bike

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

For quite some time now Janet has been getting increasingly resistant to the idea of going swimming each Thursday morning. She “hates” being cold and also doesn’t like all the preparation needed to get ready followed by the big production when finished. She was one of three residents that went to the pool this morning and only one of those went near the water so Garrett could spend the whole session with us. He got to see first hand how good of a swimmer Janet is and how quickly she gets cold, even with the wet suit. More importantly he saw how the cold affects Janet’s ability to control her legs. He agreed that other than “the outing” there isn’t much therapeutic value to the swimming if Janet isn’t really enjoying it. We asked Janet to suggest an alternative to swimming rather than just complaining about it and she wisely said she could do exercises in the gym. This is what she’s chosen to do Tuesdays instead of attending the group therapy session and I fully support that choice. That gave me justification to talk to Brian later today to suggest Janet no longer go to the pool as long as there is staff available to take her to the gym. He agreed, I told Tez and he’s onboard so Janet has been released from that “terrible” thing. The countless visits to various pools truly helped Janet’s recovery and we are blessed to have had the opportunity to work in the water as much as we did. Janet loves to swim and I’m confident she’ll be back in the water as soon as its warm enough.

After lunch and a nap Janet responded to some emails, this time electing to type them herself and she did really well, even hitting the space bar at the appropriate time a few times. She gave up a little quickly on her reading today and I had to really push her to follow through to the end. Her confidence level seemed quite low this afternoon and evening. Perhaps because of that she was very resistant to doing any exercise and we had a long and somewhat heated discussion about her situation. There hasn’t been a meltdown of this magnitude for a long time and I’m not sure what triggered this one other than lack of confidence. Janet has a hard time accepting that she’s doing well and making progress because it isn’t happening fast enough for her. At the end of our discussion she did her best one legged bike ride ever and got a great stretch in the Standing Frame.

Bedtime each night involves us praying together and we share lines of the Lord’s Prayer followed by a heart prayer that has always been at least 99% me talking. I often encourage Janet to start that prayer and up until tonight she’s only managed a few words before giving up in frustration at not being able to get the words she wants out. Tonight she said the sweetest most “honest”(her word) prayer yet, most of which centred around our earlier discussion. It was very moving and I pray she is now able to express herself that way not only to God but to me and everyone else who loves her too.

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

It was back to the pool today for Janet after a couple of weeks off. Her complaining hasn’t changed and neither has her swimming ability except for the time she drank a little water from the deep tank and I had to pull her to edge so she could cough it up. Scarier for me than her. In the kiddie pool Janet did some great standing and knee bends with a decent amount of push from her right leg. There was a two year old girl in the pool at the same time as us and she made a point of staring down Janet every time she jumped in and she wouldn’t jump until Janet was watching. Kid magnet.

After a short nap Janet cooperated with me and did a good session on the Shuttle and a better one than yesterday on the bike. I’d say she’s making small gains on the Shuttle and the bike is going to take a while.

Ed Mitchell is a counsellor who comes in every Tuesday morning and facilitates a group discussion for the residents of Connect. Janet has been but is not really interested. Tonight Ed started a group for the spouses and families of the residents so I went to see what this guy is all about. Ed is a nice guy who is offering his services to help anyone who wants, unfortunately tonight me and Willie’s wife were the only two there. The intent is to meet once a month on Thursday evenings but I’m not sure I want to give up that time with Janet as all she did while I was there tonight was watch TV. Nice idea, but.

I convinced Janet to do forty five minutes in the Standing Frame before heading off to her room to plan meals for the weekend and read Open. She was disappointed we couldn’t watch any tennis tonight and didn’t last long with me reading either as she stared snoring four pages in. That’s a good thing and hopefully she snores all night. Praying for lots of energy and a positive attitude for tomorrow that enables Janet to keep working hard like she did today.

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

Garrett and Karl ran Janet through a pretty busy first half of the day so when I got to Connect she was finishing a nap. The new exercise routine had been followed well we found out from Tiffany as Janet couldn’t remember exactly what she’d done other than stand on the two scales. The AFO continues to fit fine and once up from her nap Janet was eager to do more exercise so she could be done with it. She had a good workout on the Shuttle, all right leg stuff with me trying hard not to support her leg too much. Her one legged pedalling on the bike was noticeably better than yesterday and Janet was able to go at a steady enough pace to not feel it was stupid.

We stayed for dinner at Connect and Janet transferred nicely to and from the dinner table. Afterwards, we drove to UBCO to watch some basketball and I had Janet propel herself to our car then from the car into the gym. I don’t think she’s too thrilled about this new level of responsibility but she’s doing extremely well at it with the only obstacle being her fear of going too fast on a downhill part. Transferring from wheelchair to seat at the game was a little more challenging because of the weight of the AFO. Janet has to step up a one foot ledge to get to the seating level and needs a lot of assistance in doing so but made it. Our timing was perfect as it was halftime in the women’s game and we left at halftime of the men’s game. The games were entertaining with the women winning a close one and the guys holding an unexpected lead at the half. It’s just too late for us to stay for all the guys game though and their game is a little too fast for Janet to really follow. She gets the women’s game pretty good now.

Getting back into her wheelchair to leave UBCO was much easier than getting out as it was down hill and Janet confidently wheeled out of the gym in a nice straight line in front of quite a large crowd. I thought she might feel a little awkward doing that but not so. We finished the night off with some good tennis and ice cream and Janet being very pleased to be home.

Prying for a deep and re-energizing sleep and a productive tomorrow.

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

Janet was waiting for me in the living room at Connect in anticipation of our meeting with Tez this morning and waisted no time in getting on with it. The AFO seems to fit Janet well, she complained of a little irritation on her ankle bone last night but all was well today as she was wearing longer socks. Tez took her through the basics of getting out of her wheelchair, instructing Janet to get as far forward on the seat as possible before trying to stand. That works every time but Janet often forgets. Although walking all the way to the kitchen last night was a significant accomplishment, Tez wants to return to basics as far as Janet’s walking goes. She is still reluctant to put much weight through her right leg and has very little control of her right quadriceps, if any. We had Janet stand with each foot on a scale and she was putting about thirty pounds on the right leg, all the rest of her weight was through her left leg. Tez believes confidence is a huge part of this issue and has developed some exercises to help build strength in that leg and therefore confidence. For the next few weeks there will be no long walks but a lot of standing, Shuttle, bike and stretching work with the focus being on the right leg. The bike rides will consist of a warm up period using both legs followed by pedalling with only her right leg. Same on the Shuttle combined with everyday use of the Standing Frame and lots of free standing as on the scales. Jess joined us in the gym later and showed me the new mat exercises for Janet. Both involve “bridging” which forces Janet to activate her quads. These can be done at home too as can the standing of course.

That was a full morning so to give Janet a break I brought her home for lunch before her doctor appointment this afternoon. Her transfers in and out of the car with the AFO were excellent and I can sense Janet is more confident in those situations. The doctor visit was good with no major issues to discuss and Janet will return in March for a full check up, something she hasn’t had since well before she got sick.

Back at Connect Janet was determined to get her exercises over and done with so foregoing a nap it was off to the gym she went. After a warm up on the Shuttle, Tez popped in and coached us through what he’d like Janet to do on that machine. It was a huge help and a real eye opener to see just how little Janet has been using her right leg. I’ve always supported that leg while she’s worked on the Shuttle and realized today that that was enabling her to use it in a way that circumvents the quadriceps. Tez agreed that no support and the minimum weight is the way to go now and to try and force Janet to use those muscles. She had a very solid workout and I think will actual enjoy the Shuttle more using it this way. Next up was the Standing Frame and although she was visibly tired, Janet stood nice and straight for forty five minutes. After dinner we were back in the gym for some one legged bike riding. Again, we are back to basics here, at the lowest level and with me assisting on the upward part of each revolution. Janet didn’t enjoy this ride very much and I think measurable goals will be hard to show her for a while. I hope she hangs in there.

Janet was eager to read Open tonight and we were able to YouTube another scene out of the book to bring it to life again. Very cool. She didn’t last long watching tennis tonight after a physically demanding day. Praying for a deep and healing sleep tonight and a productive day tomorrow.

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

Mom and I met Janet and the gang at the pool this morning and for once Janet was all smiles and laughing before swimming. Somehow they had gotten to talking abut helicopters during the drive in and Curtis had everyone trying their best imitation of what a helicopter sounds like. Janet tried hers as we met her at the car but she was laughing too hard to do it. A fun way to start the day.

Janet excelled in the pool today setting a personal best for swimming on her tummy and for the first time ever, she was able to tread water. That was pretty funny as she insisted on using her arm and of course ended up spinning around in circles. She thought it was funny too and tried a few times without her arm just to see and was fairly successful. I think the wet suit helps with buoyancy and Janet clearly has a lot of confidence in the water now. We did some standing in the kiddie pool as well as some leg exercises including bringing both knees up to her chest while floating on her back with my support. In the KGH Rehab pool she was never able to push her right leg back out on it’s own, she always used the left leg to assist. Today Janet did it routinely without assistance. That was a very nice and encouraging surprise and is a move she needs to have in order to walk well. High five!

After swimming we met Courtney at Urban Fare for lunch with Janet having her usual and propelling herself through the store really well. She called her own nap time once we got home and awoke an hour later refreshed and able to help with dinner. I noticed a couple of times when I gave her instructions she wasn’t following them very well and I’m not sure why. Usually I can tell her to get two or three things from the fridge at once and it won’t be a problem, tonight she grabbed things I didn’t ask for and didn’t get things I did ask for. Maybe she was more tired than I thought. Over all she was helpful and managed a decent transfer into a dining chair when we were ready to eat.

My mom likes to have her dessert right after dinner and Janet and I usually wait until close to bedtime. Tonight Janet eagerly accepted the offer of ice cream right after dinner and that apparently fuelled her up nicely as when we got to the gym at Connect she set a personal best on the bike after claiming she was too tired to do very well. We wound down the evening by watching a little basketball while Janet had her meds then reading a chapter of Open that spawned some good conversation afterwards and instead of putting her to sleep seemed to wind her up a little. Oops.

Praying for a night of deep and healing sleep that gives Janet lots of energy for a productive Friday.

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

Janet was chatting in the living room with Willie when I got to Connect just before lunch today. Nice to see her doing that even though she couldn’t see that well as she didn’t have her glasses on. She told me she couldn’t find them but as soon as we got to her room we saw them right on her beside table where I put them last night. Her splint was right where I left it too, meaning that’s the second day in a row she hasn’t worn it and that’s not cool.

After a quick lunch we took off to her AFO appointment. Janet said the appointment went about the way she expected and the lady was nice. I got the impression the lady didn’t really think Janet was ready for an AFO or to be seriously considering walking but maybe that’s just me. I didn’t relay that to Janet at all as she needs to stay as positive as possible and she is looking forward to wearing this brace in hopes it will keep her right leg more stable. We go back Monday afternoon to have it installed and I know if nothing else it will give Janet the confidence she needs to work a little harder in learning to walk.

We made one stop along the way home to finally get our address changed on our Id’s and Janet had a one hour nap as soon as we got there. Upon waking she had just enough time to brush her teeth and get ready for her dentist appointment. Things have really improved in that area and Janet only had one small cavity that will get filled at the end of the month. She was a little disappointed but considering how long her teeth were neglected for I think she’s doing fine and she brushes quite well now.

Back home for dinner we went and Janet was showing signs of being tired again but perked right up when some songs came on that she really likes. She started to sing along and there is nothing I know of on this earth more joyous than Janet singing with that huge smile on her face. I’ve said it before and it continues to impress me how powerful music is and don’t tell anyone but Janet’s singing is contagious as I even sang a little to teach her one of my favourite songs right now,The Giving Tree by Plain White T’s. Janet thought it was great that I sang. There may be hope.

Sadly, we had to get back to Connect for meds and a little exercise. Janet did not want to go and didn’t cheer up until we were half way there. She put in a good effort on a difficult bike ride that I actually had to make easier part way through and was too tired and it was too late after to do any walking so it was off to bed to read. Janet is really enjoying Open and looks forward to our time doing that. Hopefully some nights she won’t be so tired and I can get her to read a little herself.

Praying for a solid night of healing sleep that provides lots of energy for tomorrow’s activities.

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

Back to reality. Janet seemed quite comfortable and “at home” when I arrived at Connect late this afternoon. Proving her memory skills, the first thing she asked me was “did you go skiing?” When I told I was happily surprised she remembered that she said, “why wouldn’t I remember that?” Nice change from the Janet that couldn’t remember something from an hour ago.

Janet did forget to have a nap this afternoon and was showing signs of being tired but it was too late to nap so she opted for a bike ride instead. Once again I received orders not to make it so hard but being the meanie that I am I never said anything when she programmed the bike to do the same profile as last night and at a higher level. I told her I believed she would do better than last night and she did, tying her personal best but at the most difficult setting she’s tried.

The exercise built her appetite to where dinner was devoured in no time and after hanging out for a little while I asked Janet to practice some walking. She didn’t want to go upstairs to the parallel bars so I had her free stand for almost ten minutes in her room then walk the fifteen feet or so across the hall to Kieran’s door, turn around and walk back to her wheelchair that was beside her bed. The last ten feet were really taxing on her but she maintained as good a form as possible and was able to perform a very controlled landing back into her wheelchair. High five!

We joined Wes and Willie’s wife Val in the living room for a little TV and conversation. Janet tired quickly though and just wanted to get her pjs on and have me read more of Open to her. Because she went to bed so early I was able to read a full chapter to her and she was able to tell me the highlights of what we read despite being ready for sleep. Her memory really is improving and I have to be careful what I say around her now. When I first got to Connect today she told me that there was only one person working all day as Jess was sick. Janet described that person as being Curtis. Later on and in front of Janet, I asked Tiffany if Curtis was working alone all day and Janet got a little offended that I doubted her. That is a real sign of the former Janet returning. Nice!

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

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

Janet had another Christmas present arrive this morning. It came in the form of a text message to me from Curtis at Connect reporting that swimming was cancelled for today. Janet was very happy as she insists she does not like going swimming. Truth is she doesn’t like all the preparation for it and the coldness and I understand that and she even admitted later that she would like it more if she could say what to do in the pool. As long as she doesn’t go straight for the hot tub I’m good with that.

Since we no longer had a fixed appointment to go to Janet was able to enjoy a leisurely and complete breakfast before we took off to take our Christmas tree to the chipper and drive out to Connect for a workout. Either Janet is a true celebrity or everyone at Connect is really bored these days because within minutes of me texting that we were in the gym we had Curtis, Garrett, Carly and three other residents in there with Janet being the only one really working out. That attention must have motivated her as she completed her toughest bike ride yet in a personal best tying fashion. Janet recognized that it was a hard ride and blamed me for setting it up that way but I reminded her she peddled her way through it very very well and she acknowledged that with a hint of a smile. Janet left the room and so did most everyone else to a lot of giggles for the following Janet has.

Our next stop was the parallel bars for some walking practice and getting into the elevator we were intercepted by Wendy, Janet’s memory coach. We had a good chat about her plans for Janet which are to work with her three or four days a week, sometimes twice a day for about thirty minutes at a time building Janet’s “future” memory and her “what did I just do” memory. The tools Janet will use are a calendar app on her iPad for the future stuff and a hard copy journal for the past. One short term goal will be to train Janet on the use of an iPhone as she can carry that around easier than a tablet. Janet is a little unsure of it all but Wendy promises it will be a long process with no pressure to hurry up and do something. Janet will learn at her own pace and I think she’ll surprise herself.

Curtis and I helped Janet with some side stepping along the parallel bars and Janet put in a fine effort. The Botox is definitely wearing off of her right leg and she must be noticing a change too as a couple times a day now she is asking me when are we going to see about the AFO. I notice sometimes now her balance and mechanics aren’t quite as good as they have been and I’m hoping that improves once she’s back into her routine at Connect.

After a very productive visit to Connect it was home for a late lunch then some chores. Janet wiped down the outside of all the cupboards and drawers she could reach then had a little power nap. She was a big help in prepping dinner tonight, getting things from the fridge and chopping. She wanted to watch another movie tonight and we chose Hugo. Janet said she didn’t understand even as I explained things as they happened. When I had her retell the story she got the vast majority of it right and decided she did actually understand it.

Praying for a night of uninterrupted and healing sleep that provides lots of energy and a positive attitude for tomorrow.

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

Janet faced disappointment as soon as she woke up this morning. The first words out of her mouth were “its Christmas today!” She must’ve been dreaming or something and as I broke the bad news to her she reluctantly accepted it.

The morning was spent hanging with Heather and Cam before dropping Cam at the airport. Once again, no tears, maybe she’s saving them all for Heather. Since Connect is so close to the airport it seemed natural to combine that trip with a visit to the gym. Janet seemed to understand the importance of doing so but was less than enthusiastic about it. The place was pretty quiet so with a little hello to Humberto it was right onto the bike. Janet did very well considering she hasn’t been on the thing for a week. I think we will make a few visits next week so she can get right back into it for real the week after.

Heather and I offered Janet lunch out but she wanted her grilled cheese at home so that’s what we did followed by a long nap that was clearly needed. Janet was nicely recharged after that and we all enjoyed a very yummy dinner at the Yellow House along with some nice live music from Julie Masi. Janet did not sing along to any of it but enjoyed the tunes, company and food. Thanks for the treat Heather!

We all chose dessert at home and watched a little TV as Janet faded after an enjoyable and successful day. Praying for a night of deep and healing sleep and for a fun day tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 70. The Den is now officially useable as a second bedroom complete with wall mounted TV. Randy, I’m assuming, worked from home today and I hope for his sake is nearing the end.

Jess reported that Janet had a great first part of the day today starting with the dreaded shower but right after breakfast they went to the gym and even Janet said it went well and felt better going there first thing. Shuttle and stretching took place there before going upstairs for walking practice. Jess had Janet focus a lot on side stepping this morning and I know Janet is getting pretty good at that and its good practice for being able to flex her right leg out. After her workouts Janet helped Jess prepare dinner for tonight so it was quite the busy morning.

I found Janet in bed but wide awake when I arrived and after hearing her version of the day we started writing her Christmas cards to the Connect staff and residents. Janet’s handwriting is still pretty messy and inconsistent but mostly legible so it was appropriate that she write all the cards. She needed a break after the first eight or so and that helped reset her to a reasonably neat style. Once she was done it was dinner time and she couldn’t wait to hand out cards to those that were there along with a happy face lolly pop with each one. She very confidently went about distributing them and was genuinely pleased when I told her she did well.

As a Christmas present to Tiffany, Janet agreed to do a little walking after dinner. I had her set up at the door to her room with the goal of getting to her bed which is about twelve feet away. Tiffany was busy with Wes for a few minutes so I asked Janet to try and stand from her chair using only the armrest as support. After a few attempts she got about half way up but couldn’t quite push the rest of the way. A very solid effort and proof of increasing strength. There is a technique to that move that I’m not sure of so its on the to do list with Tez tomorrow. Walking to the bed was slow and not Janet’s best and she complained a little about the ankle brace being loose. It was a good effort considering the time and the busy day she’d already had. That didn’t stop her from wanting to go for a bike ride though and for the first time she did her ride at level four! There was some early whining that it was hard but by the end she had still averaged the same she does at level three so again, proof she’s getting stronger.

That pretty much played Janet out and we relaxed watching The Voice to close out the night. Janet sang along to a few of the songs and is finally cheering for my pick since hers is out. We plan on staying up late tomorrow to see who wins. Praying for a restful night that provides energy, focus and brightness for a busy day tomorrow.