OK. The truth is… I am stressed-out beyond belief. This is not the typical ‘finals week’ stress, but the kind of stress brought on by the tragedies occurring to the person you love. My mother has been in the hospital for the last two weeks, stemming from an issue with her heart. It’s tough to describe the situation without going into the history of the problem.
To put it in non-technical terms: My mother’s heart valves don’t close properly. Since I’ve been aware of the problem, Mom has undergone 3 open-heart surgeries to correct the life-threatening issues. Over the past 40 years, she has had 2 valves replaced with pure stainless steel, which is only noticeable during quiet times, when you can actually HEAR my mother’s chest ‘clicking’. It is quite awe-inspiring, to say the least.
A few of my good friends have met my mother and it is flattering to hear how much everyone enjoys her presence. She’s got this ‘take it as it comes’ attitude that is quite refreshing. Not to mention a laugh that can be heard from blocks away. One would hardly think that behind her facade, is a woman who has been in constant poor health, despite the way she comes off. Wait… not ‘despite’, but IN SPITE of her condition. She’s the kind of person I strive to be when I am her age.
Hey Dennis – thank you for posting all this info and for being there for Mom when we can’t…
But, she had Rheumatic Fever when she was young – not Rose Fever. She is diagnosed officially with Rheumatic Heart Disease. It is an off-shoot of strep, back in 40’s they did not have antibiotics, yet, to treat strep. Thank goodness they do now. But, this is why it’s a BIG deal to take your kids to the dr. if they might have strep… left to its own devices it can virtually wreak havoc on your heart muscle and valves.
Your sister,
Michele
I knew it didn’t look right when I typed it, but for the life of me couldn’t think of the proper name. Thanks for coming down to Iowa when you did. It sure helped take a load off of our shoulders. I didn’t see the latest email you sent to the doctors, but Larry tells me it was a ‘blazing’ piece of work. Nice job. 🙂