Hello Steem World,
This is a little blog about a time in my life, that was both crazy, scary, and life changing. For the people that read part 1, I thank you and for anybody new I welcome you to my story
We left off at the 'Phone Call'
Good Friday of 1993- Without much warning and tears in their eyes, my parents picked me up and bundled into the back of the car. A silence that was almost deafening was all around, an unknown that could not be fathomed was approaching. We arrive at the emergency room to waiting nurses, and without warning a deep fear had set in.
As more blood tests were performed and an array of doctors rushed in and out, a final diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia was given on Easter Sunday.
Mid April - Treatment was extreme with needles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They were stabbing me in all sorts places, arms, legs, hands, anywhere they could. I must have been the worst child they had, nurses had to drag me down the hallway, I'd grab onto anything I could to prevent the daily onslaught on nausea and pain. With my temperatures still holding steady at 40, the nest course of action to be taken was Radiotherapy.
Late April - Radiotherapy was something I'll never forget, being zapped by radiation certainly has it downsides. The nurses told me, due to the origin of the A.L.L in the lymph nodes in my jaw, the only course of action was 14 days of treatment. When I was told I would lose my hair, I blatantly denied it would happen to me. 1 day, 2,days, 3 days passed still no hair loss, the nurses were quite bemused as I was bucking the trend. I remember being in the shower washing my hair, suddenly with no pain or warning, clumps of hair protruded through the gaps in clenched fists and fell around me to the ground, I had made it to day 12.
Mid May - After 2 months now of what could only be described as a regimented course of pharmaceuticals, administered by needle and pill, once again questions were being raised. With Temperatures not receding and weight loss that could only be described as deathly, a realization was spreading among my doctors. With more specialists than you could fit in a clown car in my hospital room, the deafening silence was filling the air again as the told my parents the treatment isn't working.
Now faced with the reality, that their son my never see his next birthday my parents felt like we were losing the fight, I guess I was lucky in this situation as it was never explained to me how severe the progression had been in the beginning. With mum trying everything she could, talking to doctors she had worked with, friends from nursing school, doing anything a parent would, could do to save their child's life.
Part 3 - The Lifeline............TBC