Colleen Passes Through PA

Madeline and Jim welcomed the first visitor to their temporary home in Pittsburgh this week when their daughter, Colleen, flew out from Rhode Island. Here are a few quick highlights and observations from her trip:

• Days in Pittsburgh are full of reading, looking online and… waiting. Although this week, the Olympics have provided a nice distraction and are usually on in the background.

• Aside from bi-weekly rehab sessions, occasional lunch trips get Mad and Jim out of the house, and have provided a great opportunity for them to show Colleen around the Pittsburgh area. In a few short weeks, Jim has gotten to know his way around pretty well! He points out "his" Rite-Aid, "her" CVS and "their" restaurants as they tour the area.

• Madeline is getting out much more than she has in the last few months. Partially because Jim is around and working “from home” as opposed to being in the office most days, and partially because it’s easier to get to and from the car than it is at their house in RI. It’s also a convenient excuse to just get out, enjoy the fresh air and break up the monotony of waiting.

• Madeline is still making friends everywhere she goes! She calls the respiratory therapists her friends and has shared little details about each of them with Colleen. (Maybe we’ll introduce her new friends in another blog post) She and the other patients greet each other by name and with a smile.

• Overall, Madeline and Jim have settled into their new normal fairly quickly. Jim works in the mornings while Madeline reads her Kindle, checks Facebook and catches up on messages from friends (keep them coming!).

• Tomorrow, Madeline and Jim will be going out to dinner to take advantage of Pittsburgh Restaurant week and celebrate their 44th anniversary.