Dear SuperSib, I have walked the same path that you are walking now. My sister was diagnosed with Leukemia when she was three and I was five. Today I am seventeen and she is fifteen, but I remember everything just like it was yesterday. I learned a lot about my feelings during her two years of treatment. The first was strength. Sometimes one has to be strong even on hardest days. Yes, there are many hard days ahead. Never be afraid to talk about how you feel. You will be having a lot of feelings pop up; sadness, fear, jealousy, guilt and anger, to name a few. These are all normal, but it helps to be able to discuss them. I wish that I had known more about her medicines. That way when she was sleepy or grumpy, I would have known that her body was busy was busy trying to heal. Instead, I thought she just did not want to play with me. Do not be afraid to ask question. I would advise you to comfort your sibling when possible, but also take care of yourself, too. My mom used to say, “Your brother has the cancer but the whole family is going through the treatment.” Do your hardest not to get jealous when your parents can not be with you all of the time; they are not ignoring you and they do not love you any less, they just have a lot on their plate. Just know that they are doing the very best they can. Try working together as a family unit. It will help lessen everyone’s stress. Just remember that no matter how difficult things get, the love between siblings cannot be matched. Your friend, |