Two things to start with.
Those that have followed my posts here know at times I didn't think she was making it out of that hospital alive. She wasn't in a terrible car wreck. No heart attack or stroke. She just went in to have a non-cancerous growth removed from her colon and then all hell broke lose from a health point-of-view.
Second I need to give all of my fellow Kossacks such a huge shoutout. At some levels the Diaries I posted here and the conversations we had in the comments were almost the only time I could talk about this. Vent. My brother and father, they wouldn't talk with me about it much. I can often show emotion here, but in my day-to-day life and with my family, well we don't show any. It would be considered a sign of weakness (but that is another story).
My friends, many know my mother's family members, I couldn't talk with them cause well, they just learned my mother was sick YESTERDAY (long, long story -- but she doesn't like them much). We hid it from them on purpose until I started to get freaked out emails from my Aunt (my mom's younger sister) the other day that read:
What is happening with Joyce? Why has no one contacted us? I am her sister, and I want to know what is happening to her. Please contact me.
I forced my father to contact her. I can't stand the lady on many levels, but IMHO she should have been informed of this days if not weeks ago.
But good, good, good news for mom.
After almost three weeks in the ICU she is out. To a rehab/physical therapy (PT) center. She is looking at two weeks there. Gets to wear her own cloths. Eat "real" food. No tubes sticking out of her. Thanks to my parents great health care she is in a "rock star" kind of place. They have her walking 24/7. Doing other exercises with her legs and arms. She doesn't have to eat in her bed, she is required to go to a cafeteria with everybody else.
But what I like the most is next week she will start, and I kid you not cause I couldn't make this up, "occupational therapy" starts. They will have her folding cloths :).
Oh I can't wait for that. I can fold cloths like you can't imagine cause of my mom. My dad growing up wanted me to make a bed (former fourth generation military guy) where I could bounce a quarter off it and spit shin my shoes (which I do to this day), but my mom was far more anal about the folding of cloths. I joked to my dad that mom will ask for an iron and spray starch and take over the class ..... and I am not really joking.
Heading over Saturday to spend a week. You go mom. She is the strongest person I know and she beat this (whatever it was -- nobody knows exactly). And by won I mean lived!!!
Now I think pictures in fact do speak a thousands words. I've posted these a few times over the years here, but not when talking about my mother's health. For all those of you that have been so nice to send well wishes this is who you are doing it for.
This is my mom on her first date with my father in a '57 Thunderbird. A few years ago he tracked down that car and bought it.
My mom at X-mas. She isn't this serious, oh yes she maybe is, but something about this pic just spoke to me.
One of my favorite pics, and I am nude. 1969. Student housing at LSU. Me getting a bath. Family Crest on the wall above me. Mom working it with a matching headband and dress. Me worried, not trusting holding onto the side of the tub :). Notice that ironing board in the background ....
But my favorite pic. My father getting his PhD at LSU. Mom worked 24/7 to make money for us to get by working at the Capital while my dad went to grad school and rasing me (see above). You can see in this pic how interesting I thought this was :).
Things are looking up and you go mom!!!!!!!!!