Give Thanks
Do you have something to be thankful for?
You know......really, everyone has something.
Most every human being on this earth is blessed in one way or another.
Although typically, we don't tend to concentrate on all of the things that we have.
We often sway the other way.....focusing on the things we are missing......the things we don't have.
I have many things to be thankful for.
Every day.
Today however......I have abundantly more.
As I sanitized the car this morning in preparation to pick up my boy for our afternoon tears kept welling in my eyes.
As I walked up to the hospital room....tears filled my eyes.
As I slipped on his socks and shoes and caped superman sweatshirt......
tears filled my eyes.
The emotions that I felt were overwhelming.......
It has been 46 days since I checked him into the hospital.
46 days side he has been outside.
46 days since he rode in a car.
46 days since he felt fresh air on his face......
46 days since he saw things like buildings and cars.........street lights and birds.
It is hard to explain the very nature of bone marrow transplant.....
It is hard to convey the extent of how fragile a child is after the transplant.....
It is commonly thought that once the transplant is complete, health and healing are quickly to follow....
It takes time.
It takes a lot of time.....
time for your body to build up any immunity....
time for tiny seemingly benign germs to not be a threat....
time for everything inside of your body to work perfectly....
we are talking one to two YEARS.......on average.
There are children that make it all the way through the transplant.....
some make it all the way home.....
they pick something up and end up in a dire state back in the hospital.....
There are children that contract common colds, flu....or the like..
Some of these kids do not make it.
Each time we go into the hospital we go into a special unit......
This is where Parklen lives......
Before you can even enter through the locked unit you must wash your hands.....
after which you must sanitize your hands.....
carrying anything with you?
you must wipe it down with bleach......
They have restrictions as to what can enter this unit.....
Parklen is protected there.
Its unnerving to take him out of this protection.
Dragging him out into a dirty world.....
I was nearing a panic.
My mental state was calmed a bit after talking to the doctors.....
They said, "If you weren't nervous about taking him out, we would think that you didn't understand what is going on.....that you didn't get it."
Once his afternoon IV meds were complete, we put on his mask and headed out.....
He was so excited to go.
He kept saying, "mom, I am so excited I could pee my pants."
He screamed , "Happy Thanksgiving" to each and every person that he passed by.
Shouted to those at the nurses station.........
those in the elevator.....
Each and every person in the atrium of the hospital got a holiday greeting from Parklen.
His smile was gigantic as I loaded him up in the car.....
It didn't matter that he was wearing a mask.....
you could see it in his eyes.
He smiled all the way to the apartment.....
He smiled all the way up the stairs.......
He smiled as he knocked on the door where Dad, brother and sis were waiting.....
He smiled as the door came open.....
He smiled as he ran around....
He smiled as he played with Paysen.....
He smiled as he ate his dinner......
He smiled as we face timed some of our favorite peeps.....
He smiled as he ate some pie.....
He smiled as he drank hot coco......
He smiled as he ate a hand full of marshmallows........
You could not stop his smiles........
We all smiled.
It felt great....all of us together.
As the time came for Parklen to return to the hospital, the mood shifted a bit.
Once I strapped him into his seat he said, "I wish I could just stay here forever....."
I smiled and said...."You don't want to stay here forever buddy.....before you know it we will be going home to Casper....but for today, you need to go back to the hospital..."
With a smile he agreed....
He wasn't as chipper on our way back up to the 7th floor.....
The few hours we had him to ourselves were so special.
Moments of taking nothing for granted....
Enjoying every small thing.....
Today my heart is so full......
I am thankful for everything we experienced today...
even down to watching small boys eating mashed potatoes, rolls and pumpkin pie......
Today I give thanks for blessings big and small.....
Faith, Family, Friends, and Food.....
You know......really, everyone has something.
Most every human being on this earth is blessed in one way or another.
Although typically, we don't tend to concentrate on all of the things that we have.
We often sway the other way.....focusing on the things we are missing......the things we don't have.
I have many things to be thankful for.
Every day.
Today however......I have abundantly more.
As I sanitized the car this morning in preparation to pick up my boy for our afternoon tears kept welling in my eyes.
As I walked up to the hospital room....tears filled my eyes.
As I slipped on his socks and shoes and caped superman sweatshirt......
tears filled my eyes.
The emotions that I felt were overwhelming.......
It has been 46 days since I checked him into the hospital.
46 days side he has been outside.
46 days since he rode in a car.
46 days since he felt fresh air on his face......
46 days since he saw things like buildings and cars.........street lights and birds.
It is hard to explain the very nature of bone marrow transplant.....
It is hard to convey the extent of how fragile a child is after the transplant.....
It is commonly thought that once the transplant is complete, health and healing are quickly to follow....
It takes time.
It takes a lot of time.....
time for your body to build up any immunity....
time for tiny seemingly benign germs to not be a threat....
time for everything inside of your body to work perfectly....
we are talking one to two YEARS.......on average.
There are children that make it all the way through the transplant.....
some make it all the way home.....
they pick something up and end up in a dire state back in the hospital.....
There are children that contract common colds, flu....or the like..
Some of these kids do not make it.
Each time we go into the hospital we go into a special unit......
This is where Parklen lives......
Before you can even enter through the locked unit you must wash your hands.....
after which you must sanitize your hands.....
carrying anything with you?
you must wipe it down with bleach......
They have restrictions as to what can enter this unit.....
Parklen is protected there.
Its unnerving to take him out of this protection.
Dragging him out into a dirty world.....
I was nearing a panic.
My mental state was calmed a bit after talking to the doctors.....
They said, "If you weren't nervous about taking him out, we would think that you didn't understand what is going on.....that you didn't get it."
Once his afternoon IV meds were complete, we put on his mask and headed out.....
He was so excited to go.
He kept saying, "mom, I am so excited I could pee my pants."
He screamed , "Happy Thanksgiving" to each and every person that he passed by.
Shouted to those at the nurses station.........
those in the elevator.....
Each and every person in the atrium of the hospital got a holiday greeting from Parklen.
His smile was gigantic as I loaded him up in the car.....
It didn't matter that he was wearing a mask.....
you could see it in his eyes.
He smiled all the way to the apartment.....
He smiled all the way up the stairs.......
He smiled as he ran around....
He smiled as he played with Paysen.....
He smiled as he ate his dinner......
He smiled as we face timed some of our favorite peeps.....
He smiled as he ate some pie.....
You could not stop his smiles........
We all smiled.
It felt great....all of us together.
As the time came for Parklen to return to the hospital, the mood shifted a bit.
Once I strapped him into his seat he said, "I wish I could just stay here forever....."
I smiled and said...."You don't want to stay here forever buddy.....before you know it we will be going home to Casper....but for today, you need to go back to the hospital..."
With a smile he agreed....
He wasn't as chipper on our way back up to the 7th floor.....
The few hours we had him to ourselves were so special.
Moments of taking nothing for granted....
Today my heart is so full......
I am thankful for everything we experienced today...
even down to watching small boys eating mashed potatoes, rolls and pumpkin pie......
Faith, Family, Friends, and Food.....
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