ANASTASIA


    Oh God no.


    No.


    I chanted in my head as the tears dropped from my eyes to my palm and slid between my fingers.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Not my Amie. Not her. My precious little girl, with her infectiousugh and boundless energy. How could this be happening?


    I still had my head buried in my face when the doctor spoke up with both sympathy and professional detachment.


    "I understand that the news is overwhelming, Miss Anastasia. I''d have you know that we have a dedicated team ready to help and guide you through the treatment process."


    My mind felt distant to his words like anguage I couldn''t grasp was being spoken to me. I wanted to snap my head up and ask him how my five-year-old had managed to be diagnosed with such a disease. Perhaps there was a mix-up somewhere.


    But I couldn''t even bring myself to speak. If I tried to speak, I would only end up bawling, myposure shatteringpletely.


    She is just a child! Why does she have to go through all the pain that would be involved?


    Earlier this morning, I was awakened by Amie''s whimpering sound. It wasn''t unusual for her to have nightmares, but this seemed different. When I reached for her, my motherly instincts were immediately on high alert and I drew my hands back almost instantly. Her body temperature had been so high that I had to rush a bath for her, my heart pounding with worry as tried to cool her feverish skin.


    She ate a little then fell asleep after the nurse appointed to her came to check on her, her small face pinched with difort even in rest.


    Not long after, the doctor sent for me as the results of her tests were already out. I had been hopeful then, clinging to the belief that it was just a nasty flu or perhaps a minor infection. How naive I had been. I finally looked up, messily wiping the tears off my face with trembling hands.


    I sniffled, "You told me it was amon cold. You told me it was nothing serious," my shoulders shook as I burst into another bout of tears, the wordsing out in choked sobs. "I can''t believe my baby has chronic Leukemia, what am I going to do?"


    "You''re not alone in this, ma''am. Together, we''ll do everything we can to help Amie get better. First, we should be thankful that we discovered it while it was still at it''s early stage.


    "Since it''s still in the early stage, we''ll have to run more tests to better understand the type of leukemia she has and how advanced it is. We''ll start with tests to gather more information and create a treatment n tailored to your her needs."


    As I listened to him, I still hoped, deep in my heart, that it was all a dream. But he kept talking and the more he did, the realer it felt


    "These treatments will include and begin with induction chemotherapy. Induction chemotherapy is the initial phase of treatment where we use powerful medications to target and kill the leukemia cells in her body. The goal is to stop the cells from growing. This phase is crucial as it sets the stage for further treatment and will put her into remission. It''s a vital step in fighting the disease effectively. Now, after a treatment n has been decided, depending on how she responds, the treatment n will be adjusted from time to time. Throughout the process, we''ll closely monitor Amie''s progress and make sure they are asfortable as possible as her body fights the disease."


    My head was reeling and each time he mentioned ''Amie'', my heart squeezed painfully in my


    chest.


    "It''s a challenging journey, but we''re here to walk alongside you every step of the way."


    "What are-" I broke off and tried to steady my trembling voice. "What are the... I don''t know. What should! expect?"


    "During the treatment, she may experience side effects like fatigue, nausea, hair loss, and changes in appetite. But do not worry, we''ll closely monitor these effects and provide medications to manage them, And note that it''s important that youmunicate any concerns or changes you notice as soon as possible so we can adjust the treatment n ordingly."


    I nodded continuously, doing a terrible job of taking in all the information.


    "At this challenging time, it''s incredibly important that you stay strong for your child. Spend more time with her, listen to her. Your love, care and support are vital in helping her through this journey. But don''t lose yourself in the midst of it all, remember to take care of yourself too, seek support when you need it, and always have it in mind that we''re here to help you every step of the way."