Sunday afternoon we moved down to the rehab unit in preparation for the next step in recovery. In rehab she will be on a set schedule for her therapies as well as a daily trip to Mayo Clinic for Chemoradiation. These next 7 weeks will be a real test in endurance and determination. The progress that is reported to come from this intense therapy is promising, and we need to be ready to support her more than ever. She will have days she does not want to participate and she will be pushed to work. It is all for her benefit as hard as it will be to watch.
Monday morning Cydney starts her Chemoradiation treatment. She will be transported by ambulance to Mayo for the treatments then brought back to the hospital to begin her afternoon of therapies. The days will be long and exhausting for her.
This past week, getting Nathan into his school routine has been a somewhat welcome does of normalcy. He was pumped to ride the bus on Friday, unfortunately we missed it because we did not wait long enough at the bus stop. He was disappointed to miss catching it for the ride to school, but that afternoon I stood at the side of the road waiting for his bus to bring him home. He was grinning ear to ear as he exited the bus.
While hard to send him off to school knowing Cydney should be with him to walk in together and wish him a good day, it is refreshing to see him be brave in his own way and have the courage to go alone. I know Nathan, and not every day will go as smoothly as the last few have. He will have days he is not wanting to go alone or days he will be scared of something he has been doing for weeks.
Thursday night he had been clingy and not wanting to be far from me
We sat and built Legos, drew pictures for Cydney, and read books to Lily. He would mention that he was scared, but could not say what he was scared of. Keeping him occupied helped too keep his mind focused, and there was an endless supply of hugs and cuddles.
After his bedtime story, he began asking questions about Cyndey and when she would come home. We talked about the tumor and reminding him what she had gone through in the last several weeks. We talked about the upcoming treatments and how they will make her feel tired and yucky, but they are done to help her get better. He requested me to rub his back as he fell asleep and I of course was more than happy to do so. Just as he was drifting off to sleep he looked uncomfortable and I adjusted his pillow saying something about laying that way could hurt his neck. His response to this was heartbreaking. He asked me if he hurt his neck would it be like what happened to Cydney? After a long hug and some silence until I could talk again; I told him no, he did not need to worry, and that he would be fine. I layed there until he fell asleep, rubbing his back, praying that I am able to calm his fears of all that is happening.
Lily is 18 months now and her favorite word is no. She has a scowl she will give if you redirect her from doing something she should not be doing. It is funny to see and hard to not laugh. She knows things are not our normal and is also clingy. Keeping her in a routine is really important. Her favorite activities are reading books, chasing Nathan around and sitting with mom or dad.
This weekend was also spent having time with family from OK. Celebrating Cyndey's birthday as well as getting time at home with Nathan and Lily. We were sad to see them leave today and anxiously await their coming back.
Hoping for a good night's rest for Cydney as she has a busy day ahead tomorrow.
❤️❤️❤️
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