wine

Janet, A Success Story. June 12. #TSJ Home for a holiday.

And so it begins. Janet is home for the next ten nights, five here then five in Ottawa, and she is very excited. It was a good day of transition for her as she did an express version of her gym routine this morning then went with the rest of the house to a park in Vernon for a picnic lunch. She has a little trouble in figuring out what to wear for outings like that and ended up over dressed for what was a warm day even though it looked cool.

The "ducky" weather is coming.

The “ducky” weather is coming.

Getting a head start on nap time.

Getting a head start on nap time.

We packed Janet up after a brief nap and drove to her doctor’s for one last round of power washing her ears. Our car went through a power wash on the way as we hit a massive thunderstorm with some of the heaviest rain I’ve ever seen. Janet was actually a little nervous about it but by the time we hit Kelowna proper it was like it hadn’t rained at all. That’s why we live here folks.

Janet was very brave at the doctor’s and her ears are now squeaky clean. My plan for her at home and on the trip to Ottawa is to do as much walking as possible and use the wheelchair only when necessary. That began nicely as soon as we got home. Janet walked in from the car to the bathroom then out to the kitchen where she chopped veggies on her own for dinner. She seems to be at a perfect height sitting in a real chair at the island for chopping and stirring. Janet did an awesome job tonight and rewarded herself with a glass of wine with dinner.

I thought if we went for an after dinner walk we might see some of the neighbours but our after dinner is closer to a lot of folk’s bedtime around here so no one was out. It was nice to get some air before watching So You Think You Can Dance. Janet made some really intelligent remarks during the show and overall is showing more improvement in the memory and awareness department. Her walking tonight was solid and she did all of her nighttime stuff in the bathroom unassisted, with no wheelchair.

Praying for a great night of sleep and a productive Friday.

Janet, A Success Story. May 30. #TSJ

Friday is Janet’s favourite day of the week. She was excited about it Thursday night and after a brief greeting this afternoon at Connect, her first words to me were “can we go now?” Since all her therapies were done for the day it was only a matter of packing a few things and we were gone.

Tonight was another meeting of our wine club and Janet helped me start to get ready for that when we got home then went for a good long nap. She took a while to fully wake up afterwards and I left her home alone while I went to pick up sushi for dinner. When I got back fifteen minutes later she was sipping on her water and singing along to the music I left on for her. Janet enjoyed what I think was her cleanest sushi dinner ever. That can be a messy meal but not tonight. By the time our guests arrived Janet seemed ready for a fun night.

I don’t spend much time with Janet at these gatherings. It’s a nice chance for her to talk with other people. I did notice she got a little quiet after a hour or so as there was a large group tonight which can be a little overwhelming but in the end Janet really enjoyed the evening.

Knowing Janet would want ice cream before bed I asked, and she quickly agreed and also asked if we could watch So You Think You Can Dance. We did, and stayed up too late but isn’t that what Fridays are for? Because of the party atmosphere there wasn’t a lot of walking going on but what Janet did was good and I noticed her memory was very sharp tonight as was her overall awareness, she knew the day, date and year without hesitation twice tonight.

Praying Janet sleeps well tonight and is ready for some fun in the sun tomorrow.

Janet, A Success Story. May 4. #TSJ

Sleep in Sunday felt pretty good and because of the late start Janet was able to power through the day without a nap.

The weekly Skype chat with Mary/Gaga happened during breakfast and I thought Janet participated well. It was soon after that we decided to go for a little walk around the neighbourhood and good thing we did it then as the weather deteriorated rapidly after that. It’s not really summer yet.

During our walk I had Janet test drive her new clogs and quickly realized the left one was just a little too loose so we jumped in the car and went back to Hollywood Shoes in search of a solution. The owner came up with a good one and I will be taking Janet’s shoe to a guy that will install a velcro strap on the back to hold her foot in better. Should work. Since we had the owner’s attention we broached the desire for an “everyday at Connect” shoe for Janet and moments later walked out with another pair of shoes for Imelda, I mean Janet. Except for some sandals she’s all set.

Lunch was taken during the time Janet would normally be napping and was followed by some really good walking practice. I even got a few free steps out of her. The reward for the workout was to sit on the couch for a bit and watch TV. We thankfully stumbled across a TED talk given by Gabby Giffords and her husband in Vancouver this March. Very inspiring and Janet noted the similarities between her and Gabby. Check it here if you like.

The topic of Janet’s dad came up and she surprised me in agreeing to call him. He sounded good and the conversation was reasonable and I think it brighten the day for them both. Keeping with the family theme and in need of a laugh Janet placed a FaceTime call to her brother Mike which was full of smiles and included cameos from members of the family that happened to be home. Janet felt good about reaching out in that way and actually mentioned she was happy we have the technology to do so. We used that technology to track down a college friend of Janet’s whom she hasn’t seen in thirty plus years. Janet is excited to reconnect with Helen, and it’ll be interesting to see how the “reunion” plays out. I was impressed to read that Helen was aware of Janet’s situation and can’t wait to find out how she knew.

Janet was a good help in making dinner with me tonight and thanks in part to good music in the background the preparation for and drive back to Connect were pleasant despite my unwillingness to have her leave. Janet excitedly showed off her new shoes and talked about the wine club to Chelsea upon our arrival, while walking to her room. She then stood at her dresser and put some laundry away. This required her to free stand and bend to reach the lower drawers and she did it well.

Bedtime reading produced some giggles and insightful comments from Janet and I was able to say goodnight satisfied she was settled in and ready for a productive week ahead. I’m thankful for the long weekend we had together and praying for lots of rest tonight and lots of energy tomorrow.

Janet, A Success Story. May 2. #TSJ

This was a bonus day for Janet in many ways. Home a day earlier than usual, no gym to go to and a beautiful summer type day outside. It was my intention to make sure Janet got time in the sun today and she did. Breakfast and lunch were outside as was most of the afternoon. I did have her working this morning though more mentally than physically. She made her own breakfast, made the bed, put away laundry and dusted in the living room, all while I went grocery shopping. High five!

Janet did her chores from her wheelchair with her iPhone playing music for her and she was singing along when I got home. She was pleased at being able to be helpful and combined with her hard work at Connect yesterday she deserved a day off. We sat outside for a long lunch before Janet had a nap so she’d have energy for our Wine Club gathering tonight.

We had been in summer mode most of the day so were a little behind when people started arriving for the evening but since Janet is able to help all was well. It was our largest crowd yet and Janet enjoyed the conversations and wine but cautioned that five wines was a bit too much for her. She did stay more focussed than the previous two times and responded well when I invited her comments on the wines we were tasting.

To wind down the evening Janet enjoyed some ice cream and a little TV and is looking forward to maybe some shoe shopping and visiting John tomorrow, things she needed no prompting to remember were on our schedule.

Praying for a productive Saturday.

Janet, A Success Story. April 27. #TSJ

A much better sleep for Janet last night so I’m at a loss as to how to explain her grumpiness that started the day. Every suggestion I made as to what to do was answered with “it doesn’t matter” or “I don’t care”. Not what I want to hear on a bright Sunday morning. It didn’t last long though and we headed out to get some ingredients for tonight’s dinner and some wine for our wine club gathering this Friday. To our dismay, two of the wineries we went to were closed. Oh well, we enjoyed the sunny drive by the lake.

Janet was warned she’d be helping in the kitchen today and she stepped up nicely. We made a lasagne for tonight as Courtney was coming over. Janet did well at chopping, stirring and assembling. She then had two pieces of corn on the cob for lunch. I thought it was weird to just have corn but she loved it. Before the lasagne was completely built Janet was fading so she went for a nap and woke up an hour and a half later in disbelief that she’d been out that long. That’s what happens when you sleep, time flies.

Courtney agreed to be camera operator so we could show you Janet’s new walking style as well as a bit of free walking. It’s hard to get a good angle on her as you never know when she’s going to agree to try but there is a pretty good look in this clip.

Janet remains unsure of the whole thing but very sure she doesn’t “want to be that person that can’t walk”. She is walking and will do so better each week.

We enjoyed visiting with Courtney this evening and the lasagne that Janet helped make turned out pretty good. I think having some company for the evening made the trip back to Connect more bearable as there was lots to talk about and Janet was in a happy mood. I had her walk more in the hallway there but she refused to free walk with Karl watching. Not sure why. Reading didn’t last long as the walk tired her out I think.

Praying Janet has a deep and healing sleep, a positive attitude and willingness to fully participate in whatever she’s asked to do tomorrow.

Janet, A Success Story. April 19. #TSJ

I could go on and on about today but I won’t. It was our eleventh anniversary and we celebrated that as well as our risen Lord. Happy Easter!

Anniversary dinner at Quail's Gate.

Anniversary dinner at Quail’s Gate.

Janet, A Success Story. April 17. #TSJ

On a high after her speech last night Janet had a good day today. Her morning consisted of a routine visit to the gym and some speech therapy work on her own. When I checked in at lunchtime she was waiting for lunch and not sure what she ought to do the rest of the day. I suggested walking or Shuttle which of course failed to excite her. When I got to Connect I noticed the large tilt table being used in the living room and went to sneak up on Big Country and say “hi shorty” but to my surprise, a real shorty was in it, Janet.

Not happy but standing tall.

Not happy but standing tall.


Tez figured she may as well try it in an effort to get more weight transferring through her right leg and it appeared to be working. Janet was in it for forty five minutes like the Standing Frame and after a little coaxing simply stepped off and sat in her wheelchair. Much easier than the other machine. She had walked from her room to the Den and gave her usual rating of “terrible” to that experience but I’m sure she did fine.

Even though we weren’t staying for dinner, Janet agreed to help Curtis prepare it as he was by himself and running a little behind schedule and Thursdays are Janet’s days to help. She did a great job chopping peppers and onions for a stir fry.

We made our escape after that and enjoyed a simple but tasty meal at home during which I read all the messages people sent in regards to her speech from last night. Janet is amazed and genuinely pleased that so many people liked it. She was definitely a more confident person today, even willing to try some red wine with dinner and liking it. Nice!

Happy

Happy


Her confidence and good mood lasted through the evening and Janet had a nice walk from the dining table to the couch before laughing and singing her way through The Voice. It’s awesome to have her home and I’m praying for a positive and productive weekend.

Janet, A Success Story. April 14. #TSJ

Today started off great with Janet waking at a decent hour after a good sleep and easily taking a bath before breakfast. She was bright and alert and seemed ready for a good day. I left her and Heather for a little bit to attend to an appointment I had and when I returned they were sharing the couch watching Ellen. I asked Janet if she needed to go to the bathroom and got what I felt was a confident no. Minutes later it was like the flood in Noah and I was not in the least bit impressed. I got quite angry with Janet and I know she didn’t intentionally do this but she’s been doing so well and this is such a sudden and inconsistent change that I get really mad when it happens and take it out on her. We had a good talk with nurse Jen at Connect this afternoon and have an appointment with Janet’s doctor Wednesday and I think with an understanding of what’s happening I will be better able to handle it. There are two likely scenarios, one physiological and treatable the other neurological and not treatable. Pray it’s the former please.

In spite of my grumpiness the rest of the day was pretty good. Janet really enjoyed her time with Heather and is very grateful for her taking the time to come all this way to visit. Janet is very aware that the next time she sees her will be at her wedding and “that’s a big deal”. After we dropped Heather at the airport we went back to Connect and worked on Janet’s speech for SheLife. It’s been hard for me not to put words in her mouth and Janet has done a great job of constructing what she wants to say. We wrote it up on her iPad and found she was having a lot of trouble reading it as the page was too busy so I transferred it to a presentation app with one or two sentences on each slide that Janet can see clearly, read then tap to see the next slide. Should work.

After an early and quiet dinner Janet agreed to a bike ride. I wasn’t expecting much from her as she had no nap at all today but she put in a very solid performance with no complaining. Her next choice was more mine than hers and that was a walk. Again, I didn’t expect much but started her out at the kitchen table with the goal of making it to her bed and I was willing to let her bail at the Den. No need, as forty five minutes later she plunked herself down on her bed. She was exhausted but somewhat happy with what she’d done, I certainly was.

There wasn’t much to the rest of the evening other than some well deserved chocolate and once in bed, Janet was sleeping ten minutes later. Praying for a complete and immediate resolution to Janet’s incontinence issue, a deep and healing sleep tonight and a great Tuesday.

Janet, A Success Story. April 13. #TSJ

A new day,a more with it Janet and a new dress. Maybe.

After a nice breakfast of Bonnie’s homemade hot cross buns, Janet agreed to try on her new mother of the bride dress again and ended up taking our advice to keep the top part, lose the bottom and order a dress I spotted online for her which I think says Janet way more than this one. When it arrives we’ll have her model it for you and hopefully she will say yes and really mean it.

This was the warmest day of the year so far here and Janet took full advantage of it, spending some good time basking in the sun and enjoying our first outside meal of the year.

First outside meal of 2014. Grilled cheese of course.

First outside meal of 2014. Grilled cheese of course.


Janet managed a couple of good walking sessions today that were highlighted by some nice cornering. Her toileting issues were improved but not resolved and we may need to consult the GP if things continue this way. I’m finding it difficult to deal with as it seems a set back for Janet and I’m not into those. Her energy level was decent today but she still needed a two hour nap this afternoon and came out of that with pretty good energy and motivation enough to go for a walk around our old neighbourhood. Barb blessed us with some of her famous bread as we strolled by their house. Please add Gary to your prayer list as he faces heart surgery in the near future.

Taking time to make a nice dinner, Janet helped prepare a part of it and we enjoyed some laughs with Heather over good food and wine tonight. Overall this was a better day than yesterday but certainly not Janet’s best and I pray for a return to the progress she was making both physically and cognitively.

Janet, A Success Story. April 10. #TSJ

I’m not sure how to start this post as Janet and I along with a few other Connect folks saw the movie Noah tonight and I’m still rather consumed by it. I didn’t meet up with Janet today until she and the others got to the movie theatre but I did call her at lunch time and she was quite excited to be outside at Beasley Park having a picnic with a bunch of Connect people. She also was excited to tell me she had done some walking from the breakfast table to somewhere she couldn’t name, I’m thinking the Den but it may have been further. Point is, she was excited to have done it.

Janet expressed all emotions except laughter during Noah and overall thought it was a good movie with a lot of parts she didn’t understand. I would concur and Janet and I had a good talk about it in the car and right up until bedtime and would love to hear from any of you as to what you thought of it. It was exciting to be able to take Janet to a movie and for her to sit through a long one like that. Her sitting was made more comfortable in that she was able to sit in a theatre seat after a difficult transfer that included negotiating a three inch step down to get to her seat. Popcorn and pop helped too of course.

Praying for a restful night of sleep tonight and for an energetic Janet tomorrow and also for Heather to arrive safely and on time.