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And finally about six o'clock yesterday evening, Doctor Carpenter, thank goodness, came and got the procedures going to release us from the hospital.  Mike's nurse brought his last pain medicine, thank goodness, because he is still going on that final dose.  A hospital transporter brought a cart for our bags, the computer bag, our coats, walker, crutches, leg brace, plenty to fill the cart.  Another transporter brought a wheel chair for Mike.  One holdup...the battery was dead on the car when I went to offload the cart.  The one who had brought me the cart sent the police to help me out.  It seemed like forever, and I guess it was about half an hour, before finally and a little girl policeman came with one of those little instant energy packs, hooked it up to my battery and we had power to start the car! Thank goodness again!  I followed the exit signs out of the parking garage, turned in my free parking pass and got directions about how to get to the front door....and went to pick up Mike.

Mike's transporter was a big man...thank goodness, because the Isuzu is high up off the ground.  Mike sat in the front seat, another thank goodness because I am not at all sure the would have been very happy sitting in the back if that had been the best choice.  The rest of the trip was rather uneventful although Mike was afraid for me to drive fast and kept telling me to slow down so I would not have any need to brake hard, but it was okay.  The only problem I saw at all was that by the time we passed the Walmart in Malvern where I was going to fill his pain prescription...it was already after nine and the pharmacy closed. 

Sonny was here, thank goodness, to help him when Mike got out of the car...and help him up the step in the garage into the kitchen and help him up the 3 steps of the split level so he could get to his bed.  At the top of the steps Mike sat down in his office chair and 'rode' the rest of the way down the hall to his bedroom. 

Mike didn't have a very good night, but it was as good as can be expected I reckon.  His foot is very swollen this morning so he has taken some aspirin and has it propped up  high with an ice bag on the ankle.  I hope all that helps, because I can't go fill his pain prescriptions until 8 o'clock this morning and then I'll need to drive back home to Bismarck so I hope he can get some kind of sleep, or that the pain will ease.  On a lighter note, Mike is better able to use his own power to lift his leg with the cast on it somewhat, and after a couple sessions of his physical therapy he knows how to go up steps and to sit and stand and lie down on the bed.  He still needs help to lift the cast up much of the time, but maybe in a few days I'll look back and realize how far he has come because right now I am thinking back to when he could not use his leg with the cast on it at all even to put it up on a pillow at the foot of the bed.

It's early, but I'm up.  The cat is lying down on the back of my chair, silly thing.  It's like she is glad to see us back home again (although Sonny closed his bedroom door with her on the outside of it so even if she preferred to go sleep in his chair in there, she didn't have much choice to be around anyone except Mike and me.)  It is good to be home although already I have had to be busy changing the sheets, cleaning off counters, making plans to clean off tables to put the things Mike needs close at hand.  I have washed my hands twenty times just to be sure I am not spreading any germs.  It is not nearly so clean at home as it was at the hospital.  I think I need to go see what I can fix him to eat for breakfast.  Maybe that will help him to sleep while I drive to Hot Springs to fill up his prescriptions. 

And with one final 'thank goodness'  I am moving on to get some of the things I mentioned completed...