My mother Cherie: Mothers Day Tribute

When I have gotten in trouble at school and when they asked who would I like to call.. the first thing that would come out of my mouth would be "CALL MY DAD!!!" and almost every time they did.. he wouldn't answer.. so they had to call my mom.. I was so scared of her when I got into trouble I would hyperventilate and get all worked up because Lord knows she would be pissed and I would of gotten the most punishment and yelled at the loudest if she was the one to find out. It wasn't until later in life that it was going to help me by the way she punished me. When I have children of my own I don't think I can yell as she can but she had taught me how to be fair as she is when it comes to children getting in trouble.

Whenever I am sick or am bothered by something, its always clear that she cares. The first time I had ever rode my bike to school in the 5th grade I got into an accident. I saw a tree growing right beside the side walk and the branches were sticking out so I swerved to dodge the tree and as I swerved I cleared the tree but I hit a telephone pole. I hit face first on the concrete chipping a tooth and breaking my arm. I got up, grabbed the my tooth with the good arm and started walking back to the house. My mom saw me walking as she was taking my little brother Greg to school and as she pulled over to pick me up she was crying. I thought it was funny that she was the one crying and I was telling her its okay.. it could of been worse. On July 5th of 2006 I had got into an accident. My mom was the first one I called even before dialing 911 so when I had called I know which hospital to take me to and and so she wouldn't worry as much. When she came into the ER and saw me.. I had cuts and bruises all over my head and fingers, my femur was broken, I was strapped to the hard board with a neck collar on, and I had the largest headache I ever had (because I hit the windshield twice). It bothered her to see her son in so much pain and she couldn't do anything about it.. and I knew it just from the expression she had on her face.

I had surgery scheduled early the next morning so I can have the rod placed into my femur so they admitted me on the Med/Surg Unit over night after the CT Scans, X-rays and the 6 hours of hell in the ER. Mom was with me most of that time. She left in spurts to run errands and everything but she was there for about hours that day until 11 at night. I woke up by the orderly to shave me for surgery and not going to lie.. It tickled and as I was laughing I asked the orderly if he could tell me if he knew what time the surgery was and he told me 7:30 I couldn't help but to laugh and remind him it was only 5 and he said "Well dude, sorry to break it to you but we head down to the OR around 6:45" I then yelled "WHAT?? I GOTTA CALL MY MOM" as I spurted that out the door cracked open and I heard my mom's voice telling me that she is there and she will see me after I am finished getting prepped. I cannot tell you how relieved I felt. My mom hung out with me in my room with the news going on the TV as we were talking.. then we heard the knock.. And it was orderlies telling me that its time to started heading down.. I wasn't worried until that very moment when they told me it was time to go and I just stared at my parents in disbelief and they let me know I had nothing to worry about. As I was lying in bed the orderlies were pushing me down the halls my mom beside me holding my hand.. The whole entire time during that journey I was trying to figure out why I was so worried. When it was time for me to go into the OR my mom gave me a hug and a kiss and told me that she would see me in recovery in a couple hours. I was wheeled into this huge spacious white room with 9 people standing in scrubs facing me. They all introduced themselves and I saw the surgeon and he sat beside me on the bed and talked to me a bit and asked how I slept and went through the play by play of the surgery with me and when he asked me if there is anything I am concerned or worried about it would be okay for me to let him know.. I thought about it and I said "Doc, I don't know why I am worried but I am and if something bad happens would you wake me up??" "Of course I will!" he replied. Then they lifted me up out of the bed onto the table where the anesthesiologist put me to sleep.

I had an experience that is too sacred for me to tell. I woke up and people were screaming my name and I was confused I didn't know where I was and my chest was hurting so bad and I was being pushed to radiology to do a CT Scan and the doctor told me I had died for 7 minutes shortly after I went to sleep and that they had to do CPR on me so they can't fix my leg just yet. The CT Scan showed bone marrow entering my blood stream causing me to have several blood clots going to my right lung and it stopped me from breathing and my heart from pumping.

After that they pushed me to the ICU where I saw my parents waiting for my arrival.. My dad whispered into my ear "now you're going on a mission aren't you?" Let me mind you that when someone is as sick as I was.. the slightest bit of excitement could be fatal.. and when he told me that my blood pressure wen up to 215/135 and alarms were sounding at the monitors by my bed and the nurses and doctors had to kick everyone out. When things calmed down my mom came back and I asked her to not leave me alone with dad when I am in the hospital.. she may have thought I was joking but I was serious. I fell asleep for a few hours and as I woke up I thought I was dreaming.. My 2 older brothers Adam and Brent were sitting down in the chairs beside me in my room and they were supposed to be in Idaho on a fishing trip. They greeted me and I asked them why they were there and they replied "Mom called us up yesterday and told us about your accident and told us to keep you in our prayers.. then we got another call from mom this morning and told us they almost lost you and since then we had borrowed a car from our friend's family that we were with and didn't go under a 100 mph stopping every couple hours to say a prayer that you would still be here and we wouldn't get pulled over." I guess they were thinking that if I was still in the hospital then they were going to say their final goodbyes due to having 24 hours to live. Well when the hours gone by I got better and better.. the color in skin was coming back slowly and I was going to be okay.. After being in ICU for a week and a half I was well enough to go into surgery. The rod was placed I didn't have any complications, my oxygen stats were high and I was well enough to go to a regular floor. I remained in the hospital a couple more nights and then I went to Health South Rehabilitation for a week to learn how to walk with crutches and a walker and how to use a wheelchair because I was going to need them for a few months. THEN I CAME BACK HOME!

During those 3 weeks when I was in rehab and the hospital my mom was there every day. She had to work but she came before work to feed me breakfast, then she would come on her lunch break to feed my lunch and to eat lunch with me, and then she would come right when she was done with work to be with me and to feed me dinner until visiting hours ended.

I don't know anyone who can be that persistent on caring for a child (I was 20 years old at the time). I think about my mom a lot. Maybe some would think too much.. But she is my mom and a very good one! She loves me unconditionally and she is a wonderful role model for my brothers and I. She always has been a great listener and when it comes to activities to do as a family she always picks the most fun ones. When people say "I can see the resemblance between your mother and you" I just can't help but to smile and thank them because that is one hell of a compliment.

Mom, if you're reading this.. Happy Mother's Day and Can't wait to see you on Sunday!

I love you
Tony