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20/03/2004
My story is similar to most,
I was Born the 24/12/1973, yes a Christmas baby.
On the 19/12/1978 I was diagnosed with ALL, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, on the 18th January 1979 my baby brother (Dale Robert) was born, he was born with Meningitis of the Brain and lived for only four days. My older brother Greg was 12 years old and having a hard time, dealing with his little sister being diagnosed with ALL, his little brother dying & his Dad & Mum being tied up with all the emotion.
It was a Sunday night 19/12/1978, 6.30pm.
I was in the bath and ready to get out to go get ready for Walt Disney to start, Dad started to dry my hair and I yelled in Pain, "Don't it hurts", at the age of 5 I asked to go to the doctors. So Dad dressed me and took me to the doctors. "Straight to the Royal Childrens Hospital" said the doctor. Once there I had test after test done, The doctor asked my parents to come to his office where they were told I had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
The Doctors came back to where I was and started putting injections in my arms (DRIP) in which they had no success in finding a vein, They asked my Dad if they could put it in the base of my head, he's response was "over my dead body". They called in the top doctor they had in the Hematology ward, she got it in first time.
Even though only days away from my 5th birthday and Christmas I was not allowed to go home. All my family came to see me, and friends of the family also. Remembering that my brothers funeral also had to take place, this was not a pleasant Christmas for our family.
To cut a couple of years away, I turned 18, 13 years of needles, drugs & chemo, "I think I have suffered enough", I told my Mum. "I'm feeling lucky today" We walked into the room where the doctor was sitting, smile on his face. "Well Karen, we have some bad news and some good news", the bad news is we won't be seeing you again". My instant reaction was because I had turned 18 I would need to go to another hospital. "The good news, all clear, no need to come back". " told you Mum, I told you" We had a few questions to ask, but the most important to me was "can I still have children", " well your chances are not very high, about 0.01% chance. I just cried.
When I was 21 I met my Husband (Allan), we dated for 6 months and got married. He knew my chances of falling pregnant weren't high, but he still loved me anyhow. At the age of 24 I felt ill, I went to the local Doc's and he did a few tests, Glandular fever etc, when the tests showed I was pregnant he was as amazed as I was. Our Darling Daughter Hope Jazmyne Laraine was born on the 30th August 1998. Then on the 25th January 2001 our son Zak Rhys Jordyn was born.
During the years of us having our Babies, my Dad was Diagnosed with CML, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. Dad also had Shingles, Pneumonia & terrible cold sores on his mouth. In 2002 I found out I was pregnant again, but this time there were complications, I was told I had blighted ovum, pregnant with sac but no yolk, so I would have to have a full Hysterectomy at the age of 28, I was shattered. The morning of the procedure I went to have another Ultrasound done, I nearly fell of the bed. Two heart beats pounding strong, "TWINS", OMG.
We rang my parents straight away, my dad delighted. I went through the pregnancy very well until the last trimester, I was admitted to hospital for complete bed rest, the babies were sitting on nerves in my back. Whilst in hospital my dad went to his doctor to find out how long he thinks he may have left to live, the doctor told him two months at the most, dad there and then decided to stop his treatment. Mum came and told me that dad had only about two months to live and that he had stopped his treatment, this was on a Thursday night. I was know at home. At this stage I was 34 weeks, I went to bed Saturday night, next minute 9.30pm phone rings, it was Mum, "don't panic, but get to the hospital as soon as possible, dad has not got long. It took us 14 minutes to get to the hospital, in which should take about 35 minutes.
I went into see Dad straight away, I needed to tell him that the Babies are a Girl and Boy, the Boy being named Thomas Jaymes Dale, after my Dad and Brother. And our little girl Shaelei Jayde Rose. My Dad died shortly after, I was admitted to hospital to stop the stress labour that I had gone into cause the babies where too small, I wanted to stand and speak at Dads funeral but everyone said I wouldn't be able to do it, and I did. The twins where born 19th May 2003. It is 11 months today that my Dad has been gone, it only seems like yesterday.
My Dad, My Angel, I love you.
We also lost another 6 family members to Leukemia, on either sides of the Family.
RIP THOMAS HARRY PATERSON
20/4/2003