A young boy lives with the ramifications of childhood cancer.
My name is Rico. Rico Garza. I am ten years old, and I live with mi familia in Texas.
I am like a lot of boys my age: that is, I like rap music, playing sports (only as long as it's within reason), playing on the computer, watching football or baseball on TV, and reading mystery/suspense books.
However, once you see me, you'd know I'm different. I don't have any hair, and I am very skinny. I have to go to the hospital every month for treatments. I also have to see my pediatric oncologist at about the same time.
I have cancer. I have osteosarcoma, or bone cancer. It all started in my leg, and it's spread to my hips. I have had to have my leg amputated, and I can't walk without Lofstrand crutches or else I use a wheelchair (which I prefer; it's easier, for one thing). I have to have chemotherapy, which leaves me feeling zapped, devoid of all energy, and feeling extremely nauseated.
I have to have chemotherapy every two weeks (depending on my blood count; if my red blood cells are low, I don't get any chemo), and it's really messed up my body, bad. I have no hair, as I said, and I can't eat because I have awful mouth sores that are excruciatingly painful. About all I can do is sip water through a straw--and even that is agonizing.
In order for me to keep my nutritional needs up, I have a central line, where drugs or liquid nutrition can be delivered to my body. Sometimes I have to have a nasogastric tube inserted, and that is always a pain. It's very uncomfortable at best, and when I have it in place, I'm always begging my nurses or doctors to please take it out!!
I have had this cancer on and off for the past six years. I was four when I was diagnosed, and I have had to go through some terrible times in my life. I have been in the hospital more these past few months than most people, and all the doctors and nurses know me by name.
I go to Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth for my treatments. (My crazy cousin, Amilio Fontez, calls it "Cooked Children's Hospital". LOL) I live in nearby Benbrook, Texas.
I live there with my mami, my papi, my hermanas Jilian (12 1/2) and Graciela (9), and mi hermanos Gustavo (7) and Paco (4; we call him Coco for short). Mi abuelay abuelo (my grandmother and grandfather) live with us, too; we have a full house. Add to the people, our pets.
We have nine dogs and sixteen cats. We love animals.
As long as my cancer is active or am getting treatments, I can't play sports, so I have to often stay in. I don't like it when I'm sick or am hospitalized because I have always been a go-getter, a really active kid, and I don't like having to stay inside on a beautiful sunny day (like today; it's in the upper eighties, rather warm for this time of year). That's probably the hardest part of having cancer in the first place.
That and losing my leg, having to use crutches or a wheelchair when I have to go anywhere. Sometimes I get so excited I forget I only have one leg, and when I go to get up, WHUMP! I'm on the floor!
Not good!
Well, I will write in here again; time for my stupid chemo treatment, nurse Jenna just came in with the IV equipment. Oh, joy! Time to feel sick again...Not good, not good at all!
Until later, this is Rico saying adios, muchachos!
Taking good humor into the illness equation doesn't diminishes the gravity of the sikcness but help to heal, why? just God and Rico knows and we welcome the knowledge!
Georg
Timeless wisdom and advice on the art of living for today’s young and old: The art of thinking, the art of loving, the art of working, the art of leadership, the art of growing old.
A new translation by Sergio E. Serrano of this inspirationa
