30. The American Army Is Here!!

On Monday, August 30, 2011 the historical event took place in the life of the Thompson family and possibly in the history of Hôpital Nord de Marseille. An American Army airplane was sent to medevacuate Scott from France to Germany. It was the day that sometimes I thought of as a pipe dream, something that would never come true. And - boom! - it's finally here!

Instead of planned 10 am, it was past 1 pm when the male nurse triumphantly burst into Scott's room and announced: "Zee American Army is here!" rolling "R's" in his charming French way. What followed next was the scene from the Hollywood movie. U.S. Air Force doctors and nurses with huge bags full of medical equipment wheeled in the stretchers and greeted Scott warmly. It was hard to hold back tears of joy, Scott was finally with his own people. He was carefully handed over by the French doctors, who shared the space with their American colleagues around Scott, giving them the report on patient Thompson's case. He was in good hands this whole time, now he is going to head home, where even walls will help him back to his feet. It was a great finale to Scott's journey to the brink of death and back.

I went out into the hall, hiding tears, stopping before every familiar face in the ICU to thank them for my husband's new life. They were all amazing and great. Miracle workers!

Then it was time for me to say good-bye to Scott. I thought it would only be a short time before I see him again. But it turned out that after 1 week in Landstuhl he would be transferred to the States, while the kids and I would be back in Germany figuring out yet another survival skill - moving oversees all by our smart and capable selves. Waiting for official orders while registering kids to go back to Garmisch school, out-processing while attending soccer games with Dave, packing our unaccompanied baggage while stocking up on German Christmas decor and treats (don't ask me why), and finally cleaning our apartment while having a good-bye party with the sisters from the Munich Ward. It was a busy time in our lives filled with phone calls and Skype conversations, sometimes heated because I am a paranoid wife and tend to bug everyone around this one patient in their care. So, anyways, November 15 is the day when we would finally reunite again as a family.

But the feeling is and will be different in the next two and a half months. Because I knew Scott would be all right with his Mom by his side, who'd fly out to DC to hang out with Scott at the Walter Reed Naval Hospital. He breathes on his own and so he will continue to progress in his amazing recovery. The worst is over.

I kiss Scott good-bye one last time and they load him up on the plane.

***

I leave the hospital, the drama, the tears and catch a taxi to take me to the airport. Marseille - Munich, please. Time for life to be normal.