Dad has left the building!!!  He was released this afternoon.  After another long talk with their doctor, I think they finally understand that there will be no going home to Philpot (unless it's a day trip) for the next ten weeks.  That was a very difficult decision for Mom to accept.  She realizes that it will be almost Christmas before they get to come home.  The past month has gone by in a blur.  I think the weeks where Dad has chemo (weeks 1,3,5,7 and 9) will pass quickly.  The weeks where they have nothing happening may be a totally different story.  The chemo schedule is not set in stone.  Dad will have labs run every other week to make sure his levels are where they need to be.  If they aren't right, there will be no chemo.  They will wait another week, and check the levels again.  Hopefully everything will progress exactly the way the doctors want it to.

Dad looks much better.  He seems to understand a little more of what's going on around him, but he spends a lot of his time with a blank look on his face.  He is talking more, but still has many bouts throughout the day of confusion.  His strength is coming back.  This afternoon,  Aunt Linda and Uncle Larry drove Mom and Dad to Kay's house.  Dad had his car door open before anyone else, and he got out of the car quickly.  They were still getting out of the car, when they looked up and Dad had run into the garage and had started up the garage steps.  He hit the first step and fell.  Mom thinks he just didn't get a good grip on the hand rail.  At any rate, he landed on his behind.  He hurt his hand, but they don't think he hit his head.  It really shook them all up.  It was a rude awakening to the perils of Dad living outside the safety of a hospital room.  They will all have their work cut out for them, trying to keep Dad from accidentally hurting himself.  He just doesn't realize that life has changed and he can't do everything he used to do.  Mom says he doesn't seem to understand the word "no".  When she tells him  "stop" or "don't", he doesn't listen to her.  If he's going to pull out all his IV's because his foot is tangled in the line, he won't stop trying to get out of the bed so she can untangle him.  I don't think he's intentionally trying to ignore her; I think it's more an issue of her words not registering with him.  Today, he was incredibly blessed not to have hurt himself.  I think that through this entire ordeal, God has surrounded Dad with his angels.  Mom has always been Dad's angel.  Gregory would have to be another one.  Those are two of the angels we can physically see.  I believe we are also surrounded by angels that we can't see.  Dad was so very lucky to fall going up the stairs and not to fall on his head or on his stomach - which could have burst his aneurism.

FOR HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU IN ALL YOUR WAYS; THEY WILL LIFT YOU UP IN THEIR HANDS, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.
Psalm 91: 11-12

BECAUSE HE LOVES ME, SAYS THE LORD, I WILL RESCUE HIM; I WILL PROTECT HIM, FOR HE ACKNOWLEDGES MY NAME.  HE WILL CALL UPON ME, AND I WILL ANSWER HIM; I WILL BE WITH HIM IN TROUBLE, I WILL DELIVER HIM AND HONOR HIM.
Psalm 91:14-15

These are God's promises to us.  He shelters us in His arms.  He will sustain us.  He guards us with His angels.  I am so very thankful that God is ALWAYS true to His Word.  There are no broken promises, no "I made a mistake" or "I forgot you needed Me tonight".  He is the one true constant in this crazy world, and I know that I am forever His child.  How blessed am I?

Much love,
Renee