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Happy birthday Kaileb Patrick Stratton!

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Irem Women’s Auxiliary plan card party

<p>You&#8217;re never too old to need Mom.</p><p>About two months ago, I sat in Dr. Barry J. Pernikoff&#8217;s office about to schedule surgery. I needed a sigmoidectomy; diverticulitis had plagued part of my intestine for a few years and Dr. Pernikoff and I decided it was time to get rid of the infected area. It was a major procedure, although minimally invasive, that would have me in the hospital for about a week and recovering for quite some time.</p><p>My mom has mostly, OK, always made appointments for me. She never minded calling the eye doctor or the dentist as long as I told her my availability. This time, however, I was on my own. March 30 was the date. I called my parents to let them know.</p><p>They&#8217;d be on vacation at the time, but I figured I could check myself into the hospital and, by the time I was discharged, they&#8217;d be around to help.</p><p>As I recited my plan out loud over the phone, fear began to creep into my thoughts. When I hung up, tears flowed.</p><p>&#8216;I can&#8217;t go through this by myself &#8212; it&#8217;s major surgery.&#8217;</p><p>I called my mom right back: &#8220;So, what do you think of me pushing it back a week?&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;That&#8217;d be a great idea,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I was thinking I was going to have to cancel our trip.&#8221;</p><p>Great, guilt on top of surgery.</p><p>I knew that Mom wouldn&#8217;t be able to enjoy herself if she was hundreds of miles away while her daughter was under the knife.</p><p>Deep down, I knew I wouldn&#8217;t be able to do this by myself. I needed Mom with me.</p><p>Operation date rolled around and, before the sun had fully risen, my mom and dad were with me and the nurses, walking to the operating room.</p><p>A few hours later, in a lot of pain and a morphine-induced stupor, I heard my mom suggest to my dad they return later when I wasn&#8217;t in so much pain.</p><p>Mom was there every day of the seven days of my hospital stay.</p><p>She put her life on hold for an additional week to help me when I went home.</p><p>It was (mostly) great having her around. She made me breakfast, lunch and dinner.</p><p>She also made me get out of the house and walk around the block even though the center of my body was a swollen, hurt-filled mess. Sometimes, it hurt to even blink.</p><p>She&#8217;d make me sit out in the sun &#8220;for your Vitamin D&#8221; and she wouldn&#8217;t let me lay in bed all day.</p><p>She&#8217;d also convince me that my 3-inch incision wasn&#8217;t, in fact, ripping open.</p><p>Aside from all those Mom-esque things, we watched a few trashy shows on television. Well, she scolded me for watching &#8220;My Crazy Ex&#8221; and refused to watch it with me.</p><p>We talked.</p><p>We laughed.</p><p>When it was time for her to leave, I panicked.</p><p>She wasn&#8217;t in the car more than 30 minutes when I sent about 10 text messages of possible ailments from which I might be suffering.</p><p>Her response (3 hours later): &#8220;Home safe and sound. Having a drink with Dad on the deck.&#8221;</p><p>I guess that&#8217;s subtle for &#8220;Stop worrying. You&#8217;ll be fine.&#8221;</p><p>I was, and I will be.</p><p>But without love and care from my mom, all my life, who knows?</p><p>Happy Mother&#8217;s Day to my mom and to every other mother whose children will always need them.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Beyond the Byline</p><p>Sarah Haase</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Sarah Haase is the Times Leader&#8217;s arts and entertainment editor. Reach her at shaase@www.timesleader.com.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Beyond the Byline: You’re never too old to need your mom