I have a drug addict.

He’s five. 

They took Jacob’s IV meds away. He now needs to take meds orally. He needs to do this to go home. They won’t release him without this milestone.

This he does not like. It’s gross as in it tastes gross. 

He refuses to take it. He yells. “I’m not in pain. NO!”

I then spend 15 minutes making deals, shoving these meds in his mouth. Pushing opioids.  

But it turns out I have to. The doctors tell me he will have withdraw. He will begin throwing up and sweating. His body needs drugs. Great. Drug addict we can now add to this journey.

It reminds me of a story. I once received the following email:

Subject: SHAME ON YOU

Body: Pushing drugs on our children. I would like to meet with you immediately.

Signed: CRAZY PARENT (okay I made that part up)

And meet we did.

I will admit, I was a bit nervous. Did this adult know that Steve and I invest in marijuana? Was I now labeled an elementary principal drug dealer?! Oh SHIT.

But that wasn’t it.

The drug I was accused of pushing was bagels. Yes. Bagels. The white flour according to this parent was a drug. Shame on me.

If only this parent would see me now. LOOK! I have upgraded my drug of choice. Now I deal narcotics. 

You just got to laugh.

And I’m going to laugh all the way home. We get to go home today. 

Only to return tomorrow for chemo…but home we go!