Oh my sweet Katie girl,
It’s been six months since your diagnosis and we are in the middle of cycle 6 of consolidation. This one is particularly ugly so I thought I’d lighten the mood and tell you a little bit about the finer points of what we’ve learned over the last six months.
1. Swallowing pills, even if they get stuck on your tongue because you refuse to drink enough to get them DOWN and they taste icky, is still way better than crushing them up and putting them in ANYthing. Like…a billion times better.
2. You far prefer to be accessed in your port than have your finger poked for a CBC. This one is sad as hell to witness but hilarious nonetheless. You have the strength of 10 men trying to pull your hand away from the lab tech, but when they do get a BandAid on your finger, you hold your hand limp-wristed the entire day and refuse to even attempt to use that hand until the BandAid is removed.
3. Steroids are what make you hate having a bath. So, the anti-bath movement only lasts a few days, which is very fortunate for us all.
4. Given your current (and recent) steroid food cravings, I have learned to bake & re-heat the perfect cinnamon roll. (Pilsbury…NOT generic brand…baked at 325 degrees for exactly 14 minutes. Don’t add the icing until right before you’re ready to serve each one, then microwave for 12 seconds for those wondering.) I’ve also learned how to make & serve the perfect hot dog. Don’t be jealous moms…not everyone can feed their kids these amazingly healthy options like me.
5. Schnoozie time (a.k.a. nap time) or night-night time, when requested by you, means NOW. It is not a suggestion and not a “when you get around to taking me” but NOW.
6. Through everything you have been through, you still are one remarkable little girl and being your mommy is the single greatest gift I’ve ever been given in my life.
My cup runneth over,
Mommy