Last night, just before bed at midnight, Zack comes up to me and shows me a lump under is right arm. It is the size of my thumb and is like a small ball shape. He tells me that is the only one he has found, and just discovered it. Frank has been asleep for hours so I made an executive decision and called the Dr. Beatty whom was on call. He promptly returns my call and asks for me to take Zack's temperature. It is 99.5, we fill him in on the last couple of days, his count, the two units of blood. He says it was good for me to call, but feels it is from his deodorant, BUT.. wants us to come in first thing in the morning to the Pediatric Wing where he will be working. After I hang up I check Zack's temperature again and it is now 100.1. We had been advised to take him to the Hospital when it reaches 100, but Zack and I decide we are already going in the morning and there is no need to panic (even more than we already are). Zack immediately begins to hit his pillows, He is pissed! He is tired of the trips, the "set backs", the little things that appear to keep happening to him. I can't help him, I am just as pissed. I wake Frank and tell him what is going on and he offers to talk to Zack. I tell him he just needs to process and try and get some sleep, within two minutes Frank is back snoring... I think he thought I meant HIM!!! (smile) I sit on the edge of his bed and hang out with Zack for awhile, he finally said "you better leave Mom, or you will end up on the floor". I leave his room, pick up the phone and call Nancy. It is midnight and I have never done this before, but I know that she understands and has always offered no matter what time. I tell Nancy what is going on and start to cry, she assures me that it is probably something small from his deodorant but it is good that we are going in the morning. I am calmer after talking with her, I usually call my brother, but knew my mother would hear the phone and didn't want to panic her. I also knew Nancy would probably know what this could be. I went to bed and within a few minutes I was sound asleep.
We wake up this morning and Frank comes to tell me to look up the driveway. There, right across the entire driveway is a large tree. Zack and I were expected to leave in about 30 minutes to head to the hospital so Frank gets out the chainsaw and starts cutting away at the log. He created a large enough path for our car to get out.
Zack and I head out, drive to Memorial Mission Hospital in Asheville, go up to the third floor Pediatric Wing and ring the bell to enter to unit. The double doors open and there at the front desk are the nurses from our previous stay a month ago. They are all smiles, welcoming us and asking Zack how he has been. Telling him how good he looks. We tell them we will see them next week, but are here to check out a nodule. They are already aware and Dr. Beatty is already there waiting for us as well. He walks us to a small examination room and checks out the area. I ask him if I was too much of an alarmist and he reminds me that "anything" unusual needs to be checked. He is pleased as he feels the area, and says that it feels like a fatty tissue or something that can occur with some deodorants. To be on the safe side, they are going to do a CT scan on Tuesday when he comes into the hospital for his next round of treatments. Zack is now all smiles, we can leave and he can meet up with his friend and go scout an area to bow hunt for deer on Monday.
I drop him off at this friends, turn right around and go to Hendersonville to see Mom and Bob. When I arrive at Moms house, she is almost in tears. I am in a bit of a mood and realize I am tired and just need a few minutes to nap. After about 10 minutes I get up and am ready to start the fun part of the day. Mom and I go to Main Street and eat at one of our favorite Thai restaurants, the we walk through a couple of stores, head down to Steinmart to see our favorite manager Cathy, whom was off today and then head over to Sams Club for groceries and much needed popcorn for the office. (we have a movie theater popcorn machine and our patients are quite used to having fresh popcorn when they come in for their adjustments). We end the day with a "Belgian" break consisting of a banana split for me and nachos for Mom. We walk into Denny's and there all over the wall are pink ribbons, everyone is wearing pink shirts and asking for donations to the Susan G. Kohman foundation. When we are finished the manager walks up and asks if everything was good. We tell him yes, but have a complaint or maybe just a comment. We explain that it has been declared by President Obama that September is Children s Cancer Awareness month and yet they are supporting Breast Cancer. I explain that I don't have anything against breast cancer research, just that it has already so many supporters and that starts in October. Why are they not doing a fund raiser for Children s Cancer this month. He explains that all Denny's are doing this fund raiser and it is a competition, plus the owners mother or sister or wife had breast cancer so..... I explained that my 16 year old son is fighting Ewing Sarcoma and I'm tired of seeing nothing but pink ribbons all over the place. I want to start seeing yellow or gold for children, or for that matter support ALL cancer research. He promises he will tell the owners and see what they can do. I pay for our food and leave a donation. He looks surprised and I simply tell him "I'm not against this, we just want equal time". He thanks me and says he will make sure the owner knows!
I arrive home to find Zack, Drake and Frank in the kitchen fixing dinner and smiling. Everyone is in a good mood, Zack looks tired for a day of running around but asks to go up and see Drake's new truck. I tell him he must return by 9 no later. He needs his rest. I "announce" to him and Frank that we WILL be telling Big John of Zack's situation. "He is well enough to bitch about what Zack is NOT doing (according to his opinion), so he needs to know his grandsons REALITY". They know when I mean business and they both look at me and agree. I call Linda (my mother in law) and ask if it's okay to tell him. She says she is fine with that, she said he was brought up to their house today to see his dog and when he handed the dog back to her he gave her the "finger". She said if he is ornery enough to do that and tell you guys what Zack should be doing, he can handle knowing the truth. You have to know Big John to appreciate what everyone is going through. He is a man we all Love, but is not an easy man to Love. I will not speak too ill of him, but you can get the idea.
My plan is to go to bed, relax, watch dumb shows on TV and wake up to a new day tomorrow. Frank will be fishing with Jeff, Zack will be scouting some more for deer, then school work, then car and I will be .... well.... I'm not sure, but it involves resting, some cleaning and some bookkeeping.
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