Back in Durham

I wish I could say we were glad to be back in Durham, but we really do wish we could have stayed in Vale permanently.  In many ways it was bittersweet.  Good to go home, but difficult to see things I would like to do and not having enough time to do it.  I did get to get in my kitchen and cook, which is one of the things I really enjoyed........................especially in a kitchen much bigger than the one here at the apartment.

As you remember, this past Wednesday, Lee was admitted to the hospital.  On Friday morning, his doctor said he could go home to Vale for the week-end as long as 1.  He took some portable oxygen in case he needed it.  2.  He could get the I.V. antibiotic @ home  3.  His chest x-ray was clear on Sat. a.m.

• Saturday a.m., I packed all the meds and equipment that we would need along with  the oxygen and the portable I.V. stand.  The car was full!  I arrived at the hospital @ 10:30 and the nurses were preparing him for discharge.  We were elated!  We were planning to eat on the way en route to Vale.....Thinking of a yummy burger,  but we waited & waited & waited.  Lunch arrived and Lee and I shared a very dry, hard-crusted bread BBQ.  Ugh!  We were excited about leaving so did not complain.  The nurses were finished with all their discharge essentials and we asked could we leave?!  It seems we had to wait for the PA to officially write the discharge medication, etc.  So, we waited, & waited & waited & waited...........Finally, after asking those poor nurses to do something to rush things along, I asked her to remind the PA that we had to make a 3-hour journey and that I had to start his I.V. @ 5:00 p.m.  That worked!  Within a few minutes we were given the thumbs up.  The nurses came and read all the discharge meds to us and said that transport team had been notified.
• I hurridly ran to get the car brought to the entrance from the valet parking.  They were very efficient and had the car there in less than 5 minutes!  I waited in a NO PARKING area at the entrance until I was asked to move my car.  I drove around and around the circle in front of the hospital about 10 times..................still no Lee and no transport person. 
• What to do?  If I went to get him I might miss him in the elevator; however, if I stayed I would be asked to move my car again!
• Finally, after a 45 minute wait he arrived.  We were on our way @ 2:15 p.m. and we arrived in Vale shortly before 5:00 pm.

Julia was waiting in the kitchen with home-made muffins and the house smelled wonderful.  She had decorated the doors with my Fall wreaths and had all my Fall paraphanalia throughout the house.  Everything looked so enviting and wonderful.  Greg, Cathy and Will arrived with supper. Lee, Jr., Jennifer and John from next door came over.  It was a wonderful homecoming even if for only a limited time.

We were able to enjoy a few short visits from immediate family members and Lee and I enjoyed a family meal with our kids.  Lee was able to go for a ride through the neighborhood with his buddy, Bill D. and was able to enjoy one of his favorite pastimes (looking at the farms and getting to see some of his friends.)

Being able to go home allowed us the opportunity to make comparisons in Lee's condition as compared to when we left May 31.  He is now able to breathe freely without oxygen.  He moves about freely throughout the house (with the help of a walker ), and now he is able to get in the car and go for rides without having to worry about his need for oxygen and the limited time for an outing.  We realized how many things we now have to be thankful for and we were able to see that in spite of all the complications and recent hospitizations, he really is making progress and improving.

We hope to try this again next month!

More Later.......................................Brenda