May 14, 2012

Well, today was a lot of fun actually. I got up and ran down the hall looking behind me in the dark making sure nobody was chasing me since I saw a horror movie on Saturday with Conor, Matt, and Daniel. That was an experience. I came downstairs quietly and went into Mom's "hospital" room in the front of the house to find her asleep, which is unusual. She is usually awake and perky when I get up since she is on high doses of steroids. I went into the kitchen and started to make some bacon for breakfast and Bandit clicks into the kitchen, followed by Mom. I didn't think I was being loud, but she must have heard me. I hate getting up, and so does every high schooler, but I look forward to it since I can see Mom before school, not after school in a hospital room. I went off to school and had AP with Ms. Blankenship for 3 hours and then the Biology EOCT. I came home to find mom CLEANING, which is a big no for her. She was out by the pond in the sun and then came in and started cleaning. She felt a little dizzy and overheated so she took two Tylenol and sat down to elevate her feet, to try and stop some of the swelling (also from the steroids). We put some dinner together and had dinner, which she couldn't wait any longer for. As a joke over the years, my brother Daniel and I have always told her she has a 'man appetite' to be funny, but now she literally does since those steroids have so much effect on her. She didn't feel too sick today, but tried to take it easy for the most part. She climbed the stairs outside to get from the deck to the patio, which shows she is trying to be more and more independent. She has dialysis again tomorrow, and her friend Lori Martin has volunteered to come stay the day with her and take her to her appointments for the day, since my dad returned to work today. Words can't even describe how much I love this lady. She has a heart for people and she loves God. When Mom was in ICU, she saw a lady walk down the hall crying and said, "Be right back." She went to the vending machines, bought her a bottle of water, and sat and talked to this lady and introduced herself telling her everything was going to be okay. The LOVE this amazing friend (I consider her family) shows for us is so amazing. Mrs. Lori's daughter Susanna had a daughter with leukemia names Piper, who recently passes away. Mrs. Lori spent countless hours in ICU and hospitals with her daughter, Piper, and other family. She has devoted her life to helping others and putting others first. The world needs more people like her. Seriously. She has spent countless hours in the hospital with my mom while I have been in school or at home studying. Her other friend Dawn Roberson came over today to spend time with her and talk, and volunteered to take her Thursday to dialysis. We continue to have amazing support of neighbors, friends, etc. for assistance and for helping us out with dinner a few nights a week. 
From the Twomey's: "We love you all, and thank you all so much for everything you have done for us. It truly means more than you could ever imagine, and the level of support we receive is so outstanding."
So, we love you all so much, and seriously appreciate everything SO much. 
After dinner, my Mom wanted to get some things from Dollar Tree, so I said, "Can I drive?" Since she is not able to drive, she said, "We'll see later." For her, 'we'll see' can mean yes or no. To my surprise, she said yes and I did get to drive from our house up there and back. There are some drivers in this world I have already noticed that are absolute idiots. I was merging into the left hand turn lane, and some idiot races up besides me to the the left and almost smashes the left side of the car. My parents just try and keep me calm since I'm freaking out, but you know how that goes. Mom likes trying her luck in the lottery since she got a few tickets for her birthday, and got a few tonight with what she won. She said we should trust God in everything we need to support us and what we need, and then kiddingly said, "Let's go cash them in!" She NEVER lost her sense of humor. 
So, from the early morning to late evening, she continues to smile, widely. We were talking earlier, and most people don't know that while in ICU, if she would have gotten any worse, she could have died. It is by God's grace and by extreme prayer that she made it out alive, and okay. At the Twomey household, we have many great times, just like today. We love our amazing friends and supporters, just like Mrs. Lori and my English teacher Mrs. Heather Parkerson who never fail to see how Mom is doing and how everything is going, even when these people have other things to do or are busy. I love you all so much, and you have been such a good influence and strong supporter to me through these times. 
Hopefully tomorrow will have more facts than story, and maybe some pictures. 
But, until tomorrow, remember to stay optimistic! 
Joseph