Abraham Had it Easy

During Sunday School this past Sunday, we discussed Abraham having to take Isaac off because the Lord had asked him to sacrifice his son. The teacher asked how we all would feel being asked to sacrifice our most beloved things. A lot of parents said, out loud, that they couldn't even imagine it. I snorted a bit to myself in the back. I think Abraham had it easy. He had a divine directive from God, there was precedence in his land for this kind of thing, and it would be over quickly. Plus Isaac seemed to be old enough for him to understand some of it at least.

Compare that with Fiona. She was four. We tortured her with all sorts of procedures (that she wasn't put out for), we cut into her, and then we gave her horrible medicines that caused some really nasty side effects. Plus, the potential for the cancer to return was (and is) there. Not to mention, some of those nasty medicines? Cause other kinds of cancers. All in all, Sunday School was a bit uncomfortable for me. I don't choose to dwell on the negative aspects.

We also talked about trials. The teacher said she knew, for her, that her trials were to remind her of the closeness of God and his willingness to help her. That is something I have always known and never questioned, so I didn't really need a trial to help me with that. I do go looking for what I need to learn when these sort of things happen. I figured out that I don't really care what other people think when it comes to taking care of my girls. I learned that family time is the best time and we never know when that time is going to end. I figured out that my suffering as a child may have just been to help Fiona through this and help her to be less affected than I was.

We went to Texas Children's yesterday and I figured out that she has been apprehensive about it for a few weeks. We hadn't been for three months and so the familiarity was diminished. Things went really well though. I offered her her usual $2 for pokes or secret option two. She took the second one and I gave her a new Webkinz because, seriously, what isn't made better with a Webkinz for an 8 year old girl? Plus, we had a great nurse drawing blood.

Part of my advocating for Fiona is following some strict blood drawing rules. 1) Don't count when you poke, or when you remove the needle. She has numbing cream and she doesn't really want to know...2) Don't snap the tourniquet. You would be amazed at how zealous some nurses are with those things. She says that hurts worse than any poke. 3) We use our own band aids. The hospitals all seem to get the cheapest ones and they leave nasty marks on Fiona's skin. Just that bit of control over the worst part of the whole day makes her feel a lot better.

In just a few months Fiona will be headed for the Long Term Survivor's Clinic. Doesn't the title sound great? The funny thing, I have always told Fiona if I could get poked with her to make her feel better I would. I got to do it once. But when she starts the Long Term clinic, I will be making an appointment right along with her. Fiona's oncologist was a bit horrified that there wasn't a set of doctors following me, especially since I got some of the nasty stuff and a kidney was involved. So we will be going to the hospital together after August. Fiona will get to watch Mom being poked, without numbing cream. I might steal her Hannah Montana band aids though!