Recovery

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

Renovation Day 70. The Den is now officially useable as a second bedroom complete with wall mounted TV. Randy, I’m assuming, worked from home today and I hope for his sake is nearing the end.

Jess reported that Janet had a great first part of the day today starting with the dreaded shower but right after breakfast they went to the gym and even Janet said it went well and felt better going there first thing. Shuttle and stretching took place there before going upstairs for walking practice. Jess had Janet focus a lot on side stepping this morning and I know Janet is getting pretty good at that and its good practice for being able to flex her right leg out. After her workouts Janet helped Jess prepare dinner for tonight so it was quite the busy morning.

I found Janet in bed but wide awake when I arrived and after hearing her version of the day we started writing her Christmas cards to the Connect staff and residents. Janet’s handwriting is still pretty messy and inconsistent but mostly legible so it was appropriate that she write all the cards. She needed a break after the first eight or so and that helped reset her to a reasonably neat style. Once she was done it was dinner time and she couldn’t wait to hand out cards to those that were there along with a happy face lolly pop with each one. She very confidently went about distributing them and was genuinely pleased when I told her she did well.

As a Christmas present to Tiffany, Janet agreed to do a little walking after dinner. I had her set up at the door to her room with the goal of getting to her bed which is about twelve feet away. Tiffany was busy with Wes for a few minutes so I asked Janet to try and stand from her chair using only the armrest as support. After a few attempts she got about half way up but couldn’t quite push the rest of the way. A very solid effort and proof of increasing strength. There is a technique to that move that I’m not sure of so its on the to do list with Tez tomorrow. Walking to the bed was slow and not Janet’s best and she complained a little about the ankle brace being loose. It was a good effort considering the time and the busy day she’d already had. That didn’t stop her from wanting to go for a bike ride though and for the first time she did her ride at level four! There was some early whining that it was hard but by the end she had still averaged the same she does at level three so again, proof she’s getting stronger.

That pretty much played Janet out and we relaxed watching The Voice to close out the night. Janet sang along to a few of the songs and is finally cheering for my pick since hers is out. We plan on staying up late tomorrow to see who wins. Praying for a restful night that provides energy, focus and brightness for a busy day tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 69. A day off for me and hopefully Randy too.

Janet and I were up a little late last night and therefore up late this morning. I woke up a few times to see Janet peacefully at rest until finally at 9:40 she opened her eyes. I don’t mind the odd sleep in day but will have to watch that over the Christmas break as it’s not a good habit for Janet to be in. The whole being at home thing has been quite relaxing this weekend and that’s good.

Relaxation was the mode of the day today and with the Seahawks game on in the background Janet did a great job making her toast and coffee. I had to cue her as to where some things were but other than that she did it all on her own. She then had a little Skype chat with Heather followed by some actual watching of the football game.

I convinced Janet to help me sort through the inside Christmas decorations as I know we have way too many and I wanted to be prepared for when the decorating takes place later this week. We did a good job purging and are now ready for Friday when both Laurel and Heather will be here and the women can do their thing.

In order to get in a little exercise I challenged Janet to walk from the dining table to the couch. A week ago there would have been significant protest to that challenge but today with her ankle brace on there was no hesitation in trying. I think she did really well. Her grip on me was tight but only to hold on to and not so much to transfer weight through like she used to. The ankle brace seems to have given her a confidence boost at least. A little later I had her walk from the bed to the toilet and she did so admirably. Our plan is to meet with Tez Tuesday so he can coach us on proper technique and hopefully provide advice on a cane. I think Janet is ready to use one for practice at least.

The thought of going back to Connect tonight didn’t make either of us happy at all. All the Christmas talk and decoration sorting along with The Santa Claus being on TV made it very hard to justify going back tonight but we did, after the movie. Janet remembered the film was shot in Oakville and recognized some of the parts of town which made watching a little more fun. Janet shocked me by asking to go for a bike ride once we got back to Connect at 9:20. She said it would help her sleep. Good call. Once in bed I read a few pages of Open to her and said goodnight as she seemed content and ready for sleep.

Thanking Jesus for the time we got to spend together this weekend and for the continued healing and strengthening. Praying for a night of uninterrupted sleep and lots of energy for tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 68. No renovating at the house today. Randy probably worked at home but hopefully not hard.

Janet was impressed how we woke up at the same time this morning. I said it was my motherly instincts. From what I could tell, she had a good night of rest and was eager to start the day. It was a little later than I had planned on so I served her breakfast this morning and will make sure she helps tomorrow. She had a nice Skype chat with her mom after breakfast commenting after that ” I always talk well with my mom”. Indeed.

Our mission today was to get our Christmas tree, shop for an exercise bike for the house, shop for some kitchen stuff and a book. We got a decent start on the exercise bike and it appears as though anything mass market is not going to work. The pedals are the main issue as standard ones are too small and have no way of securing Janet’s feet to them. The bike she uses at Connect basically has a snowboard boot type of binding on it and it works brilliantly. We have a guy at Rocky Mountain Fitness checking on a similar machine for us. Janet was a little confused after that stop but took comfort in knowing the guy will be researching for us. The kitchen store we went to was a bust but the book store was successful. The other night Janet recited most of Twas the Night Before Christmas from memory so I wanted to have a copy to read and have her read too. With that story in mind we made our way to the Christmas tree lot and Janet chose the second tree we looked at. We talked a little before arriving if we wanted to keep buying real trees and Janet thought yes. Even after being out in the cold to get this one she still thinks that so we will.

We set the tree up after a late lunch with Janet picking a good spot for it in our new house. It’s amazing the decision you have to make sometimes. Church was full of wonderful music tonight followed by celebrity Janet being visited by a seemingly larger crowd each week causing us to not make it out of the building until well after seven again. I asked Janet if she likes all these people talking to her and complimenting her so much. She said she does and “it’s nice to hear those things”. Finally! Keep it up folks.

Janet requested the movie Home Alone tonight as she had watched a little of it with Big Country before I picked her up yesterday. She thoroughly enjoyed it and said “that’s the best movie ever!” When I reminded her she said that after The Sound of Music she clarified that Home Alone is just funny.

There was no formal exercise for Janet today but she did wear her ankle brace all day with no discomfort and she felt her ankle was better supported. I noticed her standing transfers were improved because of her foot position and she felt more confident. Praying for a great night of sleep and a fun day tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 67. A day of dramatic results today as Randy installed cabinet door and handles in the kitchen. Now we have to remember where we put things because we can no longer see them.
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I got out to Connect and helped Janet get ready for the weekend and her appointment at OKAPED with Jeff. Janet seemed eager to go and reported a good day so far. Garrett mentioned he had her standing on her own for fifteen minutes this morning which is a major record. He was quite impressed and is excited to have Janet in an AFO so she can do even more.

Jeff is a very nice and smart guy who really took his time to assess Janet’s situation and to listen to her. I had hoped to walk out of the appointment with a product in hand or at least under construction but Janet will need something custom built and OKAPED doesn’t do the type of device Jeff feels Janet will need. He has referred her to Ortho Design, which is operated by a former colleague who is the best in the business around here. Hopefully we can get an appointment soon. Jeff did sell us an ankle brace that will be better than nothing over the Christmas break if it takes that long to get the AFO. Janet was pleased with the appointment and is happy we are making progress.

We stopped at home to get changed for the Connect Christmas party and we figured we’d give the new dress one more try and I promised not to get all stressed out about it. Janet had the brilliant idea of trying to put it on by stepping into it and wouldn’t you know it, victory!

We even got a nice red coat of hers onto her that she hasn’t worn in years so she was all decked out nice and fancy for the evening.

Because of the OKAPED appointment we were a little late arriving at the party and apparently missed the hot food. I was under the impression it was dinner but turns out it was just appetizers and all the hot things were gone by 7:15 when we arrived. Oh well, we had fun anyways. Karl, who has been off work injured for two months and hasn’t seen Janet in that long was there and couldn’t believe how well she is talking now and was shocked to see her stand. Janet stood with me for a number of pictures and was a bit of a celeb looking as fine as she did.
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The best part of the night for me was when Janet agreed to try a little dancing. I am a terrible dancer but figured I could handle this as there would not be any footwork involved. Janet of course was a little timid but managed to lose herself to the beat a couple times and was swaying in time better than me. She doesn’t think she did that well but to have her even trying was huge fun.
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All the partying really wore Janet out and after a little snack at home it was off to bed. Praying for a night of deep and healing sleep, lots of energy and a positive attitude tomorrow and quick improvement in her control of her right leg.

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

Renovation Day 66. Randy dropped off all the cabinet doors he’s been building and will install them tomorrow. I did no reno work at all today. Hmmm.

Before meeting Janet at the pool I spoke again with the folks at OKAPED re her AFO. She has an appointment tomorrow which is exciting and makes me wish I would have followed up on this sooner but I guess this was the right time. Janet is excited too as she really believes the AFO will give her more confidence and more ability to walk.

Jess was able to work with us in the pool today and tried her best to keep up to the torpedo in the deep tank. The water was a little cooler than normal but having Jess there made it easier to distract Janet from that fact and she swam very well doing some impressive rolls from tummy to back and vice versa. I’m getting more confident in Janet’s abilities as well and can now keep a little more distance between us so she feels more independent. Jess and I took her to the kiddie pool, which was bathtub warm, and had Janet do some balancing. With Jess coaching her she was able to do some good sit to stands and because she was waist deep in water we were able to let her fall a few times to try and break that fear a little. Janet was not scared at all to fall forwards or backwards and I think that helped in getting her to stand properly on her own.

Janet was able to hang out with me the rest of the day as we wanted to get some Christmas shopping done and so headed to the dreaded mall right after swimming. It was surprisingly quiet and because we had no time constraints I was not stressed at all. Janet did a great job of asking to stop and look at things she wanted to check out, something I’ve had a hard time getting her to do previously. I let her pick most things out that we bought but had to work at keeping her within budget. Janet is very money conscious but also loves Christmas and finds it easy to justify an exception. I just couldn’t let her do it. We stopped half way through for a drink that Janet said she didn’t need but she was fading and the break gave her that second wind and we had a very successful round two. On the way out Janet asked where Santa was thinking he was at a courtyard in the middle of the mall. I explained he was down near the end we would be leaving from and asked if she wanted to go see him. She said no but I sensed she really meant yes. When we got to his little village she couldn’t see him very well as we were kind of behind his chair so I wheeled her over for a better look. The Janet that repeatedly said no to going to see Santa started waving and smiling at him the second she saw him. She said no to going in and having her picture taken with Santa but when I said I’d get in the picture too she agreed. You can see by the smile on her face that it was a fun visit and like Santa says, he’s here for kids of all ages.
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We had to go home to let the dog out and ended up staying for dinner and watching X Factor. Neither of us wanted to go back to Connect tonight but Janet had to have her meds so back we went. There were some tears as we got out of the car but they passed quickly when we got inside and had a little chat with Curtis and showed him the Santa photo. Janet even chose to go for a bike ride even though it was after nine by the time we got to the gym. I was so impressed by her choice I let her ride for half the usual time but asked her to pedal as hard as she could the whole fifteen minutes. She did, making 1.4 miles in that time. I think she’s ready for level 4!

There were lots of laughs and some shakes of the head as we read Open. Andre Agassi’s dad was or is a lunatic. That was a great way to wind down a very successful day for Janet and she loved hearing all the positives she accomplished as we said goodnight. There was still a little “I don’t want to be here” but the tears were non existent and the smile was bright. Praying for a night of uninterrupted sleep and lots of energy for a big day tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 65. All quiet on the renovation front today as Randy worked from home again and all I did was finish readying the ensuite.

Today was team meeting day for Janet so I was out at Connect for 10am to join the conversation and Janet was waiting in the Den. I tried sneaking up on her but she’s getting smarter about that sort of thing and caught me before I got into the room.

Our discussion about and with Janet was a good one as she participated and responded appropriately throughout the hour. Brian, as Head Coach, led the meeting and provided reports from the coaches that couldn’t be there. Mary Lou is changing the focus of her therapy away from Speech to Reading and Writing. Janet’s speech is now at a point very close to “normal” so it’s time to bring in some other skills. Wendy, Cognition Coach, is beginning a training program with Janet to help her memory and to plan and be responsible for her daily activities. Delivering the envelope yesterday was part of that and this morning Janet successfully delivered a birthday happy face lollypop to Brian without prompting. One of Wendy’s tools she will provide Janet with is a daily journal type of book. I hope to meet with Wendy before her plan is implemented to see if using the iPad would be more appropriate. Given the choice, Janet would default to the book but she admits her writing is poor and that she’s getting better using the iPad. We will go with whatever has the most upside for Janet’s future. Nurse Jen wants to reinstate the Self Medication Program with Janet. We tried this a few months ago with zero success and feel Janet has progressed to the point where she should be able to gradually catch on to managing her meds herself. This ties in nicely with Wendy’s plan too. Tez would like to see Janet using a cane as much as possible so as soon as he tells me what kind she should have we will go cane shopping. He also wants Janet to continue her work in the pool. I think that means doing a little more than swimming in the deep tank so tomorrow we are going to try some walking and balancing in the kiddie pool. Curtis thinks its deep enough and we know for sure it is reasonably warm. For a few months now, myself and other family members have used Heather’s upcoming wedding as motivation for Janet to start walking. My pitch was I want to dance with her there and she has been pretty positive about trying to make that happen. Today Tez made that an official goal for Janet. Unassisted walking by June! Its very exciting to have that be a real goal instead of just wishful thinking. The team believes Janet can do it and she certainly wants to. The big challenge is her right leg and I followed up on the AFO situation today and hope to have an answer tomorrow as to when we’ll have it. Janet is kind of holding out for that to arrive before really getting going on walking practice. I can’t blame her seeing how much her right ankle rolls now.

That was a full morning mentally for Janet and she hung in there really well. I went to work at the church for a bit while she did the rest of her Wednesday activities. She was watching Ellen when I got back and said she had gone for a bike ride, had lunch and watched soccer on TV. She was in a good mood and quite chatty so I didn’t rush her off to the gym feeling it’s OK to change up the pace now and then. One of the kids presented us with a little drama via text message this afternoon and Janet and I had a good long discussion about how to respond and our plan actually got some good results. I feel blessed to be able to have discussions like that with her as she always was a great parent.

With dinner done and things settled down around the house, Curtis and I took Janet upstairs for some walking practice. She worked really hard but was using a lot of negative self talk and didn’t have Big Country there to cheer her on so had a few frustrating moments. Hopefully that type of work can take place during the day when she has more energy and hopefully we can get that AFO soon.

X Factor had already started by the time we were done walking and with Janet being tuckered out from the hard workout she barely made it through to the end of the show. Praying for a night of deep and healing sleep and lots of energy for tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 64. Randy continues to work from home while I readied the ensuite for operation and hung around while flooring guy did the last little bit of that work. The end is very near.

Janet was sitting up in bed, in the dark, trying to read her watch as I entered her room late this afternoon. I reminded her she has a digital clock beside her bed and she giggled and checked the time. It was past time to get up but she hadn’t slept at all so we discussed the day so far before starting phase two.

Janet says she tried to give that letter to Wendy this morning but didn’t know where to take it. I was too late getting there today to see any of the day staff so I’m not sure what happened but the letter is gone from her room and she says she tried and I think that was the point.

Tez worked with Janet this morning and apparently was a little upset that Janet wouldn’t go in the sling walker. It was explained to him that she’s scared of it and that Curtis and Tiffany and I have been walking her at the parallel bars with some success and he seemed OK with that. Janet said the work this morning was hard and her feet hurt a little.

Singing with John made up for the pain in the morning and Janet agreed it was fun as they sang a little with Big Country and a little on their own. I’m still hoping that a group of them will sing at the Christmas party Friday night. Janet and Big Country sang after dinner tonight and it’s so much fun to see the smile on Janet’s face and to note her happy body language when she’s singing. It’s awesome. Big Country had some words of encouragement for Janet tonight as he very seriously told her to stop saying “it doesn’t work” and “I can’t”. He explained that she can do a lot of things he can’t right now and I think that really made Janet think. Awesome moment.

Janet’s bike ride tonight was a personal best using level three for the first time and going the whole thirty minutes making 2.6 miles! She once again admitted the bike is fun. I hope to get one in the house before Janet comes home for Christmas so she can exercise there too and keep this progress going.

It was a little bit of a struggle getting Janet to the Shuttle after dinner but she cooperated in the end and showed Curtis and I some notable improvement. Her right leg extension has increased and the strength of that leg is far greater than a month ago. I used to have to hold her right foot and knee in place while she pushed or her leg would fall away from the push plate. Not tonight. All on her own. Hoping to feed off the success of the Shuttle we had Janet on the wobbly board for a bit afterwards and she was not impressed. She did manage a few shifts from side to side but was clearly too tired for any more. Good effort though.

Earlier in the day I had mentioned to Janet that we needed to complete her list of people she wants to give Christmas cards to and when we got back to her room after the gym she remembered that and suggested we do it then. An impressive display of her short term memory coming back. That took us until it was time to watch The Voice and sadly for Janet her guy was sent home and my girl was voted safe so I get another Blizzard from Janet. Yeah!

This was a very solid day for Janet and I pray for more of the same tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 63. Another work at home day for Randy while I put up some towel bars and a decorative shelf and cleaned the kitchen area. The last bit of vinyl planking arrived today and will be installed over the trap door to the crawl space tomorrow.

Janet was hanging with Jess in the living room when I got to Connect this afternoon. She was bright and cheery and excited to tell me she had worked with Wendy this morning testing her reading comprehension. Janet said she didn’t do very well but knowing Janet, I’ll wait till I hear from Wendy before coming to any conclusions. One part of the test is still in effect as Janet has to remember all on her own to deliver an envelope to Wendy in the morning. Janet seems determined to pull this off and has the envelope ready on her bedside table. I think Janet’s comprehension has improved substantially over the last couple of months and expect her to do respectably with Wendy. Unrelated, I asked Janet to type a reply to an email from her mom and she did so without hesitation. I never once had to help her with spelling and only had to help her locate some letters on the keyboard. She never once complained that she can’t do it and found maybe thirty percent of the letters completely on her own. High five.

The first order of business after the daily recap was a bike ride. Jess had Janet in the gym this morning for a lot of stretching work and range of motion stuff on her legs. The bike ride tied a personal best and I think Janet is ready for level three if I can sneak that on her.

We had a nice Skype chat with Heather just before dinner and Janet excitedly told her of our party Friday night without prompting and of singing along to The Sound of Music. She needed a little reminder of that one but laughed a lot about knowing all the songs.JanetSuzanneDedicationParty

Tiffany helped us at the parallel bars after dinner with Big Country cheering Janet on. Considering the lack of walking over the last four days and no nap today Janet did quite well. I noticed a tendency to get out of rhythm from time to time and she was a little fast to give up on herself. I think to really make headway on this walking thing Janet needs to practice daily and with the AFO which hopefully will come soon.

I warned Janet tonight would be hard and I didn’t think she’d go for the Standing Frame when I mentioned it but she did and got a good stretch for forty five minutes while we watched The Voice. She seemed to have a natural let down as soon as the show was over and asked to get ready for bed so I could read a little to her before lights out. I don’t think she made it three pages before she was out and didn’t even stir until I was all packed up with my coat on ready to go. To me that’s a sign of a productive day. Janet had good physical and mental workouts today and I pray for similar success tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 62. I think I was a little ahead of myself yesterday in giving Randy the day off. I was in Sunday mode but it was only Saturday so I suspect he was working from home on cupboard doors and such. Hopefully he took today off! Janet and I started to decorate a little then she decided she didn’t want to hang the pieces we were considering so down to the crawl space they go.

Today started a little earlier than yesterday with Janet willing to get up but not that thrilled about it. Her energy level was a little low all day and I’m not sure why. Our morning included a nice Skype chat with Mary/Gaga during which Janet communicated very well and was happy with how she did. I challenged Janet to make her own coffee this morning and she did so with minimal coaching. Our chores were completed in time for the Seahawks game and that is how we spent our afternoon. Like I said, Janet’s energy level was a little low so she wasn’t into cheering so much during today’s game and I think that was a contributing factor in the loss.

I suffered a bigger loss than the Seahawks today as a piece of Janet’s clothing finally beat me. We attended a turkey dinner for everyone in the complex this evening and Janet wanted to wear her new dress again. It was a challenge putting it on her for our party Friday but we were successful but tonight it beat me altogether. For now I’m saying it shrunk just enough in the wash and it wasn’t my incompetence that caused the fail. It did spoil the evening a little as I was not a very happy guy after battling a dress for half an hour. Janet said she had fun at the dinner and we did meet some nice people there but it was a little weird and old. Still good to go as I learned I will be assisting with the next event, a wine tasting in January. Word travels fast!

Returning to Connect Janet asked to get ready for bed then have me read Open for a little while. That was a nice way to calm back down for both of us and I found it very hard to leave the room for the night. Part of me gets very used to having Janet at home, especially the new one, and part of me wants her to keep working hard at Connect to get better. I know the latter is what she needs still and the prospect of Janet being at home full time is a little frightening right now but having to say goodnight and drive thirty minutes away sucks.

Praying for a night of restoration and lots of energy for a productive tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 61. A day off, I hope, for Randy. A day of decorating and organizing for Janet and I.

Our house finally felt like a home Friday night when it was full of friends and it felt like a home this morning as Janet and I slept in big time. For once there was nothing scheduled until church in the evening so we took our time getting up and having breakfast with Janet admitting she didn’t wake up at all overnight. Quite the change from the “terrible” sleeps she used to have. In fact she was sleeping so quietly at one point I had to make sure she was still breathing. We both were very happy to see the sun streaming through our windows this morning and noticed how nice and bright the house is even with no lights on. Home.

Now that most things are unpacked and in an area where they belong it’s easier to see what we have and where it ought to go. Janet was eager to go through the entire house section by section and rearrange things as needed. She made some good decisions and let me make a couple as well. Not wanting to stop for lunch she chose spots for a few more pictures in the bedroom as she was starting to fade a little. That somehow re energized her though and after a late and light lunch we hung out for a bit before venturing out in the cold to go to church.

The music at Trinity this weekend is provided by Greg Sczebel, one of our favourites, and the first Christmas music of the season for us. Janet sang loud and stood for a long time. We had nice long chats with a lot of people after the service and didn’t leave the building until 7:20. It’s not often I can get away with that with Janet but today was going at such a nice pace that even she wasn’t in a hurry to move on.

Janet’s favorite all time movie is The Sound of Music and tonight we watched the live television version starring Carrie Underwood. Going in I was more interested to see how NBC would manage to pull it off live but as soon as the first song started and Janet joined in singing along it turned into a somewhat emotional experience bringing back a lot of memories involving Janet and music. Kiko would sing to Janet when she was super sick and get sometimes no reaction from her at all. Then one day she sang along to Do a Deer and her first expression of real emotion was crying when I played I Won’t Give Up by Jason Mratz. Music is a powerful thing and the joy I saw and heard in Janet tonight was heartwarming. She knew almost every word to every song except the new ones and had lots of intelligent comments afterwards about the story, the characters and the differences between this production and the movie. Loving it.

Praying for another night of deep and healing sleep.