Trip to Iowa

Mom and Grandma

Burst Cycle Studio

Bree and Aliyah

Stacie and Shelli

Burst Cycle Fan Club

My mom had been having some health issues for the past few months and tests revealed a fluid filled cyst measuring 7 inches x 5 inches. Yep, you read that right. It was that big and it was attached to her right ovary. Her doctor decided to remove it by doing a total hysterectomy. As a result, I ended up making a last minute trip to Iowa this weekend to help take care of my mom.

My mom came through her surgery quite well on Thursday and was discharged by noon the following day. She was exhausted following the surgery, but her pain was manageable. It ended up being a good weekend to come back to Iowa, as there was lots going on. Shelli and Stacie were having the Grand Opening of their new business, Burst Cycle on Friday evening. My mom was a trooper. She made it to the Grand Opening and stayed for nearly the entire three hours. We made sure she sat down, so she didn't push herself too much.

It ended up being a nice time to catch up with my family. My grandma, Mom, John, Bree, Aliyah, Shelli, Stacie, Patrick, my dad and Sue were all there. Ironically, I even bumped into my athletic trainer from high school, Jason Lewis. I hadn't seen him in about 19 years. I worked with him my junior year of high school following a really bad ankle sprain. It was fun telling him that he had inspired me to become a physical therapist. He is now one of the cycling instructors that my sisters hired. It's a small world!

On Saturday, I again spent the day with my mom. She didn't need much taking care of but we enjoyed each other's company. We went out for lunch together at Panera. Unfortunately, I locked my keys and phone in the car while we were there. Ugh! Thankfully we have roadside assistance and they were there within 20 minutes to set us on our way again. I got inspired to help my mom clean out her kitchen drawers and cabinets. We made some excellent progress. I love organizing things! Maybe I can tackle the rest at Christmas?

I also managed to throw together a birthday party in honor of Bree's 29th birthday. Grandma made chimichangas and I made the dessert. It was a fun weekend of catching up with my family. I'm so thankful my mom is doing well. All the results came back and it wasn't malignant. Praise God!