Yousuf held his shirt up so a doctor, that we happen to know in our community, could take a look at his port-o-cath. He was rough housing a bit and banged it pretty hard on something. It looks red and hurts when it’s gently touched. Insha’Allah, it is just bruised a bit and will be fine but we won’t know for sure until they access him and try to get a blood return. One of the first questions the doctor asked was what his platelet count was. I quickly answered about 220, which was just taken on Wednesday. I ran through my head all the other numbers…hemoglobin 10.2 and ANC 1.0. Then I thought to myself wow, I wonder how many people know exactly the different blood levels are in their kids body. Something to look forward to:
…The day that I don’t have to memorize them.
Hearing the numbers one day and making the same face of confusion that everybody else always gives me.
Tickling Yousuf without being extra careful not to come across his port.
Not hearing Yousuf ask me which drug will it be this time and hear a 6 year old pronounce words like antibiotic and pentamidine.
The only harmful substance affecting his blood will be large amounts of candy or soda.
Not measuring the acceptability of a place or thing by the amount of germs that it carries.
Not hearing friends or family tell me they want to visit and giving me all the current health statuses on themselves and their kids to reassure me that it’s okay.
Yousuf favoring another book at bedtime other than “Little Critter goes to the Hospital”
Not having the Texas Children’s Hospital message playing in my head all the time that calls me every week saying, “Hello, this is Texas Children’s Hospital with a reminder to confirm an appointment for YOU…SEF, with your doctor on Wednesday at Texas Children’s Cancer Center on the 14th floor of the Clinical Care Center…then it repeats it again.
I look forward to hearing new common words like “cancer free” and “Long term survivor”. I also look forward to being on the other side of the waiting room. While other’s dazzle us with puppet shows, crafts, and performances I look forward to opportunities to making other sick children and their families smile through all the above and even more. Right now I’m a little too busy going through it myself but, while one day our cancer will be history, we will never be! We’ll just be on the other side waiting for our friends to join us.
MashaAllah, may those days come soon and last a lifetime. I and I dare say we (as a community) are so proud of you. SubhanAllah, human beings never know what they can do until Allah calls upon us to do it. Allahumma ishfee Yousef, Ya Rub!
ReplyDelete