Hello all,

Mom is home! She was discharged from Bayside on Wednesday at 10:00 am. Scott picked her up and took her to a follow-up appointment in St. Cloud to have her staples removed. I (Missy) met them there to take mom back home to St. Peter. Before we left St. Cloud, though, we stopped at a bar. 😄 This was mainly time for me to catch up with Scott and mom in person - trust me, we only had pop and french fries. That night, after bringing in all her things, mom did have a very small glass of wine - much deserved after her long ordeal. She was pretty tired that evening and went to bed early. She slept great in her own bed and woke refreshed and more energetic. I can see that she will heal at a much faster rate just being home!

Thursday we were visited by a home health nurse who was great. She went through all of the paperwork with mom first, then checked her vitals and even helped her schedule a follow-up appointment with her primary care physician. They will come visit her two times each week on Tuesday and Friday mornings until mom feels confident to be totally on her own. They are also available 24/7 to call if she needs help with her bag or anything else. It's very nice to know they are there to bridge the gap to a return to full health.

I am staying here with mom until Sunday, March 6 to serve as another bridge. It is comforting for mom knowing that someone is here while she attempts to return to normal everyday tasks. You get pretty weak when you've been in bed for a month and a half! So far she has done a great job going up and down her stairs in her townhome, she was able to walk through Aldi to get groceries, we walked up to her mailbox (which is at the end of her complex's parking lot and up a slight hill) and she is returning to her very tidy lifestyle by clipping dead leaves off of her plants, emptying the dishwasher and wiping up smudges on her kitchen floor. I can't stop her, folks.  😉

Today we are going to attempt getting in and out of her car and we'll see about taking a short drive. Over the next few days she'll attempt more things with me hovering nearby in case she needs help (which she really doesn't need). I anticipate that she'll breeze through everything we attempt. She always has been and is still a strong and determined woman. Not much can hold her back from what she wants to accomplish. The main thing will be making sure she doesn't push it too much too fast...but she has promised to go slow.

Jon Paul came for a visit last night, Scott and Marie will be visiting tomorrow (Saturday), and her sister Marianne will be by next week. Mom is open for visitors and phone calls in the coming days and weeks ahead and would love the company and encouragement.

This will be the last journal entry. We are so thankful to all of you for your encouragement and support of mom! Each of you has been a true blessing. And we are forever thankful for the Great Physician, God our loving Father, who has seen her through these difficult days and who will continue to see her through all that is to come as she adjusts to her new normal. He must have more things in mind for his beautiful daughter, we'll just have to wait and see what those things are.  Praise God!