Dad is HOME!!!

On Saturday evening my dad was FINALLY discharged from the hospital!  PRAISE THE LORD!  There were a couple of times we really didn't know if this moment was going to happen.  We are SO THANKFUL to the Lord that my dad is healing and getting stronger everyday.

I went up to the hospital with my mom to go over his instructions, medications, etc.  I was shocked at how much stuff they have to go over with you, and I think my mom was overwhelmed with all his appointments, medicines, etc.  But...we were THRILLED that he was finally getting to GO HOME!  He was so excited...little things like wearing a t-shirt, seeing outside, and riding in a car....he hadn't done those things in 18 days!  These pictures are just from my iPhone so they aren't great (especially the first one...my mom clearly cannot operate the camera on my phone...ha!) but I wanted to record this momentous day!

Most of you know that I HATE needles and most medical stuff.
The nurse had to show my mom and I how to clean out the pick-line tubes...
using a syringe and shooting stuff in an IV just about sent me over the edge...
but I would DO ANYTHING to help Dad!

First t-shirt he had worn in 18 days!
You can't really see it in this picture but he had on these long  "tight thingies" to help
with circulation.  He only had these shorts at the hospital so going home he had to wear these shorts
 over the tights, and then these brown booties on his feet.
I kept telling him he looked like Peter Pan!  

One of his AWESOME nurses...she knew I didn't like medical stuff , and she said
she was so proud of me for cleaning out his IV!  HA!
Then she gave me her stethoscope to wear in the picture!

Obviously Dad has a long and slow road ahead to full recovery...he gets tired really easily, has to go get infusions everyday at the hospital, etc.  BUT...he is in good spirits and is looking forward to feeling back to himself soon.  The example he has shown all of us through this entire ordeal has been extraordinary.  As we've had some very scary moments not knowing what the future would hold, my mind would always go to all the life lessons he has taught me and so many of the special memories we share.  (One of my favorite memories is that growing up he always took me to school and we always listened to this college football fight song tape.  On the Saturday after his surgery he was still on the vent and couldn't really communicate, but we were sitting with him and I played him the Michigan fight song from my phone.  With his eyes still closed, he raised his hand in the air to the music...it just reminded me that he was still there, still aware of what was going on, etc.  That was a neat moment I will always remember).  I always knew I had an incredible dad, but going through this has just confirmed time and time again just how special he is...not just to me and my sister and my mom, but to everyone he knows.  Dad - we love you so very much and are so proud of how hard you are fighting to get better!  YOU ARE OUR HERO!