Over it.

This is my daughter getting her blood drawn. She's had it done over a hundred times and I see this look on her face nearly all of the times someone ties off her arm above the site they will stick a small (she disagrees) needle in to get blood that will tell us if her body is rejecting her transplanted kidney (hopefully it won't be). 


She and her brother get these labs drawn frequently. Enough for them to be a nuisance. She especially is upset these days that she'll have to have them forever. While my son realizes and is resigned to the fact that he'll have to have medical intervention for his entire life, it is just sinking in for her. 
Even though right after her transplant over 2 years ago I explained her new kidney wouldn't last forever and that she'd need another kidney and probably two more transplants she hadn't really understood what that meant until recently. 
Preparing the kids for what will likely happen in the future is one of our current tough challenges. 
I don't want them to be surprised about something so major as needing another kidney or their future liver transplants (yes, they know about those too).
Tonight my daughter said, "I hate that I have to go through this forever!" and I hate that it was my preparing her that brought on her sadness. 
For me, it's one of the saddest parts of parenting right now. 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Julia Roberts blogs at Kidneys and Eyes and co-founded Support for Special Needs. She's currently sharing her daughter's story of special needs here with a favorite bear, Champerina.