Up The Farway Tree

Home Sweet Home!

Well the title says it all - I'm back home and it's a wonderful feeling!

It's been a long and tiring day as we had to be up at the hospital this morning to finalise my discharge. Typically there was a string of hold ups as we tried to get more medication since they changed my dose last night and locate the medication that should have been organised yesterday. I then had to get a blood gas checked (ouch!), go to outpatients to get information on blood testing at home, arrange a sick line for my time in hospital and various other bits and pieces. In between all that I attended my last gym session just to make sure I didn't slack off too much today. I nearly jeopardised my discharge when I told the doctor that I've been having stomach cramps since yesterday. He was obviously worried it was related to the C. Difficile infection, but I thought it could be related to the fact I am eating more and maybe not taking enough of my digestive enzymes to compensate. He suggested I stay the weekend, and I politely declined. He then spoke to the microbiologist, who felt it was unlikely to be related to the C. Difficile and his advise was to see how I was over the weekend and if doesn't settle they might start some treatment. It would just be oral tablets which I could take them at home, so I was allowed to escape after all. I'm pretty convinced its just the change in diet however, so fingers crossed it settles soon. After all that excitement it was after lunch so after a 3 1/2 hour car journey we didn't get back home until about 6pm.

Due to a bank holiday weekend next week I don't have to go back for my bronchoscopy until a week on Wednesday. We will have to travel down on the Tuesday because I have to be at the hospital for 7.30 am (!) to get bloods checked, and then we will have clinic on Thursday morning. Mum will take me down, as Andrew is going back to work on Monday. I'm glad the bronchoscopy is later than originally planned as it gives me more of a chance to settle back home and relax a little. In between I have to try and get my bloods checked on Tuesday, but they would rather I didn't visit the GP practice due to risk of infection, so I need to see if someone can come to the house and take them. I could always ask one of my doctor friends (you know who you are) but I have terrible veins so I wouldn't inflict that on anyone.

Although delighted to be home, it has been a strange experience. It was so surreal walking in the front door and looking around - the stair lift, the oxygen tubing trailing through the hallway to the big concentrator upstairs, portable cylinders stacked in the corner, my wheelchair, IV medication spread over the dining room table and the feed pump beside my bed. I don't need any of it now. How bizarre. It feels like I am watching this happening to someone else and I still can't quite believe that the biggest part of my transplant journey is now behind me. I know I still have many ups and downs ahead, but for the moment all is well... and that's enough for me.