Chapter Thirteen: Yum, Yum, Cream of Wheat to Celebrate Homecoming

I thought there might be an epilogue to the epilogue last night. There was such good news and progress and the day kept going. Phoebe suddenly became very tired and she ZONKED. Just when I thought that she was out for the night, she perked up and we started talking. She told me that she would be Jim if she were at Dunder-Mifflin. She'd be the normal person thriving in the midst of the comical dysfunction of the team. I can't help but think that she already feels like she's fulfilling that role in the Miller Family. Note to self. Hmmmm, that's a talk for later. When I told her that we may need an epilogue to the epilogue she perked up but quickly told me that she was too tired to be funny. She did do some web-surfing and reading of e-mails. Thanks to those of you who have contacted her. She's been enjoying the interaction.

So, Monday CC Day +3 promised the possibility of a homecoming but it was too soon. It is Tuesday, CC Day +4 and the homecoming is imminent. It's a bit comical to see how the doctors and care team work. Each team has been verbally supportive - and I dare say impressed - with her moxy and progression. Each of them has independently suggested that late Tuesday afternoon would be a possibility for discharge. The discharge depending upon two major things. Eating (as it were) with fluids, and caloric input and her PT progress on Tuesday. So we've had this target for which to shoot and Phoebe has been "game" to hit the bullseye. We record all of the ounces and what each thing is to track her nutrition process. It's tough! She's got to have it, but everything is a chore. She has gotten really good at being independent with her feeding. She's got a 60 ml syringe. We put most anything in it and she puts the tube in her mouth where some teeth are missing. She squeezes most everything in through the space and is the mistress of her feeding regimen. This works well for all concerned. For those of you who don't know her closely, she is independent and bright. It's tough to fool her. When she is in charge and knows the "rules of the game" she does better. So anyway, she take the syringe and holds it upside down with the plunger on her stomache and pushes down. Everyone has said, "You'll bruise yourself." It doesn't make a difference - it's her method and it works. No problemo. So the night went uneventfully after we settled down. A potty break and some pain meds were the only interruption. I feel a bit guilty this morning because we didn't get going until after 8:30 a.m. There was a visit from an ortho Dr. but both Phoebe and I slept through it. Does this make us bad people? Breakfast arrives. It is a definite sign that we need to get going. 1 oz. of Apple Juice, 4 oz of Orange Juice, 4 oz. of Apple Juice and a loooonnnnnggggg protracted discussion of Cream of Wheat. I don't know about you, but I grew up on Cream of Wheat. There were never grits, grits is/are a southern thing. There was occaisionally oatmeal, but a hot breakfast at the Miller home was primarily Cream of Wheat. I liked mine sweet, buttery, and milky. To this day I treat my grits the same way. I have come to accept the ridicule that accompanies my preparation of grits because any true southerner knows that grits are fixed with salt, pepper, and maybe a dash of butter. Hardcore southerners make up red-eye gravy for their grits. After a bit of negotiation and a foraging trip to get lots of sugar, I fill the syringe with what promised to be the BEST Cream of Wheat ever. I used every bit of my Food Network knowledge to ensure that it had the right texture, color, sweet and savory mixture to wow an Iron Chef. Phoebe balked. She balked some more. Carol arrived and we started back at square one in the negotiation. We re-arrived at one syringe (2oz.). In a last minute twist of fate the nurse entered and the girls won the exchange. 1 oz. was sufficient. Phoebe grinned that crooked grin with her jaw wired shut as she grabbed the syringe from me to slurp the Cream of Wheat. She downed it in no time. It went down so easily that I couldn't resist an attempt at taking some momentum back by saying, "Here, I'll fill it up and you can easily swig down another." 1, 2, 3, 4, dead silence. So much for momentum. More doctors each of them indicating today would be discharge and homecoming but each of them ceded their responsibility to the next. I began to think we'd have another day just because no one would say she's good. Our physical therapist shows up with a wheel-chair. Let's get some pain meds in her so that we can do "the stairs". One half hour later and Phoebe is driving for the first time in her life. She rockets her walker across the room to the wheel-chair and manuevers herself into the seat as if she has been doing this her entire life. Wow she is impressive. She does have some issue steering the wheel-chair. After a few pushes down the hall, she gets the hang of stopping or breaking one wheel and pushing the other to make the turns. We did a few donuts in the lobby to get the full hang of things. Look out folks Phoebe is on the move. We wheeled to the end of the hallway to find a set of stairs. Phoebe deftly gets up into the walker. Whitney and I think she put some weight on the leg. Phoebe says she didn't. Discussion about which foot goes first climbing and descending, and she is at the stair. She is able to climb up, and turn around. This was all a bit overwhelming so she sits and rests while we talk strategy about how our home is arranged. Whitney gives the green light for the trip home from her perspective. She, however, indicates that someone else will make the decision. This is too funny considering that even the trauma doctor gave her the ultimate authority. LOL. We get back to the room, Phoebe negotiates to the bed and starts lunch. 2.5 oz. of OJ, 2 oz. of a shake, 1.5 oz of OJ, 4 oz. of apple juice and 4 oz. of chicken broth. Annie from trauma arrives. Apparently she and Whitney have spoken, she is actually willing to commit to a Tuesday homecoming on CC Day +4. Woohoo. Phoebe asked to have the laptop to catch up on world events and the weather. She checks a few e-mails and is now resting until the occupational therapist comes. She's going to learn how to use the shower chair and take a shower. We'll try to make sure she doesn't use all of the hot water in Wake Med. I'm sure in hingsight she'll consider this one of her top showers of a lifetime. TTYL.