I remember the first time Chloe bled. At eight months, she cut her lip by falling on a puzzle piece. Her mouth gushed. I felt helpless. I couldn't stop her from hurting. All I could do was clean her up, hug, and be there. After telling my mom the story later, she responded, "Welcome to motherhood."
Recently, Chloe has been really sick. At times, she couldn't walk and would scream in pain stemming from her stomach and legs. Her eyes have been so sensitive to light that she couldn't go outside and even had difficulty sitting in a dark room. One night she woke up saying she couldn't breathe.
It's been terrifying. The doctors couldn't figure it out, and to see your little girl in so much pain is heartbreaking. We just found out she has Lyme disease. After having your kid tested for Leukemia, this is good news.
I'm usually so good at seeing the silver lining, but this has been really hard. I am going to take a deep breath and try: I've never felt closer to Chloe than right now. I've also never felt more like a mom in every positive quality. It's brought out protective and nurturing instincts that I didn't even know I had. I'm also incredibly grateful that it's treatable.
Welcome to motherhood. And, thank god (seriously) for children's Motrin.
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