Trinity

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.

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

Renovation Day 60. The electrician was here first thing this morning and finally completed the electrical work! Randy was here too and put in a couple more drawers, re installed the bathroom mirrors and built a wheelchair ramp at the garage entrance. A few weeks ago I had mentioned to the Strata my concern about condensation on some of the windows in the mornings. Valley Glass came by this afternoon and measured for the replacement of two of our windows and maybe more depending on what the Strata thinks. A good day of progress.

Because of the busy morning we were up early and its a good thing too. Once breakfast was done Janet and I started getting the place ready for our house dedication party tonight. Janet was a good assistant all day doing a variety of tasks from sorting to decorating, helping to cook, arranging furniture and cleaning.

We made a run for a few last minute groceries and to pick up some macaron from Sandrine. Janet hadn’t seen Sandrine for quite a long time and they had a brief but warm reunion with Janet saying to me with a big smile afterwards, “she’s really nice”. And she makes awesome desserts!

Janet faded soon after our late lunch and called her own nap time wanting to be as awake as possible for tonight. That was a good call as she slept for two hours and I think would have gone more if I let her but it was time to get really busy. There was still food to prepare and wine glasses to put out and Janet had to get into her new party dress. Despite our best efforts we got way behind schedule and with thirty minutes to go and Janet’s dress half on, the gate phone rang. Thankfully it was Courtney who went to work right away and saved our butts big time.

Janet was super excited about people coming over tonight and when the first folks arrived she opened the door and greeted them with an enthusiasm I’ve not seen in a long time. Her eyes sparkled all night with only a few moments where I noticed things maybe overwhelming her a little. According to Janet she liked all the people that were here tonight and they are “very nice people and fun, and our new neighbours are all very nice too”. It was an enjoyable evening and is hopefully the first of many more.

Still pumped up from the party Janet took a little while to wind down after the last guests left. We opened the cards and gifts that some people brought then watched a little TV until yawning became the thing Janet was doing the most of.

I feel tonight did Janet a lot of good. She was shown how a lot of grown up intelligent people love her, how many of those have been beside her since she got sick and how blessed we are to have a home with which we can welcome our family, old friends, new friends, and soon to be friends. Praying for a night of deep and healing sleep.

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

Renovation Day 59. Randy continued his work from home routine getting cupboard doors ready for install. I hung a couple pictures this morning before meeting up with Janet.

Janet was already cold today before hitting the water for her swimming session so the initial shock wasn’t nearly as dramatic. Sticking to the deep pool again, Janet had her strongest swimming session ever today. There were a few lengths where I had to really work to keep up with her and her rolls from back to tummy to back were outstanding. She seemed somewhat accepting of my praise afterward and said she’d like to be a good swimmer again and wishes her right arm would work. Maybe it will but if not, she’s still a really good swimmer.

I think it was pretty obvious Janet needed a haircut today.
JanetB4Hair
Ya think?

After a quick lunch stop I took her to see Chelsea to see if she could do anything with Janet’s mop. I was hoping for something radical like Demi Lovato’s neon blue hair but conservative Janet held true to form and this is the result.
JanetChelseaAfterHair
Cute, clean and manageable. Thanks again Chelsea!

We did a little grocery shopping on the way home then started to plan our evening with which I’d hoped we would prepare for our House Dedication Party tomorrow. Janet was in clear need of a nap however and that cost us almost a couple of hours as there wasn’t much of anything quiet that I could do while she slept. When she woke at five thirty she had a hard time believing it was that late. Time flies when your snoozing.

After dinner we managed to check a few things off the list and knowing Janet really wanted to watch X Factor I called a stop to the work so we could do that then get to bed at a reasonable time knowing tomorrow is busy. Janet stretched out nice on the chaise lounge again and was very engaged in the show and thrilled we didn’t have to watch the commercials. Both of our contestants are out of the competition now but we will continue to watch.

Janet is figuring out her bathroom routine here but is having a little trouble using the bedside transfer pole to stand up. I think it’s because it’s on the opposite side from every pole she uses at Connect but part of it may be her reliance on her left arm. She tends to pull herself up a lot instead of pushing up with her legs. We may need some lessons in standing and sitting technique to get her back on track. Janet says the bed seems really comfy today so we’ll see how that goes over the next three nights. If she’s still saying that on Sunday I think we’ll keep it.

Praying for a night of uninterrupted sleep that provides lots of energy for a busy day tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 58. Another work from home day for Randy. I spent the day at Trinity helping the team there. Apparently Christmas is coming soon and there’s a set to be built.

Janet once again was cozied up in bed when I got to Connect and once again she never made it to the gym during the day shift. This time it was because they went on a field trip. Aberdeen Hall Prep School invited the residents to a special Christmas concert put on by the pre school kids. Janet was right back in her natural environment and the kids recognized that and gave her lots of attention. She said it was a lot of fun and even Wes sang a little. At the end of the concert the children gave out arts and crafts pieces they had made to whoever they chose. Guess who got the most? JanetPreSchoolBling

Clearly happy with that experience Janet was reasonably accepting of having to do her exercises tonight and started with the bike again. Singing and smiling she pedalled her way to a new personal best of 2.5 miles in thirty minutes at level 2.5. High five!

After dinner Janet surprisingly chose to do sling walking over the Shuttle. We discussed with Jess and Curtis the pros and cons of the sling walking with me expressing concern over Janet’s fear of the thing. We decided to give it one more try but while Janet and I were waiting for Curtis to finish instructing Wes I had Janet try and walk along the parallel bars like Willie was doing yesterday. She did very well and with Curtis and I assisting she made it down and back twice, getting better at the technique the more she did it. Curtis held her hand in front of her to discourage Janet from using it as a crutch and I braced her right knee as it tends to flex outwards when weight is put through it. Janet is on the list to be fitted for an AFO which will support her in that way and we hope it can be made soon as that will give Janet more confidence and ability to use her right leg. Fitting will take place at KGH as soon as the doctors get their paperwork in order.

Walking pretty much exhausted Janet so we spent a nice quiet evening catching up on emails and watching X Factor. Praying for a night of deep and healing sleep and a willingness to work hard tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 57. Randy worked from home today while I hung a few more pictures and cleaned some areas up. I was also able to retrieve our wine and spirits from Barb and Gary’s house now that we have a place to put it. Thanks for looking after it you guys!

Janet was all snuggly in bed still when I got to Connect around four. Her day had not been as physically demanding as I had hoped but she was tired from some mental exercise. She attended a group meeting this morning which seems to be helping her come to terms with what has happened to her as I asked her what she talked about there and she said, “why I’m here, because of my aneurysm, X Ray, last year”. Made me laugh but also proud that she could say that. Unfortunately because of other things going on in the house that meeting took Janet’s gym time away which meant she had a very busy evening with me.

Allowed to choose the order of her exercises it was off to the bike first where Janet put in a solid performance while enjoying singing along to some familiar songs on the radio. Dinner provided a break and a chance to build some energy but the best item on her plate for that she’s decided she doesn’t like anymore. Janet used to gobble up any Quinoa dish but is now adamantly saying no to it. Too bad, because its really good for her.

Next up was sling walking and when Janet figured out what she’d gotten herself into she was none too happy. Big Country and Willie were in the room with her, Curtis and I and they cheered her on to the point where she worked really hard and showed good improvement from the last time I saw her doing this. Her right leg requires assistance still and Janet needs to trust the sling more but she’s getting there. To help her gain some trust we let her hang in the sling and try to get back to her wheelchair from about ten feet away. She made it but we don’t want to encourage doing that, we just want her to know she can’t fall.

The last exercise of the day was in the form of the Standing Frame and Janet stood very straight and strong for forty five minutes earning a dessert of mandarin oranges and Tootsie Rolls as we watched The Voice. That was pretty much the only time she stopped in the six and a half hours I was with her today and a lot of her work was hard. I had left a note for Garrett and Jess that Janet was not using her wheelchair footrest around the house and she didn’t all day. I thought all she could handle was the short trips from her room to the kitchen or living room but she went once all the way to the gym then again even farther to the parallel bars for sling walking. Of course there was lots of complaining and saying “I can’t” but she did it and is getting better at it already. Janet is not propelling with her right leg at all but is managing to move it in concert with the left one. A big improvement.

All of Connect was talking about Janet’s singing session with John today as Big Country and Kieran joined them for some Christmas Carolling. Janet said it was a lot of fun and those that I talked to that heard them said they were pretty good. Hopefully they will perform at the Christmas party coming up in a couple of weeks.

Praying for a night of uninterrupted and healing sleep that provides Janet with lots of energy for more exercises tomorrow.

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.