Saturday, May 18, 2019

OH, HAPPY DAYS!!!


It was a week to the day, eight days in all and each one was filled with anticipation of the worst possible scenario we could imagine. Sitting day after day in the hospital room wondering what lay in store for my poor daughter occupied my mind.

Having a friend of mine from high school lose his daughter to cystic fibrosis and the ensuing funeral weighted heavily in my heart and soul, the devastation that leaves the landscape of a parents life shattered, burning, and hurtful scared me, as I sat in the church and watched the rituals for the dead, imagining my daughter may be in that coffin one day soon.

The next morning, yesterday, I went to the hospital and arrived at 7:30 AM with my I-pad and laptop ready to spend my time to soothe and comfort and perhaps help the great staff at St. Charles Hospital deal with a very difficult patient.

As I sat there next to her bed, my daughter seemed to be suffering yet was totally unaware of my presence, awakened once, saw me and drifted back to her listlessness and pain-filled existence.

Suddenly a house doctor entered and looked in on her, introducing himself to me I explained my fear and wondered when I would get the results of the pathologists to report on Ellen. Sympathetically he asked me some questions and like everyone else said the same, the report usually takes a few days after the operation to give results. He promised me he would see if he could get something for me.

About fifteen minutes later the good doctor reappeared and gave me the news, there are no signs in the lymph nodes of any cancer anywhere! The large mass was removed in total and the surrounding areas were not affected, meaning she would not need chemotherapy! This was the news I was not accustomed to, this was the news I didn’t imagine, this was the news I never get!

I spent 47 years protecting my family of children, sometimes things are good and sometimes they are terrible and heartbreaking, but every time I stand next to them whether they want me there or not, I am there! I want to spend the rest of my life doing the same thing, caring for my kids! They may be adults, but they are my kids!

I am on a high as I write this, I am grateful to all who cared and prayed and asked about Ellen, thank you, you are all good and I love you all.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

As are you an exceptionally good person. All our love and prayers to you and your family.
Jim & family