Everything Changed (Part 2)

It was early September and I was really dreading telling the kids about my upcoming surgery. They are 5 and 7, and I really try to shelter them from the ugly and painful things in life. I know that the "Tiger Mom" or whoever she is would probably think that's detrimental to them, but I feel strongly about wanting their childhood to be pure and for them to always feel safe. They had heard a lot about Grandma Lisa's surgery so I knew it would color their reactions. Jeremy and I decided to talk it over during dinner. We kept it simple and said that mommy is having surgery because there is something wrong in her brain. I told them that I would be in the hospital for a little while but that they would stay with Grandma Rita during the school week and still see Daddy every day. They reacted differently, just as I anticipated they would. Alex immediately looked sad and was really hung up on me being in the hospital for a week. He kept saying, "I don't want you to have surgery".

Ava appeared reticent at first, and then said, "Well, I sure hope they are really good professionals, because they have to do a great job". They both struggled with it more throughout September and October and would often bring it up during snuggle time. Alex in particular was concerned that I was going to go to Heaven, and every time he asked, it was so hard for me formulate a decent answer, because his questions always made me catch my breath for a moment.


Some time in September Ava came across an image of my brain taken during my MRI/A. She asked what the picture was of, and I told her it was my brain. I showed her my brain aneurysm. She pointed to the various arteries on the image and asked what they were and what their purpose is.  I explained that they carried blood to different parts of my brain, which affected different parts of my body. She said, "Oh, I get it. They are like plugs and the different parts make you who you are". I said, "Yep, Birdie, you got it!".  She began describing the "plugs" to me, and I am so happy I wrote her descriptions down as she spoke. 

Oh, and that's my aneurysm in the red box.  He's my nemesis.  Telling the kids about my surgery took a huge pressure off of me, but I started thinking about all of the other things I needed to accomplish, like talking over the *serious things" with Jeremy.  I put that off as long as I could....

On another but completely related note, please lift my cousin Kiley up with your thoughts and prayers.  She is having the same surgery I had done today.  She is only 24 years old but is going to conquer this just like I did and my mom did before me.