What it is really like!

Good evening everyone,

We're at home. I was discharged from Vancouver General Hospital Tuesday afternoon (April 10th) and we spent Tuesday night and all day Wednesday at the Cancer Lodge with me resting up for the return trip to Vanderhoof. We left Vancouver at 9:30 AM Thursday morning and drove to Williams Lake where we stayed the night. On Friday the 13th we did the remainder of the trip home. We stopped in Prince George and visited Dolores' sister-in-law Janice at Prince George Regional Hospital where she had been for 6 days. Her blood pressure was extremely high and her electrolytes were very low. She was in good spirits and looking to be discharged later in the day.

The trip was terribly long and I suffered with severe pain in my left shoulder for most of the trip. But, It is really good to be home. Now for the best news of all. I am able to eat, yes eat pureed food and drink thickened fluids. I still have three tubes a day all when I'm sleeping at night but I eat breakfast, lunch and supper. The operation was a success and we will only have to go back to Vancouver to see Dr. Yee if after three months my throat/esophagus is swollen. The Dr. says this complication arises in 1 out of 10 cases like this. I am enjoying the sensation of eating and tasting my food. Swallowing is sometimes challenging because my epiglottis is still so swollen but, it is manageable.

Most everything here at the farm is good 83 of the 86 cows have calved and are healthy. There have been some calf deaths but, that is to be expected. The farm well system is not working as it should and we will have to have the well looked at by the professionals. Yuk! is the only way to describe the water situation. Mother is well and fine at 93 and perking along her usual vigor and Milton is well and looking forward to going back to Camp in June.

I will have 6 to 8 weeks of rehabilitation for the surgical wounds and the pain in my shoulder to get better and most of my daily chores are on hold during that time. Dolores is is fine and once again she took really good care of me while we were away. Today we both had a very lazy day recovering from the trip home. I will have to walk 3 or 4 times a day to the hay yard and back (approx. 1/2 a km). I,m taking Hydromorphone for the pain so no driving for me in the near future. But, I will still be eating.

That's it for now. Love and Hugs to all.

Rick