Last week I had to go for my 6 month MRI to make sure
everything in my head is all good. We went
and met with my neurosurgeon yesterday to review the results and he was very pleased
with everything he saw and I don’t have to go back to him for another 6 months!!!
Although deep down I knew everything was going to be ok I was still very
anxious to meet with him. It’s amazing
how someone affects your life…. I don’t look at him as my “doctor”…he is the
man who saved my life and the man my family and I will be forever grateful
for. So to see him again made me so
happy. He gave me the official green light to move forward with my training….”live
your life” were his exact words. These past few months although I have been
doing pretty much everything anyway...there is always that question I often ask
myself “should I be doing this?” and what I have been realizing is..if I am psychically
capable then 9 times out of 10 my answer
is going to be YES.
Perfect timing with all this…the perfect way to start this
week that is going to be filled with celebrating…It’s my husband’s birthday
tomorrow!!! And I thought I would pay a little tribute to the man who has been right
by side.
Last Friday, while sitting in the waiting room before
getting my MRI done…jokingly Chris pulls out our wedding vows that he has
carried in his laptop bag since we got married and goes while trying to keep a
very serious face…“ nowhere in here does it say in sickness and in health…I want a
refund”. This is how we have dealt with
this entire situation….with a little humor as much as we can. And I truly
believe it has worked in our favor.
When I finally came to in the hospital last year and
realized all that was going on…I was so touched on how Chris had handled this entire
situation. He rallied for me
immediately. He had all the people there
that he knew I would want but also the people who he needed to be there for
him. How he kept everyone informed with
his blast facebook posts and group text messages. When I would finally have the opportunity to
actually read everything…I was floored by his daily venting sessions with
everyone…it just showed that this “tough guy” that he tries to be really needed
the support as much as I did.
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| The first picture I "approved" in the hospital |
He is my biggest supporter….I know he looks at me and is so
proud of me but I hope he knows how proud of him I am too. We are the true definition of a team….again
this isn’t just what happened to me it’s what happened to US as a family.
He knows me so well…he can tell immediately if something is
wrong. Maybe he could always tell but
now he really pays attention to it and I think sometimes knows better than me
how I’m feeling. He is incredibly considerate
when making plans…and “choosing” what we can and cannot do. “No Patty has to be somewhere the next day so
that won’t work…it will be too much for her”…I listen to him on the phone
completely dictating what we are going to do and I don’t mind it one single
bit!!!
With this being the craziest year of our lives he would
somehow excel at his job too. Another
reason I am so proud of him. Starting in
a new position and then spending 25 days in the hospital with your wife….managing
a household with the girls and dogs…but somehow he juggled all of it. He always made sure I was never alone…he had
a schedule of who and when people would come see me….again doing this because he
knew once I would wake up he did not want me alone. On my real bad days knowing that I would
never want my daughter to see me like that and using his judgment to not allow
her to come…he did what he knew I would want…since day one! These are the things that I know only someone
who truly loves you thinks about.
He asked me if I wanted him to do this upcoming triathlon
with me…I know he never ever wanted to do another triathlon…one was enough but
the fact that he asked me I appreciated it more than he knows. I want him on the sidelines cheering for me
like he has done since the first day is what I told him. Not many people have been asked to participate
in a triathlon. Well Chris was asked last
year and obliged and kicked ass! Not sure I was ever more proud of him than
that day. I know nowhere in the vows did
it ever say anything about doing a triathlon in honor of your wife…haha…but he
did!
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| Chris and the girls at the Paramus Tri 2014 |
He comes to my important doctor appointments….not only for
support but I think he thinks I will forget to ask certain questions or if I
will remember to tell him something. Ha!
He tried to throw me under the bus at this last appointment by telling the Dr.
that I went snowboarding....and I was so happy when the doctor seemed un-phased. Sorry babe.
He has also picked up doing much of the laundry on the days I’m
not feeling well. He already takes care
of the food shopping as I am not “allowed” to do this..lol. This has always
been the case in our marriage pre /post brain surgery. ME food shopping is bad
for everyone’s health!
Although he continues to blame his grey hair and a few extra
wrinkles under his eyes on me from this past year…I know he is just simply happy
that I am still here. He seems to still
love me even at my worst….he is my truest best friend…and I love him more and
more each day! I’ve said it so many times…for someone that seems to be so
unlucky in many ways I am actually pretty lucky and fortunate were it matters
most….that’s what keeps me so positive and keeps me going.
