When Things Go Wrong

Struisbaai - my other mother & me

Thursday before last my Mother-in-Law suffered a stroke. It feels very strange to say this out loud, as the whole experience still feels unreal and dreamlike. She is not yet 55 years old, a fun and kind woman who will bend over backwards to help her fellow man and will fight like a tiger to protect her family. When I met my husband 11 years ago she immediately took me under her wings and welcomed me as part of the family. She's been my mom since then. The day we found out that we were pregnant we called her and when I spoke to her we just cried in each other's ears, too overcome by joy to actually get any words out.

And now is seems like being a strong, hardworking woman who everybody depends on has taken a toll on her body.

We flew to Johannesburg last Saturday and visited her at the hospital. She spoke to us, but with great difficulty. As far as the doctors can tell there is no permanent damage to the brain, which we are very grateful for. She does not have feeling in her right arm and leg yet, and we can but hope and pray that this will be overcome in the next couple of months.

While up there we also took a journey and spend a night at my Mom's. She is also going through a tough time at the moment as my step-dad is currently being treated for cancer. You see, again that dreamlike quality - strokes, cancer... this is all things that happen to other people's families.

We returned on Tuesday and I spend two days at the office in Cape Town before we headed home. By that time I was pooped. All the travelling, late nights and worrying has taken its toll. So by Thursday when we got back home I could feel the first stirrings of a cold coming on. I ended up spending the weekend in bed and when seeing the doctor yesterday morning was told that I have sinusitis and mid-ear infection. And of course I have been worrying about the baby the entire time. I cannot believe that a person can actually worry that much. But the doc confirmed that she is very active and very tall and that she will be fine :-)