A Message From Nathan

Setting the scene: While we were visiting the farm 2 weeks ago, Nathan got a small hard lump at the base of his skull. As he had been out playing in the woods and picked up several bug bites and a couple of tick bites, I wasn't too surprised, and have just been keeping an eye on it. At first, he just complained that it itched, but by last week-end he began to complain that it was sore. It developed into a sore spot, and yesterday another small lump began to form underneath it. By last night, Nathan had developed "pea-sized" knots running down the left side of his neck through his lymph nodes. Needless to say, Mommy was concerned and we visited the Doctor first thing this morning.

The Doctor had a good look and a poke around. He agreed that his lymph nodes were swollen and after checking found more lymph nodes throughout his body swollen up. Then, we agreed that it might be just a virus, but that as he had a couple of tick bites, we should have some bloodwork done to rule out Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Nathan was such a trooper! I told him that we needed to have some blood drawn and that it would hurt a little bit like when you get a shot, but that it wouldn't last for long and I would hold him while the phlebotomist took his blood. Nathan promptly assured me that the sore wasn't that sore and the peas in his neck didn't hurt, so we should probably just go home.

But, we didn't go home, and having assured him that this was really important, he said "okay" and crawled up into my lap for tickles. When they called his name, he took my hand, marched right into the lab, crawled up into my lap, let them have his arm, turned his head so he couldn't see the needle go in, and didn't even flinch when they stuck him. Then, he turned his head back and watched the blood going into the tubes with big eyes and open mouth. The phlebotomists and I were suitably impressed with his bravery, and so was he. He was feeling so brave and grown-up that he informed the phlebotomist that he didn't need a sticker afterwards.

Anyhow, all of that is just background, and this blog post is really supposed to be about a message that Nathan said I should put on the blog. So, without further ado, Nathan's message:

I was pretty brave, and I didn't even look. It was a little scary, but it didn't really hurt much. I just didn't even look. And, it's a good thing my blood wasn't green, cause that would have meant I was an alien. But it wasn't green; it was red. So, they know I'm not an alien, I'm a boy. And, I was really brave, so I got to have a drink at Sonic, and I'm going to get a pick out of Mommy's treasure chest. It doesn't really hurt now, not even a little bit. Okay, that's all.