One Year Since Diagnosis

 Peyton had a check up in Iowa City last Friday May 25th, it marked one year from his diagnosis. To think that he has been fighting this horrific disease for an entire year just astonishes me. He is so brave and strong. Our clinic visit was amazing and all of Peyton's numbers have recovered fully from transplant. I could not have asked for a better team to take care of our son. The Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology in Iowa City is amazing and I cannot thank them enough.  They are always so glad to see Peyton and how he is improving. Sometimes I think they are as happy as we are...I know they are! To think of everything that the body goes through to have a bone marrow transplant or a stem cell transplant is unbelievable....but Peyton really just sailed through it all with a smile on his face. There were days that felt like years, but somehow we made it through all of it and that was because we had amazing support from friends and family, prayer and most of all God.
When bad things happen, your first instinct is to be angry and say how it is not fair and why you. But when you find peace within your soul that is when things get better.  I always say.. "In life you are dealt a hand .....now what you choose to do with that hand is up to you."
Meaning that it is always easy to "fold" your cards and say, " I don't want that hand", but the true warriors are the parents that choose to "play" the hand and fight through it all.
Peyton has been doing amazing over the last couple of weeks. he seems more alert and wanting to do things. I finally think for the first time that when I look at him, I don't see a sick boy....I just see Peyton. The sweet, bright blue eyed boy with a smile on his face. I don't see the wheel chair, or the equipment or the pull up pants....I just see my sweet boy. It is almost like i feel that we have been doing this all his life even though it has been a very short time.
A dear fellow LD mother said something that has stuck with me...Her son has the same disease as Peyton and she says how frustrating it is to have people stare, which IT IS!
She posted. " Thank you for noticing that I am a miracle so smile at me instead of staring".....How powerful! These children are miracles!
Don't stare at people with disabilities. It is OK to notice them....but to constantly stare and whisper...weather what your saying is kind or not..IS A TERRIBLE FEELING. We are just families trying to move on with our lives in the best way that we can....and do ordinary things. Think about that next time you are out in about!

So to wrap things up our One year has been filled with tons of emotions but most of all.......hope and love!
Counting down the days until we leave for Peyton's Make A Wish.......we leave in 4 days!!! so the next post will be about our amazing time and pictures:)

with hope and love
Jess