Janet has had a rather dull day so far. It is beautifully bright and sunny and warm outside but she has been out of sorts all day. No smiles, a weak kiss and the appearance of being bothered by something. I thought maybe she had a cold as she is a little nasally but her vitals are all fine. Her session down in rehab with Tom went fine considering her reduced level of brightness. I don’t think the new environment bothered her at all. She reacted to the different sights and sounds around the room but was still able to focus on Tom and the task at hand. I’m confident she can workout in that environment and I think Tom was pleased in that respect too. It is very clear that Janet is no where near ready to be there full time. I had her drive her wheelchair out of rehab and she did well, much slower than yesterday though and that may in part be due to the busyness around her. She was looking around a lot with a little bit of a worried look on her face.

The meeting at the house with Chantelle and Cathy brought up more questions than answers unfortunately. The big issue, as I thought, is entry into the house. Cathy does not have enough knowledge to know if a vertical chair lift would work at the front door or not. She seems to favor a porch lift up to the balcony at our bedroom. Without that question answered all other issues are moot so the next step is going to be having someone from a company that installs lifts look at the house and see what they recommend. Stay tuned.

Praying for a brighter Janet and some fun in the sun this afternoon.

Another great smile as I walked into Janet’s room this afternoon. I hope Heidi got one during her visit just prior. A nice stretch then out into the sunshine. Janet drove well down the hall to the elevators and with a little coaching hit the down button. She then drove down the main floor hall to the outside door in record time and even tried a little driving on the first section of sidewalk outside. She is definitely gaining confidence with the wheelchair.

While we basked in the sun at the beach we called Mary/Gaga and Janet reacted to some of her mom’s comments. A slight smirk once, a raised brow once and frequent looks at the phone. After a twenty minute tanning session we headed off for a walk. I invited Janet to drive in a couple open and flat areas along Abbott St. and she did but seemed to sense when there was a hazard nearing like a downhill section or a bump. We had a little texting chat with Kiko who is in Japan and sent her a picture to remind her how beautiful it is here. We met a one and a half year old and very friendly Lab, about the size of twenty Nashes, who Janet patted a little shyly. Back in the Centennial Building Janet set a personal record for distance (middle of lobby to info desk in Royal Building) and speed (I could actually walk a steady pace beside her for about a minute) and earned a strong high five! All the excitement from that accomplishment must have made her forget how to push as she did her swiping over the elevator button again. Oh well a solid performance anyways.

Back in the room it was time for a brief nap then a chapter of Anne then a little You Tube watching. She enjoyed some of The Voice clips I showed her and the Olate Dogs but not So You Think You Can Dance. It was then time to get ready for bed. Our day ended with a smile and a goodnight kiss and Janet seeming to not quite be ready for sleep yet but I had to go as it was getting dark.

Looking forward to the home inspection tomorrow and the possible workout at Rehab. Praying as always for complete healing and restoration of the ability to communicate.

I was welcomed with a very nice smile this morning and a very bright Janet. She must have followed my instructions and got a good nights sleep. We got a good stretch in and then Tom dropped by to say he would not be able to take Janet to rehab today. No time. We will try tomorrow.

Chantelle and Cathy dropped by just after that and we had a real interesting and busy visit. They watched me transfer Janet from bed to wheelchair and were happy with my technique. Cathy was most impressed with Janet’s ability to sit up so nice and straight. I demonstrated our standing drill as well and got top marks for that. Cathy tried teaching us a standing pivot move to use as a transfer but Janet is not strong enough to pull that one off yet. Something to work towards. Once in the chair we went for a little drive and Janet grabbed the bed rail to back the chair away from the bed then did a real good job driving while being observed. Nice performance under pressure. High five! Tomorrow morning they both will come to the house to see if it is suitable for Janet to live in.

Tom reappeared a few minutes after the OT girls left and we practiced having Janet sit up from a near laying down position. She did well and with more practice I’m sure will be escaping with greater frequency. Tom was happy with Janet’s weight shifting abilities and how she moved her left leg to achieve more stability when sitting. Lots of good signs including a high five.

Lunch has begun and Janet is napping so I’m heading out to cut the grass. Looking forward to some tanning action this afternoon.

Seemed as though Janet had a good nap while I was gone. She was awake when I got back but appeared to have not moved much if at all. I was a little worried with her being curled up for so long but she stretched out just fine so we headed out for a walk in the sun. We had a really nice time soaking up some rays at the beach. She made me laugh when she took her glasses off and hung them by one arm in the collar of her shirt. A very styling move that I don’t ever remember her doing. Cute. We took a slow warm walk in the sun for about an hour then Janet drove most of the way down the long Centennial Building hallway. Back in the room Janet didn’t seem to have much energy left but stayed awake so I climbed onto the bed beside her for a few minutes and got a huge smile from her and some shoulder pats and rubs. It was a nice quiet ten minutes. After she got plugged in for dinner I read a chapter of Anne to her. She listened intently and smiled at me a couple times when I had some difficulty reading. I still can’t believe how that book gets me.

I decided to call an early night as although Janet was awake she wasn’t all that responsive so I got her ready and said goodnight at 6:30. A chance for me to do nothing tonight except update this blog.

Tom said he will try and set up a session in the rehab unit for Janet tomorrow morning. I coached her to get lots of rest tonight and be ready for that. Chantelle and someone named Cathy from Community Health are going to visit Janet tomorrow and then inspect our house Wednesday morning to see how realistic bringing Janet into that building is.

Thanking Jesus for all the time I get to spend with Janet especially in this beautiful weather. Praying for healing and restoration of Janet’s ability to communicate.

A fast start to the day as Janet was cleaned up as I arrived at eight. I got her dressed and starting stretching when Tom arrived to announce we would try the tilt table this morning. Janet’s favorite. Not. It actually went better than last time. She made it forty five minutes at sixty degrees and stopped clinging to me fifteen minutes in. Her BP stabilized after Leanne stopped working her right shoulder and Janet only got really uncomfortable when I let her down. Not sure why but it scared me a little. She was fine once I got her back onto her bed. I talked to Tom about it and he will make sure he’s back in time to watch next time. Janet is sleeping it off now and I’m heading to a meeting at work.

Praying for some fun in the sun this afternoon.

Janet was awake when I returned around two this afternoon and it appeared that she had a good nap. We did a little stretching then video skyped Laurel, Raju and Cam. It was pretty funny as Janet and I were getting ready to head out for some sunshine and Laurel looked like she was dressed for winter. Janet watched and listened but I’m not sure what she could really see as the Skype image didn’t have a lot of color and was a little dark so kinda hard for her to process what she was seeing. I believe she knew the voices though. We called Heather after that with similar results but better picture quality. If any of you out of towners wish to try a video Skype with Janet send me your Skype name and we’ll see what we can do.

Outside we walked some of the same area we did yesterday plus one new street. Janet followed a command to smell a flower. She leaned forward and put her nose up to a yellow rose and some other flower and I thought that was pretty good as all I said was “want to smell the flower?” That’s going in the Dr. McCann file. Back inside Janet made it all the way down the Centennial Building hallway again. The last few meters she kept going while we chatted with Dr. Main as he passed by. Even gave me a high five while he was watching. Moments later she nailed the elevator button right away. Seems to like the up one a little better than down.

Back in the room we watched a message from LifeChurch.tv on having fun in a marriage. Janet actually watched the entire thirty six minutes even looking over at me with raised brows a couple times. I made a few comments about the message afterwards and got some smiles from Janet. After a little break including some much improved nose blowing I tried some iBlackboard with her and got some decent results as I tried getting her to write yes and no. I had to lead her all the time but she got the motion down pretty good towards the end.

After a change I got her dressed for bed as she was falling asleep around 6:30. A very enjoyable day. Praying for a productive and healing tomorrow.

When I arrived this morning Sarah was just finishing getting Janet ready for the day. She commented on how well Janet is following commands now. I encouraged her to make a note of what she notices. She said Janet was very helpful in getting dressed and was definitely following every move Sarah made. I commented that Janet had gotten out of bed the other morning and Sarah added that she heard Janet had lowered one of the bed rails. I hadn’t heard that one but am not surprised as I’ve seen her reach over and grab the release button on the right upper rail before. Houdieno indeed.

I took a long time stretching Janet this morning, really working her right arm and left leg. I got good results but needed every minute I used to get them. Dr. Nottekopp came in and we had a good chat. I explained how I was noticing more tone in the right leg and how tight the left knee is. He asked about the Botox and had a look at her legs and arm. He said to keep stretching often and we’ll keep an eye on things. Speaking of eyes I asked him about Janet’s vision. He gave her a quick exam and said that without her communicating there is no way to tell for sure but it would make sense that she would be neglecting her right side just like her right arm and leg. He left field is probably good and the right not so good. The eyes look healthy so the problem is brain related and until she can let us know we have to wait. I told him of the head shake no I think I got yesterday. Just for the record. He seemed pleased to hear that.

I did some sitting and standing with Janet and we set a record for time standing. Two minutes! I say we because I have to hold her up and despite her smallness that’s not easy. Standing seems to be something she really enjoys. She was nice and straight and looking around each of the four times we stood. High five! Just like the tilt table I can tell she is getting a workout while standing but before she got too tired I tried some sit ups with her. While sitting on the edge of the bed, I held both hands in her lap, leaned her back a ways then asked her to sit back up. She was quite happy to do this a number of times going farther and farther back. I could almost see her abs working.

All morning Janet has had a bit of a stuffy nose so I decided to see if she would or could blow it. Surprisingly she did! Not hard but enough to get a little something on the Kleenex. High five!

It’s now nap time after that busy morning. Praying for another fun in the sun afternoon.

Houdieno was awake and resting her head on the right bed rail when I returned at two. We just had time to stretch before the cleaner came in to do a “terminal clean” of Janet’s room post C diff. We headed for the sunshine and Janet was reluctant to drive her wheelchair I think because the hallway was quite busy. At the elevator she pulled off another unassisted button push and off to the beach we went. Since we had an hour and a half before her room would be ready I decided to take Janet on a bit of an adventure. We discovered a street (more like a laneway but actually a street) close to the lake that went all the way to the highway right at the east end of the bridge. Lots of new things to look at and a warm summer afternoon to enjoy. Janet seemed very comfy and content and was taking in as much as she is able. She felt so good that she even rolled up her right hand sleeve to expose more arm and a little shoulder for tanning. I pulled up the left one to match as you can see in the picture. I was a little slow to snap as she did have a little smile and was looking at the camera just prior to this. Sorry. An hour and a half later we entered the Centennial Building and I hoped Janet would try and break her distance record. I got something better. I asked her if she wanted to switch glasses like I always do when we get back inside. She did so quickly as she usually does. I then asked her if she wanted to drive. There was a look and I’m pretty sure a shake of the head no. I wasn’t believing it at first so I put her hand on the wheel or at least tried to, she resisted, and put her hand back on her lap. I’m pretty confident there was a head shake no as she clearly did not want to drive. I told her how excited I was about that and we carried on. Half way down the hall I asked her again if she wanted to drive, explaining just to the doors and she did so, then promptly stopped knowing that was as far as she had to go. When we got to the elevator I barely had to ask her and she was all over pushing the up button. High five!

Our walk ended back in her room in time to get into to bed for dinner and for me to go to church. When I got back at seven Janet was awake and hugging the right bed rail. I gave her a good stretch, changed her for bed and brushed her teeth then read a chapter of Anne. She was just starting to yawn as I left for the night after getting amazing smiles and nice kisses. I don’t think she slept at all today. She had her eyes closed for five minutes while lying on her tummy this morning. Her nurse did not notice her sleeping during my break and I saw no evidence of sleep when I got back from church. I told her that was cool but I hope it means she will sleep well tonight.

I could not have asked for a better day on the four month anniversary. Janet looks great, and is showing signs of being brighter and brighter. It’s still a roller coaster and there are issues with the right side extremities and her vision but after today I’m quite hopeful there is significant progress yet to be made. That progress will come by the grace of God through your continued prayers and by Team Save Janet staying strong and active. Thank you all for what you have done so far.

Good news and not so good news with the C diff. being declared gone again. No more gowns and gloves but now Janet is back on the active list for transfer. I feel a little better about it after our visit to Cottonwoods yesterday and with the possibility of bringing her home. Probably the best part is she gets to have a shower! First one in a long time. She’s there right now and I’ll let you know how it went at the end of this update.

Janet was awake when I got in this morning and looking quite relaxed. We had a little chat and said our morning prayer, she held my hand, closed her eyes and opened them on amen. I’ve often wondered what she thought of the praying together thing as its something we only did together at meal times. I think she is liking those moments.

I got a much improved stretch out of her this morning. The left knee was still quite tight but I laid her on her tummy for half an hour and it totally relaxed. She did well when asked to lift her lower left leg up and down and when I asked her to do the same with the right one I actually felt a little downward pressure from her. Interesting.

Janet is back from her shower and despite being a little cold I think she feels good. She sure smells better. She was a little uncomfortable in the shower chair at first but fine when she came back. I thought she might fall right to sleep but she’s still going strong. I’m going to head out anyways as I’ve got to get the pool ready for closing. Sad.

Janet was sleepy when I returned around two but woke up right away. I gave her some time to really wake up then I started stretching her. She was pretty curled up when I got there so she was hard to stretch out. There is more tone in the right leg every day it seems and her right foot is a little swollen. I did manage to get that leg stretched out but I don’t think she was enjoying the workout that much. Her left leg is really tight at the knee but loosened up after a lot of work. I sat her on the edge of the bed for a bit and she made a couple really good attempts at brushing her hair. She stood up nice and tall a couple times then it was into the wheelchair and she seemed a lot more comfortable than when I had arrived an hour earlier.

Apparently she was really comfortable because she fell asleep driving her wheelchair just a few doors down from her room. We went outside anyways as I didn’t think she would go into a deep sleep but she was out for twenty minutes while we sat in the sun. Seemingly awake I decided to take her on a bit of an adventure. We walked up to Cottonwoods. Not the nicest walk but it was sunny and warm and I think the busyness of Pandosy St. and Rose Ave. were good for her. Hard to fall asleep there. When we arrived at Cottonwoods I explained what it was and that she may be living there for a while then we went in to have a look around. I headed right for the daycare but the kids were outside so we continued down the hall to the rehab wing. It was pretty quiet and I have no idea what Janet thought of it all but it did have a nicer feel to it than the hospital. On the way back the kids were back in the daycare and we stopped so Janet could look in through the hallway windows. Two little girls immediately ran over and waved and tapped on the window. Not sure if Janet saw them or not so I told her to say hi to them. She shot me a look then I held up her left arm and said say hi to the little girls. She waved at them. I could not tell for sure she saw them but she waved anyways. All in all it was worth the trek up there even if just to give Janet something new to see and hear.

Back in the room she went straight to laying down and I read her a newspaper article I thought she might be interested in but she was sleeping three paragraphs into it. Still sleeping at six I woke her up a little to get her changed for the night. I didn’t get much of a smile but I did get my goodnight kiss.

Praying for a night of healing, not escaping and a day of progress.