1996 Relapse

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One young man helped Matthew drive a skid loader and another friend enlisted his help painting a house. Actually, it was a garage but Matthew did wield the paintbrush for about an hour. 

Lynn’s volleyball team sponsored a volleyball benefit for Matthew. The money that it raised helped Lynn and Dave with the extra expenses that came up every time Matthew had to be in Omaha.  

In September, a trucker friend let Matthew inspect his big truck and even gave him a ride. Matthew’s fascination with construction was encouraged when the street past his house was closed off and underwent resurfacing for several months. He became friends with the work crews and when they moved on to other jobs, they always told him where they would be. Almost daily, his parents or grandparents sat with Matthew for hours at construction sites.  

 My sister, niece, and brother-in-law always seemed to sense the best time to visit Matthew in the hospital. Just when we were at out wit’s end, trying to distract him from being hungry and thirsty, after waiting all day for some test or other, they would arrive like the U.S. Cavalry. 

One day when they arrived about 3:30 in the afternoon, Matthew had Lynn trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey! Out of desperation, after entertaining Matthew in the hospital all day waiting for a routine test, Lynn had allowed him to tie her up with a whole roll of hospital tape. It was one of many times that Matthew was off of food and water from bedtime the night before until late in the afternoon.   

 Such things were inevitable, as surgeons, radiologists, anesthesiologists, and equipment had to be scheduled and quite often there were emergencies that meant delays. Non-emergency procedures like Matthew’s, originally scheduled for late morning, were delayed until late afternoon. It happened several times. 

My nephew’s wife also saved the day more than once. She and Matthew had an hilarious episode one day throwing some obnoxious toy called "Gak" all around Matthew’s hospital restroom. Another day, she put so much expression into reading a book to Matthew that the cleaning lady slowed down to hear the end of the book! 

  Due to neupogen shots, it was difficult to schedule visits to Grandma Goering’s. But when it was possible to go, Matthew had special friends there. Lynn and Dave’s friends visited many times when Matthew was in the hospital. Lynn’s boss and friend and her family also visited and loaned Matthew lots of toys and books. In October, a good friend of mine happened to have a birthday during one of Matthew’s longest hospital stay. She shared her day, bringing streamers and other birthday decorations to Matthew’s hospital room and we celebrated with a birthday ice cream pizza.

On travels to and from Stromsburg or Omaha, Lynn also began to cater to his interest by choosing routes that follow railway lines. A friend scheduled a visit to the Burlington- Northern freight yard a few months before his cancer recurred and so Matthew met a whole new group of friends. The railroad workers were amazed at his knowledge of engines and cars. There were subsequent visits when they lavished Matthew with railroad paraphernalia. Eventually, Matthew became a member of the Railroad Diesel Mechanics Union.

My sister’s family has joined us two times on the Fremont-Hooper train ride.

My cousin, who lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, told her friends about Matthew and about his interest in trains. One of her friends encouraged his fellow church members to include Matthew in their prayers. A few months passed and they wanted to do or give Matthew something else and Lynn suggested that they make a scrapbook of train pictures for him since he already had so many toys. Soon a box arrived full of old train magazines, catalogs, and other miscellaneous items, in addition to a beautiful scrapbook. Matthew was thrilled and he often shares these items with his friends.

 My childhood church in Tekamah rarely let a week go by without mentioning Matthew in the bulletin or prayer. Many other individuals and church congregations have prayed for Matthew throughout these difficult years. It is a great comfort to know that they continue to do so.

Although I have shed many tears over Matthew, he has made me laugh much more than cry. I don’t know where Matthew got his tremendous joy of life and his sense of humor. Maybe from his Grandpa or his Aunt Elaine or just from a subconscious desire to make the most of each day. Soon after he was four, Grandpa taped some "Mr. Bean" programs and before long, Matthew was introducing all the hospital personnel to "Mr. Bean." He can also do a great imitation of some of Mr. Bean’s ridiculous antics 

 And so Matthew’s days were filled with fun and pleasure, along with the cycles of chemotherapy, the shots, blood draws, and other tedious interruptions. We waited. Did I say that I had learned to live each day as it presented itself? Well, maybe I forgot that lesson for awhile because I began to get very impatient. 

Thanksgiving came and went, Christmas too, and I became obsessed that a liver would come available in January. No? Then maybe in February. Matthew needed this transplant soon, I figured, so he could be all well and perfect by fall when he was due to start kindergarten. No? But I "knew" Matthew should get a new liver soon, before his treatments made him so sick that a transplant would be more difficult.