Finally -- home, sweet home!!!

I am very happy to report that I 'passed' my last two tests and was sent home from the hospital. So as of 5 p.m. today, I am back home again!!! Yay, what a relief. Although it's another crazy hot day, it feels so good...

The final diagnosis is a relatively minor viral infection that my immune system should be able to fight off. The CAT scan apparently showed something called a "ground glass opacity," which is a diffuse indicator of infectious processes, or perhaps interstitial water accumulations. I was told to watch for a worsening of my cough, and seek medical help if it doesn't go away in five to ten days. If a CAT scan then shows the opacity still there, I will need a bronchoscopy. This doesn't sound like fun, so I'm hoping my remaining issues will resolve. 

Just as we were ready to waltz out of the hospital, a woman arrived with huge bouquet of balloons with "Thinking of you" written all over and a purple teddy bear attached. How sweet of my friends to send me such a nice bouquet -- the only kind that is actually allowed on the oncology floor (plants may harbor infectious disease that could be dangerous for us immunocompromised folks).