Home at last

JoDee was finally able to come home today. Her chest tube was removed this morning at about 11AM, we had follow-up x-rays this afternoon along with some more discussions with the doctors and nurses, and she was home for supper at about 5:30PM. Though we are nervous on how to tend to all of her needs at home, it is truly a relief to have come to this result. As you can imagine, there were many times on that cold and snowy Saturday night when I did not know what the morning would bring. It is a great feeling to have my family safely in one place, a feeling I hope to never take for granted again.

JoDee seems to be handling the oral pain medication better than we thought. She was quite nervous that the medication would make her nauseated, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem right now. It does make her quite sleepy. It has been great for the kids to see her back at home, I think it gives them a sense of relief too as it has been difficult for them to grasp the gravity of her situation. She's now relaxed and sleeping in her own bed...with about a thousand pillows.

With JoDee home we now have a different set of challenges and needs, so it will be interesting to see what this next chapter in our experience brings us. I cannot say thank you enough to all those who have shared, offered or given of their time and resources to help our family. We truly appreciate all that has been done for us, and I’m sure there will continue to be more opportunities to help as we move forward. Today has truly been a great day for our family. Thanks again to all who have made it a little easier for us to get here. More tomorrow…