to W.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I just read your post and I sitting here with tears in my eyes too. You should

be so proud to have raised such a truly remarkably daughter. She has given you

a very special Wedding gift, just the two of you spending the day before the

wedding together. You will remember that day always, just as much as you

remember her Wedding Day. When I just read your e-mail it reminded me so much

of my daughter Wedding. She'll be married 5 years this June already.

Time sure does fly by. She wanted to get a Wedding Planner, but I told her no

way, because I being like you, always loved birthdays parties and graduations

parties to make them a special events that the girls will always remember. Well

we had 2 1/2 years to plan it and really that was too much time, because the

location and type of wedding changed many times. Well to get to the point, I

trying to make, I was in the hospital mid- march with a bad flare up of CP for

6 days and I realized that the wedding was only 12 weeks away. So things really

had to get in high gear. There was her shower, that I helped with, because my

other daughter was in charge of since she was the maid of honor plus many last

minute details. Well, for the next 12 weeks all I did was worry that I or her

grooms father (Who is disabled due to a bad heart, only 5% of his heart is

working) would end up in the hospital and miss the Wedding. His father was in

the hospital for their high school graduation and miss it and I knew how much

they were looking forward to the wedding too. I had my mind made up that I

would go even if I had to go in an Wheel Chair with IV " so on, that nothing was

going to keep me from her Wedding. I could not think of anything else than this

happening. I would even wake up at night worrying that it was happening Well,

everything went off perfect. With no one getting sick for the Wedding, shower

or Rehearsal. But then 2 weeks after the Wedding I ended up in the Hospital

with a bad spell of CP and was in there for 10 day. I was so out of it all I

did was laid there and cry because I was going to miss her Wedding. She showed

me her ring, that didn't work, she showed me the date on the calendar and I told

her they just made it up, so I would feel so bad for missing. Finally after 5

days in the hospital the photographer call and the proof were ready and that was

the best medicine I could have gotten to see me there with her at the church and

the reception with her in her Wedding Gown and me in my long gown and every

member of the Wedding Party in their gowns and tux, was truly amazing. I think

from that moment on I started to get better, to actually know I did make it to

the best day of her live and I was there for what turned out to be one of the

best days of my life too. It was a long day for us on her Wedding Day too, as

we had to be at the Hair Salon at 8:30 am and be out at the Mall at 10am for

our Makeover (Faces that is, which was so much fun and we had to be at the

Church to get Dressed at 11:30 so all her pictures with her bridesmaids could

start at 12:30 and that it was the groom's turn for his usher making sure he

didn't see her, was fun as someone had to keep check what part of the church he

was in at all times, so he would sneak a peek. Then she got nervous and had to

go to the bathroom and the only one was in the back of the church where everyone

was arriving. So we had to shut part of the doors off so no one would see her.

Her wedding was at 2 pm and we didn't leave the church until all her family and

other pictures were over. They the Wedding Party, no parents, went to the Park

to have lovely outdoor picture taken. Her reception was at 6pm. I got to the

place at 5:15 to make sure everything was in order, but the doors were locked

and everyone was in the kitchen. Then the Bartenders arrives and they finally

let us in. And everything was perfect. I had seen it Friday afternoon, but

everything was done yet. Well the reception was over at 10pm and by the time we

got out of the hall it was 11pm. Then we had to gather up the gifts and take

then to her new home and the leftover food. The next day, we all went to his

parents house for a picnic (because they have an above the ground pool) and had

the left over food. It was such a perfect day, as I'm sure your daughter will

be too. It was a very long day for me, but I was running on adrenalin , I

think. One think that did help with my daughter having to be at the church so

early, I knew some of the girls wouldn't have time to eat, before being at the

church so early, so I had my mother make ham salad and chicken salad sandwiches

and had fruit and soft drink for anyone who wanted them in the brides room.

Believe it was a live saver and all the girls really like the idea and this way

no one pass out from no eating. I had been to a Wedding a few years before and

one of the Bridesmaid almost fainted, and someone in the front row had to grab

her of she would have been on the floor. It seem that the girl hadn't eaten

anything since the night before. This is just a hint, as I can see you will

have a very long day too. When we finally got to bed after mid-night I was so

excited I could even sleep then. Somehow you will have the strength to get

through the long day. But your daughter is right by wanted you to rest and

having a girls day the Friday before she gets married. I wished my daughter and

I would have done that too. So rest up and stay out of the hospital and don't

worry about anything and let the Wedding Planner earn their keep.

I have had at least 2 mini strokes that they know of for sure, maybe a few more

their not sure of. The last one happen in July-august of 00. I didn't even

know what I was doing. All I wanted to do was sleep and everything around me

seemed to be moving in slow motion. I even went to the Football Hall of Frame

Game with many thousand of screaming fans and fell asleep. My husband just

through was my medicine and I had taken something the way I should of. Well, my

daughter finally noticed something was right and called it to my husband

attention and I had an appointment in August and my husband told my neurologist

how I was and he ran some test and the found out I have had another stroke. The

said it was the part of my brain that didn't control anything, so no long turn

damage was done, thank heavens. I have notice that my short term memory is very

bad and this week I told my neuro about it again, so now he and I have finally

decided to do something about it. He's sending me to a doctor that specialized

with memory problems. So take it easy and thank heavens you just had TIA's,

this is nature way of tell you to slow down, before the big one hit. It is

scary to have them. But you are right to realize that you have to take to easier

and slower than you use too. That's hard for us mother to do. But it's really

what I daughters want most from us-----is just to be there for them, the best

way we can, even if we can't do as much as we use to be able to do, at least we

are here for them. See you don't want to go Looney and have an attack and end

up in the hospital after your daughter Wedding, like I did. I hope this bring a

laugh to you. Dear , taking care of you and being there for your daughter

on her Wedding Day, will be the best gift you can give her. I do know if or

should I say when my other daughter ever get married, I will not be able to do

as much, but I will do the best I can since my health isn't what it use to be

either. What is so hard to do when your health is what we would like it to be,

is learning to take one day at a time. It has taken me many years to get to

this place, but it does help when your having a bad spell. Like I said in the

beginning of this very long and wordy post, you truly have an amazing and

wonderful and very considerate daughter.

By the way, when's the Wedding and what color are you wearing? I hope this

helps a little.

Take Care, dear Friend.

Louie in WV