Done!

And that was it. No more hospital stays, or at least no more planned or scheduled hospital stays. We have been waiting for a long time for this moment and when the moment came, it was a bit of an anti-climax. There was no fire works, cakes or cheering crowds; just a walk down the hallway knowing that this would be the last time we stayed overnight there. Don't get me wrong here, the feeling was great; looking back at all these harrowing memories and knowing that this is all past now, is like a heavy weight being lifted from our shoulders.
This last hospital treatment was quit easy: it must have been because Saskia knew it was the last time. She ate 3 meals a day, she walked around the ward and smiled a lot. It was just great to see her like that. The first night, Melanie stayed over, the second I took a shift, the third it was her nana's turn and the last night was for Shaun. Marcel took his turn as well during one of the days and every one of the family managed to visit her in hospital. This week felt like a refreshing breeze after the various storms we have had here in the past.
The evening that Saskia came out, she was going to a pool party. This may have been a little bit too soon and too eager as she developed a cold, which turned into a heavy cough and saw her stay another night in hospital. It turned out to be a virus, which was relative easy to treat.

So this is it. There are only pills to take and tests to undergo, but the treatment is basically over. The final pill will be taken on Sunday 25 January. The tests which will follow will most likely be the standard tests which Saskia has undergone many times before.

Next year will be a year of change: No more frequent hospital visits, back at school, sports, full time work, restaurant open weekdays as well, my in-laws on permanent residency and Shaun nearly there.
Next year is all about getting our balance back, spending equal time with all of our children, trying to make sense of our last couple of year. I will be updating this blog every now and then as Saskia's journey will never be over. She will be living with the experience for the rest of her life. As we all do.

May I wish you a Christmas filled with joy, laughter, happiness and most of all: Love - For God loved the world so much, that He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life.