Round 2: The Family

Well, my job is totally consuming, my husband is working full time, we have a daughter living at college and a seventeen year old son that is finishing up his senior year and getting ready to begin college. There are all the end of year activities of his senior year and just trying to keep up with life. Anyone who has gone through the experience of your child graduating high school and going away to college knows the time and stress involved in this. The craziness starts around Feb. when the FAFSA (Federal Financial Aid) needs to be submitted. After that, the decision is made as to what college will get your child.

Around this time my mother started to complain about occasional pain in her upper arm and into her jaw. Knowing these are cardiac symptoms we quickly encouraged her to see her cardiologist. Within a month (in March) she went in for a heart catheterzation. Before she went in, we heard the patient in the next cubical had to stay because she needed to have open heart surgery. I silently bowed my head and said a prayer for her and was thankful that my mom was not in the situation. Within minutes my mother went in for the procedure and within an hour, little did we ever imagine, those words that were spoken to her neighbor were being spoken to her. Yes, my mother was going to stay in the hospital and have open heart surgery within 48 hours. I remember feeling numb and thinking, "No, this is not a good time." Soon I realized that there really is no good time for this. She went to her room and a parade of doctors came through her room and she had more tests than one could imagine. My brother came home to see her and stay with us for the long wait of surgery and beyond. Once again, our family was all together to deal with this crisis together. What a wonderful support system! I had memories of her hospitalization in 2007 when we thought we had lost her(see post dated Feb. 21, 2010). Going in to see her, the sound of the ventilator was very loud and all the tubes, gadgets and IV's were overwhelming, even for a nurse to see. What would be in store for us? Would she be able to breathe on her own again? Well, no time is the right time, but for some reason we manage to make it work because the power of love gives us the ability to do more than we can imagine.
She is now home. Weak and recovering, but around those that love her the most-her family!