A frayed family
Our family is very frayed. It has been a tough 11 years since Rory was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2009. A second cancer diagnosis and nine months of treatment were a shocking development in Rory’s life which no one expected. They have taken their toll. Rory has new disabilities and challenges as a result of osteosarcoma and he is weary. Colt is wild from nine months of upheaval. Sean and I are numb from the trauma, irritable and unravelling under the strain. We are trying to hold things together until the end. We are four people who exist within a bubble which is under a huge amount of pressure. I’m not sure any of us recognise ourselves anymore. There is a lot of disharmony. Moments of joy are rare. It is a miracle we haven’t fallen apart. All the families on Ward 27B are doing it tough. Nothing prepares you to hear your child has been diagnosed with cancer, it is devastating. The black hole which is childhood cancer sucks in the whole family. The gravity is so strong nothing can escape from it. We are back at RM House, crammed into one room for the final dose of chemotherapy. No one might be left standing by the end of the week!
Yesterday was a day of football. We watched Colt play his first 10th grade game for the season for Inglewood AFC. His team was short four players so they suffered a sizeable defeat. Unfortunately we missed Sam’s game in the afternoon but the Inglewood AFC Premier Team beat Eltham so he was happy. Sam and Caitlyn are going to house sit for us this week.