Last Year’s Post on D-Day

D-Day, aka Hudson’s diagnosis day (Halloween 2019) - 1 year ago today.

The day we learned through googling in the hospital room next to Hudson’s bed about DIPG - diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. A stage 4, inoperable brain tumor in the brainstem where vital life functions are controlled. H3K27M (what??) Those letters are now burned into my brain, and represent “a histone mutation with a fatal prognosis.”

We love you and thank you for all of the overwhelming support you’ve shown us over this past year!

We prayed SO hard that wasn’t what Hudson would be diagnosed with that day, but those prayers went unanswered. After Hudson’s MRI, we were pulled into a room with the team of doctors and nurses. The rest is a blur, until the words “9 months to 1 year.” Uncontrollable sobbing, devastation and so much pain. Pain like I couldn’t have previously imagined. Surrounded by my family, seeing the same pain on their faces. I wouldn’t want to relive that day for anything, but the reality is that it will forever be on replay for us, especially on this day each year.

It is an understatement to say we are grateful to have our family of 4 together today, 1 year later. There will be joy in celebrating Halloween despite what this day represents for us.

I remember telling my mom in the hospital “I will never be happy again.” That hasn’t held true, praise God. There will always be pain mixed in, but moments of happiness are still possible. We have the power to make them despite our circumstances, as we’ve done these past few months.

Happy Halloween #TeamHudson. May we never take life for granted, find joy in the midst of adversity and love one another like He calls us to do each and every day until it’s our last.