My Mother's Resilience

I brought "Lamby" in hopes
it would cheer her up

When I wrote about my mom's series of stroke episodes last spring, I was certain we were going to lose her. That prospect made me terribly, terribly sad. There is no other way to describe it, really. The very thought of losing my mom at any minute was just too much for me to bear, and I found myself walking around numb.  I was finally witnessing what countless older people meant when they'd warned me that no matter how old you are, it's never easy losing your mom or dad. 

Of course, I knew that, at age 44, I'd been very fortunate that my mom had witnessed so many of my milestones while growing up. She had even seen my little ones grow into not-so-little ones, which many adult children, unfortunately, can't experience. But even knowing how lucky I should've felt didn't seem to comfort me or prevent my heart from breaking.

If I told you all of the medical events my mom endured during a short period of time, you wouldn't believe me. You'd insist that one person could never have withstood the impact of so much adversity. But, as I said, I am fortunate in so many ways. Not only did I grow up with a mother who loved and cherished me, she is also a fighter. In fact, she is still with us as I write this post, and is doing quite well.

Our Christmas gift: Mom came home!

In addition to Mom's perseverance, Dad's diligent caregiving has been a critical factor in her recovery. The assisted living facility where she spent months in rehabilitation told us that my mom was the hardest working resident and my dad was the most doting spouse. This daughter was quite proud to hear that!

It's been a very arduous, painful journey of recovery for Mom since last spring, since in the beginning she couldn't even sit up on her own, much less stand. Now she is walking really well with a walker- and is working on using a cane. Her speech was also practically non-existent and we didn't think she'd ever be able to have a conversation again. But now we talk on the phone all the time.

Our November visit.
My dad has been a champion caregiver. No easy feat!

Who knew during those harrowing days last spring that my family and I would be able to fly out in November and watch Dee Dee (the kids' name for her) celebrate her 71st birthday- in a restaurant, no less!

Despite a strict post-stroke diet that she sticks to like a champ,
Dee Dee had a little piece of birthday cake.

My mom is slowly getting back to the things she loved to do, such as making cards.
When the strokes hit, we thought that was a thing of the past, especially since she lost movement in her dominant right side. But guess who sent us homemade Valentine's Day cards?!

Surprise!

Thanks to my my mom's persistence and dad's diligent care I've had what I call "bonus time"- time that I didn't think I'd have just a few months ago. Now I can't say "I love you" enough to either of them.

A parent's resilience is, simply put, beautiful. And the best gift a child- grown-up or not- can ask for.

A New (and Better) Dream

A moving story about the importance of allowing your dreams to evolve and change: Joe Sharkey and The Sneaker Wars