Home Sweet Home

Sorry for the lateness of this post. I don’t have any particularly good excuses – just that I’ve been quite tired. (:

So I’m home! Just being back home has made me feel heaps better, I think, and it’s been really nice to sleep in my own bed again and have all my books and things handy.

The trip home went pretty well. It took almost two hours exactly from the time we left the hospital gates to when the van pulled up in front of our house. It was the longest I had (and still have) sat up, and I was very relieved when it was all over.

I got discharged at about lunchtime on Tuesday. We decided that the best place for me to sit in the van was the jockey seat in the middle row, which is big and reasonably comfy, and which can lean back. Mum and Abby wedged me in with lots of pillows and a lumbar roll, and we set off.

wearing real clothes again!

It wasn’t exactly comfortable in the van, but it wasn’t painful either, and so I was able to have a little rest. We stopped at Pokeno, and Dad and the girls went off to get an icecream (of course), while I had some Panadol.

yay for powerade and painkillers!

That was the only stop we made, and so the last bit of the trip was the longest. I was getting a little uncomfortable towards the end, and I was very glad when we finally reached home. I managed to make it to my bedroom, and collapsed into bed, where I stayed until dinner. 🙂

I’ve been feeling better every day. I still get tired very quickly, but I’m able to sit up fairly comfortably, and I’ve been trying to get up and walk as much as I can. I’m spending a lot of time lying on the sofa in the living room reading books, and as that’s pretty much my idea of a perfect existence, I’m quite happy! In terms of painkillers, Mum has made up a schedule, and I’ve basically been taking them when they’re due. I’m still on Tramadol (three times a day), Panadol and ibuprofen. The aim is to eventually just get down to Panadol, and so far I’ve skipped a few ibuprofen doses successfully. I don’t want to start cutting down too soon, but if I can get off the ibuprofen as soon as possible, that would be good.

Although I’m glad to be home, I really didn’t hate being in hospital. Everybody up at Starship was really nice, and Mum and I felt very well looked after. It was a very positive experience, and I’m so glad that there is such a wonderful children’s hospital available here in New Zealand.

I’m going to the GP on Friday to have my dressing changed. Hopefully Mum will be able to take a few photos, and I might be able to post some pictures of my scar. (Not gory ones, I promise. It should be looking lovely by now!)