"Home"

I walked with a spring in my step early this morning in the cold, Winter snow.  It was lightly falling and continued all morning.  I was so excited to see it again, but not a fraction as much as I was about bringing my boy "home" today.

They peeled the wound vac away this morning and I saw the incision site for the first time.  Part of him now.  As much as his eyes are green.  As much as that silver streak in the crown of his dark brown hair. Two heart scars now, one that has been incised four times.  The one he got when he was 9 and led all the way up to this very day.

The last two IVs were removed with much gritting of teeth.  So much tape to lift off his skin, hair coming along with it.  The bandages on the chest tube incisions and the one on his neck were peeled away too, but those were less painful.  Funny how my son is almost 23 but the slightest suffering on his part hurts me as much as it did when he was young with far less hair to get yanked out by the removal of medical tape.  It hurt him then, it hurts him now, it hurts me always.  

He took a long shower in the hospital room, his first since surgery, after a Physical Therapy session.  He was finally able to dress in clothes he owned and said the shower made him feel so much better.

I packed his things, checked everything twice and loaded most of it onto the back of the wheelchair that came for him.  After a stop at the Pharmacy, we were parked in the lobby to wait for our Lyft.  12 minutes later, we were "home".

He got a box this morning at the hospital from one of his best friend's Mother.  He wanted to wait and open it at the Airbnb and it was the first thing he did when we got here.  This amazing woman made him a blanket and a scarf each for his Dad and me.  We were all amazed.  I can't wait to hug her when we get home.  (((Karen)))  We love you. 

So here we are!  I'll try to take care of him the best I can.  I've already called Mayo once with a question.  I will sleep with one eye open and both ears listening tonight.  Then again, I have been doing that since we got here.  Listening for a phone call that thankfully never came.  But now we're on the other side of it and all that's left is to make sure he's healthy enough to travel to our real home on the 18th.