Day 41 - High Hopes

Happy New Year

It's New Year's eve, and we are sat here at home. Cleo is unofficially discharged from hospital, that should officially happen on Tuesday. I collected her this morning, for what was originally going to be just this evening, but as they were looking at an early discharge in new year anyway, and taking into consideration how well we had settled into a routine over CXhristmas, they have said no need to go back.

Of course there is still much work to be done, and as I explained yesterday this is the opening of a new chapter in the Road to Recovery, where we must begin to be more proactive ourselves in cleos rehabilitation, rather then rely on the care team at the hospital. Of course we will be guided by them, and follow their plans, and instruction, but we can do much more for ourselves now, in our time, and at our pace.

Tonight we can close the book on the last few weeks, in a sense, and open a new year, and a new start. With cleo here at home we are relaxed, and comfortable. There is less pressure on all of us.

I arrived at the hospital afetr work this morning, to be met at the door of the ward by cleo; I think she was eager to leave! Everything was packed up, and ready to go, and it didn't take long to say our goodbyes, get cleo into the car, and bring her home again. This time, for good.

It felt like a great weight lifted off my shoulders as we drove out of the hospital, although i can't explain that feeling exactly. More like I now have cleo back home so i can watch over her myself. I am even more protective of her now than I was 2 months ago. I suppose that goes without saying.

I intend to learn as much as I can about physiotherapy and rehabilitation techniques, and i will, at cleo's request of course, keep pushing her to achieve the next step along the way. We will set a plan, and goals, and targets, and we will achieve them too.

High Hopes

Pink Floyd wrote this great song, called High Hopes, and the words mean a lot. They work on several levels... listen and read the words, and luxuriate in Dave Gilmour's guitar solo at the end..wonderful!

use the player to listen:

Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young
In a world of magnets and miracles
Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
The ringing of the division bell had begun

Along the long road and on down the causeway
Do they still meet there by the cut

There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps
Running before time took our dreams away
Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
To a life consumed by slow decay

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
With friends surrounded
The nights of wonder

Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again
Dragged by the force of some inner tide
At a higher altitude with flag unfuried
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world

Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
There's a hunger still unsatisfied
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
though down this road we've been so many times

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
The taste was sweeter
The nights of wonder
With friends surrounded
The dawn mist glowing
The water flowing
The endless river

Forever and ever