Purim Skates

I might have been distracted when Sifiso asked me to sign the indemnity form. Naomi wasn’t as horrified as she should have been. She tells me she assumed I was mistakenly duplicating the document she had already completed for Yudi. Nope, I had signed off permission for Shaina to roller skate. You heard me. I green-lighted skates

Fear of needles

I’m not afraid of needles. Injections, blood tests, I don’t love ‘em, but I’m not scared of them. As long as I’m the patient, I’m okay. I could never have entered the medical field because I can’t bear to watch someone else being pricked and prodded. Shaina’s earliest symptoms- long before we had heard of

Does she feel pain?

We started our morning today with our new unpleasant weekly ritual: To give Shaina an injection. You betcha she doesn’t like it, but she doesn’t cry. Today, after Naomi administered the shot, Shaina looked at me and announced, “It’s sore”. I wasn’t sure if I should whoop or cry. The only thing worse than seeing

Choosing the right lenses

Shaina will often perch a pair of glasses on the tip of her nose and announce that she is a granny. It’s a super-cute reminder that reading glasses are for old folk. Only, I don’t laugh as much as I used to. I’ve worn glasses ever since my third-grade teacher told my mom I couldn’t

You (don’t) need to know your limitations

Shaina was at the door of her ICU room as soon as the doctor discharged her on Sunday. She wasn’t interested in waiting for the wheelchair the nurses had called for. She yanked the handle of her portable oxygen compressor and marched out of the ward. Naomi and the ICU sister tried to slow her