This woman I know...

There's this woman I know that seems almost not human. From the time I can remember, she's worked at least 2 jobs and taken care of at least 2 kids. This woman didn't want 3 siblings to be separated, so she took them into her home at a young age with another child of her own and kept them. A few years later, she had another baby of her own and still loved them all and gave them all she had. Around the time I was in middle school, this woman found she had some health problems though it would be a few years before she would know the full extent. By the time I was in high school, she was told she wouldn't see me graduate. By that time she had scleroderma, pulmonary fibrosis, and raynaud's. Well, I graduated from high school with her in the audience. Through my high school years, she went through chemotherapy and prednisone treatments that reaked havoc on her body in more ways than she would realize for years to come. Still, she never complained about anything that was happening to her. I'm sure she had her moments of "why me", but if she did, it never showed. I went off to college and shortly after we find out she also has pulmonary hypertension and needs a lung transplant. With all of her other health problems, she isn't eligible for a lung transplant anywhere but Mayo clinic in Jacksonville, FL. So, she moves to Jacksonville and begins being seen by the transplant team. About 4 years later, I make it to Jacksonville also and the following year this crazy, amazing woman decides to take an opportunity she's always wanted and goes to Niger, Africa to help with the missionary kids' school and to try and reach people in the area with Bible studies. She came back 1/2 way through her planned trip and with different things going on decided not to go back for the remainder. Now not only has she seen me graduate from high school but she's about to have her first grandchild! A couple of years ago, we find that the chemotherapy she was on when I was in high school has now caused bladder cancer. That in addition to her scleroderma causing her bladder to be smaller than anyone else's begins to cause much misery. They tried some treatments that were very painful and helped at first, but in December she almost died in a hospital in North Carolina from sepsis. She was going for a regular visit and they found her blood pressure to be that of someone that's basically dead, but somehow after only a few days in the hospital, she's able to leave and come home. In January, she goes for a follow-up of her bladder cancer and plans to discuss something about her bladder because she's having problems and unexpectedly is told the cancer is back and is actually causing a multitude of problems, one being recurrent resistent e coli urinary tract infections. She's told her bladder is basically 1/4 - 1/2 the size of a normal bladder and is nonfunctioning. They schedule surgery to have it removed. In the meantime, she's admitted to the hospital here for another infection that she didn't think was as bad as it was and was in the hospital for a couple days. In February, the big day came to have her surgery and with all her other problems, most of us were horrified that she wouldn't make it. The doctor came out and said it was one of the easiest ones he's ever done and she was out of her bed the next day walking around the hallways! This incredible woman...as you've already figured out...is my mom. I've honestly never known someone who's had to endure even 1/2 of what she has and yet she still smiles and still serves God and her family and friends. She's always remained active in a church and is a huge inspiration to so many people that I'm sure she'll never even know. I know I've already posted blogs about my mom, but now she's enduring another complication of her diseases where her fingers won't straighten anymore and never will. She also has ulcers on her fingertips that become so painful that's the only time I've ever heard her complain! She still finds the positive in everything and I've learned to do the same...or try harder at least! She is a walking, talking miracle and though most of her problems and severity of are only seen in medical books, if you saw her, you'd never know she had a problem in the world and she'd amaze you with her love and selflessness! It took me a long time to realize why all these things happened to her and I came to realize it's because she handles it so well and she's used it to witness to so many people and so many people have been witnessed to even without her saying a word! It really makes me think about how little I have to complain about and keeps driving me to be a better person!