The Plan

I'm back, it has been a crazy time for me since last time I posted. My dad was in the hospital for a week with an infection and fever; I went to Saratoga to visit and help mom. In between visits to the hospital, we rearranged furniture, bought a TV for the bedroom,
hooked up the TV to cable, and arranged some at home help for when dad came home. Parkinson's is a disease that changes every day, some days are great, and others, not so much. It is a relief to know that dad is safe, and mom gets a much needed daily break from the home health aides.
Sarah was a big help, she got the mail everyday, and taught mom how to use her new iPad. I think mom is really going to enjoy using the iPad, it is much easier and faster than the old dell laptop she was using. It took some convincing, but I think she is hooked!
Coinciding with dad's hospital stay, my 4 year old nephew, Teddy, was also in the hospital in Maine. He got a very bad staph infection from a bug bite. Poor baby was so sick, thank goodness Donna and Scott caught it before it became even worse. They have to go back and forth to a pediatric wound center to have Teddy's leg cleaned and bandaged every other day! Lesson learned: DO NOT scratch/pick/touch bug bites!
In between worrying/helping/visiting, we had doctor visits for Sarah. August 8th was the 3 month anniversary of her stem cell transplant! She is doing well, her counts are steadily climbing, her energy is improving, and her hair is growing. Unfortunately, in Sarah's opinion, this is all happening way too slowly. She is still angry and feeling isolated, and not wanting to accept her new "normal". Although the doctors have repeatedly said that going back to school in August is NOT an option,
Sarah is having trouble accepting this reality. Remember my dear: life is not a sprint, slow and steady wins the race! It is hard, especially at Sarah's age, to realize that taking time to heal will be worth it in the long run.
While my dad was in the hospital, he kept asking, "what is the plan?" he always loves a good plan, especially one that gets him home quickly! That is what Sarah needs, a short term plan that will eventually lead her to getting on with her long term plan/goal of becoming a teacher. There are many paths leading to the same destination. Although it may not be easy, it is time for my dear daughter to reprogram the navigation system and follow a new route. There are so many people cheering her on and willing to help her achieve her goals, she just needs to accept some help and make a plan!
:)