St. Jude - Home Away From Home

I never imagined a hospital could feel like home. But then, I have not imagined most of the last three years. We are quickly approaching the 3 year mark for diagnosing Wiley's tumor.

Tomorrow, we had back to St. Jude. This time it's a psychiatric evaluation. It's a late in the day so we will be spending the night and rolling back Wednesday morning. We are excited about the prospects of the visit. We are praying for some medications to help control his emotional swings that occur each day.

When we get to St. Jude, there is a level of comfort that is hard to explain. We relax for some reason. Why? I am not sure. It may be the fact every one there is in the same boat we're in. Even though it is a hospital, it not a typical hospital. No ER. No real OR. If you have an emergency, you're off to LeBonhuer. (We have made that trip before.) But, there is a comfort. No one ask, "What are you here for?" You wonder sometimes, but you never ask. It's not important. We each belong to the fraternity of "Parents of St. Jude Kids." You develop a real friendship with the people you see often. You wind up on the same checkup schedules. And before you know it, you see each other every three months. You spend your days in the same waiting Areas.

There is an old arab proverb - "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." We are all there battling the common enemy of childhood cancer, tumors, or some other illness. So, as we fight the common enemy, we build friendships.