One Day at a Time

     In a surprise turn of events, Chris was released this week from Huntsman and we are finally home!    Almost two months in a hospital is a LONG time and we are so grateful to be home.   In the few short days that we had returned from Encompass, Chris had been making progress with therapy, but the timing of his release was sooner than we expected.   Simply getting into the car at Huntsman and then out again and into the house took lots of planning and patience.   After being stuck in a hospital bed for so long walking, standing and stepping take a lot of effort and energy.   Each day seems a little bit better than the previous and we are getting better at knowing what he needs and his limits.   I'm sure it's frustrating to be so reliant on others and I know he is eager to regain his independence.   But it is going to take time, patience and hard work and we are focusing at the end of the day on acknowledging the progress he made that day.  Recovering from the physical trauma of the past two months will take time, and we hope and pray that his myeloma will cooperate with what he needs.   

       We could not have made it through this week without his nephew, Isaac, who was willing and able to come to stay with us.   He has been an amazing help.  His strength and patience have been invaluable.   He's willing to do anything we need and the peace of mind knowing that he's here is a huge relief to both of us.   Thank-you Isaac!  

     Returning to the comforts of home have been wonderful and brought additional gratitude for the additions and changes over the past five years that have made returning home possible.   The lift recliner my Grandpa purchased for him has been a huge blessing and useful tool, allowing him to reserve his strength for other places it's needed.  The custom shower his brother Fred built has allowed him the luxury of a shower, while still being safe.   Our neighbor's the Binn's have spoiled us with delicious treats like hot bread, cinnamon rolls and numerous other treats.   Also super grateful for my aunts also arrived with short notice and helped clean our house.   Being home for me has blessings as well.   I'm grateful to not have to wear a mask 90% of the day and I've realized that I've desperately missed the softness of carpet.   We are sleeping with him in his recliner and me on our couch.   It's much more comfortable than my sleeping accommodations for the past two months.  As well,  unlike the hospital we are able to place more of an emphasis of the healing of a good night's sleep over the need to get vitals at 4 AM.   

     While it  would be nice to be able to stay home and recover,  his chemo and kidneys make it necessary to be followed carefully.   We are supposed to go almost every other day to the hospital for labs and treatment.   The new team of doctors for the week thought it would be better to leave his dialysis line "just in case", but there are plans to remove his dialysis port and his PICC and place a port in about two weeks.   We aren't sure what the next step will be after that, so for now we are mostly just living day by day and will face that door when it comes.   

      However, there is one good thing ahead in the future.   A good friend has also given us a great opportunity and offer of assistance.   On Monday November 14th, the Quick Quack Car Wash in South Jordan (on 114th South, just north of the Distric) will be having a grand opening and will be doing a fundraiser in our honor.   It's a great opportunity to get a great car wash and help us in the process.    Chris will soon be creating a Facebook event with more details and we would appreciate all the help we can in spreading the word.