October 3, 2007

Well its official, I’M GOING HOME FRIDAY. The occupational and physical therapists agree that I have progressed enough to safely go home. I will be going home this Friday morning after being away for over 2 months, actually 3 months my including June hospital stay.

My strength is improving daily. I have been walking 150 feet to the therapy room, doing a session of therapy and walking 150 feet back to my room. This may not seem like much, but I was unable to even stand when I got here three weeks ago. I have to use a walker but I am pushing it around more and leaning on it less every day. My quads are still weak so I still cannot get out of lower height chairs. A good friend had a lift chair and has provided it for me to use at home. That will be most helpful.

One of the main goals of therapy was my ability to go up and down stairs. Yesterday I went up 27 stairs (3 sets of 9). I am anxious to see how I go up the 14 steps in our house. I’ll need to navigate our stairs at least twice a day, down in the morning and up at night.

It is such a blessing for me to be able to go home. God has listened to your prayers. Thank you all for praying. There are many things I look forward to by being home. The first is that it will be a huge load taken off of Barbara. She has been such a loving, faithful and giving wife. When home, she won’t have the stress of getting to where I am and staying there for hours. Now she can live a more normal life.

Secondly, Barbara and I went over a shopping list that will allow us to make some great dishes to eat. We enjoy cooking and it will be wonderful making dishes I can eat with my GvHD, yet are tasty and have more variety. I could go on and on with things I am looking forward to by being home. They all have to do with a greater sense of normalcy.

I do not know what my new normal will be. How much more will I improve? How long will rehabilitation take? Where will I end up physically? The biggest question we have is will the leukemia stay controlled? These questions can only be answered by time. All we can know is that God knows and His plan is best.