Home Sweet Home

Finally! We are home and it.feels.so.good.

I actually walked into the house and kissed it.

Alec felt well enough today and all his tubes were out and vitals were perfect so finally he was discharged. 9 DAYS he was at MGH. Looking back it is kind of a blur, or a fog and each day ran into another. I, along with many others are so glad that he did the lung surgery this week. We ran into Dr. Ferrone and she was very happy he made that decision. She said after the first surgery, to have him come back in three weeks is just not good for a patient, causing anxiety, fear and dread. All that is behind us now and we can focus on the Holidays and spending time with family and friends.

My Mom asked Dr. Ferrone how long it takes for the liver to regenerate. This absolutely blows my mind...3 weeks! 3 weeks for 60% of his liver to grow back! No wonder why he is so tired, one week has already gone by which means the liver is already over 30% regenerated! The human body is so amazing.

Millie was SO HAPPY to see Alec, I actually became all teary eyed when they were reunited. She did not jump or go crazy, she snuggled up to him and licked him, I said if dogs could cry she would have right then. Dogs are so smart, I feel like she knows everything that has gone on and she is always there for us. The other night when we were sleeping at Jill's, I shot out of bed after I felt what I thought was a spider on my cheek. It was actually Millie's whiskers tickling my face as I slept. She was just checking on me.

To have a home cooked meal tonight was priceless, it has been 9 days! I am not one to enjoy eating out all the time, and couldn't wait to eat in my own kitchen and not the MGH cafeteria (although it is pretty good, its still not home cooking). I even had to make some toll house cookies, just to get our home smelling good, like we lived here again. Although Alec doesnt have much an appetite, he was happy to not eat hospital food and enjoyed dinner as much as he could.

Alec is moving very slowly, up the stairs was tough and he was exhausted after. I can tell breathing is labored and he is feeling the pain from his incisions. I just wrote a medications chart for him, I counted and there are 14 meds he has to take each day. It can certainly be confusing, especially when your the patient taking them. He looks pretty damn good after all he just went through, (although his upper body looks like a war zone) but with his shirt on he looks 100% healthy. I will be his on call nurse for the next few days, he has got his little bell next to the bed and I am sure I am going to start resenting that noise soon, but for now I am the obeidient little wifey that I am supposed to be.

Well again, thank you all for the prayers and support. I am so, so glad this week is behind us. This was one of those weeks that..."what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger". Alec is so tough and so strong and continues to amaze me, the doctors, his family, his friends and everyone he meets. He keeps pushing through and gets it done without a moment of doubt, self pity or anger. I am so proud of him.

I am so excited to go to bed and sleep in the bob-o-pedic next to my hubby!

I can only pray that Alec heals quickly and that we have the cancer under control. I also pray for a miracle in that it is gone forever and we can live happy, healthy and until we are 90 years old. I believe in Miracles :)

Love to all and thank you!

Heather, Alec & Millie

PS...
On our way home we heard this song, I had to do all I could to keep from crying. I dont know why, but the lyrics were just perfect for a return home from a long hospital stay and after all we just went through, it felt like we were supposed to hear this song. Its by Lady Antenellum and I had never heard it before, but when I got home I downloaded it and looked up the words. I think it was a "God Wink!"

"Hello World"

Traffic crawls, cell phone calls
Talk video screams at me
Through my tinted window I see
A little girl, rust red minivan
She's got chocolate on her face
Got little hands, and she waves at me
Ya, she smiles at me

Hello world
How've you been?
Good to see you, my old friend
Sometimes I feel cold as steel
Broken like I'm never gonna heal
I see a light, a little hope
In a little girl
Hello world

Every day I drive by
A little white church
It's got these little white crosses
Like angels in the yard
Maybe I should stop on in
Say a prayer
Maybe talk to God
Like he is here
Oh I know he is there
Ya, I know he's there

Hello world
How've you been?
Good to see you, my old friend
Sometimes I feel as cold as steel
And broken like I'm never going to heal
I see a light
A little grace, a little faith unfurled
Hello world

Sometimes I forget what living's for
And I hear my life through my front door
And I'll be there
Oh I'm home again
I see my wife, little boy, little girl
Hello world
Hello world

All the empty disappears
I remember why I'm here
Just surrender and believe
I fall down on my knees
Oh hello world
Hello world
Hello world

This is the video link.
http://video.aol.com/aolvideo/aol-music/hello-world-sessions/79275062001