The medication hits Gideon harder and faster than ever. At the first steroid, his body just immediately resumed the steroid monster persona. He has been so very sore and needing cuddles lately. Also, he just acts far away and not really here in the moment. I feel like the spinal, vincristine, and the steroids combination is a dazzling off switch for his eyes. He'll tell me certain parts of his body are on fire and he cries in moans, but then that is followed by an extreme jolt of anger! He'll be sad and wet-toweled in my arms, and then he'll thrust his head against mine in a crashing head butt. And then there is the realization of what he did and the tears just start flowing and he is so brokenhearted. Then he needs more cuddles of reassurance and sobs hysterically if I try to move to the kitchen to do the dishes, even five minutes after the cuddling love...It's never enough time for him.
We have found our solution! Every single time Gideon does something he is not proud of, or every single time he is in pain, we put on this song and slow dance. Once the song is over and he has sung along in whispers on my shoulder (my GOSH, I love that wispy feeling...feather breaths in tune with the song...mmmm), I can put him down and he is normal for a little while. It's the perfect healing combination: physical proximity, comforting words and fun, slow twirling. So, I must say, we have listened to and danced to this song at least twelve times yesterday... And bedtime preparation took a long time last night since Gideon threw Brody off of his tooth-brushing stool and I had to slow dance with both of them in my arms after that one, since there was a wicked almost-toothbrush sword fight in retaliation (at least Brody acted more like a knight than a monster)...
I am okay with the fact that this may cause my children to spontaneously dance during stressful situations. It could be worse, right?
Music and healing. I think there is a theme here.
ReplyDelete