Grandma, why are you wearing yellow make-up?

My mom, as some of you may be well aware, has had issues with her liver for several years now. She is a woman who never stops... she is always go go go. To know her, you would never know she has a disease that could potentially cause cancer in her liver. She does not complain. She had problems with her colon from the time she was 18, which eventually led to an operation where they replaced her colon with part of her small intestine. All those years she had a diseased colon, the same disease was attacking her liver, which led to her current condition.

Lately she has been extremely yellow. Her skin looks like she rubbed fake tan lotion on her face. The whites of her eyes are bright yellow. Her hands and feet swelled up the other day. So she called the doctor and they took her blood only to find that her bilirubin count was up to 19 (a normal person would be at 0). For any of you who have had a baby with Jaundice, you would be familiar with that term. She basically has jaundice. What is so scary is that her liver is failing. The toxins are being released through her body and her other organs are working overtime to try to compensate for the lack of liver function.

So, right now Reagan and Dakota are camping with my mom and dad. I spoke with my mom yesterday and she told me that Dakota looked at her and asked her why she put on yellow make-up. She went on to tell her how yellow her eyes are. My mom mentioned that the tone in Dakota's voice made it sound like she said- You look horrible with yellow make-up on, why would you choose to put on yellow make-up?

My mom is a woman with incredible faith. There are times I am scared of her dying, there are times I have cried. And then there are times when my soul is comforted and I know that no matter the outcome, everything will be as it should, and I will be alright. I must admit the thought of losing my mother brings such intense anguish to my heart. She is my friend, my confidant. When I am feeling down she gives me a boost. When I am frustrated beyond belief, she calms me down. She has a way of speaking to me that gets me thinking clearly. I always know at the end of the day, no matter what, my mother loves me. She thinks I am wonderful, even when I have doubts as to who I am. She told me one day that I was a good mother. She actually told me she was so impressed with the way I handle my children, and she was pleased with the way I parent my kids. I just looked at her and said, "Well, I learned how to be a mom by watching you." I owe all that I am today at the love she gave me and still gives me. I am a blessed woman to have a mother who is not only my mom, but she is my friend.

So, I am asking a favor to all of you reading this, to pray for her. I don't know what is in store for her. I know they have now put her on a waiting list for a liver transplant, but until then, we have been informed she is going to be feeling very ill.