First let's start with my mom going back into surgery. Yep, you heard me right, she had to go back in for her fourth stomach surgery. A few months back, she started getting horrid pains. She didn't want to tell any of us due to all of us struggling with the loss of dad. Cathie and I convinced her to go to the ER, and come to find out she had a hernia. None of us know why she developed one, but our theory is, she had three stomach surgeries between Jan and May. Her stomach could not have been that strong, but she continued to help lift my dad and help him walk to his last day. When the doctor came and talked to us after her surgery, he told us she had "many" hernias, but he fixed them all. I went and stayed with her for a week to take care of her house, dogs, and make sure she didn't get up to do anything. She actually surprised us all, and did amazing. She was even walking up the stairs the same day I brought her home.
The next fiasco was when mom planned Christmas Eve dinner, but couldn't cook it due to her surgery, so guess who was lucky enough to cook for 13 people....this girl. And let me just say, my mom doesn't skimp, so when she plans for a big meal we are talking...Prime Rib, turkey, 4 side dishes, etc. Are you starting to understand why I started to sweat when I woke up on the 24th? Not only that, but both Cathie and Vic had to work, so I was taking care of two babies, my mom, and cooking. In the end, my mom and me made a good team. She coached me and taught me how to do things from the couch, and I accomplished my first prime rib. Cathie and I did the clean up, then Cathie and Tad took the babies out to see the lights while I collapsed. After getting the babies home, we all crashed.
Christmas morning was insane. Were the babies spoiled rotten..oh yeah. They both got brand new 4-wheelers. Their Papa would be very proud. He would have been on his 4-wheeler in the back riding with them. I am not going to lie, it was very emotional not having my dad there. The week after my mom's surgery there were countless nights that we cried ourselves to sleep. I still don't think any one of us has accepted he is gone. I still look at his picture and think he is at work or home with my mom. Not once has my first thought been he is gone. I sit and wonder when it will get easier. I randomly break down, it doesn't matter who is here. I am sure this will last for a long while yet.
Back to Christmas morning, after Cathie and Tad made us all a big breakfast, we just played with the kids until around noon when we all packed up and went to my grandma's. After grandma's, Vic took Jack to his parent's to take a nap, and my mom and I drove down to my Gpa's house. Then to top off the Christmas festivities, my mom and I met Vic and Jack at his parent's for a big turkey dinner. It was a perfect Christmas, but my mom and I cried the whole way home. Hopefully next year it won't be as painful. I stayed one more day with my mom, just to make sure she was going to be ok. She wanted to go into work the next day, so I figured we could pack up and come home. All in all, it was a wonderful holiday. Mom is doing great, we were surrounded with family and friends, and Vic still had a surprise coming for me...until the next post.
No comments:
Post a Comment