Benjamin is our Superman!!! Two years post chemotherapy and no active LCH as of yesterday gives us an opportunity to celebrate once again! We feel so blessed and grateful that this boy is healthy and well! He was so brave yesterday as he had to get his blood drawn (not routine for him because he previously had it drawn through his port, which was a much easier route). But everything was just fine! After our traditional lunch with dad, we left the hospital with prizes in hand, and smiles on our faces planning for another six months before we return again!
We only hope that we are done with this yucky disease for good! Still with chances for recurrence, especially before the age of 10, we pray that Benjamin will continue to fare well with good health. Now that it has been more than two years since his last chemotherapy treatment, we are feeling safer with "normal" health. It seems okay to mentally close this life chapter, including this blog, and move forward with our focus for Benjamin, for our family, and even for myself.
Benjamin and "Wofie" in the new entrance to Primary Children's.
After his skeletal survey yesterday, the radiology tech asked Benjamin what he wanted to take a picture of. She suggested his pants would be fun and he chose his new toy dragon which he had just been given in the lab. This is a picture of that x-ray!
Still waiting in the exam room and taking selfies!
Benjamin with our hero, Dr. F! He is such a great doctor. We are so blessed that we were assigned to him! He never rushes our time and makes an effort to answer all of our questions. He always seems confident in his decisions regarding Benjamin's care. We are thankful for his professionalism and goodness!
So as I close this blog, there are a few points I want to make.
1- Blessings come from trials! As I reflect back upon this whole experience, I am reminded of so much good that has come from this trial. Despite the fear, sickness, bone lesions, surgeries, fevers, chemotherapy, ER visits, scans, doctors, steroids, sleepless nights, medical bills, and much more challenging things, we have been blessed with faith, love, kindness, friends, new friends, dinners, babysitting, treats, more faith, more friends, more kindness, and much more! We have learned to trust in God more than ever, and when we do that, peace fills our hearts! Peace is a priceless gift. Christ is truly the giver of peace, the Prince of Peace. I am so thankful to know that He can provide that to me at all times if I seek it.
Doug's favorite scripture is John 14:27. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." May we all have peace in our trials, and learn the lessons we are intended to grow from in this life!
2- Having good health is vital to experiencing life to the fullest and we should never take our health for granted! It seems that I often take my own good health and the good health of my family for granted. Because Benjamin's health has been compromised these past few years, I have often felt deep gratitude for his good health. But I must remind myself how vulnerable we all are to sickness, or accidents, or any infirmity possible! We must not take life for granted! Each one of my family members is so precious to me. In my prayers each day, I pray for the health of my family. I will continue to do so, knowing that it is never something to take for granted! And each night, I will thank my Father in Heaven for blessing us with life on this earth and physical strength so that we can live life to the fullest!
3- People have blessed our lives abundantly and taught us about true charity! To list all of the people who have shown us the meaning of charity during Benjamin's disease, would be no small task! But I would be amiss to neglect at least a general list.
How thankful we are for 1) our family members who have prayed for Benjamin, brought us dinners, babysat, celebrated with us, and so much more! My mom, specifically, for her listening ear, her thoughtful texts, endless babysitting, dinners, gifts, and much much more!
2) Our LDS ward family is next on my list! Our Relief Society Presidents were especially kind and concerned as they arranged for meals, rides for our kids, babysitting, dedicated visiting teachers, homemade bread, texts and phone calls to check in, and much much more! My visiting teachers were truly dedicated to visit, bring dinners, and also lend a listening ear! Our home teachers were helpful with visits, dinners, and more than a couple of priesthood blessings! And since Doug was the bishop of our ward in the beginning, our Stake President, President Homer, and other stake friends were so thoughtful during this hard time, with phone calls, visits, treats, and other kind acts of service.
3) The hospital staff was truly outstanding! After being reminded of all of the sincerity to Benjamin yesterday, the techs, the aids, and the secretaries were just awesome! (Sandy, the secretary in the Hem/Onc Clinic always calls us by name and remembers Benjamin. For one example, the day he was diagnosed, she couldn't get a hold of us to get him scheduled for an emergency visit for the next day, so she called us from her home late that evening!) The nurses, and of course, the doctors, particularly Dr. F were particular heroes in our minds! It is so hard to limit my writing as I mention all of these great people! I would love to write about specific things each of these great people have done for us!
4) Lastly, we are so grateful for all of our friends who are truly that- friends! Thanks to you all for your caring and concern. Each time I would see most any of you, you would ask about Benjamin and how he was doing. So often you would offer to help wherever you could! Sometimes, we all think that we or others verbalize that offer with hollow intent, but I have seen time and time again, those offers of, "Let me know if I can help," come to fruition with acts of service and kindness! Your hearts are filled with charity which in turn, has taught me how to give charity myself!
As I close this life chapter with Benjamin's LCH, (hopefully for good, but with awareness that a possibility of recurrence can happen anytime), I hope that my efforts to serve others will, in some way, reflect my gratitude for all that we and I have been given during this time of our lives, and especially to my Heavenly Father who has given the most important and abundant blessings to us! I love you all, I love my family, I love my little buddy, Benjamin, and I love my Heavenly Father! I will do all that I can to give all that I have as often as I can to show my thanks, praise, and love. And I hope I can teach my children, Benjamin included, to do the same.
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