Laughter is the best medicine.

For those of you waiting for a post today - sorry.  I am just now settled at home.  I spent the morning and most of the afternoon with Ethan, Avery and Luke.  Avery and I spent "girl time" at McDonald's for breakfast and then after picking up Ethan and Luke went to Chucky Cheese.  

Please don't think that all I take my kid to is fast food.  This was a day we planned to spend mostly focusing on Avery and paying attention to her.  We turned off cell phones, computers, and didn't do house work so that she would feel really loved.  We have been distracted the last few weeks.  

We thought about the zoo (our favorite place), but it was too windy to be outside with Luke today.  Then we thought of some other places like the Dallas World Aquarium, but that was too expensive for today.  So - we let Avery pick.  She saw a commercial for Chucky Cheese and wanted to go there.  Ethan found a coupon on the Internet.  He couldn't get our printer to work, but when we were at the restaurant he pulled the coupon up on his I-phone and they gave us the discount!  We paid 20 dollars for a pizza, 3 drinks, and 40 tokens.  Despite the loud atmosphere, pizza that tasted like cardboard, and the long wait to get in - all was good.  We visited while Luke slept the entire time!  

On to Mom.  I got to the hospital about 5:00.  I walked into the room and saw Mom smiling (many times) and even laughing at jokes!  This was a very good change from what I had seen during the week.  

At dinner I was filled in on the change.  Aunt Cheryl and Uncle John (roommates of my parents from ACU) got to the hospital at 9:00 am.  Mom smiled when Uncle John came into the room, but when she saw Aunt Cheryl, there wasn't much of a response at all.  (Remember - there is a reason to the "aunt" part of Aunt Cheryl.  Mom was such good friends with Aunt Cheryl from college on that mom called her a sister.  Mom thought of her as a sister that she never had.  So, we call her aunt.)  No response for this friend seemed really strange.  

The morning was filled with visits from Heidi and Daddy.  Others, too I think.  Then around lunch time Uncle John stepped out of the room to make room for The Singletons.  (Daddy roomed with Mike Singleton in college, too.)  When Aunt Cheryl, the Singletons, Daddy and Heidi were all standing around the bed (we were breaking serious rules here in ICU - we were only to have 2 visitors at a time), Mom began to smile.  I was told that her eyes sparkled, her face lit up and her whole body shook with laughter.  Mom also began to roll her eyes at teases from Uncle John and Daddy.   When I walked in her room at 5:00 Mom seemed to radiate joy.  

Karen House (my cousin) brought Mom a DVD player to add to the TV my daddy got her.  Karen even left an assortment of DVDs.  I found it funny that the very first DVD in the pack was NEMO, a Disney film.  My daughter watches NEMO at Mom's house all of the time.  Sometimes many times during the same day.  We don't have the movie, so Avery requests it when she is with Mom.  Before we all left for dinner (during shift change), we wanted to put a movie on.  We opened up the case and this movie was first.  I asked her if she wanted to watch it.  I got more giggles and a nod of her head that said no.  We finally settled on one and I found the correct channel and shoved it into the DVD player and pushed play.  Then Heidi and I were kicked out of the ICU room to make way for the nurses.  

As we were leaving I told Heidi that I hoped that was a DVD with "fast play" on it.  "Fast play" is on children's DVDs so that parents only have to push play once.  There isn't a menu screen unless you push the "menu" button.  The movie begins with the previews and then starts the feature presentation without stopping. Heidi didn't even know what this was.  We decided that the nurses would probably push play if she needed them to.  

At 6:00 pm we all left for dinner.  When we came back to Mom's room we heard music playing from the speakers of the TV.  I immediately thought - that was great timing - she must be watching the credits!  Then, I looked at the TV and noticed that the "menu" screen was on.  The nurses had not pushed play and Mom had sat there for 2 1/2 hours and just stared at the menu screen because she couldn't reach the TV.  At this point I asked Mom is she wanted me to push play.  She just motioned to turn it off.  The funny thing is that since she was in such great spirits from all of the laughter and visits she didn't seem bothered by the TV at all.  

Mom, Uncle John, Heidi, Aunt Cheryl and I all stood around Mom's bed.  We talked about plans for visits the following day.  We laughed (a lot) and Mom even shed a couple of tears (about Aunt Cheryl going home tomorrow.)  I enjoyed listening to Mom speak.  She chooses her words very carefully because her throat hurts.  She doesn't talk much so when did, everyone got very quiet and leaned in to listen.  Often she had to repeat herself anyway.  Most of the things she said I cannot remember.  I marveled at the progress she had made during the day with the help of her friends and laughter.  I felt like I wanted the moment to last a lot longer than it did.  One of the words I do remember is what she said to Uncle John as he kissed her goodnight.  Mom said, "Pray."  

"Pray."  This is a word we have used many times in the last weeks.  It is what Mom has needed the most.  When people called and asked what they could do for us - this was the only word that I could think of especially the day this journey began 18 days ago.  

As we all huddled around her bed holding hands, I peeked at Mom.  She was quietly looking at each of us.  I wonder what she was thinking.  I noticed that when Uncle John prayed for her quick return to playing with grand kids - she looked at me and nodded her head in agreement.  I felt more at peace in those few moments standing with my mom and family praying than I had since this began.  

Please continue to pray for my family.  Mom still has a long, long road ahead of her.  Daddy does too.  Thank you for all of the people who wanted to stay with my mom next week.  I have next week covered with several of her good friends.  If you would like to visit - you are more than welcome.  As I have seen today, friends and laughter seem to be the best medicine my mom can get.  Mom is still, for now, on the fourth floor of the Roberts building in Baylor Dallas.