You Can't Wash Away the Cafe Au Lait

Several years ago, after our families diagnosis of Neurofibromatosis, we had a choice to make.  Run from it....Like my own mother did....Or LEARN from it.

One night, I was sharing in the bath-time fun with my daughter Rachel.  She had just come in from outside, and was dirty from head-to-toe!  With the bubbles over-flowing the tub, we began to scrub the dirt.

We laughed because the once clean water, became dirty.

After filling the bathtub back up with fresh water and LOTS more bubbles, Rachel noticed the brown spots all over her body.

This was the first time Rachel had asked about the spots....AND the first time I really ever had to explain them to ANYONE.

She tried to wash the spots off with a washcloth and asked why she couldn't wash them away.

In that moment, I knew I wanted to write something about NF....This blog...The book Thriving with NF....And MORE!!

I explained to Rachel, in a simple way....."Those 'spots' are called Cafe' au lait, and you can't wash them away...."

After drying Rachel off, and getting her tucked in for bed....She asked more questions about NF....So sweet -- so innocent.

The IDEA for a children's book was born that night.  I wanted something short, sweet and positive.   But mostly, easy to understand.

If you are interested in "You can't wash away the Cafe' Au Lait" please go: HERE

The link will take u to AMAZON, where u can download a copy.

Follow little Sammy, as she learns to live with Neurofibromatosis.  

Thrive On!!

Why Neurofibromatosis?

"Why do you have those bumpies on you mama?" My 8 year old daughter wraps her arms around me.  "'Cuz I have Neurofibromatosis, sweetie." I tell her.  "I know you do, but WHY do you got that?"  I snuggle Rachel in close to me and look at her cute little face...Her sweet eyes, look back at me, through bi-focal lenses.

"God sometimes chooses the strongest souls....Ones that HE knows, can handle really difficult things, and He marks them, so that He can tell them apart from everyone else." I explain to her.

"Is that why I got these brown marks all over me?"  She asks me.  "Yes, sweetie.  And God marks everyone in different ways...Some people just have marks that are more noticeable than others."

"When I grow up...I want to be just like you, mama!"   "Why is that honey", I ask Rachel.  "Cuz your God marks are really pretty!"

I can't medically explain Neurofibromatosis to Rachel...Not yet anyways...But I can help her to believe that no matter what, she is wonderfully and beautifully made by God.

Update on Chemotherapy

Bailey is officially back on chemo.

 

Last week, as we were heading to the 7th floor, of The Children's Hospital, Bailey and I prayed that her counts would be high enough to start back up chemo...Bailey stopped the prayer, smiled at me and asked, "Why are we praying for something that makes me feel so bad?  Why don't we just pray for this tumor to go away?"

So we prayed.  

"Dear Jesus--You know exactly what our hearts want.  You know how to dissolve this tumor.  We pray for a complete healing. Amen"

As our elevator rose higher and higher, I began to feel an amazing sense that everything was going to be okay.  The answers will come, as they come.  The treatment, while necessary, is not the thing that will cure my daughter....For I believe in a higher power.

Following Bailey's lead through all of this has been an amazing learning experience.  She has taught me to focus on the good stuff.  She says, "Chemo may make me feel sick...It may make me lose hair, but it CAN'T ever take away what's in my heart!"

Every Wednesday, as we ride the elevator up, to get chemo, we now pray a new prayer.  After all...God tells us to pray bold prayers, right?  Sometimes, it takes following the lead of a child, in order for you to see that some answers, to hard questions, are very very simple.

<A pic taken after 2 doses of chemo.  Bailey has lost a considerable amount of hair>

Bailey is now looking forward to High School!  The other day, we took a tour of the school, and walked through her schedule.  I can't believe my "baby" is heading off to high school...She seems so grown up! 

Bailey never questions Thriving with Neurofibromatosis...She just does it.  Does she have bad days?  Sure she does, but she isn't focused on them. :)

Are YOU Thriving Today?

Can't Wash Away the Cafe Au Lait

The other night during bathtime, Rachel looks down at her belly and asked me, "Why do I got these brown marks all over me?" I smiled and added shampoo to her hair.

"Those are called cafe au lait marks, honey, it's part of Neurofibromatosis." I lifted my shirt and showed her mine. She just laughed and responded, "We're the same, that's cool!"

Rachel knows she is different, but she doesn't look at this as a bad thing. She lives each day to its very fullest and doesn't dwell on the hard times she has lived through, or the ones that she may face.

From the moment she was born, from the moment I knew she had NF, I knew it was MY responsibilty to help her realize that she was special. To not let NF define her or stop her.

Our conversation continued as Rachel got squeeky clean. I wrapped a towel around her and kissed her neck. She tells me that her birth marks make her cool and looked down to make sure they didn't get washed off.

"Will I have these forever Mama?" I hugged her tight and told her yes. She just looked at me, smiled said "Good, then I can grow up to be just like you!"

I just love moments like this.