Chances are, if you don’t have a preemie, you’ve never heard of RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus).
But if there’s a preemie or vulnerable child in your life, you know RSV, and you know the fear that accompanies it.
When Kelli from Hand to Hold asked me to record a video segment describing Andie’s bout with RSV, I readily agreed, never imagining how difficult it would be to speak that story into the eye of a camera.
It took several weeks and many failed attempts until I finally sat down and made it through the entire story.
The process made me realize just how deeply the trauma of RSV still lives beneath the surface of my skin.
The article Now I Know begins:
On Friday morning I sat down on my yoga mat and the tears instantly began to flow. They journeyed from my eyes, down my cheeks, to the edge of my jaw line, dropping in little puddles on my mat.
Looking at the tiny pools, I wondered what the heck I was crying about.
And then, in the next moment, I knew.
I knew why on Monday, I’d screamed at the man who pulled out in front of me as the traffic light turned green.
I knew why on Tuesday, I’d snapped at my son when he’d forgotten his homework at school.
I knew why we’d eaten takeout three nights in a row and why I’d had to drag myself out of bed each morning. I knew why my lower back throbbed and why I hadn’t walked all week.
I knew why I’d forgotten my dentist appointment on Wednesday and why after a lunch of coffee and cookies on Thursday, I still hadn’t mustered up the energy to return phone calls and emails.
As the tear puddles grew and my teacher began class, I remained still, sitting crossed-legged on my mat, absorbing the realization that all week I’d been stuck back in time, nearly nine years ago when my daughter had contracted RSV…
Click here to read more.
The video accompanies the article, but is also on youtube. My story begins around 5:25. The squinty eyes are a result of crying all through yoga class and sitting in the drizzling rain to finally record the story!
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