Being grateful

[ilovedogs]

A few weeks ago, one of ds' friends was diagnosed with leukemia and lymphoma. It's a very aggressive form of lymphoma called Burkitt's lymphoma and so he is already starting chemo round 2 at the end of this week, which will be very aggressive chemo, too. We've known this boy since he was 4 and I remember the first time ds started ticcing and we were at their house and I explained what the tics were to his friend. His friend just said, "What tics? I don't see anything." And, they went on to go play in his room. Ds had just started with tics and I was so worried and anxious about them and about how children would react so I was so grateful that this little boy didn't see what I saw.

 

I spoke to his mother last week and she started to cry. I told her how my sister had ALL(acute lymphocytic leukemia) when she was a child and how it brought our family closer together and I shared our experiences with her. She told me the boy has 2 nodules in his abdomen already from the lymphoma, how he is suffering through severe pain in his joints and needs to be in a wheelchair to get around, how he has migraines now from the chemo, how he slumps into a nap at 1 PM and sleeps for hours, etc. Her words to me were, "Bonnie, this is a child who hardly ever got a cold, never had the flu, has only been on antibiotics once in his life, and was perfectly healthy in September. How does this happen?" I said, "Carol, we can't think about HOW cancer happens. It just does. This very subject tormented my father when my sister was diagnosed. Focus on prayer, focus on enjoying the good moments he has from day to day, and focus on letting God heal him." It was then that I realized that I should heed my own advice, LOL! It's so easy to give advice, but much harder to listen to ourselves, isn't it? Anyway, my point in posting all this was to remind us that in the grand scheme of things; it could be worse for our children and that if we have good health, if we take care of our bodies to the best of our abilities, and if we love our families unconditionally; the rest must be left in God's hands. We cannot control everything that affects us and we have to trust Him at some point.

 

Praying for you all and hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving week next week!

 

Bonnie

[JTs-Mom]

Thank you for sharing this! I have moments when I really get down about my son's situation, but I always pull myself out of it by remembering that things could be sooooo much worse and that I need to be grateful that he is extremely functional and happy and enjoying life like any other 6 year old. I AM grateful! I'm so sorry for your friend and her son.

[patty]

That really put things in perspective for me, as i am stressing out over my son's minor OCD and worrying what will happen.

 

Thx for sharing the story and i pray for your friend & her son. I can't imagine the pain she is going thru watching her son suffering.

 

Pat

[JuliaFaith]

Thank you for your story. So sorry about your neighbor, will sends prayers that way.

 

Perspective, love, compassion, emphathy, the opportunity to learn from stressful situations, are all things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.