Cycle 4, Day 0: A Time To Heal

'Twas the last stem cell transplant
and here at St. Jude
Steven's packing his stuff
so that he can conclude

His last stem cell transplant
he's writing his name
and adding his handprints
to St. Jude's Hall of Fame.

He's now joined the ranks
of those brave little kids
who've endured high dose chemo
in an effort to rid

Their bodies of cancer
kill the horrible beast
so they can go home
to a welcoming feast.

We'll rejoin our friends
and our family too
we'll go back to school
after saying adieu

To all the great people
we've met at St. Jude
the patients and families
with brave attitudes.

The doctors and nurses
who help us be strong
To all of these people
we must say so long.

Today Steven got his stem cells back and we were discharged. He didn't throw up today and we were able to avoid giving him ativan, so he's feeling better, although a bit subdued.

The doctors and nurses came into his room, sang to him, and threw confetti, gave him a poster signed by all of them, a T-shirt, and balloons.

The fourth floor of St. Judes, the bone marrow transplant ward, has walls covered everywhere with the handprints of the kids who received their transplants there.

It turns out they are going to paint over all the walls in two weeks, since they are basically out of room, and they haven't painted in three years or so. So Steven's handprints will go on a piece of paper that will be laminated and put into a book. They are going to photograph all the handprints that are there now and put the photos into the same book.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

Now begins our time to heal.

- Kathleen