*Written Saturday, December 21st*
Last night, I was asking my mama if she wanted to go to Panera with me this morning in a nonchalant manner. I had received a text from my aunt Debbie yesterday asking me if she could get mama and I to come to a surprise early get together for my mom's birthday which is on Christmas. My aunties would all be there and I thought it was the greatest idea! I loved her so much for thinking of that! I want mama to be surprised and loved and appreciated and more because all that she does for me, she deserves something for herself, something about her, and for her ..for a change. I was so excited about the plan. Everyone was going to get there before 9:00 and we were supposed to get there at 9:00.
So last night, mama was telling me she was going to drop off a learn to tap DVD to the receptionist at her doctor's office because this lady, Debbie, wanted to give it to her niece for Christmas. She told me she wanted to get there at 8:00, before patients would be coming in. I thought 'Perfect.' So I dove in with the plan. Mama loved the idea but said we could do it a different day since I had a very eventful last two days and we had it scheduled that I would relax today and have no plans. I told her I just missed Panera and going there with her and how I love our mama daughter relaxing time we would have there and at The Originial Pancake House. She kept asking, "Are you sure?" and I would find a bunch of reasons why we (literally) needed to go.
It was well played out by me, I must say. Normally she is always onto things I have up my sleeve but I just told her I had obviously been waking up WAY too late and needed to get back onto a normal morning schedule so that my daily homeopathic program wouldn't get all crammed, leaving me to have to stay up late to finish the daily regimen. Then I said, "Something else I can't remember made me want to go there". She asked if it was because I had given my 4 therapists at Mercy Healthplex a gift card to Panera the day before, my last therapy before Christmas. "Yes. That is exactly it. Thank you for remembering :)" When she said she didn't like the one 3 minutes from our house because there was always a burnt smell in there I thought 'Perfect!!!' again because that was not the location we were supposed to go to. She said we would have to go to the Tylersville location, 10 minutes from our house. I had a panic moment inside but showed no outward panic and said that we should go to the Deerfield location, 20 minutes from our house because (that's where her surprise was) and because there was a lot of shopping around there and just incase we needed to get any last Christmas presents. She decided that would be a good location to go to because then, she could fill up our gallon containers with more water at Whole Foods (A task that always has to be done frequently because I can only have distilled water on this program [I have to cook with it too and it's used for my teas, 3x a day as well] + I have to drink a minimum of 75 ounces of water each day.. not that that's any different from before this program because the Dantrolene that i'm on that saved my life and took me out of unimaginable severe pain from my stiffness, would kill my liver if I don't flush it with a lot of water based off the dosage I take of it. I have to get blood draws every few months to make sure it's doing okay and it has been just fine) So, it was a plan but I was secretly thinking 'You're not going to have enough time to fill them up, take me home, and then to work after your surprise that you don't know about yet!' I was so ecstatic. Things went well last night and she wasn't onto me, and I was so excited to see her reaction when she'd wheel me in to Panera and see all her sisters there for her. And I thought it was funny, little did she know, she'd be seeing two Debbies the next morning.
I forgot to set my alarm but I knew mama would wake me, and she did. She figured I hadn't and wanted to double check that I still wanted to do this. She wanted me to keep on sleeping. I popped up and started my homeopathic regimen right away. When that was finished, I walkered to the bathroom, changed my clothes, brushed my teeth and I was ready upstairs. I hopped down the stairs, walkered to the kitchen to get one of my millet grain cinnamon raisin bagels because mama was going to get a bagel at Panera and we'd both have bagels to have together :) mine was just gluten free. She was in disbelief that I had gotten ready that fast. I drawl out my morning meds and homeopathic things since I don't want to do them and getting ready for therapy is not something I want to be doing, so I told her the latter and besides, this morning was different. Plus, I had to redeem myself to her that I could be ready faster/on time since I'm bad at that being disabled and underestimating the extra time I need to get ready. You would think being disabled for 2 years, I'd have a good grasp on that but nope. Yesterday, she was mad that I was distracted by other things and put off getting ready for the SDA Studios Nutcracker all day and she thought I was going to make us late, but we weren't :) I still needed to improve, and this morning I definitely did and made her proud. Since we keep my bagels in the freezer, they're a bit hard to slice and mama's paranoid that I'm going to cut myself when I slice them and she's faster at doing it anyway. Once she got started (I had looked at my phone when I landed downstairs and realized we were running a bit behind schedule), I kept telling her "Mama, I can do it! Go put your makeup on". Realizing I was sounding a bit weird and unnecessarily rushy, I laid off and was chill with things again. Her sisters would be able to wait for the birthday princess if it meant me not getting her clued into a surprise. I popped the slices in the toaster, mama got a bag to put it in and then she went to put her makeup on. She had my supplements already in the car, she grabbed my tea and put it in a bag with my bagel and I walkered out to the car and waited for mama to come out. While upstairs in my bathroom, I heard her leaving a voicemail for receptionist Debbie that she had the DVD she wanted to give her, so to call her back when she got a chance. When I asked her about it, she said she'd be able to drop it off after our breakfast date because she knows she always goes in early, but wasn't there to answer her call, so she'd wait for a call back or she could always drop it off on Monday. 'Good, because we don't have time for that Debbie' I was in the backseat, my back against the door, my legs stretched out on the seats.. the only way I fit in a car. I started to text my aunt Debbie that we were about to leave and were running a bit late.
We get to Panera and we're not really late at all. A gentleman opens and holds the doors for us as mama wheels me in. I see my Aunt Debbie. I'll let the videos take over for me now.
The parts that were missing between these videos was that I was talking to my aunt Debbie about who was expected to be coming. My mom came around from where you order and had miss Deborah Smith with her and saying, "Look who else is here!" I thought it was so cool that she happened to be there and it was so great to see her again. She offered that we come sit with her. Inside there was panic again as I thought, 'If we go elsewhere, aunties won't see where we are when they come to surprise mama.' Miss Deborah wheeled me back to her booth and on the way I whispered back to her, "My mom's being surprised by her sisters, so we may need to use this big table when they come." .. "Oh, we're having a double pow?!" We get to the booth and Avery is sitting there! After our little reunion, I said I liked the Pillow Pet beside her! It didn't even occur to me that it was sitting atop a wide American Eagle bag filled to the very top with things, reaching from the booth seat to the top of the table (and for some reason I didn't find that odd that they would have all these in Panera. I was still in my mom's surprise mindset) Then, there was just so much confusion for me as they were switching the story on me and handing me the Pillow Pet at the same time..
Avery and I both had the same idea. I recorded when my mom "was being surprised" and Avery was secretly recording me when I was being surprised. Miss Deborah Smith (Coach Smith) and her daugther Avery with the Kings Dance Team pulled through for me again. They all came to the Dystance4Dystonia Cincinnati Zoo Walk in my honor as Team Kayla and then Coach Smith framed a picture of us all together and I cherish it so much. I can't wait until I can put it on the wall of wherever I live in the future. This was completely unexpected and in all, I got 6 presents from them! A Bengals Pillow Pet <3, a Lightning Cable to charge my phone (perfect because my 3rd replacement is almost too kinked to work right), a Bengals phone case!!!, A sequin Bengals hat from VS Pink, An AJ Green jersey! (finally now have a current Bengals jersey ..Ochocinco no mo!), and a Rex Burkhead autographed NFL football!!!!!!! <3 <3 <3. The Rex football pulled at my heart and I was in disbelief. I'm connected to him through my best friend Catie McKee down in Texas who has both Dystonia and auto-immune diseases just like her boo :) She went to high school with him. She texted me this summer telling me about their connection and saying he was drafted to the Bengals and I've been hyped and a sucker ever since! He signed her yearbook and he signed my football so we both have his signature :) Can't wait until he takes the reins as the main running back for the Bengals! REX! One of the dance team girl's dad is a videographer and knows all the Bengals players so that's how they got the signature! THANK YOU DOLL!
Mama still got an early birthday/Christmas gift from miss Deborah as well. A Starbucks gift card and a stuffed mug wrapped collection. She also got a healthy Kroger gift card that she said will pay for half of my medication next month. My aunt Debbie said she wanted to be adopted hahah :D
Not only would mama have seen two Deborah's this morning but she would have three Deborah's!
THAT IS, IF DOCTORS OFFICES WERE OPEN ON SATURDAYS! Lololol that went
right past me.
Miss Deborah knows how much of a fanatic I am of the Bengals through my statuses and how much I like Rex. She wanted to get me something for Christmas so she consulted my mama and after getting ideas and hearing the fact that I'm just getting a manual wheelchair and plane tickets for both mama and myself for my 1st best friend and main squeeze Mandie's wedding in the summer, I won't get a Christmas exactly. Coach Smith was my Santa angel and we have a HAPPY, THRILLED, SATISFIED KAYLA who does not know how to pay her or the dance team back :( They are so loving and giving that it's just too much for me to process. My mom didn't even imagine the extent that they would take this and how generous they would be! She merely gave a suggestion of a jersey.
Christmas, for me, is focused on giving and not so much receiving but now that the money in my bank has shrunk down so low, I can't give like I used to. I can only give by me being me for the time being. I have been wanting no presents last and this Christmas because of how much my parents have helped me out--it is so unnecessary and therefore appropriate for me to not wish for more other than an improved condition. I just know that I am so blessed and loved regardless what happens.
"You know what I miss the most? Being carefree."
- Katy A. diagnosed with cancer 2 years ago
Same.
"If only for a second"
These cancer patients were made up and put before a mirror and then opened their eyes while a photographer took a picture of them being completely carefree, surprised, full of joy and forgetting about their conditions.
That's exactly how I felt this morning.
These are the moments you treasure forever and thank God for.
How your customers can come back and help you beyond reasonable means is over my head, but I am undoubtedly fortunate and grateful. Merry Christmas Miss Deborah, Avery, and the Kings Dance Team! May Santa be bountiful with gifts for your heartfelt and tender care and gestures this year.
WHO DEY!
Nia welcomed the pillow pet by sniffing under it's tail lolll. Have to sniff the butt of new friends especially when they're the same exact size as you except plumper and has the capability to un-velcro out into a pillow! Nia's my pillow anyway haha. She goes up to it parallel and kisses it's nose. Here's she's giving it perpendicular kisses :) <3
This was all so overwhelming and exciting that it wore the heck out of me and I had to take a nap. I fell asleep at about 12 & woke up at 5:30 probably because Nia pounces up onto my bed on the regular :D Got basically a whole night's sleep from shock haha.
Okay, I'm finally finished :) Sorry!
