What Liberation means for my husband and kids

My family is thrilled for me that I feel so well.  They love hearing about my successes in PT, how my legs don't ache anymore, and that I can stay up later these days.

This past week was filled with all of the mundane tasks that go along with back to school preparation.  I took my girls to get school supplies, some new clothes, and today I went to school to meet my younger daughter's teacher.

These may be mundane tasks to most, but they were anything but drudgery to me. I did them all with pleasure!!!


Their wonderful father did not have to take one minute off of work to do these jobs.  We didn't have to do any of the shopping in the evenings so that he could get my Segway out of the car for me.  For months before my second treatment my balance had been too bad for me to safely take it out of the car by myself.

But I didn't even need the Segway to do any of this.  I walked, with the cane, for almost everything.  After much walking and shopping yesterday, I graciously accepted the girls' suggestion that I use the scooter cart at Target.  That left me with plenty of energy to take them to lunch afterwards!

We were all perfectly giddy admiring what I was able to do.  They told me how proud they were of me!  There is nothing like praise from a 10 and a 13 year old!

I have often said that my husband and I would have raised compassionate children even if I did not have CCSVI with MS-like symptoms.  They know that I spent my career working with children with special needs. But nothing beats first hand experience when learning a skill.

A couple of years ago my older daughter began instinctively offering me her hand when we came to a curb.  Neither of them complain when I ask them to go to the other end of the house (sometimes just the other side of the room) to get something for me.

They have chores around the house.  I think that every kid should work to support the family, but mine have to.  Nothing wrong with that!

I believe that because they have a mom with special needs, my girls are growing to be incredibly responsible, caring, thoughtful citizens.  This world needs a lot more of those!

So while now I may not need them to do all of the chores for which they are responsible, they will keep doing them.  They are proud to help (most of the time), and I think that it makes them that much more appreciative of what their parents do for them each day.  If I unload the dishwasher while they are out, they are so thankful when they return and see that the job has been done for them.  We are always quick to tell them how much we appreciate all that they do, too.

It's not always a big love fest in our house, but more often than not, it's pretty darn awesome.

I said that I will be totally satisfied if this treatment just allows me to do what I need to do.  That is true.  But if I can now do more things that I want to do, the possibilities for my family are so much greater.  That makes me so happy for them!  They never like leaving me behind when they do fun stuff.  Maybe now they won't have to.

Both of my girls and my husband subscribe to my blog, so they will definitely read this.

A & D:  You make being a mom the greatest job on earth.  I am so lucky to have you!
xoxo, Mommy

J:  You are the love of my life, and the best partner-in-crime anyone could ever ask for!