The beginning of the end

Yesterday Dad's therapy team came over to the house to see how Dad could handle being home. They checked out how well he could get in and out of bed, use the bathroom, and get up from his La-Z-boy. :) It really tired Dad out, but it was so exciting to see how well he could manage the normal stuff of getting around the house. There are many challenges, to be sure, and Dad will need someone with him all the time for safety at first, but we know it will only get better from here on out.

Dad had SO many visitors today: my cousin and her daughter (who is 17 today and wanted to visit Dad for her birthday), another cousin (who's also celebrating a birthday today!) and her husband, yet another cousin and her sister-in-law, one of Dad's brothers, AND one of Mom's sisters and one of her daughters who are visiting from California (with another cousin to fly in tomorrow!). That doesn't include the immediate family. Crazy! But we are so appreciative of everyone's presence. We know how much Dad means to so many people.

On the health front, Dad's right hand has been bothering him the last couple of days, so his doctor checked him out and told us he has carpal tunnel! It's really frustrating to him to have so many things wrong at once. He is so amazing for being able to work through it all. His doctor also brought in an endocrinologist to check Dad out. They think some of his fatigue might be the result of a hormonal imbalance, so they have been running a variety of tests and plan to start Dad on hormone therapy soon.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers over the next few days as we begin the transition from hospital to home. There will be many challenges and there is so much to be done. We have also grown quite attached to the rehab staff (we had to say goodbye to one of Dad's physical therapists today and it was bittersweet) and though we want to miss them, we will miss them. I'm not sure how things will all go. It feels like forever that the hospital experience has been our lives. Dad agreed the other day that it's like the end of a tour of duty with all its mixed emotions and I'm not sure how we'll adjust. But we welcome the change.

[While I generally want to keep the blog all about Dad and his experience, I do want to thank all of you who have expressed your love and concern for Mom. She is now settled in a care facility where she can receive the various therapies she needs. Please feel free to e-mail or leave a comment if you would like more details on her. Thanks as well for all your interest in me (a heartfelt thanks to those of you who offered sweet condolences over the passing of my cat) and Becky and our families. While this has been a difficult time in our lives, we feel the crises passing and a new chapter opening for all of us. Years ago we began planning to take Mom and Dad to Hawaii for their 50th anniversary and I think we are all looking forward to seeing the two of them happy and healthy and holding hands on the beach two years from now. We believe that can happen and ask for your prayers that that will become a reality.]