Home has, in some ways, made me realize that I’m sicker than I felt in the hospital. In the hospital, I was constantly getting better at doing the same things. All I had to compare my progress to was the day before, and I was constantly getting better.

But at home, I remember how things used to be. Things that used to be easy are now hard; if I go up or down stairs, I need my dad’s help. When I take a “walk” around the block in my wheelchair, I’m at the mercy of my parent’s Westie Farfel–she can literally pull my chair in any direction she wants. I can’t even pick up the phone before it stops ringing unless it’s right next to me.

I’m starting to feel better about being home, though. I’ve been doing physical therapy (PT) at home with a home PT (physical therapist) and it’s been making me feel good. I went to my sister Rachel’s graduation from CU Boulder yesterday, which I feel would have taken too much out of me a week ago. But I still can’t sleep well.

Home is great. I wouldn’t trade anything to leave. But the world outside the hospital is making me realize how far I have left to go.

–Reid.

And I’m tired.

It’s been exactly five months since I first checked into the hospital. I’ve been here since December 6, 2007, with a few short trips home, and solidly–with only a trip to another nearby hospital–since January 2.

Today I’m going home. But first… we party.

–Reid.

Last night, some of my nurses from the seventh floor came down to wish me good bye. The seventh floor is oncology–where I spent a lot of time before I was moved to the sixth floor (rehabilitation), where I am now.

Two of the nurses were on the night shift, but the other two had waited for several hours after their day shift to attend the party. It was such a nice gesture that it made my day. There were homemade cookies, an ice cream cake from Maggie Moo’s, and lots and lots of silliness.

There was a weird Flashdance theme to the evening.

I guess they figured out my favorite movie.

I’m going home tomorrow. Hoo-wah!

–Reid.

I said good bye to one of my regular nurses last night. She made me this:

Charla, you’re hilarious.

Danny and Kadra came to my room at 8:00 AM this morning to watch all the political shows with me.

I’m going home on Tuesday. Two nights to go.

–Reid.

Yesterday the nurses brought me this cake and sang “Happy Decannulation To You”.

I got sick from eating a piece; I haven’t had that much sugar in a long time. My mom took offense to me saying sugar could do this.

–Reid.

P.S. Decannulation is the act of removing a trach.

Check out Bing, the story of a man who might have taken bingo too far. It’s by NYC’s Better Than The Machine (minus me, of course) with help from Ballard C. Boyd and Dave Burdick.

Ballard did the camera and lighting work, and I have to say he did a particularly good job.

Check it out:

–Reid.

On the last day of April in Denver, it was 82 degrees out.

On the first day of May, it snowed.

–Reid.

Trach out as of 9:35 this morning.

–Reid.

I couldn’t take Propofol today. Propofol is an anesthesia that lets you wake up easy, with no misty haze and with a good feeling inside. However, the anesthesiologist said that there was a slim chance that Propofol could give pancreatitis. I said I had bad experiences with slim chances.

So now I’m in a misty haze and feeling dazed and confused. Oh well.

–Reid.