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McKenzie has made it to the ten-year mark! Back at the beginning there were times I wasn't sure we would hit the ten-year mark but look at her now. She's going to be fourteen in a month, she'll be graduating from the eighth grade, and she'll be heading off to high school in a couple of months. She started as a little three-year-old and now she's a thirteen-year-old who is officially taller than me.
One thing that has stuck with me this whole time is the voice that tells me to listen to my gut instincts. It's also the one thing I stress to all parents I know. If you feel like something isn't right, listen to your gut. Don't worry about being perceived as a worrier or whatever, if you feel like something is off with your child, take them in and get them checked out. I didn't originally listen to my instincts, and I let people talk me out of it, and when I finally said, "screw it", McKenzie was critically sick. I want to mention that I love the pediatricians that we have now for all three kids. They both know that there are times that I tend to "freak out" but they are always willing to check the kids for me and run any tests they think are necessary. In the past we have had a few doctors who looked at me and told me that i needed to calm down, but those doctors are in the past. The peds we see now understand why I worry, and they are always fast to put my mind at ease.
Ten years later, McKenzie is still dealing with the aftereffects of chemo. Some days it feels like she sees more doctors now than she did when she was going through treatment. In two weeks, she'll go to her yearly oncology follow up, where she'll have labs drawn to have things checked. Then the doctors will discuss how's she's doing with her other issues. We might add on to it too this year, considering some of the issues she's been dealing with recently. She has several appointments within the next couple of weeks for follow ups. I know in the past I have openly talked about these issues, but I've stepped back from doing so to respect McKenzie's privacy.
Ten years later, and I am still the germaphobe I became after her diagnosis, if not worse. Fevers still freak me out, especially when there isn't an explanation for it. Bruising that can't be explained will sometimes send me into a tizzy, and I'll try to find ways to explain it. If someone mentions any kind of illness that they have had or a family member has had, I automatically think about the last time i was around that person and wonder if I may have inadvertently exposed my kids to the same illness. As soon as the kids come home from school, I'm asking them to get into clean clothes, so they don't spread the germs they were exposed to at school. Is this healthy... probably not, but it helps with anxiety. I love summer... not just for the abundance of sunshine and warm weather, but also for the simple fact my kids aren't spending several hours in a classroom with the stale air and all the germs of those they are around.
With all that I said above, I am beyond happy that McKenzie has made it to the ten-year mark, and I'm looking forward to the many milestones she'll reach in the future. I know that I will always worry about the possibilities of what could happen, but I try not to spend too much time dwelling on it. The other day I was thinking, I can remember the events of the 17th through the 19th like they just happened yesterday, but I couldn't remember what I ate for dinner just a few days ago. Go figure. :)
Positive Thoughts:
Ten years!
Everyone is healthy today
The sun is shining, and warmer weather is coming
Life is good
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