Well Happy, Happy Friday!
I am just so happy to be home! Wow! It was a little fast and somewhat overwhelming when I finally got released.

I had a really great day yesterday, being untethered. When Betty came for her morning visit and we were doing our laps around the 12th floor I noticed the stairs and we went up and down a flight. My glutes definitely need some work! But it just felt great to move a little more than usual.

Around 4:00, Nicole, my nurse put in a call up to Dr. Kaplan's office, said I was doing well and that we all thought I should head home. She asked for him to check in on his evening rounds.  Dr. Kaplan's evening rounds are anywhere from 6:30 -8:30 and he had not been round to see me in the evenings for a while since I was doing so much better.

Starting about 6:00 Nicole would peek in and asked if we'd seen him. She kept an eye out for him but he just wasn't around. Lisa Clayton and Bridget Daly came up for a visit right about 6:00 I think. Then my dinner showed up (chicken soup with rice...again!!). I was just taking my first bites laughing with Lisa and Bridget and Mike followed Nicole into the room. Mike had hands up to the sky and a big smile. Nicole and he had been out looking for Dr. Kaplan and she said, I'm just going to call his back line. So she did and he picked up and he said yes, yes, if she feels ready, let her go! Yeah for Nicole!

So I ate a few bites of dinner, visited for just a  bit longer with Lisa and Bridget while Mike started taking my treasures off the wall and packing up. I was too excited to eat much so a bit later we all started packing. Soon, Lisa and Bridget scooted out. I think I had 6 or 7 bags of stuff. Three and a half weeks is a long time to be in one tiny room. Nicole came out and removed the access in my port and gave me my exit papers. I had asked Mike to pick up some chocolates for my hospital people and I cried (shocking, I know) as I hugged Nicole and gave her the chocolates for her and so many others.
They were all so very lovely!

Henri, a lovely nursing assistant (or something like that) escorted us while Mike pushed a cart full of my stuff all the way to the parking lot. I gave her a big hug (she was always so sweet and lovely to me) and she took off with the cart. And we took off into the real world!

I had to close my eyes when we first got on I-5 it was all moving so fast...I was overwhelmed. But you know it didn't stay fast...ha! Traffic slowed and I enjoyed the ride and the sunset very much. When we got home it was just about dark and the front door was open. Just a few lights were on and the golds and reds from our cozy house were a welcoming beacon to me! Betty and Maggie were cooking in the kitchen. Life is good.

Thanks for all your love and support through that extremely trying detour in the middle of the detour cancer was already causing! On the road to recovery and probably back to chemo and the cancer fight in due time.

Have a fabulous, glorious and beautiful weekend to all.
With love and gratitude
Janet