Jen

[Guest guest]

Jen,

I'm glad my post touched you. In case you can't tell, I adore both my daughter

and her fiance. It sounds to me like Brad is definitely a keeper. Geez, I

can't imagine having to deal with cp in my younger years. I'm not that old at

43, but at least I was fortunate enough to not have problems with pancreatitis

until Nikki was a senior in high school. However, I was diagnosed with lupus

when Nikki was only 14. There were times for many years that I had to spend the

entire weekend resting just so I could make it through the week at work. I was

afraid Nikki would be resentful of me because it seemed I was always having one

surgery or another or else I was just so tired that we didn't always get to do

what I would have liked to do.

However, shortly after she went to college, she brought me the most awesome card

telling me how she didn't know how I managed to hang in there in spite of all my

health issues. She told me that she hoped that she would one day be even half

as good a mother to her children as I was a mother for her. Boy, talk about a

pot of gold. Those words meant more to me than all the gold in China! I share

that with you and any others who may have young children and feel that they are

being deprived because you have health problems. It is true, they may miss out

on a few things because you simply are not able to do all you would like to do.

However, instead of being resentful, seeing me face numerous health issues (and

facing them herself) has made my daughter a much more caring and compassionate

person. I have no doubt that despite any hurdles she faces, she will be at

least twice as wonderful a mother to her children as I was for her. I'm sure

the same is true for any of you who have children still at home or who have them

in the future.

Jen, you are a lucky woman to have Brad by your side, but I have a feeling he's

a very lucky man, too.

take care,