Two winters ago, Oliver had been getting repeated fevers. He was first diagnosed with a sinus infection, then after that, he received other antibiotics. Then it was strep with another round of antibiotics. Finally, as severe lethargy and paleness were setting it, I insisted on a blood test which then led us to the ER because he was severely anemic and neutropenic.
After a night in the hospital and receiving blood, we were discharged with the precept that it was probably a virus. The c-word had been mentioned, but more as an “it doesn’t look like it’d be cancer.”
We waited a few weeks for his immune system to build up before returning to school and regular life. We were just about in the clear thinking this was all behind us when a fever popped back up again. We had to go to the ER since those were the directions we were under for another couple of days. Blood tests showed his counts were going back down which led the hematologist to schedule a bone marrow biopsy. It was then we discovered it was cancer.
Oliver has been undergoing months of chemotherapy, including monthly procedures for lumbar punctures/chemo injected into the spinal canal. The past 1-2 months have been the most difficult. We’ve all gotten tired from this hard journey. Treatment schedules have been extra heavy, his hair has fallen out, and fevers have led to hospital stays for a week-long each. There has been worry and big emotions.
At the beginning of this journey, I didn’t think I wanted a photography session in general… I saw it as a phase of life I didn’t want to remember. But a few weeks ago as we each made our way into our seats at the dinner table- still carrying burdens from the day- I considered how we are all struggling in our own way, but at the same time leaning on each other as family. This is the hardest thing our family has ever gone through, and hopefully ever will go through. But here we are, getting through it together and in love. Sometimes it looks ugly, but it’s beautiful in its core. So I realized that I really would appreciate a photography session for us to look back at the pictures and gain strength from them. To look at it and say- we made it through that time and so we can make it through other tough things too. Especially when we have our family!
Hope session by Kelly Colson Photography | Facebook | Instagram