2001
| July 8, 2000 We have my younger son ensconced in his room - which, due to a nurses strike, he shares with an infant. He cannot move to the other spare bed in another room - because they don't mix boys and girls. After rushing him over for tests on Friday, they admitted him. "Yes. It is Leukemia," they said. And he has levels in the urine that do not bode well for his kidneys - so they admitted him Friday at once and hooked him up to IVs. I went home, and packed up things for him. I had spent the afternoon packing for my trip to LA and dinner with Fabio. I was so looking forward to a hug! That had been abruptly cancelled when I got a call at 3PM from the doctor in Boston (on vacation) who had done the biopsy - he was tracking those results. It was no longer start treatment Monday - it was get thee to the hospital NOW! I called Fabio's office and we cleared the date. Actually, they took a message for Eric to deal with things for me while I raced to Stanford Children's Hospital. The doctor who treats this kind of illness is there. Dr. Link. I had raced there with no bag packed for my son. So now, on the second pass, I packed up clean shorts and tee shirts and the two pairs of gym shorts and some socks. I added toiletries. I grabbed books. I left messages for his brother. I grabbed the big white bear (the Valentine's day Hug Me bear). And the stuffed Manta Ray. I lugged this load (thank God I've been working out) into the hospital about 11PM. His blood pressure is high (157) and he is warm. I settled him in and finally went home. Saturday morning I hit the gym - at about 10:30 - because last night I had discovered that Cognac added to coffee is a good way to sleep 9 hours. And my son had insisted that I work out. I did 45 minutes on the treadmill - and on the leg press I added 100 lbs. on each side (245lbs total). I did the dipper and the incline chest press and the Dorsi Flexor and the ab machine. Last of all the tricep press. I bought my son two pairs of gym shorts. They have asked that he not walk around in his underwear - his normal way of lounging around at home. They had asked what he normally wore. They had asked. We had answered. They said "shorts". So I bought him some. I came back from the gym and took a shower (he had insisted that I do that), checked with my older son (he was on his way to the hospital) and rounded up sketch book, colored pencils, stuffed toys and a few odds and ends. Three bags were now in tow (I added a bag for my coffee, Medifast, book, notebook). I checked the e-mail and got one from Eric and Fabio wishing us well. I have had a lot of emails wishing us well but somehow this is the one that nearly made me lose it. I thanked them. And went off to load the car. I drove back to the hospital and got there about 3PM. Traffic though Palo Alto was bad - although I had driven the Dunbarton bridge at 80 mph. And was being PASSED! I got there right before the older child arrived. He had coffee (for his brother), a hat (because he will be loosing his hair) and a notebook computer of dubious vintage. I had MacAddict and a pile of magazines, as well as the Ohlone Fall catalog. He is supposed to take a walk with his pole. Pushing fluids. I had to reheat the coffee. I found the kitchen. The Mac notebook needs some help before it can log on. It needs a cable to and a splitter for the phone cord. We'll work on that. We got his shoes out of the closet and got him up. We unplug him. He can walk on battery. I had the roof code - no patient is to be on the roof without Mom. I warned the nurses not to provide this code to my older son. Could be dangerous. Well, I tried. We find the elevator - I had gotten lost on the way in - turning the wrong way. My sons think this tendency to get lost is amusing. We summon the elevator and get other ones (only one goes to the roof). My eldest sends the unwanted ones to random floors. He is efficient. Once on the elevator, I did not get a chance to type in the code - that kid ripped it out of my hands. Oh God! He has a rat-trap memory! We reach the roof. We take a deliberate stroll around the roof top garden - it is set up as a winding walk with little alcoves. It is sunny. My older son pushes the pole, dragging the younger along. His significant other and I wander around with them. My eldest tests every door. He makes note of the stairwell. He climbs onto the railing and computes the distance to the fountain - where he threatens to put his brother if he does not shower. I try not to flinch at one son balancing on a rail three stories up, tethered to the other one. He also checks out all the hacker boxes (phone boxes). After two times around, we head down. Or try to. The elevator, when summoned, came up with unsuspecting passengers. We sent them back down and tried again. We head for the third floor - where the rec rooms are. Everything is closed but this does not stop the boys from checking out potential mischief they could get into. As we walk around this floor (there is an atrium in the center), the pump starts beeping (low battery) and shuts off. We take the boy back to his room and summon a nurse. The older child discovers - ta da! PURPLE gloves! This of course, requires a purple balloon with fingers. Teenagers in the hallway have discovered this too. Best toy in the children's ward! My older son and I confer about an iBook. If the younger one can get on-line, he can e-mail us all day long. And talk to his friends. My older one set his brother up with a phone card so he can page his brother. They watch SpaceBalls - one of six videos I had brought in. I read People magazine. The boys leave, I stayed and waited for my younger one to have dinner (he has a low appetite) and made him promise to take a shower. I had brought socks and a beach towel (he prefers large towels) and laid out a set of clean clothes. I am Mom. I think I will unpack my carry-on and use this wheeled bag to transport things in and out of the hospital. I have seen others do it. I set up a dirty-laundry bag. The nurses don't want to touch his socks. I pick them up. I'm his mother. I can do this. They take note that he probably tosses them onto the floor at home (he does) and that he needs a good whack. (Should have done it earlier.) My youngest, a very social person, is already the darling of the nursing staff. I left about 7:30PM. They will sedate him later and he gets the bone marrow test in the morning. I will be back at 9AM. I have met the doctor and we have discussed things. When I called to say goodnight at 10PM - my son had not taken a shower. I have threatened to give him a sponge bath. I may have to. |
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