Our family wrestles and we are pretty serious about it. Especially this time of year. I obsess at times about how the matches will turn out. Admittedly, I have sometimes failed to remember my 6 year old nephew here in Kansas who is battling leukemia. He has been on chemo for almost 3 years and has 6 more months. I realize how lucky we are to have healthy children. He would like to wrestle but can't, maybe someday.

Don't mean to be sappy, I am not judging any of us who take wrestling seriously, and we all have sick family members, but reading today's email update from my sister-in-law kind of puts the next few weeks of wrestling in perspective. Thought I'd share. Sorry to be so long.

Journal

Thursday, February 28, 2008 8:36 AM CST

A. had clinic a few weeks ago. Labs looked good, although he did need a transfusion. His spinal came back looking good. It was crazy at clinic, there were a ton of kids up there. It makes me sad to think that there are that many more kids in treatment. Two of our friends were there. A. got to spend time playing video games with B. to help pass the time. Both A. and B. were getting spinal so they could complain together about how hungry they were. B. had a relapse scare, but his labs looked good and the results from the spinal came back in the clear. Thank God! Our friend C. got a job at the hospital so she stopped by to see us. It is always great to spend time with them, there is a special bond that we share with no one else.
A. had a fever this past weekend. Dad took him in the ER. The Dr on call wanted him to come in since sister had croup. They wanted to do blood work to make sure that nothing grew back from cultures....nothing did. He also tested negative for the flu. So, they gave him a dose of antibiotics and sent him home. So far he has not had any fevers. Although now he is having severe leg pains. His right leg is hurting so bad that he limps on it. It is very hard for him to go up and down the stairs. He can't hold baby brother either when he is standing up, the extra weight is too much for his leg. I kept him home from school in the morning yesterday and he wanted to go back in the afternoon. He was very determined to be there. The staff at his school are great. They keep me updated on how he is doing. Little does he know that he breaks their hearts when he is there. They hate seeing him in pain limping around. But he has such determination and drive to be normal and do "normal" things. After talking to his nurse yesterday, she and Dr think that the leg pains are from the high doses of vincristine that he has been receiving. It can cause such severe pains in the jaws and legs. Sometimes, so bad that kids can't even wear shoes. So, this just may be a something that he (we) will have to deal with. It may last until he is done with treatment, after or maybe a few weeks. No one knows for sure.
Big sister has been so great with him these past few days. She carries his backpack to school and home. She helps him up and down the stairs and the first thing she did this morning when she got up was to check on him. She came upstairs to tell me that she was getting him a codeine. She is worried that his cancer is coming back. She asked me last night when I was tucking her in. I told her that the doctors think that he is just suffering from neurological pain that the medicines cause. I told her that his labs look good so there is no need to worry.
We are very grateful for how healthy A. has been during treatment. Although we know that he is still a very sick little boy, we sometimes take for granted that he is relatively healthy. It takes something like this to happen to bring us back to reality.
Thanks for checking on A. Please say a prayer that his cancer be gone forever and for his leg pains to disappear.

our prayer and best wishes for your nephew

Thanks for the reminder, I don't always realize how lucky I am that my 4 kids are all healthy. Good luck and god bless!

Prayers going out for your nephew and his family. He sounds like one determined young man!

Thank you for sharing. We could all use a healthy dose of reality on occasion. Best wishes to your family, sounds like you guys have a very special little man...

Made me cry. Now I have to redo my makeup before I leave for work.

You know there are times when we all can learn what is really important. I had one of those times last year. At the beginning of school, one of my son's best friends was killed in a car wreck on his way to football practice. After the funeral, we went to visit the family and his father told me "don't ever take watching your son play for granted because you never will know when it will be the last time. Treasure the time you have." I took these words to heart and hopefully, I will always follow his advice.

my prayers for him an his family he sounds like a tough kid he'll make..........and come back stronger than before.....

My thoughts and prayers are with your nephew and his family. I had to do alot of driving for my job yesterday and was listening to the radio talking about St.Jude and some moms and dads with sick children speaking for there kids, and I thanked God for my 5 healthy children as I was fighting back tears. I wish I was a rich man so I could donate ALOT of money to St.Jude. I herd the dj say she talked with one family that took thier child to get checked out at a hospital and they found cancer but couldnt help unless they had 300,000 dollars up front to pay, that just makes me sick that a hospital could turn a child away. just wanted to share that.