A Life Less Lost: Chapter 53
...After nearly a year of discussing what James wants to do to celebrate his special eighteenth birthday, it ends up being quite low-key. It's the first birthday in three years that he isn't in hospital and we all seem to have developed a 'keeping our heads down' mentality. We have a small family party then he trips off out on the town with his friends...
Kimm Walker continues her profoundly moving account of how she and her family coped with a teenage son's battle with the most dreaded of all diseases.
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The autumn term starts. James has to apply to the universities he'd like to go to next year.
'Mum, I can't decide if I want to be a doctor or a film director.'
This isn't as mad as it seems. James is bright and caring. He's always
excelled in the sciences and been good with people. He's seen plenty of hospitals from the 'other side of the bed'. But he also loves films and all the business that goes with them. He and David have a vast collection of film magazines that they've read cover to cover.
'James, I can't make this decision for you.' We'd been persuaded to give him advice about what subjects to study at GCSE level and were blamed for every bad day he had for those two years. 'All I can say is that I'm sure you'll be good at whatever you choose. Becoming a doctor would be very hard work. You would have to be fully committed. But Steven Spielberg's mum probably wanted him to get a proper job, when he was your age, too.'
He decides on medicine and agonises over the application forms. There are yet more rumours of big changes for Howard at work. I begin to look for deputy headship posts and David becomes the musical director of a local pantomime group. He also takes an extra RSA computing course, writes a film and video column for the college magazine and develops his own film website.
After nearly a year of discussing what James wants to do to celebrate his special eighteenth birthday, it ends up being quite low-key. It's the first birthday in three years that he isn't in hospital and we all seem to have developed a 'keeping our heads down' mentality. We have a small family party then he trips off out on the town with his friends.
We worry about the 'drink culture' that seems to exist amongst young people. James in particular has a very low tolerance to drink, probably because his body weight is reduced by at least a fifth compared to his taller, two legged peers. The doctors also warn him that his liver and other organs have already had more than their share of abuse, from the chemotherapy, and he should go easy. The only reassurance we have is the universally agreed point that, amongst their friends, the nominated driver does not drink.
