73 "Do not despair", finding comfort in unexpected places; How I survived my son's chemotherapy.
3-02-2018 Last night Ben was in pain and could not sleep so he was in bed with me, and we put on the audio book of "A Wrinkle In Time". I rubbed his back and eventually we fell asleep. Something woke me at 2:30 and I heard "My child do despair. Do you think we would have brought you here if not there were no hope? We are asking you to do a difficult thing. But we are confident that you can do it“ -Madeleine L'Engle
I had fallen asleep full of fear and feelings of helplessness and worry and to be awoken with these words was such a blessing to me. It felt like God reaching out in my time of fear to comfort me and speak peace to my heart.
Everyone goes through hard times, so I just wanted to share this phrase with any of you who are struggling. You can hear it as I did - like God reaching out to reassure you that everything will be ok: "My child do not despair. Do you think we would have brought you here if there were no hope? We are asking you to do a difficult thing. But we are confident that you can do it“
What worries are keeping you up at night?
What is your greatest fear in life?
How have you tried to handle this fear in the past?
How do you hope to handle this fear now and in the future?
What difficult things have you done in your life?
Remember, just like you got through every difficult time in your past you can get through whatever obstacles you are facing today, or that come up in your future.
This is just one of a hundred tools that helped me including:
A: BEFORE DIAGNOSIS
B: Diagnosis and PRE-SURGERY HOSPITAL STAY
C: SURGERY D: RECOVERY in patient
E: At home recovery F. CHEMO
70 I was terrified, and it went wonderfully …
71 life was unfair- understanding & compassion for another
72 EVERYONE HATES CHEMO
73 Do not despair.
74 Unknowns in the future affect each of us differently.
75 The little surprise blessings make everything manageable.
76 Life is fragile. Create a special moment with a loved one.
77 We cannot be perfect; don’t push yourself past your limits.
78 Excitement about physical activity.
79 Motherhood: HARD uncomfortable and overwhelming.
80 What group could you join for support?
81 Wishes are magical things.
82 Refusing to acknowledge fear only creates more pain.
83 Remembering your best journey can be a nice distraction.
84 What dreams do you have for yourself?
85 hard to watch a little heart break.
86 Feelings can bring our needs to our attention.
87 Anticipating an upcoming trip can give us joy.
88 VIP treatment sure feels good, thank you Make-a-Wish.
89 Worry - listen to your fear and take steps to protect yourself.
90 The resilience of kids is just amazing.
91 Devote time to things that really matter to you.
92 We MAKE time for the things that are truly priorities.
93 Don’t let worry for the future rob TODAY of nice moments.
94 We have help and people on the sidelines cheering us on.
95 The good we throw out in the world always comes back to us.
96 A mom who cares and does her best (not perfection).
G. FAILING CHEMO H. WATCH AND WAIT
I. NEEDING NEW TREATMENT
J. END OF NEW TREATMENT / watch and wait
** Living life one day at a time.
Topics I have thought and talked a lot about over the last few years include:
#momguilt #PediatricBrainTumor #Neurofibramatosis
#Glioma #Astrocytoma #PilocyticAstrocytoma
#BrainTumor #OpticNerveGlioma #PediatricBrainSurgery
#NF1 #ParentingChronicIllness #watchandwait
#copingskills #ChildhoodCancer
#Carboplatin #Vincrystine
#nevergiveup #thereishope #PediatricBrainCancer