My Sweet Republican Dad

My sweet Republican dad and Democrat mom sent me this picture before I took the stage to speak in Helena this past weekend! My mom is still in rehab at St. John's United (fingers crossed she will be released tomorrow). That she put lipstick on for the picture speaks VOLUMES as to how much my mom has recovered. She is still pretty weak, but getting stronger every day. On September 17th my mom suffered the compression and break of 3 vertebrae from spinal disease. She spent 40 days in the hospital and rehab. Then on the evening of February 4th she was rushed to the hospital by ambulance again with the doctors thinking she was experiencing internal bleeding. Many tests were done, but no internal bleeding was found. However, it was discovered that she had had a heart attack. Unfortunately, this wasn't discovered until after she had received too much fluid in the hospital which led to a second heart event. Thankfully, the heart issues were discovered in time and could be addressed through rehab at St. John's United. The nurses, OT and RT, case manager, CNAs, and all of the staff at St. John's have been extraordinary. We are so grateful for the care they have provided my mom. This has been a long, hard journey for all of us and we have learned more than we ever imagined about the good and bad of the current healthcare system, especially for the elderly. 

Today, we are grateful for the good, grateful for what we have learned from the bad, and grateful for ALL of the amazing professionals in our healthcare and first responder system. 

Thank you. We are truly grateful.