Today is Sunday. This weekend has gone by way to quick. In some ways, I'm happy about it and others I'm not. I think the part that I dislike the most of it is because like most I have not accomplished all that I had hoped to get done. When you have tasks and list of things to do building up, it becomes very frustrating to watch the list grow. Its hard to get them done when you are juggling the fact your child can not really mingle with the public for the next 10 days. I try and do my best to keep Jasmine low profile. I know that a trip to Walmart is a big no no. I know that if I take her out of places in and out too quick she goes into a spaz. Sometimes I can get her to calm down other times its too difficult to control. She's a creature of routine and hates having to readjust too much. Multiple trips to different stores can spark up the worst tantrums. She's so big now that it makes it virtually impossible to get a hold of her with out hurting yourself or her by accident. The good part of this weekend coming to a close is that I don't have to be stuck inside anymore. I can go to work...talk and mingle with people. My weekends don't allow for much of any of that. I have yet to reconnect with friends. I have no idea what's going on in their lives. Facebook is my only connection to them. It allows me to have an inkling of what is happening around me. I guess you can say my weekends have become depressing. David works and Jasmine is stuck with me at home. She is also stuck with all my household chores, my lack of energy sometimes, and my up and down moods. I realize when I attempt to do more than my low energy can withstand, I'm actually trying to keep myself from getting sucked into the downward spiral of depression. All the worries of stress, relationships (my marriage, friendships, etc.) needing damage control, and financial woes, have all lead to this spiral of mixed unpleasant emotions. I'm ignoring my needs to satisfy everyone else's. I'm letting my physical appearance fall apart. I dread the day I have to take a picture or spend more than 5 minutes in the mirror. My me time consists of me reading a book during my lunch hour at work during the week. On the weekend it consists of me either reading after 10pm til 12 or 1am or just watching a movie during that time. There is no time to catch up on much needed sleep. I'm so tired when I get up that I feel like I didn't sleep at all and on to the next day.
Yes, I'm evading my troubles and not facing them head on. How do you face something that you can't see or do much about head on? Cancer has offset a domino affect in our lives. I suspect that I'm not the only one damaged by this indirectly. David is undergoing his own funk. We deal with it in completely opposite ways. It brings that parts of our personalities to their most extreme level. I'm a go go go kind of person and he is more layed back. It used to be that it created a good balance and now when our two worlds meet, its almost threatening to our relationship. Poor Jasmine must feel the tension building. She pulls us together sometimes and gets us to hug or give each other a kiss. She smiles so excitedly when we give into the demands. She knows and I can't help but feel this is just a sign for us to not forget whats important. I pray to God that things will get better, to continue to give me strength when I feel my weakest and hope that we our serving our purpose as we should be in the grand plan. I hope that I'm not fighting against what message he is trying to send to me personally or missing it entirely. I realize he has given us free will but its in mine to remain strong. I don't want to cave in and I'm starting to wonder if that's what he wants from me. By staying strong I don't relinquish my control over the little I have left to control. Hmmm? I wonder. I wait for the big sign but am afraid to see how obvious he has to make it for me.
On a lighter note, Jasmine's treatment this past week went well. It was a long few days but it was very much the same as last. 4.5 hrs sleep, 3 hrs drive, awake 20 hrs, broken sleep over 6 hrs, and up the rest of the day to start it all over again the next. The good news is that Jasmine has 5 more chemo treatments left. She might have a good surprise coming her way when it is officially over. I think she will be thrilled with it. Unfortunately for Jasmine, she will not longer have her tv. We had decided to cut our cable to help with expenses long ago, and were finally able to do it. We had to wait until our contract was up. She's going through withdrawals for time being. I admit it sucks but we have to do it to stay afloat. We are still in the process of deciding to drop our cell phone contract when it is up. We've cut back in that department as well. Many changes are taking place and adjustment is not easy but we shall overcome.
This blog is about our story and journey down the road of our three year olds chemotherapy treatment. It will be 36 weeks and we know not what lies ahead.
About Me
- Leo8gstcancer
- Palmyra, VA, United States
- Jasmine is our special miracle baby. She was born 17 weeks early and stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit for three and half months. She came home with oxygen for a short time and was free and clear for a while. She started out with the usual babbling a couple of months behind the learning curve due to her developmental delay. At 16 months, we were told she needed hearing aides for her mild to moderate hearing loss. It was then we stopped hearing anything from her. At age 2, we found out she was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Jasmine is non verbal autistic. In the beginning of 2010, she had been hospitalized and diagnosed with viral pneumonia. One week later, she was admitted again for bacterial pneumonia. We spent nearly a month in the hospital overall. We found out she had cysts in her left lung. In September after much debate and continuous problems, the mass and all of her lower left lung lobe had been removed surgically. It was just not any mass but a cancerous one. Jasmine has Pleuropulmonary Blastoma (PPB) -Type II.
I have just been introduced to you and Jasmine through this blog. Jasmine has the most beautiful smile!!! I can so relate to your story and journey. I have a 15 year old son with severe cerebral palsy who is medically fragile. I am a single mom with 3 older daughters as well. Just as God has revealed himself to me in amazing ways, I have no doubt as you seek him, cry out to him, and yield to him, he will bring you peace and joy that totally surpasses understanding. I will pray for your family...strength, provision, peace, and healing for precious Jasmine!
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