The Day After!

Hey Man!
My mom was operated on yesterday at nine am and she is now in ICU recovering. My mom is 80 years old so recovery is quite a big deal. My oldest sister and her daughter are on their way to see her now. When I call to see how mom is they can tell me just so much and because of the privacy rules they can not tell you too much over the phone. Even when I tell them I am the son from Georgia and I can't get there right now in person so please let me know how my mom is doing and is she looking like she will get through this. They say they can't give that kind of information over the phone, I thought what other type of information would I really want to know other than that. Even when I say what is her prognosis they can't say either. It's almost like they can say she is alive right now only. I have manned the phone all day going from talking to my brother and my younger sister and with really not much information at all. My brother finally said that he will travel to the hospital since they are letting him off work early because mom is where she is. We were all happy to hear that. There was a time when mom started feeling down since the pain of opening her chest was getting pretty bad. She said she did not know if she would have gone through with this if she had it to do over. Then my sister told her that when she told me the story of her really wanting to get through this because she really wanted to live. She told my mom how much that meant to me since many times with my painful legs I have felt I couldn't go on with it all any more. And my mom's spirit was so strong going into this operation, it was really amazing to me and really to all of us. When my mom realized how that meant so much to us in such a positive manner she really perked up, her eyes opened wide and even a big smile appeared on her face. And she has really gone through alot by this time too. At 80 she has gone through quite alot. That is having your chest opened up with that spreader machine and actually having your heart held and massaged by a human being. It is really a huge deal. Forget that show Let's make a Deal, this is really the big deal! She still has a tube in her throat and a tube in her leg but she has eaten something and she is breathing on her own and like I said she is now having this little smile because of the story of showing such a strong will to the family and now she is the as we say in the Italian way, "the big cheese". So she is showing us all a great example of being able to do it in times of pain and distress. I must say it really meant alot to me since with all my pains I have been going through in the last year I have been through those thoughts of not getting through it all. So my mom doesn't realize what those thoughts of hers has done for me. It is really life saving above all. Thank God!