Day + 42 -- we are home!

Buena Vista

We got home yesterday, tired but so glad to be home. Spring flowers are starting to bloom in the yard. I am glad we are getting home in the springtime. The picture is of Doug sitting on our patio.

Doug has been eating fairly well - I think the Marinol appetite stimulator pill is working. Doug is trying to wean off it, but I think he needs it for a while yet. He's also drinking Ensure between meals. Good thing he likes to wear suspenders - he needs them now to hold up his pants! I had to put a pillow on his kitchen chair since he has such a skinny butt. Since I have an ample supply of butt padding, wish I could transfer some to him.

We have taken short walks outside while the weather is nice. Yesterday he walked half a block and today he went a whole block, using the cane. I take the wheelchair and he walks as far as he can, then sits in the chair and I push him home. He is gaining a lot of strength since he has been eating better.

We seem to have accumulated a lot of stuff while in Denver - I still have to get it all put away. Seems there has been so much to get done. I feel kind of strange - in one respect it feels like we have been gone such a long time, and in another way it feels like I just woke up from a bad dream. Last night I couldn't remember how to work the TV remote, or where I had some things in the kitchen. Homecoming is wonderful but also a bit stressful, as we need to adjust to a new household routine.

Today I picked up our mail - a whole tub full. The hospital bills are starting to come in; we need to really stay organized with that. I also went to the kennel in Salida to pick up the dogs. The people at the kennel are lovely. They gave us a very nice and much appreciated discount on price given our circumstances and length of stay, and they took wonderful care of the dogs. Piper and Chester look great. They were happy to see me but not stressed. Doug can't have the dogs on his lap for a couple of months, and now the dogs are not allowed up on the bed. They'll adapt to the new rules of the house.

We were at the hotel in Denver for 56 days, the dogs were at the kennel for 57 days, and Doug was in the hospital for 31 days. That's a long time but I know some others are hospitalized longer.

A week ago, when Doug was at Spalding Rehab, the therapist told me that I would need to stay with Doug 24/7, since he was so weak, and with dizzy spells. But now he is so much stronger, and has his brain back in operation, so he is being cautious. I have had several people offer to come and stay with Doug so I can get out of the house, but so far on my short errands he has been fine alone.

We have much to be thankful for.

Love to all.