Happy Mother's Day

This mother's day marks the beginning of a completely new tradition.

In years past, my family and I would get together and have brunch at Black Market Bistro or cook up a delicious Spanish late lunch. The years that I was abroad, I would call home wishing my Carmencita a happy mother's day, making sure that Jose and Daniel were treating her to an amazing mother's day. A few years ago we started the tradition of gardening the day away. Years ago when I was younger, my brother and I would wake up early and make her breakfast in bed-- a random assortment of foods carefully brought to her on a tray that she would happily eat, with our help of course.

This year is different. The duality of time never ceases to amaze me, how it can simultaneously feel so long and so short. It has been 133 days since you left us. Those 133 days feel like so long ago, so long since I heard your voice, felt your touch, saw you. Sometimes it feels like you are slipping away, like I can't remember so many little things about you and memories of times past. At the same time, there are some things I remember as if they just happened.

But today is about celebration--a celebration of the amazing woman who brought me into this world, who selflessly cared for me, my family, and so many others, who taught me the meaning of strength, beauty, courage, and love. So today mom, I celebrate you and everything you have been, are, and will always be. Te quiero mucho tesoro. <8

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no bad news is good news

The doctors at Suburban decided to transfer Carmen to Johns Hopkins, and oh what a transfer it was--her ambulance got a flat tire, and her backup ambulance got lost so 2 hours after leaving Suburban she finally arrived at 5am at Hopkins. At Suburban they suspected an infection, but after a CT scan saw that the tumors were slightly compressing the inferior vena cava, which became the prime suspect of the fluid retention. If this was the case they would put in a stent to help keep the vein open. But, luckily the medical oncologists at Hopkins decided to do a scan of the legs to see if anything else was going on. The scan showed that she has two blood clots one in each of her legs. So, the doctors have decided to do a de-blood-clotting procedure, where they stick a catheter in each of the affected veins and introduce a medicine that will dissolve the clots. Unfortunately, she will have to be in the ICU after this procedure to monitor the effects of the blood thinner closely. Hopefu...

The Best Birthday Present

My mother gave me the best birthday present ever—her release from the hospital! We took one last walk to the administration building to visit the massive Jesus statue and say a few words together before heading home. Carmen looked wonderful today after a good night’s rest (she was able to sleep through most of the night yay!) and another solid breakfast. The cortisone has been really effective in reducing her discomfort and nausea, so she is able to actually move around during the day. Unfortunately the cortisone is also responsible for some water retention, which is a little worrisome for Carmen because of the additional weight and the liver/kidney function implications. On the bright side, Carmen does look better with the extra weight. We all went out to O’Donnell’s in the Kentlands for a delicious birthday “lunch” (which really was at American dinner time). Having my entire family and Tom together to celebrate my 25 th birthday, was the best thing I could have ever asked for...

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Nectar of Life

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