Leaving the Emerald City!

I got word this morning that I will be getting discharged TODAY! The results of my second biopsy came back great and they're kicking me out. Well not really kicking me out but I'm ready to go home. I miss my bed lol. I would be lying if I didn't feel bittersweet about leaving. I've been here seven weeks and it's going to be an adjustment going home and working towards recovery. Not to mention that the entire staff here has been terrific and feel like family. Plus, I'm a little nervous. I think it's natural to feel nervous. It's going to be a lot more responsibility to take over all the medications on my own. I've been trying to familiarize myself with them and when I take what but there's a lot. The transplant doctors will be in this afternoon to go over the final doses and times with me as well as address the questions I have. They will also be removing the last IV from my neck and the stitches in my stomach from my drainage tubes.


I found out my staples will have to stay in for at least another two weeks. Since it is my second time having my chest opened they like to give it a little more time to heal plus with the immunosuppressants it takes a little longer for my skin to bond back together. The good news is that I can shower normal with the staples and don't really have any special instructions for them except to not submerge them in water (so no baths or pools for the time being). The staples gross me out so knowing that I can just ignore them helps. I will have a home nurse visiting once or twice a week to look at the I also need to find out my biopsy and office visit schedule. I don't think I have a biopsy next week (they give you the third week off for some reason) but I still have to come down for an office visit. There's so many things that I feel like I still need to learn before I go home. I think I'm just over analyzing things a little bit. The thing I'm most nervous about are the medications. I was so regimented with my schedule pre-transplant and now I feel like I don't know what to take when. But the team is really good and I know I will be put at ease once they come in and go over the final doses.


Right now I'm being inundated with people coming in giving me paperwork for this and that.  It's a lot to handle. I will continue to keep you all posted on how the discharge process goes and everything else going on. Thank you all for all your continued support through all of this. I can't wait to begin this next chapter of my life and share it all with you in person and not just through my blog and Facebook page.


Love you all so much!
-Bryan

My City of Oz. I'm going to miss it but I know I will be back and look
forward to spending time here as a tourist and not just a patient.