walking

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

In major league baseball they call the last day of a series, Getaway Day, as the teams leave that city and travel to the next one. It was getaway day at our house today as Janet returned to Connect after an enjoyable Christmas break. I think we both felt the impending separation and were a little quiet because of it. Janet was nicely distracted by a Skype call with her mom this morning followed by one with Heather a little while later. Janet wisely cut that conversation short to go to the bathroom, something she has been reluctant to do on occasion with unpleasant results. I took the opportunity to give Janet a bath so she wouldn’t have to endure one at Connect tomorrow. The combination bath/shower worked well with Janet only complaining of cold in the last two minutes or so.

There was more football to watch today but neither of us were too interested. It felt more like we didn’t know what else to do. Janet did manage a very nice standing and walking session. Using my hand as a cane she walked about twelve feet to the patio door, grabbed the door knob and turned herself around then walked five feet to the couch. There, she held onto the back and side stepped her way back to her wheelchair. Half way through she complained of being exhausted but she persevered and flashed a little smile as she plopped back into her wheelchair. That was her longest walk in the house for sure and was accompanied today by some really strong moves in getting to a standing position from sitting without the use of a transfer pole or me. Janet is definitely strong enough to do this now and I plan on talking to Brian this week to see what he thinks about taking the poles away. At least I think its time to restrict their use to holding on while standing, not for getting up.

Janet helped make a very nice dinner for us tonight and we enjoyed it with a glass of wine as we fought off sadness, knowing she had to go back to Connect. The car ride out there was surprisingly fun. I managed to get Janet singing and laughing about the highlights of the Christmas break and she was in good spirits as we made our way to her room. She didn’t’ hesitate at all about going for a bike ride and gave me orders not to make it too hard. Apparently I did though and she got pretty grumpy during her ride. That all changed once she was done and we shared some of our Christmas chocolate. Once in bed I read some of Open to her and that brought laughter and lots of excited comments like, “I love this book”, and “its like you are right there with him”. Makes it a lot of fun to read and with Janet in a good mood it was easier to say goodnight.

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

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

Janet and I enjoyed a pretty quiet day today, her last full day here before returning to Connect tomorrow after dinner. It’s been a great sixteen days and it will be difficult to say goodnight tomorrow and leave her at Connect. I know it’s still the best place for her to keep getting better and I guess I was spoiled having her at home for such a long stretch. It’s awesome to realize she can be home with no major challenges and that bodes well for the future.

I did manage to get Janet to do a little standing and walking today. Her balance was good and she made it more than half way from the table to the fridge, about ten feet, before declaring a bathroom break. I had her carry on afterwards and she was able to retrieve an orange out of the fridge with minimal assistance from me. We had a brief but nice visit from Courtney and watched a very exciting playoff football game before going to church. Janet said that was the most exciting game she’d ever seen and she was truly into it and Seattle wasn’t even playing. Love her.

In trying to foster more independence for Janet I intentionally left her wheelchair footrest in the car at church and asked her to propel herself from the car to our seats. She needed a little help on one sloped bit in the parking lot, other than that it was all her confidently rolling along. At the end of the service she executed her first unassisted standing transfer from pew to wheelchair. No help from me at all. High five!

Dinner and a movie was the evening plan again with Janet almost bailing on the movie we watched, Won’t Back Down, but was glad she stuck it out through the end and gave a loud cheer and a fist pump. Praying for a night of deep and healing sleep that restores Janet’s energy for a productive tomorrow.

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

Janet had another Christmas present arrive this morning. It came in the form of a text message to me from Curtis at Connect reporting that swimming was cancelled for today. Janet was very happy as she insists she does not like going swimming. Truth is she doesn’t like all the preparation for it and the coldness and I understand that and she even admitted later that she would like it more if she could say what to do in the pool. As long as she doesn’t go straight for the hot tub I’m good with that.

Since we no longer had a fixed appointment to go to Janet was able to enjoy a leisurely and complete breakfast before we took off to take our Christmas tree to the chipper and drive out to Connect for a workout. Either Janet is a true celebrity or everyone at Connect is really bored these days because within minutes of me texting that we were in the gym we had Curtis, Garrett, Carly and three other residents in there with Janet being the only one really working out. That attention must have motivated her as she completed her toughest bike ride yet in a personal best tying fashion. Janet recognized that it was a hard ride and blamed me for setting it up that way but I reminded her she peddled her way through it very very well and she acknowledged that with a hint of a smile. Janet left the room and so did most everyone else to a lot of giggles for the following Janet has.

Our next stop was the parallel bars for some walking practice and getting into the elevator we were intercepted by Wendy, Janet’s memory coach. We had a good chat about her plans for Janet which are to work with her three or four days a week, sometimes twice a day for about thirty minutes at a time building Janet’s “future” memory and her “what did I just do” memory. The tools Janet will use are a calendar app on her iPad for the future stuff and a hard copy journal for the past. One short term goal will be to train Janet on the use of an iPhone as she can carry that around easier than a tablet. Janet is a little unsure of it all but Wendy promises it will be a long process with no pressure to hurry up and do something. Janet will learn at her own pace and I think she’ll surprise herself.

Curtis and I helped Janet with some side stepping along the parallel bars and Janet put in a fine effort. The Botox is definitely wearing off of her right leg and she must be noticing a change too as a couple times a day now she is asking me when are we going to see about the AFO. I notice sometimes now her balance and mechanics aren’t quite as good as they have been and I’m hoping that improves once she’s back into her routine at Connect.

After a very productive visit to Connect it was home for a late lunch then some chores. Janet wiped down the outside of all the cupboards and drawers she could reach then had a little power nap. She was a big help in prepping dinner tonight, getting things from the fridge and chopping. She wanted to watch another movie tonight and we chose Hugo. Janet said she didn’t understand even as I explained things as they happened. When I had her retell the story she got the vast majority of it right and decided she did actually understand it.

Praying for a night of uninterrupted and healing sleep that provides lots of energy and a positive attitude for tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 73. Is this the last day? Could be! Randy was at the house today to complete the grouting on the back splashes in each bathroom and I can’t think of anything else that needs doing. I’ll wait to confirm with him before making it official but either way, Janet is able to come home for Christmas to a beautiful new home.

I met Janet at the pool this morning for the last swimming session of 2013. As an early Christmas present for her the water was notably warmer than usual and she had another strong session. We started in the deep tank again and did some lengths with Gillian whose doing a Physio therapy practicum with Tez. She showed Janet a few good leg exercises she can do in the deep water and told us how we can adapt them for at home too. Nice to have her there. Janet swam probably her longest times on her tummy today and is clearly getting stronger in the water. She also did a great job of getting her feet down so she could rest against the pool wall. In the kiddie pool Janet did some good balancing and sit to stands. It’s of course much easier to standup when your sitting in waist deep water but I think it’s still good practice for her. The hot tub as usual was a rewarding way to finish.

Janet returned to Connect with the staff for a house Christmas party that had just wound down by the time Laurel and I got there. I think Janet was on a bit of a coffee or sugar high when we got there as she was sitting on the couch with a big mug of coffee and a tray of cookies and butter tarts in front of her. She had way more energy than I expected her to have and it was fun to hear her tell of how it all went.

Knowing she had to get some exercise tonight Janet chose a bike ride first. I challenged her with level five and had her sit farther back than normal. She found it a little hard but still rode well and had a good workout. Dinner was lively tonight as Kieran and Big Counrty were in fine form with Janet in the middle of it all. She was quite proud of the fact she had two servings of dinner to Big Country’s one. To work that off we went upstairs with Dyllon, a part time staff member we haven’t worked with before, to do some walking. We took Tez’s advice and started slow to allow Janet’s right ankle to stretch out and after going about half way down the parallel bars she started to get into a pretty good rhythm with assistance. She was too tired to make it all the way back to her wheelchair so Laurel brought it to her to give her a rest. Her side stepping tonight was actually pretty good and she had one successful unassisted sit to stand from her wheelchair. High five.

Maybe pushing things a little too far I had Janet use the Standing Frame after her walking practice and fifteen minutes in she complained of a sore tummy. Fearing a repeat of that really bad pain she had a couple weeks ago we bailed out of standing and let Janet relax the rest of the evening. The three of us watched the finale of X Factor occasionally joined by some other residents. Janet said that watching the show was fun but I think she was a little too tired to fully enjoy. That should make for a good night of sleep and I pray she has lots of energy for a fun day with Laurel and Heather tomorrow.

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 #Stronger

Renovation Day 70. The Den is now officially useable as a second bedroom complete with wall mounted TV. Randy, I’m assuming, worked from home today and I hope for his sake is nearing the end.

Jess reported that Janet had a great first part of the day today starting with the dreaded shower but right after breakfast they went to the gym and even Janet said it went well and felt better going there first thing. Shuttle and stretching took place there before going upstairs for walking practice. Jess had Janet focus a lot on side stepping this morning and I know Janet is getting pretty good at that and its good practice for being able to flex her right leg out. After her workouts Janet helped Jess prepare dinner for tonight so it was quite the busy morning.

I found Janet in bed but wide awake when I arrived and after hearing her version of the day we started writing her Christmas cards to the Connect staff and residents. Janet’s handwriting is still pretty messy and inconsistent but mostly legible so it was appropriate that she write all the cards. She needed a break after the first eight or so and that helped reset her to a reasonably neat style. Once she was done it was dinner time and she couldn’t wait to hand out cards to those that were there along with a happy face lolly pop with each one. She very confidently went about distributing them and was genuinely pleased when I told her she did well.

As a Christmas present to Tiffany, Janet agreed to do a little walking after dinner. I had her set up at the door to her room with the goal of getting to her bed which is about twelve feet away. Tiffany was busy with Wes for a few minutes so I asked Janet to try and stand from her chair using only the armrest as support. After a few attempts she got about half way up but couldn’t quite push the rest of the way. A very solid effort and proof of increasing strength. There is a technique to that move that I’m not sure of so its on the to do list with Tez tomorrow. Walking to the bed was slow and not Janet’s best and she complained a little about the ankle brace being loose. It was a good effort considering the time and the busy day she’d already had. That didn’t stop her from wanting to go for a bike ride though and for the first time she did her ride at level four! There was some early whining that it was hard but by the end she had still averaged the same she does at level three so again, proof she’s getting stronger.

That pretty much played Janet out and we relaxed watching The Voice to close out the night. Janet sang along to a few of the songs and is finally cheering for my pick since hers is out. We plan on staying up late tomorrow to see who wins. Praying for a restful night that provides energy, focus and brightness for a busy day tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 69. A day off for me and hopefully Randy too.

Janet and I were up a little late last night and therefore up late this morning. I woke up a few times to see Janet peacefully at rest until finally at 9:40 she opened her eyes. I don’t mind the odd sleep in day but will have to watch that over the Christmas break as it’s not a good habit for Janet to be in. The whole being at home thing has been quite relaxing this weekend and that’s good.

Relaxation was the mode of the day today and with the Seahawks game on in the background Janet did a great job making her toast and coffee. I had to cue her as to where some things were but other than that she did it all on her own. She then had a little Skype chat with Heather followed by some actual watching of the football game.

I convinced Janet to help me sort through the inside Christmas decorations as I know we have way too many and I wanted to be prepared for when the decorating takes place later this week. We did a good job purging and are now ready for Friday when both Laurel and Heather will be here and the women can do their thing.

In order to get in a little exercise I challenged Janet to walk from the dining table to the couch. A week ago there would have been significant protest to that challenge but today with her ankle brace on there was no hesitation in trying. I think she did really well. Her grip on me was tight but only to hold on to and not so much to transfer weight through like she used to. The ankle brace seems to have given her a confidence boost at least. A little later I had her walk from the bed to the toilet and she did so admirably. Our plan is to meet with Tez Tuesday so he can coach us on proper technique and hopefully provide advice on a cane. I think Janet is ready to use one for practice at least.

The thought of going back to Connect tonight didn’t make either of us happy at all. All the Christmas talk and decoration sorting along with The Santa Claus being on TV made it very hard to justify going back tonight but we did, after the movie. Janet remembered the film was shot in Oakville and recognized some of the parts of town which made watching a little more fun. Janet shocked me by asking to go for a bike ride once we got back to Connect at 9:20. She said it would help her sleep. Good call. Once in bed I read a few pages of Open to her and said goodnight as she seemed content and ready for sleep.

Thanking Jesus for the time we got to spend together this weekend and for the continued healing and strengthening. Praying for a night of uninterrupted sleep and lots of energy for tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 65. All quiet on the renovation front today as Randy worked from home again and all I did was finish readying the ensuite.

Today was team meeting day for Janet so I was out at Connect for 10am to join the conversation and Janet was waiting in the Den. I tried sneaking up on her but she’s getting smarter about that sort of thing and caught me before I got into the room.

Our discussion about and with Janet was a good one as she participated and responded appropriately throughout the hour. Brian, as Head Coach, led the meeting and provided reports from the coaches that couldn’t be there. Mary Lou is changing the focus of her therapy away from Speech to Reading and Writing. Janet’s speech is now at a point very close to “normal” so it’s time to bring in some other skills. Wendy, Cognition Coach, is beginning a training program with Janet to help her memory and to plan and be responsible for her daily activities. Delivering the envelope yesterday was part of that and this morning Janet successfully delivered a birthday happy face lollypop to Brian without prompting. One of Wendy’s tools she will provide Janet with is a daily journal type of book. I hope to meet with Wendy before her plan is implemented to see if using the iPad would be more appropriate. Given the choice, Janet would default to the book but she admits her writing is poor and that she’s getting better using the iPad. We will go with whatever has the most upside for Janet’s future. Nurse Jen wants to reinstate the Self Medication Program with Janet. We tried this a few months ago with zero success and feel Janet has progressed to the point where she should be able to gradually catch on to managing her meds herself. This ties in nicely with Wendy’s plan too. Tez would like to see Janet using a cane as much as possible so as soon as he tells me what kind she should have we will go cane shopping. He also wants Janet to continue her work in the pool. I think that means doing a little more than swimming in the deep tank so tomorrow we are going to try some walking and balancing in the kiddie pool. Curtis thinks its deep enough and we know for sure it is reasonably warm. For a few months now, myself and other family members have used Heather’s upcoming wedding as motivation for Janet to start walking. My pitch was I want to dance with her there and she has been pretty positive about trying to make that happen. Today Tez made that an official goal for Janet. Unassisted walking by June! Its very exciting to have that be a real goal instead of just wishful thinking. The team believes Janet can do it and she certainly wants to. The big challenge is her right leg and I followed up on the AFO situation today and hope to have an answer tomorrow as to when we’ll have it. Janet is kind of holding out for that to arrive before really getting going on walking practice. I can’t blame her seeing how much her right ankle rolls now.

That was a full morning mentally for Janet and she hung in there really well. I went to work at the church for a bit while she did the rest of her Wednesday activities. She was watching Ellen when I got back and said she had gone for a bike ride, had lunch and watched soccer on TV. She was in a good mood and quite chatty so I didn’t rush her off to the gym feeling it’s OK to change up the pace now and then. One of the kids presented us with a little drama via text message this afternoon and Janet and I had a good long discussion about how to respond and our plan actually got some good results. I feel blessed to be able to have discussions like that with her as she always was a great parent.

With dinner done and things settled down around the house, Curtis and I took Janet upstairs for some walking practice. She worked really hard but was using a lot of negative self talk and didn’t have Big Country there to cheer her on so had a few frustrating moments. Hopefully that type of work can take place during the day when she has more energy and hopefully we can get that AFO soon.

X Factor had already started by the time we were done walking and with Janet being tuckered out from the hard workout she barely made it through to the end of the show. Praying for a night of deep and healing sleep and lots of energy for tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 64. Randy continues to work from home while I readied the ensuite for operation and hung around while flooring guy did the last little bit of that work. The end is very near.

Janet was sitting up in bed, in the dark, trying to read her watch as I entered her room late this afternoon. I reminded her she has a digital clock beside her bed and she giggled and checked the time. It was past time to get up but she hadn’t slept at all so we discussed the day so far before starting phase two.

Janet says she tried to give that letter to Wendy this morning but didn’t know where to take it. I was too late getting there today to see any of the day staff so I’m not sure what happened but the letter is gone from her room and she says she tried and I think that was the point.

Tez worked with Janet this morning and apparently was a little upset that Janet wouldn’t go in the sling walker. It was explained to him that she’s scared of it and that Curtis and Tiffany and I have been walking her at the parallel bars with some success and he seemed OK with that. Janet said the work this morning was hard and her feet hurt a little.

Singing with John made up for the pain in the morning and Janet agreed it was fun as they sang a little with Big Country and a little on their own. I’m still hoping that a group of them will sing at the Christmas party Friday night. Janet and Big Country sang after dinner tonight and it’s so much fun to see the smile on Janet’s face and to note her happy body language when she’s singing. It’s awesome. Big Country had some words of encouragement for Janet tonight as he very seriously told her to stop saying “it doesn’t work” and “I can’t”. He explained that she can do a lot of things he can’t right now and I think that really made Janet think. Awesome moment.

Janet’s bike ride tonight was a personal best using level three for the first time and going the whole thirty minutes making 2.6 miles! She once again admitted the bike is fun. I hope to get one in the house before Janet comes home for Christmas so she can exercise there too and keep this progress going.

It was a little bit of a struggle getting Janet to the Shuttle after dinner but she cooperated in the end and showed Curtis and I some notable improvement. Her right leg extension has increased and the strength of that leg is far greater than a month ago. I used to have to hold her right foot and knee in place while she pushed or her leg would fall away from the push plate. Not tonight. All on her own. Hoping to feed off the success of the Shuttle we had Janet on the wobbly board for a bit afterwards and she was not impressed. She did manage a few shifts from side to side but was clearly too tired for any more. Good effort though.

Earlier in the day I had mentioned to Janet that we needed to complete her list of people she wants to give Christmas cards to and when we got back to her room after the gym she remembered that and suggested we do it then. An impressive display of her short term memory coming back. That took us until it was time to watch The Voice and sadly for Janet her guy was sent home and my girl was voted safe so I get another Blizzard from Janet. Yeah!

This was a very solid day for Janet and I pray for more of the same tomorrow.

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

Renovation Day 63. Another work at home day for Randy while I put up some towel bars and a decorative shelf and cleaned the kitchen area. The last bit of vinyl planking arrived today and will be installed over the trap door to the crawl space tomorrow.

Janet was hanging with Jess in the living room when I got to Connect this afternoon. She was bright and cheery and excited to tell me she had worked with Wendy this morning testing her reading comprehension. Janet said she didn’t do very well but knowing Janet, I’ll wait till I hear from Wendy before coming to any conclusions. One part of the test is still in effect as Janet has to remember all on her own to deliver an envelope to Wendy in the morning. Janet seems determined to pull this off and has the envelope ready on her bedside table. I think Janet’s comprehension has improved substantially over the last couple of months and expect her to do respectably with Wendy. Unrelated, I asked Janet to type a reply to an email from her mom and she did so without hesitation. I never once had to help her with spelling and only had to help her locate some letters on the keyboard. She never once complained that she can’t do it and found maybe thirty percent of the letters completely on her own. High five.

The first order of business after the daily recap was a bike ride. Jess had Janet in the gym this morning for a lot of stretching work and range of motion stuff on her legs. The bike ride tied a personal best and I think Janet is ready for level three if I can sneak that on her.

We had a nice Skype chat with Heather just before dinner and Janet excitedly told her of our party Friday night without prompting and of singing along to The Sound of Music. She needed a little reminder of that one but laughed a lot about knowing all the songs.JanetSuzanneDedicationParty

Tiffany helped us at the parallel bars after dinner with Big Country cheering Janet on. Considering the lack of walking over the last four days and no nap today Janet did quite well. I noticed a tendency to get out of rhythm from time to time and she was a little fast to give up on herself. I think to really make headway on this walking thing Janet needs to practice daily and with the AFO which hopefully will come soon.

I warned Janet tonight would be hard and I didn’t think she’d go for the Standing Frame when I mentioned it but she did and got a good stretch for forty five minutes while we watched The Voice. She seemed to have a natural let down as soon as the show was over and asked to get ready for bed so I could read a little to her before lights out. I don’t think she made it three pages before she was out and didn’t even stir until I was all packed up with my coat on ready to go. To me that’s a sign of a productive day. Janet had good physical and mental workouts today and I pray for similar success tomorrow.