The last few weeks (almost 6 weeks to be exact) I have had company at my house. I complained to any and everybody that would listen to me. During this period I also had many things going on in my work and personal life. I threw numerous pity parties for myself. (. . and probably consumed one too many glasses of wine! :)
This weekend I got over it all. Yes, the company left and that helped me "get over it" much faster. I was also reading post on the FB page "Hemo Friends" that I check daily. Some of the things that these families go through on a daily basis made me sit back and think how truly blessed we are. It also made me think about how I could turn my negative attitude into positive energy that might help other people.
I can't imagine infusing Trenton every day. I can't imagine him having a port or having a port infection. Inhibitors. .. . .would probably have to join the wine of the month club! Recently, we lost a member of the group. A young boy around Trenton's age passed away because he didn't have access to care and could not receive his factor fast enough. The love and support this group showed to this family made me cry. . . . several times!
The things that these Hemo Moms go through every day makes my complaints in life look like nothing. These women are strong, resilient and more importantly advocates for their children every day. Even though I have been active in the hemophilia community since 1990, I have learned more from this group in recent months than I have at some conferences.
I feel very blessed that Trenton has had so little incidents. Hemophilia is still part of our life. I still pray each night that God would look over him and keep safe. I realize, though, that we all have challenges in our daily life whether it is Hemophilia or something personal that is holding us back. What do we do with these challenges?
I know that next time I think about throwing a pity party for myself, I will turn to my "Hemo Friends" group. How can I support these parents and friends? How can I put my energy into something positive instead of a glass of wine?
I head to Chicago in less than two weeks for the National Hemophilia Conference. I look forward to gaining knowledge that I can bring back to this FB group and also bring back to the Midwest Hemophilia Association.
Cheers!
