Sorry it has been so long in between posts! You probably get tired of hearing that!
And as usual we really try to make having fun and resting a priority on the weekends.
Unfortunately, right now, Liv has a stomach bug. It has been a minor one and tonight she just feels puny. She didn't go to school today. Please pray the bug is over and that she will feel better in the morning.
A praise from last week is that on Friday the students and staff at our school donated $633 to CURE! It made my heart overflow with joy to see SO many children wearing hats! They really cared and wanted to make a difference. Some kids told me that they brought more than a dollar to donate. Others said they didn't wear a hat, but brought a dollar anyway. Some said they donated their ice cream money. It doesn't take much. We all can make a difference in another child's life.
On Saturday, I attended a special luncheon hosted by Chris Glavine. It is called “A Tribute to Our Quiet Heroes”. After personally witnessing the burdens that all families carry while caring for a child with cancer, Chris Glavine found herself empathizing with the moms and decided she wanted to do something special for them. Seven years ago, she hosted the first luncheon. Not only does it pay tribute to the mothers of children with cancer, it helps raise much needed funds to support pediatric cancer research. Over the past seven years, this event, the raffles, and the silent and live auctions have raised over 1.8 million dollars for CURE!!
It is a wonderful luncheon and fundraiser for CURE. This was my second year attending. It is a reunion of sorts. It is a time to reconnect with the extraordinary women I have met on this journey, to meet new ones and even personally meet others I have only known through their child's blog or Caring Bridge site. Everything about the day was wonderful! The friends, the fellowship, the food, and this year's remarkable speaker.
Kristin Connor, the executive director of CURE, shared some fabulous “You know you are a cancer mom when” comments with us. A friend looked online to see if she could them. She did. It will give you a laugh, but will also give you some perspective into what families are dealing with when their child is on treatment.
You know you are a cancer parent when:
- You carry a tube of Emla cream in your purse instead of a tube of lipstick
- You can sleep anywhere and anything that reclines more than 15 degrees looks “comfy”
- You enjoy the drive at 3:00 am to the emergency room because there aren’t any other cars on the freeway
- Your child is estatic because all she is getting done is counts in her arm and a shot in her leg. That's a good chemo day at the clinic!
- The nurses stop responding to the IV alarm, knowing you’ll fix it anyway
- Your 2-year-old knows where all of the medical equipment goes, and how to use it
- You keep a bag packed at all times like your 9 1/2 months pregnant
- You correct the doctors spelling on the chemo meds
- You have more meds in your cupboard (or on your counter) than food
- Your child uses Legos® to build “MRI” machines
- The siblings want to know what the child’s counts are to see if they can go inside and eat at McDonald’s or have to go through the drive-thru
- You can reset the IV machines overnight, in your sleep, every 30 minutes without waking up once and still call it a good nights sleep!
- Your kid takes more pills than you
- Your child has his/her own website to keep family and friends updated on his/her progress because calling everyone gets to be too expensive and repeating the report over and over is tiring.
- A Radio Flyer wagon is considered an essential transportation device
- Every little thing can make you cry in a heartbeat, but this list has you rolling on the floor!
Hope you laughed like we did when we heard these. Laughter really is one of many things that help you stay sane in the world of childhood cancer!
Blessings to each of you!
In Him,
The Tates
"The God of all grace...will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."
1 Peter 5:10
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