Insert {Happy Dance} Here

Today is the day that my mom KNEW it would be. My dad had his doubts. (I have to admit that I did too.) MY MOM'S BACK BRACE IS OFF! THE BRACE IS OFF! THE BRACE IS OFF! Dad and Mom were talking to the surgeon today and there was an intern in the room. Dr. Weller was going over the specifics of the accident, the surgery, her recovery etc. and again, called her a "miracle". I'm sorry, folks, but that will never get old to me. That just doesn't happen every day! He said that in three months (her next appointment), she'll likely be 80%. By August (a year from the accident), she'll be at her "new normal", whatever that may be. Here's to hoping that her "new normal" and her "old normal" are the same...she apparently isn't very good at taking "no" for an answer so I'm feeling as if that might be the case. He did say that the neuropathy (horrific pain and discomfort in her feet) may not get any better. For many patients it does. However, due to the specifics of her specific injury, surgery and recovery, he's not feeling so hopeful. However, her response (of course) is "I don't believe him." And off she'll go - kicking ass. To be continued... I remember a day when I took my Usher Dupey (my mom's dad) to the hospital years ago. I can't remember the specifics (I think I blocked a lot of the day from my mind) but he hadn't been able to eat anything solid in quite a while. After a given amount of time, he had a follow-up appointment and he was sure that he was going to get the go-ahead to eat normally again. I can see him so vividly sitting in the doctor's office as the doctor told him that his body just wasn't ready yet. He was so defeated. So sad. So disappointed. That is one of the worst memories of my life and even though he eventually was fine again, it still makes me so sad to think of it. I never wanted to see him like that again. (Thankfully I didn't.) If I had to see my mom feel that same way, I don't know what I would do. I was worried that my mom would have one of those days today. I was so afraid that she'd be told that her body wasn't ready yet. Selfishly, I was glad that I was not the one to bring her to her appointment today. (Nice daughter I am, huh?) But now that THE BRACE IS OFF!!!, I see that, really, we have nothing to worry about. She has it all under control. We just need to watch her work her magic.