Update #1: My Mother

Everyone has been asking about my mother, so here is some background and an update on her. 

My mother had a ruptured disk in her lumbar region from falling on the stairs at home, which created a severe case of sciatica.  She was having a difficult time moving around and couldn't walk without being in excruciating pain.  It was really difficult to watch her suffer and feel completely helpless.  It finally got bad enough, that she and the doctors scheduled surgery to traction and fuse the vertebra affected by the ruptured disc.  Fortunately, my schedule was flexible enough that I was able to fly to Denver and help take care of her after her surgery.  

The day of surgery was tough.  The surgery took 6 1/2 hours to complete.  My dad and I were very grateful to all those who came to the hospital to visit during that time of waiting and for the democratic primaries that we being conducted at the time.  It was a good distraction and a source of entertainment.  After surgery, mother was pretty delirious from all the drugs, but we were glad surgery went well and she was starting her road to full recovery.

My mother stayed in the hospital for 3 nights, which were some of the toughest 3 nights she had to face.  She was in a lot of pain from the surgery, but the pain she had felt from the sciatica was completely gone.  (AMEN!!!)  She had some wonderful nurses and assistants caring for her and they did a wonderful job accommodating her needs as well has pushing her in the right direction in terms of recovery.  Each day had it's battle, but mom came out on top each time. She is so determined to beat this thing.

Once we got her home, she really started to thrive and improve each day.  The best part of being with my mother was watching her be able to walk PAIN FREE.  The first day we tried to walk down to the mailboxes to retrieve the mail, my mother started crying.  I was very worried that she was hurting, but to my relief they were tears of joy.  She hadn't been able to walk to the mail box for months without struggling.  Of course, I jokingly told my mother she wasn't allowed to cry - it was time to dance a jig!  Mom is still recovering and will be for a few months, but she is doing well.  We couldn't have asked for a better outcome.

I stayed in Colorado for 3 weeks, which was a long time away from Jason and Baxter.  I was nice to come home to my husband and dog, but I'm glad I was there to help out my mother.  She's been there for me during 3 knee surgeries and I definitely owed her one big time.  

Our prayers were answered and they continue to be answered each and every day.