The Mozena Family-Meet My Newest Branch of the Family Tree

Here are some of the siblings:
Kathleen, Dr. John, Joe, Peter, Dr. Rosaleen and Jim being silly

I've been the recipient of excellent medical care this week through my new extended Mozena family. In the fourth quarter of my life, I've had a few breakdowns in my body. Just the normal wear and tear of time taking its toll. But my feet are what have given me the most trouble. I've been an active person all my life. Raising my two children. Teaching elementary music which meant being on my feet most of the day.  I've also done lots of hiking and mountain climbing and my feet have paid the price. Well, maybe the high heels I used to love to wear too.

That's where the extended family comes in. It started with plantar fasciitis. Painful walking on my left foot. The trouble began just before our first real vacation together after Jim' retirement last Fall. My new brother in law, Dr. John Mozena took care of my foot woes. Happily for me, he's a podiatrist--one of the best in the state of Oregon and well within driving distance. He took x-rays and asked, "do your bunions give you much trouble?"

"Well, yes."

After more conversation and my plantar fasciitis getting better, together we determined I'd have surgery on the bunion. I won't go into medical detail about the surgery except to say I was blessed through  multiple Mozena family members. For example, when I checked into Dr. John's office, my new daughter in law, Kryston, checked me in. Jim's granddaughter (now mine, too), Kennedy, had a bright smile on her face as she breezily greeted us. An office assistant at the office, one of her first jobs after high school. My step daughter, Vicki, took down my health insurance information--she's the office manager. My stepson, Bryan a senior medical assistant, told me what to expect after surgery in a very professional manner.

Then for my final pre-op check before surgery, Dr. John checked in. "We'll take good care of you," he said, taking my hand.

"I know you will," I say.

The morning of surgery, in comes Dr. John to check on me, reassuring me again, things will go just fine. They did. I had excellent nursing care while in the Day Surgery Center. The nurses all told me Dr. Mozena was the best. Later that evening, he texted Jim to check in on me--I don't know if he does that for everyone with his large practice. Dr. Rosaleen Stone, the eldest sibling and a psychologist, gave me a call to check in on me too, with some good advice. Kathleen, the youngest sister, who worked for Dr. John in the past, also checked on me via email from California. If I needed crutches, I could have called my brother in law, Steven, who owns a home medical supply company. Jim's other brother, Joe is a pedorthist and could have helped me obtain the most therapeutic shoes for my condition. Lastly, Peter the oldest brother, could have provided excellent legal advice, if needed. Obviously, it wasn't. Mary, Jim's developmentally disabled sister,  prayed with me for my surgery when visiting her the day before. Even Kevin, my step son called to check on me that night.

My home instructions were to stay off my foot--with the exception of getting up for five minutes every hour. The rest of the time, I'm to be off of it, with my foot propped up above my heart.

We drove home later that day and my dear Jim--the most important Mozena family member--to me anyway, has been my caregiver. What a guy. Just dream of the best possible care you could receive: pillows fluffed, breakfast, lunch, and dinner on a tray with a little vase of flowers. Jim sorts out my medications and makes sure I take them on time. Brings me water. Assists me when I need to get up and makes sure I'm steady on my feet. He puts up with my somewhat grouchy frustration because I'm limited in what I can do.

Family. What would we do without them? I am so grateful for mine. And I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of the many others....and I do love my newest branch in my family tree.

My feet, long before their many decades of use and abuse