One Wild Ride

Some things are difficult enough to go through that you don't want to talk (or blog) about them as you are going through them. But then you come to the other side, look back and well up with tears of gratitude and then it is safe to talk about.

What's crazy about Leukemia is that of the 15% of patients that don't make it through the treatments, it wasn't the cancer that got them but some other small dumb thing their body had to battle in the process. So parents (especially moms) and doctors have to watch out for are things like colds, pneumonia or infections.

Knowing this, I started praying when the nurse in the cancer ward says, "Wow, that's a record for me. I've never seen a fever that high." That was four weeks ago.

It was a long Monday night that I'll never forget. Von's body was using a 105.4 fever to fight pneumonia. He didn't recognize us, his parents, which gave me the oddest feeling beyond explanation. He lost consciousness and his blood pressure dropped and heart rate tripled. I have never prayed so hard in my life.

After stripping him down to skin and packing his limp little body with ice packs and wet towels, his blood pressure slowly started to come back up as the fever started to come down.

Six days after this difficult night, we celebrated Von's 5th birthday out of the hospital. And the thought hit me that had Monday night been it for him, his birthday would have been a funeral. Interesting that birthdays and funerals are both celebrations of a person's life. I'm so glad we had a birthday.


You can understand, then, the tears that overtook me today as I looked out my window and saw Von riding his little motorcycle, with his little fireman boots, with mom chasing him. And pneumonia far behind us.



We are so grateful to those of you who have held us up in prayer. Thank you from sincere and grateful hearts!