Strength and endurance

We got CBC results yesterday and they were great! Three weeks ago Ric had virtually no white blood cells and this week he is in normal ranges. Not normal for Ric, normal for the rest of us which is even a bigger deal! Prednisone has been weaned down to 1/2 mg/day!

He was at school when I got results, so when he came home I told him the news. His reply "So, I don't have Evans anymore? Am I in remission?" To which I replied "This week you are doing fine. Remember, this is a forever thing and the doctor won't call remission until a year after treatment. Focus on this week! This week your numbers are great!"

Ric has taken this whole Evans situation pretty well. It's in moments like yesterday that I can sense his stress with the illness. It breaks my heart to have to tell him, you still have Evans and it will not go away. But, I feel like I can't paint too much of a pretty picture for him because he won't know how to handle this later on in life when I'm not there everyday.

I truly admire Ric. Even though he drives me crazy, as any 15 yr old would his mom. However, Ric deals with all this shit so well. His strength is truly admirable. I remind him of that when he talks about Evans. I always tell him you are so strong, emotionally. Even when he has breakdowns. My biggest thing is, you can have the breakdown, but you pick up the pieces and pull yourself together afterwards.

For me, Ric is endurance personified. I can run a gazillion marathons and still Ric will be stronger than I am. He has all the reasons to break down, go into depression but he chooses not to and that is amazing. 

To endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles! If I have had any part on teaching him that, I have done somehing right.