Home sweet home

We got home last night around 8:00 p.m.  

Erik had an ok night.  He was up often but let's just say that the kidney is definitely doing it's job!

I probably should have ended my new learning boycott a few days ago as I am scrambling to figure out everything we are now supposed to do, not do, eat, not eat, take, take when, take how many times a day etc.  I organized all of his meds into this big weekly pill holder thing.  Not just the 7 day kind.  The 7 day 4 times a day kind.  I checked them off the list as I went through each bottle.  I drank wine.  I double checked. I drank more wine.  Multi tasking at it's finest.

Yesterday as I was walking back from the pharmacy with a monster size bag of meds I momentarily considered having myself a little pity party right there in the middle of the Cleveland clinic.  Then I saw them.  I saw parents who looked weary and in a trance.  They looked like they hadn't slept for days and probably hadn't eaten anything that was actually good for much longer than that.  They were pushing their sweet children in wheelchairs.  Some didn't have hair, some had IV's, some had oxygen tanks, others had feeding tubes.  None of them looked like they were going to be home for Thanksgiving.  Maybe not even Christmas.  Let me tell you what I got over myself real quick.  

Erik is on a ton of meds right now.  Some are just for a few months, tapering off at different times, but 3 of them are for life.  The steroid is for life.  Deep breaths.  It is on a taper schedule though so there is hope for a little less feisty in my future.

I think he is doing ok.  I don't know how he is supposed to be doing.  They let him out and released him to my care, and they met me and certainly remember the unfortunate why didn't my husband get his pain pill on time discussion, so he must not be doing all that bad.

I learned some things yesterday that I probably should have known but (1) I stopped learning a long time ago and (2) I didn't really listen to anything anyone has said for the last week.  Erik can't drive for 2 months.  Knew that.  He needs to have blood work twice a week for 2 months and make a weekly visit to the clinic for about the same about of time.  Knew that.  Knew both of these things but didn't connect the dots from Erik can't drive to Erik needs to get around to all of the places.  I have no work trips planned for a few months.  Never underestimate the power of an amazing company, fabulous co-workers and job flexibility.

Erik can't be in crowds for 3 months.  This is a sad one.  Crowds equals hot sweaty smelly bacteria cesspool gymnasiums.  Basically he won't be able to see Jack wrestle all season.  Basically I will be at every wrestling match and tournament from start to finish all season.  It's cool, my wrestling mom friends will definitely keep me company and I can record Jack's matches.  This of course means I have to actually watch them and probably can't ruin the recording by yelling things like "get your elbow out of my kids neck."  I may or may not have done that a time or two.

So now life goes on.  And we are thankful that it CAN go on.