[Day+38] Little Wins

A quick snap during a walk in our favorite park, Lullwater Preserve.

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A few days ago, as we were chatting, a friend told me, “All of these little wins will add up to a big one.” This is something that Tim often says— “Let’s take this little win” when we need to take a moment to appreciate small but positive events. Sometimes it can be hard to notice the wins and even more challenging celebrating them when the future is full of uncertainty. This week was relatively quiet and uneventful, so I am using this week's post to notice and reflect on the little wins we experienced.

We spent much of the week glued to our tv and phones, staying in contact with our family and friends in Florida. Though we have lived in Georgia for nine years, we will always love our home state of Florida. Hurricane Ian dramatically affected many friends’ lives and properties. Homes can be rebuilt, possessions reacquired, but once again, we are shown that lives are irreplaceable. All those impacted are heavy on our hearts and minds. We thank God that everyone we know is safe and are taking that as a (big) little win.

Back in Georgia, we had positive progress. To our surprise, we had our last week of two clinic appointments. We are officially moving to once-a-week visits. Carter’s counts are shocking us– still being “The Overachiever,” he is. We are over the moon but also feel great trepidation to shout it from the rooftops. The rollercoaster of highs, lows, hopes, and disappointments that have been our last nearly fourteen months are hard to overcome. Our doctor told us on Friday, “You are all traumatized. Please celebrate this little win.”

Immediately, Tim’s voice was in my head, reminding me that these little wins are everywhere. For instance, something readers may not know is that during the BMT process, Carter has been on a low microbial diet due to his high risk of infection. He has to avoid many foods, including fruits without peels, raw, unpeeled vegetables, leftovers, unheated deli meat, sushi, and restaurant food. He asked our doctor for 48 days when he could eat his beloved Chick-fil-A.

I am thrilled to report that Friday was the day! We were told that CFA is the only restaurant they will allow, his meal will have to be cooked fresh, and CFA is able and always willing to accommodate BMT patients. Yet another one of the many reasons we love CFA (my personal favorite being their drive-thru efficiency. Not much is better than a well-executed plan, and their drive-thru is such).

Carter devoured his steaming hot, fresh nuggets, waffle fries, and (the non-negotiable) polynesian sauce faster than we have ever seen him eat. He said simply, “this is incredible!” It’s the little things, right? This was most certainly a win for us.

At his clinic visit, Carter met another BMT patient, an 11-year-old boy. This new friend was in the hospital while we were, but we never met him because families are kept very separate in the BMT unit. Thankfully, he and his family are now at the Ronald McDonald House as well.

This weekend, Carter, his walking friend from the hospital, and his new friend went on walks and played board games. They joked, laughed, and got to know each other a bit. They played Scrabble and, as Carter said, “Mom, we played The Game of Life! I was a doctor; I had boy and girl twins and a beautiful wife!” I asked him what the most important thing he learned about life was. “That I need to go to college and family is the most important,” he responded. Well, it looks like my job here is done. 😉

What a win! It filled us with joy to see him able to interact with another boy his age going through this same process.

This week we will celebrate these wins— Carter’s counts (mostly in NORMAL range!), friends, more games, walks in gorgeous fall weather, and, more than likely, another trip to pick up Chick-fil-A!

These things may seem small in the grand scheme, but they are big for us right now. So, Little Wins, we are taking you.