Mother's Day

 Happy (almost) Mother's Day. I love my mom. She has played a big part in my life that I don't know what I could do with out her. She's been a Girl Scout mom, Band mom, a Choir mom, Ashely's mom, Paige's mom and Chad's mom.  On Mother's Day 2004, My mom awoke to a phone call from my band director saying I had passed out while on a band trip to Chicago. She quickly got ready, got a flight and flew up to Chicago without her license. lol. After a Cat scan, the doctors knew something wasn't right. There was something in my brain. We flew home that night to return for a MRI. A few days later we received the news that at the age of 14 I had a brain tumor and needed to meet with a neurosurgeon soon. After many appointments and more scans, the surgery was set for June 13. I don't know how I could have gotten through the surgery and the recovery without her by my side. She stayed with me during the hospital stay. Drive me up to Vanderbilt 3 days a week for therapy. Anything I needed she was there.

Once school began, I developed Epilepsy because of where the tumor was taken out. Through all the seizures, hospitalizations, medication changes and side effects mom was always by my side. Always there to hold me, cry with me, and help understand what I am trying to say. See, when I have a seizure I dont flop like a fish or pee on myself. My seizures, well I have two types. One you wouldn't really even realize it's happening. They are called absence seizures, just like staring into space. The second kind are called atonic seizures. I lose all muscle tone and fall where ever I am. I also lose my speech because they fire in my speech pattern. My mom took a sign language class while in college. Using her book I learned the letters years before. Instead of writing billions of notes, we signed, even if they were having to spell everything out.

When I got sick things got pretty bad, emotionally that is. Although no one understood, mom tried her best to make things as easy as she could. 7 years later she (and my father) gave me away. This year is my 8 year MRI. Cancer did not beat me, I beat cancer.

Happy Mother's Day Mom.

 Love,