Two Weeks Later

It has now been two weeks since husband was airlifted up here. Two weeks! A lot has gone on, but we’re making baby steps to heading home, each one of which is a victory and welcomed.

Tuesday afternoon, husband was moved back up to the neuro floor. First step. He has been on oxygen and saline solution – one of the concerns with brain surgery besides the obvious of bleeding and swelling is the sodium level. A low sodium level apparently plays tricks with your brain, makes it misfire. Today the doctor took him off oxygen and off the saline IV. Another step.

If he maintains now, we will probably go home Saturday or Sunday, according to the doctor’s PA. Others have mentioned tomorrow. I think tomorrow unlikely. He has now met with the occupational and physical therapists, and passed their tests. He is now allowed to walk the halls with me in attendance, safety strap around his waist.

I see improvements – I see more of what husband used to be. I see alertness, I see comprehension, I see less shuffle to the walk. I see challenges in keeping him “in line” for awhile – reminding him he cannot yet set the world on fire, he must be mindful of safety, he cannot push himself. He is not the kind to take breaks when he is doing something, but he must learn to do that. We have talked about that today – we will have many more conversations about it, I am sure. He will fight my “mothering” as he has not for awhile, but I must persist and he must be sensible.

I think now we must have passed the tests, met the challenges, proved our strength. Can we now just relax, just live life, enjoy puppy kisses and doing nothing or doing something, dependent upon how we feel. The prostate cancer will still be present, of course, life expectancy will be limited – but a relief from emergencies would be a precious gift.

Our baskets are filled with enough – let’s keep it that way.