A Double Life

As life moves on and becomes filled with ever more kids activities, I sometimes feel as though we are living a double life. We have met lots of new friends through Tane’s school and Carys’s music class. However Carys’s cancer is not a topic of conversation that is easy to bring up. Her hair has grown back all soft and curly, so she doesn’t look like a cancer patient anymore. In a way, it is refreshing to be just like everyone else, dealing with normal, everyday things like settling into school, runny noses, fussy eating habits, etc. Although Carys’s cancer is not a secret, sometimes I just don’t feel like facing the reaction most people have when I tell them. Shock and disbelief is usually the first reaction. Then come pity, sadness and sometimes tears. I know that raising awareness of neuroblastoma is important, but I just can’t fly the flag all the time. So on the one hand, we go to music class, where Carys runs around with all the other toddlers, singing and dancing with Darminder, and no one knows she has cancer. Then on the other hand, we go to Challenge’s playgroup for kids with cancer. The kids in this group are very special. Some have lost their hair, and some have nasal-gastric tubes. They all have their own individual journeys to travel. But at heart, they also love to sing and dance and play, just like any other kid. Challenge does such and amazing job. They aim to improve the quality of life for kids living with cancer by organizing fun activities in a safe, warm, relaxed environment. We are so thankful for the support they give and the opportunities they provide for Carys (and us!) to have a laugh.
It is scan time again, and Carys had her MRI last Monday. We will see Lisa on Thursday for the results of this and the urine test.