Bonding with Mom

Mom just went through an eye operation to remove the cataract from her left eye (the one on her right eye is not yet ripe but we have to keep a close watch on it because if it ruptures, its going to make her right eye blind). People who are following Mom's unending battle with her eyesight is aware of the sickness that runs in Mom's family - glaucoma. This can make a person blind if left untreated. Mom has only one request to us all - please do everything possible to save her eyesight. She said "I want to see my great grandchildren grow, I want to see until the day I close my eyes and open them to see Dad again in heaven, and Jesus too." So we, her children, try to do everything we can in our power to do just that. She has a very good eye doctor (Dr Ricardo Torno at Limso Hospital) who is very patient with her, very concerned, calls her "Mommy" and gave her this pair of cool sunglasses to protect her newly operated eye from all the elements in the world!

When the doctor operated on her eye last Friday, they have to bring her to the operating room. My sisters were there, my brother kindly drove my nephew and niece from Cotabato to Davao to be with their Granny, and I was on my way home to Davao from Pikit. I was receiving step-by-step texts from Ate while I was in meeting with the Cotabato IRD staff and when I received the text that said "They have wheeled Mom into the OR, she feels scared and Monette is crying." I paused and informed everyone that my Mom was being operated on and that I needed a prayer break :)

When I arrived home (around 8:00 PM), Mom was safely home, with one eye-patch, and two medications (drops) on the eye every two hours. I took over my two sisters and did this.

Mom wanted to go home to Cotabato City but the doctor did not allow her to do that. She missed this year's All Souls' Day celebration with Dad and sent this text message to my brother "When you go and visit Dad, give him my regards and tell him that I can visit him when I am back there." I laughed and said "Mama, you can say that to Dad right now and he is listening and will understand!" Mom looked at me and said "It's different because he is physically there." I don't understand because I talk to Dad wherever and whenever but I guess Mom can have her ways, too... so I said "Sorry Mom, of course you can say that to Kuya." (Hugged her, too!)

Now that Mom's eye-patch has been taken off, the doctor gave her this pair of cool sunglasses! I brought Mom to NCCC and she was so delighted to see so clearly the mall workers dance and see clearly the price tags :) Thank you GOD for giving us the resources to make Mom's eyes better. Thank you also for the opportunity to enjoy Mom some more :)

Mom is leaving tomorrow to go back to Cotabato and we have already brought her groceries for her small sari-sari store, the food that she bought is enough for three (herself, Nonoy the driver, and Inchai, the niece of my sister-in-law) and will tie them over the 4 hours drive. She is excited to share her good eyesight with our neighbors, her grandson Kyle and the priests and sisters who are her "adopted children". But she still has to see her eye doctor for a final check up before she leaves... and again I will not be with her as there is a meeting that has been previously arranged. My sister is taking over and this world is better because of sisters and brothers who are blessings in our lives.

LOVE YOU MAMA