Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Change of plans

Last Sunday, my husband left for Dusseldorf on business and my parents were on a cruise. As anticipated, my plans for the week rapidly disintegrated. I did not make it to my serger class.

Tuesday, my 10-year-old son stayed home with flu like symptoms. By Thursday morning, my mothers instinct told me it was not the flu but appendicitis. A doctors visit confirmed this with ultra sound. By 3:00 we were off to Children’s Mercy.

I arranged to have my 8-year-old son picked up from school. At 8:30pm Thursday, my 10year old was having a laparoscopic appendectomy. As I awaited his recovery from surgery, I saw other parents and relatives that were also waiting to hear about their loved ones. The stress of the week was instantly replaced with gratefulness that my son was only in for an appendectomy (no perforation) and not undergoing a biopsy, chemotherapy or radiation treatments. I can't begin to imagine the total helplessness a parent must feel to watch their child suffer through a long illness.

My son stayed in the hospital over night and got to attend the Valentines Party at Children’s Mercy before being released. As he picked through the thousands of hand made valentines I saw him pay attention to the other children being brought in. I knew he was quickly forgetting the pain he had endured before and after his surgery. His consideration for the other kids overwhelmed me.

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