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Peripheral Arterial Disease And Smoking
In October of the year 2000, my mother paid me a visit in Panama City, Florida. November is my birthday month and my mom and I decided we would spend some time together. Mom was to stay in Panama City for about a month for a vacation. One of the most favorite things that my mother loves to do is shop so we had every place mapped out in which we were to go shopping. We spent most of the first weekend together doing so much and we had a great time.
Later that weekend in the evening, my mother told me of some strange pains in her legs that have been bothering her for about a year. I was not very happy with my mother for not letting me know that she was having problems and I became very concerned because she was in pain at that very moment. Mother was feeling poorly and I could see the pain written all over her face so I had to decide whether I needed to go back home with her, take her to the Dr in Panama City or what. I later decided
to take her to the Dr in Panama City because the pain became worse. I had given her some Tylenol which did not help her at all. Things began to look a bit grim and I prayed in my heart that everything will be ok. Mom had told me that her Dr told her the pain was arthritis but this did not seem like the case to me. Well to make a long story as short as I possibly can, my mother was diagnosed with peripheral arterial disease and she had a very severe circulation problem in her legs. The circulation problem stemmed
from smoking cigarettes. I never knew cigarettes could cause anything except lung cancer. I quit smoking cold turkey with the help of God in sincere prayer. Mother ended up not going back home for awhile. I was not about to let her go home and be alone until I got to the root of what we had to do about this diagnosis.
Many test were performed and these test went from days to weeks and then on into two months of pain, suffering and more test for mom. I felt helpless; I wanted so desperately to help her
ease the pain. The medication from the Dr just wasn't helping at all. After about a month of me taking care of mom and trying to help here become mobile on her feet, things got so bad that she had to be admitted into the hospital. Later, it was told to me by the Dr that mother's leg would have to be amputated because her veins were beyond repair. Nothing had prepared me for this moment and I did not want to believe this so I got more opinions only to get the same recommendations from other physicians. Most of
my family had been informed but since I am the oldest I was faced with a decision of whether to let mom continue to suffer, or go ahead and let the Dr's amputate. I just could not make that decision so I let a few more weeks go by until finally one day mother looked at me with dim dark eyes full of sorrow and pain and said, Baby, I want them to take it off, I cannot bear the pain any longer. I looked at my mother, with tears in my eyes, felt her right leg which was cold as ice, and asked her did she
really understand what she was telling me. We called the Dr in and informed him of her decision later on that day. Mothers' leg was amputated in late December.
After the amputation of mother right leg, we began a process of rehabilitation to get her a prosthetic leg. The healing of her right leg wasn't going so well and then her left leg started to experience the same pain and mother was suffering even more. I never realized how much pain my mother could take. She never cried but she hallucinated greatly
and became very mean. Later in May of 2001 her left leg was amputated as also.
My mother and I have been down some very difficult paths and I told her to never give up and never forget that she must always hold her head up and be an inspiration to others. I never allowed her to feel sorry for herself. I continued to take her out shopping, to parks and she eventually overcame the fact that she lost her legs at the age of sixty-four. Mother will be seventy years old this month. Mother is a bundle of
joy and she is always smiling and many people love her and are motivated by her. She truly is an inspiration to others. She inspires me the most. Mother is a real trooper and she knows who her true Father is. She knows that she's going to have a new set of legs one day!
Summary
I am married with a fourteen year old daughter. I work online from home. I love writing poetry, singing, and riding my bike. My husband is my greatest supporter in my aspirations to become a professional writer. My mother has both legs amputated and she is a great source of my motivation and strength. I teach Sunday school and enjoy attending Christian activities. I Love the Lord!!! My Power Mall Check into myMy Freebie Business
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