Joe is HOME!

Sorry for the delay in posting that Joe was back home from Duke Hospital but a couple of things have gotten in the way.  But first...Joe was finally approved by his insurance for the Home Health Care wound vac pump whose delay had kept him in the hospital for 3 extra days.  He was released sometime around 5:30pm on Wednesday and after a stop at the pharmacy for new meds for him, we got home around 6:30pm.  A quick supper and before 8pm, we were both nearly asleep and went on to bed.  So my plan was to post his release on Thursday evening after I got home from work.  Well I did get home, fixed our dinners and then settled on the couch to watch a program on the DVR.  Soon there was a ring of our doorbell, I admit I was drifting in and out of sleep while watching the show, so at first I wasn't sure if the doorbell was on the TV or was ours.  I asked Joe this and he said it was our doorbell.  He started to get up, which meant disconnecting the power from his wound vac so I told him I would get the door.  I stood up, took one step, and then somehow, and I don't know how, managed to twist my left foot over, causing a crunching sound and fell to the floor in pain.  As I lay there, Joe is yelling at the person at the door to come in (Trisha, one of our neighbors) however, the door was locked and she couldn't.  Joe went to the door and Trisha had brought us over some food (very sweet! - Thank you).  However, I'm still laying in the floor moaning.  Joe comes back, asks what he can do, which obviously there wasn't, so he called our next door neighbor, MacKenzie, to come over and take a look. (She's a PE & Health teacher at Smith Middle in Chapel Hill)...she was over in a flash, put ice on my foot for 20 minutes, left to get her 2 kids across the street to Trisha to watch, came back, took the ice off, keep smiling and saying words of encouragement but then the discussion of possibly taking me to seek medical attention came up.  Up until then, although hurting, I had not looked at my foot.  MacKenzie left, returning soon thereafter with 2 neighbors to help get me to her van which miraculously had appeared in my driveway.  When Joel & Casey arrived and they helped me up, was when I first saw the enormous bulge on the top side of my foot.  Uh-oh..this can't be good.  So off to Duke Urgent Care.  Long story (I know, it is long), short, after x-rays, there appeared to be nothing broken, but there was so much swelling that they could not tell if there was any tendon or ligament damage.  So on came the walking boot cast and crutches until my appointment with the orthopaedist on Tuesday.  And that, ladies & gentlemen, is why this post about Joe being out of the hospital is so late!

He is doing well, has his first appointment with the Home Health care person to change the sponge on the wound vac today between 2-2:30pm.  His appetite seems to me to be less, which given his weight loss, is not such a good thing.  He says he is snacking between meals, but since I have been at work during the day, I haven't seen it for myself...not that I don't believe him mind you :).

Thanks to everyone who has inquired about him, prayed for him and sent cards & flowers.  The outpouring of love has been wonderful.