A disposable life

We got a new delivery of medical supplies today. A big handle bag filled with plastic syringes, gloves, and other supplies, each individually wrapped in plastic and packaged in more plastic. Half of the liquid in every syringe is thrown out, and none of it is recyclable. We now go through paper towels and sanitizing wipes like crazy, we use disposable diapers and wipes when she's on chemo (so we don't have to try and wash chemicals out of cloth diapers), and we throw away gobs and gobs of plastic every day! For me, this is so hard to deal with. I've always been a recycle-everything, use-dishtowels, cloth-diaper using mom, so this is a huge stretch for me. I know its important, and that all of this waste helps to keep her safe and infection free, but it doesn't make it any easier to accept. We see tons of waste at the hospital too - for the same reasons, to keep everyone safe and infection free - but I am always thinking that there must be some way to cut down on waste and make things more efficient. But this is a problem that I can't fix. So I will not try. All I can do is accept it for now, and go back to my usual patterns when everything is over. 


September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month! Help spread the word about pediatric cancer and share our story with others that you know. 46 children are diagnosed with cancer every day, and 7 will loose their fight. Approximately 700 kids will be diagnosed with Neuroblastoma this year, and nearly 50% of them will not survive. Most children have advanced disease that has spread by the time they are diagnosed. Pediatricians need to be more aware of what to look for and what the EARLY symptoms are, so that disease can be caught while it is still treatable. Help spread the word, and help a family that has been touched by childhood cancer. A call or a hug can sometimes turn a day around.