Round up.

I have said so much. But I would be remiss if I failed to mention a few more details. While in the ICU, after waking from a coma, one of my greatest desires was to drink some Mountain Dew. It was an addiction I have formed a year or more before this incident. I had dreams, or maybe hallucinations of breaking into 7-Eleven stores, charging directly to the reefer box and chugging full 2 litre bottles one right after the other. My thirst was insatiable. I asked my wife please bring me some Mountain Dew. She said that Doctor "A", my primary physician, would have to approve it. Remember my gag reflex was gone. I was unable to protect my airway. Their concern was I might drown. I had not realized I was being fed through a tube. After begging and pleading, and a few sailor words thrown in Doctor "A" gave in. But, with limits. My Wife was allowed to give me Mountain Dew. However it had to be given to me using a 10 mL syringe. I couldn't get enough. But my wife, bless her heart would empty bottles, 10cc's at a time forever as long as I wanted. and if I wanted more she would walk to the store, returned to the hospital, and proceeded to empty the bottle one syringe at a time.
Visitors! I cannot begin to explain how important they are and were. The biggest morale booster you could imagine was to have somebody take time from their day just to stop by and say hello. I could fill this blog by simply listing the names of people who provided this for me. I'm afraid I would not be able to remember all the names. So to avoid hurt feelings please accept this as my "thank you." You know who you are, and so do I. Your love has touched me. And My Heavenly Father is a witness.
Homecoming!
On December 21, 2006 I returned to my home. The insurance through my work covered assisted home care. My wife voluntarily attended classes to learn how to use all the apparatus needed to keep me alive. This included many different pumps to continue dispensing the plethora of antibiotic concoctions that were prescribed. Recall that my immune system was gone! Completely gone! I had been given enough antibiotics to effectively cure an entire third world nation of all its ills. God's creation of our immune system is a complex and ingenious mechanism. No man-made drugs can begin to replace this miraculous machinery. But we tried anyway. We plan and God laughs.
I enjoyed Christmas at home with my family. As much as was humanly possible. The smiling faces of my children, and wife were a sheer delight to behold. As anyone who has visited me in my home can attest. I enjoy a spectacular view on the east side of my home. We placed my rented hospital bed right beside a huge window that allowed me to look down on the valley and city below. I have the Cuyamaca Mountains as a backdrop. This view was a major factor when we purchased our home 7 years earlier. But lying in a hospital bed to enjoy this view was never a consideration.
My family decorated the house inside and out. Something we had previously always done together. Lights around the eaves and on the railings and stanchions of the front porch and illuminated lawn decorations outside. Lighted tree, stockings hung on the mantel and festive decorations inside. It was beautiful. I was proud of them all. In years past it had been a whole day project with my assistance. They did this by themselves. It was no mean feat.
We sang carols, watched seasonal movie favorites and enjoyed a good old fashion Home style Christmas turkey dinner, with all the trimmings. I was usually the holiday cook. But my wife and children filled in without a hitch. Everything was going great for me. But it must have been miserable for my family. I was changed. But their change and challenge was even greater. Their formerly independent, world traveled, self-sufficient father and husband was now a person who needed assistance scratching an itchy forehead, nose or ear. I required round the clock monitoring and assistance. They never complained or hesitated. But it would have made me crazy if the roles had been reversed.
We celebrated the New Year together. Dick Clark's Rockin New Years Eve on the tube, we watched the ball drop on 2006 and prayed for God's grace in 2007.
The home health care nurse was a wonderful nurse practitioner who helped us to cope in our new reality. but when she told us that Doctor "D", from the nursing home was going to be my attending physician, we protested like scalded cats. Thank God our words did not fall on deaf ears. Nurse "S" told us she would get Doctor "H" to replace Dr. "D". Knowing nothing of Doctor "H", we took the nurses word. Joseph Stalin would have been an improvement over Dr."D". I was concerned. But it turned out to be needless concern. Doctor"H" was, and still is a blessing straight from the Lord.
Next time; ROUND 2, or it's deja vu all over again...
KW