First Full Day OUT of the Hospital...

Lena slept well through the night.  She actually didn't take any more of the narcotic pain medication.  She pretty much just on the non-steroidal anti-inflamatory medicaiton.  It's nice because that keeps her more lucid, and less loopy.  She gets up and around with no problem at all. 

I snuck out about 8:45am to take Daisy for a walk.  There was still very little light in the room and Lena looked very comfortable...

(The unicorn pillow was a gift from the LAST time we stayed at the Ronald McDonald House 

for Lena's MALS surgery in May 2019...)

I was SO glad the back and forth to the hospital part was OVER.

So Daisy and I struck out for a little exercise.  As we left the gates of the Ronald McDonald House, we heard the 9:00am bells chiming.  I turned to walk towards them, up and over a small hill.  And here is what I found...

There is a Fransiscan Monastary 

next door to the RMH.

I had been feeling a little sad that we weren't gonna be able to really do any sightseeing while we are here...even if she feels up to it!  But, THIS is right next door...

...and it looks like they own all the buildings on the street.  The St. Francis Church is just adjacent...and it's obvious the other houses on the intersecting street house the monks...

Most of the houses had really cool religious statues..

When Daisy and I got back, Lena was up and alert.  She wasn't in any serious pain...but she figured once she got up and moved around she might need her pain meds....

(I think we have hit the "please stop taking pictures" 

portion of this journey....)

Then, surprisingly...Lena wanted to get up and out.  She is not supposed to look "down" at electronics in her lap...so she ordered something from Amazon to hold her phone higher...and we were in search of a bed "table" ...

So we loaded up 

An area called "Columbia Heights" is about a 20 minute drive away....we saw this cool "Basilica of the Immaculate Conception" building....

....We found all we needed at Bed, Bath & Beyond...and Target...including Starbucks treats .....

For this one, Lena actually SAID, 

"Oh. No. You are gonna take a selfie aren't you....."

Back to the RMH about 90 minutes later.  Lena did great, but was ready to sit or lay down.

On the drive...she was eating a piece of lemon cake from Starbucks.  She said, "OH!  ...So you actually have to open it or move it to go down!"  I looked at her sideways.  She continued, "Now that I have a gag reflex....it's like you have to work to swallow the food!"  

Luckily we were in stopped traffic.  I showed her how I swallow..."Yes, you have to actively push it down...."  

She never had to do that.  She literally has been allowing food to "slide" down her throat her entire life.
"Wow.  That's a lot more work"....Lena said.



Back at the RMH we put our groceries away, and settled in for an early night.  Lena isn't too sore from our outing.  

So far so good.  Feeling so, so grateful.