Saturday, October 7, 2017 - It's been a little over TEN YEARS since Mady's diagnosis... and (spoiler alert) all is well!
Thank you to those who are still reading this blog (or finding it for the first time). Writing it certainly helped us, and we hope that it benefits others who might be facing similar struggles in the future. As of today, it has been viewed 76,788 times (according to the Blogger counter)!
Chris recently posted a 10-year update on Facebook, and it is awesome. I'm reproducing it here in it's entirety:
Today I went with Madeline to an appointment at the Yawkey Pedi Hemoc Clinic at MGH, stopping at the healing garden to see the view and feel the warmth of the calm there. We passed a slew of new felt banners drawn by other family members for other sick children, and then we walked into the clinic to the smiling face of Noreen, her ebullience contagious. It’s been 10 years since Madeline was diagnosed with leukemia. She has been off treatment for about 7 of those 10 years, but when she is about to go into clinic to get her blood checked, there’s still a little fear and sadness. She’s now down to a yearly check up.
I wait in the hall, where another Mom is railing at her younger son for eating in front of his brother when he can’t eat until after his procedure. In the waiting room a large multigenerational family is having a birthday party with pizza and cake for their 13 year old, who doesn’t smile. Her parents are outwardly joyous, yet there are the tears in their eyes. I’m far away from the fear of those days.
MaryJo, Madeline’s PA, says her blood looks “beautiful”, which delights us, and we are off. We talk about the different doctors, nurses and caregivers at the clinic and agree that they are exceptional. Madeline was given excellent care.
We came home to lovely, barking Buttercup, who is also about 10 years old this month. We picked her up a few weeks after leaving the hospital. Recently, I sifted through all the cards that people had sent to Madeline and all of us from that time. So many people came through for her and for us, sending upbeat cards and gifts and games and food and taking care of the puppy on a clinic day, and picking up Julia from school, lending an ear and a shoulder, playing games and socializing.
Thank-you!! Every card was important. Even if we were too overwhelmed with grief to respond, we felt your gift. We feel your gift! Peace!
10 years. Madeline.
Leukemia. Far
From that fear and pain!
Leukemia. Far
From that fear and pain!
1 comment:
I hope that the 2017 entry is simply the last entry, because quite frankly there was nothing much to say, and that Mady is still ok. Our son Andrew got ALL when he was 13 and I started a blog. After 4 years though, the daily entries had diminished to monthly entries...and then 6 monthly entries...until finally there was nothing to write. He was in full remission, and all 6 monthly check-ups were fine. Well he's 23 now and there is no leukaemia anywhere in our life, and hasn't been for 6 years.
So from one leukaemia family to another, hope all is well.
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