ILX Parenting 6: "Put Some Goddamn Pants On Before You Go Outside!" is a thing I say now

Aw, poor guy. I'm glad that everything's alright now.

The worst moment was a few minutes after I'd deciphered "herpes" and read the NHS webpage about neonatal herpes. Luckily it wasn't viral.

fuck, sympathies to everyone, that sounds grim.

We nearly had an A&E incident last night after F, trying to cool down, put his hand on a fan and got his little finger sliced by the blades. Poor mite realised he wasn't supposed to have done that, so hid his hand and tried to pretend (through sobs and while bleeding everywhere) that he was "fine, fine I am OK really".

oh man

i guess it's the season for this stuff. my 9-y-o got chomped so bad by a mosquito two nights ago that yesterday he was covered in welts as big as bee stings. he had one on his toe that bulged up like a blister and then POPPED and then got INFECTED so now he can barely walk and is on oral antiobiotics. from a goddamn mosquito!

poor babies! mine's hair is all falling out but that's a thing at this age - same happened with his elder brother.
Stet what kind of fan was it? I've told my son not to touch the fan at all but he'll do it to be naughty.

he's three and does all this melodramatic 'martyr' stuff when he's upset, 'I want you to take all my toys away and give them to other children then I WON'T EVEN HAVE ANY' (crying)

It was a medium sized desk fan. Tonight he went up to and it said “now I have my plaster on I can touch it, yes? It can’t get through plaster can it?”

I am no longer using my “If not duffer won’t drown” phrase around this kid

Aaaaand back in hospital.

:(

oh no, what's happened?

Not sure. Lots of vomiting. Trying to figure out if that and his rash are connected. Been here since 8am Saturday.

<3 to you guys

Feel better soon.

So we're probably dealing with this: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/childrens-cancer/cancer-types/langerhans-cell-histiocytosis.html

Biopsy results due Wednesday. He's had every test you can imagine.

Which is a bit of a headfuck.

C's obs are stable as you like, and they're talking about transferring him to Bristol ASAP. It's highly treatable.

Not a great deal else to say.

Kinder, I know you talk to Em via other channels; I'd appreciate if you didn't message her yet until she's comfortable discussing it. I see ILX as a safe space for me but she may not want me posting about it yet. It's my instinct to talk to all and sundry because that's how I cope with things, but Em's more private.

Sending thoughts

fuck sake. I'm so sorry this is happening nick. hang in there. it will be a bit of a bumpy ride no doubt.

jfc my sympathies. keep yr head up kid

Good luck to you and your kid!

get wlel l'il sciko

omg, sicky. my heart goes out to you and yours.

Thank you everyone. They might only be little ilx posts but they mean a lot.

hugs from across the pond, wot wot

dang wishing you all strength

ffs! I'm so sorry. Good wishes to you all for a fast track to a happy ending.

Scik, that is terrible to have to deal with. All the best to you and yours!

<3 to all of you & esp yr little one

oh scik, I'm so so sorry. of course I will respect your privacy. sending lots of love

Fuck, Nick. So hugely sorry you’re all going through this. Shout if there are things we can do

Been in Bristol for 24+ hours now. I’m seeing a lot of the M5.

bet that seems like a long drive. i emailed u on your ilx profile address btw just in case we can help with anything practical.

It is LCH. Prognosis is ok but not great.

Kinder, feel free to message Em. I’m not sure that address for me works anymore- try njsouthall at gmail dot com

just saw this - so sorry man, sending best wishes

will re-send - don't feel obliged to reply unless you want to.
your poor little guy - can't imagine what you're feeling - everything crossed for you.

Nick I'm so sorry :( Fingers crossed bebe will recover and thrive well <3

Chucked a thing on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/njsouthall/posts/10101195655605614

I am glad he is doing ok at the moment & that the rash is clearing up. Encouraging news is still good news! but my god what a load for you all to carry. Sending all my love to all of you, again, still, continually xo <3

As somebody who works for a cancer charity (for a type of cancer which proportionately affects quite a lot of children) and so, seeing parents go through things like this more than I suppose most people do, I still have absolutely no idea how parents do get through things like this. Lots of love and strength to you all.

Wife and I were having an argument. E (3) picks up the handheld vacuum and yells "Stop arguing! If you argue I'm going to vacuum!" *runs vacuum*

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl6Pfa3H4Ea/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=2wfihn1zql9a

He’s doing pretty well.

aww <3

<3 beautiful

Chemo and steroids started today. He’s still super happy and well, which is good. The oncology ward want to send us home next week - as he’s not ‘poorly’ there’s little point him being an inpatient.

Glad he's ok in himself. Would you need to come back up?
Loads of positive vibes your way.

Aw what a sweetface. Sending happy healthy kid vibes your way!

Yeah we might need to come back up, depending how it goes.

Really good day today - took him out for a couple of hours (as you saw!) and they’ve said if his meds go well over the weekend they can discharge him Monday. Brain MRI came back clear, first bone marrow sample came back clear. It seems he’s not as poorly / complex as Exeter feared. Still got 1-2 years of treatment and a lifetime of keeping an eye out in store, but having spent the last few days on an actual oncology ward we are doing very well.

We were having lunch in Friska in Bristol yesterday, and N shared Em's noodle bowl thing. Em went to the toilet when they'd nearly finished an I was helping N spoon up the last of the broth.

"You could just pick it up with your hands and drink it now, if you wanted" I said.

N plunges her hands into the lukewarm broth and attempts to shovel it into her mouth.

"I meant pick up the bowl."

can't imagine what you're going through...my daughter had to have tubes put in her ears which is like a 10 minute surgery but I still lost sleep over it. you care about them so much more than you ever cared about yourself. the bill was $9500 by the way.

I had that surgery twice as a kid, I dont recall it being too traumatic :) (I was more traumatised by the initial perforated ear/middle ear infection tbh)

$9500 though jesus america :(

ahahaha thats awesome

God knows what we'd have had to pay if this were in the US.

Anyway, I don't want to have killed this thread with baby cancer. Talk about your kids!