Rollercoaster of a week

What a week it has been. My parents were originally planning on coming out to visit us late next week. Then my mom did something to her shoulder and she was writhing in pain. It was looking like she would have to go in for surgery to repair whatever was going on. That would have sucked on several levels. Obviously anytime you have to go under the knife is just not a fun time. My mom has had shoulder surgery before and I have a recollection of it being months before she was feeling better from it all. On a totally selfish level, it meant I wasn’t going to get to see my mommy!! We just recently joined a new synagogue (an hour away (ugh) but we’ve, thus far, been really happy with the community there) and for the first time in… possibly ever, I was really looking forward to going to Rosh Hashanah services because my parents would be here and I was going to show them how cool this place was. My birthday is in a few weeks and I was really looking forward to being able to spend that with them. Zachary’s birthday is coming up even sooner, and I was looking forward to having them here for that.

Needless to say, when talks started about them not coming, depression came in swiftly. The memory of Sam’s father (who passed away earlier this year only days before they were due to come visit us after not having seen his parents for a long time) is also still very fresh. So yeah. Lots of crying. Feeling selfish. My mom was upset about it too, and I was trying hard not to let her know how disappointed I was that it sounded like they weren’t coming but I really sucked at that.

Long story made longer, an emergency trip, x-rays, several doctor visits, and finally an MRI later revealed that surgery would not solve the problem. Medication would. I don’t completely understand the whole thing but this worries me that this problem can easily return, but she has some of the best doctors in California working with her on it, so I’m pretty sure they know better than I do whats what.

So the good news is that after all that, my parents ARE coming out to visit us. (My mother started taking the medicine the doctor gave her and already seems to be doing better) The bad news is that they need to be back for more doctor appointments so the visit will be short. They won’t be here for my birthday, but will be here for Rosh Hashanah and Zachary’s birthday. Obviously I wish they could stay for longer, but I’ll take what I can get right now.

From everything that happened this week, I feel like I got beat up. Heh. Living away from family, and particularly my parents, is one of the hardest things.