I don`t know about this Ritalin stuff. Janet is too awake now. Kidding.

She was wide awake when I arrived and Blake told me she had been up since around seven, had a shower and Jessica was in to help her get dressed etc. Jessica said that Janet helped a lot with those getting ready for the day activities. Nothing new to me but I`m glad the pros are getting to see it all first hand. Janet stretched out really well this morning, not sure if it`s the Ritalin or the fact she had been up showering etc. I`ll take it either way.

Moira pretty much insisted Janet try the tilt table this morning as she feels it is a better back and hamstring stretch than the standing frame. I relented and am glad I did. I wasn`t going to stay but felt I had to see how this would go. The table Moira has is way better than the one on 4B and Janet handled the experience very well. She was up at 75 degrees for a good twenty five minutes and was able to do some arm stretches and play toss the bean bag and even hit a balloon to me a few times. All things she refused to do from the standing frame. It was fun hitting a balloon to her and having her hit it back, I didn`t really think she would do it.

From Physio it was straight over to see Connie for Speech. I thought I would stay to see how the swallowing went and Janet did better overall, with an average still in the six to eight second range but she seemed to tolerate the taste better and was more consistent in her swallowing speeds. Connie had her try to match objects with pictures and Janet got the cup right but wanted to play with the pen more than try and figure out where it goes. I really think Janet`s vision is hampering her performance with tests like this. All the therapists are aware of the vision challenges and I`m hoping Dr. McCann will come up with some strategy soon. Apparently the brain is very capable of correcting things like this so it may just be a matter of time. Moira and I tried covering Janet`s eyes one at a time to see if that improved her aim with the bean bags but there was no noticeable difference. Connie and I tried things with and without glasses and again no big change. On a positive note Connie asked Janet to show her one finger, she did, two, yes, three, yes, four, yes, five, yes. Repeat without Connie modeling it, no. Still good though. On a more positive note, Janet very clearly nodded her head yes to a question Connie asked her. It was still a very slight movement but we both saw it and I`m glad Connie did.

I had Janet drive back to her room for the short break before OT and we sat in the `sun window`for ten minutes. Janet showed no signs of slowing down so off to see Jessica we went. This session I did manage to stay away from and Jessica reported that Janet did very well reaching for items and placing them where Jessica asked her too. They also spent time working on Janet`s right arm. Nate helped out today as he will be Jessica on Friday and Tuesday as she is hanging out in Canmore for the long weekend.

Janet still wasn`t showing any signs of slowing down so I got her set up in the dining area for lunch. We sat with ninety year old Molly who kindly went to her room and got Janet some magazines as she sensed my boredom with the edition of O that Emma read with Janet yesterday. I got a few more head nods for yes and one shake for no while we read and chatted over lunch and Janet showed no signs of sleepiness. Lunch finally ended at two and I got Janet into bed telling her to have a nap but I`m not convinced she will and if she does it will likely prevent us from enjoying some outside time. We`ll see when I get back.

Thankful for Janet starting to answer questions and for the more relaxed muscles she seems to have today. Praying for an active afternoon.

Let`s start with a summary of the morning with Nancy. Physio went well with Moira working on Janet`s right arm and also getting her to do sitting and balancing exercises. Rob joined in again at one point to assist with some reaching. Janet stayed awake the whole time and it seemed like a good session. Next up was Speech and Connie gave Janet more swallowing tests which Nancy reports were around the five to eight second mark. Nancy didn`t feel it appropriate to stay for the whole session but reports that Janet stayed awake and Connie seemed pleased with Janet`s performance. After a tanning session and a five minute nap in the “sun window“it was time for OT. Jessica was very pleased with Janet this morning saying she seemed much more alert and responsive, following lots of commands and completing tasks today that she didn`t complete yesterday. Nice. Janet stayed awake the entire time which means she was awake from 8:45 to noon minus a five minute nap. Janet fooled everyone by staying up and having lunch in the dining area and finally going to bed around two. Wow.

I arrived at 2:15 to find Janet in bed but very awake looking so I started making plans to go outside. I talked to Blake and she told me Janet had just gone to bed so I waited to see if she would nod off and sure enough in about fifteen minutes she was closing her eyes. For the first time I noticed her fighting sleep. Usually once those eye lids closed she was out, this afternoon she would close them then twenty seconds later open them, lift her head, smile, chill for a minute or two then close the eyes again. She fell truly asleep by 2:45 and stayed that way till after four. Kinda screwed up my plans for the afternoon but I did get to have a farewell chat with Nancy. I attribute this extended awakeness and the fighting of sleep to Dr. McCann starting Janet on Ritalin. He hopes to kick start some brain activity and so far I`d say it has. For Janet to be that bright and active that long is impressive. She gets a dose in the morning and another at noon. It should where off by late afternoon which seemed about right today. This one caught me by surprise a little but then I remembered a Hospitalist trying a steroid on Janet quite a while ago and it really seemed to get her onto the next level then so I will have to trust that these doctors know what they are doing.

When Janet finally woke up it was too late to go outside after stretching so we hung out in the dining area and I started her dinner and we chatted. During the stretch and then again during dinner Janet had one of her emotional outbursts with the one in her room accompanied by an attempt to talk. I told Blake and it seems like we are all just waiting to hear Janet`s voice. As six o`clock approached I realized I had to move my car or risk a parking ticket so I explained that to Janet and asked if that was alright. She nodded her head yes. Or at least maybe she did. It was quite subtle but she did it a few times so I`m saying yes and told Blake and asked her to watch for it next time she`s talking with her. Another point for Ritalin maybe.

Kiko dropped by for a visit for the latter part of the dinner feed. She said Janet responded much more abruptly and differently to music since she was last with her. Another point for Ritalin maybe.

After the best stretch in over a week I said goodnight to Janet who was looking pretty relaxed and tired. She has the same busy schedule like she had today and hopefully can build on today`s performance. We sort of met her new roommate but so far she`s no Linda. We`ll give her time though. I cancelled plans to bring Nash in based on the fact he was not having a good day. He should be fine tomorrow and we`ll see about setting up a meeting.

In regards to visits, now that we know what Janet`s days will be like I think it best we set the following hours. Monday to Friday, 3:30 to 8:00, weekends and holidays, 10:30 to 8:00. I feel, and the therapists feel, that it is best to try and create as normal a day as possible for Janet. That means out of bed when awake, busy days and restful nights. She still needs lots of sleep so eight o`clock quiet time is good, she will have her nighttime feed around then followed by lights out. Seems to be working so far. Please do text me prior to any planned visit in case there have been changes to Janet`s schedule and I will try and update the calendar posted on the blog as much as I can so you can all see where there are any gaps in her day that you could fill.

Praying for a restful night and for continued healing of Janet`s right arm and her legs as well as her ability to communicate.

We woke up to frost on the rooftops this morning and a spectacularly bright day. Janet was nice and warm though and looking too comfy sleeping in bed when I arrived. She had been dressed and her nurse, Blake, said she was awake when they came in the morning. I starting getting her going at 8:45 and she stretched out and woke up nicely. Nancy came in shortly after nine and Janet heard her long before she saw her and turned her head to try and see. More purposeful movement. Nancy and I took Janet down to physio and I left Nancy in charge for the rest of the morning. I warned Janet to stay awake and work hard as it was going to be a busy morning and I feel confident she would give it a good try.

We said so long to Janet’s roommate, Linda, this morning as she has been discharged to stay with family in Kelowna for a few weeks and then carry on to her sister’s in England before heading home to Cape Town. She has been a true blessing to have around these first few days and we sent her off with an assortment of Sandrine’s macaron. Thanks Sandrine! I have to also give a shout out to the Social Worker, Marlene, as she worked hard for Linda and appears to have gotten her upgraded on her flights to England and South Africa to first class. That means Linda will be able to completely lay down in a bed for the flights instead of trying to sit with her broken pelvis. Nicely done.

Praying for some fun in the sun this afternoon.

The sun came out this afternoon and Janet responded accordingly. Still not at her brightest but much better than this morning.

Connie did her Speech session in Janet’s room with her. Not sure how it went but there was a cup of thickened Summer Berry tea on the bedside table so we know a swallowing was attempted.

Nancy arrived at 3:30 to find Janet snoozing but by a little after four they were off to the beach and for a walk around the area. Janet drove her wheelchair for part of that walk and when I arrived at five had just opened a present from Nancy as they sat in the “sun window” of Janet’s room. Janet seemed relaxed and awake so we took her out to the dining area to have her dinner. She was not quite as interested in what was going on around her as she has been. Maybe she’s getting used to it or maybe the company she had with her were just too much fun. We called Mary/Gaga during this time and Janet listened and looked at the phone occasionally but again she wasn’t as engaged as previous calls. She later grabbed my phone off the table when I wasn’t looking and started examining it. A good example of purposeful movement. There were also a couple of moments where Janet got a little emotional. Not sure if it was pain or a heightened awareness. There was no attempt to speak this time but once she came very close to all out crying. Somehow I think that would be a good thing if it happened.

After dinner it was time to get ready for bed. I took my time tonight to ensure Janet got a good stretch and I’m happy with the results. Janet did a good job brushing her teeth tonight and made it easy for me to leave with some nice smiles and kisses.

Thank you Nancy for the very enjoyable dinner tonight. You are a good friend and I know Janet enjoys having you around.

Tomorrow morning is going to be interesting as Janet has all her therapy sessions pretty much one right after the other. Nancy will be guiding her to all of them and assisting when possible. I look forward to hearing how it all goes and pray that Janet stays awake for all of them.

Praying for a restful night and immediate healing of Janet’s right arm and her legs.

Kind of a dull morning here in Kelowna. Windy and cloudy and I think Janet was feeling it. I arrived at 8:30, which was really hard for me to do, she was sleeping still so I guess I didn’t miss anything. She was dressed and fed so I waited till 8:45 before waking her and getting her ready for physio.

In the workout room I gave Janet some free weights again and she did bicep curls with 3, 4 and 5 pound weights. Moira wanted to use the tilt table this morning but I talked her out of it so she stood Janet up using the Standing Frame. I didn’t see any of it but Moira told me after that Janet stood nice and straight for twenty minutes, feet flat and legs mostly straight. She tried getting Janet to bat at a balloon while standing but Janet wasn’t going to let go of the frame to play a silly game. All in all it was a decent session.

I had gone to get my haircut while Janet was at physio and when I returned she was asleep in her chair in the dining area. Moira thought Janet had Speech at 10:30 but that’s tomorrow. I sat with Janet until she woke up which was about 11:10 then got her ready for OT. Jessica has decided there is no benefit to be had from wearing a splint anymore so Janet’s right arm will be free from now on. She will get a contraption that will help relax her palm better than the rolled up facecloth we are using now. Jessica will also assess Janet’s sleeping position and says there are special pillows that can be used to prevent her from curling up too much. She tried some hair and teeth brushing with Janet but no real success there. There was some good purposeful movement from Janet when they were playing with bean bags and stuff. A decent OT session.

Janet still seemed a little out of it after OT so I put her to bed with her lunch feed started and headed home. Connie will get her for their Speech session at 2:30 and Nancy will visit at 3:30. I will return at 5 for the dinner feed and goodnight stretch etc.

Praying for a brighter afternoon.

When I got back to take Janet to Speech she was wide awake and looking good. I told her so and in true Janet style she turned her head away from me and made mouth movements that clearly indicated she was saying “no I don’t”. She was smiling when she said it so I’m confident it wasn’t a depressed lack of confidence reaction just more her usual embarrassed response to receiving a compliment. She smiled even bigger when I called her on it.

I stretched her a little and off we went to see Connie. First up was the cranberry flavored goo and Janet did not like it at all. She took about twenty seconds to swallow it. We tried it again and she got a teeny bit down in about ten seconds. Connie had thickened some Summer Berry herbal tea and we tried that. A better reaction and slightly faster swallow. Connie put some honey in the tea and although Janet didn’t take very much of it she did swallow the fastest of the session but still greater than five seconds. We are wondering if the thrush on her tongue affects her taste sensation negatively. Question for the doc. The rest of the session was spent doing a variety of things, blowing bubbles, drawing circles, matching playing cards and pointing to pictures. Janet seemed bored after the bubble blowing and didn’t do very well with any of the other things. This is my last time attending Speech with Janet as I want her try working without an audience.

As we headed outside Nancy messaged her arrival and she joined us for a walk to the beach and around the neighborhood. She then shared stories and pictures from her daughter’s wedding last month with Janet resting in bed and having her dinner. Janet smiled lots and laughed at a picture of Nancy’s husband Jim, but who doesn’t. Hi Jim. Janet was able to point to Nancy’s daughter Gillian in a group photo. Something to tell Connie. Brenda visited with Janet tonight as well and started the next Anne book with her. Brenda arrived with Nancy in the room and Janet was all smiles and enjoying the attention she was getting. If this was happening a few weeks ago I think it would have bothered her more than anything. Thanks for being there for Janet you guys, today was further proof she is benefiting from your visits.

After getting Janet ready for bed I headed out into the 7pm darkness leaving her with congratulations on a good day and a bit of a warning that tomorrow will be just as busy. Praying for a restful night, healing in her legs and right arm and restoration of her ability to talk.

You can sure tell it’s Monday. The rehab unit was buzzing with people moving about all morning long. Janet was sort of awake when I came in but took till about 8:30 to really come to. We did some mouth care and chatted then I started stretching her in preparation for her physio appointment. The stretch went well and the physio appointment went even better. She was awake the whole time which really helps. I gave her the two pound weight again while we waited and she did a set of ten curls that seemed way too easy so I tried the three pounder on her, no problem, at four pounds I could see she was making an effort so we didn’t go for five. Next time. I left the room after Moira met Janet and was ready to start. I figured it is best Janet has this time to focus on the task at hand and not worry about an audience. I came back with fifteen minutes left in the session and there was another physio, Rob, working with Moira and an assistant. They were getting Janet to stand more on her own than ever before. Her left arm was on a table so she could support herself that way, Rob had her hips and Moira her back. You could tell Janet was really working to stay up and everyone was please with her performance.

That physio session took a lot out of her and Janet had a nice thirty minute nap afterwards. I kept her in her wheelchair out in the dining area as I knew this would not be a long nap. When she woke up we went to her room and got her splint and headed over to OT with her driving. Jessica is Janet’s OT now and since this was day one with her it was just a familiarization session focusing on Janet’s right arm. Jessica will have a chat with Dr. McCann tomorrow about Botoxing that right arm and will talk to the splint guy about reshaping or making a knew one for Janet as the current model is no longer effective. Future sessions will be on personal care, dressing, wheelchair operation and Jessica is now involved in the potential move home.

I got Janet into bed after OT with instructions to have a good sleep and be ready for Speech at 2:30. Praying for an awake afternoon.

After a nice sunny drive to Peachland and back I arrived to find Janet sound asleep. Emma says she nodded off around 11:15 and I noticed her starting to stir around 2:30 so I helped her wake up by climbing onto the bed with her. She always thinks this is funny. Not sure how to take that but I got her woken up at least. My reason for helping her get going is Monday’s Speech appointment is at 2:30 so I don’t want her in the habit of sleeping all afternoon.

We did a little stretching then went outside in the sun to video Skype her sister Leslie. Janet smiled a couple times and definitely knew it was her sister as when Leslie said goodbye, with no prompting from me at all, Janet waved goodbye to her. It was quite an emotional moment and further proof Janet is gaining more awareness everyday.

The beach was gorgeous today and we sat there for a good half hour with Janet at one point trying to lift her shirt a little as she was getting warm. A nice lady brought her Golden Retriever over to say hi after she went for a swim. Janet seemed pleased to pet the dog, more so than with previous dogs. I talked to Emma after our walk and she would love to see me bring Nash in to visit Janet. That is technically against the rules but Emma is working Wednesday and thinks the staff on with her then are cool enough to allow an attempt. We will see how the day shapes up and maybe give it a go. We left the beach and walked south on Abbott to stay in the sun as long as possible. When we returned Janet was still looking pretty alert so I parked her in the dining area and went got her feed pump and started her dinner for her out with everyone else. We sat near one of the TV’s and she was trying to watch for a while but was more interested in the people moving about the place. After an hour or so it was time to head to her room so the nurses could get her changed and dressed for bed. We had a little chat after that, prayed and said goodnight with lots of smiles, an arm around my shoulders and kisses.

I am very grateful for the amazing care and attention Janet has been shown these first few days in rehab. There could not have been a better nurse for this time than Emma nor could there have been a better roommate than Linda. God is definitely looking after us huge.

Praying for a bright and alert Janet tomorrow at all her appointments and for restoration of her ability to talk.

Mom and I arrived at eight to find Janet happily sitting in her wheelchair out in the dining area. She gave us a big smile when she saw us and we sat out there for about an hour with her. Emma gave her meds to her table side and she seemed to really enjoy looking around at all the goings on. Apparently she was awake a little after seven and helped get herself dressed and didn’t mind getting into the chair to go out that early.

As things quieted down around nine we took Janet for a drive around KGH. There is a card I can borrow to operate the elevator that gets us out of the rehab area with the wheelchair and into the regular parts of the hospital. Janet drove down to the cafeteria and I took over after that.

Back in her room around ten I was looking forward to seeing how well she would stretch out and I was pleasantly surprised. The right arm took quite bit of gentle work to get going but it ended up just fine as did the legs. I got another strong attempt to say something during stretching again, this time with no sign of any pain. Quite a big smile and a little frustration. Speech is just bubbling under the surface and I think is going to burst out anytime now. Thanks for your continued prayers on this.

After the stretch it was time for a little Speech Language Therapy. Connie had tried to get Janet to blow through her mouth and didn’t get much of a result. I got an attempt from Janet with Laurel’s pin wheel but you have to hit that at just the right angle to get it to spin. I got a toy whistle and some bubbles from the dollar store to try and Janet blew the whistle right away. Unfortunately it is a dollar store piece of crap and hardly whistles so after that first attempt she wasn’t interested. She took to the bubble blowing much better as you can see in this video clip. My apologies for the Tiny Tim track but it is just too funny to pass up.

I dropped mom off in Peachland for her ride home with Maureen and Shannon. Thanks for the visit mom! And thanks again for the goodies Mo!

Praying for an active afternoon in the sun.

Janet was sound asleep when mom and I returned this afternoon and she stayed that way till 3:10. Her sleep mode is pretty peaceful therefore I believe there is healing going on. After she woke and we got her changed she stretched out pretty good. I tried the same move with her right arm that I got that reaction from this morning and got no reaction at all which leads me to believe it was just a coincidence this morning and her display of emotion was more an attempt to talk and realizing she couldn’t than a response to any pain.

Janet drove her wheelchair from her room to the outside door and we headed for the beach. It was breezy so we didn’t stay long but had a nice stroll along Abbott St. where we showed mom some of the nice lake front homes. Back inside Janet made it all the way down the Centennial Building hallway and gave a strong effort at getting over that nasty bump but was put out of her rhythm by a passing stretcher so didn’t quite get there. Her goal today was to make it to the Royal Building elevators but about ten meters away she stopped and looked at her left hand a couple times, I figured something was bugging her so high five for the effort and back to her room we went.

Mom took Janet’s sneakers off while I got her bed ready and when I turned around Janet had crossed her left leg completely over her right leg above the knee.

This is a new move and an impressive one considering how darn stiff she was on Friday. She did not seem to be in real pain and was not in a hurry to get into bed so that makes the move even more cool. We did get her into bed and I stretched her out nicely before we headed off to church. Upon our return around 7:20 she had been fed and was sound asleep so I said a quick goodnight and look forward to seeing her in the morning.

Feeling very blessed to be part of an outstanding faith community at Trinity and praying for healing of Janet’s legs and right arm and restoration of her ability to talk.