A few important dates coming up in the next week. Firstly, on Sunday 18th February, we’ll be celebrating Luca’s 3rd birthday, in conjunction with Essendon Royals to help raise funds for the Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (AMDF). The event is at Ormond Park, Moonee Ponds and starts at 10am. All welcome.

Secondly and MOST importantly, on the 21st February, my darling boy turns 3. Bloody 3 YEARS OLD!! I truly feel like he is only 18 months, and not because of the common parent complaint of “he’s growing up way too fast” but more, because the first 18 months were a a bit horrific and traumatising. The anxiety of not knowing what is wrong with my child. And then the anxiety of believing he’s not going to wake in the morning. 3 years old and do we have a diagnosis? No. Still waiting.  3 years old is huge. From 18 months is when I started to enjoy my son, without as many stresses. The biggest difference in the last 18 months, compared to the first is the lack of hospital admissions. To pack ourselves up, and take ourselves to hospital and split the family up is a huge drainer. Not to mention, no one has great sleep and the waiting and waiting and waiting for answers… still waiting.

Which brings me to the last important date, 23rd February. This date will mark the 1 year anniversary of Luca’s last hospital admission. I’ve been bragging about this date for the past few weeks, “its almost been one year since he’s been admitted to hospital”. This has been a huge thing for me mentally.

Well, almost jinxed it last night. Luca was shaking for most of the afternoon, then slept a full 4 hours before I had to wake him for dinner. He had a temp and the moment I put a spoon to his mouth he spewed and spewed and spewed. If this was my daughter, I’d just clean it up and sort her out… but being Luca- theres always that underlying “what if I don’t do something and he dies- because of me”. The shaking was like Parkinson’s, so threw me off a bit. So, we went to hospital. I packed our bags to stay in overnight- just in case. The “perk” of Luca’s condition, means we usually get to go through triage and ED within 5-20 mins. They gave him a little wafer to stop the spewing. His temp came down and I managed to get some hydrolyte into him (he can’t drink from straw or bottle- I have to tip it back into his mouth). We had to organise a urine sample, which sounds easy, right? Well, its bloody not for me! Sitting next to Luca on the bed, staring at his “junk” while waiting for him to pee in the cup. I stared for 30 mins without pee. Then when it came out, you would have thought I won a gold medal in the womens Snowboarding (ha!). I CAUGHT THAT GOLD MEDAL IN THE CUP! Anyhow, urine was all good, and they gave us the go ahead to GO HOME. No overnight admissions. 😀

So, as I write this at home, and Luca is safe and sleeping in his bed, I consider myself hashtag blessed to have these 3 important dates over the next week for my big 3 boy. If you guys want to come down and have a drink and cevap with me this Sunday, please come down. It’ll be such a great, family fun event. If I only catch up with you, once a year- do it Sunday. Weather looking perfect and 25 degrees. (subject to change!)

If you can’t make it down, and would like to donate to the AMDF please do so here:

DONATE HERE

xo

N