OUTSIDE :)

Today we got to bring Dad outside into the fresh air!

This is the first time in 28 Days That Dad has been outside!

Today Dad's Nurse Michelle was going to take him outside. She brought up a wheelchair from downstairs and hooked up an IV pole and everything. Unfortunately the patient in the room next door had a few problems so she couldn't take him. She offered to call the Doctor on call to see if it would be ok for Mom and I to take him outside and around the hospital. The Doc gave the Ok so...START THE CAR! We didn't want to give them a minute to change their minds!

First we took Dad all through the parts of the hospital that we always visit but he hasn't seen. Especially my favorite place...The gift shop! 

True to my friendly neighborhood gift shop rules they always have something new. This gem of a book was new today. I don't know what is more disturbing, the fact that they are selling this in the gift shop or that over 200,000 copies have been sold!

The weather today was absolutely beautiful! I went for a two mile run and felt pretty much like I had been hit by a truck when I stopped but hey it's .5 miles more than my last run. Not moving fast, just moving!

Dad and I did our traditional hallway workout. Today he did a record 16 minutes and 7 seconds! He went 0.32 miles. He is to walking as I am to running right now, not moving fast but we are moving and thats all that counts!

While we were outside Dad asked if McDonald's was close enough for me to walk to. It was so he asked for his favorite "a strawberry shake" Nothing like sitting out on a summer day in the sun sipping a strawberry shake. 

After a while we went back inside to walk around again. Unfortunately his IV pole wasn't plugged in in the room so we only had an hour of charge left when we left the room. We over extended our stay and the IV started beeping and wouldn't stop. We even stopped to plug in in the lobby but it didn't stop so Dad and I raced back to the room and Mom carried all the stuff so we could race back fast. We made it up and to the nurses station in about two and a half minutes from a quarter of a mile away! I was pushing as fast as I could and the elevator was waiting for us when we got there ( which was a nice bonus ) I felt like I was in a drag racing video game dodging people along the way. The nurse came and shut off the alarm and plugged him in and the alarm went off for good. I wish the plug we used had fixed it so we could have stayed out longer. At least it was a change of scenery for Dad!

His blood levels are not where they want them to be yet and his blood pressure is still on the high end. Until they get all of this under control he will be staying. We hoped this weekend he would be home, I guess his system had other plans for him.

I brought Mom back for a little R and R and she will at least get to sleep in her own bed tonight. I am probably going to head back into Boston tomorrow night just so he isn't by himself all day and night. It's pretty boring with no one there to hang out with. 

I brought him up my old Nintendo DS so he could play some games on it. I happened to find a really inexpensive jeopardy game for it so I bought that for him last night and brought it up today. He managed to win his very first game! 

A big thank you to everyone who is helping out we never could spend this much time away from home if it were not for people like yourselves who are helping us out. The Rides, Taking Mom Out, Visiting Dad, Phone Calls, Cards, Food, Letters, Masses Said, E-mails, Text Messages are really what gets is through everyday. Knowing we have such a caring group of family and friends is wonderful!

Until Tomorrow,

Laurie