Recovery

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #swimming #walking #house4sale #standingframe

Janet felt her quality of sleep Sunday night was “terrible” but I think it was actually pretty good. She woke up a few times but seemed to go back to sleep quickly each time and when it came to getting up for real she was very bright. Knew my name, what day it was and most of what we were doing today.

Our morning went by at a nice pace and before we knew it we were driving to KGH for swimming. Janet had a strong day today and in her first session she swam on her back continuously for a good five minutes. I didn’t suggest in anyway that she do that, she just started, got a big smile on her face and kept going. Since she’s doing so well standing on her own out of water I was curious to see what she could do in the water. She surprised me by easily standing without using her arm to stabilize herself and she was able to “walk” for about fifteen feet with me well out of reach. Her walking was more like hopping as she was unable to get her right foot down to the bottom of the pool unless it was well behind her. She seemed pleased to be able to do this but is very aware and a little upset that her right leg doesn’t function the way she wants it to. The second session was not as exciting as the water was much deeper so the focus had to be on swimming and Janet was getting tired. She did manage some excellent rolls from back to tummy while swimming and felt pretty good about it too. As we were waiting for the change room, Moira came over to say that her daughter had seen Janet in Hope last weekend. We stopped for gas and a pee break on our way back from Nanaimo and Emma was doing similar. She had done a bring your kid to work thing with Moira way back when and remembered Janet. I told Janet she is pretty memorable but she wasn’t buying it.

We had to be out of our house this afternoon from two till five as the home inspection was taking place so after swimming we just had time to stop at the store and race home to get Nash before the inspector arrived. He was early of course so I got to meet him and Janet got to meet the buyer’s realtor as he came by to get the key for the inspector. They both seem to be very nice and if anything bothersome is found I’m sure we can work with them to resolve it.

Janet knew she had work to do at Connect so right after a late lunch she wanted to get to the gym to get it over with. Her Shuttle session was alright as I could tell she was getting tired not having had a nap. The Standing Frame was well tolerated and she even went over her target of forty five minutes without getting upset. After dinner we took Nash for a nice long walk and Janet faded rapidly after that, going to bed just before nine. She worked hard today, impressing me in the pool, willingly doing some of her workout routine and pushing through a busy day without a nap. Praying for a long night of deep sleep for Janet that gives her lots of energy for tomorrow’s activities.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #house4sale #hottub #nash #purging #showing #panting #rant

Janet had a much better sleep Saturday night and since it was Sunday today and we had nothing scheduled until the afternoon I let her totally sleep in to try and catch up on what she’d missed the two previous nights. She woke up on her own at almost ten and was looking refreshed.

After a leisurely breakfast it was time to get to work as there was a showing scheduled for two. After some minor clean up Janet started vacuuming. This time I only needed to get her started and position her a couple times otherwise she was good to go for the whole hardwood living area. Her comment once she was done, about twenty minutes later was, “I’m exhausted”. It is pretty hard work for her especially considering she has to propel her wheelchair as well as operate the vacuum. Good job!

We made our escape before the showing along with Nash and stopped to get a few things at London Drugs before going to check out a neighborhood we are interested in. We parked in the VIP parking right by the doors and left all the windows down for Nash. As we approached the checkout area ten minutes later there was a page for the owner of a car with our license plate number. Customer Service told me they’d had a complaint about the dog “panting” in the car. I politely explained we had been in the store ten minutes and were on our way out, the dog is fine. Then we got in line to pay and were able to see out to our car. There was a women and a guy looking at it and they were both acting like they’d just seen a murder. He whipped out his phone and she came inside to Customer Service who pointed us out in the line up. Thanks. This lunatic approached us explaining she was the one who complained. Duh. Without going into detail, I didn’t handle this in a very Christ like way but I didn’t make it personal, I ended it telling her to mind her own business. Fully expecting to be assaulted when we got to our car I elected to not engage the freak on his phone and focus on getting Janet in the car and Nash a drink of water as normal. I’m not sure who he was talking to but he really wanted me hung. I hope it wasn’t 911 because if someone with a legitimate emergency couldn’t get through that would be a real crime. We had planned on grabbing some Wrap Zone while we were there but decided to get out before the Sheriff arrived so we headed for what would be a nice new neighborhood for us. Nash was happy to walk through Guisachan Park with us despite all his panting and even survived a walk of about three blocks around the neighborhood, panting all the way. One lady even slowed her car down to smile at him as he was panting. I kept hoping the do gooders had followed us but no luck.

We arrived back home at three thinking the folks looking at the house would be gone but they weren’t, so with Nash still panting we went for a little walk on our street. Cam called so we sat and chatted with him and watched for the people to leave, Nash panted the whole time and was really showing signs of relaxing. Finally, an hour after they had gotten there and almost two hours after their appointment time, the lookers left and we got to go home. Nash panted all around the house and yard as he could smell that someone had been there. Janet wanted to go for a swim but the water was too cold, so hot tub it was. We still hadn’t done much exercise this weekend so I was glad to get a good stretch on her legs and right shoulder. Nash hung out on the deck with us, panting most of the time.

Our PC finally died so I get to shop for a new computer. Janet has no interest in that at all so I brought up some boxes from under the stairs and had her sort through the stuff while I shopped. Most of what I brought up was old stuff from when the kids were in school and Janet did a great job sorting things into piles for each kid. Rather than us deciding what to keep and what to throw out, the kids can do that once we have it all sorted. I’m sure Cam will want to hang on to all his report cards. Nash laid on the floor beside us panting except when he was sleeping. He was only sleeping, not dead, we could tell because every few minutes he would open his eyes, lift his head and pant a little.

We enjoyed a nice dinner outside then did a little more purging before watching The Secret Millionaire. We used to watch this show together a lot and would often end up in tears after each episode. No tears tonight as I think Janet was a little too tired to really get into it. She’s having a little challenge getting to sleep right now but I’m confident it’ll be a good night. Nash is sleeping on the floor beside Janet, no longer panting, because he’s sleeping.

Praying for rest and healing. Praying for wisdom in dealing with lunatics and thanking God for everything He’s blessed us with.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #house4sale #realestate #trinitykelowna #Godatwork

It was another one of those restless nights for Janet Friday and when she woke around eight o’clock Saturday morning I could tell she wasn’t really awake despite her saying she was ready to get up. Minutes later she was snoring away and did so until 9:30. Once up she was very bright and had a good conversation with her mom on Skype after breakfast. I laced her fruit and yogurt with some Peg 3350 to help with the BM situation and it was very successful. Janet agreed that was a much better way to take the Peg than drinking it.

Getting up late made the wait for our realtor to arrive more bearable and Janet was noticeably excited when Les drove up a little ahead of schedule. The offer he brought with him was from the family that took a long second look at our house yesterday and we quickly came to an agreement with only the usual subjects. Janet was beaming as we accepted the offer and gave a big fist shake and a YES as Les left to get the documents to the other realtor. Now the work to find somewhere to live gets serious.

After lunch Janet and I went out into the yard to work as I had to cut the lawn to be ready for a showing tomorrow and Janet really wanted to help. Yes, we will still show the house even with the accepted offer as its not a done deal until the money’s in the bank. Janet cut back some flowers that had finished blooming while I cut the grass in the front then moved to the back with me and pulled a bunch of weeds. She didn’t think she helped much but every little bit helps. It is better if I can work alongside her though so maybe we’ll do some of that tomorrow. While we were working in the back we got a surprise visit from Jim and Nancy’s daughter Laura and her husband David. They presented us with a massive box of awesome cherries. It’s good to know people in the business. Thanks you guys!

Today is the 50th wedding anniversary of our neighbors Barb and Gary. Their six children and families are gathered here from around the country and Janet and I were able to join the celebration after a quick costume change. It was nice to finally meet the entire family and to see Barb even happier than usual. We couldn’t stay long but we did reassure Barb that when we move she’ll be one of the first to know our new address so she can keep delivering her delicious homemade bread.

Janet I enjoyed the worship experience at Trinity tonight and feel blessed to be part of that faith community. On the way home we did a drive by of a couple potential places to live, one a complete no go and the other a very exciting possibility but it has to get on the market first. Are you listening Brian? Sushi and a movie made up the rest of the night, don’t bother watching The Big Wedding, and I managed to get Janet into bed at a decent hour and the early indications are this should be a better nights sleep for her.

That was quite a day, not a lot of physical activity but a lot of mental exercise and Janet powered through it quite well. Every activity she engages in I see a real effort to do well and her desire to contribute was emphasized numerous times today. We have a busy bunch of weeks ahead of us and I think Janet will navigate them very well.

Trusting God that He is at work in our lives and has a plan, and praying for rest, healing and continued improvement for Janet.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #house4sale #realestate #cars

I pulled up to the patio off of Janet’s house at Connect, she was sitting out there waiting for me but didn’t clue in that it was me until Nash popped his head out the window at her. Big laughs and smiles.

Karl and Lorne had put Janet through her paces this morning and she was already for the weekend. Nash was very excited to see Karl and his buddy from last night, Humberto, who greeted Nash with a “hello friend”. Makes me rethink that therapy dog idea.

There were three showings of our house scheduled for this afternoon so we weren’t allowed to go home for quite a while. We did have an appointment at one of the Ford dealers in town and that as Janet even remembered was our first stop. We test drove a Fusion and a Focus. There is no comparison in driving experience between the two and apparently the same can be said about the riding experience. Janet noticed how much quieter and smoother the Fusion is. She can get in and out of both equally and her wheelchair can squeeze into the Focus but alas, not the Fusion. Maybe we need to look at a folding wheelchair.

Still with time to kill we stopped at Red Robin and sat outside sharing a salad for an hour. Nash waited patiently in the car as he had at the Ford dealership so we took him to the Mission Creek Greenway so he could run around a little. He wasn’t too interested though as it was pretty hot again today. We made one more car shopping stop before going home and that was at the Subaru dealer. I was disappointed there as the only car Janet could get in and out of is their version of the Focus minus the hatch space for the wheelchair. We’ll check out some others as we get time.

Home at 5:30 we later learned that we just missed a family that had been checking the place out. Apparently they stayed for over an hour and will be making an offer tomorrow. Pray its a good one.

With all the showings today the blinds had been open all day and since we don’t bother with air conditioning it was very hot inside and the sun was beating on both decks so Janet and I sat out front to cool down before Skypeing with Laurel. Janet wanted to hear from her as to when she’s “coming to town” and is excited that it’ll happen this coming Wednesday. Janet helped prep and build pizzas which I cooked on the BBQ. Turned out great and after watching AGT we went to bed where Janet continues to toss and turn as I write this.

Praying for rest tonight, a good offer on our house tomorrow and weekend of progress for Janet.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #standup #realestate #nash #vision

Another day of real estate games saw me having to bring Nash to Connect with me so people could look at the house in safety. He actually was a very good boy the whole evening and made a good friend in Humberto, one of the residents in Janet’s house.

Nash and I went into Janet’s room at the end of her nap time and she was surprised to see him and relieved to see me. Nash made himself at home on her bed while Janet and I chatted about the day so far. She of course had done the usual gym routine but wasn’t able to tell me about anything else. We decided to go for a walk with Nash and that was fun for all and not quite as hot as it has been so Nash handled it better. Janet did a good job of controlling him crossing streets and meeting other dogs. Nash even had a chance to meet a cat but could not have cared less. Good boy. We stopped at the beach for a bit and Janet impressed me by pointing out a duck swimming in the water about fifty meters away. She saw three others further to her right and I can’t remember her ever initiating a sighting of anything like that before. It was always someone asking her if she could see this or that. I have noticed an improvement in her vision and this confirms she is processing things better.

Given the choice, Janet elected to do the Shuttle before dinner and had another solid session. Her right leg to me is definitely stronger these last few days. That could be part of why she’s standing on her own so well. Three minutes thirty five seconds tonight without grabbing onto me once. She wanted to quit at two minutes but I convinced her she was still looking strong and she carried on. I’m loving this.

Knowing she had to do the Standing Frame Janet begrudgingly did so after dinner and to help her get through it Nash paid her a visit.

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She liked it for a few minutes then asked me to get him down even though he was quite comfortable.

The rest of the night was pretty quiet as Janet was tired after not sleeping well the night before and not much during nap time this afternoon. We looked for somewhere to rent close to Connect but are finding that as challenging as somewhere to buy for the long term. Patience.

Praying for a good nights rest for Janet and continued strength building.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #realestategames #house4sale #standup

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Within twenty hours of the For Sale sign going up on our front lawn we got word of an offer being readied. I gave Connect a heads up that I’d be taking Janet home for the evening and when I arrived she was waiting in the living room all smiles and ready. No one had told Janet why she was going home today and when I asked her she very smartly and correctly said “the lady that looked at the house wants it”. Brilliant!

Janet’s day had been a full one and she pointed out that she’d already done an hour in the Standing Frame, meaning she wasn’t doing any more. We had time to stop at the grocery store on the way home and Janet was a good helper again especially in loading stuff onto the conveyor for checkout. We got home in time for a Fresca before Les arrived with the offer. Janet enjoyed the discussion around the subjects and dollar amounts and I’m really glad she could be a part of it all. She did another great job signing her name and initials. We went back and forth a few times on the dollars and as of this writing we don’t have a deal. There are two showings scheduled for tomorrow, so here’s hoping.

After the initial offer presentation it was time to make dinner. Janet did a great job cutting up some green beans for us and wiping and setting the table outside so we could enjoy the nice warm evening. We had agreed to stay around the house as long as we could in order to play the real estate game as long as possible so we watched SYTYCD before driving back to Connect arriving at 9:45. I thought maybe Janet would be too tired for a trip to the gym but she agreed to go as she acknowledged she was only ready for bed if meant not going on the Shuttle. Once again she did a great job but blew me away with her standing afterwards. This time I watched the clock and for two minutes twenty seconds Janet stood without assistance. She even managed to sway a little from one side to the other to try and get more weight on her right leg. I had to talk to her the entire time and remind her she wasn’t going to fall and this time she did the best corrections she’s done with the fewest attempts at grabbing me. Very exciting.

Her efforts in the gym were enough to make her agree it was bedtime and just before eleven I said goodnight Janet and she said goodnight George. Oh well. I’m thankful for the time we got to spend at home tonight and for the incredible progress Janet has made. Praying for rest, healing and a day of more firsts tomorrow.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out. #tsj #memory #standup #recovery

Janet greeted me in the living room of Connect this afternoon as she was half sleeping and half watching The View. She told me of her busy morning in the gym and how “terrible” it was then informed me that my haircut looked good. I often need to prompt her to notice things like that or even to ask me what I had done before coming out to see her so it was really nice to have her notice the hair. Brian joined us for a chat to catch up on things as he’d been away on a fishing trip. It was nice to hear his stories and see the picture of him with a large salmon he “caught”.

Our chatting session went through nap time so Janet and I went for a hot sunny walk around the neighborhood. She stayed very chatty throughout and I noticed was seeing things better too. We then had a few minutes before dinner to answer some emails. Janet typed one completely on her own to her mom and did a great job reading another back to me. I had her follow a pen that I pointed at each word and she got at least eighty percent of them. Of course she felt she did poorly but that’s not the case.

After dinner Janet and I had an hour long discussion on the importance of keeping on working hard while she’s at Connect. It started with her not wanting to go to the gym for the second time in a day. We covered every angle imaginable as to why it was important to do so and as we were talking about her time in the hospital the fog lifted a little. Janet started describing to me one of the rooms she was in at the hospital. She couldn’t tell me which hospital it was or what ward it was on or anything but from what she said I think it was her first room in Rehab at KGH. As she described it I could see her envisioning it and am confident she wasn’t making it up. The place she described had a hall with rooms that had four people in them but she was in a room with two people, her and another lady. I asked questions that wouldn’t put words in her mouth so am really confident she actually remembers that place and I plan on taking her to that room on Monday to see if she remembers it more. When her flashback was over she was no longer angry or upset about going to the gym and gave an outstanding effort on the Shuttle. Knowing she didn’t want to do the Standing Frame I had her stand on her own after getting off the Shuttle and with Garrett and Bob watching she stood for well over two minutes without grabbing me once. I’m not sure if the extra eyes made her try harder or if her confidence level has grown that much but it was very exciting and a huge improvement.

Because her morning had been so busy Janet never got to shower during the day so off she went for a bedtime shower. She wasn’t too happy about it at first, thinking she’d be cold but she was smiley and warm upon her return and enjoyed watching YouTube clips of Fat Albert before bed. That show came up in our dinner conversation some how so we had to check it out. We were both impressed at the many voices Bill Cosby did for that show.

I’m impressed with Janet today and am praying that she recognizes how well she’s doing and can resolve to keep working hard.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out. #tsj #bigbrother #swimming #realestate #rachellayne

Monday began with an early wake up call in order to be ready for Les, our realtor, being here at ten to have us sign the listing documents for the sale of our house. Janet’s night was a little restless but not bad and she was enthusiastic about the busy day ahead.

We had some time after breakfast to de-clutter the place a little as Les mentioned he would take pictures this morning as well. It’s surprising how messy things can look when you consider taking a picture of it as opposed to just living with it. Cleaning up seems to be a good one for Janet and she did a good job including packing our stuff for swimming. Les got us through the paperwork and Janet did an excellent job signing her name and initials over and over again.

Before we knew it it was time to head to KGH for swimming where we would meet Janet’s brother Mike who was flying in for a quick visit. This was the first session at KGH in a few weeks so I wasn’t sure what to expect from Janet. She did exceptionally well, walking numerous lengths of the parallel bars, swimming strong on her tummy and back and doing some good balancing. During the second session Janet was able to swim on her back five lengths without stopping and needing no help turning other than verbal cues from me. She had a massive smile on her face while doing this and I’m not sure if she was proud of herself or if Mike was making her laugh. He’s very good at that and although today’s visit was short, we enjoyed it and hope to see him again soon, especially if he buys lunch again.

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It was going on four o’clock when we got home and Janet was showing signs that the busy day was getting to her a little. She was quite adamant that she wasn’t going to have a sleep but five minutes after hitting the pillow she was out and didn’t wake until 5:30. It was very hot and she was still a little groggy so we decided to delay dinner and sit outside with a drink before joining Kiko at Second Cup to watch our friend Rachel Layne sing. Of course it was freezing inside the coffee shop but Rachel performed well and with a hot decaf coffee in her hands and a sweater on, Janet enjoyed the evening very much.

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When we got back to Connect Janet surprised me by agreeing to do some Shuttle work and really showed her increasing strength. High five! She would’ve done the Standing Frame as well but it was too late I thought so we watched a few minutes of TV before bed with the lights going out at 10:30. A very solid day for Janet and I feel like she’s set for a good week ahead. Praying that Janet continues to work hard at all aspects of her recovery.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out. #tsj #smart #chores #blueberries #homealone

Today was a day off so to speak. Nothing scheduled except pick up the dog before noon. We both woke up way too early, 7:30, which is typical anytime you plan on sleeping in but we managed to correct that and not get up until ten. Janet’s night was pretty good and she was well rested to start the day.

The breakfast routine is going really well these days with Janet drinking an entire glass of water without nagging and taking her meds with minimal supervision. She was particularly alert this morning when it came time for toast. I defaulted to the store bought bread in the freezer and she remembered the fresh loaf that Barb greeted us with when we got home Saturday night. Sorry Barb. By the time breakfast was done it was getting a little late to be picking Nash up from the kennel so I did something I probably shouldn’t do. I took off to get the dog by myself leaving Janet home alone. That actually was the plan today all along but I thought I’d leave her chatting with someone on Skype while I took the fifteen minutes round trip. No one was available at the time so Janet sat with her toast and coffee and bravely waited. When I got back she was trying to put the TV on and all was well. My concern about leaving her isn’t so much that she would get into trouble it’s what if something happens to me and she can’t call for help. I may get a wrist slap for this one but its a good discussion point.

Making things up as we went along today we decided to pretend we were living in the unit at SOPA Square we are considering buying. We measured and placed furniture in our living space to mimic SOPA Square and decided the space would work fine. Neither of us is happy with the lack of natural light however and I think that’s a deal breaker. We both love the sun too much and to have the sunniest rooms in the house be the bedrooms doesn’t cut it with us. Janet did well studying the floor plan and comparing it to what we have now and seemed to remember the feel of being in my moms condo which is similar in size the one at SOPA. She was more happy to put the furniture back where it belongs though.

The forty seven and a half pounds of blueberries we brought home from Nanaimo needed to be bagged and put in the freezer so downstairs we went and Janet scooped while I held the bags.

20130812-010846.jpgEight full bags later we were done. It’ll be interesting to see how long these last. Continuing in a domestic chores theme I gave Janet the task of sorting and folding laundry which she did very deliberately and neatly for someone with one functional arm. We put the stuff away together and again I felt her enthusiasm and desire to contribute. That continued as we moved a few things upstairs to continue trying to shrink our living space to what we may be living in in the next house. Janet bravely tried lifting a flat of canned dog food. She’s strong but not that strong.

Janet agreed to some rest time late in the afternoon and helped get us ready for dinner by wiping down and setting the table outside. I look forward to her being able to do more of this in a house she get can around in by herself. Here, I have to wheel her through the carpeted bedroom and over the sill onto the balcony. Still, its great she’s involved. The after dinner hot tub was very relaxing and I got Janet’s legs into the extenders on her wheelchair as we watched AGT before going to bed.

Janet was pretty busy for a day off, I even got a little exercise into the mix. We did a few sessions of standing on her own and once when I forgot to bring the wheelchair in after a pee break, I helped her “walk” out to it. She certainly knows what she’d like to do when walking, there just isn’t enough control of that right leg yet. I loved hanging out with her today as she showed me repeatedly how much smarter and stronger she’s getting. Praying for a night of deep healing and rest in preparation for a busy day tomorrow.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out. #tsj #sailaway #roadtrip #blueberries #nanaimo #kelowna

In order to catch a ferry that would get us home in time for church tonight I actually had to set the alarm on my phone so we’d be up in time. It wasn’t too early, 7:30, and Janet was very good about it. We were able to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and take our time packing and we said goodbye to my mom at 9:15 and drove off to the ferry. Good thing we went early as that sailing was eighty percent full when we got there and totally full fifteen minutes later.

The ride across was pleasant and uneventful and after a stop for pizza and a salad in Caulfeild we hit the road.

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Janet did a great job eating in the car and we made good time for our pit stop in Hope. Our timing there was great. The gas pumps were super busy so I took Janet inside for a pee break surprised to find the washroom empty and by the time we were back outside there was no wait to gas up. I wish all pit stops were that smooth. Janet slept on and off the rest of the way taking one last pee break at the Tourist Info Centre just before West Kelowna.

We arrived at church five minutes before service time and are really glad we went. This weekend, instead of a message taught by one of our talented pastors, Jason Hildebrand acted out the story of the Prodigal Son. It was brilliant. Here’s a link to a YouTube clip that gives you an idea of the experience. If you ever get a chance to see him do the whole thing, do it.

Janet and I decided on Boston Pizza for dinner and I’ve never seen Janet eat so much. All but one slice of her Mediterranean pizza plus most of the Santa Fe Salad we shared and she still had room for ice cream later. That’s my girl.

Once home it was into the hot tub then the PJs to watch SYTYCD before bed. Janet’s ability to travel has definitely improved since our first roadtrip and we are also figuring out how to do things better as well. This adventure was a good one and we look forward to a day off tomorrow. Thanks again to the Nielsen’s and my mom for helping with the blueberries. Praying for lots of rest tonight and a fun day tomorrow.