DAPHNE OSEÑA-PAEZ ON MOM ROSE OSEÑA
Every year on Mother’s Day, I post a tribute about my mom, Rose on Instagram. This year I posted a photo of her doing tai chi on a ship taken during her 2016 cruise in Halong Bay with my dad. The photo captures her spirit. She’s the only one in bright pink in a sea of dark neutrals. Her face is distorted but her natural beauty still radiates. She is exhibiting flexibility and enjoying her mobility and freedom to travel even in her 70s.
What I didn’t mention when I posted that, was that my mom was in the hospital just regaining her consciousness after having an emergency triple bypass heart surgery. Last week my mom had a heart attack and didn’t know she was having one. She didn’t feel any symptoms. She woke up with a backache thinking it was her arthritis. Her blood pressure was very high. My dad insisted on bringing her to the hospital. Within 24 hours she had an angiogram and was lined up for beating-heart surgery. My mother has had Type 2 diabetes for over 30 years. With some diabetics, they do not feel the typical symptoms of a heart attack (shortness of breath and tightness of the chest). She had a silent heart attack. It was a good thing my dad brought her to a medical facility right away.
This incident is a reminder of all that she preaches, and her unwavering faith in God. Five days after her surgery, my mom was sent home. She is walking and back to her daily routine —slower but gradually improving. She is our Wonder Woman, the one with the brave heart. On this Mother’s Day, I pray for my mom’s total restoration. And I practice what she always tells us—to count our blessings and be happy with the decisions and choices we make. I can’t wait to see her doing tai chi again soon.