When you are going through the muck with illness, there is someone that doesn’t get the credit they deserve…your caretaker. In my case, this is Mike the Trainer, my hubby. Yes, yes, I’m sure you’re thinking, “here we go…a sappy post about your husband…no one cares,” and you are…right! Totally sappy post about my husband, and I’m just praying that someone cares. I know Mike will at least read this; I know he reads my posts because in my stocking this year he put in an Elf Lip Tint! Ain’t no way he knew what that was except from reading my post! This is example 1 of what makes my man, husband of the year.
Look- my husband married a lemon! I am a total lemon! When he got down on one knee, I was fine! I was totally fine (in terms of my health, at least…maybe on the little crazy side, but that’s part of my charm). The biggest health issue I had was a couple of foot surgeries…whoop-a-dee-doo! He proposed to me on 7-11-08, he married me on 6-6-09, we had a kiddo on 10-19-11, and then on 9-9-12 crap hit the fan! The day I started to itch which lead my doctors to find my tumor in my pancreas, which brought me to needing the Whipple procedure, which we THOUGHT was the end of my crazy health nonsense. Oh, were we so wrong about that!
I remember one night when we were home from the hospital after I had the Whipple, it was the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, and I had just gotten home on Monday. The doctors warned us that signs of problems were fever or vomiting…either situation not good. Well, I started feeling awful…couldn’t get comfortable in our bed…tried adding 800 pillows…still no luck…so Mike moves downstairs with me to the couch that reclines. (Side note- my brother in law was sleeping on another couch downstairs, and we tried to warn him that he might want to go upstairs since I wasn’t feeling good, but he declined and decided to stay. I warned you, Andy! But amazingly he slept through it ALL!) Any who, I get sick. Like real sick. Like, projectile, “holy cow a lot in our house had to be clean” sick. And in case you are curious, vomiting after you have had surgery on your innards is T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E! But the whole time Mike was right there; catching my yuck in a bowl. Cleaning up the floors. Somehow managing to not get sick himself. He calls my doctors; he takes care of everything. The doctors called me in a Rx that was only available at a 24 hour pharmacy because it was the early morning hours of Thanksgiving at this point. Oh! Great! It’s a holiday- Mike can sleep in after he races all over town to get my Rx. Nope. Mill Creek was in the football playoffs and had practice Thanksgiving morning. He got about zero hours of sleep all to take care of me, get things cleaned up, drive all over the place to get my meds, and still managed to fulfill his duties as the Athletic Trainer. And, I should include that he did not complain for one second that he was tired…or grossed out.
That’s the thing. Mike didn’t really sign up for this, but he doesn’t complain. When I’m tired from a chemo round he encourages me to lay down and rest, so I can have as much energy as possible later. He helps with the kids even after a full day of teaching and being in the training room. He works 2 full time jobs, so I can work half of one. He is the hardest working individual that I know, and he seems to love me unconditionally. Hmm…those vows really do mean something, right?! Crazy! We didn’t really think “through sickness and in health” would mean A LOT of sickness is coming in the next few years and heads up your wife might be on chemo from 2016 until forever…he still loves me though. He still looks after me. He still protects our family. He’s a good one, and he doesn’t get the credit that he deserves.
So, Mike the Trainer, who claimed (and I quote), “I’ll never get attached to anyone or anything in Georgia,” I’m so glad you had to eat crow and got attached to me! Thanks for choosing me! I promise to be the very best mom to our boys that I can be. I promise to be the very best wife that I can be. I promise to be the best version of myself that I can be. I promise to always strive to be your arm candy too…with beautiful lashes (if you read my last post)!
Love you, mean it!