Monday, March 17, 2014

My child has Leukemia

My name is Melissa Short, I'm not perfect at spelling or even making sure every line as the right grammar and punctuation. I'm making this blog to vent my feelings on my everyday life. I'm 27 years old, I've been married going on 6 years to a wonderful man and I have 2 amazing children a 4 and 2 year old. I work or well worked in a doctors office with amazing people who I would call my family because they have been here for me though so much. I was raised in a very different household than my husband so sometimes we don't see eye to eye. Hes from a small town and I guess he would say I'm a city girl. My dad (step dad) was strict but he only wanted what was best for us kids and well my mom she was more of a friend than a mom as I got older. My mom was a wonderful women she didn't have a bad bone in her and she knew how to make you smile and forget about how bad of a day you were having. A small look into my childhood into my teenage years. At 18 months old maybe a little younger my parents decided to divorce which was fine if your not happy with your marriage and you have ran out of every resource to make it work then its time to split ways. Well this would of be just fine if my mother and father hadn't decided to split us kids up. My father stayed in California with my 2 older brothers and my mom took me to IL to be closer to her family. Yeah a little crazy but that seemed to work out in their minds. Anyways my mom met my step dad who I call dad they got married and I got 2 step sisters and a step brother who I love very much. Growing up I got to see visit my father and brother one time as far as I can remember and I was I believe 6. I didn't get to see my oldest brother till many years later and same with my older brother. I had a amazing childhood growing up I wasn't abused and I had 3 meals a day plus more. Like I said I had a strict dad and at the time I hated but now I respect because he was trying to raise me to be respectable person. As I entered into my teenage years my mom started to get depressed, she started seeing the mistakes she had done in the past and just couldn't bare with it. She started to drink to hide whatever secrets and decisions she had and had done. When I was 19 years old when my decided that life was to much to handle and drank herself to death. Being a young adult entering into a world where I needed my mom the most for love support and advice you could just imagine how hard I took this. I pretty much shut everyone that was close to me out. Even my future husband. I relate to the song by Kelly Clarkson Because of You because that is what has happened.The person I feel most sorry for is my Husband Chad because he has had to deal with so much with me. I know its not easy and more so now. Anyways in 2008 I married the love of my life and we had our first bundle of joy in 2010 Haylee Lynn! then 2 years past and we had our second child Hunter! We have had our ups and downs with having kids both kids had colic and acid reflex and so we had a lot of restless nights and not a whole lot of help to deal with being new parents. Haylee was pretty healthy other than the acid reflex and ear infections and same with Hunter they both have tubes and we haven't had any issues since till the day that changed our life and turned out world upside down. I was working and I work/worked in the kids pediatric doctors office. We had been dealing with a crazy cough with Hunter so I decided to make him a appointment to get him looked at just in case it was croup. It was a Friday and Chad brought both kids in I was suppose to close that night well out doctor looked at Hunter and prescribed him medicine. While I had Haylee there I asked him to look at a bruise who would of thought a little bruise would alarm anything but he took a look and said Haylee lay down for me so she did he asked to feel her tummy she let him and he said Im going to run a CBC and see whats going on but Im going to go get the other doctor to come in and I remember looking at Chad and saying this isn't good not very many doctors get a second opinion from another doctor unless they suspect something. One of the nurses came in and pricked her finger and said be right back. Both doctors returned and both felt her tummy again and then stepped out to get the CBC her doctor came back and at this point both kids were hungry and fussy Chad took them to the waiting room to play. Doctor came in and I will never forget the look on his face it read I don't want to give you these results but have too. He said her white blood cells are low and some other numbers also her kidneys and liver are enlarged and we need to get her down to the Children Hospital right a way. (Writing this is making it so hard not to cry) I went out got Chad while another coworker watched Haylee and Hunter for me and told him we have to take her to the hospital and he had a blank look on his face as I did too because we didn't no what was going on with out daughter. So my grandma watched Hunter and we took Haylee to the hospital and Chads parents followed. Haylee had a bunch of blood work done and a xray and so much more. Chad and I hardly slept and I cried and cried because even tho I didn't want to believe what I had in my mind I knew in the bottom of my heart that she had something and I wasn't ready to say goodbye to her like I did my mother. The next day October 12th we were pulled to a separate room where the doctor told us your daughter has cancer and its Leukemia and he said he was sure because it was enough of a blast to know what it was. We never wanted this for her to watch her go through all this change in less than 48 hours. We were rushed to St. Jude and stayed there for almost 3 months. November 25th Haylee went into remission but that wasn't the end we are now back and forth from "home home" as Haylee puts it to home in Memphis, TN. I have been away form work for 5 month and Chad no longer has a full time job so we are jobless right now. In the past 5 months I have been through so much stress then I have had my whole life. So I decided to start writing in this blog and Im going to keep it this time. Im not all that religious I have a hard time believing God I always have. But Im trying really trying to believe that God has a plan for me and hes putting us through this to test us. Having a child with cancer test everything about you your relationship with your loved one, your family and friends and you as a person. I will try to write in here as much as I'm on facebook which is a lot lol. This too shall pass and we will see the light at the end of the tunnel and hopefully make it out much stronger than when we came into this. New normal here we come.


1 comment:

  1. Melissa I pray for you guys daily and try to keep up with your blogs and comments I wish nothing but the best for you ...your one strong.mama and we all are behind you 100% no mother and father should ever have to go.through what you and chad have ..you guys are two.very very awesome parents and we love you guys ....in know sometimes its hard to believe but you almost have to ..you guys have made it this far and I have no doubt if you had to do it a.million times over you would come out strong every time ....prayers and love daily ....love Shawna

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