I wanted to continue with my writing for my mom today. Part two was on Sept 4ths blog. The Saint Agnes Band was a large part of our lives growing up. We had attended the school as well. Some of us went on to Arlington Catholic too . It was a great life.

One of the best parts was that my mom and dad were present in our lives. My dad managed the equipment truck and trained other fathers to get their bus liscences, so that the band members and color guard could get back and forth from parades and competitions. Like I said, my dad was everyone’s dad in the band and they loved him. He loved all the kids too. I would like to remember also in this moment my fathers assistant in the equipment van Mr. Callahan. My dad loved this man as did all of the kids in the band. He was awesome:) He went to the Lord some time ago, God Bless Him too.

My mom was always in the stands with all kinds of food, extra sandwiches etc. When we came off the field of competition, we would change out of our uniforms and get our street clothes on and off we would go into the stands to find her. Each one of us ( her)   kids had extra kids( friends) with us.lol  We were all hungry and my mother was accustomed to that fact 🙂 and had sandwiches and stuff for them too.  She also had jugs of homemade pink leomonade too.If my mom ran out Mrs. H was there with her food and was good for potato chips and chips ahoy cookies too.:)

In the band we would wear uniforms on the parade route and in competition. The uniforms  had wool pants, Satin tops and a cumberbund wrapped  around the middle..  It was topped off by a band drum style hat with a neck strap.We all wore white bucks (shoes) as well.

It could be 100 degrees in a parade or competition and we survived wearing those uniforms. The bottom line is this, we would roll in on the buses sometimes at 11:00 at night at the parking lot from a competition and needed to be back the next morning ready, uniformed and ready to go back out in competition once again or on a parade route somewhere. The uniforms needed to be laundered and ironed. The judges took points off  of our score if things were not perfect. A lot of parents were not engaged with their kids or were unable to be there to  support their kids. So, the kids were upset because they’re uniforms would not be ready for the next morning. It was a big deal.  So My mom, Mrs. R said don’t worry honey, give them to me I will have them ready in the morning. Remember, my mom had 5 kids and worked full time. But you see, she saw a need and offered it up and got the job done. She made those kids feel special, and they were. She was a brick in their foundation as was my dad. I can remember her standing in the kitchen in front of that ironing board ironing one satin shirt after another. They were ready for the judges 🙂 She even carried Kiwi white shoe polish in her bag and was touching kids shoes up, nice and white.

My mom’s ilness, She was a Miracle and also showed the Doctors , staff  of several institutions that, God is for real.

As I wrote in the past blog about my mom, C.O.P.D. progressed to emphysema and the ability of my mom to go out ,to walk stairs etc was very much diminished. She lived with a constant sense that she could not get breathe into her lungs. She very rarely complained but we understood her daily struggle. She was not going to bring her family down. She was partnered with Christ in his suffering. Like my mother would always say.

4 or so years ago in around June  2010 I think it was ? My mom went into the hospital at Mt Auburn in Cambridge her breathing was reduced even further and she was found to have a 4 to 5 inch tumor attached to her lung, behind her heart and it was obtructing the airway out from the lung. It was found to be inoperable, plus given her very poor respritory system she could not have anesthesia. Because of her strong resolve, faith and fight for life her Dr. R who was her primary for 30 plus years advocated that she should be allowed to try a plan to attack this tumor, my mom was well aware of its dangers and we all supported her and my dads decision in this matter.

She was treated by a wonderful Cancer and respritory  Dr. S from  Mt Auburn Hosp. He is a brain cancer survivor too. She under went chemo and very targeted radiation treatment for the cancer, for the tumor etc and when they were done the tumor still remained. She came home and was home a few days and radiation pneumonitis set in she was rushed into the hospital and ended up in Mt Auburns ER  after she found to be non- responsive at her home. That particular morning, My neice, dad,brother and sister were watching her, and saw a difference in her that they never witnessed before. An ambulance was called, right away.

At the ER, things looked very grimm. we were all there.  She was being given a lot of support she was filled with carbon dioxide , it is called I  think,  black death. It is when you breathe in and cannot expell the carbon diaoxide out of the lungs and body,  so you will get sleepy, your brain and other vital organs can de deprived of oxygen and eventually you will pass away without intevention. Even with help, it is very dicey. The staff ushered the whole family into a room and brought us food and gave us some gentle words of support.  Very beautiful.

My mom  was moved up to the Intensive care unit and she was put onto a ventilator,  by her choice, she was not done yet with her Earthly journey . She was there for a good seems like 1 and a half to  2 months if my memory serves me. My father was there everyday before 5 a.m. and stood by here because she would open her eyes and look at him at that time, he was not going to dissappoint her .Asside from that, she just slept a whole lot. He would take her hand and say, Its okay bobby, I am here just keep it in neutral.( Don’t Worry), You are going to get better. He stood there and prayed with her. All day long. All of the family would stream in and out of her ICU bed space and tell my dad to go sit down, food was being brought in by my sister, brother etc for him. We would make a prayer chain around her bed. Dr’s and nurses walked by and just watched the family through the glass windows and witnessed  God in action. Eventually my mom was moved to a regular room at Mt Auburn to get her ready to transition her to  Spaulding Cambrige Street Cambridge because her Dr. R  ran the Vent department there.  Again, God was handling everything.

At this time , It was about 6 months before I suddenly became ill with my Gleo, so I was able to be there a whole lot. Which I am so grateful for. It is what live is all about. Love, support and being there. Very Simple 🙂

I will continue with this account shortly.

God Bless You All,

Danny

My mom loved this song I am sure she was thinking of my dad when she listened to it and sang it  🙂 xoxo

Bette Midler Wind beneath my wings

enjoy 🙂

Bette Midler From a Distance.