Hospital

I remember when I was 7 years old I got very sick. I was in a lot of pain. The doctors didn't know what was wrong. Mom has told me, although I don't remember, that I would wake up in the middle of the night crying in pain. Mom took me to a doctor and he told her that I had rheumatoid arthritis. She knew that his diagnosis was incorrect. Mom and Dad fasted to know what to do, she was inspired to take me to Dr. Rich. Dr Rich told my mom that he didn't know what was wrong with me, but he did know where to send me. He sent us to Dr. Overall at the University of Utah hospital. Dr. Overall diagnosed me with osteomyelitis, an infection in the bone marrow. I would need to have surgery and I would have to spend 6 weeks in the hospital because I would need treatments. Mom would come up every day to see me. Luckily I was able to go home after 4 weeks.

I remember one particular day at the hospital it was Halloween and I wanted to be a witch. Mom bought me a witch mask, which says a lot because she never bought us Halloween costumes. She wanted me to be happy at a time when I was not at home. I remember that I didn't like the mask and I threw the biggest fit--I'm sorry mom that I didn't appreciate what you were trying to do. She didn't get mad at me even though she had already spent the money. Instead she and one of the nurses painted my face green so that I could be a witch.

My son Spencer had to spend some time in a hospital. After dealing with the stress of having my own child in the hospital, and all of the effort it took to take care of all my other children, I learned to appreciate my mother more. I also realized that I would have been in the hospital the fall before her mother passed away. That meant that she was busy trying to take care of me, her parents, 7 other children (5 at home). I think that only now as a mother myself that I can truly appreciate all of the things that mom did for us, her children.

--Michelle