Fever

My 5 year old has a fever today.  As his school bus was pulling up to the curb this afternoon, I could tell from almost a block away that something was wrong with his eyes.  From a good 20 yards away, I could see that he didn't look right.  When I took his hand to help him down the steps of the school bus, I knew on contact that he had a fever.  I gave him a piggy back ride up the street because he was "too tired" to walk home.  Sure enough, he had a 102 fever.  Great.  Why on a Friday, when I have to go to night class?  He was very sluggish and mopey on the couch.  I gave him some acetaminophen and juice, and tried to get him to eat some apples and pretzels.   I hated having to leave, but the greater good for my boys is my education/ future profession, so I had to go to school.
On the way home tonight, I picked up some more children's Advil (because advil has dye-free medicine, where tylenol does not-- at least not in my CVS).  I picked up some pedialyte... again, I had to get the plain un-flavored bottle because every single one of the flavors, both name brand and store brand contain food dye.  Do these food and drug companies seriously have to put these poisonous dyes in every frikking thing our kids eat and drink?  Why???  
I'm no hippie or hard core organics police, but I have seen what the food dyes do to my kids' behaviors and attention spans, and nervous systems.  It's scary, and it's so unnecessary.
But I digress.
So my baby has a fever.   The kind that knocks a little guy on his little butt.  I thought about him through the duration of my class.  I texted my Mother throughout, and worried about how he was feeling, and felt guilty for not being there.
It brought to light how very very lucky I am to have two healthy boys.  Yes, J has a fever today.  But it will pass.  He might puke tonight.  He might wake up with a sore throat or an ear infection, but it will pass.  He'll be spoiled for a day or so until I get wise and call him out for milking the fever and get him back on track.
My heart, my thoughts, my gut wrench for Cindy and Lou Campbell again tonight, as they sit by and watch little Ty suffer through cancer that is threatening his life.
I don't want to imagine their pain.  I don't want to try to imagine what they feel.  It's impossible.  It's unbearable.  I can't wait for the morning when I click on WWW.SUPERTY.ORG  to find the words, "Ty is cured! The cancer is gone!  We got our miracle!  Ty and his brother are outside running through the mud and tumbling around the way all little boys do with their brothers...."   Sleep tight Ty.  Save up your energy, you're going to need it tomorrow, and the next day, and every day after as that stupid cancer gets smaller and smaller and smaller and finally disappears and leaves you and your family alone to play and pray and love each other again!