I met someone I had known in a previous life and she was the first child I knew that died from this most heinous disease. But she was really the only one. As I look back, I know we sort of sailed through Cancer World Part I.
We wondered about people, we had some connections but not like now. When Meb relapsed and we started doing serious hospital time and a transplant, we really were in the thick of things We were introduced to an entire other world. A place of deep darkness and horrible results. Heart rending darkness. We had been in and out before, a day, may three or four. Now we were doing months. Weeks and sometimes it felt like years. It had a whole new intensiveness. The difference between John Glenn flying around the world and a moon landing.
I don't ever remember a discussion in Cancer World I when there was a discussion about being done with treatment because there were no more options. I never heard the words Hospice, Palliative Care or words like End of life care. Because of my relationship with one of the providers, I knew it happened. Tracy would call it a "do over".
This time has been different. I don't know if it is because we spent time with sickest kids, have reached out more, Facebook, or what but there are lots of kids dying and getting ready to die. Many children just run out of options.
Their parents are in such agony. When you start you are told the odds. Even when they are not what you want to hear, you know there is a chance. There is a possibility, there is hope, there might be a new discovery. There might be a "miracle". There might be..... our world if full of might be's. Might be a new study. Might try a new drug. Might be......
In so many cases there are no longer any options. The cancer wins. The brave decision is made to stop the treatment. There will be no "Cure". The cancer wins.
I have no way to even think about making that decision. My daughter has been very clear that she is done. She won't do all of this again. She is a full fledged adult and she is in charge of most things in her life. She will not submit to treatment. She lives her life with that in mind. It is hard to think about but then it is easier than having to make the decision as to what to submit a child to in treatment world.
We give them poison, we bemoan the fact they cannot have more poison because the counts aren't good. We watch the door close on the radiation chamber and are glad the protocol is going forward. We grind, conceal and give them endless amounts of drugs and potions. We do anything anyone suggests to save them. To let their lives continue. To let them return to normal. Does it ever?
Done, when are we done? I don't think we ever are done. Done is an illusion. We just reach the end in different ways. Some return home and try to return to normal
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. Some stop all treatment. Some watch a child slip away. Some bury their child and try to go on with life.
I don't know even what to say at this juncture. I just know what I can do. I can try and be as supportive and listen to those at different stages and maybe be a shoulder. I will try never to pass up an opportunity to do something positive for someone in pain. I will never forget that we are all done at some point and we need to make this time of value.
We wondered about people, we had some connections but not like now. When Meb relapsed and we started doing serious hospital time and a transplant, we really were in the thick of things We were introduced to an entire other world. A place of deep darkness and horrible results. Heart rending darkness. We had been in and out before, a day, may three or four. Now we were doing months. Weeks and sometimes it felt like years. It had a whole new intensiveness. The difference between John Glenn flying around the world and a moon landing.
I don't ever remember a discussion in Cancer World I when there was a discussion about being done with treatment because there were no more options. I never heard the words Hospice, Palliative Care or words like End of life care. Because of my relationship with one of the providers, I knew it happened. Tracy would call it a "do over".
This time has been different. I don't know if it is because we spent time with sickest kids, have reached out more, Facebook, or what but there are lots of kids dying and getting ready to die. Many children just run out of options.
Their parents are in such agony. When you start you are told the odds. Even when they are not what you want to hear, you know there is a chance. There is a possibility, there is hope, there might be a new discovery. There might be a "miracle". There might be..... our world if full of might be's. Might be a new study. Might try a new drug. Might be......
In so many cases there are no longer any options. The cancer wins. The brave decision is made to stop the treatment. There will be no "Cure". The cancer wins.
I have no way to even think about making that decision. My daughter has been very clear that she is done. She won't do all of this again. She is a full fledged adult and she is in charge of most things in her life. She will not submit to treatment. She lives her life with that in mind. It is hard to think about but then it is easier than having to make the decision as to what to submit a child to in treatment world.
We give them poison, we bemoan the fact they cannot have more poison because the counts aren't good. We watch the door close on the radiation chamber and are glad the protocol is going forward. We grind, conceal and give them endless amounts of drugs and potions. We do anything anyone suggests to save them. To let their lives continue. To let them return to normal. Does it ever?
Done, when are we done? I don't think we ever are done. Done is an illusion. We just reach the end in different ways. Some return home and try to return to normal
I don't know even what to say at this juncture. I just know what I can do. I can try and be as supportive and listen to those at different stages and maybe be a shoulder. I will try never to pass up an opportunity to do something positive for someone in pain. I will never forget that we are all done at some point and we need to make this time of value.
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