My mother has been the most instrumental and supportive to our family through Dominic’s journey. The first two years of his life were extremely hard because Dominic was in and out of hospitals. When he was two months old, my mom and I were at her house with Dominic and he started to turn blue from lack of oxygen and we did not know what was going on. She quickly took action and he started to gain color back. We rushed to the hospital and he ended up turning blue on us 4 times that day. I remember asking my mom during the drive to the hospital, “will he be okay, is he going to die, what is going on, Mom?” I knew she did not know either but I needed her reassurance. I needed her to tell me everything would be okay.
From that point on, the next two years were in hospitals, waiting rooms, doctors’ offices, and therapy sessions. There wasn’t a week that passed that we were not seeing or doing something. Dominic had a lot of medical issues his first two years. We had doctors for GI, genetics, cardiologists, pulmonary, sleep doctors and more. Of course we had therapists for speech, OT, PT, and eating. We traveled to specialists from Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus, Lexington, and Ann Arbor. We wanted to know what was going on with our sweet boy. My mom was at every visit with me.
Ed and I both had new jobs so it was difficult to take off work. Many times my mom would take Dominic to his appointments for me. That was hard on both Ed and me because we wanted to be there but we fully trusted her decisions she would make for us. Ed is such an amazing father and he couldn’t be more supportive. He also had to help balance taking care of Vincent because he was only two years old when this was all going on with Dominic.
After appointments, I would wait to hear from my mom. There were times that I would be so terrified to answer the phone to hear the news from her to see if he had to have another procedure, surgery or new diagnosis. Yes I wanted answers but I still had fear. The fear of the unknown is horrible but hearing what is going on scared me also.
Our genetic doctor’s appointment were the worst for me. We had one false positive test that came back that Dominic had a disease that he wouldn’t live past nine. I remember getting the call from the doctor two days before Christmas. I remember dropping to my knees and crying. Crying like I had never done before. Ed and I just sat there and cried. We decided not to tell anyone until after Christmas but of course I told my mom. I needed her, I needed her to tell me it would all be okay. Thank goodness after many appointments and blood tests, Dominic did not have the disease they thought he had. We still have to see our genetic doctor for another reason but so thankful that it is not life threatening. I still get nervous anytime we have to see him and of course I have my mom by my side.
I can never thank my mom enough for all the times she sat with me and just listened. For all the times, I yelled and vented at her because I just didn’t know how to process my feelings. For all the respect that she has always given me about being a mom. For all the times, we had to see Dominic with so many leads and wires coming off of him, holding him down with all our might for another blood draw, for all the drives to appointments, for all the tears she has wiped, for all the times she has made me feel that everything would work out. That I not only had my mother with me but also a best friend.
Mom, thank you for all that you do for us. I need you to continue to always take care of yourself because I need you. We need you. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t pray to God to keep you by myside. You have taught me so much but most of all what unconditional love really means. I know I can be a challenge and that you are the one person that gets all of my reactions and feelings. Thank you, Mom for being you and for being a part of our journey and for never giving up. Mom, I need you to live until you are a 150 so you can always be by myside.
