The Knicks Lost So My Son Can Walk

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease — a mild, contagious viral infection common in young children — is characterized by sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is most commonly caused by a coxsackievirus. There's no specific treatment for hand-foot-and-mouth disease.

For the last two weeks I've been pinned down in Mississippi. Our first stop was in Jackson, my wife's hometown. Now since my baby girl is due in early July, the wife and I decided to pack up the spaceship ( my car) and head down to the Magnolia State. Since my mother's passing last year, we've been making it an effort for my son to spend more time with his grandfather. My father in law is a 86 year old active musician, devoted to his faith and slapping the bass for his congregation on Sundays. He's quick and witty, his sly and charming ways show up any time a pretty lady is in his presence. However, I find myself in awe of him when we're sitting down together talking about his days on the road as a musician. This man was on the chitlin circuit, if you don't know what that is, google it. He played all over the world and country displaying his talents at some of the most historic venues in America. Not only is he a graduate of Indiana University, he's a post World War II veteran. Once he came home from serving his country, he started teaching some of the youngest and brightest in the state of Mississippi. Having spent roughly a week with him and watching the Knicks battle the Hawks, I assumed that was the highlight of our trip, but it wasn't.  I watched my son IV crawl to his grandfather's feet, he loves to jump on Grandpa as he tries to steal his glasses while he's reading. My father in law took a wack at trying to get my son to take his first steps but it didn't happen. They went back and forth like two otters playing tag in the water. The way they interacted with each other was pretty damn sweet and I was blessed to see it all. 

We arrived in Hattiesburg, Mississippi last Friday. Now one of the bright spots of this quaint little city is the University of Southern Mississippi. The home of wrangler jeans-wearing, Copper Fit flexing, Super Bowl-winning Quarterback Brett Farve. You figured there would be a statute of the gunslinger somewhere around this town but there isn't. Sunday morning came along and the wife woke up to my son not looking or sounding like himself. My son is a morning person. He gets it from his momma. I'm more of shut fuck up and don't talk to me until after my morning dump and sunny side eggs and bacon type of guy. Considering my son still sleeps in the bed with my wife and me, ( he still won't sleep in his own bed, we suck as parents I know)  we've been accustomed to him popping up and using either one of our heads as a trampoline. That didn't happen. My son was quiet, his droopy eyes was a clear signal he was off. I could hear him faintly calling for me under his breath as my wife rushed to scoop him from his belly. We're staying with family in Hattiesburg, Sunday mornings are for sitting around the table with a large breakfast in front of you while trying not to fart and laugh at the same time.  Everyone is awake and panic is in the air. My wife was able to take my son's temperature, 100.3 pops up on the thermometer. IV is a little over one year old, so I'm assuming maybe he's teething. I am thinking all we have to do is numb his gums and get him right. I watched him start to turn flush and while looking weak. My wife said she could feel his heart beating fast. Automatically I go from thinking it's a small teething issue to holy fuck, my son better not have covid-19!  My wife was ready to run out of the house in her night gown and bare feet. So we throw on whatever clothes we have laying on the floor near our bed. By the grace of God, we have family that works at the local hospital, so we were able to get him seen right away. I'm new to this parenting gig, I try not to lose my shit, feeling helpless isn't my thing. But, watching your kid in pain or better yet sick, whew, that's a gut-wrenching feeling. All moms are worrywarts, my wife has the ability to go from a beautiful southern debutante to a war demon in sixty seconds, especially, when it comes to her kids. I spend most of my energy on staying calm and clear-minded about the situation at hand. This old doctor, who reminded me a lot of Blanche from Golden Girls attended to my son. We started with the basics. Temperature, weight, and height. She asked the usual questions, where has he been, what did he eat.... etc. She then took a quick look at his left ear and boom, he has an ear infection. No biggie, I had a bunch of those as a kid. She continued on and notice there were small tiny blisters around his mouth. She slapped him down on the table and took a look at the inside of his mouth. Boom! My son's mouth was riddled with small tiny blisters down his throat. The doctor popped up from the table with a look of concern on her face. My wife and I are holding our breath, my son is screaming to the high heavens, the doctor shakes her head tossing her gloves in the trash. Dr. Robbins was her name but this lil birdie didn't have good news for the Colons. She diagnosed my son with "Hand-foot-and-mouth disease". I quickly pick my son up, trying to comfort him and wipe his tears, before I can get it off my tongue, my wife frantically says "What the fuck is that?". Dr. Robbinss went on to say it's been a recent outbreak all around Hattiesburg and in the state of Mississippi and it's very common amongst kids under the age of 5. Now a doctor's job is to give you all the information about possible illness as well as prescribe medicine to help you combat whatever you dealing with. The good old doctor was scaring the shit out my wife, talking about how horrible this is and everything that comes along with the virus. So now remember, I said I'm normally the leveled headed one. Mr. Cool-Calmed and Collected. Well I fucking snapped, I yelled at the doctor, "WE GET IT DOC! You can stop!! You're scaring my wife!!" I think she was really scaring me. With a stunned look on her face, she said "I have to tell you everything. He is just at the beginning of the virus and its going to get worse before it gets better."  She was right, she was just doing her job. But my job was to keep my wife cool and I was failing.  

We left the hospital feeling bewildered, we both had never heard of this virus. Looking at my son, it was getting worse. My wife is 33 weeks pregnant. I'm worried about her being stressed the fuck out, which adds stress on the baby, which can cause my bundle of joy to come early. Not only is my son IV sick, but being miles away from our dream team (a group of three black women doctors who cared for my wife before, during and after our pregnancy with IV and the same for this baby who I call the Dream Team). They did a masterful job bringing my son into this world and getting my wife back to me healthy.   Well, Thank God, the medicine has been working and my son is responding well to medication and my wife has calmed down. We've decided to stay in Hattiesburg and let the virus take its course. 

To say it's been a long couple of weeks is an understatement. I miss my bed and it's hot as balls down here. The wife is champ but she's done with being pregnant.  We have a load shit to do back home. Oh and by the way, we have to drive back to New Jersey. We normally enjoy doing that but after this, we would love to snap our fingers and wiggle our noses to get to our driveway. On top of all that, last night the Knicks in Game 5 was supposed to be our comet back game.  Well we all know how that ended.

While the Knicks were getting their asses handed to them, my family and I were cheering and screaming at the TV and then it happened.  My son was sitting down playing with his toys in the middle of the living room floor. Then out of nowhere he stood up, looked around the room with a huge smile on his face and started to take his first steps. Honest to God you would have thought he just threw a game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. We've been waiting on this moment for months!! The entire family lost it!! Claps, Cheers and of course the wife crying!

Knicks lost and valid it was a helluva season, but watching my son take his first steps was a clear message. Life is going to throw stuff at you that you never saw coming, but in the midst of it all, you have to stand up, smile, and get moving.