The Real Me: Surgery or Summer Camp?

I cannot believe that I am in eighth grade already. It’s hard work but not too bad. Something happened to me this past summer when I least expected it…

I guess I should go back to the beginning. When I was born my parents were so happy. Everything was just fine. My mother took me for my regular checkups. In Israel we go to a place called tipat chalav. There are nurses and doctors there who check to make sure each child is developing the way they are supposed to. When I was about two or three they told my mother that I should go to a special children’s hospital to have a more thorough checkup. I was young so I really don’t remember any of this.

My parents drove me to Schneider’s Children’s Hospital in Petach Tikvah. There they explained that I have something called NF1 (see right-hand side for explanation) — growths inside my body that have to be checked twice a year to make sure they’re not dangerous or don’t get bigger. I really don’t feel them and you cannot see them.

The doctors keep an eye to make sure that everything is okay. It really isn’t fun for me to schlep to the hospital and see all these different specialists. But I guess I have to do what I have to do.