A Year

Just one little tiny year can make a huge difference.  This time last year this is what David looked like.

 His May intensive chemo finally made all of his hair come out, he weighed under 50 pounds and he was sick.  About this time last year his port was infected which meant that he had recurrent bacterial infections which were scary.  He spent three out of four weeks as an inpatient at the hospital during the month of June.

 

(I am not clear why this picture is sideways-sorry) but here he was today.  We are at a great hotel in Pigeon Forge with my parents and this wild man went down a huge waterslide. He  had a ball at Dollywood, played putt-putt, swam in the awesome pool here at the resort, and he has enjoyed the pirate ship playground. 

 

The picture of him bald is my screen picture on my phone.  I will keep it there indefinitely because I want to use it as a reminder where we have been.  We know how life can change in the blink of an eye with a sober looking doctor entering your ER room.  We know how it feels for your child to receive treatment after treatment of chemo hoping the nasty cancer melts away, and we know how it feels to realize that our life will never be the same again. 

 

That picture of our bald angel will also be a constant reminder that God was and will always be with us.  He walked us through the storm of cancer treatment and continues to soothe our fears as we face clinic visits and scans. 

 

Tonight as I am weary from the fun of vacation I pause and give God the glory that today I got to watch three children enjoy Dollywood.  I got to watch this healthy looking David enjoy life like every other kid central line free and with a full head of hair.  Tonight I am thankful for cancer because it has made the fun days like today even sweeter.  Good night from Pigeon Forge!