A Sister's Promise (Promises) Read Free

meant.
    His white eyebrows formed a V. “ I’m afraid that you have lupus.”
    “Oh my God,” Joely said, one hand fluttering up to cover her mouth.
    Kate drew in a sharp breath. Isn’t lupus fatal? She watched the wall clock’s second hand lethargically click one centimeter at a time. The fluorescent lights hummed and the earth’s orbit practically stopped.
    Kate’s knees loosened and she grabbed the edge of Joely’s bed.
    Then she caught sight of Joely’s pallor. She willed her legs to hold her. Be strong for Joely . She reached over and rubbed Joely’s back with a quivering hand then asked the doctor, “Are you sure?”
    Dr. Martin nodded. “I’m sorry.”
    Over the loudspeaker came a female voice:   “Dr. Chideya to exam room four. Dr. Chideya, room four.”
    Joely shifted her weight, wrinkling the sheet beneath her. “So I’m not crazy.” She almost sounded relieved.
    Studying the chart, Dr. Martin adjusted his glasses. “Lupus is very difficult to diagnose. Considering the family medical history you provided, your mother probably had lupus as well.”
    Goose bumps popped up on Kate’s arms as she remembered her mother shuffling down the hall with her walker, crying with every step. Kate had been so young at the time, she only knew something was wrong with her mother that numerous surgeries and medications failed to fix. Kate had begged God to let her share just some of her mother’s pain. But of course He didn’t.
    Now Joely was cursed too. And the curse had a name—lupus.
    Joely swallowed. “Am I going to die?”
    Dr. Martin delivered the details matter-of-factly. “There is no cure, but most of the time, lupus can be managed.” He went over some of the medical facts, which Kate struggled to absorb.
    “Right now the lupus is attacking your kidneys,” he continued. “We need to address that, so you don’t end up on dialysis.”
    Overwhelmed, Kate tried to take it all in. No cure. Can be managed. Dialysis.
    “What can we do?” Joely asked, with a catch in her voice.
    Dr. Martin wrote some notes on Joely’s chart. “I’ll give you a prescription for steroids, which will reduce the swelling in your joints. You should feel better within a few days.”
    Joely released a huge sigh. “That sounds good.”
    Kate had the uneasy feeling that Dr. Martin hadn’t revealed all of the fine print yet. You didn’t get diagnosed with a life-threatening disease and go home with a simple prescription.
    A baby’s cry echoed down the corridor. Kate’s neck muscles clenched.
    Dr. Martin removed his glasses and tucked them in his shirt pocket. “Do you have any children?”
    Joely shook her head. “Not yet.”
    “Cyclophosphamide is the best treatment to slow or stop aggressive lupus.” He paused. “I’m sorry to tell you this. . .but it causes infertility.”
    Joely’s eyes widened. “Infertility?”
    “I’m afraid so.”
    Sweat droplets formed above Joely’s lip. “No. This can’t be happening.” She stared into the mid-distance. The baby continued wailing.
    A tear trickled down Joely’s cheek. “I thought I still had plenty of time.” Her voice sounded small and fragile.
    Kate bit her lip to hold back her own tears. The last thing Joely needed was to see her lose it. She pulled Joely’s head to her chest and stroked her curly hair. She brushed and brushed just like when they were children and Joely woke up from a nightmare about their dad’s car accident. Now Kate felt her sister’s shoulders jerk. Joely began to sob.
    Dr. Martin handed her a tissue.
    Kate felt her eyes water. Stop it. She started to rock Joely. “It’s OK. It’s OK,” she whispered. She heard a gurney wheeling past the room and tense voices following it.
    After a long while, Joely looked up. She wiped at her eyes. “Tell me about dialysis. You said if I didn’t do the treatment that I would need dialysis.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous,” Kate said, thinking of her mom’s excruciating demise. “We need to