dinner

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 #Christmas

A very merry Christmas it was here today. There was no mad rush to the tree to open presents so Janet was able to get up when she wanted and enjoy a leisurely breakfast prepared by Laurel and Heather. Courtney joined us near the end and then we did the presents thing. Janet loves opening stuff but more enjoys seeing others react to what she gave them and although we have scaled things way back it was still a fun time.

The weather was nice enough for a nice walk around the neighbourhood before a late lunch. Janet was having a rather relaxed day up until that point and I thought the fresh air would be good for her. She was a little quiet as we watched basketball and snacked so to improve the chances of an enjoyable evening I had Janet take a one hour rest break. She probably slept for most of that hour but was awake when I went in to check on her and she seemed ready to make the rest of the day fun.

Janet helped a little with the dinner prep and did some really good standing for more than ten minutes while Laurel and Heather made dinner. With some lively Christmas music playing, Janet even got a few dance moves going while holding onto a countertop and briefly a couple times not holding onto anything. The music and business of the kitchen were good distractions to any discomfort Janet was experiencing and she even executed a well controlled decent back into her wheelchair. High Five!

Dinner was outstanding and the conversation around the table very enjoyable as we all relaxed and enjoyed wine and laughter. Janet participated fully and even after a more wine than she probably should have she was fully engaged in what was happening and had a really fun time. She surprised us all by calling her own bedtime at ten o’clock when she seemed to be going pretty strong. Good for her to recognize when she’s tired though and she did fall asleep pretty quick.

We hope you enjoyed your Christmas as much as we did. Praying for a night of uninterrupted sleep and lots of energy for tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 33. Randy spent the day grouting the backsplash in the kitchen, looks awesome, and priming the cabinets for painting. I finished installing lights and started changing plug outlets and switches after finally figuring out how to reconnect the doorbell. Sometimes the simplest things are the hardest.

I met Janet as she was stuck trying to get into her bathroom and was about to call for help. I love that she’s trying these things on her own. Janet is getting more comfortable using the iPhone and iPad and she called her mom to set up a Skype chat that went well. They hadn’t talked for a couple weeks as Mary/Gaga and Keith were in the Bahamas for a little vacation. Janet was happy to get caught up then agreed to a bike ride before going to church and blew me away when she started at 34RPM and stayed in that range for a good ten minutes. She finished with a personal best 1.6 mile ride in twenty five minutes. The timer was set for thirty minutes but I let her stop sooner since she’d beaten her record.

Church tonight was very cool as its baptism weekend at Trinity. We witnessed about fifteen mostly young people get baptized and share their stories. Some of the stories were quite moving and Janet enthusiastically cheered for each person after they got dunked. She really enjoyed the different format of the service tonight and stood for the longest time yet, even shifting weight a little onto the right leg at times. After another Home Depot run we went to try out a new to us restaurant and were very impressed. <a href="http://

20131107-002050.jpg“>Mon Thong served very yummy Vietnamese food that except for one slightly spicy dish was gobbled up by a hungry Janet. We returned to Connect for dessert and a surprise Skype chat with Laurel, Raj and Cam. Janet was very excited to talk to them even though it was almost bedtime and she thought it was nice of them to think of calling her.

Throughout my time with Janet today her right leg was in varying states of stiffness. Most of the time she was able to control it enough that it stayed on the wheelchair footrest. When she was cold and tired it dragged on the ground. I warned her that tomorrow we’d be doing the parallel bars and she’s not that excited about it so hopefully I can convince her to try. Praying for a night of uninterrupted sleep that brings increased strength and flexibility.

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

Renovation Day 32. Big day today! The bathroom and laundry area floors are in! That enabled Frank the plumber to install one of the new toilets and change out most of the poly B pipe in the house. I finished installing LED pot lights and have two flush mount fixtures to go and the lighting will be done except for accent lights in and around some cabinets. Dave the painter is finished except for base boards and some touch ups. Randy completed the backsplash in the kitchen and I must say Janet picked a good one!

With so much going on at the house today I didn’t get to Connect until after four and Janet was waiting in the living room. She remembered I might be late so she wasn’t worried. After catching up on the day she surprisingly agreed to a bike ride in which she tied her personal best. I thought for sure she’d break it and think the machine was unfair to her the last six minutes of her ride in not giving her as much distance as at first. Never the less Janet seemed pleased with her efforts and obviously got a cardio workout in the process.

Janet not only ate a big dinner tonight, she ate rather speedily and when I commented on that she thought I was weird. Usually she’s a pretty methodical eater and tonight her plate was clean in no time. There was room for apple pie and ice cream though. Yummy.

While filling out a questionnaire on Janet’s abilities to perform certain tasks we came across a question on managing finances. Janet was quite indignant that I think she can’t handle her money and repeatedly stated she could. Prior to getting sick Janet was an excellent money manager and I’ve assumed she would be completely incompetent in that area now. I might be wrong though. After a lengthy and intelligent conversation we agreed that I would let Janet know each time her CPPD payment is deposited and she will assist in determining how that money is designated. I’m curious to see how this goes and expect her to be able to take some responsibility for household decisions.

Our evening finished off with some TV and Janet was quite upset neither The Voice or X Factor was on but that left more time to chat with the other residents and staff. Janet was relatively quiet tonight and called her own bedtime just after nine. Praying for a night of uninterrupted sleep and complete healing of her right leg.

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

Renovation Day 26. I thought today would be the start of clean up time but it turned out to be more mess making. I decided to remove the vanity in the main bathroom so Dave the painter can work easier and Randy continued sanding his drywall work. I’m very glad I never went into that business before. Messy. We also discovered another decision I need Janet’s help with. Backsplashes. I never thought about it until Randy mentioned it today so shopping we go again.

My arrival at Connect once again coincided with Janet’s nap time and she was awake when I snuck in. She had been on a big adventure the first past of the day as Jess drove Wes to his house in Armstrong and took Janet along with her. Janet said Wes and Roz have a beautiful home and they had lunch there including a big piece of pie. She thought the whole trip was fun and when I asked her at the end of the night what the best part of the day was, it was the trip to Wes and Roz’s house.

It was quickly back to reality and a bike ride at the Connect gym. Janet set another personal best today and seems to be taking to the bike really well. Since she was on a road trip earlier we’ll have to call this the day off as there was only time for the bike ride before going to church. Janet once again sat in a pew with me and stood a couple different times during this service. We decided to try a local Lake Country restaurant called Routes Grill for dinner tonight and it was pretty good.Janet ate a huge portion continuing her theme for the day as Jess said she ate lots of pancakes for breakfast then had a huge lunch at Wes’s house. She is a growing girl after all.

With an ice cream treat and her meds we sat down and watched a little TV as Janet quickly ran out of steam again. It makes it a lot easier to say good night to her when I know she’s really tired and should fall asleep right away and that’s certainly been the case lately.

Praying for a long night of deep sleep and an increase in strength and control of her right leg.

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

Renovation Day 16. Randy continued work on the fireplace area cabinets and started some finishing touches on the kitchen island. We made decisions on location and size of drawers, cut out vents for the wine cabinet, prepared for the new floors and arranged for some plumbing work to be done. I also decided to not sand any more ceilings. Dirty job and too expensive to have someone else do it.

I managed to sneak up on Janet while she watched TV in the living room at Connect this afternoon. She’d had a busy day in the gym and around the house so was ready to go “look at something” with me. The something was a dining room light fixture and some glass for cabinets at the new house. I’ve never shopped for glass before and was expecting it to be complicated but it went very smoothly and we were out of the store in fifteen minutes after making a good choice. Light fixtures are always difficult but we got some good help and Janet narrowed the field really well and we went to the new house armed with a couple possibilities, one of which, I think we’ll buy. Janet was quite surprised by what she saw at the house. There’s been a lot of progress since she was last there and she’s quite excited. Not excited enough to give you a video tour yet but I’m working on her.

Before we left Connect I listed the things we were going to do and Janet was most excited about going out for dinner, so, with the shopping complete and the house inspected, off we went. We decided to go to Cactus Club as we hadn’t been there in a long time and wanted to use the gift card Joel and Kiko got us a long time ago. Thanks guys! I love taking Janet out even more now as she sits in regular chairs, doesn’t need a shirt saver and tries really hard to order her own food. I asked Janet which she liked best, the appy, the entrée, the wine or dessert. She quickly said dessert. No real surprise.

By the time we got back to Connect the wine had hit Janet and she was quite tired. I would’ve liked to have gotten her on the bike but there was no way that was happening and I think the outing and conversation we had was good therapy anyways. Praying for lots of rest tonight and a fun day tomorrow especially swimming.

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

Renovation Day 9. Cabinets are taking shape, blinds are ordered and I spent a lot of time discussing bathroom options with two experts. Conclusion? Not yet.

Janet called me just before noon wondering if Nancy was meeting her for lunch. I reminded her Nancy wasn’t due until around three. Janet was quite disappointed as I think she was hoping to use the visit as an excuse not to do the Standing Frame. As it turned out, she was in it when John arrived early for his singing session with her and stayed in it the whole session. My guess is she sang well as she said it was fun and her voice has been notably louder lately.

Nancy arrived as scheduled and Janet gave her a tour of Connect during which Nancy got introduced to a lot of the other residents. The two of them had a nice visit, looking at photos and chatting. Nancy reports she’s very impressed with Janet’s ability to comment correctly on a number of topics and was able to identify a lot of people in the photos they looked at. What was especially impressive was Janet navigating on their drive to our house. She called a number of correct turns especially the last two before arriving here. Very well done considering she’s only been to the house a few times.

After we gave Nancy a quick tour of the construction site we went down the street for a fabulous dinner at The Fixx Cafe. Janet ate very well and enjoyed a glass of Pinot Noir. I continue to be impressed by her neatness now. She really doesn’t need a shirt saver for most meals and is also better at cutting her food. The meal and conversation were most enjoyable tonight and tuckered Janet right out. She was asleep minutes after I started reading to her in bed at Connect which she chose to do as soon as we got there rather than watch The Voice. Good call I think.

Praying for a solid night of sleep and thanking Nancy for her friendship and support.

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

After a busy day of preparing to move I got to Connect to find Janet lounging by the TV in the living room. She was eager to do something so my suggestion to go car shopping was readily accepted. Combine that with dinner out and a visit to the church before going back to Connect and she was all smiles.

I was too late to get a briefing on Janet’s day so far and all she could tell me was she just had a shower and doesn’t like having them so late in the day as her hair doesn’t dry fast. She also mentioned going outside with Garrett for exercise but wasn’t able to give me details.

Car shopping is proving as difficult as house hunting was. Janet is being very patient through this process and understands she needs to be there because if she can’t get in and out easily there’s no point in considering that car. We did find one SUV that she can get into but in reading online about it tonight there is quite a discrepancy between the gas mileage the salesperson told us the vehicle got and what the websites list. Not sure if that was an honest mistake or what. Still searching.

Dinner was at Gengie and was “yummy” according to Janet. Her chop stick skills are improving and this was by far the least messy sushi dinner I can remember. We stopped by Trinity to check out the Small Group kick off event. The goal was to connect with a small group that I could take Janet to during the week for social and spiritual gain. We ran into Heidi who invited Janet to join her at She Life, a group that meets Wednesday evenings at the church and will be discussing the book we are reading, Not a Fan. Janet accepted the invite quickly and seems quite excited to try the group out. I hope to be able to help with the Tech Team while Janet does her thing so it could be win win. Don’t tell Joel.

We made it back to Connect just before nine and Janet put away a bunch of her things I had brought out from the house then asked to get ready for bed so I could read to her a little. That was quite a different day together than typical and Janet seemed to enjoy it all. I wouldn’t want to keep her away from the gym or that busy too often but it was fun and we learned a lot and had nice chats with a few people. All good therapy.

Praying for a healing night of sleep and a positive day tomorrow.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #friend #sunny

I gave Janet a call around lunch time today to see how she was doing and she explained she had done all the usual things already including going to the gym. The way she said it implied she was a very good girl and shouldn’t have to go to the gym again. Nice try. It was fun to talk to her on the phone and I think she was happy to get the call. When I arrived in her room a few hours later she was anxious for the arrival of her friend Annette so didn’t nap at all. I got her up and we went outside to wait. I gave Janet a few options for how the evening could play out, all of course included a trip to the gym. She was not impressed but settled on a walk then dinner with Annette and a session on the Shuttle at eight or so.

Annette was running late so we went for a walk to check out a resort in the area that I thought might be ok to stay at while I’m homeless but it turned out to be pretty sketchy so I’ll keep looking. Janet was very excited when Annette arrived and we enjoyed a good conversation over a mediocre dinner at the local Greek restaurant. Janet and Annette have known each other for over thirty years now and have lots to talk about. Janet was bright and talkative the whole evening and is looking forward to visiting more tomorrow and hopefully having a better dinner.

There was no real protest from Janet when gym time rolled around and her Shuttle performance was solid. As it was getting a little late, I shortened her Standing Fame session and she was in bed and very sleepy by 10:15. That was a busy day for Janet with no real rest and she was pretty amped up to see Annette so the fast crash tonight was no surprise. Praying for a night of deep sleep and a productive day tomorrow.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #NFL #kickoff #wheelchair

It was an early start to the day for me as someone named Brian scheduled a wheelchair meeting at Connect for 9:00am. This meeting was actually long overdue so I’m glad we could finally have it even if it was on the early side. We went over Janet’s chair part by part so that the rep could put together a quote for the purchase of her very own ride. Hers will be a little more tricked out than the one she’s using now and Janet chose the color from quite a wide selection. I won’t disclose the color until her chair arrives in a few weeks. We also tested and will continue to test this weekend a “porter” wheelchair. This is a lightweight rather simple chair that folds up easily and could be used for shopping trips, dinner outings and church in place of her larger rigid chair. Having one of these would widen our options for a new car but Jared the wheelchair guy also showed us how easily the regular chair breaks down to fit into any car. Nice to have choices.

I had a little time to spare before my dentist appointment and the staff were a little busy so I took Janet to the gym after our meeting. Jess explained the not needing to go to the gym last night mystery saying she’d told Janet if she did the yoga thing she wouldn’t have to do her stretching routine that morning. Makes sense and Janet agreed after hearing it from the source. Janet did a great job on the Shuttle this morning and is definitely slowly gaining strength. I left her in Jess’s capable hands and went off to improve my smile.

On my return Janet was dusting in the living room so I secretly watched her for a few minutes. I love how she was really concentrating on what she was supposed to do and looking for areas that needed cleaning. She probably wouldn’t pass a white glove test but she made a great effort and used good technique. A nap was out of the question as she was busy doing chores and next up was dinner prep. Grating carrots is hard work for me let alone Janet but again, lots of good concentration and effort but not the greatest technique. Chopping potatoes went really well and chopping peppers was much improved over previous attempts. Janet admitted that was hard work and she was tired afterwards.

While dinner was cooking we went for a little walk so I could get some dinner for myself and the fresh air gave Janet a nice energy boost. She enjoyed her dinner and never complained about going to the gym afterwards where she again had a solid session on the Shuttle. We then watched some real football while Janet was in the Standing Frame. The end of summer is always sad but the start of football season sort of makes up for it. Baltimore and Denver were playing and Janet remembered she used to cheer for Baltimore because of Michael Oher from the movie The Blind Side. He got injured and Baltimore lost badly but the parts of the game we watched were fun and a good warm up for watching the only team that matters Sunday morning. Go ‘hawks!

Praying for continued improvement in Janet’s strength, memory and awareness.