Home At Last

Today marched along without a hitch. It is poetic that the last connection severed was for hydration that fed through her (medi)port. Ergo, in order to be discharged she had to be deported.

Later in the afternoon Nurse Lisa came to our house to explain how to do the TPN (IV nutrition package). There is sort of a base package and a variety of ingredients to add. Mixing, attaching to the pump, and getting started is about a 15 step process. The whole feeding cycle takes about 12 hours so Faina will be taking in nutrition all night. What does she miss the most? She would love to have a drink of water, from a glass, the old-fashioned way.

Emptying the ostomy bags in the comfort of our own bathroom bordered on the joyous. Faina is dressed in her own comfortable clothes enjoying these first steps toward normalcy. She spent a few minutes on the deck enjoying the flowers, trees, and fresh air. She fell asleep watching the first set of Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters battling it out at the US Open.

On our way out the door, the residents warmly said, "We'll see you in clinics." This Tuesday, and every Tuesday for at least a few months, we'll be seeing Dr. Schulick and his retinue. Clearly, this narrative has plenty of chapters to be told. For now, however, all is right with the world.