Tonight's picture was taken in March of 2006. Mattie was four years old and the flower pot in front of us, we won at his preschool's auction. The reason I wanted that flower pot, was every child in the classroom placed their finger print on the pot using paint. To me it was a beautiful memento and reminder of that preschool year. Mattie was smiling and beaming with happiness that this preschool creation belonged to us.
Quote of the day: A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. ~ Albert Einstein
Today did not go as I thought it would. I was supposed to meet a friend today for tea while my dad had physical therapy and later in the day, I was supposed to go to my therapy appointment. I was able to do neither. But I have learned basically for the most part not to make plans for myself, because I am just juggling too much. As any full time caregiver knows.... YOU DON'T COME FIRST.
This morning, I noticed my mom was wearing sandals. It is JANUARY and 18 degrees outside! This is NOT sandal weather. For two months now, my mom has been complaining that her big toes were bothering her. I examined them and could see nothing to explain her pain. So this issue continued on for months. I suggested she see my dad's podiatrist, but she refused this suggestion every time I made it. Yesterday, she saw her rehab doctor and truthfully he had no idea what was going on with her feet! But the problem was only getting worse. It has been affecting her walking and the shoes she could wear.
This morning, I did not take NO for an answer. I picked up the phone and called my dad's podiatrist office. Keep in mind that they see us every 90 days, and they have been working with my dad since 2021. So I have gotten to know the office manager and all the admin folks. Thankfully! Because they could tell I was concerned on the phone today and they squeezed my mom in for a 2pm appointment. So after my dad's physical therapy session at home, I whisked them in the car and drove to the podiatrist.
It was a good visit and thankfully the issue is nail related. The doctor cut away a lot of her nail and also gave her toe spacers, to prevent toes from rubbing against each other. There is already a marked improvement. One down! What I have discovered over the years is that if you have a foot problem, you really need a foot specialist. Most doctors do not understand the complexity of the foot!
The aquarium staff were concerned about this sunfish, because he wasn't eating. They tried to understand what was going on with the fish and thought through all the logical causes, such as digestion issues or parasites. But then they thought outside the box!!!! Maybe this fish was lonely? He missed the visitors who came by his tank daily! So the staff taped people cut outs to the tank and guess what? The fish bounced back, began eating, and seemed to be feeling better.
I am not sure what captured my attention about this story! Was it that we can learn so much from our fish and animal friends? Was it that I admired the staff for thinking outside the box and realizing there maybe a social and emotional component to the fish's illness? Or was it the simple notion that any living and breathing thing needs CONNECTION? The answer is ALL three.
The power of connection can not be discounted, on a good day, but definitely under times of stress and trauma. I learned this in spades when Mattie was diagnosed with cancer. There was NO WAY we could have survived the horror of childhood cancer without the connection to our Team Mattie community. Which is why Mattie Miracle's tagline is.... IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE MEDICINE. Never under estimate the power of social and emotional connections, they may not cure an illness, but I would say the medicine can never be as effective without it!
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