DAY 1

This is the image that I will forever associate with Day 1. This was taken 2 hours after we were given the diagnosis of cancer, Leukemia. They were walking Wil to the Pediatric ICU to immediately start treatments, he already had in an IV. We had no idea what was coming our way but these three knew they would face it together. 

Thursday, May 18, 2017 (the short version)

The day started out like any other. Teenagers who didn't want to go to school, mom with too much to do at work. Wil had been fighting a cold for weeks and the antibiotic wasn't working so we switched to a zpac and it was still not working. He showed me a dozen sores in his mouth and I kinda freaked out thinking he was having an allergic reaction to the new meds and I said I would call the doctor as soon as they opened. At 8:00 they said come in at 9:00. I really thought we were going for a routine check. Wil was very lethargic and told me there was no way he could drive from LHS to Sperreng as his vision was too blurry. I didn't even have a car and my friend Nikkole had to give me a ride to LHS. When I got there Wil was winded from his walk to the office and he didn't have the car keys. I had to go find Kate to get the keys to the volvo. We got in the car and went to the doctor. I suspected he had mono because of the tiredness and the nurse did a quick prick test of his finger, which would not stop bleeding. The doctor came in and since we saw the nurse practitioner last time he went over the year on Wil's chart and he even joked at Wil that we were paying the electric bill at the office with all his visits. Wil has had three broken bones, lots of sinus infections, migraines, allergies, etc. The doctor did an exam and went out for a bit. He came back in and said he was pretty sure he knew what it was but wanted the other doctor's opinion. When Wil was sitting there his leg started to bleed and he told me see I told you I wasn't picking my scabs (he plays a lot of soccer and always has bruises and scabs, so of course I thought the blood on his sheets was from him picking at his scabs). In hindsight it all makes sense. The other doctor came in and pulled down Wil's socks and he got little pin pricks of blood. At this point we are still clueless and the other doctor pats me on the shoulder and says "I know you are worried." Really I wasn't worried about anything but his vision and I just wanted his sinus infection to go away. The doctor came in and said, I want Wil to go for some blood tests. He said it was in a building behind St John's Mercy and I said at the surgery center and he said across the street. And I was like "The Pratt Cancer Center?" He said yes it is suite 2145. Now mind you I have been to so many doctors with my three kiddos this school year that another visit to another lab to do more blood work did not raise any alarms. 

We get back in the car and Wil is hungry, so we drive through taco bell. No clue. We get to Pratt and he says he can not walk so I drop him off and go park the car in the parking garage which there is only a few spots on the very tops so it takes me forever to get back to him. We go to the second floor and get off the elevator looking for 2145, can't find it. Walk up and down 2 halls, see a giant section that says Children's cancer center, but it has no numbers. So we walk all the way to the other end of a long hallway and two ladies start talking to Wil about how handsome he is, the one lady says I know he is yours he looks just like you. I laugh and ask them where 2145 is and they say right when you get off the elevators the big Cardinals Children Cancer center with fredbird. I'm like, "oh, it didn't have a number."

We walk in and I say I have William here to do some blood work and they are like ok, have a seat and your nurse will be out. Wil and I chat as there are several 3-4 year old bald boys walking around ...Wil feels bad that he is complaining about his headaches when these boys have cancer. The nurse comes back and gets us and the doctor comes in right away and says she is going to take blood. I ask her to test for mono since I didn't get the test results from the ped. YES we are still clueless. The doctor says they are testing for leukemia, I'm literally like what, ok.... They say we can walk around the waiting area and play some games. Wil takes on the NBA challenge and I start texting my sisters. complaining about why would she say leukemia, like that is a terrible to thing to say to someone especially when they haven't even done blood work. Like I'm really, really angry, but just figure it is me overreacting as my Uncle Sonny had passed away from leukemia. 

The doctor calls us back into the examination room, she says "I have good news and bad news. Good news is I know exactly what it is. The bad news is it is Leukemia."