It’s nice having one day everyday to celebrate Thanksgiving where families come home and enjoy the day together. It’s that one day of the year where you celebrate all the blessings you have been thankful for. But really, everyday is Thanksgiving day because there are a lot to be thankful for each day.
Like most families, we have a lot of things to be thankful for each day nomatter how simple it is. Families with a trach-vent child have more in their list, I suppose. These are the ones in our list:
1. Dana at Home.
Every time that I wake up and able to go right away to Dana’s room, I feel grateful. Each time I go home from work and able to kiss dana and take a shower, I am grateful. Each day that I and Niel are able to do this, we are reminded of God’s greatness.
Having spent 11 months in the hospital will make me more grateful each time I am able to enjoy Dana being home. I believe one of the greatest heart aches of a mom (or a dad) is having their child in the hospital and leaving them at times. I don’t know how we did it but God was with us on those tough times.
2. Good Health
This means Dana, Niel and me. I am thankful that at those times Dana had cough and colds, she managed to recover well from it. Colds and cough on a vent dependent child is not a good thing. I guess that’s what every mom feels. I am thankful to Dana’s nurses that help keep Dana well and better each day.
I am thankful each day that I am healthy enough to go to work. I am thankful that even if Niel is keeping up well with clinicals , he remains healthy.
3. People who are helping us with Dana
There are so many and each day we see Dana with her needs fulfilled, I am grateful for these special people.
a. Home health nurses : I can’t even put in words my gratitude to these people who take care of Dana especially when I go to work or sleep. They make sure that Dana gets all her treatments on schedule. They make sure that Dana is repositioned, moved around for stimulation and prevent sores. They interact and play with Dana to provide stimuli and help Dana recognize her environment better. Above all, they help Dana be well. Everyday I am grateful to them.
b. Doctors and their nurses: From Dana’s PCP Dr. Michelle Thomas of Complex Care Clinic of CMC, the doctors of Vent Clinic (Dr. Gelfand, DR. Coppenhaver and Dr. Sah) and Dr Mcintosh of Scottish Rite with their nurses Ina, Paige, Cathy and Jennifer plus the Nurse Care Coordinator Emily and Barb to the rest of her long list of doctors (and nurses), I am thankful.
Mr gratitude does not even stop only for making sure that Dana’s meds and treatments are in place but the fact that whenever Dana has issues, these people are EASY to reach. Whenever I say easy, it even means even wee hours of the day. For parents that get scared whenever their child is sick, this means a lot.
c. Case Managers. We have a handful. Charlsea , Dana’s Starkids Coordinator who makes sure that Dana has all her medical needs. Laura from Division of Blind Services that provide us with Dana’s adaptive toys and helped us get us Vision therapy. Stephanie from ECI who guides us on what Dana can have and enjoy that all kids do like going to school or programs. Renay who helps Dana her education even with disabilities.
These people are inspiring. Being a mom with a child like dana is tough and dealing with her issues is overwhelming but having these people that helps us feel that Dana can enjoy all what other kids can..we are grateful. We are more blessed because they talk to us right away whenever I have difficulties on something.
d. Therapists. Dana is responding better because of their help. Dana’s brain injury due to sepsis is hard for us because it put her on a spot where she’s very delayed in her milestones. It is heartbreaking each day that I see that but with these therapists, we have so much hope. Dana is able to push herself up, hold her held at times, respond to people, swallow, eat, make noises, make simple choices, vision track, and play because these therapists help her. They also teach us and the nurses so we can consistently help Dana.
4. Our Families and Friends
We could not have held ourselves together without our family and friends. It is easy to sink in depression with complex issues like these but our families and friends made us feel that we are not alone in this. Our family are not here with us in Texas, but thanks to Facetime, we see them almost everyday.
Our friends are family to us.
We are never alone.
5. Work. Workplace. Co-workers
The work itself is a blessing. I always think that it is my way of giving back to God all the kindness He have showed by family, especially Dana. It continues to be rewarding professionally aside from it making us meet our basic needs.
I have been blessed with my work and most especially the people that I work with. They make me stronger and enjoy each day. I don’t even know if they know that, lol! I have co-workers that does not hesitate to help whenever things get busy or share thoughts when it gets emotionally challenging. We have a tough task in our hands all the time but working with them makes things easier to handle.
Even on my old workplace, Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, the people that I work with are the kindest people as well and turned out to be my friends. They were there always ready to help those times when Dana was confined in Dallas.
There are a LOT of things to be thankful for, everyday. I will always be emotional and over dramatic about it. But I can’t help it, that is how I feel. And when there are moments that are tough for me, I always look back on these blessings and it makes me feel better again.
I don’t have much in life but I have everything that makes me happy. I wish your Thanksgiving day celebration was as blessed as ours.
What’s in your list?
Emotista 