Results tagged “Nancy O'Dell” from Access Hollywood

Well, surgery on my knee is done and over with and it went well!  I am so happy as I am ready to start rehabbing my knee and get it back to normal!

I had the surgery done Friday arthroscopically. The surgeon and anethesiologist gave me the choice of going under or getting a block from the waist down. I chose the block, so I was actually awake for the surgery and got to watch it on the monitor. I didn't think I would like it as I can't even watch blood getting drawn. But because it was on a monitor and I never looked down at my actual knee, it was pretty cool.

The past couple of days have been odd ones to say the least. I feel like I'm having some sort of out of body experience. I am used to covering "Dancing With the Stars," not actually being the one in the story. I am so beyond disappointed that I won't be able to continue on the show. Tony Dovolani, my dance partner, and I have been working our you-know-whats off for the past month. So, even though I am definitely putting the situation into perspective, I cannot deny I am completely bummed out. When you have been practicing non-stop (we averaged 5-6 hours a day for almost four weeks straight), it is tough to throw all that hard work out the window. As many of you have read by now, I tore my meniscus in my knee in two places, and I have to have surgery to fix it.

I can't tell you the countless number of times I have sat down to write this blog. But every time, I either start tearing up or I feel I won't be able to come up with words good enough.
 
The holidays bring out so many emotions and feelings. I was recently asked by my hometown newspaper, the Sun News in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to tell them about my most memorable Christmas for an article they were doing. I chose last year. Here is what I wrote:
 
"Being with my family during the holidays has always been my first priority. We've had many wonderful Christmases throughout the years, but last year was especially poignant. It was the first Christmas with my beautiful baby girl, Ashby, and the last Christmas with my wonderful mother. It made me realize just how much those times and memories with your family should always be treasured and should never be taken for granted. Last Christmas, my mom had recently been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). So while it was a very tough Christmas for all of us, the time I spent with her was truly precious and memorable. And as it was Ashby's first Christmas, I was so grateful that my mom got to meet her and they got to spend time together as grandmother and granddaughter during the Christmas season. My mom passed away this June, but she already gave me the biggest gift for which anyone could hope... she showed me how to be a great mother. If I can be just half the mother my mom was to me, I will be a great one. And I know she will be watching over us this year as a Christmas angel."
 
I tried to keep in mind this Christmas what I had written about times and memories always being treasured and never taken for granted. I knew I would have to draw upon those words during this holiday season, as it would be an emotional one for us being the first one without my mom.
 
So there we were Christmas Day having dinner when "Ave Maria" started playing on our CD player. That was one of my mom's favorite songs. I had to excuse myself from the dinner table because the song made me think of Mom and how I miss her so very much... and the tears started coming. My husband followed me into the living room to comfort me. I told him how it just didn't feel right to not have Mom there... that there was such a void and loneliness to the air.