Did I just use the word 'healthy'?

The question I get most often is “How is Mason doing?”.  This is a challenging question for me.  Mason, like most chILDren, is not a black or white case so to speak; he is always gray.  I could easily answer why he is doing well or not so well but that always would come with some sort of qualifying “but….”. That is why such a seemingly simple question is such a challenge for me. Not knowing how much to say or how in detail I should get with each individual often left me not answering very well; and for that I’m sorry.

Today, however, the question of “How is Mason doing?” brings on a whole new emotion/issue for me. The question doesn’t seem very challenging at all in fact. Mason is doing awesome.  Mason is eating well, drinking well, growing, learning, laughing; I could go on for days it seems like when I think of how well he is doing at the moment. Mason is OFF OF STEROIDS (as of October) and his body is finally functioning with a high enough cortisol level that we don’t have to live in constant worry of him going into shock. Mason is my little rock star! So what’s my issue with the question of how Mason is doing? This question makes me a nervous anxious wreck at times because I catch myself almost blurting out “he is doing great, he is really healthy”.

*Insert Gasp Here

*also please knock on any wood you have nearby

Healthy. Did I just call my son…that word? This simple word, a word that seems like a perfectly acceptable way to describe someone when asked how they are doing, is a very emotional word for me.  My sweet boy has a lung disease, he will always have a lung disease, so dare I call him healthy? I know this seems very silly to many of you and sometimes I would agree with you; but here is my reasoning. Although Mason is doing so very well I must always keep my guard up. It is my job as his Mom to protect and take care of him and that means I must always remember that he is my Mason chILD. Every single day when I tape the oxygen onto his sweet little cheeks I am reminded that no matter how well he is doing his lungs are not healthy; they are compromised so to speak. So while the world sees this amazingly happy, healthy young boy I have to see that too but also remain on the offense. I know how quickly that picture of health can change with one cold, one virus, one illness. Maybe I fear using the word will throw me off my game, make me slack or become complacent. So please know, Mason isn’t doing terrible just because I didn’t say he was healthy. Mason is doing phenomenal right now, I just want to make sure I can be even halfway phenomenal in keeping up with him and his health.

Thank you all for your many thoughts and prayers for Mason. He is in a truly great and blessed place right now! I pray he continues down the path he is on because I see nothing but bright things in my sweet boys future!


Here are some more recent photos of our sweet Mason!