71 understanding & compassion for another, how I survived my son's time on chemotherapy.
2-10-2018 Today Ben was feeling like life was unfair- and to have the rest of the family know how he feels he wanted everyone to wear an eyepatch for the whole day. Bob sweetened the pot by giving everyone $10.00 with the rule that each time you took your eyepatch off you owe Ben a dollar.
My kids appreciate the value of a dollar, so everyone kept the patches on, and we had a fun pirate party but by the end of watching "Pirates of the Caribbean" we all had a bit of a headache. This was a great opportunity for the whole family to discuss having a little extra compassion on Ben while he is not feeling well.
It is hard to watch Ben deal with the worry & stress of all that is going on with him medically. I'm glad he had this whacky idea.
Are there ways that life feels more difficult for your child now?
Is there any fun way your family could all play pretend for a while to let your child know you have understanding and compassion for their suffering?
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