Sunday, June 20, 2010

Father's Day

My Father's Day began and ended in moments of panic, but was otherwise enjoyable. The first thing I did after I woke up this morning was remember suddenly that in the excitement of being back home I has neglected to give William his evening doses of medication last night. Haircut- check. Bath- check. Brush teeth- check. Prayers- check. Blog-check. Kids are not supposed to be sick and on medications. In fact, kids are supposed to say no to drugs, so it seems somewhat forgivable that such an item fell off dad's radar (sorry honey).

For better or worse, that is the way I learn - by first botching something, and then I know what not to do and am fine. I suspect that I am not alone in this learning method, at least among the dads out there. I quickly gave Will his morning doses of his antibiotic and blood pressure meds. He also had a worsening cough and said he was feeling weird like the last time he had to go to the hospital, so I called the doctor to report the error of my ways and see if that or the cough were of any concern. It was no big deal - coughs are common for chemo patients and his blood pressure had been pretty stable previously, so no harm done. Whew. Will wasn't feeling up to going to church, so he stayed home with Grandma (you rock Mom!) and I headed to church - it was just what I needed to feel the Spirit and support of friends (and they passed out really good cookies for Father's Day).

The afternoon was low key- although a nap wasn't in the cards, I enjoyed talking to Julie and the boys on the phone, and Will and I taked to my Dad for a while. My dad is awesome and I can largely credit him for my optimistic and laid back nature, as well as many other things like a vocabulary of silly and made up words and habits like rubbing my feet together in bed to the chagrin of my wife. I love you Dad.

Will ordered mac-n-cheese for dinner (I put in extra butter) and after Will got some frsh air with me out in the garden to point out which green beans I should pick and check on the zucchinis (he can't work in the garden because of bacteria concerns), Mom and I enjoyed some fresh green beans from the garden and a salad from the lettuce in our garden with our dinner. As we were winding down for the night and giving William his evening meds (check!), I checked William's temperature: 101.8 on the new fancy electric forehead-swipe thermometer. 100.7 on the under the tongue variety. You've got to be kidding me. We have strict instructions to call the doctor if his temp is over 100.5. Will cried at the thought of going back to the hospital. I cringed to call, but after talking to the doctor, fortunately they are less concerned since William's white blood cells have come back up, and since we have an appointment tomorrow. Another crisis and hospital stay averted. Who knows what will happen tomorrow, but we're happy for a nice day today.

William's new summer haircut

7 comments:

  1. Lookin' sharp Big Will!!!! Hang in there buddy. Ryan and Julie- You both are some of the strongest and bravest people I have ever met. It has been a pleasure. You guys are awesome! Take care and hope I can come see Will soon.

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  2. Lovely haircut Will. You should be a barber Ryan. you'll need a few new had to keep the summer sun of that good lookin' face of yours. happy father's day to you Ryan. you are obviously a most wonderful father. You and Julie are such a wonderful example to us and everyone. Thank you for keeping this blog. it is an inspiration to everyone that reads it. keep on truckin' Will.. You will win the fight!
    Audrey

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  3. Nice haircut William! Perfect for a hot Folsom summer!
    Ryan, you and Julie are such perfect complements to one another. What a great team you make. Hope you get a nice mellow week at home with William and your mom...and a nap! Balboa bars are overrated. :-)

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  4. Love the haircut... nice and cool for the summer!
    Ryan, it isn't just dad's that forget the meds thing, nor is it just in the beginning. I have forgotten my son's meds a couple of times, and he has been post transplant for three years. Oops!
    Thanks for keeping the blog updated Murdocks and associates, I know it's hectic at times managing a child's illness, but the effort of keeping all informed is wonderfully appreciated.
    Many hugs!

    Crystal (Sudbury, ON Canada)

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  5. what handsome little guy! hang in there buddy~

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  6. cousin will,
    you are a strong, brave, handsome boy and we love you so much!!
    love your cousins,
    katie, bret, rachie, soren and bronwyn

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  7. You look good, like a Marine!

    Take Care.

    Derek

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