The Journey Home?

Randy’s release date (sounds like he is in prison!) is supposed to be Wednesday, October 30.  BUT.  I haven’t heard anything from the Lung Transplant Team about whether he needs equipment at home, nursing care, home health, etc etc.  I mean, kind of important stuff!  Since he is not walking unassisted, I confess to being nervous.  ***Oh, after several phone calls I have an update:  he is coming home Wednesday and they will tell us what we need to do tomorrow.  AND Randy talked with the head of the Lung Transplant Team, and apparently he told Randy he can eat anywhere he wants, but to remember it is easy to gain weight because of meds, and he should be on the American Heart Association Diet, and low sodium.  He needs to stay on the American Heart diet and he can eat anywhere he wants?  Well, I don’t know about that, I mean, honestly, do you go to McDonalds for oatmeal?  No.  You go for a disgusting burger (which is probably 7% beef) and fries.  Do not get me wrong, I’m enough of a 70s kid that I love junk food, but we are going to strictly avoid it. It will be nothing but healthy and balanced at home!

I have turned this house inside out.  I am exhausted, my housekeeper is exhausted, my entire family is exhausted, but I am so paranoid that a piece of dust has escaped my attention.  I have been tossing things out as I go, and that is a good thing.  We have been in this house for 20 years.  20 years!  Unreal how much “stuff” you collect in 20 years.  Dust accumulates everywhere! Of course, tons of my children’s things are EVERYWHERE.  They are 23 and 26, why is so much of their stuff at my house?  I’m working on changing that!

I admit that I have probably gone overboard on the cleaning, making changes to the house, but I would rather be overboard than not careful enough.  They make you attend Transplant Class, where you are told in no uncertain terms that you must be with the patient 24/7; if you are 3 seconds late for a medicine you are LATE; no junk food, all produce washed with a little Dawn, everything cooked well, take temperature at same time every day, blood pressure reading, sugar readings, insulin shots.  No cats.  I mean, they stress that 15% or so do not make it 1 year post transplant, and 50% do not make it to 5 years, and a portion of that is because people do not follow the guidelines as strictly as they should.  But then, Randy is told that he can eat wherever he wants.  I confess, I am confused.  I think it best to err on the safe side.  Don’t you?

Luke and Lucy, our crazy whacko Goldens, both had a trim and a bath today, but it is supposed to rain heavily Wednesday and Thursday so I am going to board them, along with Ally’s dog who lives here (Remy). Why does her dog live here?  That is another story.  Anyway,  I cannot be dealing with wet, muddy dogs when Randy first gets home.  If Ran can eat wherever he wants I’m probably being too paranoid about the dogs….I’ve had them trimmed down like Labs, and bought some allergy stuff that supposedly disinfects 99% of the bacteria they gather while outside.  I did not have Remy trimmed because he really looks stupid groomed!  He is a Shepherd/Husky mix, and quite fluffy, so when I had him trimmed down a month ago, he looked hideous!   Luke and Lucy (and now Remy) have slept in our bed ever since we brought them home, so this is going to be interesting.  I really cannot imagine what they will make of having to sleep outside the bedroom.  How will they let me know they have to go to the bathroom?

Ah, the trash guys are here to pick up all of the trash that cleaning out the house (only the downstairs so far!) has generated.  Now everything needs to be painted.  I’ll worry about that in the spring.