Max and I went to Children’s Hospital today. Wow-what a fricken wake up call for me and my life. Max needed to get his follow up check up for the tubes in his ears. He did great. I have been saying for the past few days that we needed to go to the doctor to check his ears. He sat on my lap and let the nice woman check his ears. I was so proud of him. I answered all of her questions which boiled down to-MAX HAS NOT HAD ONE EAR INFECTION SINCE THE SURGERY.
So then we needed to get his hearing checked. he was playing with a bunch of kids at this one toy they had in the waiting area. One of the moms started talking to me saying that her kid is deaf in one ear and then it came back and then switched to the other ear and the doctors have no idea why. She has been in and out of this hospital since he was born. Then another mom was talking to me about her child who is totally deaf and does not play with many kids. She was saying sorry since her child kept lightly moving other kids hands away from the toys. I told her that even though Max plays with kids all of the time-well kids just do that stuff. After talking to those moms, I felt so grateful. As we were walking to the elevator-there were signs everywhere with babies and kids names saying they were fighting and beating the cancer. It sent chills up my spine.
As we were leaving the hospital, there was a mom and dad holding a baby crying in this waiting room. I started to cry for them as well. I touched Max’s head and touched my stomach and said a prayer to myself. We are lucky.
I think my higher power gives me moments like these to wake me up. I am grateful for moments like these and grateful for my life. It is so sad that babies and kids get sick in these ways. So sad. I am sorry for the sad post but in a way that sadness brought me to a new place of understanding and gratitude. But still I hate suffering.
I think children’s hospitals are the saddest places. I am so happy to be blessed with two healthy children…
What a sad place to be. And totally gives you so much to be thankful for. You are blessed. My heart goes out to those children with problems as well as their families.
I work in a children’s hospital for emergency medicine doctors… but I see parents bringing their kids to the specialty clinics we have here. Breaks my heart and I’ve been known to hide my face in my hair and stop in the bathroom to shed a few tears for sick babies who come here. It reminds me everyday how blessed I am to have a happy, healthy baby.
Glad Max hasn’t had any more infections!!!
I know, we’re lucky to have healthy kids.
So sad… Sometimes it’s hard to see just how lucky we are and that things could always be worst.
Good to hear Max is doing well!
As someone that lost her hearing when I was almost 6… Often the parents take the disabilities far worse than the kids do.
Parents aren’t lucky to have kids without disabilities… Kids are lucky to have parents able to deal with whatever obstacles the kids face. And I can say from reading your blog and talking to you in emails that Max is a lucky one.
Wow. This totally made me cry. Sometimes between the tantrums and screaming I forget how much worse it could be. I can’t even imagine what it is like for those families- especially the ones with children who have cancer. That is just the worse thing ever to see a suffering child.
We have to go to the children’s hospital for Becca’s eyes and I, like you always fee like it is a wake up call. We are so fortunate to have healthy children.