Picking up where I left...

Before the recent blog that I posted, I haven't blogged since Erick lost his hair. Mostly because the laptop I was using decided to completely stopped working and also my mental health was not the greatest. While I still struggle through depression and anxiety I have been able to cope with it better and there have been better days.

My friend Kayleigh gave me great ideas on what I can talk about, shout out to Kayleigh because honestly my brain was a little blank for a minute. One of the topics I would like to blog about is how Luis and I are dealing with Erick going to school. If I had to describe it in two words, for me it would be panic attack. Why? Well, when Erick was first diagnosed, we had to take precautions on where we could take him, or if someone was sick with even a common cold, we had to take precaution on Erick's blood count. The reason that we had to be so careful was because if he were to get a fever of 100.3 or more, we would have to go to clinic/ hospital, and depending on how bad his fever is and/or how low his white blood count was.

So a very long time, Erick could not attend school, because as the doctors would describe the school, it was where the germs ruled the world. So for about 8 months Erick stayed home away from school, very populated public places and if we were to go out there we would all use masks over our mouth. So when the time came to go back to school, I was freaking out. Luckily, he started going half way through April 2018. So 2017-2018 school year for Erick was basically a trial run of what school was going to be like for 2018-2019.

After summer break, school was starting again and I was freaking out. My biggest concerns were, what if the teachers don't understand when Erick isn't feeling good or how can they tell if Erick is getting a fever. What if he gets too sick after chemo, what if kids make fun of him and a lot more of "what ifs". But as I have always told myself, communication is key. Before school started, I got together with the cancer center social worker and they worked out a plan with the school and also asked me about the concerns, and together came up with a plan for school. For me, communication does not stop there. I also talked to Erick's wonderful teacher and assistant and repeated multiple times my concerns about Erick's diagnosis and what to look out for. Also, I send notes and email to Erick's teacher thanking her and warning her ahead of time for any mood changes and/or concerns I have.

So far I have typed up the concerns I have and how I communicate with the teacher but I have not actually bragged about how well my son is doing in school. He is reaching and surpassing all the milestones that he needs to pass. He is so smart and so observant of everything that goes on around him. Everyday I ask him about school and he tells me in full detail of what happened during the day. It truly takes a village to raise a child and I can say with pride that I have the best team for Erick.

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As for his medications, all of his medications are taken at home, so the school has no responsibility for giving him any medication. We make an effort to attend school activities when possible, of course life sometimes has other plans. As of right now Erick has had one field trip and it was to the apple orchard and it was a fun experience. And now we are enjoying winter break and patiently waiting for Christmas :D. I want to thank the doctors, social workers and school for making the school process so much easier and much more soothing for me because believe me when I saw, I am a certified hot mess mom, and I know for sure that everyone has helped me in more ways they could ever imagine.

For any question please feel free to ask, email or if you ever just want to chat I am a click away :) and that you Kayleigh for wonderful ideas <3.