Some of you know that William is the first "close" NB death we have experienced. I am having a hard time with it, I won't deny that. The following poem I have seen and been sent numerous times. However, tonight my mother-in-law sent it to me and I thought I would post it in Williams honor. What a year 2007 was for many of it, and as this poems says...I hope you never have to experience what we have...however until you do, or unless you have, there is just simply no way for you to understand.
I hope you never have to hear the words, 'Your child has cancer.'
I hope you never have to hear, 'the prognosis is not good'.
I hope you never have to prepare to undergo radiation or chemotherapy, have a port surgically inserted into their chest, be connected to IV poles.
Look at you with fear in their eyes and say, 'Don't worry Mommy, everything will be okay.'
I hope you never have to hold your child as they vomit green bile,
I hope you never have to feed them ice chips for lunch,
I hope you never have to watch the 'cure' you pray for slowly take away their identity, as they, lose their hair, become skeletal, swell up from steroids, develop severe acne, become barely or unable to walk or move, and look at you with hope in their eyes and say, 'It's going to be okay, Mommy.'
I hope you never have to stay in the hospital for weeks, months or years at a time, where there is no privacy, sleeping on a slab, with your face to the wall, where you cry in muffled silence.
I hope you never have to see a Mother, alone, huddled, in a dark hospital corridor...crying quietly, after just being told, 'there is nothing more we can do.'
I hope you never have to watch a family wandering aimlessly, minutes after their child's body has been removed.
I hope you never have to use every bit of energy you have left, with all of this going on around you to remain positive, and the feelings of guilt, sorrow, hope and fear, overwhelm you.
I hope you never have to see a child's head bolted to a table as they receive radiation.
I hope you never have to take your child home (grateful but so afraid) in a wheelchair because the chemo and radiation has damaged their muscles, 35 pounds lighter, pale, bald, and scarred.
And they look at you with faith in their eyes and say, 'It's going to be okay Mommy.'
I hope you never have to face the few friends that have stuck by you and hear them say, 'Thank God, that is over with,' ...because you know it never will be. Your life becomes a whirl of doctors, blood tests and MRI's and you try to get your life back to 'normal'. While living in mind-numbing fear that any one of these tests could result in hearing the dreaded words... 'The cancer has returned' or 'the tumor is growing'.
And your friends become even fewer.
I hope you never have to experience any of these things,
Because...only then...
Will you understand....
Written by: Carol Baan
- The Preister's
- What started out as a site to update on our daughter's cancer has thankfully grown into a site to update on our beautiful family of four. Enjoy our journey...
2 comments:
What a powerful poem that was! I loved it though. Lots of true things in there. Hi my name is Brandy. My son Kohlman was diagnosed with NB stage 4s in April of 2004. Our lives were forever changed. He was only 11 days old at the time. Now he is 3 and awnry as ever!! You can visit him and read his story at www.caringbridge.org/sd/kohlman
He is our little hero. Been through a lot at such a young age. I will continue checking up on you guys throughout everything. God Bless You and your family.
~Wade Brandy Berkleigh Tanner Kohlman and Miss Kennedy Eldeen
I am sorry you have lost someone close to you. That must make things seem all the more "right there". The poem was very powerful. It brought tears to my eyes. You are a strong family and I keep you guys in my prayers.
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