"Life Isn't Easy"
March 17, 2008

They say "life isn't easy". Now I can testify just how fragile we are with no certainty of tomorrow, not even the next hour. I hate to rain on many parades and even bring these news in the midst of much to celebrate, it is the Road to Wrestlemania after all, but my life has not been easy.

On February 14th, 2008, I was ready to celebrate a great Valentine's night with my wife, but plans quickly changed when we found out mom had an aneurism. That night had to be the most horrifying. They gave her 2 days to live. They said the bleeding was too deep. They said she would not live past the weekend.

We stayed strong and rather than crumbling into peaces, my sisters and I decided to take her to another hospital. There, by 11 PM, the doctors decided they could operate. The chances of her surviving the operation was 20% and even then, even if she survived, they simply could not guarantee any type of recovery. Not even a little, not even a blink of an eye.

"She may be paralyzed" - they said.

Mom went under the knife that same night. They removed the right bone flap of the cranium so the brain could expand. This was done to remove the pressure. The operation was a success at 3:30 AM that Friday morning. The brain was not as swollen as the doctors had expected.

Soon she started moving her right arm and even her feet. These were great news for us! That weekend was not her last and she defied science and survived the operation. But this meant she may not move the left side, the doctors suggested. Behold, she moved the left side soon after! She may be paralyzed from the waist down, they implied...not the case at all as mom moved her toes!

This was all great news for us as we shared our experiences with other people in the waiting room. Similar experiences but slightly different. People ages, 27, 31, 45, and our mother (47). Young people, having aneurisms and strokes. Young people with whole lives ahead of them. The waiting room was multi cultural and we all rejoiced in all of our respective family member's improvements.

Mom spent a whole week after that where she was not moving much, if at all. This was disheartening to us. We have been taking turns at the hospital staying over night since the incident took place. Mom has opened her left eye and responds to us by nodding her head to say "yes". Just yesterday she grabbed a pen and attempted to draw a heart. You've probably seen better hearts drawn by toddlers, but this was the most beautiful one I've ever seen.

She has had several procedures done to her in order to help her recuperation, she still doesn't speak, but we await her recovery no matter how long it takes. Praise the Lord she has now been alive 3 weeks past the original diagnosis. God has heard our prayers and is healing her in His holy time. It is going to be a long road to recovery but mom is alive. She is getting better.

I see life in a new light. God has granted our mother to remain with us. But how many nights have I spent doing other things, not really giving my loved ones any time at all? Indeed, just like wrestlers get buried when they get no TV time, we too burry our loved ones when we give them no time.

Just sharing my thoughts, my life and let you know just how wonderful God is...He heard my prayers and the wife and I wanted to let you guys know. Please keep us in your prayers and please continue to enjoy the product, but don't allow it to consume your time so much that the people you "love" get nothing from you. I will update you on her condition later. But my wrestling watching days are up in the air right now as I have NO time to sit and watch Raw, Smackdown, let alone TNA. My family takes priority here. I rather be with them. Until next time...

God is good.

Oscar A. Rodriguez

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