Free at last

Jennifer was discharged from the hospital yesterday at about 3pm. She had met all of her therapy goals and had advanced far enough in her diet that they were more than will to let her leave. She was in a bit of discomfort on the short car ride back to the hotel but she seemed to manage alright. She slowly walked from the car to the room in 35 degree weather and climbed a flight of 16 stairs. Quite an accomplishment given that she had only done maybe that distance and one or two small stairs in the hospital only the day before.

Her pain still comes when the medication starts to wear off but it seems to be under much better control now that I am able to rotate her medications on a schedule that does not allow time to exist where she has to just wait for the next dose. One of the only major complaints that I have about the care she received in the hospital was one nasty nurse and the delays, up to 30 minutes, in asking for help or pain medication and actually receiving them. For that reason I am glad that Jennifer's parents and I are now tending to her recovery.

She is progressing more everyday and is a little faster at tasks each day and more able to care for herself. The bed in the Residence Inn is just a piece of foam which creates some discomfort for her as it does not support her too well. The couch has actually turned out to be a firmer platform for her to lay down upon. She has walked around the room about 8-10 times today and eaten some fruit and several popsicles. The last major hurdle will be the drive home in a few days.

Jonathan