The Sun’ll Come Out… Tomorrow …. Don’t Bet On It.

191 Days to Go

Anyway, after much debate, and to the bafflement of our local meteorologists, the fiery globe in the sky was, indeed, positively identified as the sun. It made an appearance again this morning for several hours. Did we spend those hours making sun-tea on the porch … or risking melanoma by basking in it? Playing in the sprinklers, or working in the yard? No, we spent those hours taking Kendrie back to the pediatrician, where her previous diagnosis of “Early, possible, maybe, early pneumonia” was downgraded to a simple “Bronchitis”. Ok, fine, but anytime a kid coughs so hard and so long that they throw up, it’s time to take them back to the doctor. Just my opinion. But maybe my opinion was tainted by my lack of sleep, since her infernal coughing has kept us up the past three nights.

So after the doctor gave us the basic shoulder-shrug-not-much-you-can-do-watch-for-fever-let-it-run-its-course speech, I decided to take my girlfriend Renee up on her invitation to swim. Kendrie wasn’t contagious, all three kids (and mom) were going stir-crazy being stuck in the house so long, and best of all … the sun was finally shining! So we ran a few quick errands, went home, ate lunch, got everyone dressed, hopped in the van to drive to Renee’s, and yep, you guessed it, it started raining again. We got poured on.

All was not lost, as we waited half an hour or so and then let the kids swim anyway. I figure a few raindrops never hurt anyone, and as long as I’m not letting them swim with a metal umbrella during a lightning storm, things will probably be ok.

I did notice something a little disturbing when Kendrie got out of the pool. Actually, I noticed it this morning at the doctor’s office. She was sitting in my lap with her head under my chin and I kept getting hair in my mouth. At first I thought it was my own (I do shed more than a St. Bernard in springtime) but they were short and blonde. Mine is long and, well, NOT naturally blonde. I ran my fingers through her hair and sure enough, it was coming out. Not a lot, but a little. More than normal. When she got out of the pool, I realized she has thin patches on the top of her head. Not bald … but definitely thin.

What I find interesting is just yesterday another mom on my All-Kids list posted a question about kids losing their hair in maintenance, since it had happened to her daughter. I thought, “Wow, I don’t think *that* happens very often” and the next day, I realize it’s happening to Kendrie. I’m going to hope it’s just thinning …. She IS still on chemo, after all, and it IS still killing those quick-dividing cells. Naturally, if going bald again, or even just a psuedo-bald-Donald-Trump ‘do is the price we pay, so be it. Of course, that’s easy for me to say; I’m not the one it’s happening to. But maybe we’ll get lucky and it will thicken up again, without leaving us entirely.

In an effort to prepare her, I casually mentioned tonight, “So, Kendrie, you know what I think? Your hair might be falling out again because of the chemo”. She didn’t take it real well. Not even Dad’s comment about “Now we will look alike again” cheered her up. And I know how much leukemia has warped my perspective when all I could think was, “Well good grief then, hurry up and fall out NOW so we have a chance to grow some of it back before school starts in August!” How sick and twisted is that?!?!? (wait, don’t answer)

Hope your week is off to a good start, and rolls along smoothly! Thanks for checking in on us and leaving us messages in the guestbook; we love hearing from you guys,
Kristie
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KENDRIE’S PERSPECTIVE:

WORST PART ABOUT HAVING CANCER TODAY: Going to the stinkin’ doctor, still having this stinkin’ cough, and mom hinting to me that my stinkin’ hair is falling out again. I wish she hadn’t said anything. I was fine until she mentioned it, and then tonight in bed I noticed it was on my pillow. That just stinks!

BEST PART ABOUT HAVING CANCER TODAY: It’s a tie. Swimming at Ms. Renee’s (even though that doesn’t have anything to do with cancer) and going to our Camp Sunshine Middle-Georgia Area Support Group Meeting tonight … those child-life specialists sure are nice!