Going Home.......

Today is Thursday June 12th........the day that was soooooooooo far away when we first got here, that it's hard to believe this day has really arrived. Mom and I set our alarms to get up early, so we could complete the ritual of "the packing of the car" that we practically did non-stop when we got back from the Doctors appt. yesterday, when we found out "for sure" that we were leaving today. I'm surprised we didn't have to rent a U-Haul to get things home! How on earth and what on earth is taking up so much room in the car? On the way TO Tampa we had all our stuff AND Ashley and her suitcase in the back seat and I am not exaggerating when I say the car was totally packed from the entire trunk to the entire back seat up to the roof of the car. We had to make a "path" so Mom could see out the rear view window!! I know we did bring home the extra groceries, but still, there wasn't THAT many and we even wound up throwing a bunch of refrigerator stuff away. Oh well, one of life's mysteries that will go unanswered!! :) We had put in a full day packing the car, before we even got to Moffitt for my 8:30 am appt. to have this dangly central line pulled, but off we went about 8:00 am after saying "good-bye" to the apartment and headed to Moffitt for the last time. After checking in with the receptionist, we waited in the waiting room for about 20 minutes and then they finally called me back for my "procedure". I'll admit I was a little anxious about getting the central line removed. I was put "out" for the insertion, but was told for the removal I would just be receiving a local anesthetic. Fine by me as long as I don't feel anything! It turns out that the doctor that put it in, was also the doctor removing it and I'm kinda glad about that because it turns out he had to do some funky work putting it in because of being so thin he had to anchor it a bit unusually and sorta wrapped it around my collarbone, so that's why you could really see it under my skin. Anyways....long story short....they shot the area with a local which numbed it up big time......I didn't feel a thing except alot of pulling and tugging. I closed my eyes and sang silently to a LynrdSkynrd tune playing in the background, as I thinking....boy......this is taking longer than I thought!! And yes...it was...lucky me (I swear, weird shit happens to me).......the doctor had a hard time getting the part of the line out that has a little mushroom type cap on it that prevents it from coming out while it's in your body, so he had to use the scalpel and make a cut to get the dang thing out. He told me that usually they come out smoothly and I wouldn't even have a stitch, but because mine was difficult, he had to make a cut and then stitch it up with 2 stitches that would dissolve. So at the end of the procedure, I had an area at the top that had 2 stitches, then covered with 2 butterfly stitches that would come off on their own in about 2 weeks and another area below that (where the tubes actually came out of my chest) that was just covered by a pressure bandage of gauze and those were to stay on for 4 days and then I was free to shower. I will say I was surprised at the amount of bruising I had when the line was taken out, as there really wasn't any when I had it put in. The area was really really "tender" and black and blue.....way more uncomfortable than when the put it in! Who'd have thought that? Oh well......small price to pay, because you know what??? After the "procedure" and getting my instructions, it was TIME TO GO HOME!!! Hoo-Waa! Pinch me now.......are Mom and I actually on I-4 headed home? Oh my gosh, after 6 weeks of pre/during/post BMT treatments, I'm finally headed home, to begin the next "leg" of the journey. I'm so excited to see Ashley and the dogs, and my house and my bed.......just all the little things you miss after being away from home for so long. Only a 2 hour drive, and we'll be pulling into my driveway. Woo-Hoo.......going Home Sweet Home!