There are days I have to tell myself “get through the next five minutes, you can make it through five minutes,” and I did! I have been making it through years of our daughter’s cancer and OMS relapses and treatments…five minutes at a time.
Last night Abbigail and I said farewell to some families we have met and bonded with while staying at the Ronald McDonald House here in Toronto as we walked over to the hospital for her admission. We also had to kiss our family goodbye. Matthew, Nana and our two boys came for a visit this week and it was so great to be together again after two long weeks. As grateful as I am that we had those days with family, last night was quiet, lonely and sad without the commotion, noise and laughter of Abbigail playing with her brothers. Last night was also an anxious night as I sat staring at my girl as she slept peacefully beside me. Today is DAY -5 and that marks the beginning of conditioning treatments preceding the actual transplant of her stem cells.
Abbigail has a way of always making the best of every situation, her innocence hasn’t been completely robbed if her. Her heart is so big and beautiful, it shows on her face as she proudly makes her own thanksgiving apple pie in one of the children’s lounges today. I faithfully pray that these moments of pure joy and innocence continue to shine through the difficult times that lay ahead.
As I type, Abbigail sleeps through the first poisonous dose of chemotherapy, part of her pre-transplant conditioning. When she wakes up, she will likely be sick, miserable and I will have to tell her that an other fight has begun.
Up until now, despite being here for over two weeks now, she hasn’t had to remember the chemos, the pains, the nausea and vommitting. She has enjoyed making new friends and having tea parties with the occasional surgery, ultrasound and poke or procedure. She will quickly and sadly be reminded of her reality when she awakes, possibly ill and they forcibly insert an NG tube, hoping not to induce further throwing up. At that moment I will have made it through the last five minutes and I will move on to the next five…perhaps with a little less energy but never any less love or faith.
Tomorrow will be DAY -4; she will receive more chemo and it should be an uneventful day with only one chemo treatment. Sunday however promises to be difficult as she receives a very powerful immunosuppressant, much like chemo but somehow not as poisonous.
Pray for an other five minutes…that Abbigail too can get through them.