Home and Weaver Party

We've looked forward to going home all day today. The doctor said the physical therapist would be in first thing in the morning. By the time I got to the hospital, it was 9:30 and he had just arrived.

Dan left to go home and shower and I took my shift being with Chris. The therapist gave us good information saying that his leg was completely strong. He could put weight on it whenever he was ready and it wouldn't hurt it. Well, it wouldn't hurt the healing, but it sounds like from Chris, weight on it makes it hurt. The therapist helped him out of the bed and showed him how to use the crutches properly. They also practiced getting up a few stairs. Chris was excited to work hard and go home.

Out of bed learning how to use crutches.

After moving around, he was exhausted and slept the rest of the day. We started the "going home" process, but that of course takes forever. He did get out of bed to go to the bathroom a couple of times which was a good feeling for him rather than use the bedpan urinal. Helpful to have the hospital bed that lowers. He can't really move his leg on his own, so I needed to lift it up for him to get it back in the bed. And then straighten it out.

He actually just slept all day. People came in and out and he did eat some lunch. I played on my phone in the dark and answered texts as everyone was wondering how Chris was doing.

By 2:00 we finally got discharged. We stopped at the hospital pharmacy on the way out and part of his meds are for  me to give him a blood thinner shot twice a day to help avoid blood clots. Seriously?! Yikes! So wish Rachel was still in town!!!

Out of here!

I left Chris and the guy who rolled his wheelchair at the waiting room and ran to get the car, turning on all the seat heaters to get it warmed up for him. When I got back, the wheelchair guy was gone (told Chris it was the end of his shift and took off). So it was up to me and Chris to get him in. It was a little tricky and my big car made it difficult for him to get up into it. We had him in the backseat so his leg could stretch out. It took us a few tries, but we finally figured it out. Christopher was a champ through the pain.

Headed home!

When we got home, Dan and Marty had purchased crutches and got the driveway cleared of snow so Chris could safely get in the house. Right as we were getting in, Sean, Jake's dad, arrived with a burrito from Chris' favorite place. Such a great way to arrive home. But after the exertion of the the drive and getting in the house and crutching up the stairs, Chris made a very slow but direct beeline to his room so he could lay down again. He was exhausted.

We'd gotten a little behind on his meds in the whole check-out of the hospital at 11:00 but don't really get out until 2:00. Hope it doesn't hurt us going forward.

The whole day went pretty smoothly, which was nice because that night we were hosting the Weaver cousins for a holiday party! We had Nana & Lenoard,  Rob & Ann and John & Ann Weaver; The Torontos -- Carrie, Cindy, Will and Chase and their spouses; Marty & EC and Jo Ellen and Kelly all together for a potluck dinner. What a great time we had! It was so fun to all be together -- everyone enjoyed each other's company. We really need to get together more often! I was so glad it was at our home because if it was somewhere else, I wouldn't have been able to go. So sad we didn't take a picture!!

After everyone had gone home, I had to give Chris his shot of Lovenox. I totally botched it. Why do they allow regular people to do this with no instruction except a boxed insert! I'm not safe, people! I read the instructions really well ahead of time a few times. I understood I needed to pinch his stomach fat (he has none, but the nurse at the hospital assured me it was enough). (Is skin fat?) I tried to take off the needle cap and instead pulled out the plunger and the medicine dumped out (just a few drops, but still). Into the garbage. Chris was already nervous, but seeing me completely incompetent kind of freaked him out.

I got another one and started again. This time I got the cap off the needle, but made the mistake of hovering above his pinched skin. It was totally freaking me out to do this! Which in turn was freaking him out. He shouted, "Just do it, Mom! Don't wait!" Which made me more nervous and so I jabbed it into him -- similar to how I think an Epi-Pen would be done. He gasped an, "Arrrgh!" and then without thinking, I let go of the pinch, needle still in him. Realizing that was wrong, I then tried to pinch again but there was a little pucker now and still had to push the plunger down in spite of it looking really, really wrong. And then released the plunger which popped the needle out and away into the shot container and I let go of the pinch all at the same time and it was over. Chris started shouting, "You stabbed me! Why did you stab me?! Geez! That hurts so much! You totally stabbed me!" Which was not untrue, it was like a stab. Seriously, I am so bad at this!! There has got to be a better way.