Today was Monday, after yesterdays disaster, with my clothing getting destroyed I was looking forward to a quiet day at home. I had awaken at around seven a.m., I layed there for awhile just thinking of what had occurred at Lauras' house. I hadn't even realized at the time when she was putting the dress on me that she had seen me in nothing but panties. Oh! my god! I thought, what if she tells someone. Would she tell Eric or Tom when she met them? What about the other kids or her friends? I knew I had to talk to her, this just couldn't get out. My life would be over, I'd never be allowed to live this down. I was thinking now it was imperative that I speak to Laura.

As I was pondering my situation I heard noises from downstairs. Randall and Pamela were up and laughing at something, probably on TV. My mother called for me to come down, I just slipped on my bathrobe and trodded on down.

As I suspected, there was some kiddie cartoon on the TV, my siblings were watching and giggling at some misfortune that had occurred to the character. My mother had already gotten dressed, as this was a work day for her. I made me a bowl of shredded wheat for breakfast (my favorite), toast and milk. As I began to eat she told me "after you finish eating, you are to go get dressed, the blue dress should be okay for today with your maryjanes and socks" I just said okay, hoping she would forget, no such luck. I finished my breakfast and went to get dressed and then came back down. My mother had put her coat or jacket on and was headed toward the door when she turned around and said "I want you to keep these two in the backyard today." while pointing at my brother and sister. "also could you clean-up the kitchen and vacuum the living room, it needs to be done" I told her I would do it and it would be done before she got home. "also fix lunch for you three," she went on as she was going out the door. She waved as she got in the car as I closed the front door.

I went on over to the couch and sat down, thinking again of when I could talk to Laura about yesterday. I surely couldn't do it now, so I started figuring how to do the chores I'd been requested to accomplish and watch the little ones. The cartoons were overwith by ten that morning, I figured I'd have them go upstairs and play, vacuum the carpet, then prepare our lunches, then clean-up the kitchen, no sense having to do it twice. Also I would be able to see the little ones in the yard from the kitchen window while I washed and dried the dishes. My mother didn't believe in dishwashers "they never get them clean enough" was her favorite saying about it.

At ten o'clock I sent the little ones upstairs admonishing them to play nice or I would tell mom. I went on over to the hall closet and pulled out the vacuum and started to do the carpets, for some reason my legs started to ache again. I had told my mother about it but she just said it was growing pains. Today however the pain seemed to be stronger then usual. So it took me a little longer to vacuum the living room and the dining room. I felt really tired afterward, which was strange. I went on into the kitchen and made lunch for all of us, just some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a glass of milk, simple enough. I placed their sandwiches oon plates, poured the milk, set it on the kitchen table and called them down to eat. he table while waiting for them, my knees were aching worse and had turned a pink color. I figure maybe I pulled a muscle or something. They came in and climbed onto the chairs and began to eat. "whats wrong Bobby?" my sister asked. I told her I was just tired as I rubbed my kneecaps. "Well, you don't look good, almost ghostly or like those vampires in the movies, all white sort of" she continued. I told her I was okay, it'll go away. They finished eating and I sent them into the back yard. I went on to clean-up the kitchen, by the time I was finished my legs hurt terribly. I had to go sit down. I went out into the backyard and sat on the chaise, stretching out my legs. We stayed there until mom came home, except for allowing the little ones to get a juice or some kool-aid, I hadn't moved.

Mom came home and asked me how the day had gone from the backdoor, I told her everything went very well, I had done as she had asked. She said she was pleased and would prepare dinner, it would take about an hour. I was glad I didn't have to help. my legs felt a little better, but still hurt. Mom called us in for dinner and it was pretty quiet for the most part. Pamela that told my mother about me turning pale earlier, but I told her it was nothing. After dinner, usually I would go change into my boys clothing and go out, but I was to tired so I just went to my room and laid down. I fell asleep almost immediately.

I must have slept for about 10 or 12 hours, I was awake at five-thirty the next morning, the sun was just rising. The light was beginning to creep into my room, casting shadows from the trees outside. I must have laid perfectly still all night, I had slept on top of the covers, my shoes were still on my feet. I figured since I didn't shower last night I would get an early start on the day. I pulled my legs over the side of the bed and began to stand up. It was like I had no legs, I immediate collapsed onto the floor making a loud crashing sound.
I think I may have pulled what was on my bedstand off as I attempted to grasp at anything to prevent my falling.

My legs were in extreme pain. The noise had awaken my mother and my siblings. Mom was by my side asking what happened. I didn't really know. She began pushing things away from me that had fallen and stretched me out on the floor. "Oh, my god" she exclaimed loudly. "what, whats wrong." I asked. "your knees, your knees are as big as basketballs, did you hit some thing? sha said. "No" I replied. " I was just getting out of bed." "they are all red and hot" she went on further as she felt my knees and legs. "Don't move I'll be right back" she stated as she got up and left the room. A few moments later she came back and said Lauras' mom was going to watch the little ones.

She had to get me dressed and was going to go to the hospital. She somehow managed to get the dress off of me as I laid on the floor, replaced my panties with jockeys, pulled on some shorts, a shirt and picked me up off of the floor. She carried me downstairs, an uneasy task for a small woman such as her, and placed me on the couch. Randall and Pamela were all running around crying and upset, they as well as I didn't know what was happening.

Laura and her mother knocked at the door just after she had lain me on the couch. "whats wrong?" they asked in unisome. My mother said she didn't know, all she knew was my legs were not functioning, I was unable to walk and that they were extremely swollen as she looked over to me. "Look" she exclaimed "he is a pale as a sheet" At this time I began to get upset, mt mother either sensed or seen it and immediately began to calm me down. Laura and her mother quickly rounded up the little ones and was pushing them out the door. "Call us as soon as you know something." she called out as they left for their home. My mother pulled the car up in front of the house, came in and carried me out to it, placing me into the backseat. After we arrived at the hospital, she went inside and shortly after a nurse and her came out with a wheelchair. You probably know all the preliminaries they do when you go to the ER so I won't bore you with that. A doctor came into the room they had placed me in and did a cursorary examine and ordered xrays, thats was it, no blood tests or anything. Not that I minded. A few minutes later I was taken over to the xray department where they xray my legs, then I was taken back to the room. A litttle while later a nurse came in and told my mother I could go home. My mother became furious, yelling at them I couldn't walk, what did they mean nothing was wrong, yelling about the size of my knees. The hospital called security, theer was going to attack the doctor. He wouldn't even acknowledge her. She was fumimg as she brought me back out to the car. She finally started to cool off at about halfway home. "We're going to see your grandmother,
she'll know what to do" she said almost crying. We pulled in front of my grandmothers apartment building. My mother got out of the car and went inside.

After what seemed like an eternity they came back outside to the car. Grams looked at me and said she would be right back. I kept massaging my aching legs, the pain had subsided a little, but I still couldn't stand. I felt to weak, I wanted to go home and sleep. Grams came back out and told my mother lets go, we are going to a friend of mine, he is a doctor and has his own labs there. We are going to find out what is going on here one way or another. A few minutes later we pulled up in front of this big yellow brick building. We went in and went to the doctors office. Don't ask me his name as I could never say it, all I knew was he was from India. His nurse iinto an examination room and completely undressed me. place a gown on me and had me lay down on the table. Doctor ???????????? came into the room and examined, I think every square inch of me, me loking down my throat, in my ears, stuck his finger in my butt (that hurt), ordered some blood tests (8 of those test tubes full) and a set of full xrays. my grandmother and my mother to go to lunch somewhere as this was going to take some time. They left leaving me at the nurses mercy. I hated the xrays, the technician twisted and turned me up, over and everywhere in between. Xrays of my knees bent, straight, twisted left, twisted right. one leg at a time, then I had to do it all again with them together. I now hurt worse then before they began. After about two hours it was over and I was brought back to the examination room. My mother and grams had returned just before I got back.

They were waiting when the nurse came in and said the doctor wanted to talk to them in his office. I was to stay put period. This is what I learned much further down the road, so it is only hearsay and only whaber being told. The doctor after calling them in had them seat themselves. He began by saying that I was a very sick boy.

He still had not determined as to what the affliction was, other then it was not polio. He didn't really know why I couldn't walk other then my muscle tone was severely depleted for a boy my age. The only thing he could say was I was very anemic, thus explaining the colors I had turned, I had an enlarged heart, but didn't have signs of heart disease. It was at this time my mother told him what had occurred at the hospital. According to my mother, what happened next shocked her.

Doctor ??????????? called the hospital and began ranting and raving at them in his native tongue and english, well broken english. I had heard him yelling, but I thought he was yelling at my mother and grams. After the noise had died down and a few minutes later the doctor came in and said I needed a series of shots, some were going to hurt, he couldn't prevent that but he was sorry. He rattled something off to the nurse and she left the room. He went back into his office to talk to my mother again.

About twenty minutes later the nurse came back in with a tray and several small bottles. She looked at me and said "Sorry honey but now I got to give you some injections. Do you want the easy ones first or the ones that will hurt for awhile." naturally I took the easy shots first, I'm not stupid. She gave me one in the arm and two in my butt. Then she pulled out this needle I though would go clear through me. I was to recieve two of these with separate syringes she said, one in the arm and one in the butt again. The one in the butt was not so bad, but the one in the arm had went into the bone in my upper arm. God, I never hurt so much from a shot before, It felt like she was driving an iron pole through my arm deep into the bone, all the time telling me to hold still as possible so she didn't break the needle. I held perfectly still, but it hurt so bad i began to tear up. As soon as she was done she hugged me real close telling me she was done and to relax. My mother came in with a wheelchair and said we could get dressed. The nurse asked if she needed assistance, but my mother declined. I was hurting but I knew I had to get dressed so I justt grimace throgh this, it took a while but finally we accomplished it. She picked me up and placed me in the wheelchair. WE went out into the doctors lobby where he was waiting for me.

"Robert," he began. "I don't know exactly what is wrong, I'm going to go through all of my medical books, checking symptom by symptom, when you come back in a few days I hope to tell you more, Okay." I just nodded I wanted to go home and go to bed, I was exhausted.

We left shortly after the doctor wrote some prescriptions and the next appointment was scheduled. We dropped grams to her apartment. We also had to stop at the drug store to get the prescriptions. Soon, I was back at home and in bed. My mother went to call Lauras' mom and to have Laura bring the kids over. I fell asleep soon afterward.

The next morning I awoke feeling sore as hell, I think every joint in my body ached and most muscles what little I had. I called out to my mother. She came in my room shortly after. "Do want breakfast honey?" she asked I was a little hungry so I said okay but keep it light. She left and came back carrying a tray with orange juice on it. "I brought you the juice sweetie because of the pills the doctor wants you to take, they are vitamins only.

he doesn't want to mask your pain." She said. "wheres Randall and Pam?" I asked. "oh. don't worry about them right now, they are fine and at your Aunt Marys for a few days." she went on. She was sitting on the edge of my bed watching me very intently and then burst into tears. "why, oh why could this happen." she sobbed. "I know you eat healthier then all of the other kids, you never turn down your vegetables, what did I do so wrong." she continued. "I don't know," I began. "The only thing I know is my legs have been hurting for awhile now, remember I told you." She nodded to me. "maybe I didn't eat enough, I'm sure its not your fault. I ooched up further in the bed looking at her. "I know You or I didn't do anything wrong." I began again. "its got to be something else.

Did the doctor call back yet?" she shook her head. "Call him, see if he thinks if he knows yet or if I need more tests." She agreed to call him as soon as possible, at this time mother nature called. "I got to go to the bathroom" I said. She looked at me then realized I couldn't walk, scooped me up, put me over her shoulder pulled down my underwear then took me to the bathroom, sitting me on the toilet. She waited as I did my thing there.

I told her I was done. She reached over then and began to fill the tub, "A hot bath may help you feel better, okay" she said as she poured some bubble bath into the tub. The bath did feel great, releasing the tense muscles.

The pain even subsided a little bit, allowing me to relax somewhat. My mother had went to call the doctor, she came back about an hour later, I was glad the water had cooled down and most if not all of the bubbles were gone.

"I'll be back in a sec honey, please don't try to get out by yourself okay." she said as she grabbed some towels out of the closet where she kept them. She came back and lifted me out of the tub and took me to my room. Laid across my bed were the towels she had taken. she laid me down on top of them, pulling up on the sides that stuck out fromunder me and placed them over me. She then began to pat me dry.

"Bobbie can I ask you something?" sure I responded. You know I had to lift you to dress you at the doctors and to remove your clothes in the bathroom. Plus I had to carry you, Right?" she said. I had to agree with her. "Well you know the dresses you have in your closet and the panties I got you." she went on. It would be so much easier to slip your panties on you like are now and one wheelchair it would be easier to slip the dress over your head, then wrestling to get pants and the other stuff on you. Would it be okay if I just dressed you that way instead of jostling you back and forth and up or down, plus it would be easier for you to use the bathroom downstairs.

What do you think?" she asked. I thought about it for a few minutes, while she went to answer the phone that had started ringing. I remembered yesterday, the pain it created, the muscles beginning to ache on top of it. It did make sense too me, but I was worried about Eric and Tom seeing me. I mean I couldn't just get up and answer the door if they showed up. They wouldn't just walk into the house, that would get them in trouble. So I placed that worry aside for now. What about Laura, what would she think, of course she had already seen me in a dress, hers.

Could I do this? My thoughts were going rampant back and forth, pro and con. Finally I figured as long as Couldn't walk what harm could it do. Just as i was making my decision, mom came back into my room. "Honey," she began. " you look like an oversized baby in swaddling laying there wrapped in the towels." I looked down my body and it did appear so, I started laughing, I told her all I needed was a diaper and a teething ring. She started laughing at that I think trying to picture her 12 year old son in a diaper sucking on a binky.

After we got over our giggles and hee-haws I told her that it would be okay. She could dress me in what she had said. After taking the towels from around me, she slipped the panties up my legs as I laid there. She then carried me downstairs, placed me in the wheelchair and went to get the dress. When she got back she slipped it over my head, had me place my arms in the short sleeves, pulled it down into place and buttoned it up the back.

She placed my maryjanes and anklet socks on my feet and I was done. No bumping me, no jostling, no shifting me back and forth or up and down. I felt as good as I had been when I got out of the bath.

"Oh by the way the doctor said he knows with almost certainty what is wrong with you. He said he thinks you have Rheumatoid Arthritis, that may be why your heart is enlarged. He said you have all of the classic symptoms, the problem is with your age being so young. It is not going to kill you, but you are going to need a lot of therapy." mom said. "The other thing is he doesn't know when if you will be able to walk again. He wants to see you tomorrow to begin treatment." What was this arthritis thing, I'd never heard of it. I didn't want to stay in a wheelchair the rest of my life. I was determined I would defeat this thing. I had friend who had polio, so I sort of knew what was coming, I just didn't think it would take a year out of my life.

It seemed I spent as much time at Doctor ???????????'s office as I did at home the next month. More shots, stinkier vitamins and then the physical therapy started. Do physical therapist go to the scool of the MARQUE DE SADE to obtain their licenses? It sure seemed like it to me. I not only had to exercise my legs, but every joint in my body from fingers to toes. It started out three times a week, then downed to twice a week, My mother had used up all of her vacation time to get this accomplished. After the first month and a half my legs were stronger and I had special crutches to hobble around the house, but still had to use the wheelchair if I went anywhere.

Laura would come over everyday to help my mom with me and to help with the little ones. I got fairly well use to having her see me in a dress. Randall was still teasing me about Laura, except he added your nurse was here to change you. Pamela loved it she had another girl to play with. My mother had to go back to work and tried to make all my appointments late in the day or on a Saturday if possible. Its just sometime things just can't be worked out. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, you know all the best laid plans of mice and men...bla, bla bla. Actually it was more like Murphy's Law.

It was a Thursday morning, Laura had come over to assist my mother before she went to work. My appointment was a one-thirty, Lauras' mother was going to take me while Laura watch Randall and Pamela. Who should show up and put a kink in the armor, My Father. A man who didn't care an iota about me all of sudden wanted to "a part" of my life, I don't know what provoked these usual non-existant paternal instincts. He actually said he wanted to spend some time with me. That had to be a joke. He wanted me to go with him, I refused outright. I yelled through the door I had a appointment to just go and leave me alone. " I am your father" he bellowed. " you will do as I told you. Come out here now." I ask Laura to lock the door and call her mother. She locked it as he was coming onto the porch. Laura got on the phone as he started pounding on the door. I sat there terrified in my wheelchair, not knowing what to expect next. Then I heard her, Lauras' mother yelling who are you, what are you doing there.

I peered out the front window, Laura at my side. My father was arguing with her, I was his son, he had a right to see me. She was yelling back at him not without his mothers permission you don't. He told her to shut up and mind her own business. The neighbor who's window I broke came out and went back inside his house. A few minutes later he came back out again and yelled something to my father but it was indistinguishable. A few minutes later a police car pulled up out front. Two police men got out and separated my father away from Lauras mom. My father pulled out his ID, the next thing I knew he was handcuffed and put in the police car. One of the policemen came up onto the porch and knocked on the door. Laura opened it and called her mother inside, the police man came with her. Pointing at us, he asked if that was our father. I told him it was, but we were being watched by Lauras mom.

He said okay, have your mother call the district, your father has a warrant for non-support, he is going to jail for now. At that he turned and left. I was too upset with this, I ask someone to call my mother and have the appointment cancelled. I believe Laura did it, but I'm not certain.
Why would my Father show up now, who told him where we lived. What would he say to knowing his son was in a dress. These and other questions circle about in my mind. I just started wondering was he now going to try to re-enter my life, why .....