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

This is going to be short as its crunch time for moving and every minute counts.

Janet went swimming at the Rutland Y today with Jess, Garrett and some other residents. She told me it was alright and kind of boring. When asked to elaborate she gave her stock answer of “its the same thing”. I think she enjoyed it more than she’s letting on and Garrett says there was some good stretching done along with walking against the flow in the River Run area.

I got to Connect much later than my usual time and Janet was getting up from her nap. Dinner was served right away then we tried going for a walk in the last of the Fall sun. The weather has really changed in a hurry here, I saw frost on the rooftops yesterday morning and Janet had to wear her winter coat for tonight’s walk. I still had my shorts and polo shirt on but was cold by the end of the walk. In Janet’s words, “we’ve lost our summer”. We are happy to see that Joel and Kiko are having a good time in sunny Mexico and even happier that Team Save Janet is represented there. That warmed us up.

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Have you got a picture wearing yours in some far away locale? We’d love to see it.

After a little discussion Janet agreed to a workout on the Shuttle and then the Standing Frame with decent results from both. I’m hoping the team meeting next week allows for Janet to express her feelings about going to the gym so much and we can alleviate her fears. A lot of it still boils down to confidence and she’s saying more and more how her right leg doesn’t want to work.

Bedtime reading is becoming a nice trend and we did that again tonight. Praying for lots of sleep tonight and a productive Friday for Janet and also for me.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #NotaFan #TNF #YMCA

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Janet today after our argument last night. I’d seen Curtis in the morning and told him about it and that I wasn’t sure if Janet would go swimming and when I arrived at Connect this afternoon Curtis told me not only did Janet go swimming but she really enjoyed it. Relieved at that news I went into her room and got a hello but not a huge smile. Seems her memory is getting better as she remembered “we were fighting last night”. Arguing is a better term and as soon as we apologized to each other the smile came as she told me swimming “wasn’t too bad”. That’s Janet speak for “I had fun”. There were quite a few residents that went to the pool at the YMCA so Janet’s fear of being the only girl was put to rest and the water was warm as was the room in general. I think one of the problems with the KGH pool is the water is so warm and there is always cool air blowing in the room and Janet is really sensitive to that. She explained how she was in the little pool and the hot tub and it was fun watching the little kids in the pool. I heard through the grapevine that she was treated a little like a queen while there as the guys all made a point of hanging out with her. I’m really happy she went and enjoyed the experience and will talk to Tez to see if going to a place like that can replace the KGH pool. I think the non clinical feel and being out in public are huge benefits for Janet.

It was Janet’s turn to help prep dinner and she worked very hard at chopping peppers for a salad. Progress is being made for sure but she still needs coaching. Dinner was ready before Janet was hungry so we went to the gym to get the Shuttle over with. Her attitude was definitely better today but this wasn’t her strongest performance. There was good action with the right leg and average results when using two and she had no interest in standing on her own. Janet’s right ankle seems a little weaker these last couple of days and it’s starting to seem like she’ll need some support there. Wasting no time after dinner, Janet was right into the Standing Frame while watching Kansas City beat Philadelphia on Thursday Night Football. Getting that done earlier than last night left us time to catch the last song of Music Night upstairs where Brian and Kevin jammed for everyone’s enjoyment. It’s really cool that they do that and if Janet wasn’t so hung up on getting her “work” done we wouldn’t been there for more. I read some Not a Fan to her before bed and she’s really finding the book interesting and intriguing. Janet is able to tell me about what we’ve read and express her thoughts on it in addition to reading short portions. Powerful stuff.

This was a much better day than yesterday and I’m thankful for that. I can sense a little emotion starting as Janet realizes this is her last weekend in our current home. We will be busy packing so there won’t be a lot of time to get all sentimental but I’m sure it’ll be a little sad for her on Monday. At the same time she is excited about the new house and the freedom it will give her. Praying for a night of deep and healing sleep and a productive day tomorrow.

This Girl is on Fire! A quote from Garrett, nothing to do with Alicia Keys. #TSJ

To my disappointment, Janet was waiting for me in the living room when I arrived at Connect a little before three today. I had told her last night I would be in AFTER her nap and that I wanted her to have her nap before I came to see her so we can do more together. She seemed to get that last night but had no concept of it today. Lorne said she flat out refused the nap even after nodding off in her wheelchair. I was a also a little disappointed she was not using the lounging function of her wheelchair so as to stretch her legs. Lorne did say he got Janet to the gym this morning along with a new volunteer, Joel, and they went through Janet’s complete workout. He said she was a little stiff which I found surprising but she had just had a shower and gets quite cold afterwards so probably tensed up because of that.

Janet didn’t argue with me about taking a nap and she slept right to five o’clock when we went out into the sun for happy hour. Dinner was late tonight so Bob offered to take Janet to the gym beforehand and she agreed based on being able to play poker after dinner. Unfortunately the gym was in full use when they got there so Janet had to wait till after dinner. Garrett took Janet for the second attempt at the gym and had a great workout with her bringing her back saying “this girl’s on fire tonight”. He sure had Janet laughing and had run her through all the family questions and was very impressed with her answers tonight. It’s not just me noticing the cognitive gains recently as sing along John mentioned an improvement in Janet’s memory today as well. I peaked in on a little of Garrett’s workout with Janet and he had her on her tummy laying flatter than I’ve seen in a long time and she was quite comfortable. Her left leg still wants to pop up when in that position so Garrett put a small weight on it to hold it down. Seemed to work. Back in the room the questioning continued with Janet answering quickly and correctly ninety percent of the time. She was even able to describe a little of her workout. I demonstrated to Garrett how much better Janet is standing these days and I was able to get her up to a point where I was barely hanging onto her and she stood for a good thirty seconds. That’s a long time for Janet and a huge improvement. She was even happy with it.

Missing poker because of the gym didn’t seem to phase Janet at all. There were so many positives coming out of the workout that she couldn’t help but be pleased and when offered the choice of watching the last of the poker, reading, watching TV or playing a game on the iPad, she chose the iPad. I guess she knew she was on a roll and wanted to keep it going. The first game involved reading sentences which were displayed on two lines of about six or seven words each. She did very well reading them as I pointed to each word and she followed. We moved onto the game where she has to identify the object pictured. There are a series of clues that can be given and tonight Janet got three or four pictures right with no clues at all and a lot correct with one clue that is spoken in a complete this sentence format and I was very impressed by how many she got that way. By far her best performance on that app. She asked to stop after twenty minutes or so and was ready for bed after quite a busy time this evening.

Praying for lots of rest that brings lots of energy for an active day tomorrow and for Janet to cooperate at nap time.

Brain Gain. Janet smartening up. #TSJ

Garrett had Janet in the gym when I arrived at Connect this morning and they were just finishing a session on the Shuttle when I snuck up behind Janet. Garrett saw me and started asking Janet where she was going today and who with. She knew about swimming and she knew she was going with me, her “boyfriend”. I managed to stay out of her line of sight until she sat up on the Shuttle and I did the cover her eyes, guess who? trick. She knew it was me right away and had a good laugh saying “we were just talking about you”. Garrett said Janet’s legs were quite stiff this morning so we were hoping for some help from the nice warm pool to loosen things up.

During the drive to KGH Janet said she was sort of excited about swimming and sort of not. Once in the water I’d say she was quite happy to be there. We had a good session today although different from the previous visits. Janet seems to have widely varying conditions of flexibility and control over her legs. Today her kicking while on her back was not that strong but kicking while on her tummy was quite impressive. The standing exercises went well and I was able to try quite a few reps without holding onto her at all. I just kept her from falling backwards, something which she tended to do today a lot, but not so much on Monday. Tez will join us at the pool Monday morning and give us some pointers on how to get the best value out of our time there.

After getting dressed we stopped by the OT department and had a nice chat with Jess, Janet’s former OT. Janet spoke nice and loud and clear to Jess who was impressed with how good Janet looks and sounds. On the rehab unit we said hi to nurse Amy and head nurse Erica who had an encouraging chat with Janet. Dr. McCann was there too and I “warned” him about our appointment on Tuesday. He’s ready.

On our way home Janet helped me with a little grocery shopping at Save On where we also picked up some lunch that we enjoyed in the sunshine at home. I didn’t press Janet to have a nap today as by the time we were done lunch it was three o’clock and she was actually doing pretty good so we decided to have a little Skype chat with Heather before making our way back to Connect. We had some stops to make along the way and I explained all of them to Janet before we left the driveway. Surprisingly she got a couple of them right as we made our way to each one but once we hit the “open” road she closed her eyes for a little siesta.

Back at Connect there was only time for a quick bio break before a salmon dinner. Janet said she didn’t like the salmon and I thought it might be because she had lunch so late but I tried it and it was very salty and fishy so I gave her my lasagna which she ate a little of along with her vegetables and lots of cantaloupe for dessert. I convinced her to go to the gym with Sousanne after dinner for a little leg stretch as it would be good for her and good for Sousanne who hasn’t worked with Janet much. Both were pleased with the results and Janet and I read some Slow Dance before getting an early start towards bed tonight as the lack of a nap caught up to Janet. She actually remained very bright right through saying goodnight even though she was tired. Her cognitive abilities have increased dramatically this week and I pray it continues. One good example from today is her reading an invitation she received to the Connect Spring Fling Brunch. Janet read me the card in its entirety except for the times listed on it, then chose to attend the event. You are supposed to rsvp through Christi who has a desk in the main lobby. I wrote “Janet will attend” on the card and sent Janet off to place it on Christi’s desk. I followed way behind Janet so she didn’t know I was there and I smiled the whole time as she wheeled confidently to the lobby, carefully put the card on top of Christi’s answering machine, spun around and came all the way back to her room. She only hit one wall and that was the last door she went through before her room. High five!

Praying for rest and healing tonight and a strong day tomorrow.

Reluctant Progress. The bad gym attitude returns. #TSJ

I arrived at Connect this afternoon surprised to see Janet hanging with Jess in the living room. She had turned down an offer to rest for a little while and was waiting to go upstairs to a birthday party for one of the other residents. Janet was able to tell me she had helped Jess make cabbage rolls this morning, had a shower and went to the gym. Lorne said he gave her a good arm and shoulder stretch and Jess said she helped just fine with the cooking. John came in to sing with Janet this afternoon and she said that was fun. Janet willingly went off with the Jess to the party and returned an hour later saying it was so so and not really her thing. Good she went though.

Nap time started late and ended late with Janet getting almost a couple hours of sleep before a late and short happy hour. Her speech was very good this evening as far as awareness and intelligence goes but the volume level was low most of the time. I was impressed with a lot of her comments and responses and wish she would stay at this level for longer periods of time. There are still moments of confusion that creep in quickly and leave quickly too. I want to say the trend is towards a higher level of awareness but those confused times bother me.

Garrett and I had a very challenging time with Janet in the gym after dinner. He asked for my help so he could take Fred at the same time and Janet fought tooth and nail against going. We got her on the Shuttle and she did a so so workout there for me. From that performance I can safely say she hasn’t gained a bit of leg strength since the last time I went to the gym with her which was a month ago. Garrett assured me she’s done better recently and I’ve had her standing fairly well recently too. Hopefully the hydrotherapy will allow her hamstrings to relax while we wait for the Botox then she’ll be able to get the kind of leg extension that’ll enable her to build strength. I left her with Garrett for some leg stretching and he said that went very well. He sent Janet off from the gym on her own to see if she could find her way back. Unfortunately I went down to see how they were doing and found her half way to her room. I told her I’d go hide and she could try and find me. She found her room just fine but not me. I am a good hider. Just sayin.

In good spirits and talking really well Janet went down to poker night to share more Easter treats then proceeded to eat two oranges as her bedtime snack. We read more of Slow Dance and once again looked at each other numerous times and laughed a couple times at the similar events being described. Janet didn’t argue abut going to bed as I thought she might. She was not showing any real signs of fading even at nine o’clock but she happily did her nighttime routine and was pretty sleepy by the time I said goodnight.

Our video from the Easter services at Trinity continues to get an amazing response from those that have seen it. Thanks again for all the encouraging feedback. If you’d like to watch the entire Easter message and see how Wayne used our story and that of two other amazing people you can do so here.

Praying for rest and healing tonight, energy and brightness tomorrow with a good attitude towards getting stronger.

How Could You Not Smile? A sunny day for Janet. #TSJ

When I arrived at Connect this afternoon Jess reported that Janet was having a good day. It started with a shower, included a trip to the gym with Tez and also had more of the ongoing water battle. Janet was apparently in her room listening to music so I carefully opened the door in case she was sleeping but there she was with a huge smile on her face saying “I knew it was you”. Apparently I’m the only one that opens the door that way so she knew it was me. She may have napped a little prior to my arrival and was very bright and chatty. More so than I’ve experienced in a few weeks. Her voice was clear and fairly loud and she was talking in plain and proper English. It was very refreshing and encouraging. We talked about her day so far and mine with her interjecting some well thought out comments. When given the choice of getting up or napping a little more she chose napping which lasted about a half hour when I got a wrong number call on my phone that woke her up. It turned out to be a good time to get up as Cam called shortly after that and after concluding business with me he had a nice chat with his mom who mumbled a few times but mostly spoke very well and again said some really intelligent things. She seemed really happy to be talking to Cam and smiled the whole time as did I.

The sun was shining brightly as Janet and I sat out on the patio for a pre-dinner drink and appetizer. A very juicy grapefruit and the requisite water of course. We stayed out there for a good forty five minutes with Janet continuing to talk really well and clearly enjoying the sun on her face. That was one of many blessings received today and makes me a little anxious for summer and being able to take Janet for walks to the beach etc. I think the sun was making her a little tired after that time and she chose to go in and read from the iPad for a bit. As long as I could make the words large enough she did quite well. Improving the more we did. Janet ate a good dinner then agreed to try some herbal tea in place of her after dinner water. She enjoyed it but could only manage half of what she needed to drink and made up the difference with water. We did a little more reading then watched some YouTube that made her laugh a few times. I then read some of Slow Dance to her stopping after a very sad chapter about the ladies dog dying. To cheer her up I read the children’s story that she had written years ago about a witch that didn’t want to be a witch. She accused me of reading it wrong, implying that I got the story wrong but I’m not sure how I could. I’ll take that as another sign of some more memory coming back. Earlier in the evening I saw more of old Janet as she leaned over and whispered to me that us guys had been talking too long about soccer. Gary was working with Bob tonight and he is originally from England so naturally we talked soccer. Janet thought we were crazy.

By the time the bedtime prayers came around Janet had lost all the energy she had when I arrived and agreed it had been a good day and smiled as I recounted the positive things that had occurred. On my way out the door she volunteered a wave goodbye which is something I usually initiate. I really hope there is no step back from where she was cognitively today it was very refreshing.

Praying for a night of rest and healing and more steps forward tomorrow.

Railless, sleeping in a big girl bed #TSJ

Today was the day Janet and I were going out for lunch, she remembered and was waiting for me when I got to Connect. She knew we were going with someone but I had to remind her it was Heidi and Jack. We enjoyed a nice meal and good conversation with janet amazing them both with her chop stick skills. We are very appreciative of the love and support we have had from them over the years and especially since this new journey with Janet began. Thanks guys for a nice break today!

With nothing else planned I opted to take Janet back to Connect after lunch primarily because she told me she hadn’t been to the gym yet today. That of course was incorrect as we found out when we returned but all she did this morning was work on her right arm and hand so that gave us plenty of options. Janet was nodding off a bit during the drive back and before heading to the gym I had her put away her laundry. She was having a tough time with that and started crying so I suggested a nap and an hour and a half later she awoke thanks to a knock on the door from Brian. Thanks man. Kidding, it was time to get up anyways and Janet was noticeably refreshed and agreed at bedtime that the nap had done her good.

After a nice chat before getting up from bed we headed down for dinner. Jess, Bob and Clint had made a chicken curry with pita bread and Janet gobbled hers up nicely giving her energy to go to the gym with Carly and me. Carly doesn’t often work in Janet’s house but I’m glad she was tonight as she has a lot of PT knowledge and skills and gave Janet’s legs a good stretch considering how late in the day it was. I think Janet responded well to Carly and if it wasn’t so late would have done a lot more. I was happy to see that although the spasticity is still very present in Janet’s legs it doesn’t seem noticeably worse as I had suspected. Janet and I had a good talk afterwards about her need to work hard and take advantage of her time at Connect to get as better as possible as that’s why she’s there. She agreed.

By this time it was well after seven, a time when Janet is often starting to fade, not tonight. She was actually willing to read for me but insisted we find something interesting to read, not the silly iPad game. Using the iPad I found an online version of a magazine that Janet used to like and had her read an article from that and she did very very well. It was pretty cool as I was able to expand the page so that the words were quite large with only five or six showing on screen at a time so it was easier for her to follow. High five! She had had enough by eight o’clock though and was ready for bed.

Earlier in the day, Brian had informed me that the falls mats for Janet had arrived, and I was excited to set them up so Janet could sleep tonight with no rails on her bed. She seemed to understand their purpose and thought it was quite funny when I mentioned no houdieno action. She thinks she is past all that now. We will find out soon enough. Staff will keep a close eye on her and if she can avoid falling out of bed for a week or so we can start planning for her to sleep in a real bed. I have a high confidence level for this.

I said goodnight to a smiley, laughing Janet after a really positive day. Praying for a restful night, in bed, and an active day tomorrow.

Charlie #TSJ

After last night’s confusion Janet was clear on who I was this afternoon but wondered why I was there. She thought we were going out for “dinner”, meaning lunch. She actually refused to have lunch today, telling the staff she was going out. I reminded her its tomorrow we’re doing that and she seemed to remember then. Jess reported that Janet also refused a shower this morning. I told Jess not to give in to Janet on that one. It’s nice to ask but she needs to be showered regularly and if Monday, Thursday is the deal then that’s what it is. Jess agreed and will shower Janet tomorrow regardless of Janet’s willingness level. Janet did have a good stretch in the gym this morning and seemed at least willing to consider a return trip this afternoon for some strength training.

Thanks to an error at the lab last week, Janet had to go back for another blood test today. Her doctor’s office called to say the lab had done the wrong test. So that meant Janet got to go out for lunch after all. I drove her to the lab and asked them what went wrong. They confirmed that the test performed last week was for a drug with a slightly different spelling than Janet’s as it was incorrectly entered in the computer. Great. We stopped at Tim Horton’s to grab a sandwich for Janet which she devoured back at Connect. We had a good little Skype chat with Andrew after that. Janet had some difficulty putting sentences together but her volume level was decent. Bob took her to the gym for a little Shuttle work, Janet was reluctant to go but did so I hope believing its good for her.

It’s been a while since I did any formal “school work” with Janet but managed to get her doing some matching and reading on the iPad after the gym. I think she got into it because she could tap her way through some of it instead of just staring at pictures or cards on a table. She did amazingly well I thought. Big improvement. She didn’t think it was a big deal but was happy enough to try some reading next. I was very impressed with her ability to follow a sentence and get most of the words. The last time I had her read to me she was clearly going three or four words in then jumping down to the next line. Today she was going the entire seven or eight words then getting the first word of the next line but not the whole line. She sometimes would make up words she thought should follow the word she just read but would correct herself when I called her on it. Janet still didn’t think it was a big deal but I made sure to heap praise on her. High five!

While staff member Carl cooked dinner, Janet set the table for everyone. I had to coach her along a little and she gave a solid effort, clearly liking being able to contribute. The highlight of the day came when Carl brought in his seven week old dachshund puppy, Charlie.

20130218-220735.jpg So cute and so tiny. Janet loved him and I actually did too. He slept in my arm during dinner.

Janet elected to watch a little tv before bed and faded rapidly. Her former peg site is healing really well and not bothering her at all. She had a good toileting day and a pretty successful day over all. Praying for rest and healing tonight and a productive day tomorrow.