My Friend Pie

Story of a child with cancer as told by her teddy bear

My friend Pie was real sick. She had not felt very well for several months and she seemed not to be getting any better. I was worried about her because she slept a lot and didn’t seem very happy or excited about anything. I snuggled in bed and on the couch with her most of the time. So, I was excited the day I found out we were going to go for a long car ride to the big city. It was in the car that I learned we were going to a group of special doctors in a big hospital to ask them to help my friend Pie.

Pie and I curled up on the back seat on the way. I could tell that she was worried and scared. It’s scary to know that there is something wrong with the way your body works and it is also scary to go to big hospitals where strangers will ask you questions and poke and push at your body. Even though you know they are trying to help you.

My Pie was very brave and with her parents help she ask lots of questions. Her parents ask questions, too. I didn’t know what questions to ask so I listened with all my might. I just wanted my Pie to feel better so we could have fun again.

We found out that my friend Pie had cancer. We also found out that treatment for this disease would be long and that she would not feel very good during the treatment. There were actually two different types of treatment. The first one and the longest one would be something called Chemo Therapy. It’s where different chemicals are put into the body and these chemicals kill the cancer. The chemicals also make you sick to your stomach most of the time and very tired. They sometimes cause your hair to fall out, too. The second treatment, after the Chemo Therapy is finished, is called radiation. It’s done with a special x-ray type machine. It doesn’t hurt but makes you feel like you have a bad sun burn and very tired.

It was a big scary day. When our whole family got in the car to go back home, we were all very quiet. I could tell everyone was sad and worried, especially Pie, who hugged me ever so tightly for a long time.

When we got back home, we all talked and made some agreements. Pie’s mom said it was a time to be really honest with each other. Pie agreed to talk about her needs and wants. Her step father agreed to be there and help with whatever was needed. I agreed to be by her side all the time if she wanted me to. We all agreed that we could get through this together and we would look forward to the little fun things that happen on a daily basis.

Every three weeks we would make the two hour trip down to the big city to the big hospital where my Pie would have her treatments. I would sit by her and send her all my love. It was not fun and sometimes she would feel sicker, but we all kept our agreements about enjoying the little things. The nurses would joke with us and laugh. They often hugged us all and helped to make unpleasant feelings a little more bearable. The doctors were very nice, too. They told us when something would hurt and they would give Pie different medication for tummy aches when one didn’t work.

It seemed like a very long time. One night when we returned home, Pie noticed that her beautiful hair was falling out. She began to cry. I felt very badly for her. Then her mom explained to us that her hair falling out was a sign that the treatment was working and that even though it was scary, that it would grow back and be all right.

Pie cried and cried and held me tight all night long. The next few weeks brought lots of hats and scarfs to our house from many friends. Pie’s step father even shaved his head - we all laughed and talked and after a while we realized that hair was just stuff that grows off the top of your head and being without it for a while was not that big of a deal after all.

We continued going down to the big city to the big special hospital for months. Finally we started the count down of how many treatments were left to go. Three, then two and then one. I will never forget the last one.

We all stood out in the parking lot and looked around. Pie’s step father said, “remember how scary it was the first time we came here and how it all seemed too much to handle? It certainly feels different now, doesn’t it?” We all agreed and Pie held me just as tight as she did that very first day.

My friend Pie is doing fine now. Her hair is very short, but it is growing back. Each day she feels a little better and each day we enjoy the little things that are fun. Things like the way her dog Tippy cocks his head when we talk to him, the smiles our friends flash at us when they see us, the hugs that say they are proud of us.

Pie once told me that her many friends, her parents and I had made a big difference in going through all the treatments. She said she loved them all and that they had made a real scary part of her life manageable. She said she was glad they were there. I am real happy I was there with her, too. And I am very proud of my friend Pie.

© Prissy Hamilton 1996