. She finally agreed to go to bed and was snoring within seconds of the lights going out. Praying for lots of rest tonight and a bright and energetic tomorrow.

Keeping Score. Late night for Janet. #TSJ

Janet was surprised to see me this morning as she had forgotten about swimming. Jess reported that they tried to go to the gym but it was busy so the only activity Janet got this morning was Speech with Mary Lou. Apparently that went well with Janet talking nice and loud and clear as she practiced asking questions instead of answering them like she mostly does.

Our drive to KGH was chattier than usual but in the pool Janet seemed a little tired and had zero command over her right leg. I wish I knew why this happens and how to prevent or correct it as it was tough for Janet to do her standing and walking exercises in our first session. The second half hour was better though and I was able to let go of her as she floated on her back for a couple of seconds. Same thing with standing on her own. It took a long time to get there but she was able to stand for a good five seconds a couple of times. Walking continued to be a challenge as her right leg was largely unresponsive.

While walking back to the car we were stopped by Monica, the transition nurse from 4B. She was very excited to see Janet and amazed by her progress as she had not seen Janet for probably seven months now. Janet had no clue who she was but enjoyed the compliments. Monica mentioned to me how she and her husband had gotten their Power of Attorney done and updated their wills after watching what Janet and I have gone through without a POA in place. She even told the story to a colleague the other day and they are going to get theirs done now too. If any of you married folks reading this don’t have an Enduring Power of Attorney in place and up to date wills, get on it. You never know what’s going to happen and things can get really messy without that paperwork.

We deviated from our intended lunch destination choosing to support a local business that I spotted along the way, Deli City Cafe. Good thing too as while we were ordering we saw our friend Roger who was just finishing his lunch there. It was nice to see his big smile and to know things are going well for Carrie and he. I wanted to get Janet back to Connect in case we could see the wheelchair guy so we ate our lunch once we got back there but no wheelchair guy. That did allow for a late nap for a tired Janet and I got her laying down a little before four. What was planned as a quick siesta turned into a two hour nap as we both fell asleep until six o’clock. Not sure what that was all about for me but I must’ve needed it.

Bob took Janet to the gym after dinner and she actually went without arguing. Bob mentioned Janet’s lack of command of the right leg but said all else was good. Janet seemed pleased and was ready to watch some playoff basketball. It was a good thing she had that nap as the game was really good and she was actually able to stay up to watch it all as it ended around 10:15. For the first time Janet was able to repeatedly tell me the score of the game and she is starting to understand some of the rules again too. I had her lounging in her wheelchair the whole game and was able to get both legs quite straight and she was comfortable the whole time. I noticed when I put her to bed that her right leg was toasty warm just like her left one, often it is quite cold, even icy sometimes. She was able to move it on command quite well to put her PJ’s on too. Maybe the lounging helped?

As I said goodnight I reminded Janet that Laurel will pick her up around lunch time tomorrow and bring her home to see Heather and me. She said, “I hope I remember”. I’m sure she will. Praying for rest and healing and lots of energy for tomorrow and the weekend.

Keeping Up With the Jones’s. Good day in the pool. #TSJ

Janet slept so well last night I had to wake her up this morning so we could enjoy breakfast and not be rushed to get to the pool. She seemed bright and energetic and was ready for action once in the water. My goal for her today was to get more confident in the water and to gain more spacial awareness. After warming and loosening up I tried to get her floating on her own and she almost made it and I think that if she can gain control of her right leg she’d be there. That right leg was her biggest impediment today by far as it was doing it’s own thing most of the time. Quite the mystery to me as every day is different and every hour can be different. Last night she couldn’t move her right leg to save her life, while getting dressed this morning she moved it almost as well as her left leg. Janet is as aware of not being able to get that leg to do what she wants it to do as she is her right arm and for the most part handles that awareness very well. Hopefully she keeps trying to get them both to work. The session continued with some walking and standing exercises with Janet trying very hard to accomplish both. During our second half hour I focused on the walking and standing and Janet stood on her own for about three seconds a couple of times. Again, that right leg prevented her from doing better but she quickly learned how to save herself from falling to the right and even got herself to fall towards me a few times and she doesn’t seem as afraid of getting her face in the water as previous. I’m hopeful I can get her standing on her own soon.

We made our usual exit through the Rehab Unit and had a nice chat with Nicole, a Speech Therapist that worked with Janet while she was in rehab. Nicole was so surprised to hear Janet speaking so clearly. That visit was a nice confidence booster for Janet even though she didn’t really remember Nicole. I noticed Dr. Jones at the nurses station and went in to tell him someone wanted to see him. He immediately put a huge smile on his face and headed out to see Janet who flashed him the biggest smile of recognition I’ve seen her give anybody. She remembered Dr. Jones and he was totally thrilled to see her. Had I known the reunion was going to be that dramatic I would have had the camera rolling. Dr. Jones is very impressed by the progress Janet has made and said she’s come farther faster than he thought she would. Amen.

Seems everywhere we go these days someone knows Janet and as expected at the passport office we saw Todd, a super guy that has done a lot of landscaping work for us. Janet wasn’t sure who I was talking about going in but recognized him as soon as she saw him. Janet still says no when I ask her if she wants to say hi to someone but when she actual does it she is very happy so I’m not going to ask anymore.

There was time for a short nap before dinner at Connect then time for a quick stretch before a Skype chat with Andrew. The stretching seemed to give Janet a little energy boost and enable her to have a decent conversation with Andrew. She was pretty much ready for bed then but asked if I would read a little Slow Dance to her first. Once again lots of similarities to Janet’s experience and she is more accepting of them now too. Her bedtime routine went really well, no significant confusion, and she was happy to wrap up in the blankets and call it a day. Praying for lots of rest and healing tonight so that Janet is prepared for an active day tomorrow.

No Smiling. Chef Janet helps again. #TSJ

While bathed in the morning sun I woke Janet up around 8:30 this morning so we didn’t have to rush through breakfast before going to church. It has been well over a week since Janet’s last BM and with no action overnight I decided I’d really try and get her more physically active today in hopes that would get her going. With that in mind I had her do as much of her morning routine herself as possible. That included a few standing attempts with her pulling up or pushing down her pants. She excelled at that again today. As Janet finished her breakfast she turned to me and asked, “if it’s OK with you I’d like to go to the bathroom?” How could I say no? That turned into her most successful bathroom trip in over a week and I gave her a standing ovation. Not even sure if I gave my kids one back in the day so Janet’s pretty special.

The morning success paved the way for a positive and enjoyable Sunday. There was singing and laughing at Trinity with Tim’s talk being on sex and Janet thinking that was pretty funny. I finally got her to sign her passport renewal form so after church we went to the dreaded mall to get some pictures taken. It wasn’t that hard for Janet not to smile for the camera but it was super hard for her to control her blinking. Thank goodness for digital cameras. She did a great job and took the best passport picture I’ve ever seen. We stayed there for lunch then went home for a really good stretch and a nap. I got both of Janet’s legs the straightest I can remember after working them for a good twenty minutes. The left leg especially still seems quite tight but once you get it going a bit it loosens right up. Janet didn’t argue about her nap today but did say that she doesn’t sleep during her naps or snore. I told her I would record some video of her sleeping and snoring during this nap if she would believe me then. She agreed, fell asleep for two hours but only snored a couple times so no video. Next time, and it’ll get Keeked.

Janet was such a big help with dinner yesterday I wanted to make something today she could help out with as well. Cinco de Mayo is coming up and we were discussing what to do for it and decided to warm up for it by making enchiladas. Janet chopped an onion, opened cans, poured, stirred and scooped and was very willing to help in anyway she could. Cooking this way is actually becoming fun and I hope we can keep it that way. You can see her scooping with a smile on her face on Keek, @larrylatour.

After dinner we watched a little basketball and halftime came just at the right time for a quick stretch. This one wasn’t as good as Janet was getting tired so I took it easy on her wanting our evening to be fun. She had a little problem with the Dilantin tonight in that I neglected to get her to drink a lot of water after taking the pills. I thought since we were sitting watching TV she’d sip on her Fresca enough to get them all the way down. Wasn’t the case and she started complaining her throat hurt. Turned out to be nothing more Fresca and a little ice cream couldn’t cure then it was a bowl of popcorn and The Voice before bed. Janet actually called her own bedtime tonight. The Voice ended about 9:40 and she started wheeling away mumbling something that turned out to mean she was ready for sleep.

Praying that Janet has a restful night that brings lots more healing to her legs and right arm and provides her with energy and strength for tomorrow.

Glad i have a Kitchen Helper. Janet getting stronger. #TSJ

Even with house guests Janet managed a nice sleep in this morning. Katie and Sarah took off for Calgary at 8 o’clock Connah(Katie’s last name)time which is 8:25 to the rest of us. Janet and I wish them well on their adventure.

Our morning was relaxing and stress free with Janet eating a big breakfast, Skypeing with Heather and doing a little online house hunting with me. We even managed a pretty good stretching session. During which we talked about how we could get her in and out of the pool and hot tub and I made a brief attempt at carrying Janet from her wheelchair down to the floor of our bedroom and quickly saw that there is no way I’m doing that because even if I got her down I’m not convinced I could get her back up. We read in Slow Dance where the lady was sliding out of her chair and landing on the floor butt first. Janet is not there yet and even if she was the getting back up part is still there. I’m open to suggestions y’all.

After polishing off a hamburger for lunch Janet fought me a little about going for a nap despite the fact she was falling asleep in her wheelchair. For the first time ever that I can remember Janet verbally threatened me. She said, “this will cost you a lot of money” as I was laying her down on the bed. She explained that if I loved her I would let her stay up. I got mad at her for the threat then laid beside for literally two minutes until she was sound asleep. Janet uttered another negative comment during the chat with Heather expressing her lack of confidence in her ability to stand. That one was familiar to former Janet and it could be that she is becoming more understanding of her situation. We got to keep focusing on the positives.

I woke Janet up a couple hours later and she was refreshed and recharged enough to play with Nash, drink half a glass of water then help me make dinner. We decided on linguine and clam sauce and Janet was the biggest help to me in the kitchen to date. With minimal supervision she chopped an onion, opened cans of tomatoes and clams, poured those in the pan for me. Added all the spices to the sauce, chopped peppers, tore lettuce and very casually broke snap peas in half with her thumb. She was very happy with her contribution and to celebrate we enjoyed a 2008 CedarCreek Pinot Noir which also motivated her to drink her water.

During a bio break after dinner I was having a tough time getting Janet’s pants down as she had gotten a little sweaty sitting in the sun. With no prompting she let go of my shoulder and reached down to push the left side of her pants over her hips. High five! That was a huge help and as she played it down I reinforced it as proof the visits to the gym and the stretching are paying off as she could not have done that if her legs weren’t so strong. At bedtime she did it again but in reverse as she helped pull her pants up. Very cool.

As we watched The Voice tonight Janet lounged in her wheelchair which gave a good stretch on her legs while she ate ice cream. Today was not an active day physically but I think Janet’s brain got a decent work out as did her fine motor skills. Praying for lots of rest tonight and a bright day tomorrow.

2 Alarms, No Fire. Long day for Janet. #TSJ

A surprise greeted me at Connect this afternoon. No Janet in the living room. Could she be napping? Lorne explained that she was laying down and had been for about an hour or so. He had to trick her into doing so by doing a few leg stretches on the bed with her then saying he had to go to the bathroom. He turned her iPod on and left the room and never went back. We think she slept a little bit and I was waiting till three thirty to get her up. At three twenty her alarm pendant went off. Lorne and I went to her room and found Janet sitting on the edge of her bed holding the pendant, crying and asking me “when did you get here?”. As in, if I was here before why didn’t I come into her room. The reason she pushed her alarm and was so upset was the alarm on her bedside clock radio had gone off and was making an annoying racket. Lorne and I both praised her for sounding the alarm and I sensed she felt good about doing it. I also thought it was good she told us clearly why she’d done it and good she wondered about me being there. Lorne reset everything and Janet calmed down. I’d heard she had two good trips to the gym already today so we headed home for the weekend.

We got home just in time for our scheduled Skype chat with Mary/Gaga. Janet and her had a good talk with Janet answering questions quite well. Kicking back with a Fresca I then had Janet open some mail, one piece of which was this picture of us on our wedding day. JanetLarryWedding20030419 I mentioned in a previous post that we didn’t have one of just the two of us. Mary/Gaga did and now we do too. Thanks! I’m not sure about that look I have on my face though. Looks like I think I just got away with something. Captions anyone?

My cousin Katie and her friend Sarah were crashing at our house tonight on their way from Nanaimo to Saskatchewan and we told them they’d be able to make pizzas when they arrived. Janet chopped peppers and made her pizza as well as most of mine. I find it interesting how she places things very neatly around the edge of the pizza but puts almost nothing in the middle. Vision thing? Janet was hungry so we ate and were almost finished when the girls arrived. Janet doesn’t know Katie very well but I think she enjoyed having some chatter in the house for a while and afterwards said “they are nice girls”. The travelers crashed when Janet should have but she was determined to watch some basketball and since it was a close game I let her. It really was more a case of not wanting to go to bed yet as opposed to watching the game although she is improving at being able to tell me the score. A couple times she was able to read the numbers, she just said them wrong. By the time the game ended she couldn’t see anything though as her eyes were closed.

Today was pretty good for Janet with more evidence of short and long term memory improvements, some well thought out comments and answers and good results in the gym. Praying for lots of rest tonight and a fun day tomorrow.

Almost. Janet just about makes it without a nap. #TSJ

Garrett and Lorne had Janet in the gym when I arrived at Connect this morning. Garrett was stretching her legs and asking her the name that family member questions. Janet was mostly laughing and calling everyone Allison. Apparently she had done well earlier with those questions and had a really good workout. She was pretty tired as we headed off to the pool at KGH and I was a little concerned as to how much energy she’d have for swimming. Once in the water she was fine. Each time we go is very different and today Janet really excelled at floating on her back. There were a couple of moments where I was balancing her right side with just one finger and letting go briefly and she would float. Trouble is as soon as she realized I wasn’t holding her she’d panic a little and sink. She was much more aware of her body in the water today and took some strong steps when we tried walking. Janet didn’t have the stamina to go the full length of the pool today but managed more than half a couple times. Her right leg was swinging pretty freely today and she didn’t seem as able to control it as last time. During our second half hour, where we had the pool to ourselves, I put a weight on her right ankle and that seemed to help a little when walking but made no difference in any of the standing exercises. For the most part I focused on trying to let Janet get more comfortable in the water and figure out for herself what she needs to do to stay afloat. I think we made some progress.

On our way out of Rehab we had a nice chat with Cathryn, Janet’s former ABI Coordinator. I also got a quick question in with Dr. McCann who happened by. I asked if the reappearance of the occasional incident of clonus in Janet’s right leg was a good sign or a bad one. He said it’s not likely anything to worry about but keep and eye on it. So far it is occasional and Janet laughs when it happens and says it doesn’t hurt.

We got home for lunch and Janet helped make herself a wrap then asked to look at pictures of “our” trip to California in 2001. We had talked about Disneyland the other day and she remembered me telling her she’d been there with me, my parents and my kids before we got married. She couldn’t remember the trip at all but remembered to ask to see the pictures. High five! There are no digital photos that I could find of the trip but we do have a DVD that has a few shots of Cam and a glimpse of Janet’s head and Laurel as well. I’ll have to dig around to find some prints to show her as she didn’t remember anything from the video as it’s ninety nine percent my kids. Little did I know then.

Janet was pretty tired as we drove to the doctor’s office as there wasn’t enough time for a nap today. We had a good chat with her doctor who promised to find out what the deal is with getting in to see the neurologist. Janet’s Dilantin levels are a little higher than last time but nicely in the therapeutic range and I believe these numbers are more accurate than previous as Janet is taking the capsules now instead of the liquid, a much more accurate dose. I told the doctor that it’s still a battle getting Janet to drink water and she advised not to make it a big issue. As long as Janet is peeing frequently and the volume seems fine leave it at that. There are more important things to get Janet doing. Good advice.

Dinner was ready when we got to Connect and Janet was hanging in there pretty well after a few minutes of shut eye in the car. We went to Music Night after dinner to listen to Brian and Kevin play guitar and sing. Janet really enjoyed singing along to some of the songs and said “it was more fun than I thought it would be”. There’s a video on Keek. @larrylatour . She asked to read for a little before bed then did a really good job with her nighttime routine. I thought we’d go out on our usual happy note but Janet got all upset about not having had a BM for a while and getting some help with that in the morning. No matter what I said she just got super upset and she was really over tired by this time. I ended up laying in bed with her for a good half an hour before she calmed down and went to sleep. Some of the things she said during this meltdown were old Janet things for sure and I haven’t seen them since this started. Not sure if it’s good or bad but gives me another reason to chat with the neuro psych team soon.

Praying for a peaceful sleep tonight and a bright day tomorrow.

Walking Tall. Janet continues to improve. #TSJ

We all know how much easier it is to get up when it’s sunny outside and it was interesting to see how that played on Janet this morning. She wasn’t too excited about getting up and let me shower so she could lay in bed a while longer and enjoy the sun shining on her. If it had been cloudy I’m sure she would have gone back to sleep. With the new swimming time we were able to have a more leisurely breakfast and even make sandwiches to eat in the car for lunch so we could get to Connect at a decent time for her nap this afternoon.

Today was the first day of the official one hour pool sessions and I checked the list as soon as we got to the pool to make sure Janet`s name was there. It was, then Jess arrived and into the water we went. Because we had so much time I was able to let Janet get totally warm and relaxed before doing any real exercises. That seemed to work well for her as when I did ask her to kick her legs she was getting two or three toes out of the water on her left foot. She had done that before but not consistently and not first thing like that either. We tried “walking” with me in front balancing her and she made it an entire length of the pool! I’m guessing twenty feet. Janet was all concentration as she stepped with her left leg then mostly dragged the right one along. She did put a little weight on that right leg and later on got it going more during some standing exercises. Jess lifted the pool to allow the others out and two new people in for the next session and once we were back in the water I let Janet warm up again but this time I intentionally held her as little as possible. The more I let go the more she started using her arm and legs to stay afloat and at one point I only had one finger under her right shoulder preventing her from listing. That’s the closest she’s been to floating on her own. I did let her go completely a little while late but she panicked as soon as her face went under. Work in progress. During the second session she completed another length of the pool “walking” and did some strong standing exercises.

The drive to Connect after swimming was pleasant with the sunroof open and sandwiches being eaten. We had one stop to make along the way and that was to the lab to get her Dilantin levels checked. We’ll get the results at a doctor’s appointment Thursday and hopefully get an idea of when we can see the neurologist.

Janet was very much ready for a nap as we arrived at Connect later than I had hoped but she managed a decent rest before happy hour in the sun. Dinner went well but Janet had a meltdown over drinking water and was the most defiant with me she’s been. It only lasted fifteen minutes or so and she ended up drinking enough water but was not happy about it. Bob took her to the gym this evening and surprisingly there was no protest about that other than a little complaint that Bob “doesn’t know what he’s doing”. I assured her it would be just a leg stretching routine and made sure Bob understood that. Janet and Bob returned with news of a good workout and Janet even said “it wasn’t terrible”.

There was more evidence of short term memory gain as we chatted with Andrew on Skype. When asked about the weekend Janet explained that it was our anniversary and we went out and she got something. She was still unable to fill in the details but the main points were there without prompting. She did get some detail correct as she talked about swimming today. I prompted her to say what her main achievement was in the pool today and Janet responded without hesitation, “my main achievement was walking the whole way…”. She was confused as to how to say length of the pool so came up with a few weird variations but she knew what she was talking about and accepted my praise better this time too.

As the day wore on I noticed changes in Janet’s speech, almost as though her tongue got swollen. She remained bright and responsive but as she tired, a little Klingon appeared from time to time so it will be interesting to see what the Dilantin levels are and I’m curious as to how hydration affects that drug and it’s side effects. There may be more reason for Janet to drink lots of water. Just a thought.

Praying for a restful night that provides lots of energy for an active and fun day tomorrow.

Short. More memory and a baby. #TSJ

Sunday felt like another sleep in day and as nice as that would have been I wanted Janet to be a little more active than yesterday so I woke her up around 9:15 and we started our day. It’s amazing to me how quickly the time goes by when you plan to go somewhere. Yesterday, no plans, time didn’t matter much and it seemed to move as it should. Today, plan to leave for church by 10:40, we were eating breakfast by 9:45, lot’s of time right? Started the car at 10:47 and by the time we got to church our favorite spot was taken so we had to sit on the other side of aisle. Turned out to be fine and Janet enjoyed the service and the visits from Tim, Kiko, Karina and Rachel afterwards but the biggest smiles were for my former CedarCreek colleague Gord and his baby boy, Ben. Janet got to hold him and really enjoyed her time with the little guy. You can see a video clip on Keek, @larrylatour .

When I bought Janet’s anniversary ring there wasn’t enough time to size it so we went over to the mall after church to drop it off and have a Food Court lunch. As much as I dislike the mall I feel it is good for Janet to experience it once in a while and it was fun showing her all the food options and letting her pick which one to go to. She chose a Vietnamese place that was actually pretty decent. We sat near a family with babies and Janet was able to smile at them off and on in between mouth fulls. It was a worth while trip and set Janet up nicely for a stretch and a nap when we got home.

Her nap was inconsistent so I let her stay in bed until 5:30 to ensure she had enough energy for the evening. Not that we had any great plans, I just don’t like it when she crashes at eight o’clock or earlier. Janet chose salmon for dinner with vegetable fried rice and we watched a little of the Junos and The Voice with a Skype chat with Laurel thrown in between. It was good timing on the chat as it gave Janet a little energy boost and showed Laurel and I some more short term memory gains for Janet. Laurel asked her what she had done this weekend and without hesitation Janet said, “well, it was our anniversary…”. She knew we went out somewhere and that she got something but couldn’t name those things. She also talked about looking at Laurel and Raj’s wedding pictures and said she was sad she wasn’t there. Once again, a moment that would have brought a complete meltdown before but resulted in only a minor choke up this time. After the Skype session I praised Janet on her memory and that brought the tears. Seems realizing she can do these things now is upsetting to her. I guess she views them as simple everyday things that she ought to be able to do easily but I’m still going to give her positive feedback when I can.

Bedtime came after a bowl of ice cream and since Janet had lounged in her wheelchair for a couple hours tonight I didn’t put her through any stretching. Praying for a good rest tonight and lots of energy and flexibility for the pool tomorrow.