37) 2017 reflections

"#$%! you 2017, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out." - me, December 31, 2017

2017. It started off like a regular year, but it all went to hell on July 22nd. That's the day we had 2 separate doctors calling the house before 9:00 AM, telling us to go to SickKids because E's bloodwork from the previous day had abnormalities that needed further testing. That's the day I had to get my parents to drive out from Mississauga so my mom could watch J, and my dad could drive us to the hospital because I was physically unable. That's the day when further testing confirmed that E had standard risk B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia, or B-type ALL.

Rewind to July 21st, 2017. We had an appointment with a specialist about E's sensitive gag reflex and problems with swallowing textured foods. The specialist looked at E's colouring, and thought that he might be anemic, so we were sent for regular bloodwork. This was probably the last day of my life that will ever have been termed "normal". There are two things about that day that will haunt me the rest of my life, and I haven't written about them until now:

1. On our way home from E's appointment/bloodwork, my wife and I were having a conversation in the car. We were talking about the yellow hue that E's skin had taken on as of late, and the summer colds that had plagued our household. Agreeing that it was frustrating to see the boys go through these minor ailments, we said aloud that we were lucky to have two healthy children. Little did we know that E's body was already wracked with leukemia, and our whole world would come crashing down in less than 24 hours.
2. Also on our way home, we made a stop at Superstore to pick up something for dinner, or some food item for one of the boys. Upon entering the store, we were greeted by a volunteer who was soliciting donations for SickKids. My wife and I politely explained that we were already monthly donors, and the volunteer thanked us for our support. We proceeded in to the store, blissfully unaware that we would soon be spending the next 8 days in the hospital that had just asked us for a donation.

After E's diagnosis, we've talked about these 2 circumstances on a couple of occasions, and we both find them a little freaky. When I think about them, they give me the chills, but I don't think that the universe was trying to tell us something, or give us advance warning of what was to come. Just a couple of strange coincidences in a year that I'd mostly like to forget.