standing

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

Renovation Day 71. No action at the house today. Tomorrow?

I met Janet and Jess at KGH this morning for our regular chat with Dr. Miller. As usual the conversation was very positive with Janet talking louder than ever and expressing her thoughts better than ever. She continues to impress and I got the feeling she values Dr. Miller’s comments so hopefully she takes them seriously and uses them to lessen her self doubt.

Janet’s celebrity status continues at KGH as she saw a number of her former nurses, rehab coaches and even Barb, a former patient. Janet didn’t really remember Barb as she looks quite different than when she was in rehab with Janet. We hope to meet her and her husband Cliff for dinner in January and I’m sure once the stories start flying Janet will remember a little.

Jess took Janet back to Connect while I tried to be productive around the house for a bit. Didn’t really happen but I made it to Connect for the last part of singing with John. Their session today was pretty casual and took place in the living room so others could join in. Janet gave me a demo of an old song her and John sang way back when they started working together and she sang it loud and word for word from memory. John has been a huge blessing and we wish him a very merry Christmas.

Tez met us in Janet’s room a little while later to discuss transfers and walking. I was concerned about the verbal and physical cues I’ve been giving Janet now that she is getting to a standing position mostly on her own. Turns out I wasn’t too far off the mark and Janet impressed Tez with her ability to stand from her wheelchair using only the armrest. Sometimes its necessary to give Janet a little lateral boost from behind but other than that she is getting really close to not having to use the transfer poles at all. When walking I learned I was completely out of position and with Tez assisting, Janet took some excellent steps with her right leg, moving it forward more than I’ve noticed before. To finish off I asked Tez to observe Janet on the bike and he proceeded to make things a lot harder for Janet than I had. He believes Janet is capable of more on the bike so he moved her seat back a little to allow more leg extension, increased the level of difficulty and wants her to do that in spurts like hill climbing. The most interesting part was when he had Janet pedal with only her right leg. It was no surprise that she couldn’t complete an entire revolution and really interesting to see that. Janet didn’t seem upset by it and Tez feels she can get that going but has to keep working hard at it. I’m hoping we can do that and still keep the bike fun. Janet had forgotten Tez’s Christmas card so got it from her room and took it upstairs to him all by herself, impressing me quite a bit. She’s such a big girl now.

Janet was pretty exhausted after all that and tried to have a little nap but couldn’t fall asleep so we took off to do a little shopping. We knew what we wanted to get and picked the right time to do it as we were in and out and at home with ten minutes to spare before The Voice Finale started. I decided it was best since we were out to go home for dinner and watch The Voice live instead of trying to stay up till eleven watching it at Connect. It was a good call as Janet made it through the show but had no chance of making it to eleven. We got back to Connect at nine and Janet said she’d go for a bike ride “if it’s good for me”. Certainly couldn’t hurt so off she went for a twenty minute hill climbing ride and considering how tired she was had a good result. That was the capper though and it was into bed right after that with Janet looking forward to Laurel meeting her for lunch tomorrow.

Praying for rest and healing tonight and lots of energy for tomorrow and a safe flight for Laurel.

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

Renovation Day 67. A day of dramatic results today as Randy installed cabinet door and handles in the kitchen. Now we have to remember where we put things because we can no longer see them.
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I got out to Connect and helped Janet get ready for the weekend and her appointment at OKAPED with Jeff. Janet seemed eager to go and reported a good day so far. Garrett mentioned he had her standing on her own for fifteen minutes this morning which is a major record. He was quite impressed and is excited to have Janet in an AFO so she can do even more.

Jeff is a very nice and smart guy who really took his time to assess Janet’s situation and to listen to her. I had hoped to walk out of the appointment with a product in hand or at least under construction but Janet will need something custom built and OKAPED doesn’t do the type of device Jeff feels Janet will need. He has referred her to Ortho Design, which is operated by a former colleague who is the best in the business around here. Hopefully we can get an appointment soon. Jeff did sell us an ankle brace that will be better than nothing over the Christmas break if it takes that long to get the AFO. Janet was pleased with the appointment and is happy we are making progress.

We stopped at home to get changed for the Connect Christmas party and we figured we’d give the new dress one more try and I promised not to get all stressed out about it. Janet had the brilliant idea of trying to put it on by stepping into it and wouldn’t you know it, victory!

We even got a nice red coat of hers onto her that she hasn’t worn in years so she was all decked out nice and fancy for the evening.

Because of the OKAPED appointment we were a little late arriving at the party and apparently missed the hot food. I was under the impression it was dinner but turns out it was just appetizers and all the hot things were gone by 7:15 when we arrived. Oh well, we had fun anyways. Karl, who has been off work injured for two months and hasn’t seen Janet in that long was there and couldn’t believe how well she is talking now and was shocked to see her stand. Janet stood with me for a number of pictures and was a bit of a celeb looking as fine as she did.
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The best part of the night for me was when Janet agreed to try a little dancing. I am a terrible dancer but figured I could handle this as there would not be any footwork involved. Janet of course was a little timid but managed to lose herself to the beat a couple times and was swaying in time better than me. She doesn’t think she did that well but to have her even trying was huge fun.
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All the partying really wore Janet out and after a little snack at home it was off to bed. Praying for a night of deep and healing sleep, lots of energy and a positive attitude tomorrow and quick improvement in her control of her right leg.

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

Renovation Day 59. Randy continued his work from home routine getting cupboard doors ready for install. I hung a couple pictures this morning before meeting up with Janet.

Janet was already cold today before hitting the water for her swimming session so the initial shock wasn’t nearly as dramatic. Sticking to the deep pool again, Janet had her strongest swimming session ever today. There were a few lengths where I had to really work to keep up with her and her rolls from back to tummy to back were outstanding. She seemed somewhat accepting of my praise afterward and said she’d like to be a good swimmer again and wishes her right arm would work. Maybe it will but if not, she’s still a really good swimmer.

I think it was pretty obvious Janet needed a haircut today.
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Ya think?

After a quick lunch stop I took her to see Chelsea to see if she could do anything with Janet’s mop. I was hoping for something radical like Demi Lovato’s neon blue hair but conservative Janet held true to form and this is the result.
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Cute, clean and manageable. Thanks again Chelsea!

We did a little grocery shopping on the way home then started to plan our evening with which I’d hoped we would prepare for our House Dedication Party tomorrow. Janet was in clear need of a nap however and that cost us almost a couple of hours as there wasn’t much of anything quiet that I could do while she slept. When she woke at five thirty she had a hard time believing it was that late. Time flies when your snoozing.

After dinner we managed to check a few things off the list and knowing Janet really wanted to watch X Factor I called a stop to the work so we could do that then get to bed at a reasonable time knowing tomorrow is busy. Janet stretched out nice on the chaise lounge again and was very engaged in the show and thrilled we didn’t have to watch the commercials. Both of our contestants are out of the competition now but we will continue to watch.

Janet is figuring out her bathroom routine here but is having a little trouble using the bedside transfer pole to stand up. I think it’s because it’s on the opposite side from every pole she uses at Connect but part of it may be her reliance on her left arm. She tends to pull herself up a lot instead of pushing up with her legs. We may need some lessons in standing and sitting technique to get her back on track. Janet says the bed seems really comfy today so we’ll see how that goes over the next three nights. If she’s still saying that on Sunday I think we’ll keep it.

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

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

Renovation Day 39. I’m writing this from our new bed, or at least the unpacked mattress. I’m very excited as this is the first time I’ve slept on a bed in forty one days.

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This was a crazy busy day as expected. The blinds are installed, the appliances are all here and Randy and plumber Frank worked hard all day to keep things on schedule. I tried getting things ready for them as they moved through the various areas and all was going well until I moved the fridge into place and discovered we used an incorrect measurement for the height of it. Disappointing, but nothing a sledge hammer can’t fix. That was the easy part, now Randy has to rebuild the bottom of that cupboard. Oops.

To my surprise Janet was in bed when I finally got to Connect at five o’clock. She was awake of course and Brent informed me she’d been nodding off around three so he got her to lay down. She had done the sling walking and Shuttle and stretching so no surprise she was tired. Janet took a little ribbing at the dinner table tonight as she fussed about being served a tuna melt at lunchtime. Sydney capitulated and made Janet a grilled cheese instead, something that typically isn’t supposed to happen so the words princess and queen were being thrown around tonight in jest. There were lots of laughs.

I convinced Janet to go to the basketball game at UBCO after dinner and I’m really glad we went. The last time I took Janet to a game was February and compared to tonight she didn’t have a clue what was going on then. Tonight she followed the play well, reacted to things happening appropriately and could tell me the score each time I asked her. Not only that but she stood up and sang along to O Canada before the men’s game started. A few times during the action she made comments about certain players. and noticed that the UVIC team all had the same “yucky” blue shoes. Janet couldn’t stop talking about the between game chat with Simon, a family friend and the Simon that worked with Janet at Connect during a practicum this summer. He is now a licensed kinesiologist and is moving to Vancouver soon to start two new jobs there. Simon has been around our family for ten years now and his politeness and kindness has always garnered praise from Janet and he topped that tonight in giving her a hug that is really what she couldn’t stop talking about.

Our time together today was short but fun and a real indicator of how much progress Janet has made. Praying for a solid night’s sleep and a productive day tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 25. Same old story today with an adjustment to the appliance delivery date. Dave the painter stopped by today and in discussion with him it was decided to keep the appliances away until November 15 to give him time to finish and the flooring guys to get most of their work done too. Makes sense.

Janet was napping when I got to Connect this afternoon and after I snuck in she went back to sleep for well over an hour which I didn’t mind as I got to lay on a bed for something different to do. Once up it was bike ride time with Janet repeating her claim of not going to do well. She tied her personal best and powered through without complaining. Garrett reported that he had her in the gym earlier for a Shuttle session and a really intense stretching routine. Janet also did the Standing Frame earlier so I took it easy on her tonight with one exception. I really want her to gain more control of her right leg and expect improvement once the Botox clicks in. Maybe knowing she got Botoxed helped as there was improvement already tonight. I had Janet standing at the stripper pole and lifting her right foot off the ground as high as she could then pushing back to the floor as much as she could. She thought it was silly and impossible but she did quite well. She was even able to lift her left foot and put some weight onto her right leg while doing so. Of course she was hanging onto the pole for dear life the whole time but still it’s a good start.

After dinner I brought out some leftover Halloween candy as did Kieran and the table had a candy feast for dessert. I protected Janet’s Tootsie Rolls so she defaulted to her second favourite, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

We watched a little of the BC, Calgary football game in hopes they would show the halftime show in which our friend Rachel was performing.

No luck, but heres a picture from Twitter. Can you see her? Janet then wanted to get ready for bed so I could read to her. She lasted about a page and was snoring.

Praying for a night of deep and healing sleep and more control of her right leg.

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

Renovation Day 13 was a quiet one. I ripped up a little more of the former pink tile floor leaving the last of it until just before the new floor goes in. Tomorrow I get to sand the last of the texture off the second bedroom ceiling. I can hardly wait.

Janet had just finished lunch and was waiting for me when I got to Connect. It was a beautiful sunny day here so I suggested a walk and Janet agreed saying that others were going for a walk too. We ended up going for a nice long walk with Willie and his wife Val. Towards the end, Janet was complaining of being cold even though it was fourteen degrees and she had her winter coat on. I guess we need to shop for a warmer coat.

We got back inside for a Skype chat with Mary/Gaga that went well then Janet had a brief nap. I know it was brief because I laid down with her just to remind myself what a bed feels like. Once up, we sat in the kitchen and chatted with Jess and Sydney. Janet was a little quiet but enjoyed the time and drank her Fresca surprisingly quickly.

The rest of the evening was very quiet as I gave Janet the day off from the gym. We watched football while visiting with various people that came in and out of the living room and I had Janet read a little on the iPad. She is getting so much better at that its very exciting. When Janet started to fade around 8:30 we headed off to get ready for bed. Each night for a while now I’ve been trying to get Janet to lift her left leg while standing so I can slip off her socks and or pants. She has tried unsuccessfully saying “it won’t work”. Tonight, seconds after saying those exact words, she did it! She was hanging onto the stripper pole for dear life and only held her leg up for one second but that is the first time with me she’s been able to do that. True to form she played it all down but I could see in her eyes she was pleased with herself.

Praying for restoration of the use of her right arm and hand and continued building of strength.

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

From a secret location very close to Janet.

The first major event of today was this morning’s team meeting. These are held every couple of months to ensure we are all up to date on how Janet is progressing and to evaluate her goals in each area of her rehab. Janet has been present at all of these meetings to date with today being the first time she really spoke out and lead the discussion in part. Her voice was loud and clear and the comments she made were appropriate and allowed for feedback from the group. It was really encouraging to witness. Our time with Tez yesterday took care of a large chunk of the agenda and allowed for more time spent on topics that usually don’t get much time. Mary Lou continues to be impressed with Janet’s Speech improvements and will be retesting Janet very soon to see if a different approach to Speech is warranted. The thought is that one to one therapy may no longer be the best method and some sort of group situation may be better. When I informed the team that Janet is starting the She Life program at Trinity tonight they were thrilled to hear that and thought that would be a perfect next step. Overall the meeting was a big success especially with Janet participating so much.

Jess took Janet to the gym then she chose to get the Standing Frame done as well. She spent forty five minutes standing nice and straight with no table to lean on and weight going through both legs. Her right arm relaxed enough to almost completely straighten out too. I think that’s a good thing but will check with Tez to make sure its not too hard on her shoulder. A light lunch signaled the end to a busy first part of the day and with a busy evening looming Janet agreed to a nap.

To make the most of the outing to church we left early to do some shopping for the new house at the mall and were very successful in our efforts. There was time for a stir fry dinner before going to the church and Janet was well fed and ready for the evening when we got there. Janet was greeted by lots of friendly ladies as we wheeled in and she was made to feel very comfortable. Heidi escorted her to her table and promised to “take over” from me for the evening. Almost two hours later I got a text from Heidi saying they were done and found Janet still smiling and in a good mood at her table. She said “it was fine” and “I’m glad I went and met all those ladies”. That’s more than the best feedback I could have hoped for from Janet and she is looking forward to returning next week. I am too as I get to serve with the Tech Team again, not that I need anymore projects but I’ve really missed hanging with Dave, Joel and the rest of a very talented and inspirational team of people.

I sensed Janet needed a little time to wind down when we got back to Connect so we watched X Factor before getting ready for bed. Turned out to be a good call as Janet enjoyed the show then fell asleep almost as we finished our prayers. Once again I was able to list a lot of successes for Janet today and she gave very little resistance to my list. Either she was too tired to argue or she’s starting to believe me a little more. Praying for a night of uninterrupted sleep and lots of energy for tomorrow’s activities and thanking Jesus for continuing to place the right people and right opportunities in our lives at the right time.

Finally, most of you figured out which car Janet and I bought. It is a 2012 Subaru Outback that was taken on trade only thirty minutes before we showed up at Anthony’s Subaru to look at an older model they had. The car only has 15,000 kilometers on it and so far seems to be a really good choice. Janet can get in and out easily. She can fasten her seatbelt without assistance and her wheelchair fits in the back no problem. The dual zone climate control actually works so her side of the car can be ridiculously warm as she likes it and mine can be comfortable. As soon as I figure out the Bluetooth function for my iPhone I’ll be really happy.

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The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #Standup #Smart #Confident

As I drove to Connect this afternoon I was trying to analyze Janet’s progress lately. I was having trouble remembering any recent milestones or notable changes and was a little concerned. Janet proved me wrong within minutes of my arrival. She had been “sleeping” for almost an hour so I went in and of course she was wide awake and wanting to get up. In the spirit of promoting independence I stood back and let her go. Not only did she get to a sitting position quickly she motioned as if to get up and walk over to get her sandals. Confirming thats what she wanted to do I told her to go ahead. With a push from her left arm on the bed and a lean forward over her knees, she stood up without using the stripper pole! I had heard of this happening but never witnessed it until today. Janet was very happy with herself for doing that but upset she couldn’t walk to get her sandals. One thing at a time. The independence continued in the bathroom with Janet soloing in brake application, foot rest removal, standing and sitting etc. The only help she needed was in pulling down and then up her pants. Its kind of fun to observe and coach as opposed to aiding all the time and I can tell Janet is gaining confidence in doing these things.

Jess and I talked a little about Janet’s independence and she mentioned how she had caught Janet wheeled up to her desk looking at her Speech workbook all on her own. Janet had done the same today with the book we are reading saying she tried reading by herself but couldn’t make sense of it. Her “just get it done” attitude towards the gym continues and she did a great job on the Shuttle and had a good stretch with Curtis. With a few minutes to wait for dinner we read some Not a Fan and Janet continues to be intrigued by it and we had a good discussion about what we’ve read.

The dinner table was lively thanks to Kieran and Janet was cooperative in getting into the Standing Frame afterwards. I’ve noticed the last couple of days being able to get Janet really straight and her tolerance has increased. Usually as Botox wears off her tolerance diminishes too but not now it seems. Maybe we’re making some progress on those hamstrings?

We hadn’t played any iPad games for a while and since it was thunder storming outside I decided to see what she could do. Was I surprised! Janet has improved so much in naming pictures of things and in her math skills I could hardly believe it and I could see the confidence in her face as she answered question after question. She still needs a verbal clue for a lot of the pictures but she used to need every clue possible. With the math games she was almost perfect and was great at tapping and dragging on the iPad as well. Fun!

The evening ended with some YouTube laughs and Janet doing a very independent bedtime routine. I feel blessed to have hung out with her today and pray for continued progress.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #Seahawks #SEAvsCAR #chef #AGT

Today was a sunny and bright day outside as well as for Janet inside.

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With her nails painted and jersey on we hunkered down to watch the first real football game of the season right after breakfast and Janet was genuinely excited or at least interested in it. She paid close attention most of the first half and commented appropriately a few times when big plays were made or big mistakes were made. She also noted the Seahawks didn’t look too good in that first half. To her disappointment halftime meant exercise time and I asked her to do some standing in front if the mirror in our room. My goal with the standing right now is to get her putting as much weight through her right leg as possible and she did a good job today. I noticed when I instructed her to lean or come over to the right she would use primarily her upper body to do so. That wasn’t getting us the results I wanted so I placed my hands on her hips and told her to do the hula a little bit. That worked! You could see and feel weight being transferred to her right leg and the more she did it the closer to the floor her heal got. Being in front of the mirror enabled her to see herself and adjust her posture accordingly. We used the whole fifteen minutes of halftime then returned to the game. Cam joined us towards the end and good thing he did as that was when our offense got going and we won the game. Janet laughed at Cam and I as we reacted to the game and overall enjoyed the whole thing.

Football and fattening foods go together naturally but there isn’t much football food Janet will eat but she did agree to pancakes for lunch. That worked out great as she helped make the mix and even broke an egg by herself into a mug. Talented!

Janet had a little rest time this afternoon then we sat out on our balcony for happy hour and enjoyed the warm sun that we’ve missed dearly the last couple of days. Being all warm and relaxed I saw an opportunity for more standing and this time was even better than the first. Janet was more confident this time too. She played prep cook for dinner and did a great job chopping vegetables and feeding the dog. I love it when we have time to prepare a meal at her pace. She loves to contribute.

I was able to stretch Janet well in the hot tub after dinner and with her legs nice and straight in the leg extenders for her wheelchair we watched AGT before calling it a night. Like during the football game Janet had some insightful comments about some of the acts we saw. This was a solid day for Janet as she got a little exercise, a little sun, watched the Seahawks win and ate ice cream. What could be better? Praying that the snoring she is doing now continues through the night and she has a strong session in the pool tomorrow.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #homeless #moving #yard

After what I believe was a great night of sleep for Janet I expected our morning and the day to be stellar. The day probably was but I think Janet might have overslept as she took a while to kick it into gear. She didn’t have much to say to Heather during a Skype chat with her which was a huge contrast to yesterday with her mom. Janet spent a lot of time on the toilet this morning which may explain some of the lack of energy. Yesterday was the day off so today was back to work and the first task was vacuuming. The last experience at this was very good and Janet improved on it today although she still said its really hard. That little workout seemed to wake her up a bit and she accepted an invite to work outside. Janet was a big help in pruning some rose bushes and pulling dead stuff out of some of the garden areas. Saved my back a lot by having her gather and put stuff in the bin plus it was great to be out in the sun which is where we had lunch while Janet got even more tanned.

After a good nap Janet and I played real estate dealers again. Our counter counter offer was countered so we countered again and are still waiting for a response. Turns out the lady who owns and lives in the home we are after has an out of town daughter that is controlling the real estate transaction and she, in the words of her realtor, is being “a hard nose”. That’s being polite. I’m trying not to let my anger rule the situation but may walk away if her response is negative. God is trying to teach me something through this and I thought maybe it was to love my enemies so our last offer showed a lot of love. We’ll see if that was the intended lesson.

Even though the sun is setting too early these days it made for a beautiful dinner tonight before we drove out to pick up Cam at the airport. He’s here for the week before heading back to school in Calgary and Janet and I are excited to have him home. The house will not be lacking in energy this week. I had intended on taking Janet to Connect for a workout prior to picking up Cam but there would not have been room in the car for her wheelchair and Cam’s bags. Janet escaped that one much to her pleasure.

To close out the night we did some star gazing from the hot tub, this time with glasses on. “It makes a huge difference”, said a smiling Janet. I gave her the prerequisite stretch then it was into the leg extenders for ice cream while watching a podcast from Elevation Church. This morning Janet’s right leg was doing its own thing a lot and she was having trouble keeping her foot on the footrest. After standing on her own for a few minutes her foot stayed there easily and for a long time. We had a good long talk about the benefits of exercise and I hope she’s starting to get it. At bedtime her standing was great and she was able to more confidently put a little weight on that right leg. I think the hot tub and leg extenders help a lot.

Praying that janet gets a deep and healing sleep that provides lots of energy for a productive day tomorrow. Also praying for resolution to our real estate situation.