A Week-End Out

The Week-end Out

On Thursday July 10th, the night of leaving MacDonald House, Sue welcomed me; Sylvia welcomed Nadine. There was a Mexican style meal, some talk, and I went to bed. I got up and found no one in Nadine's little bedroom. I walked upstairs and tehre were Sylvia and Nadine on the living room couch. I went out, brought in Nadine's rainbow blanket, and brought it up. Both girls draped themselves in it and that was that.

On Friday morning, July 10th, I opened my eyes and didn't know where I was. It took a remarkably long time to figure it out. Nadine stayed in bed extremely late -- understandable. She had deserved a late night with her friend, and she had nothing to do in the morning but recuperate.

Jessica the nurse was coming at 11AM, and I hadn't even showered by then. Happily, Jessica was late. She changed Nadine's dressing -- Nadine said Jessica, who took it slow, was more gentle than the wound care specialist.

High-pitched squeals and shrieks eminated from upstairs -- Nadine's friend Claire had arrived. Nadine rushed up after Jessica left, and the three super-friends, Sylvia Claire and Nadine, gleefully "held court" together. I photographed them all on the couch, and a sleep-over was planned. While they had their wonderful giggle-time, Claire's mom Betty and I took a walk together.

I realize that being outside the hospital feels like a surreal coexistence of the normal and the abnormal, with one phase sometimes showing up more than the other, and it is hard to tell which will come up when. This can cause more anxiety than being in the hospital at times.

Barry, my husband, arrived about 6PM, went to the performance of Nadine's piece with me, and returned to the Klassen house with me and Nadine.

After dinner, Nadine wanted to take out Barry's 1989 Cabriolet convertible for a "spin" with Sylvia, and got permission. Sue, Barry, Victor, and I were all out there, a tense situation for Nadine who hadn't driven a car, let alone a stick shift car, for a long time, but she started it up perfectly and off they went into the warm night, with the convertible top down of course.

On Saturday July 11th Nadine went out shopping with Sylvia, the two girls going out on their own; later on she helped to cook dinner, a very bubbly time. Sue and I got to walk togetehr, noticing the wonderful after-the-rain color of the trees in the cloudy but extremely clear air.

An ordinary week-end was a true gift.