Preparing for departure from Hospital

We celebrated ten days post surgery today with the news that David should be able to transfer to our home for the rest of this month-long recovery! His expectation is to be discharged on Saturday. The trach tube came out this morning, so now it is just the PEG and the IV and soon, the IV will come out. David says that he is feeling much better, though the slightest effort still makes him very tired. Getting the trach tube out was very little effort, but he was exhausted so he took a nap while I got some exercise nearby. Our house should be much quieter and I know David may want to spend some time on the computer communicating with some of you once back in Fallston. The pathology report from Dr. Califano today was very good in terms of removing the culprit squalmous cell cancer with no apparent spread.

This afternoon, David "test drove" the cadallac walker loaned by the family of our now-in-heaven 97 year old church member. His speech is almost intelligible now, despite some swelling in the donor tissue area inside his mouth. Tomorrow he will practice getting up stairs without putting too much weight on that right donor leg. Also on Friday I'll learn how to change dressings and use the PEG g-tube for liquid breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Our son Paul will be the expeditor for this move. We have some lovely flowers to take home this weekend (THANKS) and some music from a singing friend. Also, we are listening to President Obama reading his "Dreams of My Father" on CD. These next few weeks we will be house hermits but be keeping as mentally active and physically engaged as possible as David regains strength.

However, I doubt if David will have very much energy for visitors or phone calls until later this month. We are certainly enjoying your witty cards, heart-felt emails and even some calls via my cell phone. Today a big box arrived from New England colleagues with maple syrup, a St. Patrick's hat, and several mystery packages that I must wait to have the patient open once home. Fun to anticipate these unnecessary surprises!

A very valuable surprise is the followup that is offered by the GBMC Dance Cancer Center therapists and the Hopkins Home Health group. Thank goodness for these services paid for by our Hopkins Blue Cross insurance! A visiting nurse will come by our home several times to advise us on wound healing, feeding, and to draw bloods for monitoring the blood thinners. Apparently the physical therapist and trach nurse will also make a home visit, as well as the speech therapist expert on swallowing as we try to transition to swallowing soups and other shakes by mouth later this month. We are certainly thankful that we had so many delicious meals with friends prior to these surgical interventions - the cans of high calorie nutritious beverage going into the stomach tube are not a shareable experience. But all this will bring David back to a healthy future, God willing!