March 11, 2012

So sorry! It's not very nice of me to post a "dramatic" blurb about my mom's heart condition...and then never give an update. As it turns out, she has recovered beautifully. She received outstanding care from the surgical team at Concord (NH) Hospital. My family will always be indebted to them. Throughout the ordeal with my mom, I kept thinking about how nurses and doctors deserve every penny they earn. Nurses (like teachers) are not compensated well for what they do, but it doesn't stop them from working so hard every day. And my mom's heart surgeon...well...he should be a ba-jillionare (or some kind of "aire") when you consider how many lives he saves - every week, every day. The only day he doesn't perform life-saving surgery is Sunday - and when there is an emergency, he's there on Sunday, too. Incredible. Amazingly, her doctor also is such a likable, kind man.
Yes, the fall was quite a topsy-turvy time for my family, but we all made it through. I try to remember these lessons when I don't feel like going to swim practice or I want to sleep in on a Saturday morning. Being able to workout with my friends and my husband is a gift from God (or whoever you believe in). It's also a gift we give to ourselves. Some people call training for a triathlon "selfish"- and it is in a way. But it's also keeps me feeling alert, happy, and healthy.