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The Same Dilemma
Austin had another GFR today, the kidney function test we’ve been using to dose-adjust his chemo. As you may remember, his last results were a pretty dismal 34. If it dips below 15, he will begin thrice-weekly hemo-dialysis. This will necessitate another surgery, almost immediately, to place a dialysis catheter in his right sub-clavicle vein. […]
Like Running a Marathon
On July 31, 2007, our very first night on the pediatric oncology floor, our pediatrician came to visit with me and Mark to help prepare us for what lay ahead. He described the journey we were about to embark on as a marathon, one we had not trained for (except that we’d been training since […]
Rain
It’s been raining today. Cold, windy rain. As I walked each boy into his respective school this morning, the other parents and I all grumbled good-naturedly to each other: “Yuck,” “Cold,” “Gotta love springtime in Cleveland.” And then I got in the car and caught a snippet on NPR about the documentary Music by Prudence. This […]
For the Moms
Here is the latest video from Kelly Corrigan: the thank you note that moms really want and really deserve from their children on Mother’s Day. Of course, few of us will ever hear such words pass our kids’ lips (or at least not until they have children of their own!), but we can at least […]
Never-ending
I don’t use that word lightly. I’m not just exaggerating or whining about how long our days and weeks and months have become. No, I really mean it: I can’t clearly see an ending. This blood pressure issue, while a minor sideshow to the grand drama of Austin’s cancer, is one of those sneaky things […]
Home
We are home. Finally, at about 9:30 tonight, as I lay in bed with Braedan, we heard Mark’s car pull up the driveway and off he ran, out of bed and down the stairs to greet his brother at the back door. Amazing how many homecomings the little man has had in his short life. […]
The Wrong Side of the Window
My mom liked when I used that phrase the other day and suggested it might be a good title for the book (whenever I get around to reconfiguring it). It does seem to be fitting. A little too fitting, if you ask me. We went in this morning for platelets, thinking we’d be there for […]
No Answer
I completely acknowledge the fact that my weeds in the garden analogy fails to even attempt to answer Austin’s primary question: Why do children get cancer? I have no answer for that one, other than the unsatisfying response I give Braedan every time he asks it: Bad luck. “Bad luck” is simply the best I can […]
Weeds
I’m taking a much-needed break after several hours of hard digging in my yard, so I figured I’d tell you about the conversation I had with the boys last night. The three of us were lying in bed in the dark, having just finished our bedtime stories (the very best time for talking), when Austin […]