CANCER SUCKS
For my entire career I have had the honor of taking care of people with cancer. Most of my patients are older with the average age in their sixties. I had never wanted to take care of kids. I thought it would be too hard. A year and a half ago I started to work part time for Anthem Home Infusion Services. They have a large Pediatric clientele and I took the job dreading the day I would have to take care of the kids with cancer. A year and a half later they are my favorites.
Jeff has bone cancer in his right arm. He was diagnosed when his little brother pushed him off his bike and the arm broke. He calls his little brother his hero. Jeff has finished a year of intense chemotherapy and numerous surgeries. He is tall and skinny, with a huge smile and a mouth full of braces. He is 13 and amazingly enough grew about 5 inches this past year, something he proudly proclaims every time I see him. Jeff loves the Baltimore Colts and the Boston Red Sox. He recently visited Fenway and got to meet Nomar Garciaparra.
Last fall I met Owen. Owen is six and is the youngest of five. He was adopted from Russia and has Leukemia, probably related in part to Chernolbyl. Owen also has Aspergers. He wasn't easy. Accessing his chest port with a needle was scary, because he fought me every step of the way. In every sentence Owen dropped the f bomb. His Mother was horrified. I'm not sure if I was more shocked or just plain in awe. Once the needle was in, he was okay. Owen only eats orange food and was happily eating cheese doodles and drinking orange soda when I left. He did not acknowledge my goodbye.
Nathaniel, not to be called Nathan, that's his little brother's name, is 4. He was scared to death of me and hid under the covers when I came. The house was full of people, many of which were children and he was the only quiet one in the bunch. The family was from Kenya. Nathaniel had big brown eyes that watched every thing I did. The only time he smiled is when I asked him to stick his tongue out at me. I wanted to assess his oral membranes. He thought that was pretty funny.
Jacob is 8 and he has Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. It was found after having several tummy aches that his Pediatrician thought was constipation. The first time I saw Jacob he had red hair and was missing some front teeth. He reminded me of a little pumpkin. He was full of questions and very smart, a real charmer. I saw him last about a month ago and the hair was all gone but he was as cute as ever. When I told him he was just as cute bald, he did a little dance and said "Oh yea". His father is a high school football coach and the local sports community has provided a lot of support to the family. He is in Boston right now getting a Bone Marrow Transplant. Stage 4 Neuroblastoma is almost always a death sentence. There is no stage 5. He loves the NY Yankees.
Today I met Mitchell. He has T Cell Lymphoma and is 3 years old. He's bald, but has the longest eye lashes I've ever seen. He played with a truck while I gave him his chemotherapy. He giggled non stop when I listened to his lungs and heart. I might have tickled him by accident and he laughed even harder when I asked him to stick his tongue out at me. I get to go see him again tomorrow. I'm going to bring him a truck.
It is an honor to be a nurse and I am so fortunate to have been part of these boys lives. I can't even imagine the hell that these parents are going through. If there is a heaven, there must be a really special place for these kids. CANCER SUCKS.
Jeff has bone cancer in his right arm. He was diagnosed when his little brother pushed him off his bike and the arm broke. He calls his little brother his hero. Jeff has finished a year of intense chemotherapy and numerous surgeries. He is tall and skinny, with a huge smile and a mouth full of braces. He is 13 and amazingly enough grew about 5 inches this past year, something he proudly proclaims every time I see him. Jeff loves the Baltimore Colts and the Boston Red Sox. He recently visited Fenway and got to meet Nomar Garciaparra.
Last fall I met Owen. Owen is six and is the youngest of five. He was adopted from Russia and has Leukemia, probably related in part to Chernolbyl. Owen also has Aspergers. He wasn't easy. Accessing his chest port with a needle was scary, because he fought me every step of the way. In every sentence Owen dropped the f bomb. His Mother was horrified. I'm not sure if I was more shocked or just plain in awe. Once the needle was in, he was okay. Owen only eats orange food and was happily eating cheese doodles and drinking orange soda when I left. He did not acknowledge my goodbye.
Nathaniel, not to be called Nathan, that's his little brother's name, is 4. He was scared to death of me and hid under the covers when I came. The house was full of people, many of which were children and he was the only quiet one in the bunch. The family was from Kenya. Nathaniel had big brown eyes that watched every thing I did. The only time he smiled is when I asked him to stick his tongue out at me. I wanted to assess his oral membranes. He thought that was pretty funny.
Jacob is 8 and he has Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. It was found after having several tummy aches that his Pediatrician thought was constipation. The first time I saw Jacob he had red hair and was missing some front teeth. He reminded me of a little pumpkin. He was full of questions and very smart, a real charmer. I saw him last about a month ago and the hair was all gone but he was as cute as ever. When I told him he was just as cute bald, he did a little dance and said "Oh yea". His father is a high school football coach and the local sports community has provided a lot of support to the family. He is in Boston right now getting a Bone Marrow Transplant. Stage 4 Neuroblastoma is almost always a death sentence. There is no stage 5. He loves the NY Yankees.
Today I met Mitchell. He has T Cell Lymphoma and is 3 years old. He's bald, but has the longest eye lashes I've ever seen. He played with a truck while I gave him his chemotherapy. He giggled non stop when I listened to his lungs and heart. I might have tickled him by accident and he laughed even harder when I asked him to stick his tongue out at me. I get to go see him again tomorrow. I'm going to bring him a truck.
It is an honor to be a nurse and I am so fortunate to have been part of these boys lives. I can't even imagine the hell that these parents are going through. If there is a heaven, there must be a really special place for these kids. CANCER SUCKS.
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