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