standing

Simple. A simply enjoyable day. #TSJ

I’m starting to really enjoy Saturdays, especially ones where we have no set agenda. This one started nice and slow with both of us waking up at 7:15 and agreeing it was way too early so back to sleep we went. Well Janet went at least and I hung out beside her just relaxing until she stirred again just after 8:30. That was a little more reasonable so we started the morning routine and by the time breakfast was done it was past 10:30. Janet was cheery and chatty throughout and chose to help me make a pot of chili afterwards that we could let simmer all day and enjoy it whenever we wanted tonight while we watched basketball.

Janet did a good job chopping a couple of very irritating onions, had a little trouble with the peppers as they seem to have tough skins for her to break and was happy to stir things together. This was Janet’s fist attempt at using our new One Touch can opener and she had immediate success after a very brief demonstration. I’m really happy that worked as it’s one more thing she can do on her own.

With the chili cooking we moved to trying on pants and things Janet had elected to keep during the purge but we weren’t sure if they fit. Most didn’t so it looks like a shopping trip is in the works. Sticking with an unintentional Mexican food theme we had quesadillas for lunch, something Janet could participate in the making of. I need to find a way for her to grate cheese. She can’t seem to push hard enough against the grater we have. Suggestions?

Nap time came a little late as we took a long time eating lunch and listening to music but after getting up Janet was nicely refreshed and patiently sat in the sun while I cut and painted her nails. Jess told me the other day that they aren’t allowed to cut toe nails in case they break some skin. That’s a new one on me but I’m happy doing it anyways. We went with bright yellow today in honor of the Spring sunshine and to help cheer on Michigan in their basketball game against Syracuse. It worked!

Today was a nice simple, relaxed, fun and productive day. Janet did very well with her standing transfers, the best yet, with some really strong pushes once I got her most of the way up. Which is not near all the way up of course, but all the way for her. It seems a little like we are starting all this over again and in some ways we are. I think previously, I was able to lift her to a straighter position and therefore thought she was standing more on her own. I now realize she wasn’t doing much of the work then but now I’m starting her off then waiting for that push from her before making any further move. Sometimes it doesn’t come right away and I have to sit her down and try again but more often than not she gives a very definite push and raises herself up noticeably to where I’m mostly just balancing her rather than holding her up. That only lasts a second or two of course but I think she’s learning each time she does it and is gaining a little confidence. Overall I think she gained a lot of confidence today as she accomplished many small but important tasks.

Praying for a restful night and lots of energy tomorrow.

Yes and No #TSJ

So now my name is Roger according to Janet. Not sure how I got that one but the only Roger I know I like so that’s cool. Christa mentioned to me that Janet refused lunch so after our little what’s my name chat I asked her if she wanted something to eat. She proceeded to eat a whole can of beans! I’m sure she’ll be able to eat more exciting things this time next week as her swallow X-ray has been booked for Thursday. Thanks again Connie! I met with Janet’s eye doctor this morning and he agreed to do an exam with Janet on the 29th. The value of the exam will be to give her therapists an accurate account of Janet’s field of vision. It is unlikely that whatever deficiencies she has can be corrected or healed but she may gain functionality through rehab once her exact condition is known.

After her late lunch I took Janet up to get weighed. She lost a little bit this week and we had a good talk with the staff and agreed to up her meal portions a little and offer her snacks in between meals as well. One contributing factor to her loss could be the increased activity in the gym and in general. Standing takes a lot of energy and her workouts have been rather intense so I think she’s likely burning more calories now than before.

Janet struggled a little with putting away her laundry today but did a great job of helping me make the bed. Before heading to the gym Janet took a pee break and for the first time did a standing transfer from the wheelchair to the toilet. She had to stand for quite a while as I haven’t perfected my technique for a one handed pant removal or replacement. She was very strong and worked hard to stay up long enough for me. We took Christa and Suzanne to the gym with us as they had not been trained on Janet’s routine yet. Janet was very patient and cooperative as the three of us stretched her out. Janet did very well at the stripper pole today, needing only a slight boost to get started then getting up pretty good herself after that. She still gets very emotional doing this but today she did not pee, hopefully because she went before going to the gym. Janet managed one set of thirty on the Shuttle with one band of tension and when I suggested thirty more with two bands like she did yesterday she very sternly told me no way. She had been through a lot by that then with no nap time so I relented and said we’d do more in the morning.

Dinner was more of Suzanne’s stew and we only shared the table with Chris tonight. I don’t ask the other residents what their deal is and some have offered little bits of their story but this was the first time Chris said anything other than he was in an accident. Turns out it was a motocross accident almost nine years ago. He was in a coma for seven months and has not walked until just a couple of weeks ago. The smile on his face as he told us that was really something to see and I’m glad Janet heard it first hand as that is a true story of hope. It made an impact on Janet as I included Chris in our goodnight prayer she asked me about his story again. I gave her a recap and she seemed genuinely touched and impressed.

When I asked Janet if this was a good day she said “yes and no”. She couldn’t defend her no response at all and agreed to all my yes suggestions so the final answer was a big smiley yes. Praying for rest and healing tonight and recovery and learning tomorrow.

Month Eight #TSJ

Day 246 was a good one for Janet. Lorne and Garrett worked with her this morning in the gym and with some Speech. She didn’t fall out of bed or her wheelchair and ate well. When I arrived she was waiting in the living room to go back to the gym with Tez. The guys were updating Janet’s chart and agreed that she needs to be on a regular toileting program. I talked to nurse Jen about that later on and she will develop a routine so Janet gets plenty of opportunities to go to the bathroom. Today was much better in that regard. Lorne and Garrett also started making up a bunch of side dishes for Janet to eat so she gets more vegetables and then the only thing that needs to be cooked at meal time is the protein. Food has been a challenge and will continue to be until Janet passes that swallow X-ray. No word yet as to when she gets a chance but the word has been put out to Connie to see what’s happening.

Janet failed the “who am I” test again but caught on quicker today for sure. We played an expanded version of it at bedtime and she did really well naming family members except her own kids. Usually she nails those easily but tonight it was everyone but. Still waiting for Tez we played a naming game on the iPad and Janet did reasonably well after getting two or three clues. She definitely knows things once she sees the word the problem is in pulling that word out of her memory bank on its own.

Tez was finally ready for Janet around three o’clock and he worked her pretty hard again. This was another training opportunity for the staff and Tez wanted to add some more hand, arm and shoulder exercises so there is a solid routine for those in the mornings and one for legs later in the day. Janet’s right arm continues to be nice and loose and Tez got some good range from it and even though Janet cried you could see improvement from last week. Tez got Janet to hold her right hand with her left and intertwine her fingers then lift her arms up high. Janet was straining hard to touch Tez’s hand about a foot and a half above her chest but she did it!

Getting Janet on her tummy was a challenge today as she was pretty worn out from the arm workout she had. Tez only kept her there long enough to get her doing some pushing back with her legs as he applied resistance. From there we got Janet on her knees again and she really seemed thrilled once she got there. It took a tremendous effort on her part as Tez had everyone back off on supporting her so she was doing almost all of it herself. Excellent effort.

The next stage in transferring for Janet is going to be using a circular pivot board that Janet will stand on, spin, then sit. We tried it a couple times and its still really hard for Janet to do on a regular basis but will be incorporated into her workout.

Finally Janet got to try the Shuttle Machine. This is a piece of equipment I noticed as something Janet could maybe use when we first toured Connect. As you can see from the video she caught on real fast. Using this regularly will really help Janet build some strength in her legs.

After all that it was time for a bathroom break followed by a Skype session with Mary/Gaga and Keith. Janet was able to converse reasonably well and I think enjoyed the chance to see and talk to them both. Dinner was a massive bowl of puréed spaghetti and meat sauce. It looked disgusting but Janet gobbled it up then enjoyed a desert of “yummy” pears.

It is truly amazing to think back eight months and see just how much progress Janet has made. Seeing her “kneeling” and “standing”, working on that Shuttle Machine, talking, laughing and eating well is truly a blessing. Thank you Lord for every minute I get to spend with her and for the healing you are bringing to her. Thanks to all of you for the prayers, love and support. #Team Save Janet

Mixed Monday #TSJ

Janet’s day started strong with a good breakfast followed by a full body workout in the gym with Danielle. Her right arm and shoulder continue to loosen and her legs continue to be pretty tight. Garrett took Janet to the clinic for a blood test to measure the level of Dilatin in her so Janet got to go out today as well. When I got in Janet was watching TV in the living room. I gave her the “who am I” quiz and she failed miserably calling me everything but Larry. She only clued in after she got her name right but she did name all her kids correctly and I think that’s the first time she’s done that without assistance. We played match the Sesame Street characters and Janet did better than yesterday but you could see her struggling near the end. Lunch was a bowl of soup and some canned peaches, unauthorized apparently but no one was watching. I left for a while after lunch to finish selling Cam’s car and Janet was going to hang out in the living room with some of the others until I got back.

While I was away Janet decided she wanted to sit on the couch so without any assistance she proceeded to do so. Of course she missed the couch and ended up on the floor. Danielle said she was fine, a little scared but mostly smiling. She tried again later but Bob was watching this time and prevented her from getting too far. I like the determination.

I came back to find her watching TV again so we had a little chat about her couch surfing and she seemed to get the fact she needs help. The staff of Connect had planned a fire drill for this afternoon so we all had to go to our respective rooms and wait for that to happen. The alarm is quite loud and annoying but it was good to see them all go through the exercise and from what I saw they have a pretty good plan in place should a real fire occur. I took Janet for a little leg stretch n the gym before dinner and managed a decent result. Once again she doubted her ability to stand then proceeded to do quite well at it. Didn’t quite have the stamina today but still a strong effort. She was very hungry at dinner, eating a massive bowl of left over chicken and rice from Suzanne that I brought in just in case. Bob was making a stir fry but it would have to be pureed so he let me feed her the chicken and rice without him looking. Cool.

We had a nice Skype session with Laurel after dinner in which Janet was very loud and clear although sometimes speaking nonsense and other times completely off topic. She must have used all her energy during that conversation because thirty minutes later she was pretty much asleep and it was only 8:15. I don’t remember a more rapid decent into sleep mode. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised considering she had no rest time this afternoon at all and was pretty active all day.

Today was not a good bathroom day for Janet. She often asked me if she could go but it was always too late by the time she asked and she seemed to pee a lot today. Each time I’ve had her standing she had peed as well but this time she actually said she had to go just as she finished her second stand. Hopefully today was a blip but I will attempt to set up a proper schedule for the staff to toilet her in the future.

Praying for a restful night and readiness for an active day tomorrow.

Blue Sunday #TSJ

I got a really nice surprise when I arrived at Connect this morning. Bridgette from Janet’s 4B days was working in Janet’s house for the day and she and Garrett had Janet up early, fed her breakfast and had her to the gym. All by 9:30. Janet was all smiles as she was heading to the bathroom with Bridgette when I got there and it was apparent that they were getting along despite Janet telling me later she didn’t remember her. Janet was able to present Bridgette with a happy face lollypop on our way out and that may have contributed to Janet’s laundry being done and put away when we got back tonight. Or maybe it was just Bridgette being the good nurse she is.

By the time we got home the Seahawks were down 10-0 so we quickly got our jerseys and as many other blue things we could find on to try and start a comeback. They did indeed come back but couldn’t close it out. I’m excited for next year as this young team learned a lot in those two playoff games. Janet watched quite a bit of the game but she needs a lot of coaching to understand whats going on. She ate a football game sized lunch of soup, grilled cheese, dill pickle, chips and a bowl of fresh fruit. I managed to give her a little leg stretch before we Skyped Leslie. Her legs seemed rather tight today but she still has good movement in both and made a decent attempt at standing from the edge of our bed. During the call with Leslie, Janet was having a little trouble being loud and expressing her own thoughts but it was a decent conversation with Janet calling it off as she was getting tired. Nice to see her recognizing that and doing something about it. Now if she would only agree to an afternoon rest time.

We played match the Sesame Street characters a couple of times with Janet struggling with anything on her right and really struggling with the game in general the second time around. I need to give her a break in between. Spelling Bee Bingo was next and although we tied both games Janet really doesn’t understand this game yet and her vision is an issue as well. Dinner was in the football theme again for Janet. Two bowls of a casserole Suzanne gave us along with a bunch of fresh veggies then banana bread followed closely by hot cinnamon bread freshly baked by our awesome neighbor Barb.

A pretty good day despite the Seahawks loss. Janet seemed content to be home and judging by the amount she ate today must be feeling pretty good. I am noticing a little more difficulty in stringing together proper words to form sentences. She seems to be using a little more Klingon these days or words that have nothing to do with what she’s talking about. When Kiko and Joel dropped by this evening Janet’s response to a question from Kiko was to repeat what Kiko had asked her. She has been like that when she is tired but I think I’m seeing it more often now. Could still be recovering from the seizures or it could be the drugs or it could be me looking for the effects of both those. Time will tell.

Praying for rest and healing and a productive day of recovery tomorrow.

Fresca #TSJ

Dr. Miller visited Janet first thing this morning then came into the gym to say hi when I was working with Janet there after breakfast. He said he was truly impressed with how she has improved and stated “this is the best I’ve ever seen her”. He was a little unsure of what to expect having heard about the seizures but agreed that she has bounced back really well. I asked him about the Dilatin and its’ side effects. He understands my concern and advised me to keep an eye on Janet over the next couple of weeks to see if there are any signs of excess confusion or other cognitive impairments. There are other drugs that could be used as anticonvulsants but they are not necessarily better and all drugs have side effects. He cautioned that side effects don’t appear in everyone so just watch for now and see what happens.

Our workout went quite well with Janet getting herself on her tummy this time, allowing for a decent hamstring stretch. I’m not seeing any real change in the severity of the tone in her legs but her right arm and shoulder seem to be improving. Despite her reluctance I had her use the stripper pole again and she performed her best standing yet. She got much straighter than yesterday and was able to let go of the pole and hold my shoulder so that more weight was on her legs. She still stands on her tippy toes but I’m confident that with time and more weight bearing through her legs her ankles will loosen up. The range is still there so we just need for those muscles to know when to turn off. I plan on demonstrating Janet standing to Tez as soon as possible and asking him to get her “walking” in the parallel bars soon.

With the workout done we rushed off for an appointment to view a condo downtown. I wanted to see what 1500 square feet looks and feels like to live in. It felt a little small but I think its doable with the right floor plan and the unit we saw certainly did not have the right plan at all. The realtor will keep an eye out for us.

At home it was time for a real food lunch then some NFL playoff football while we waited for two different people to stop by to look at Cam’s car he is trying to sell. I think we had success by the end of the day so come Monday there may be one less vehicle in our driveway. I used our waiting time to update Janet’s nail polish to Seahawks blue in readiness for the big game tomorrow. I figured she deserved a reward for sitting still so long while I did her nails so I offered her a pop. As soon as I mentioned we have Fresca, she smiled and rather mischievously said “that would be really nice”. Finally a cold drink she likes!. For dinner we enjoyed an unauthorized chicken dish that Suzanne had kindly dropped off for us then we rushed off to church so we can watch the Seahawks game tomorrow as it starts at the ridiculous time of 10am. Not sure if that’s the right thing to do but Janet did enjoy the service and I commented to her that unlike before her illness, she is liking the music parts of church more than the talking parts. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

On our return to Connect I had Janet put away her stuff, she is starting to figure out where some things go and she is very good at taking her shoes off now. Once in bed we read some of Slow Dance after I reassured her we had not finished it already. Janet took about ten minutes to ask me a really important question that she “needs to know the answer now” but never made it clear and she eventually forgot the whole thing. It started out with “how do we get to Washington to…” and evolved into “what’s the difference between Strawberry one and…” I’m open to suggestions if anyone has any. By the time I said goodnight she was closing her eyes and had a smile on her face that makes it really hard for me to leave.

Praying for rest and healing, a fun day tomorrow, and a Seahawks win.

No Doubt #TSJ

Janet’s day started after a really good night’s sleep. Lorne said the night staff checked Janet every hour and she was snoring each time. She ate a good breakfast then went to the gym for a stretch on her right arm and shoulder. Some Speech work was next and Christi reported Janet did really well. She refused lunch however and I arrived to find her scrolling through channels on the TV in the living room. She told me she had just had an interview and was listening to the ref. She was watching sports highlights so there could have been an interview with a ref I guess.

I took Janet to the gym for some leg stretching and found her to be quite tensed up compared to yesterday so I took it reasonably easy on her. Wanting to get a good hamstring stretch though, I asked her to try and lay on her tummy. She gave it a really good effort but said it hurt too much. I then asked her if she wanted to try standing. She shook her head and got all emotional saying she couldn’t stand. I reminded her how well she did yesterday kneeling and that she had stood before. She eventually agreed to try, so over to the stripper pole we went. The first attempt she even admitted was sloppy and I took the blame for not positioning her or myself correctly. The next two times were bang on as Janet stood carrying her own weight for about ten seconds each time and getting her butt clear of the table mat by a good eight to ten inches with me lightly resting my hand on her back to keep her from falling backwards. Very impressive, best I’ve seen, and she was really happy too. I told her not to doubt herself and that I believe she will walk again one day and that she just has to keep trying. She smiled and nodded her head.

We had an hour before dinner and I wanted Janet to rest a little as we planned on going to the UBCO women’s basketball game tonight. I got her to lay down on her bed with me so I could read to her for a bit and that led to about twenty minutes of eyes closed time. She ate a large bowl of soup for dinner then off we went to the game.

When we arrived at the gym I initially parked her in her wheelchair at one end of the court and I sat in the first row of seats right beside her. She looked at me very puzzled and asked where her seat was. I never thought of putting her into a seat but with some help from a guy sitting close by I gave it a try. Janet was much happier, then I realized we were at the wrong end of the court. Janet’s field of vision is weak on the right side and most of the court was on the right from where we were. Suzanne joined us and at the first quarter break we wheeled down to the other end and got settled there with a really good view. Janet’s first question from the new seats was, “where’s Laurel?” I had to explain that Laurel doesn’t play anymore and she is old and married now. She smiled and nodded her head. At the half I offered Janet some pizza but she said no. I got a slice anyways teasing her that this was her chance to cheat and after a couple of bites she laughed and agreed to have her own piece.

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UBCO lost a close and entertaining game to Calgary and we really enjoyed watching Angela White play. She is from North Vancouver ( I won’t mention she’s from Handsworth) and her mom taught some of our girls at Argyle and her dad coached with me in the Steve Nash League there. I had a nice chat with him and her mom came down to say hi and as soon as I said her name to Janet she held out her hand for a shake. I think she really does remember Shawn.

Back at Connect it was past bedtime but Janet had hung in there really well and agreed she had a good day. Praying for a restful and healing night and a fun day of Learning tomorrow.