Coming home

Dear Friends and Family:

As promised, less time between updates.

Steph and I switched places again over the weekend. I・m home in Salt Lake. She・s home in Phoenix, as it were. We had a whole 24 hours together this time, filled with Seminary Graduations and Awards Assemblies and designing Preston・s future room. Then she was back on a plane to Phoenix Monday.

Before I returned to Salt Lake, Preston and I had an especially nice day together that I・d like to share with you. Bright and early Saturday, as part of his morning therapy session, we went outside and passed off the coveted Car Transfer. That was big. Very big. Sure, it symbolically represented vastly expanded freedom and amplified mobility for Preston. But more importantly, it meant that we could get a pass, leave the hospital, and hit the town. So we did just that.

We stopped by his apartment to grab a few personal items, picked up his paycheck at his work place, had lunch at Red Robin and hit the afternoon matinee. Later we grabbed sushi for dinner. We pooped each other out. But it was a grand day to remember for a long time.

We also stopped by the place where Preston was shot. Yeah, I know, a bit morose. But I think we both needed to go there. When we arrived he described the incident in detail and neither of us freaked out. It・s actually a nice area・ Lined with professional buildings, a nice shopping plaza and theaters; notwithstanding, we didn・t hang out too awfully long. I think it did us both good to face it.

So, back to news about Preston・s progress. Of all the updates written to date, this contains news that is perhaps the most exciting・ and the most terrifying.

Preston is coming home.

He is schedule to be discharged from the Barrow Neurological Institute Friday, June 6. We are now making arrangements to fly back to Salt Lake some time Friday evening. We are pleased with the progress he・s made and he is looking forward to being close to family. Nevertheless, we haven・t been this unsettled since we drove away from the hospital 24 years ago as brand-new parents with our first born in Steph・s arms・ Leaving behind the safety of the hospital and the security of having doctors and nurses just a push of a button away, and realizing it was now all on our shoulders. Unsettling may be an understatement.

We・ll definitely miss the staff at Barrows. Which reminds me, I never did tell you about Robert as I promised a few updates ago. Robert is Preston・s technician (I think they used to call them orderlies.). His job is not an easy one. He changes beds, brings food trays, bathes patients, sometimes having to carry them, helps with bowel care, cleans up accidents, and generally assists the nurses. Here・s what impressed me about him. As difficult and undesirable (at least as I see it) as his job appears, he takes immense pride and satisfaction in his work and executes his duties with deliberate thoroughness. He engages the patients in conversation and explains the reasons why he does things a certain way, and continually reassures the patients (and the parents for that matter) that he is there to take good care them. Watching him work made me want to do everything I do better.

The same might be said about Janet, his occupational therapist, and Brianna, his physical therapist, and the nurses, and doctors and caseworkers. As horrific as the circumstances were that brought us here, I・m glad we・ve had the privilege of knowing these people.

So now we move on to the next phase. Preston will start out patient rehab at the University of Utah sometime next week. We have a lot of work to do around the house and yard to accommodate Preston・s needs; but we are blessed to have the support of family and friends and neighbors to help make that happen.

Preston too has a lot of work to do. He・s made good progress and has the basics down, but up until now it・s all been done with doctors and nurses just a push of a button away. It・s on his shoulders now. But they are broad and they are strong. I think he is anxious to prove himself even more. And we all look forward to the challenges and triumphs that await us in the weeks and months to come.

Best to all of you.