I know how to save up energy and smile through pain so I can volunteer with kids, and then go home and recuperate for a day or two. As my pain level increases and energy level decreases, I have to choose when to use the energy I have. As we face another daddy deployment, I will have to make even more difficult decisions on when to use and when to conserve energy. One decision that I am fighting is the increased use of my wheel chair. Ive fought this because it feels like I am regressing. But, with my chair I can coach indoor sports and volunteer at book fairs and santas secret shop and tasting Tuesdays without my legs screaming in pain. My husband and daughter might even get a hot meal those nights, lol. So, if your kiddos have questions about Bellas mommy aka Mrs./Coach Huggins aka Miss Maria, here are some of the answers. (And I always welcome questions and am happy to answer them directly.) The issues with my legs are the result of a spinal cord injury incurred during an operation to remove a brain tumor. They did not get all of the tumor and it is slowly growing, but it is benign. I cannot feel or control parts of my body from the waist down. (For example, I broke my foot on the way in to basketball practice last year and didnt realize it for a few days and a few x rays later.) I can walk without any assistive devices including my braces, canes, and walker, but less assistance equals more pain, more danger, and less endurance. (No, Im not faking it.) It is possible that I will continue to gain more feeling as time goes on. It is possible that the growing tumor will affect my vision and memory. It is not possible that I wont want to volunteer. I love helping kids. I love coaching the kids who are scared to step on the court or run the wrong way or just stand there and refuse to move on their first day. I get excited during games and practices. I get excited when I loan a kid fifteen cents so he can afford the book he really wants or the gift he knows his mom will love. I get to laugh when kids taste something new and spit it out or are surprised that it tastes good and beg for more. So, let your kiddos know, I will still be around, but if Im having a rough day or conserving energy, I might be more on their eye level.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 20:31:27 +0000
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