WE'RE HOME! A MESSAGE FROM RICH AND ANDREA - JANUARY 13, 2009

9:30 p.m. After 6 weeks at CHOC, we are finally home tonight! Hooray! Julian is sleeping right now and will, hopefully, have a peaceful night's rest. Tonight, he won't be woken up to have his blood pressure and temperature taken, his blood drawn, his urine measured, tubes flushed, IV pump alarms turned down, medicines given, ID number verified, and hallway chatter by nocturnal nurses, etc. etc. Don't get me wrong: CHOC is an amazing place and we thank God for that kind of medical care, but there's nothing like home! Even this first afternoon home made a difference for him. He ate a bit more than he did in the hospital (actually, he was not eating at all the past few days and he took two bites of dinner with Nolan and his daddy, so that was wonderful) and was able to do much more walking (around the house and outside to say hi to the doggies). His endurance levels simply shot up. The first thing he did when we got home was head for the (now dried up) Christmas tree and open his presents. Tomorrow and daily for the next 5 weeks, we head back to CHOC for radiation in the a.m. but we get to go home again afterward and that will be great. We know that there will be trying days and nights in our future, but for now... we're basking in tonight.