While I am laughing at some of the above posts, I will let youall know that we are home today. It was truly a case of the "blind leading the blind" I drove us home -3 hrs.[and I can't see worth s&*^} while John vented "backseat driving directions" becauce he can't talk -arms swinging wildly, etc.] but the funniest part of today was the new "checkout procedure" John instigated at Baptist Hospital this morning. He was up at 4 am. At 6:30 he cut his patient id bracelet off. At 7:30, he took the heart monitor off-and the folks at the nurse's station came rushing to our room to see if he was dead- at 8 am he tried to take his iv out[which was in a main artery and I stopped him before he accomplished that] he sat still for the removal of the trach tube and final dressing of the incisions, then while I was at the nurse's station waiting to sign release papers and get a wheelchair, he walked past us, pulling his suitcase and pushed the down button on the elevator. He was Out Of There. So, all you caregivers, please hang in with me- there is gonna be a long row to hoe here for the next little while. And thanks to everyone here who has kept us propped up to this point. I'm thinking there will be some serious stuff I will need to ask about soon. Amy