TALK OF GOING HOME - AND IT HAPPENED.

It's been a while since I posted more of my story - so here I am at 2.30 on the morning of Saturday - which I am lead to believe will be a nice day weather wise.

The days moved on and I learned so much about how to handle my medications and the regime I should follow regarding reducing the risk of infections and this all fell into place very well and has become so much of a part of my life.

I was educated very well by the Transplant Coordinators who carefully and kindly went through a folder of information which was mine to take home and still sits on my desk and is referred to at times.  

There was concern about me needing help at home and being the independent (or is it stubborn ?) soul that I am I insisted on wanting to do things for myself.

After my discharge I had weekly appointments for blood tests and meetings with my Doctor at Friday afternoon Clinics and this has become the routine of my life - not weekly now as the periods of time have been extended.

The thought of coming home totally overwhelmed me as I had been away a while and become isolated from the world.  I didn't read many newspapers and didn't have a television in my room, so what of world events I learned I got from family and friends and later from my beloved radio when I had that brought in.  

I had missed national and international events while being hospitalized from the first time.   I missed the inauguration of President Obama and the dreaded Bush fires in Victoria.   I also missed Cylone Aila in India and Pakistan, the crash of Air France flight 447 from Brazil to Paris killing all 228 on board and General Motors filed for bankruptcy.

In early 2010 - The International Year of Youth and also the International Year of Biodiversity - I missed the images of the 8.8 earthquake in Chile, the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti, floods in Pakistan and was only resuming interest in the news of world events at home when confronted with the Deepwater Horizon oil platform explosion in Mexico and all the mess that caused.

It is a very different world in hospital and as I love to know what is going on it  was rather a lovely thought to be able to be back in the swing of things and know enough of world events to hold good conversation about things other than blood tests, liver biopsies, transfusions, medications etc. etc.

I shall always be grateful to the nursing staff who took the time to bring little portions of their world into me in the form of photographs of their homes, children and pets and who shared the daily lives of their time outside the hospital.

I came home much to the relief of myself and my family and I did precious little - only what needed to be done and this was with very great support.

I would do the laundry and John would hang it out.  He would do the shopping and so many other things, always driving me where I needed to be and he still does.  Drops me at the door of Flinders and then looks for the dreaded, hard to find parking space.

There was a suspicion of a DVT (deep vein thrombosis) in my leg so I was admitted again but just for a week this time.   This coincided with my daughter's birthday celebrations which had been planned for a while - so I came home on the Saturday night for the celebration and was taken back to Flinders by my other daughter.   It was midnight when I arrived and buzzed to be admitted.  I felt rather like Cinderella.

Coming home meant ready access to the telephone and I sure gave that a beating as I caught up with friends and could talk at length without having to stop for procedures, observations, meals etc.  Oh the bliss of long conversations.

I came home mid-week and was farewelled by the Staff I had got to know well and knew that I would miss a great deal.  There were tears, cheers and laughter and such gratitude in my heart for the care I had received.  I had been treated very well and nursed tenderly and with great dignity.

The drive home was amazing - buildings gone, new once half erected, so many changes to be noticed in the almost three months I had been away - my home was welcoming and my cat much less so.  She must have felt that I had deserted her.  It took a long time for her to thaw out and decide that I was okay again.


I was once again able to access my computer and email friends and do the things I love to do on here. It took some time to clear emails that had collected in my inbox and to sort things out and pick up the threads of what was happening "on line"  but I managed very well and it has and still does bring joy to my days.


In hindsight I should have been prepared and had a lap top all set up with wireless Internet connection, but for a good part of the time I was there it would have been idle as I was too ill.  I was there to get well not email etc.
  If there is to be another long and protracted spell in hospital I will certainly ensure that a lap top is part of the packing before I go.

Being home was a challenge - but I was equal to the task and so glad to be alive and well and able to resume my ordinary and quite mundane life, which now looked so inviting and continues to bring me joy.

Love and hugs and thanks for taking the journey with me.