February check-in

Yet another early morning trip to Children's Hospital coming up tomorrow.  Of course, snow is predicted.  Anya will have her annual hearing test to see if the chemo drugs that she had have caused any damage to her hearing.  After that, she will see her oncologist.  In many ways, that visit is similar to a well-child visit at the pediatrician.  Dr. A will chat with her a bit, feel her stomach, check her eyes (or eye), have her jump up and down, and see if we have any questions.  It should be a quick visit, but it never is.  Inevitably, there will be another case that is higher priority, and we will have to wait.  I don't mind being in the low priority category, even if the wait can be hard.  My heart aches for those children (and parents) newly diagnosed.  I clearly remember being new to the 7th floor of Children's Hospital and it seems like every time I am there, I see a family that carries the mark of being new - not knowing quite where to go, smiling in an overcompensatory way to try to keep their kid happy, but all the while tense, glassy eyed, or dazed.

For us, it is thanks to the superior staff that we are able to walk back down that hall.  Each time, it gets harder to convince Anya to go, but in the end, the hope of getting to see her favorite nurse is what makes the trip bearable.