Normal is still Normal

I took Shayla to a doctor appointment a couple of weeks ago since she had some tooth pain which moved to her ear. Doc checked her well over (family practice, not oncologist) and found all to look healthy. After getting some more history from her, he looked at Shayla and me and said to Shayla that even with some of the crazy, weird things she has had in her life, 'normal is still normal' and this ear ache could be just some pressure that will resolve itself. So, there we have it. We came home and everything seems to be fine.

As a mom I worry. If it was any of the other kids and an earache, I would tell them to 'tough it out' and give them some ibuprofen and send them to bed. But with Shayla, I feel like I walk a tight rope. The 'what if's' scare me into action to check things out.

Her pain has resolved, nothing else came of it.

But... now Mariah has been complaining of hip and thigh pain. Two days ago she woke up stiff and said her hips hurt her. Yesterday it was a little better, but not much. Today, about the same. She had been playing soccer on the playground at recess the day before the stiffness set in, but no injury. So, I sit here now 'freaking out' inside. Trying to stay calm and tell me this is 'normal' pain from horsing around on the playground. But I have made her curtail any running, jumping or twisting activities until we can see if this resolves after a few more days. In the hips she said it felt like it was in the bone, the thighs feel like it is in the muscle according to her report.

I hate what cancer has done to my way of thinking about and dealing with 'normal' aches and pains of childhood. Whether this pain of Mariah's is normal or not remains to be proven. I hope it is. But, the worry will eat at me until we know. Until then, I guardedly will monitor her pain to see if there are changes. .....I hate this.