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

Renovation Day 56. Randy was here for a good chunk of the day putting the finishing touches to a lot of the drawers. Janet, Laurel and I did a lot of decorating. The house is really looking like a home now.
Hutchdecorated

Janet woke up this morning feeling good but complaining about being a little sore. I think the mattress we got is too soft so I’m going to see if we can switch to something firmer. Janet also finds it hard to adjust her positioning in bed. I thought it was mostly because I had her on the opposite side from what she’s used to but we tested the other side this morning and found the same result.

After breakfast we all got started emptying the last few boxes and filling shelves. Laurel was a big help in hanging paintings and pictures with Janet making good choices on what goes where. It was steady work for the balance of the day and Janet hung in there and contributed the whole time. She did have one lapse in judgement when we unpacked a little statue and I claimed it was from her mom and Keith and she thought she bought it. We put a Blizzard on the line and called Mary/Gaga to settle the bet. I won. Janet was a little frustrated with losing but showed how much she’s thinking these days by commenting that she has no money and asking how she’d pay for a Blizzard. Laurel and I assured her that she has money, our money, and she seemed fine with that for now. Janet has raised this concern before and even asked if she should get a job soon. It would be awesome if she got well enough to work at something one day but I reassured her that she doesn’t need to work.

All the thinking that goes into decorating wore Janet out a little and she agreed to a nap before going for an early dinner so we could drop Laurel at the airport. Janet is always sad when the kids leave after a visit, especially a short one like this but Laurel will be back for Christmas in a couple of weeks and that allowed Janet to hold back the tears.

Our plan upon returning to Connect was to watch the Seahawks game but since they were dominating the Saints right from the start I convinced Janet to get in a bike ride then watch the second half. Her ride was decent, breaking the two mile mark and pedalling at level 2.5 the entire thirty minutes. A pretty good warm up for what I hope will be a strong day tomorrow.

The football game was a blow out so we watched The Voice with Wes and Kieran with Janet being pretty quiet as she wound down from a busy weekend. Praying for a night of deep and healing sleep and lots of strength for an active day tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 55. Hopefully Randy took my advice and rested today. He’s been working hard. Janet, Laurel and I were able to empty all the kitchen boxes and put things in cupboards and drawers. It’s still too early to have a definitive place for everything but at least its all out where we know what we have and can tweak things as needed.

Janet had a bit of a sleep in this morning, getting up after nine thirty. She may have a bit of a cold as she had a massive sneezing attack shortly after she got up. Janet played Foreman as I unwrapped things from their packing paper after breakfast and made suggestions as to where things ought to go. At the bottom of the last big box of kitchen things were the missing table lamps! Yeah! Not sure why they were in a kitchen box but I’m glad they were found. Janet had a good little Skype chat with Mary/Gaga before Laurel got back from the store with supplies to make some desserts.

Laurel and Janet baked for the rest of the morning with Janet mixing and pouring and stirring. She seemed to enjoy it but I could sense she needed a little more action than that to get through the day so I called lunch time then had her do a little standing and walking. Janet’s confidence level wasn’t too high today and it really impacted her performance but she had the basic moves. She reluctantly agreed to go out with Laurel to the Marmalade Cafe and came back all smiles saying “it was fun” as soon as I opened the car door. For some reason Janet declined tea and had coffee instead even after trying Laurel’s tea and really liking it. She’s got it in her head that she doesn’t like tea anymore so I think we are going to just have to give it to her once in a while to help her like it again.

While the girls were out I started putting up the Christmas lights and continued that while they played a memory card game. ChristmasLights2013
Janet seemed to be hanging in there pretty well, showing no signs of needing a nap but she did call an early end to a Skype chat with Leslie then a short while later did the same during a group chat with Andrew and Heather. Janet enjoyed seeing and talking to everyone but felt enough was enough. She ate a good dinner but gave Laurel and I a real scare when she stuffed a large piece of lasagne into her mouth, chewed it a couple times then swallowed. Or tried to swallow. It was way to big to go down and she choked a little before managing enough of a cough to bring it back up. I was pretty mad at her because it was such a silly thing to do, I expect better from her now. It was a good warning that I should probably hone up on my Hiemlech Manouver just in case.

The evening came to a close after watching a little TV and enjoying some ice cream. Laurel had the brilliant idea of sitting Janet on the part of the couch with the chaise lounge on it so she could stretch out her legs. Worked great! I asked Janet if she enjoyed Secret Millionaire or Whose Line Is It Anyway better and she said Whose Line was funnier but that Secret Millionaire isn’t supposed to be funny. She agreed it was meant to be heart warming and inspiring and Janet said it was and it made her feel thankful for all the good things she has. Its really special to see how she can put things together after watching something or reading something now. Big improvement.

Praying for a night of deep and healing sleep that provided lots of energy for tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 54. Randy installed all the shelves in the kitchen and by the fireplace and finished the drawers in the Island. That allowed us to load the new pots and pans as well as one big box of other kitchen stuff and tomorrow we can do a bunch more. Yeah!

After a good night’s sleep Janet was ready to get up a little later than her usual time and we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in anticipation of doing some work before Laurel’s arrival in the afternoon. Janet accepted the job of vacuuming the furniture which is easier here with the central vacuum but still a good workout for her. Between that and putting away stuff in the kitchen it was a busy morning.

Janet was very excited that Laurel was arriving today and demonstrated that with a big smile and a shake of her fist as we pulled out of the garage to go get her. We stopped and grabbed take out at Urban Fare to eat at home as Janet was really wanting Laurel to see the place. She gave her the tour as soon as we got there and spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and looking for recipes to do some baking tomorrow.

Laurel’s alma matter, UNBC, was playing at UBCO tonight so we drove in the wet snow to see that game. Susanne met us there and Janet really enjoyed the evening. The game was entertaining and Janet loved talking to her daughter and friend instead of just me. The game was webcast and Laurel’s former coach was watching in Prince George and messaged her to say she saw us and that Janet looks great. Indeed she does and Janet got a kick out of the fact someone saw her from so far away, especially someone she knows. Thanks for the hello Loralyn, that was cool.

The dinner choice was Janet’s and she wanted Asian Pear and was very conscious of not eating as much as she did last time, remembering her sore tummy afterwards. Janet ate well and I had the opportunity to tell her how much she’s improved in that area as I saw her calmly sitting there eating and drinking. I used to be quite stressed when we first were able to go out, worrying how much she would spill on herself, would she choke, could she even pick up the food on her plate. Tonight she served herself from the buffet and I think dropped one snow pea on the floor. She’s come along way!

I had heard that LifeChurch.tv was interviewing Kevin Durant today and since he was Janet’s favourite basketball player prior to getting sick I though we would try and watch it. Turned out to be a very interesting and inspiring message, check it here if you like. We all gained respect for him as a person and Janet connected with his statement that you have to work at growing spiritually. For fun to end the evening we tried out the new Karaoke Channel on TV. Once I got used to selecting the songs it was kind of fun and I think we will make this a regular thing to keep Janet’s vocal exercises going.

The first full day at home for the weekend was a good one with Janet staying bright and with it all day. We ditched her wheelchair footrest this morning, at least for when she’s in the house, and so far so good. For most outside trips we’ll still use it but I figure if she’s starting to walk she better start using that leg to propel her chair as well.

Praying for a good night of rest that brings lots of energy for tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 53. I finally got the dining room light installed and purchased what I hope will be good replacements for the way too hot halogen lamps under the cabinets. LED all the way baby. Randy came in and did the backsplash in both bathrooms and is almost done cutting, priming and spraying the shelves and doors for the kitchen.

To my surprise Janet was in bed when I got to Connect. I thought she’d be packed and waiting for me so she could go home for the weekend. She told me she thought maybe I changed my mind about when I was coming to get her so she decided to have a little rest. Her day had been busy starting with a shower, breakfast, The Shuttle, stretching, lunch then Sling Walking. I think a rest was totally appropriate. I’m not hearing any real complaining about the workouts now, they are still hard and they tire her out but there has been a shift in attitude and I think it’s due to Janet realizing she is making progress.

We stopped at Save On for some supplies then hung out at home where I encouraged Janet to do as much on her own as possible. She was able to get herself a glass of water, get numerous cooking tools for me, access the fridge and freezer, set the table and started to learn how to operate the cooktop and the oven. She never once complained about not being able to do something and went about each task determined to get it right.

Sitting down having dinner gave us a chance to look closely at our new house and Janet is very pleased with how it’s turning out. One thing we haven’t figured out yet is the furniture configuration in the living area and Janet came up with a good suggestion tonight that we’ll try for a while and see how it goes. The first test for it came as we watched X Factor and I think she may be on to something. We enjoyed the show and Janet came up with a very valid analysis as we discussed the results. We questioned how her choice to win it all ended up in the bottom three and Janet surmised that perhaps it was because she performed first and by the time everyone else had gone they forgot about her. I thought that was brilliant and very possible. As to why my choice was eliminated, Janet agreed that she just never moved out of her comfort zone enough to win a broader audience. Janet doesn’t always look like she’s engaged in something but tonight’s discussion is proof that the wheels are always turning and producing useful and retrievable data.

The bedtime routine was easier tonight as they are fewer things to trip over in the bathroom and bedroom. Janet will try the left side of the bed again this weekend and I think she can figure out how to manoeuvre from that side just fine.

I feel blessed to have Janet home this weekend and we look forward to sharing it with Laurel starting tomorrow. Praying for a deep and healing sleep tonight and lots of energy and a positive attitude for tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 52. A work from home day for Randy and a little sleep in for me this morning before taking advantage of Black Friday to score some new cookware. Our old pots and pans won’t work on our new induction cooktop so we now have new ones. Yeah!

Today of course was swimming day and after last weeks session in the deep pool I decided to have Janet do that again. We didn’t have Courtney with us this time but Ashley from Connect was there with another resident so I felt confident that Janet could be rescued if something went wrong. Since Janet is doing so well with her balance and walking on land I’m giving her a break from the cold water and letting swimming be just the fun it ought to be. Prior to getting in the water Janet was saying she doesn’t like swimming, she was upset that the water was cold as soon as she got in but immediately upon swimming she had a big smile on her face. She swam strong and for long distances managing a few roles from back to tummy and back again. Her confidence level is definitely increasing as is mine which gave me the idea of throwing Janet off of the ladder just for fun. She agreed so I tossed her gently from maybe eight inches out of the water and she went about a foot under. With the wetsuit on I expected her to pop right back up and when she didn’t I reached down and pulled her back up. She wasn’t too happy about that saying “I was getting ready to swim”. She was fine, I panicked. Silly me.

My schedule didn’t allow me to go back to Connect right away with the group so I missed out on today’s session with Tez. Janet told me as soon as I got there that she walked up and down the hall again with a cane and she seemed quite excited and proud of herself. It was hard work and combined with the swimming I expected Janet to be zonked right out. Not the case, her stamina is really building.

Since she had energy she agreed to catch up on some correspondence that she has been delaying. Responding to emails has never been a favourite past time of Janet’s and it takes a lot out of her now so I have to catch her at just the right time in order to have her be able to focus and come up with good responses. That led us to dinner which included more vocal aerobics from her and Big Country and Willie. This time there was a contest to see who could hold a note the longest, Janet tried but burst out laughing fifteen seconds into each attempt. Good fun.

Still with energy Janet surprisingly was up for a bike ride after dinner and set a new personal best. 2.5 miles in thirty minutes at level 2.5! High five! I see no way for Janet to argue that she’s not getting stronger anymore. The proof is evident even to her now.

We watched a little TV with some of the others then read some of Open as Janet faded into sleepy time. Today was a very full day with lots of physical activity and some good brain exercise with Janet impressing me in all areas. Thanks again for all the positive feedback from Janet’s walking video, there was more to read to her today and for once she is accepting the compliments and encouragement and that is feeding her determination.

Praying for lots of healing rest tonight and an energetic day tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 51. Randy continues to work on drawers and shelves for the kitchen. I took the morning to catch up on bill paying and other paperwork knowing Janet was coming home in the afternoon to help unload a few boxes.

Janet was helping Jess do dishes when I got to Connect and she was quite cheery. I dare say she’s ramped up the brightness level a little since her walking yesterday and the confidence level seems a little higher too. Thanks to all of you that sent comments to us. I read them all to Janet and it really helps her to hear what you all think and have to say about her. She knew exactly what we had planned for the day and wasn’t too excited about going home to unpack saying “its a lot of work”. It is and she’s a big help to me especially in deciding things like what colour of towels go where. We got a good start on the last of the boxes today and I’ll be able to handle the rest on my own so we left the house early to run a couple errands before dinner and SHElife.

Dinner was at Milestones tonight and Janet was looking pretty tired before the appetizer arrived. The food gave her an energy boost and by the time I dropped her at the church she was doing fine. Tonight was the church AGM combined with a group packing of Christmas hampers. Janet really enjoyed the meeting but couldn’t give me any details on what was discussed. She did name a few of the speakers and very accurately described her challenges when it came to packing the hampers. Whoever pushed her down to where that was happening didn’t realize Janet can’t really write and left her at that station. Unfortunately she didn’t think to move on her own but someone came along and realized the problem and took her to the station where she could help load things into bags. Janet had nice things to say about quite a few people she interacted with tonight and that has been a huge benefit of her SHElife experience. I hope she decides to go again in the new year.

There were no big break through moments today like there was yesterday but Janet was very bright despite being tired and I noticed a lot more initiation of conversing than ever before and her response time to questions seems faster as well. It was a good day overall and one that Janet was happy to let happen at a slower pace than yesterday.

Praying for complete healing soon.

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

Renovation Day 50. Wow, 50?, really? Crazy. Randy installed almost all of the kitchen drawers today as well as the shelves for the remaining two closets. That means Janet will come home tomorrow after lunch to help load stuff into those spaces. I installed some towel bars, a new smoke alarm and started installing the dining room light.

As reported earlier Janet took her first steps using a cane today and we are still very excited about that. Here’s the video I shot this afternoon with her walking in the hallway assisted by Tez and Jess.


These are baby steps for sure and more of a confidence booster than anything else. Janet fully realizes and accepts how well she did today and that is the biggest win in my mind.

By the time we had settled down from all that excitement it was after four and Janet was feeling pretty tired so she went for a little pre dinner nap. That enabled her to get in a decent bike ride after dinner starting out at level two but asking for the pedalling to be made easier ten minutes in so I dropped it back down to 1.5 respecting how much the walking had taken out of her. Curtis informed me later that Jess had Janet on the bike yesterday starting at level three then dropping to two and Janet tolerated that well. As long as she’s not too tired I’ll get her going like that as well. She can handle it.

To be productive before watching The Voice Janet wanted to do some reading so we downloaded a book to the iPad in hopes she could read off of that easier. I had her read the opening quote in the book and she read seven lines with only two prompts from me along the way so I think this will work well. We chose the book Open by Andre Agassi and are enjoying it so far.

Janet stayed very alert throughout the reading and also for The Voice. Our contestants are both safe again and Janet is starting to remember some names from the show. Our bedtime chat included some serious thinking on Janet’s part triggered by her physical success today. She asked why she got sick and repeatedly mentioned she doesn’t want to be a waste. Instead of the old very emotional statements like that these were stated quite seriously with a hint of emotion. We had a really good talk in which I was able to reaffirm the many positives that have come in the last eighteen months. I sense a real turning point in Janet’s recovery and look forward to what she will accomplish in the near future.

Janet and I send our prayers and love to Heidi and her family today as they grieve the passing of her mother. Heidi and Jack are key members of Team Save Janet and inspiring examples of how to live out a life of faith and love.

Thanking our Lord and Saviour for all He provides and praying for complete healing.

A Team Save Janet Special Report. #TSJ #babysteps

I arrived at Connect a little after three today and was chatting with Janet and Jess in the living room when Tez dropped by. He asked Janet if she wanted to show me what they had done earlier. She agreed thinking he meant on video. When Jess came down the hall with a cane I was shocked and Janet got a little nervous.

During her Physio session this morning Janet was standing on her own and noticed Wes’s cane beside her. She grabbed it and took a step much to everyone’s surprise.

I’m unable to upload video from Connect so I’ll post it in the regular update later. Glory to God and go Janet!

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

Renovation Day 49. Randy worked from home again today building drawers etc. He was kind enough to come to the house late in the afternoon to let the electricians in so they could fix what was left not working from last week. We now have a working wall oven and counter plugs, the only thing I see remaining is the island plugs and maybe there’s a plan to remedy those tomorrow. Joel came over this morning to solder some speaker wire for us and he also came up with a brilliant plan for hiding the TV wires in the Den. Love him.

I’m pretty sure I woke Janet up when I went into her room this afternoon. She was in a good mood, although a little groggy but she snapped out of it pretty fast and we went to the gym for a Shuttle workout. Janet told me she’d ridden the bike and did some stretching in the morning so she was OK to do the Shuttle. I’ve been questioning just how much stronger Janet has been getting the last few months and I really need to stop it because every time I get her on the Shuttle I can clearly see she is getting stronger. Her performance today was great, she even managed a personal high of six bands of tension using both legs for her final set and pushed really well with her right leg during those sets as well. She is making slow and steady progress in the strengthening category. Her balance is improving as well and that allowed her to shift her weight nicely on the balance board today getting into a really nice rhythm for a good minute or so. It seemed as though her struggle today wasn’t the fear of falling as much as it was being able to do the mechanics properly. She had that one moment where everything was working well then she seemed to get confused and quickly crashed. Repetition seems a good solution.

Dinner was hilarious tonight after I said it was going to be quiet without Kieran there. Big Country is determined to increase his speaking volume and has really taken to using singing as a tool to get there. He started doing some vocal aerobics at the table and before you knew it there was a competition going on between him, Janet and Willie as to who could be the loudest. They went at it for a good half hour, doing scales, animal noises and the few words they all knew to Jingle Bell Rock. It was a great time and I’d have to say Big Country was the loudest at times with Janet being the most consistently loud.

All that fun gave Janet good motivation to get into the Standing Frame after dinner and she stood nice and straight and strong for forty five minutes while we watched some football. I always stand with Janet during these sessions and each time I’m reminded of how difficult it is to stand for that long. Realizing that doesn’t mean I’ll take it easy on her though, just saying.

Janet chose to watch The Voice tonight rather than wait and watch our recorded version at home and I’m glad she did as it was a very good show. Janet offered some really good critiques of the performances and I’m more convinced than ever that her guy is going to win.

Today was loads of fun with Janet and it was difficult to leave but I know she’s in a good place that continues to provide healing and recovery in so many different aspects of her life. Thanking Jesus for everyone that is working for and caring for Janet and praying for complete healing and recovery soon.

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

Renovation Day 48. Not much renovating going on today but Janet and I managed to empty a few boxes and have declared the Den/Second Bedroom completed except for decorating and hiding TV cables. After all the purging at the old house we surprisingly still have excess furniture so will be selling some things soon I guess. Still can’t find our lamps although we didn’t really look today.

Overall, today was a low energy day for Janet. She woke up with a bit of a spark but after breakfast and a Skype chat with Heather she started to fade. She was a big help in arranging furniture and she managed her first two loads of laundry with minimal assistance. I’ve no doubt she’ll master those machines very quickly. She’s pretty much got the ice and water dispenser down and can easily put her dirty dishes in the dishwasher. I’m liking this already!

I suggested a nap before going to the Grey Cup party and got know argument from Janet, in fact when I woke her at the agreed upon time she asked for another half hour. Not sure why she was so tired today but there’s no problem with taking a restful day and the long nap did enable her to enjoy the party. It wasn’t the most lively event we’ve ever been to and we didn’t hardly know anyone there but it was a good place to watch the game and Janet liked the Bingo game that we all played. You filled out your card with random numbers that corresponded to questions you could only answer by talking to other people. Janet had no problem going up to a few different folks and asking them the appropriate questions. She got enough correct answers to earn a line on her Bingo card but no prize. Oh well, it was fun. Not as much fun as watching Janet eat, to my knowledge, her very first chili dog! With no other dinner choices Janet didn’t even hesitate at eating some classic football food. High five!

Upon our return to Connect Janet surprised me again by agreeing to a bike ride and promptly tying her personal best. She kept saying how tired she was but she peddled and peddled the entire thirty minutes. High five!

We closed the day with a few minutes of real football and Tootsie Rolls and with Janet looking forward to Wednesday when she can come home and help set things up some more. Despite her tiredness today there were lots of encouraging signs of improvement like, Janet knowing where her slippers were after not having them on for over an hour, waking up with me telling her it’s two thirty and her saying “we have to go soon”, and the very good “tired” bike ride. It was fun having Janet home again and will be even more so as soon as we are totally unpacked and settled in.

Praying for a night of healing sleep, total control of her right leg and lots of energy for an active tomorrow.