Role Changes.

My poor mom has been essentially incapacitated by pain for the 18 months. She FINALLY got a diagnosis -- after months of tests with normal results, knowing things were definitely not normal -- which required surgery. Well, given that she is the worst surgery recoverer EVER, it actually required two surgeries: one to fix the pain, and one to fix the first surgery's complications.

The second surgery was unexpected and delayed her recovery unexpectedly. As a result, I am out in Colorado for the longest span that I've been since I was in college. My job has to be a mix of trainer, court jester, and care taker. The former has come naturally. My parents have called me Ilsa for years, making fun of my attempts to force them into exercise. However, in past years, my mom has come around on exercise and actually enjoys the challenge getting back in shape now through walks and light exercise while she recovers.

The latter two roles have been less natural. My mom is far enough in her recovery that she can do stuff again. But, she has a neck brace and a wrist brace, or just one functioning limb from the waist up. So, its been a touch of a role reversal and regression for us. I learned how to zip my mom's jacket (proof positive I don't have kids -- my mom tells me that I will spend my child's first seven years zipping jackets) and tie her shoes.

To play court jester, I have reached deep. I started simple: reading Trivial Pursuit questions in the doctor's waiting room. I seriously stepped it up with my sock puppet show about hijinks between the sad hospital sock and the fun polka dot sock. Today, while waiting in my family doctor's waiting room, I read my mom The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

I think that book is fitting. My mom's cocoon is her braces. Once the braces are off, she will emerge a beautiful butterfly with her life back, footloose and pain-free.