the day of discharge finally dawned - 76 days after my stroke, i was finally being discharged... therapies that day were pretty much as usual, lots of safety reminders, my favorite being "don't fall" gee, id been planning on trying that as soon as i was alone..... i also got visited one last time by each member of my team - pt's contribution was the walker with "don't use for walking" warnings all over it, ot reminded me to return the wheelchair when the one being ordered for me arrived and to always think of safety first before trying something on my own, dr told me to keep my follow up appointments and to keep being determined since id already come so much farther than they expected (love that medical optimism ) - speech just said goodbye and that shed miss me, even if she was glad our games group was being disbanded (she really hated those games, poor monica) - rec t gave me a list of local resources of accessible leisure activities, schools with adaptive gym classes, etc - psych said they'd miss me since it was nice to have someone with a good attitude around - nursing gave me my official discharge notice, 10 days worth of meds and scripts for another 30 days worth - social worker brought me a few forms, one to send to dmv for a handicapped plate or placard, one to sign acknowledging that i knew the dmv had been notified of my stroke, had pulled my license and that id need to take a new driving test if/when i was ready and able to drive again, and one for applying for local paratransit - the case worker gave me my appointments for outpatient therapies and clinic appointments - my friend showed up to pick me up and the hardest part of the day began... trying to fit everything in her car... i had my clothes, etc from 3 months in the hospital, all the pitchers,basins, etc that they'd written my name on, not to mention a walker, transfer bench,bedside commode,wheelchair oh, and me once the car was jammed with everything but me and the chair we had a delay before i could get in... some fool who should've known better had left their car parked in a no parking area, blocking the cutout so i couldn't get the wheelchair down to my friends car - i got fed up with waiting after 20 min, so i told my friend to move her car down the hill to a restricted parking area where i knew there was another cutout, from my "steering the chair on a hill" lessons - so finally, after 3 months, on december 10, 2003, i was leaving the hospital... of course i still had nowhere to live, id had to give up my second floor apt and the mobile home i was attempting to buy had hit a glitch, so i was off to a (supposedly) "fully accessible" hotel room with kitchen for the next chapter in my recovery adventure.... but ill save that for next time