Surviving the Hospital
When my child, Bryson, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on March 14, 2009, sanity went out the window. The first important thing that helped me was to cry. That day, while Bryson was with his daddy and family, I just let it all out. After the shock of the news finally wore off, I walked around the floor and met other parents. I found it was the best way to ease a lot of the anxiety because it helped me realize that I was not so alone. Having to be in the hospital for any amount of time is not easy for anyone but here are some of the ways that I was able to make the hospital a home away from home.
Bryson Watkins
At the beginning of Bryson’s treatment, we brought all the familiar things for him to have: movies, toys, decorations, and a small refrigerator. We bought Bryson a car and took him and his IV pole around the hall, just to get out of the room. My husband, Tim, and I each took a night out of the week just to go home. One of our family members would come to watch Bryson, so Tim and I could go have lunch or dinner.
We did what we could in our new environment, but I would have to say that the one thing that helped me keep my sanity during the two-month hospital stays was talking about what I was going through. Doing so helped me feel as though I could spread the word on this horrible disease.
I turned to blogging and wrote about the daily activities that Bryson, as well as we, were facing. I learned to become more open when people asked me questions about my child and Leukemia. We recommended foundations that have given us moral and financial support and even participated in Light The Night Walk to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
We gained a huge support system through it all. Knowing that people were there if we needed them was a huge load off of my shoulders while being stuck in the hospital for as long as we were. We had family coming to our house, taking care of errands that needed to be done, like checking our mail and paying bills that needed to be paid. So I strongly advise you to let yourself be vulnerable and learn to say yes to people when they offer help. That’s one thing I struggled with, but once I began to accept it, I felt more at ease about everything else.
Through talking to parents in the hospital and following other families’ blogs, I have become friends with a lot of parents that are dealing with what we are dealing with. Many of their children have different types of cancers or blood disorders, but having another adult to relate to is a good way of reassuring yourself that you are not alone or crazy.
It’s no walk in the park; you and your child will have good days and bad days. Everything in your life has become a rollercoaster that you wish you could stop, but by being able to open up to others, spreading the word on the disease, and just being there for your child—letting him/her know that you are in this fight together—will help you keep as much sanity as you can in such an awful predicament.
I will leave you with this. When you feel as though you are spinning out of control, you are not alone. I’ve been there more times than I can count, so trust me, you are not crazy. You are a parent that is trying to deal with what is happening to your child. Find others to lean on when you feel like you can barely stand. Keeping your sanity in this situation isn’t easy, but if you lose it, you will get it back.
Bryson, was diagnosed at 9 months with high risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. He is now 2 years post Bone Marrow Transplant. Visit his page at brysonrocks.com.