Everything is going to be fine in 2009!

So much for practical blogging well how about New Year’s resolutions.. I am hoping that will help me will help me to try and keep up on much needed communication.

We are so happy to say that we have left 2008 behind. January 1, 2009 truly felt like a new beginning, a weight was lifted off our shoulders. Although we won’t be able to put the memories of the past year behind us the future is much brighter. We still take one day at a time but the days seem to be a bit more manageable and brighter.

We had a nice quite Christmas. I didn’t have to work and it was great to spend the day in our PJs, drink coffee and eat pumpkin pancakes. Patrick and I took turns sleeping in. It wasn’t the Christmas frenzy we expect will come in a few years time when Rafiki gets older. He must be the only kid in the world who didn’t want to open his presents.

We started with stockings and he wanted to play with each and every present, why move on to more when he had fun right in front of him. Present opening took about 3 days.

Friends and family all kept Rafiki in their hearts and gave him a very special Christmas.
We were all spoiled by a wonderful organization that we have been working with over the past months, There with Care.

They brought us a huge Christmas dinner from Whole Foods complete with every trimming you can imagine and more. It took Santa 3 trips to make it into the house with all the presents for Rafiki. I wasn’t home when the elves came but when I got home I was so surprised I thought they made a mistake and accidently left gifts for another family.

Rafiki was scheduled to have chemo on Christmas day which broke my heart. But Christmas Eve day the boys spent the day at Children’s ready to begin the 2nd big round of our intensive treatment and when the nurses began to flush Rafiki’s line it started to leak. He had a hole in his central line pipe. Obviously not a good thing.

Unfortunately, because his central line is not commonly used with children in the States the drama began. Now we needed a new part.... Ok lets call in the technician... Oh the technician is on holiday? Ok can we figure out what part? OK... where was the part... ?... hmmm ok Salt Lake City... OK lets make a call 3pm on Christmas Eve day.. hmmm.. did they get the message?

They closed the pipe with a small plastic clamp that made it uncomfortable for Rafiki. We spent a week on pins and needles the . Although minor at first glance a hole in his central line had a lot of potential for big problems-infection being the biggest threat. Then if Rafiki were to have an infection he would then have to have an IV put in, probably his hand and you can imagine that wouldn’t be going over to well with an active 2 year-old boy.

We tried to forget all that for a while and spent a nice quite evening with our dear friends the Girards. Belle and Even, the kids gave Rafiki all the attention he had been missing from other kids in one night. They were absolutely wonderful to him playing with him, teaching him things, and keeping a watchful eye on him. Patrick and I actually got to be regular adults and parents for a few hours. A great gift.


Photo by Mary Pridgen
barebonesphoto@qwestoffice.net
Thanks Mary!