Shriner's - Day 29 - Endings (cross-post)

Tonight I am tired.  Emotionally drained.  Excited.  Ready to go home. 

Our 50-day SDR-journey is coming to an end.  It feels a bit surreal.  Tomorrow night I will be home.  Home in my house.  I so miss my house.  Home with my husband.  And with Daniel.  I so miss seeing them everyday.

We said a lot of good-byes today.  Today was our last day with Stephanie.  She has the day off tomorrow.  We handed out Thank You gifts (little photo books that I put together to show Ben's journey here at Shriner's).  We got instructions on stretches and exercises to do at home.  And just a couple of rules (like carseats on airplanes until 6 months post-op and no activities with a lot of bumping, like horse-back riding).  Ben got gifts.  Lots of gifts.  Some that are really big and luckily found room in a suitcase. 

And now I just feel like I'm in a bit of a holding pattern until we leave tomorrow morning at 10:30. 

Ben will see Betty in the morning for another good-bye (and hopefully not too large of a gift).  And he'll have one last PT session.  Like I said, Stephanie won't be there so it'll be with Nancy.  It'll likely be an easy session of stretching and a bit of exercise on the mat.  I've already packed up his canes.

I took down all Ben's cards and notes off our walls today.  There was A LOT!  And packed them all away.  I'll keep these for little trips down memory lane as the years pass and the memories of our time here fade away.  They will fade...it's hard to believe that now. 

I often compare this journey to our NICU journey four and a half years ago.  That journey was just one week longer than this one.  Ben and Daniel spent 58 days in the NICU.  My memories of that time have faded somewhat.  I forget peoples' names and I feel bad about that.  But that's what happens.  And now, I look back at that time fondly (it's hard to believe) and kind of miss those days of just focussing on my babies.

That's what will happen here too.  Someday I'll look back and miss these days.  Miss this quality time with Ben.  Miss the excitement of all the changes in his body.  Miss these amazing people. 

And likely miss not having to cook meals or buy groceries or juggle real life with Ben's therapy.

So ends another chapter in our life.  In Ben's progress.  But as this part ends, we welcome in a new chapter.  A chapter I call "Life after SDR".  I can't wait to see what it looks like!

(But don't worry...I'll be back posting often to show Ben's progress at home.  I KNOW that we are going to have independent steps soon!)