I would like to thank Richiebee and TrackJohn for setting the guy straight who made the flippant comments about Breast Cancer. I read them earlier, chose to ignore them, and just made a general comment about jockeys. If you all don\'t mind, in the spirit of Mother\'s Day, I would like to talk about a woman who has gone through more things than you can imagine.
She is a 2 time Breast Cancer survivor, having had to deal with a mastectomy each time. The first time was 25 years ago, the second time 10 years after that. These were 2 of the 27 surgeries that she has endured during her lifetime.
She was told many years ago that she couldn\'t have children, so she and her husband adopted 2 infant boys. 3 years later, she became pregnant. She was advised that it wouldn\'t be safe for her or her baby to go through with the pregnancy. She ignored that advice and after 9 months of what I\'m told was the absolute worst pregnancy ever, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy on Nov 27, 1963. 5 days after our president was assassinated, she was the happiest person on earth. She called him her \"miracle\" baby. She went on to have 2 more children for a total of 5.
She divorced her husband, and was left with the responsibility of raising 5 children. She ironed clothes, was a babysitter, she did whatever was necessary to provide for her children. They always had clothes, school supplies, and food on the table.
She has had 1 kidney for most of her adult life, 3 cancer surgeries (also had thyroid cancer many years ago), back surgery (she has a rod in her back), rotator cuff surgery, foot surgery (wears special lifts in her shoes), surgery on her thumb, shoulder replacement surgery, bowel disease, and other surgeries that I can\'t even remember.
She has a leaky heart valve, and suffers seizures from a tumor in her head. She takes anti-seizure medication for that.
Despite all of these maladies, and the enormous pain and discomfort she has endured for years, she is the most positive person you could ever hope to meet. She hosted Thanksgiving for years, making every pie imaginable. She makes thousands of the best cookies you could sink your teeth into every Christmas. Once a year on Easter she makes Ravioli that she learned how to make as a young child.
Yes, my mom is something else.
She just went through shoulder replacement surgery 2 months ago, and simultaneously is dealing with bowel disease and a collapsed bowel. She can hardly eat anything, and is just miserable. So, a few months ago I stopped by for a visit (she lives close by and I visit often). She sat me down, and told me the tumor had gotten large enough that the doctors wanted to remove it. She said don\'t worry, I\'ll make your wedding.
She had it removed on April 10, and 2 days later she was released from the hospital. April 12, on her 76th birthday. I visited her, she told me she loved me and was so proud of me, and that she was going to make my wedding. I told her that I loved her.
It would be the last time we would speak to each other.
3 days later, she had more seizures and was rushed to the hospital. For the next 3 weeks the doctors tried everything, every medication to subdue the seizures. They would put her into a deep sedation, and when they would attempt to bring her back the seizures would start again.
She was transferred to SF, a hospital specializing in seizures. After administering new meds, they attempted to bring her out of sedation. She wasn\'t able to come out of the sedation. Last Friday, doctors advised us that there were no more options. We adhered to my mother\'s wishes, and on Sunday - Mother\'s Day - , she took her last breath.
After all she had been through, after all of the excruciating pain and discomfort she had endured, she passed on peacefully and mercifully, surrounded by her family. I am thankful for that.
This Friday I will be getting married for the first time in my life. My mother was so excited, looking forward to this day more than anybody. Its all she talked about for months.
I will miss her a great deal, and am wondering how I will keep my composure during my wedding. I will miss the constant e-mails that she would send me 4 times a week. She would always address them to her \"special son\", and would sign them...Love your mom forever. I know that she will be with me this Friday, and that the happiest person in heaven will be my mother. I am so blessed to have her.
Thank you for allowing me to talk about my mother. I hope everyone took the opportunity to honor them on their special day.
