Sunday Night, Day 1

Yesterday Chico was struck by the quiet at home.  There is stillness.  There is beautiful light.  I was very pleased to find Chico asleep by 10:30 PM and still asleep this morning at 7:30.  He told me he awoke several times in the night to find himself lying in comfort at home.  Nice.  Comfort is still relative at this point though.

He sheds skin like a snake.  It comes off the grafts just as he rolls around in bed.  Little patches of skin-very much like what you might have seen somewhere near a reptile. 

It was a great first day home. Pam, Reinhold and Edgar joined us for breakfast.  Like many of you, they have been so engaged in this process from afar that I forgot that they hadn't seen Chico since Day 1 at Albany Med.  Swollen hands, face, intubation, blood, wierd voice, tubes galore...After they left this morning, it was a not-quite-steady stream of drop ins.   Home Health Care Nurse stopped in to 'admit' Chico in to care.  That was a great 1 1/2 hour interview.  After that we got in a walk around the block. I knew Chico was whupped because he let me push him some of the time.

I haven't set up a roster of visits and food yet. Chico is eager to have a little time alone. I think a little dose will go a long way. There are some neighbors who are at home and on call.  We have food for a few days, thank you to the cooks who have dropped it off!  I am not turning down any help, it is just loosely set up at the moment.  We'll need help in the form of food, company and rides for about three months while Chico cannot bear weight-so if you want to help and you are feeling thwarted, do not dismay. As the third surgeon told us on the first night in Albany, "This is a marathon, not a sprint."  I think of that often.  Chico's request right now is for short visits and a little time to see what it is like to be at home alone.  I can honor that request for tomorrow and see how it goes from there.  Thanks for your patience with us as we figure out our new home life!

This has felt like my first real Sunday of this school year.