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Elle is home.

Along with Elle came all of the gifts and cards everyone sent to our little girl. You may be interested to know that your outpouring of love can be quantified; four trips to two cars, each time with a tri-level cart filled with bags of stuffed animals, art supplies and whatnot. It was amazing. And heavy.

Her being in her bed right now, snoozing away, is unusual in that they released her with a chest tube. The fluid still isn't down low enough to take it out, but it was the only thing keeping her there. So they showed us how to drain the bulb and everything should work out okay.

We also have a small pharmacy downstairs. Between the meds for controlling side-effects of chemo, antibiotics, gauze, wraps, handwash and the rest, I'm thinking of adding a candy section and opening for business.

Her brother couldn't be more thrilled. He probably told me how happy he was that Elle was home no fewer than 10 times. And that is making Elle even happier.

This was a big step. She is already so much more content being in her own bed in her own house. And yet we have such a long road ahead of us. Trips to clinics, more stays at the hospital, nurse visits and who knows what else.

Winston Churchill made a comment after the British defeated the Germans at El Alamein in Northern Egypt in 1942, the first substantial victory by the Allies over the Germans. Churchill said "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

I think that is where we are now, the end of the beginning. We have a long way to go, but we are on the road to recovery.