Ahhh my friends.  So sorry for dumping all my news on you yesterday.  It was a pretty overwhelming day to say the least.
In any case after my slight derailment I am back on track today, choosing to believe that this vocal cord is going to recover.  My surgeon did drop by this morning and is is pretty confidant that the right vocal cord is stretched and bruised and that it will recover with time.  So time I shall give.  My voice was good this morning and my Dad showed up at 8:30 with his hearing aides( thank goodness} for a visit before heading back out to Windermere.  Our first encounter was quite hilarious actually......me with my whisper soft breath and he with no hearing aides.  He would pretend to understand me and I knew for a fact he didn't know one darn  thing I had said to him.  Much better today.
Had my first shower today in 18 days.  How grose is that one?  Although told not to get my dressings totally wet, I'm afraid I might have soaked them a little more than advised.  I simply stood under that shower head and moaned!  To come out and know you actually might smell acceptable was a dream come true.  Got some more staples out and then had a three hour lesson from the home care people on how to feed and look after myself at home.  A little overwhelming because just like everything else around this damn place they always have to advise you of the bad things that could happen to you if you do this or if you do that or if this happens.  Anyways, although I only feed at night and am free in the day there are huge sanitary issues and precautions to take.  I will practice in the hospital starting today and over the weekend and then hopefully will be comfortable to carry on with my own care when at home.

I am planning to take some of those passes out of here on Saturday and Sunday if only for a few hours but also know that once I'm sprung from here, even if only for a few hours, the return will be very difficult.  I have settled into my routine and having some visitors has been nice, although I feel like a bit of a dictator when I simply look at my visitors and announce that it is time to go.  Kevin and Michelle (my brother and his wife) drove up from Pincher Creek to see me today.  What a pair.  He had hip surgery a few days before my surgery!  We are quite the pair.  They came just as they were getting me ready for my shower, had a short visit and left and then returned later in the afternoon.  It was really special that he came because I am sure a three hour road trip with a recovering hip is not an easy thing to bear.

So.....heading into the weekend I will become a learner.  It is really amazing how they can taylor your health needs to your circumstance.  Now it's up to me to get out and do some walking and get to the business of getting better.  Thanks to all of you who sent me heart felt messages last night.  I think those messages helped me to have one of the best sleeps I have yet had since landing in this place.