Home Sweet Home

(Directly from Daryl, forgive any typos) Yes, I made it home, Thanks be to God. It is so good to see trees and green stuff again instead of buildings, concrete and yellow taxis. The pain is slowing improving but still with occassional reminders that my insides have been re-worked. It still requires pain meds. I have lost alot of weight with this thing, more than I ever expected--- even Caroline can eat more than I can at a single setting at present. That should improve over time.

You all have been so good to us with your encouraging words and the cards that were sent. I really dont know how to express our thankfulness. There were many nights in the hospital that your words and prayers helped us through them. Those days and nights may have just been the worst of my entire life. Thank you so much for seeing and praying for us through them. You have no idea how dark some them were.

I really want to dedicate this blog to my wonderful bride. Many of you already know how special she is, but really only know the half of it. I am sure that some of those nights with me brought back memories for her. Most of you dont know, but eleven or twelve years ago, she lost a gentlemen that she was engaged to due to respiratory complications from lymphoma in a Unversity Hospital setting. So, those days and nights of my shortness of breath were a struggle for her. The only difference was that here lay her husband complaining of the shortness of breath while he would"encourage" the Resident Physicians to do chest xrays and give "40 IV Lasix" to get the fluid off the lungs. Of course, the short order of it all was noted in the prior blogs.
Wendy was the real trooper. Here she is 26 weeks pregnant, sleeping at the bedside in a rather uncomfortable chair that is supposed to make out to a bed with a husband that is occassionally "challenging" the Residents -- while hallucinating about some old lady coming out of the wall and why the picture frames on the wall had a better brand of martial arts than him-- beating him up during night (effects of the meds). Go figure. She was there with me through the pain and the nausea. She helped me bathe and assisted me in the middle of the night with bathroom issues. She made sure that all of my needs were met and then some. Even when she needed a break, she made sure that a family member was there for me. She cried with me and prayed with me. She was the voice in the dark of the night that when I barely grunted or sighed different, she would ask "are you ok, honey?" She was my partner in this battle : My wonderful wife and beautiful bride. I love her so much and thank my God for having her in my life for such a time as this.

Daryl