Journal entry by Amanda Housel —
I have been too long in updating everyone! It has been a busy week, and I have had trouble finding a minute to sit down and write an update. After two very long months, we brought Mom home on Friday! We have spent the last several days adjusting to new life, with Mom where she belongs but without Dad.
She is doing amazing! She is changing her dressings and figuring out life at home with a colostomy. I have been going down to her house every day to see her or take her to town, and she is always doing something. The day after she came home, I went down to find she had vacuumed her living room and was cleaning the glass door because there were too many fingerprints! :)
We all made a quick trip to Medora because we found out that Jordan would be there to perform with the National Guard Band. We got to enjoy an afternoon of music and went to dinner afterward. It was pretty hot, but we were able to park pretty close and sit in the shade. Mom has always loved supporting her kids and grandchildren at their sports and musical events, so it was good to be able to do this with her so soon after her discharge home.
She starts outpatient physical therapy tomorrow and follows up with her primary care physician Friday. I imagine it won't be long before she gets rid of her walker and is back to driving and doing everything else on her own! We will follow up with the surgeon who did the colostomy in about six weeks. She will be able to determine at that time if she can reverse the colostomy via a laser surgery or if she will have to reopen the big incision that is just now nearly healed. Mom is leaning towards having it reversed if she can do it with minimal incisions but she isn't so sure she wants to deal with an incision like the last one left. We will see how she feels in six weeks though. She may be ready to do it no matter what, or may have decided that the colostomy doesn't affect her daily life so much that the surgery is worth it. Time will tell.
I will continue to keep you all updated as things change, though likely not as frequently. We are basically just taking one day at a time, and for the most part, each day is better than the last.
She is doing amazing! She is changing her dressings and figuring out life at home with a colostomy. I have been going down to her house every day to see her or take her to town, and she is always doing something. The day after she came home, I went down to find she had vacuumed her living room and was cleaning the glass door because there were too many fingerprints! :)
We all made a quick trip to Medora because we found out that Jordan would be there to perform with the National Guard Band. We got to enjoy an afternoon of music and went to dinner afterward. It was pretty hot, but we were able to park pretty close and sit in the shade. Mom has always loved supporting her kids and grandchildren at their sports and musical events, so it was good to be able to do this with her so soon after her discharge home.
She starts outpatient physical therapy tomorrow and follows up with her primary care physician Friday. I imagine it won't be long before she gets rid of her walker and is back to driving and doing everything else on her own! We will follow up with the surgeon who did the colostomy in about six weeks. She will be able to determine at that time if she can reverse the colostomy via a laser surgery or if she will have to reopen the big incision that is just now nearly healed. Mom is leaning towards having it reversed if she can do it with minimal incisions but she isn't so sure she wants to deal with an incision like the last one left. We will see how she feels in six weeks though. She may be ready to do it no matter what, or may have decided that the colostomy doesn't affect her daily life so much that the surgery is worth it. Time will tell.
I will continue to keep you all updated as things change, though likely not as frequently. We are basically just taking one day at a time, and for the most part, each day is better than the last.
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