How to spend your Saturday?

I have spent my time since being discharged late Thu. sleeping, reading, surfing the internet, watching TV and otherwise trying to stay occupied while dealing with pain between my incision and the spot where the chest tube was removed, which is still more severe than I had anticipated at this point. I am rotating Tylenol and Ibuprofen every 8 hours (i.e. Tylenol @ 8am, Ibuprofen @ 12pm, Tylenol @ 4pm), and taking my painkillers every 4 hours on top of that. I continue to try to find the right balance between pain relief and keeping the plumbing open.

The kids are enjoying having me home, even though I am spending most of the day upstairs, either in bed or in the recliner, and they are downstairs playing or watching some of their videos. We visit a couple times each day, and they love to come up and say hi when they go out somewhere or are going down for their nap. Lisa continues to be challenged by the stairs, caring for the kids down there and me up here, but is doing a fine job at all of the above. IT does not look like we will attempt to drive home Monday as we had tentatively planned, as I don't think I could deal with sitting in a car for the 4 hour trip home to Waldoboro. I will keep an eye on the pain, and we'll head home as soon as I feel up to it. Pray that point would come sooner rather than later!

A funny moment in the middle of all of this...Jilli had been telling everyone that daddy was taking to her "on the set" throughout the day, and no one could figure out what she was talking about - perhaps she thought I was talking to her through the TV? We finally realized that Lisa had put the baby monitor in our room upstairs so she could hear when I got up and around, I could tell her when I needed something, etc. Jilli had been hearing my voice through the monitor (set to her!) and told me that I hadn't talked back to her when she was speaking to me! I had to explain to her how a baby monitor worked and that I couldn't hear her - I wasn't just ignoring her. More levity in the midst of difficulty from our children.

I'll post again later when there is some change in my condition, or some further news on plans moving forward. When I left the hospital, plans were on schedule for me to receive my donor's cells on Feb. 29. I should have a follow up appt. with the lung surgeon sometime the end of next week (around Feb. 14) to make sure my recovery is on track for the transplant to proceed. Thanks for your continued support, love, and regular prayers for recovery and pain relief.