A first visit home part 1.

Dear Meg an Janna,
Last week I was thinking it was really going to be time to get you, Meg,  at home. I didn't mind if it was only for few hours, I just wanted you to see and experience yourself that it was still there, Other patients from Leijpark whom I still have contact with their mothers were already at home during the weekend, So why not you?  Your rehabilitation doctors  are very careful. They are afraid you would fall backwards in your upgoing curve. How wil you react? What does it do to you? Will you realise things which were common to do, are not able now? Like walking, like running the stairs into the garden,  Like using your left arm and hand, like talking. Even eating is not something which happens in a reflex, you need to be remembered you need to swallow while eating, otherwise you start couching.
I asked them and your "mentor "nurse, many times last few weeks when you were able to come home. I was asked questions like:

• What do you do to keep family and friends away from home? As do not forget a visit is a HUGE impact for Meg, just being at home. Memories come back by the typical fragrances, sounds and things. My answer was we will keep it a secret she will be visiting, ofcourse people would see when a wheelchair bus is in the street......  And we wil pullout the doorbell, keep the gate closed,
• Is it possible to enter the house with a wheelchair? Not that she is there and cannot enter the house... Through the gate around the back of the house that was not a problem. We had different people in the house before, so that was tested already. 
• What do you need to take care of Meg? Medicins, personal care supplies? I said she does not get any medicins during the day now and her liquid food is attatched after lunch, so that was the time she needed to be back. I just wanted a special towel and pants, just in  case... 
• What will you do if she needs to lay down for a change of her pants? We wil lift you up with the two of us and lay you down on the couch. do what we have to do and lift you back in the wheelchair again. 
• How do you transport her? I was happy to say a good friend whom has a wheelchair bus offered us to drive Meg. So very sweet of her, Thanks Els! No need to ask for a wheelchair taxi with a stranger as driver.  

Thursday February 5th, I asked  again for taking you home this weekend in the morning and after your rest,  Meg,  I answered the question in the kitchenlivingroom, while you were sitting in the other livingroom, drawing. The answers I gave were "examened" by the doctors and when you were explaining your drawing to me with your lettercard, You drew our house, pointed out your window of your room and drew the four of us infront of the house, even the flowerbaskets we always have under the window . You stil remembered very well how it looked. 

The nurse came back telling us we got permission to visit home for 2 hours, we had to be back at 12 and no other people around... I had to promiss it! But I was happy to do so. Meg heard it too and if she was a light we would have been blind! She was shining with her whole being. Intens happy she was allowed to go home after all these months.

I had to warn her it was only a visit, we had to come back here in Adelante.  How cruel it would be letting her think she would go home for longer stay..... She understood as she hold her thumb up. I was sooo happy I could have been shouting it out of joy, something which I tried with Meg . Let's shout I said. let them hear how happy you are :) She opened her mouth, but no sound :(  but we just keep the faith it wil come back.... 

Tomorrow part 2 of the  visit. Need to go to Meg now