Nov 22 (Thanksgiving) - 940pm

Jeannette will be HEADING HOME TOMORROW!!!!   WOW!    That's the news, and it's BIG NEWS of course, the dreamed for miracle now becoming a reality!    And it seems so appropriate that this news is coming over the Thanksgiving weekend.   We celebrated in true chicken fleet fashion, and Sully cooked all morning and the table was set at St Elias hospital by mid-afternoon.   It was a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, shared with Rich and Jeannette and Erika too, and we thanked God for the many blessings and then chowed down on turkey, home made mashed potatoes and gravy, bread crumb stuffing, sweet yams, fresh green bean casserole, and a pecan and a home made pumpkin pie.    If you check out the new pictures you will even see where Rich was so hungry it was almost like there were two of him eating!       ;-)

There are a few more things to be done, but nothing to slow down the planned exit and homebound trip.   Rich has been running around town getting shower seats, walkers, and other items lined up, and he has plans in place to build a ramp at the house to help Jeannette have easier access to getting in and out of her front door.   She's feeling well, and ready to head home!   At some point there is one more day surgery to remove a "vena cava filter" that was used to prevent blood clots and prevent pulmonary embolisms after the accident, but that isn't invasive and is more of a "procedure" than a "surgery."   It could even happen tomorrow, or it might get done next week.   Her right leg too will need some more surgery sometime in the future, but it looks pretty healed up to me, and she can stand and put weight on it and there is no hurry to get anything done.    Right now the plan is to get home, get stronger, and stay out of the hospital for a while!

I am thinking as Jeannette arrives home that we will soon reach a point where these updates and blogs will no longer be needed.   Obviously, the pace of things will be slower now, the "big news" will not be the norm, and with her arrival home the need for these updates will diminish.    Of course, the full recovery process will take time, and it may be a few months before Jeannette is swinging the golf clubs and ready for jet travel, but she continues to amaze all of us so who can say for sure?    What I know tonight is that we had a great Thanksgiving dinner, and the excitement of her going home had everyone's spirits high.   From my perspective, everything seems to be healing well; her legs are clearly getting stronger, and things are looking bright for the future.-John