swimming

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

Renovation Day 66. Randy dropped off all the cabinet doors he’s been building and will install them tomorrow. I did no reno work at all today. Hmmm.

Before meeting Janet at the pool I spoke again with the folks at OKAPED re her AFO. She has an appointment tomorrow which is exciting and makes me wish I would have followed up on this sooner but I guess this was the right time. Janet is excited too as she really believes the AFO will give her more confidence and more ability to walk.

Jess was able to work with us in the pool today and tried her best to keep up to the torpedo in the deep tank. The water was a little cooler than normal but having Jess there made it easier to distract Janet from that fact and she swam very well doing some impressive rolls from tummy to back and vice versa. I’m getting more confident in Janet’s abilities as well and can now keep a little more distance between us so she feels more independent. Jess and I took her to the kiddie pool, which was bathtub warm, and had Janet do some balancing. With Jess coaching her she was able to do some good sit to stands and because she was waist deep in water we were able to let her fall a few times to try and break that fear a little. Janet was not scared at all to fall forwards or backwards and I think that helped in getting her to stand properly on her own.

Janet was able to hang out with me the rest of the day as we wanted to get some Christmas shopping done and so headed to the dreaded mall right after swimming. It was surprisingly quiet and because we had no time constraints I was not stressed at all. Janet did a great job of asking to stop and look at things she wanted to check out, something I’ve had a hard time getting her to do previously. I let her pick most things out that we bought but had to work at keeping her within budget. Janet is very money conscious but also loves Christmas and finds it easy to justify an exception. I just couldn’t let her do it. We stopped half way through for a drink that Janet said she didn’t need but she was fading and the break gave her that second wind and we had a very successful round two. On the way out Janet asked where Santa was thinking he was at a courtyard in the middle of the mall. I explained he was down near the end we would be leaving from and asked if she wanted to go see him. She said no but I sensed she really meant yes. When we got to his little village she couldn’t see him very well as we were kind of behind his chair so I wheeled her over for a better look. The Janet that repeatedly said no to going to see Santa started waving and smiling at him the second she saw him. She said no to going in and having her picture taken with Santa but when I said I’d get in the picture too she agreed. You can see by the smile on her face that it was a fun visit and like Santa says, he’s here for kids of all ages.
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We had to go home to let the dog out and ended up staying for dinner and watching X Factor. Neither of us wanted to go back to Connect tonight but Janet had to have her meds so back we went. There were some tears as we got out of the car but they passed quickly when we got inside and had a little chat with Curtis and showed him the Santa photo. Janet even chose to go for a bike ride even though it was after nine by the time we got to the gym. I was so impressed by her choice I let her ride for half the usual time but asked her to pedal as hard as she could the whole fifteen minutes. She did, making 1.4 miles in that time. I think she’s ready for level 4!

There were lots of laughs and some shakes of the head as we read Open. Andre Agassi’s dad was or is a lunatic. That was a great way to wind down a very successful day for Janet and she loved hearing all the positives she accomplished as we said goodnight. There was still a little “I don’t want to be here” but the tears were non existent and the smile was bright. Praying for a night of uninterrupted sleep and lots of energy for a big day tomorrow.

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 #Strong

Renovation Day 52. A work from home day for Randy and a little sleep in for me this morning before taking advantage of Black Friday to score some new cookware. Our old pots and pans won’t work on our new induction cooktop so we now have new ones. Yeah!

Today of course was swimming day and after last weeks session in the deep pool I decided to have Janet do that again. We didn’t have Courtney with us this time but Ashley from Connect was there with another resident so I felt confident that Janet could be rescued if something went wrong. Since Janet is doing so well with her balance and walking on land I’m giving her a break from the cold water and letting swimming be just the fun it ought to be. Prior to getting in the water Janet was saying she doesn’t like swimming, she was upset that the water was cold as soon as she got in but immediately upon swimming she had a big smile on her face. She swam strong and for long distances managing a few roles from back to tummy and back again. Her confidence level is definitely increasing as is mine which gave me the idea of throwing Janet off of the ladder just for fun. She agreed so I tossed her gently from maybe eight inches out of the water and she went about a foot under. With the wetsuit on I expected her to pop right back up and when she didn’t I reached down and pulled her back up. She wasn’t too happy about that saying “I was getting ready to swim”. She was fine, I panicked. Silly me.

My schedule didn’t allow me to go back to Connect right away with the group so I missed out on today’s session with Tez. Janet told me as soon as I got there that she walked up and down the hall again with a cane and she seemed quite excited and proud of herself. It was hard work and combined with the swimming I expected Janet to be zonked right out. Not the case, her stamina is really building.

Since she had energy she agreed to catch up on some correspondence that she has been delaying. Responding to emails has never been a favourite past time of Janet’s and it takes a lot out of her now so I have to catch her at just the right time in order to have her be able to focus and come up with good responses. That led us to dinner which included more vocal aerobics from her and Big Country and Willie. This time there was a contest to see who could hold a note the longest, Janet tried but burst out laughing fifteen seconds into each attempt. Good fun.

Still with energy Janet surprisingly was up for a bike ride after dinner and set a new personal best. 2.5 miles in thirty minutes at level 2.5! High five! I see no way for Janet to argue that she’s not getting stronger anymore. The proof is evident even to her now.

We watched a little TV with some of the others then read some of Open as Janet faded into sleepy time. Today was a very full day with lots of physical activity and some good brain exercise with Janet impressing me in all areas. Thanks again for all the positive feedback from Janet’s walking video, there was more to read to her today and for once she is accepting the compliments and encouragement and that is feeding her determination.

Praying for lots of healing rest tonight and an energetic day tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 45 was more of an unpacking day for me. Randy continues the renovation side of things, finishing Janet’s closet and the one in the Den/Second Bedroom. He also did a great job installing our new dryer which required adapting the exhaust vent to run out of the bottom of the machine. Still no sign of the electrician but rumour has it he’s coming tomorrow and if so we will then be able to do laundry. Yeah!

I met Janet at the pool this morning along with Courtney. It was great having Courtney there as we were able to take Janet into the deep pool where the water is warmer. Janet swam well there but that’s all you can do so we did a little time in the lap pool as well so she could practice balancing and walking. She had virtually no push down in her right leg at all but was able to move it forward well. Janet enjoyed having Courtney in the pool with her and went the entire session without whining, pretty much a first.

After lunch with Courtney at The Asian Pear we went home and Janet was able to load some of her closet. She admitted it was a little overwhelming trying to put all of her stuff away so I stopped her after an hour and a half and got her into our new bed for a nap. I had hoped to give Janet the side of the bed closest to the bathroom so that’s what we tried today. The transfer into bed was OK and will be much better using a stripper pole when we get that installed. Janet found it a little hard to manoeuvre on the bed, feeling its a little soft. She slept well and really liked the bed once snuggled up in it. Getting out proved more challenging as she has to use her weak side more being on the opposite side of the bed from Connect. I think we’ll try it for the weekend and see if she can adapt, otherwise a switch may be in order.

We don’t yet have any means of cooking at the new house so out for dinner we went. This time to Original Joe’s. We hadn’t been there since early in the summer but Janet remembered the room once we were in it. The food was good but the place was very noisy so I think we’ll leave it as a lunch option as it should be quieter then.

Janet had enough energy in her to put in a decent bike ride when we got back to Connect and closed a busy day with some TV and Tootsie Rolls. Praying for a night of uninterrupted sleep, lots of exercise in the morning and complete control of her right leg.

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

Renovation Day 38. The floors are done! Very happy with the look and the install. There’s one little patch of vinyl tile to be done over the trap door access to the crawl space and that’s it. I got all the old switches and plugs changed out and just have a few new ones to do when Randy gives the all clear. I actually had a couple hours of just me in the house this afternoon and I quite enjoyed that. Good thing, as tomorrow will be the complete opposite as the appliances arrive along with the blinds and the plumber and the electrician. Fun!

I met Janet as she was getting off the bus at the pool this morning and she was a little grumpy, saying, “I don’t like getting ready for all this stuff”. By the time we were getting changed she was happier but dreading the cold water. Thankfully the pool was the warmest it’s been for us and Janet was comfortable after just a few minutes. She swam really well today, faster than ever a couple of times. So fast she blew right by me like a torpedo and I just let her go this time as she is able to grab the edge of the pool and stand herself up. Her walking was decent today too. Her right leg wasn’t totally cooperating but as she walked half the width of the pool and up a couple stairs I thought her mechanics were quite good with minimal hopping. Every time we go there is improvement. Janet still isn’t totally buying into her accomplishments but had lots of smiles and laughs as people commented on her speed of swimming and her ability to roll from back to tummy and swim under the lane dividers. She went into the pool grumpy and came out relaxed and quite happy.

Janet was about to get into the Standing Frame and help make pizzas when I got to Connect later in the afternoon. She was not thrilled with the idea but did it and got a good workout in the process. Her positioning in the Standing Frame is different in this situation and she is forced to stand on her own more with the machine there to help keep balance. Fifteen minutes is about her maximum and the busier she is the better. Chopping peppers was not much fun but decorating everyone’s pizzas was. Eating them of course was better yet.

Just before dinner Janet called her brother Mike to wish him a happy birthday and had a pretty good conversation with him. There were lots of laughs, as usual, and some long term memory recall but thankfully no singing. Janet very willingly climbed onto the bike this evening and tied her personal best. That ride and the swim this morning along with the Standing Frame session took a toll on Janet and she faded quickly as we watched X Factor tonight. She was a almost asleep as I stretched her legs before lights out. Praying for a night of uninterrupted sleep that brings complete healing and lots of energy for tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 31. Just a little shopping for me today as there were lots of Janet things going on. Randy and Dave were both busy all day and it looks to me like we’re close to finishing the painting and the kitchen appears close to where Randy can start building doors and drawers.

I met Janet and the gang at the pool this morning and found Janet to be in a good mood albeit not too excited to go swimming. After the cold water the last couple of weeks I can’t blame her for the loss of enthusiasm and am glad she still is willing to go. Thankfully the water was noticeably warmer today and Janet was comfortable after five minutes or so. Walking in this pool is still really challenging as her right leg just stiffens right up from the cold. Swimming on the other hand is spectacular as Janet realizes she can generate some warmth by moving around. During one length, she was swimming so fast on her back I actually couldn’t keep up to her and she shot past a group of people like a torpedo. She was smiling all the way too.

We visited our local Urban Fare for lunch after swimming and Janet polished off a massive and very tasty wrap before we stopped by the house to let the dog out and give Janet a peak. I wheeled her in with her eyes shut hoping to get her to the very yellow bedroom before she opened them but she couldn’t resist and opened them in the kitchen. She was very happy with what she saw, even the bedroom, saying “it’s so nice and bright and cheery”. That’s a great critique on a dull and almost snowy day so my color fears have been put to rest.

As soon as we got back to Connect we met with Tez at the parallel bars. Janet has tried various routines on this apparatus before and was quite vocal about not doing it again but we assured her this time would be different. And it was. A lot of what’s holding Janet back from standing and walking is a lack of confidence and a fear of falling. Tez put her in a sling that allows her to walk and fall safely. Kind of like a Jolly Jumper with less seat. Janet was really nervous at first but by the end of the session walked the length of the parallel bars pretty much on her own. Tez allowed her to fall a few times to prove she couldn’t really fall and I think Janet started to believe it a little. The plan over the next while is to focus on getting weight through her right leg in hopes it will relearn to do what it’s supposed to do. Tez is hopeful that using the leg as it normally would, i.e. walking, will facilitate that relearning. This is a big move forward and if Janet agrees to work hard at this and if her brain can rewire her right leg some more this could be a turning point in her physical recovery.

Wes was very proud that he ate more than Janet at dinner tonight as Janet was still full from lunch. She worked some of that off with a bike ride before watching The Voice to round out the day. This was the first results show and both of our picks survived. Praying for a restful and healing night that provides lots of energy and a positive attitude for tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 24. A big day of mudding, sanding and preparing for painting. We also had the electrician come by to install LED pot lights in both bathrooms as we were unable to find suitable fixtures that weren’t stupidly expensive. One week from today our new appliances are scheduled for delivery. The end is near.

I met Janet and the gang at the Kelowna Family Y this morning for a swimming session. Donning the wetsuit is getting easier but it’s not getting easier for Janet to warm up in the water. The pool was particularly cold today even though the staff tried telling us it was twenty eight degrees. No way, I was clod so I can imagine Janet, even with the wetsuit. Eventually she warmed up and impressed the others by swimming lengths on her back, switching from back to tummy and kicking her legs pretty well. Walking was a bit of a lost cause today and I’ll blame it on the cold water combined with the increased spasticity in her right leg. The hot tub was welcome relief for the last twenty minutes and allowed for a good stretch.

We cleared the pool, grabbed a quick lunch at our local Wrap Zone and ate it outside at our house so we could let the dog out for a bit. We met our first grumpy neighbour while Nash did his thing on the lawn. An old guy thought I should be taking Nash “out of the compound” to go to the bathroom. Aint going to happen pops.

From there it was over to KGH for some Botox with Dr. McCann. The original plan was to do Janet’s subscapularis this time around but I felt it way more important to hit her finger flexors, wrist flexors and especially her right leg again. In particular, I hoped there was a way to help Janet gain more ability to push her right foot to the floor and Dr. McCann felt there was and treated her that way. Here’s hoping.

Janet was tired by the time we got back to Connect but wanted to get her bike ride over with before having a nap. Her performance was solid but not record breaking as she was visibly tired half way through the ride. Good effort though and no complaints. She slept for a good hour then wolfed down dinner so we could get to Barb and Gary’s to hand out Halloween candy for a while.
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That was a lot of fun but we were all disappointed at the small turn out of maybe forty kids. The neighbourhood usual is in the eighty range. None the less Janet enjoyed seeing all the costumes and did a great job handing out candy and the leftovers certainly won’t go to waste.

We got back to Connect in time to see most of Charlie Brown’s It’s The Great Pumpkin which Janet loved and correctly named all of the characters except Woodstaock.

Praying for an uninterrupted night of deep and healing sleep and lots of energy for an active day tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 4. Electrical work complete, all carpet removed. That means I’m now sleeping on plywood but have light to see the plywood with. Progress.

I met Janet at the Kelowna Family Y this morning to help her with her wet suit. I wasn’t going to swim with her but changed my mind once I got there and am glad I did. The wet suit donning went much better than the first time and Janet said she was quite comfortable in it. Here she is just before getting wet. Sorry about the closed eyes.Janet Wet Suit
Initially Janet complained of being cold and that water is cold at first. After a few minutes she seemed to warm up although she wasn’t admitting it. After ten minutes or so she was fine and swimming around just like the KGH pool. Janet tolerated the big pool for a good forty five minutes and said it was fine, she even tried some of the Aqua Zoomba that was going on but got frustrated at her inability to do the leg work.Janet Me in Pool
She was getting cold near the end and asked to go to the hot tub where she warmed up nicely and I was able to get some good stretching done. In taking off Janet’s wet suit I can totally see how you wouldn’t want to try putting one on wet. Sticky. Overall this trip to the pool was a success and I look forward now to a session with Tez there to get some appropriate exercises going.

I went back to the house for the afternoon and Janet went back to Connect on their cool shuttle bus.Garrett loading Janet
Curtis had her in the Standing Frame for almost an hour and a half after lunch with no complaints. Not surprisingly, Janet had a little nap after that. Dinner was almost ready when I arrived with my homemade soup from one of our kind new neighbours. Watch out Barb and Gary, you have competition. Janet was in a good mood and really following the conversation at the table. Still not initializing but she’s much better at reacting and responding. We had a nice after dinner Skype chat with a clean shaven Andrew then did a little Shuttle work before watching X Factor. After a little dessert, Janet called her own bedtime and wanted me to read to her before I left. It was really nice to lay on a bed for twenty minutes so I’m happy to read to her anytime.

Praying for a night of uninterrupted sleep and lots of energy for tomorrow.

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

From a secret location very close to Janet.

Janet thought she was going to have an easy morning as the only thing planned today was swimming at KGH. Breakfast was done in time for Jess to take her to the gym for a Shuttle session and a little stretching. Janet was happy to get it over with and was for the pool.

Sean, the PT from 4B was in the pool with us for the first few minutes and Janet took great delight in trying to splash him. She wasn’t successful but had fun trying then Sean gave us a few new exercises to do in the water and suggested that weight bearing in that right leg is really important. I put a five pound weight on Janet’s right ankle to see if that would help her keep it on the bottom and it did somewhat but there is so much tone in that leg I think we’d need fifteen pounds to keep it down and Janet wouldn’t be able to move it at all then. Overall the pool sessions were good today with the biggest smiles coming from targeting Sean and swimming on her own and the toughest part being walking and using her right leg.

We had to stop by the Interior Health offices at Capri Mall for some administrative work then went to the food court there for a lunch of some decent Chinese food. We were pleasantly surprised to see our church friend Carol there with her group of senior single ladies out for the afternoon. The drive back to Connect was a quiet one as Janet faded and was actually snoring as we pulled into the parking lot.

It was a fun evening together watching football while in the Standing Frame then watching The Voice with Humberto, Wes and Karl the rest of the night. Janet loves that show and even sang out loud to one of the songs, a good warm up for singing with John tomorrow.

No one has guessed the model of our new car yet, some got the make so here is a more revealing picture.

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Guesses?

Praying for a deep and healing nights rest and lots more strength for that right leg.

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.