There really is no place like home!!

It's been a long time since I've written anything on the blog and I have to admit that I've really missed it! I think it's been so long partly because I've been waiting to title my post "there's no place like home" and partly because the last couple of weeks have simply been exhausting and my brain has been too mushy to put together anything sensible for me to write! Regardless, I am simply delighted to write that Dad is finally home!!

The road to coming home hasn't been any easy one. As I sit here to write about all of the events of the last couple of weeks, it seems a little bit overwhelming. Dad was in the hospital for the first week, then back to Sandy Regional, then back to the Emergency Room at IMC, then back to Sandy Regional. It seemed like each morning was a new challenge to overcome followed by more setbacks. Dad struggled with keeping food down and managing his pain and simply fought to recover from his surgery and the complications that came with it. Not to mention physical therapy! I truly sympathize with the staff at Sandy Regional who tried to get Dad to do his therapy! Each time the door to Dad's room would open, Dad would tense up and just moan...not the physical therapist! He wasn't the easiest to convince that PT was actually good for him, but the therapists were relentless and didn't give up. He was in a lot of pain and nauseous and just wanted to rest and not be bothered. Mom even had to walk out of the room and "go for a drive" a couple of times because Dad was fighting with the therapist and it was a little too stressful for Mom. There were some good days mixed with quite a few challenging ones and it came to the point where we all just wanted Dad to come home.

The last trip to the Emergency Room (Tuesday, July 6th) seemed to be the breaking point for mom. Dad's feeding tube had become dislodged somehow and the liquid diet was pooling at the bottom of his stomach causing him to be nauseous and preventing him from eating on his own and keeping anything down. As we waited in the ER in the middle of the night, Mom and I talked about just forgetting it all and taking Dad home. I'm pretty sure we would have made a run for it and "escaped" from the hospital if it hadn't been for the ER doctor. He convinced Mom that Dad should stay the night in the ER, wait until morning to have his feeding tube replaced, and then we could talk to the social worker about taking Dad home. Mom knew she would have to plead her case and beg to take Dad home. The surgeon who performed Dad's surgery, Dr. Granger, didn't feel like Dad was ready to come home and no one was willing to sign the discharge papers and release him. The possibility of spending 2 or 3 or 4 more weeks in a skilled nursing facility (which was no longer covered by insurance--Humana only allowed 7 days of coverage and Mom was starting to pay a co-pay of $84 a night) was just not an option. Mom was determined to go back to Sandy Regional for just a few days and then do whatever it took to bring Dad home. Mom got right to work coordinating home health care. She had to have all of Dad's therapy, dressing changes, feeding tube needs, medications, wheel chairs, walkers, etc. etc. etc. taken care of before he could come home. The home health nurse would only be able to come over 2 or 3 times a week so that would mean that Mom would have to start Dad's feeding tube each night, flush it each morning, change his dressing from the surgery twice a day, flush his pic lines daily, give him shots, and make sure he was taking all of his medications. I'm sure she had her doubts about bringing Dad home so early, but it was definitely time and she knew that it was the best place for him to recover.

Dad came home last Saturday and all of the family was waiting there for him! There were posters and streamers and balloons...it was such a celebration to have Dad finally come home! Dad, however, was pretty sick that morning so the party lasted just long enough to have everyone give him a hug, welcome him home, eat a cookie and then pack up and leave. All family parties should be so lucky! :) Mom and Dad's house has been so quiet for so long without them there and it's been so hard to go over just to get a few supplies for Mom at the hospital and not see them at home. I can't even begin to write about the feelings of gratitude and joy to finally have them both in their own home surrounded by the family that loves them. Even though there are multiple challenges ahead, Dad is now home and that's all that matters! There really is no place like home!