Music Therapy

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

Another day, another milestone. We had Janet’s team meeting this morning at Connect and in amongst the usual progress reports we discussed the transition home. That’s right, home. Sometime before the 24th of December Janet will be living at home full time! Exciting and scary. Exciting in so many ways, scary in that we have no idea what being at home full time looks like at this point. Janet continues to make progress and will likely do so over the next nine months or more and that makes it hard to plan for the amount and type of care she will need at home. The good part is there is a nine month window with which to work out all the details. For now, the focus is still on getting more activation from Janet’s right leg with an eye towards walking with/without a cane by June. The other goals set out in the meeting were to improve Janet’s reading and hand writing, improve her knowledge of the medications she takes and to gain independence in taking them. Janet was a full participant in today’s meeting and asserted herself well. High five!

To further demonstrate her progress Janet stood at the kitchen counter after the meeting and made herself a grilled cheese sandwich. She had minimal help from Jess in the process and even managed to turn herself around so she could grill the sandwich once she had built it.
JanetStandingGrilledCheese
As soon as lunch was done we took off to KGH to visit John. He seemed tired and not quite his positive self today but was happy to see us. Please keep him in your prayers. As is common with hospital visits Janet was in celebrity mode. First up was Jane her Occupational Therapist from 4B. Janet didn’t remember her but was excited to tell Jane how well she is doing. Jane made a very clear point to Janet how thrilled she was to see her and how far she has progressed also saying it’s important and exciting for those that work with patients like Janet to see the progress after such a long time. All good for Janet to hear. Up on 4 East we saw Emma, Janet’s first nurse in Rehab. Same sort of feedback and encouragement from her and again, Janet was proudly reporting on her progress. Love it.

That was a very busy first part of the day and Janet was out like a light as soon as we got home. I had to wake her once I had dinner ready just in time to eat and get to SheLife. It took her a while to get her energy back and I was a little concerned with how she’d manage the session. Heidi excitedly informed that Janet prayed out loud tonight for the first time and everyone at her table could hear her too. Janet said it went well but she isn’t understanding any of what the video segments are supposed to be teaching. That’s OK because the social aspect is far more important for her anyways, proven by how her ability to participate has increased. Janet agreed and added “they all really like me being there” in an almost Sally Field at the Oscars kind of way. Cute.

This marks the end of The Team Save Janet Report as we aren’t in “save” mode any longer. The “team” still exists I guess but really only figuratively. Tomorrow, I hope to have re named this blog site to something that reflects Janet’s determination, hard work, perseverance and inspirational qualities as we work our way towards coming home. If you have any suggestions, I’m all ears, or eyes.

Praying for a solid night of sleep and a productive Thursday and thanking Jesus for His many blessings.

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

Talking on the phone with Janet at lunch time today she mentioned she had been up at the parallel bars. I asked her how that went, expecting the usual, “terrible”. Instead she surprised me with “fairly well”. In fact, according to Jess and Tez, it went “quite well”. Janet said she was in the sling and walked around the bars a few times while holding onto the bar. In fact, she did eight laps of the parallel bars using a cane! Why she didn’t tell me that I don’t know and when I congratulated her she was her usual self in saying, “it’s no big deal”. Yes it is.

The only exercise Janet hadn’t done prior to nap time was the Standing Frame and she chose to get in it soon after I arrived. She is standing straighter than ever these days and putting a little more weight through her right leg.

Dinner time was a little quiet with Kieran not around but still fun and Janet had a decent Skype chat with Andrew afterwards. The big event of the evening was baking granola bars with Chelsea. Janet’s table is responsible for bringing snacks to SheLife tomorrow so Chelsea offered to help Janet bake something. Janet seemed a little tired half way into it but contributed well and had the whole house wondering what the yummy smell was. We’ll find out tomorrow if they taste any good.

After some YouTube and reading Janet fell asleep earlier than usual closing out a successful day for her. Praying for a night of deep and restorative sleep allowing for a productive tomorrow.

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

I called Janet while she was having lunch today and she was a little bothered by the intrusion. Seems Wendy had been calling her numerous times throughout the day as a means to practicing answering the phone and Janet was a little fed up. On the bright side she is increasingly competent at answering and is down to about two swipe attempts before successfully unlocking the phone each time. There seems to be some resistance to memorizing her phone number although she did blurt out her old North Vancouver number for me today.

Janet was napping as I snuck into her room and stayed that way for an additional forty five minutes. Instead of lying around chatting, she woke up and immediately asked to go to the bathroom and that is a very good thing. She was quite pleased she had completed all her exercises earlier in the day so we had lots of time to talk and find a new book to read. Thanks to a suggestion from the audience we are reading Come On People, by Bill Cosby. So far it is much more in Janet’s wheelhouse and has generated a couple of chuckles and some parenting memories already.

To work off her dinner but not repeat exercises already done I had Janet do some walking. We started near her bedside and made it about twenty five feet out and down the hall before she asked to turn around. The return trip was tough at times but she fought through and made it back. Janet’s steps were OK for the most part, I pray she tries to trust that right leg more. It’s really impeding her progress.

Still faced with a part filled jar of pennies on her desk Janet agreed to count some so we could roll them up. Her math skills are strong as are her reading comprehension. She had worked by herself on a number of Mary Lou’s worksheets and let me mark them. This batch is noticeably harder than the previous one and Janet’s scores reflected that. Most of her struggles seemed to be her vision as anything to her right was begin completely ignored. I think Janet has improved dramatically since her last eye exam so I’ll get her in for another more accurate one soon.

Connect will be a lot quieter starting tomorrow as Kieran in transferring temporarily to a facility in Kamloops. We all had chocolate cake tonight to wish him well and Janet encouraged him and gave him a big hug as we said goodnight. As much as we tease Kieran, he will be missed.

Praying for a restful night of sleep for Janet that provided ample energy for a productive Tuesday.

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

Janet had a good start to today, waking with lots of energy after a good long sleep. She managed her own breakfast this morning and was quite chatty and excited about the day ahead. Our neighbour, Bonnie, came over to watch the Olympic figure skating with Janet as she had been in Mexico during the games. Janet enjoyed watching a speeded up version of what she’d already seen and was able to remember some of the performances. It was an awful lot of skating to filter through in a couple of hours but nice to visit and watch with Bonnie.

I got Janet up and walking a little before and after lunch. She complained of soreness in her left leg which I can only attribute to her over using it. We had a good long talk about that and I also had Janet stand in front of a large mirror so she could see how crooked she stands even though she thinks she’s straight. Her steps were good today but her confidence level remains the same, lowish. If Janet believed she could use her right leg more she would. Anyone know a good sports psychology book? Janet relates to sports and might be inspired by something along those lines.

After scanning a few pictures and a quick nap it was time to bake our cannelloni and watch the Oscars. Both were a little disappointing on my end and Janet agreed with me on the cannelloni but enjoyed the Oscars. That was a lot of TV watching today, something I hope we don’t repeat too often. We had the most wintery drive of the season back to Connect tonight and had time to do a little reading. We are through eleven chapters of Long Walk to Freedom and I think that’s it for Janet. It is too dry a read for her so I am looking for suggestions. Something personal, quick paced and funny.

Praying that Janet has lots of energy tomorrow and a willingness to work hard at whatever she’s asked to do.

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

Today was pretty relaxing for Janet. I made her breakfast for her, she started helping me make cannelloni then had to break for a Skype chat with her mom. I had to run to the store and she asked to watch The Sound of Music while I was gone. Bad call on my part as once she started watching there was no stopping her. I must find a way to harness that joy and positiveness she exudes when singing along to something like that. I made lunch and she continued to watch and sing. I did get her to walk from the table to the couch after lunch and then back for a bathroom break later. She did well and hopefully we can do more tomorrow.

After getting some minor help in the kitchen I noticed Janet was in need of a nap which she happily took for an hour or so. After another good transfer from wheelchair to seat at church Janet stood and sang for a long time and loved watching people get baptized tonight. I pray that she will want to make that commitment one day.

We brought home Greek food for dinner and watched Nebraska. Janet was entranced throughout and took practically the whole movie to eat her dinner. It wasn’t quite worthy of a Janet fist pump at the end but it sure got a big smile after some giggles during and an appreciation of the very “real” characters in the film. We highly recommend.

Thanking Jesus for blessing me with time to spend with Janet.

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

Around lunchtime today I called Janet and on the second ring she answered all by herself! She was about to have lunch so didn’t want to talk much but she sounded great and it was really cool to be able to call her like that. I did it again just as I was leaving to pick her up and this time she answered right away saying she was going to sleep. Good thing I called. I held back for an hour then went to Connect, loaded her up for the weekend and headed to KGH to see John.

John was awake this time and we were able to have a nice visit. He is looking and feeling a little better and enjoyed teasing Janet who was very compassionate and all on her own wished him a speedy recovery and a hope that he returns to sing with her soon. There is a real connection between the two of them and we are blessed to have John in our lives. As we made our way out of the hospital we ran into nurse Arlene headed off on a break. Janet didn’t remember her but Arlene took the time to really speak some love to Janet and assure her what an inspiration she is. I love it when others tell Janet truths like that.

Janet helped make dinner and we settled in to watch the first two episodes of The Voice. It is amazing to me how much Janet takes in and correctly processes things now. It wasn’t long ago that TV watching took place with no interaction at all, now Janet sings along, comments on performers, laughs and genuinely understands what’s going on. She is truly disappointed she has to wait a week to watch more.

Looking forward to a great weekend and praying for lots of energy and a positive attitude.

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

Curtis put Janet through an intense workout this morning in which he says Janet did well. Her version of the story is a little different of course but overall I think she feels better about it than usual. Wendy helped Janet with using her iPhone and found Janet to be a little nervous about doing things fast enough. I called Janet a few times today and she said she saw and heard the phone ringing but couldn’t answer in time and didn’t totally remember how. We practiced tonight and I think with a lot more repetition she’ll get there.

Having done all her exercises except the Standing Frame it was a pretty relaxing evening for Janet and that worked out well as one of the staff members tonight was a nurse who cared for Janet back in the 4B days. Amanda remembered us right away. Not unexpectedly, Janet has no recollection of her. I vaguely remember Amanda but it took me a while and I’m a little disappointed in myself for that as from what Amanda said she was right there from the beginning in 4B and fairly often even though she’s a Casual. We had a very long and interesting chat with her after dinner that Janet really enjoyed and contributed to. Still no recall of those days for her though.

Janet did her Standing Frame routine while we visited with Willie’s wife Val. It is their 44th wedding anniversary today! Impressive! After responding to a few emails and listening to me read for over half an hour Janet agreed it was sleep time. Praying for a fast recovery for John and a solid night of sleep for Janet that allows her a productive Friday.

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

Interior Health is in the midst of a project aimed at identifying what information a stroke patient and or their family needs and when would be best to provide that information. Today the lady in charge of Acquired Brain Injury for the Okanagan and a fourth year Social Worker student were at Connect to get feedback from those willing to share. Janet and I attended and I was very impressed with how involved Janet got in the discussion. The line of questioning, I thought was rather ridiculous as they asked about day one through seven of a stroke incident. Not one of the patients in the room remembers day one through seven and Janet doesn’t remember month one through month seven so what the heck. Janet very clearly explained that to them and also commented on what she feels she needs now and heading into the future. She surprised me by saying she has flashes of memory from something in a hospital but doesn’t know what it is. This is the biggest example of her taking ownership of her situation that I’ve seen. High five!

Garrett took Janet to the gym right after the meeting and did some stretching then I assisted with some Shuttle work. Janet is certainly at a higher energy level in the morning than she is at night and even said so herself. After a light lunch we took off to KGH to visit John. Unfortunately for us he was sound asleep when we got there but we had a nice visit with Chantelle, one of Janet’s former PT’s who’s now working the ward that John is on. I took Janet over to 4B where she spent such a long time and gave her a good look at her old room to see if there was any memory there at all. Her answer was no and she didn’t remember Jacque, the head nurse either but we had a nice visit with her anyways.

Janet had the privilege of spending a little time at home today which consisted of a short nap followed by a home made dinner then it was off to SheLife. Janet was very prepared for tonight’s session as Heidi had wisely emailed a couple of questions for everyone to try and answer. I was able to help Janet with them and then have her try and remember her answers a couple times each day leading up to tonight. Heidi says Janet shared a lot tonight and Janet seemed pleased with herself afterward. Tonight was also different in that I didn’t stay and help with the Tech Team. It was our Strata’s AGM and I felt it was important to be there so I left Janet at Trinity and went to the meeting. It felt a little weird but I knew she was in good hands and I think she liked the increased sense of independence. She’s also very much accepted the idea of having her own phone and is quite excited to receive calls. If you wish to have Janet’s number please email her your request and I’ll have her send it to you. Be patient when you call, you won’t always get an answer and it may be good to call back a minute or so after your first attempt. The best times to call most days are between 9am and 10am, noon and 2pm and 6 and 9pm.

Praying for a solid night of rest and an energetic Thursday.

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

I called Janet at noon today mostly to get her some practice answering the phone but also to see how her morning had gone and to offer some positive feedback. Her morning was still happening as she was up at the parallel bars with Tez and not exactly thrilled about it. She was laughing to Garrett as she hung up from talking to me so maybe the call lifted her spirits a little. Jess informed me later that Janet had done well up there and for the first time had put an equal amount of weight on both legs when standing on the scales. That’s a significant achievement that I praised Janet about all night.

After a short nap I helped Janet get up so she could do the Standing Frame at the same time as Big Country. This was his second day using a custom built frame and its pretty cool seeing a seven foot guy standing up. Janet was sufficiently distracted by Big Country and with me cleaning and trimming her finger nails that she stood for over an hour before realizing she was allowed to get down.
StandingFramewithBC

StandingFramewithBC2
There was a little arguing about having to do the Shuttle after dinner but Janet caved relatively quickly and had a good workout. We spent a lot of the evening reading and responding to emails before watching a couple of I Love Lucy episodes to wind down the night. Janet remembered Lucy, Ethel and Ricky but needed some help with Fred. She laughed a few times and got a real kick out of the clothes they wore and the old fashioned telephone they used.

Praying for complete healing and a massive increase in confidence.

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

Janet rang her pendant for help just as I arrived at Connect this afternoon. She had been lying down for a while so I figured she was wanting to get up and she was but she was a little confused in thinking it was Tuesday and that I hadn’t been to visit her Monday. I think she had a moment of really deep sleep that caused that disorientation as I didn’t sense anything the matter with her. The daily report I got from her was typical in that she said she went to the gym for a long time but couldn’t remember what she had done. Once she was up, the first thing she wanted to do was figure that out. Chelsea looked in her chart and it was noted that Janet had done everything except the Shuttle so she readily agreed to go and do that straight away to get it over with.

The encouragement I’ve been giving Janet lately has been to do her best at anything she’s asked to do and she did just that on the Shuttle. I was especially impressed with her use of her right leg. She was able to push out a good distance on her own then slowly let it go back but not all the way before pushing out again. That kept tension on her leg the entire time and I have to believe is a more efficient and effective technique. High five!

With a little bit of time before dinner Janet checked emails then asked me to read a bit while she was awake enough to pay attention. For the first time with this book I got some laughter from her along with some good comments on what was taking place.

The house had a movie night tonight and everyone gathered in the living room to watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Janet has seen it before but until she saw the “bring out your dead” scene she didn’t remember it. She vaguely remembers giving coconut shells to her preschool classes and having them pretend to be horses but I remember her telling me how much the kids loved doing that not knowing the idea came from that movie. Janet laughed a few times but overall thought it quite the silly movie and it is.

Reading at bedtime went better than usual as Janet was more awake than usual after that good afternoon nap. We had a good talk about the positives from today and how she needs to try her hardest when working with Tez tomorrow. Praying that she follows through.