Dave's labs yesterday weren't so great. His WBC count was 4.1 and his platelet count was 136, which are both very low. His ANC, however, was over 2200, so he's still on schedule for treatment next week as long as his Monday labs are ok.
I'm at home with Aria today. When we got to school and she was about to jump out of the car, she threw up....little corn niblets all over the ground and in my car. So we cleaned up and went right back home. She's thrown up twice since being home and is looking generally pitiful...and now she's developed a small fever. Super fun day.
Now to the "meat and potatoes"......
I had the pleasure yesterday of visiting with my coworker and family as they stay with their little baby who had heart surgery last week. They have an incredible strength and a wonderful spirit. And that beautiful little baby! She's just a precious little bundle and has a hell of a fight ahead of her...and as soon as she pulls through, she'll be just perfect! Anyway, when I got to daycare to pick up Aria, this is the conversation that ensued (as soon as we got home I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget any of it) :
M- I went and saw a sick little baby at the hospital today.
A- what made that baby sick?
M- that baby had a hole in her heart that needed to be fixed.
A- hear heart?
M- Yes. You know how you play doctor and you listen for heart beats? That's the heart.
A- But what does the heart do?
M- The heart is what pumps your blood all over your body...to your arms and legs.
A- and to your fingers and toes?
M- yes dear, that's right.
A- well what's wrong with her heart?
M- she had a hole in her heart that wasn't allowing the blood to get to everywhere it needed.
A- but where's the blood going?
M- it's just staying in her heart. She has a hole in the middle of her heart so the right blood isn't going to the right places.
A- so it's not getting to her arms and legs?
M- that's right.
A- but how did that baby get a hole in her heart?
M- when she was in Her mommy's tummy, her heart just didn't want to grow right, and so it forgot to grow that part and it became a hole.
A- but why?
M- well nobody really knows why, honey.
A- so what made the hole?
M- I just told you...it grew that way.
A- but what happened to her that put a hole in her heart?
M- well nothing happened to her heart that put a hole there, it just gre that way.
A- yeah, or maybe that baby fell down and that made a hole.
M- sure honey, maybe that's exactly what happened. (Sarcasm is lost on this one)
A- well how is that baby going to get better?
**cue waterworks**
M- she's connected to a lot of machines that are helping her heal.
A- what's 'heal'?
M- to heal means to get better. Like when you have an owie and we put a bandaid on it and then when the bandaid comes off your owie is done and you can't see your owie anymore. That's because it healed.
A- does that baby hands an owie?
M- yes ma'am, she sure does.
A- well what makes that baby heal?
M- the machines that are helping, plenty of rest, and blood.
A- blood?
M- yes. You know how mommy and daddy give blood? Well a lot of other people in our city give blood, too, and people who are sick sometimes need that blood to get better. (Aria has seen Dave give blood many times and we've explained to her how it saves lives and blood donors are like superheroes.)
A- Mommy, did you save that baby's life today?
**Cue MORE waterworks**
M- well no honey, mommy's blood isn't the same kind the baby needed.
A- kind?
M- yes. Everybody has a different kind of blood, and the blood kinds have to match in order to save a life.
A- I know what kind my blood is...it's red!
M- well honey, everybody's blood is red.
A- what kind of blood do you have, mommy?
M- I have O negative blood.
A- what kind of blood does daddy have?
M- daddy has B positive blood.
A- what kind of blood do I have?
M- I think I remember that you have B negative blood.
A- just like daddy!
M- sort of. You have s mis of mommy's and daddy's blood.
A- well what kind does papa have?
M- papa has O positive.
A- oh his is dark red!
M- well honey, everybody's blood is dark red. It's not the color that makes everyone's blood different, it's very itty bitty, teeny tiny things in our blood that make it different.
A- like germs. That's why we have to wash our hands so much. Sometimes germs are big, sometimes they're really small. And sometimes they're green!
M- That's right, honey, but we don't have germs in our blood. I don't really know how to explain it, but it's not germs.
A- ok. What else makes that little baby get better?
M- a lot of people thinking very happy thoughts about that little girl will help her feel better.
A- do we think about her?
M- yes dear, we sure do!
A- when I'm bigger, can I go see her at the hospital?
M- well hopefully she'll be better by the time you're bigger and she'll be at home.
A- well can I go visit her after she's home?
M- sure honey.
**then.....at bedtime.....**
A- do you know what I'm thinking about, mommy?
M- what honey?
A- daddy (because he was still at work) and that sick little baby.
**I left the room with tears streaming and a huge smile**
That was our entire conversation the whole way home from school.
But look at that....she's only three and knows what it means to care about somebody else who needs to be cared for. I think that's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I'm not really one for astrology, but I know that Aria is a Pisces. Pisces are known for being compassionate, emotional, and selfless. That's ringing true with her and I just love it. I hope she always exhibits those characteristics! She's got such a beautiful little soul and I hope it never changes!!
Yep, made me cry again.
ReplyDeleteWow! Love you two.
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