Dumbledore shares with us the difference in perspective between mother and child on scan day.
Little Warrior, age 5, is very excited about tomorrow. She has tried on several outfits, discarding those with metal snaps or metallic glitter, trying to find just the perfect one for her outing. “I need to have a snack before I go to bed,” she reminds me. She’s giddy. She can’t wait. Tomorrow, she gets to go on “the donut ride.”
Looking through my eyes: tomorrow, we will get up at the insane hour of 5 am and drive down to the hospital where we have spent a significant amount of time and money over the last 5 years. Tomorrow, Little Warrior will be NPO – no food or drink. Tomorrow, Little Warrior has scans, and an echocardiogram. Tomorrow, she’ll have a needle jammed in her arm, and will have to drink 3 cups of contrast. Tomorrow is the first time she’s gone a whole 6 months between scans. Tomorrow, our lives could completely change. Again.
Looking through her eyes: tomorrow, we’ll get up early and drive to where she’s had a lot of fun, and see people she really likes, like Dr. M. She’ll get to drink 3 cups of Sprite, and watch tv, and then she gets to go on the “donut ride,” that slides back and forth. She’ll get lots of praise, and stickers, and probably even a little toy, because she’s so good at doing things like being still and holding her breath. And when they put the iv in, she’ll get to show them how she doesn’t even flinch! Doesn’t even say “ow!” And then we’ll go get a real donut, and chocolate milk. And then she gets to lie in the dark and watch the Disney channel while someone slides something across her chest. And THEN, we get to go to the cancer clinic, and sometimes there’s art people there! Or musicians! And all the nurses will talk about how much she’s grown. And she’ll get to see Dr. M, who will want to know about how’s she’s been. She’s so excited, she’s planning on sleeping in her shoes.
Cancer Parents, this is for you. We have so much to worry about. But you maybe can mark “crush her spirit,” or “make him fearful,” or “traumatize them,” off your list. This is their journey. And hopefully, they look at it with different eyes than we do.
We are happy to report that Little Warrior is still NED!
Wow, I just stumbled across this blog on Facebook from another Cancer Mom! Love it.
ReplyDeleteMy son Keegan just had a CT scan yesterday for his Neuroblastoma. He's 2. I will definetley say that I am by far the most anxious when it comes to scans! He is pretty easy going. Until it's IV time then he NORMALLY throws a tantrum. However, yesterday he was amazing. He only cried a tiny bit he wanted to watch everything they did and he was fascinated. He was as lively and goofy as he always is.
He's amazing. No crushing his spirits or traumatizing him either! (His CT looked good, now tomorrow we do his MIBG scan). He too thinks the hospital is a FUN place. He gets toys, he gets spoiled, he gets special treats, gets to ride the elevator and push the buttons, gets to play infront of all the windows in the lobby, gets to sit behind the big desk at clinic on his favorite nurses lap, gets TONS of chocolate milk after his scans. Gets to play with the HUGE Thomas the Train set at the clinic play room, and Mommy is his very own personal paparazzi. It's a day ALL about him. (And with having a 3 year old sister, and a twin brother, he likes having a day that is ALL about him LOL)
Great blog!!