Leaving the Clinic

With the infusions not working, we packed our things and prepared to move back to the hotel. A couple days ago Yolanda, the woman who cleaned our clinic room, came in and Mom and I tried to give her a tip. She seemed nervous and said something really fast that I couldn't make out. We thought maybe she would get in trouble if she took it. The only word I could make out was Lunes (Monday).
So, here it is...Monday. I handed her the tip and she still didn't want to take it. Are you sure? She kept asking in Spanish. She was touched. About 30 min later she came back. She gave me a big hug. Then she walked over to Mom's bed. She placed something in Mom's hands and then clasped them gently in her own and said something to her. I wish I knew what she had said. Even in another language I could tell it was something incredibly powerful and heartfelt. She kissed Mom on the head and walked out of the room. When Mom opened her hand she found this...

She was so touched that she started crying, then I started crying. Love and compassion crosses all boundaries and negates all social, lingual, and racial barriers. Thank you so much to everyone at the Ave clinic. We will never forget Yolanda, Rolando, Dr. Balli, or Adriana.

Mom and Dr. Balli

Rolando giving Mom her medicine

Back at the hotel, we tried to grab a bite for dinner, but just as our entrees were set down, Mom began to cry. She said she was sad that she was in so much pain. I asked her why she was sad..."Wednesday will be the first day of the rest of your life! You can cry because you're in pain, but don't cry because you're sad. Sad crying is for people who have lost all hope. Be ecstatic that you are getting your life back this week!" We immediately got the check and to go boxes and rushed back to the room. I texted Dr. Cantu that I thought Mom's pain pump must be out of medication and that she was in excruciating pain. When he arrived and looked at the pump he looked up at me and said "The valve is closed." Boy did I feel like a moron. I just knew that mom had opened the valve and didn't even bother to check it. He said it needed to be refilled anyways, which made me feel a little better.