Released, Set Free, Allowed to Leave, Liberated

This morning on the shuttle to the hospital I saw Sandy. Jim and I met him and his wife previously when we were at the Hope Lodge in January. We had a very nice conversation the whole way to MSK. He has been battling MDS, which is what Robin Roberts had. He is scheduled to be admitted for transplant in June. He said he is looking forward to transplant and feels safest when he is at Memorial Sloan Kettering. I told him he has a really good attitude and he said it wasn't always that way. Four years ago his 30 year old daughter died un-expectantly leaving three small girls behind. Sandy said if he could get through that then he could get through anything.

Dana, the nurse practitioner, was in Jim's room when I arrived. The plan was to discharge him and monitor his blood values at the clinic. He can't wait to be able to sleep in the comfortable bed at the Hope Lodge. We had to laugh today. There is not one ounce of privacy in the hospital. Anyone who has ever been hospitalized knows that. The minute Jim went into the bathroom to shower the housekeeper came back in because she forgot to empty the bathroom trash. Within two minutes of her interruption the little Iranian newspaper man knocked on the door "newspaper, newspaper". It sounded like the "cheeseburger, cheeseburger" skit from Saturday Night Live.

Jim was finally discharged a little after 1:00. The shuttle leaves at 1:15 and 2:45. We really wanted to make the 1:15 shuttle and the nurse was going to call for a wheelchair to take Jim down to the first floor. We were like "He can walk". She was concerned because we had a lot of bags but we managed and hurried down to the shuttle just in the nick of time. WHEW!

After we resettled in the room we took a 2 mile walk within the vicinity of Madison Square Garden/Penn Station. I never stop being amazed at all the different people we pass. There are so many colorful characters roaming the streets. Jim was wearing his mask and gloves and honestly I should have too. We had a very light dinner and retired early. I think we will both sleep well tonight!