Communication is key.

In early June, I took my son to get blood tests done, because there were signs. I had a foster sister that died of Leukemia - she was 17.

We got the results in - no joke - ~1.5 hours. We were told to take him to the nearest children’s hospital immediately. The doctor would call ahead, and to go to the ER.

We get to the ER, and they stop us. “We already have a room for him on the floor”. So, away we go.

We didn’t have an actual diagnosis, but with a WBC of 243, it can only be one thing. That first night, my son started crying. I asked him “Why are you crying?” to which he replied “I don’t know”. Now, this is an 8-year-old. I knew why he was crying, and it broke my heart. He didn’t KNOW what was going on, and what it meant.

The next day, he was given surgery to install the PICC line and have his first round of chemo - less than 24 hours after that first call.

That night, the official diagnosis came in. When I told him, he was worried, but…relieved? Like knowing and putting a label to it made it easier for him.

The next day, the doctor asked him if he had any questions, or needed anything. “I want to see it”.

They made it happen. The following day (day 4-5 depending on how you’re counting), the let him see HIS cancer under a microscope. The next few days, it was “I’m telling my body to accept the new blood and platelets” and “I’m going to kill the cancer in my body”.

It wasn’t something nebulous. He had an enemy, and his sights were set.

Now, we know not to call it a battle, because in battles there are winners and losers. This means the losers didn’t try hard enough. We call it “going through recovery” or “therapy”, to not make the patient feel bad if it doesn’t go well.

Well, my son refuses to have it that way. Cancer is the enemy, and is locked in his body with HIM, not the other way around.

I’m not sure he would have gotten to that point if we had hidden the diagnosis. I’m glad we talked it over.

Thank you for the kind words.

It’s a long road, this insidious disease. I truly hope your wife stays clear!

Feel free to post your journey, if you like. It may help people with new diagnosis.

NO PISCES ALLOWED!

j/k

Yeah, apparently this kind, and him being prepubescent means there’s a 95% cure rate. It’s still so much for him. He’s way tougher than I will ever hope to be.