standing

Good Move. Toilet success and more. #TSJ

My day with Janet began early, twice. I woke up around 1:30am freaking out that she wasn’t beside me in bed. I spent at least five minutes searching the main floor of the house and yelling for her before I realized she was sleeping soundly at Connect. Must’ve been the nachos.

The day started for real with a Team Meeting at Connect at the more civilized hour of 9am. It was a good discussion, mostly about the positive gains Janet is making in all areas. The only real concern is her bowel movements but there is a plan in place. In brief, Tez is working towards independent transfers with Janet and is reluctant to try and predict whether or not she’ll walk one day. I believe she will. Mary Lou is seeing improvement weekly in Janet’s verbal skills and her vision and says Janet is getting pretty good with the iPad. I mentioned I tried having Janet go briefless at home without success and the team is supportive of trying to wean Janet off of the briefs during her awake hours. We are still waiting for the chance to meet with the neurologist Dr. Adams and the neuropsycologist Dr. Miller. Soon hopefully.

Jess got Janet into the standing frame after the meeting and about twenty minutes in Janet announced she had to go to the bathroom and boy did she. Finally a bowel movement and credit to the increase in physical activity for her and maybe the Peg-Lyte. Janet felt a lot better after that and went to the gym for a little bike ride and a good stretch. We went for a walk to the hot dog stand across the street for lunch but the guy wasn’t around so back to Connect we went and Janet BBQ’d us a couple of smokies. She was pretty tired after lunch and had a good long nap with no resistance at all. I think the last few days finally caught up to her. Unfortunately she slept through a chance to work with Tez at the parallel bars but he agreed to come in tomorrow morning and work with Janet before swimming. While we sat outside for happy hour I noticed how loose her right arm was and decided to see how much I could move it around. As you can see I was able to get in a position it hasn’t been in for a long time. Impressive.

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As I was getting Janet up from her nap I mentioned I wanted to tell her what happened to me last night but would wait till she was totally up. Fifteen minutes later she asked “what about the story you were going to tell me?” This was one of many super bright moments Janet had today as she continues to gain cognitively. After dinner we had quite a serious discussion about “my problem”, with Janet asking lots of questions about herself and Connect. There were tears of course as I didn’t sugar coat anything. She asked, I answered and I think this is great progress. That level of brightness was only with her for about an hour or so and as she tired towards the end of the night her speech got a little garbled again. She did manage to lounge for a good while and watched some basketball before lights out in readiness for a busy day tomorrow.

This post is the last daily update I plan on writing as I find too many days are pretty routine and don’t require the effort it takes to produce an update. I will publish at least every Wednesday evening from now on and as events warrant. Those of you who wish to stay totally plugged in can follow me on Twitter @larrylatour where I will post daily with photos and or video.

Praying for a restful night that provides lots of energy for tomorrow.

Walking Tall 2. A stand up day for Janet. #TSJ

Janet’s day got off to a busy start as Tez got her into the walking sling as she stood at the parallel bars. He showed me some video of their session and I can see why Janet said it was very difficult. She was doing all the things we do in the pool but without the support of the water. The sling supports her of course but it’s a totally different sensation, much more real I think. Janet did very well and hopefully will use this as a way to realize how well she is doing.

I got to Connect this afternoon just as John was wrapping up his sing along session with Janet. They both seemed to be having fun and they gave me a little demonstration before calling it a day and Janet was certainly taking a leading role and singing well but she still needs to turn up her volume and keep her throat clear. It was nice to see her smiling as she does with John.

I convinced Janet to have a little nap after her sing along session as long as I stayed in the room with her. She didn’t sleep much and each time I tried to sneak out she opened her eyes so after an hour I just got her up. It was time for our meeting with wheelchair man anyways so off we went to meet Brian and Jared. It was a very productive meeting with Jared making what I think will be some of the last modifications to Janet’s chair before we strike a deal to buy one. The improvements were noticeable right away as Janet was able to clear some bumps she had difficulty with previously.

Next up was the weekly Skype chat with Mary/Gaga then a trip to the kitchen to see how dinner was doing. It was well under control so Garrett invited Janet to the gym for a bike ride. I think we’ve made a little progress as far as Janet’s willingness to go to the gym goes. She was quite adamant at the start that she wasn’t going but after being reminded that the bike is helping make her legs stronger she agreed to go “as long as that’s what it is”. I’m hopeful she is starting to realize what each exercise does for her and that should help her see the benefits of each more clearly. Garrett reported a successful ride with Janet’s goal being twenty minutes and she stopped on her own at 20:09. She’s smarter than we sometimes think.

Rather than put her in lounging mode after dinner Garrett brought out the standing frame and Janet was able to stand pretty nice and tall for more than twenty minutes while watching some basketball.

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There is a Keek of me “walking” her where you can get a better idea of how she’s standing. @larrylatour Her habit of staying up late has not diminished at all and she was quite alert as we watched the election results with Bob and Garrett until way past her recommended bed time.

The biggest concern with Janet right now continues to be the lack of bowel movements. It’s been over a week now and the Peg-Lyte clearly isn’t having an effect at all. If nothing happens by Thursday morning I’ll take her back to the ER so they can dynamite her.

Praying for a good sleep tonight, success in the bathroom tomorrow morning and lots of energy for an active Wednesday.

Transfer of Power. Janet powers through without a nap. Again. #TSJ

An all too familiar sight greeted me at Connect this afternoon. Janet lounging in the living room with a big grin on her face. This time she very intelligently explained that she didn’t think she needed a nap so she chose to watch TV instead. This was not the usual defiant Janet or the whining tired and stubborn Janet. This was a very calm, articulate and reasonable Janet that I couldn’t get upset with. She understood that she would likely be ready for bed earlier than usual and that proved to be true.

Janet wanted out of lounging mode so after chatting with Jess to see how the day went we headed for Janet’s room but Brian was in the kitchen so we got to talk to him for a while and that took up any possibility of a power nap before our Skype chat with Mary/Gaga. Jess said Janet’s day had been busy starting with a shower then an early visit to the gym at which she was able to get really good stretches on Janet’s legs. Janet reported that singing with John was fun but she didn’t have the same sparkle in her eye about it as I’ve noticed before. Maybe just because she was tired.

While Brian was around I asked if he would watch me do a few car transfers with Janet to see if there’s any better methods than the one I’m using. He smartly invited Tez to observe as well and we spent a good half hour discussing how best to get Janet into the Santa Fe. Getting out is no problem thanks to Janet’s increased strength and her ability to “stand”. The consensus for getting in seemed to be, continue with the lifting for now but we’ll try and have Janet practicing moves that can enable her to do more herself. Long term it may mean a different car for us, one that is a little lower to the ground. Brian mentioned there is a Lexus that kneels like a bus so I checked that out but was extremely unimpressed with their website and couldn’t even find a mention of that feature. Very cool idea though.

Because of the transfer experiments we were a little late for our chat with Mary/Gaga but I think the movement and sunshine gave Janet a bit of a second wind and she was able to have a very nice chat with her mom. That took us to dinner time and Garrett had Janet BBQ a some chicken breasts for everyone. She’s really getting the hang of the BBQ thing and enjoying the challenge of cooking.

I gave her the option of going to the gym with Bob or Garrett and that seemed to prevent her from arguing about going so she wheeled off with Garrett. Janet was pretty tired by this time and was almost ready for bed when she returned at 7:30. That was too early though so we did a little research on something that was mentioned in the book Slow Dance. It’s called The Feldenkrais Method and is based on the theory that your brain can always learn new things and you can teach your body to move as it naturally wants to because over the years it’s learned to move incorrectly. The whole thing seems a little weird, like yoga for people still doing acid, but I think there’s some truth in it as well. If any of you know anything about it or have experience I’d love to hear from you.

Today was a solid day for Janet with good visits to the gym, good standing transfers(even surprising Tez when he “danced” with her), great BBQ’ing and really good communicating. I’ve stopped nagging her about drinking water and today she did quite well on her own. Looking forward to a fun day tomorrow. Praying for a restful and healing night.

Keeping Up With the Jones’s. Good day in the pool. #TSJ

Janet slept so well last night I had to wake her up this morning so we could enjoy breakfast and not be rushed to get to the pool. She seemed bright and energetic and was ready for action once in the water. My goal for her today was to get more confident in the water and to gain more spacial awareness. After warming and loosening up I tried to get her floating on her own and she almost made it and I think that if she can gain control of her right leg she’d be there. That right leg was her biggest impediment today by far as it was doing it’s own thing most of the time. Quite the mystery to me as every day is different and every hour can be different. Last night she couldn’t move her right leg to save her life, while getting dressed this morning she moved it almost as well as her left leg. Janet is as aware of not being able to get that leg to do what she wants it to do as she is her right arm and for the most part handles that awareness very well. Hopefully she keeps trying to get them both to work. The session continued with some walking and standing exercises with Janet trying very hard to accomplish both. During our second half hour I focused on the walking and standing and Janet stood on her own for about three seconds a couple of times. Again, that right leg prevented her from doing better but she quickly learned how to save herself from falling to the right and even got herself to fall towards me a few times and she doesn’t seem as afraid of getting her face in the water as previous. I’m hopeful I can get her standing on her own soon.

We made our usual exit through the Rehab Unit and had a nice chat with Nicole, a Speech Therapist that worked with Janet while she was in rehab. Nicole was so surprised to hear Janet speaking so clearly. That visit was a nice confidence booster for Janet even though she didn’t really remember Nicole. I noticed Dr. Jones at the nurses station and went in to tell him someone wanted to see him. He immediately put a huge smile on his face and headed out to see Janet who flashed him the biggest smile of recognition I’ve seen her give anybody. She remembered Dr. Jones and he was totally thrilled to see her. Had I known the reunion was going to be that dramatic I would have had the camera rolling. Dr. Jones is very impressed by the progress Janet has made and said she’s come farther faster than he thought she would. Amen.

Seems everywhere we go these days someone knows Janet and as expected at the passport office we saw Todd, a super guy that has done a lot of landscaping work for us. Janet wasn’t sure who I was talking about going in but recognized him as soon as she saw him. Janet still says no when I ask her if she wants to say hi to someone but when she actual does it she is very happy so I’m not going to ask anymore.

There was time for a short nap before dinner at Connect then time for a quick stretch before a Skype chat with Andrew. The stretching seemed to give Janet a little energy boost and enable her to have a decent conversation with Andrew. She was pretty much ready for bed then but asked if I would read a little Slow Dance to her first. Once again lots of similarities to Janet’s experience and she is more accepting of them now too. Her bedtime routine went really well, no significant confusion, and she was happy to wrap up in the blankets and call it a day. Praying for lots of rest and healing tonight so that Janet is prepared for an active day tomorrow.

Glad i have a Kitchen Helper. Janet getting stronger. #TSJ

Even with house guests Janet managed a nice sleep in this morning. Katie and Sarah took off for Calgary at 8 o’clock Connah(Katie’s last name)time which is 8:25 to the rest of us. Janet and I wish them well on their adventure.

Our morning was relaxing and stress free with Janet eating a big breakfast, Skypeing with Heather and doing a little online house hunting with me. We even managed a pretty good stretching session. During which we talked about how we could get her in and out of the pool and hot tub and I made a brief attempt at carrying Janet from her wheelchair down to the floor of our bedroom and quickly saw that there is no way I’m doing that because even if I got her down I’m not convinced I could get her back up. We read in Slow Dance where the lady was sliding out of her chair and landing on the floor butt first. Janet is not there yet and even if she was the getting back up part is still there. I’m open to suggestions y’all.

After polishing off a hamburger for lunch Janet fought me a little about going for a nap despite the fact she was falling asleep in her wheelchair. For the first time ever that I can remember Janet verbally threatened me. She said, “this will cost you a lot of money” as I was laying her down on the bed. She explained that if I loved her I would let her stay up. I got mad at her for the threat then laid beside for literally two minutes until she was sound asleep. Janet uttered another negative comment during the chat with Heather expressing her lack of confidence in her ability to stand. That one was familiar to former Janet and it could be that she is becoming more understanding of her situation. We got to keep focusing on the positives.

I woke Janet up a couple hours later and she was refreshed and recharged enough to play with Nash, drink half a glass of water then help me make dinner. We decided on linguine and clam sauce and Janet was the biggest help to me in the kitchen to date. With minimal supervision she chopped an onion, opened cans of tomatoes and clams, poured those in the pan for me. Added all the spices to the sauce, chopped peppers, tore lettuce and very casually broke snap peas in half with her thumb. She was very happy with her contribution and to celebrate we enjoyed a 2008 CedarCreek Pinot Noir which also motivated her to drink her water.

During a bio break after dinner I was having a tough time getting Janet’s pants down as she had gotten a little sweaty sitting in the sun. With no prompting she let go of my shoulder and reached down to push the left side of her pants over her hips. High five! That was a huge help and as she played it down I reinforced it as proof the visits to the gym and the stretching are paying off as she could not have done that if her legs weren’t so strong. At bedtime she did it again but in reverse as she helped pull her pants up. Very cool.

As we watched The Voice tonight Janet lounged in her wheelchair which gave a good stretch on her legs while she ate ice cream. Today was not an active day physically but I think Janet’s brain got a decent work out as did her fine motor skills. Praying for lots of rest tonight and a bright 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.

Pimped Up. Janet gets a new wheelchair. #TSJ

Now that Janet’s had her legs Botoxed her visits to the gym are even more important than before and are more frequent too. Tez coached the Connect staff through Janet’s routine for the next month and it amounts to almost constant hamstring stretching. Ideally four visits a day to the gym, a couple of which will just be twenty minute leg stretches but still a trip to the gym. Today, Janet put up the usual verbal argument against going but went calmly each time and performed well. I think the increased activity is showing results already as her standing transfers were two hundred percent better today than they were on the weekend. She seems physically stronger and mentally more confident as well.

Brian walked me and the staff through the features of Janet’s new wheelchair this afternoon with the most notable improvement other than the color being the “lounging” function. As you can see here,

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Janet can sit with her legs up in this chair which allows for a hamstring stretch while she’s chilling watching TV or something. When I first put her in that mode tonight she said it felt “stupid”. She accepted it soon enough and spent over an hour that way before going to the gym with Garrett and Kari before bed. That workout ended up being more thorough than I expected but Janet wasn’t complaining at all. She couldn’t really complain to me at first anyways as I hid on her when I heard her coming back. Garrett was asking her family type questions and Janet was responding nice and loud and clear. I stood behind her as Garrett ran her through a lot of who’s who type questions and Janet did her best to find the right answers. She for sure knows everyone but has a hard time pulling the names out without some cues. When given the family picture she did very well at pointing to and naming most everyone in it and knew that Ashley is the one missing from the photo. That made me feel a little better about her vision but not as much as her next move. I stayed hidden behind her until Garrett and Kari left then Janet started looking for me and when she turned her head way to the left she “saw you out of the corner of my eye”. Nice to hear she can do that.

I had a lot to do today and didn’t get to Connect until three. Janet was resting when I got there and I started getting her up just before four. She had two gym sessions between then and bedtime, which is getting later and later it seems, but my time with her was still limited today. I can say that it was a good day for her with lots of activity, definite physical improvements, a funky new wheelchair and lots of laughs. Tomorrow is very busy so I am praying for a restful night that renews her strength and energy.

Botox. Janet puts up with the pain. #TSJ

Brian was kind enough to drive Janet in from Connect for her appointment with Dr. McCann at KGH today. I met them there and we had time for a walk in the sunshine before seeing the doctor. Janet said some things looked familiar to her but not the beach that we spent so much time at last year. She was still happy to be there today though and agreed it was a beautiful day.

Our visit with Dr. McCann was really good, Brian sat in with us and Dr. McCann allowed me to ask a lot of questions while he was preparing to stab Janet. He was surprised to learn that he had prescribed a low dose of Baclofen for Janet way back in the 4B days but doesn’t want to change it now so we can accurately monitor the effect of the Botox. Makes sense. He feels it’s a good time to try and wean Janet off the Ritalin and ordered her noontime dose discontinued for the next month and we’ll see how Janet manages. I think she’ll be fine. My concerns about the Dilantin were supported with the caveat that until Janet has gone seizure free for six months you shouldn’t take her off the drug. He said someone may do it after three months but I think that’s too risky and will keep hoping we can see the neurologist soon for his opinion. Dr. McCann concurred with my concern about the side effects and agreed Dr. Adams would know more.

Janet was understandably tense as she lay waiting for the “little pokes” from the Botox needles and she squeezed my hand as tight as ever as Dr. McCann used four needles on each leg. She recovered quickly and was laughing with us on the way out as Dr. McCann suggested she would soon be able to kick him as payback for what he’d done. We should start seeing results in a couple of weeks with the peak effect occurring in about a month. Dr. McCann will see Janet then to assess the situation.

I gave Janet the option of going out for lunch or going home, she chose home as she was just too drained to do anything else. Once there she had a good little play time with Nash then helped make thin crust pizzas for lunch. She spread the sauce on both and put all the toppings on including slicing the grape tomatoes with the most precision yet. She’s still a little weak on the cheese grating part so I’ll have to do some research on how to help her with that. Janet continues to gain confidence in the kitchen.

There was no argument at all about nap time today. I just wish it could have happened sooner as it wasn’t until after 2:30 that she could lay down and she had to be up just after four for a Skype chat with her mom then get back to Connect for dinner. The sleep did her well and the Skype chat went well with Janet giving surprisingly good answers to a few questions. We were impressed to learn that Keith has bought an iPad and look forward to an improved Skype experience and other cool things in the near future.

Curtis had Janet’s dinner waiting for her when we got to Connect and she devoured it then very obediently went to the gym with him after digesting for a little while. Curtis spent over an hour with her and ran her through every routine possible including standing at the stripper pole. On the second attempt he let go of Janet completely to show her she was doing it all on her own. She smiled. Hopefully this is the start of an improved attitude towards the gym and I made sure to point out that her standing transfers to the toilet were not good at home today but quite good after her workout in the gym. For once she didn’t roll her eyes or snicker. Starting to believe maybe?

After enjoying the last of her Easter chocolate we tried making a little video using an app I learned about today called Keek. It let’s you shoot thirtyfive second videos on your phone and Tweet them instantly from the app. I will be using this to do any breaking news stories on Janet and or a fun highlight of the day type of thing. I couldn’t get Janet to say all her lines for tonight’s installment so I posted it with her laughing for about fifteen seconds as that’s what she did everytime it was her turn to talk. It was a great way to end a very positive day. If you want to see the video and all the future ones please follow me on Twitter @larrylatour. You’ll also need the Keek app which you can get here.

Thanking Jesus for a productive and positive day and for the good people that are on Janet’s team. Praying for lots of rest tonight and maximum effect from the Botox.

Walkies. Good day in the pool. #TSJ

No sleeping in today as we were up to get ready for swimming at KGH. We arrived in plenty of time and Janet was excited to get into the water. I think mostly because it’s so warm but she does enjoy floating around and trying to swim. I put her through the usual routine waiting for Tez to show up and coach us from his perspective. He thought we were in for an hour and turned up just as we were getting out. Thankfully he knows pool man Jim and asked if Janet could go in with the next group and it was an easy yes. Back in the water I showed Tez what I normally have Janet do and since she was all warmed up she performed rather well. Tez was happy with her kicking abilities (as a starting point) and was also impressed with her standing exercises. One new approach he showed us was to use a block so Janet’s right foot is on it with her left foot on the pool floor. This forces her to use her right leg to stand up. I felt the difference immediately. On a whim Tez asked how Janet’s walking in the water was. I hadn’t even thought to try before so took her over to the parallel bars to see what she could do. Janet actually was able to take a step but she seemed really awkward using the bars so I brought her out into the middle of the pool, stood in front of her and held her left hand and boom, she took multiple “steps”. It was very exciting and she had a huge smile on her face. I could still see doubt in her eyes but also some determination and focus. She was really thinking the moves through and managed to “walk” half the length of the pool. Huge high five! These are not her first “steps” as she did “walk” with Moira using the ceiling lift in Rehab but this is the most she’s “walked” on her own. All I did was balance her.

The back to back sessions in the pool were great and I kind of wish we had an hour each time as the thirty minutes just go by too fast. Janet worked up a good appetite for lunch at home and also was very tired afterwards and had a good long nap this afternoon. We got back to Connect in time for dinner which Janet ate heartily as well then went to the gym with Bob for some leg stretching. Bob said she did well especially with the exercises she’s to do on her own. Janet asked to watch TV when she got back and we caught the last forty five minutes of Willy Wonka which Janet enjoyed but she laughed out loud a number of times during the movie Big which came on after that. I didn’t let her stay up too late but it was ten o’clock by the time I turned her lights out and she wasn’t all that tired.

As impressed as I am with Janet in the pool I am a little concerned about her lack of power in standing to transfer from her wheelchair to the toilet or couch. She seems to have forgotten how to do it. Sometimes she can get some decent lift from her legs and other times there’s nothing there at all. She is getting upset by it now too so I’ll ask Dr. McCann about it tomorrow in hopes he has an answer. All in all it was an exciting day with Janet and she was feeling pretty happy as we said goodnight. Praying for lots of rest tonight and a productive day tomorrow.

Cheap Date. Home for the weekend. #TSJ

Knowing I have the whole weekend with Janet I took my time going out to Connect today, making sure the house was in order before bringing Janet into it. I tried again to time my arrival with the last part of her nap time but like before, she was waiting in the living room with a “I didn’t think you were coming today because it’s so late”. I laughed with her then she told me she was having a good day so far but was unsure of what to do the rest of the day. My suggestion of a short nap was rejected immediately. Lorne reported that Janet had a good morning that included a workout with Karl in the gym. He said he was impressed with her Shuttle session. Hearing that good report I ran a couple of scenarios past Janet as to what we could do before going home and after a lengthy discussion she chose to have a little rest, then pizza dinner, then a little leg stretch in the gym, then home.

The little rest turned into over an hour and a half sleep leading right into the pizza dinner which Janet dove into the second it was placed in front of her. When she was done I took her for the usual bio break and noticed that she wasn’t standing very well during the transfer. She acknowledged it too and couldn’t say why. I tried a few more afterwards with her and felt she was lacking some energy so I called off the gym, packed her up and took her home.

Being home a little earlier than planned gave us time to watch a movie. I wasn’t confident Janet would last through it but she insisted she would. After finishing her first piece of pizza at dinner she took a rather long pause. I asked her if she was going to keep eating and she said “how can I when I have no more?”. There were two other pieces on her plate, both way over on the right and when I turned her head she laughed and started eating one of them. With that in mind I wanted to do a little vision test before we watched the movie. I asked her to read what she saw on the TV screen. It was a still frame of the order screen for the movie we selected. She read the upper left portion no problem but said she couldn’t see the right side of the screen. I went up with my hand and she saw that fine after I made her physically turn her head. Prior to that cue she was still looking off to the left even though I was saying look right. Satisfied that she could see the whole screen I started the movie. We watched Life of Pi and Janet made it through easily, enjoying parts of it, finding some of it “upsetting” and overall feeling happy that she watched it. There were times when I could sense she was emotionally into it, a first I think. I repeatedly asked her during the movie if she wanted to have a snack and or a pop, a family tradition, but each time she declined. Cheap date but not quite as much fun.

There was no argument about going to bed after the movie and I’m praying for a restful night that gives Janet lots of energy and strength for tomorrow. I’m not sure what she’ll need the energy and strength for as we have absolutely nothing planned and when Janet heard that she smiled big and said “good”.