Difficult, but important, conversation

I had mentioned the other day that it was just my nephew and I at home this weekend as my parents were gone for the weekend.  He was sleeping down in my room (well really a small apartment thanks to my parents) and on saturday night I turned to take my pills and turn back around to K asking "Are you taking your pills?"  Then the seconds seemed to tick by ever so slowly when I didnt know what to say or where this conversation was going to be going and how I wanted the conversation to go.  Quickly in my mind I realized that this is something that K actually sees day to day (my health issues) and he already knows that I need medications so I can feel better.  However, he is only 9 years old and has had enough stress in his young life already and I did not want to scare him or even think for one minute that I won't be there for him in the furture!  "Yes K, I am taking my medications. Why?"

I guess I should quickly note that K knows that I am not perfectly healthy.  He knows I take medications to help me, he knows I get headaches often and he sometimes has to be quiet so I can sleep them off.  He knows I can't walk too much and he also will help me if we are out shopping by getting things off low shelves for me.  He knows there are times when I can't play with him and that there are days that we just cuddle up on the couch and watch movies all day.  He is one amazing kid and makes my life so much richer.

He says he is just wondering, and after a slight hesitation he asks what they are for.  Now I would never show him my medications.  Not becasue I don't want him to get into them as he has been told from day one that you never touch anything that might look like medications unless Nanny, Poppa or Nini (that is what he calls me, he couldn't say Auntie so he said nee-nee and we spell it Nini) is giving them to you.  I just didn't want him to as they look like there are so many of them because there are a few medications that I have to take two pills to make the dose I need and there are also vitamins in there.  I told him that I take something for my headaches, one for my stomach, one for my heart and one for my sweating and he interupted and said "and something for your knee" and I clarified and said that I take something for pain, which right now is mainly my knee.  He thought for a moment and then says "Nini, your body really sucks".

After another breif pause he asks "Are you going to die from it?" which was like a knife through my heart.  I told him that no, there was nothing wrong with me that was going to make me die.  "Then why do you take medicine for your heart?".  I tell him that the medicine for my heart is because my heart goes really fast and will make me tired a lot because of it so the pills help slow my heart so I don't get as tired after doing things.  At this point I figure it's time to tell him a bit more about EDS and what it means.  I go down to right beside him on the floor and grab one of my EDS books (my laptop was upstairs and I didn't want to make him wait).  I showed him all the pictures that we can do and he tried them as well and could do most of them himself.  Then I tell him that kids should be able to do these things, adults shouldnt and that is what causes problems.  We talk some more about how I get so tired and in pain and that I need more sleep than most people and stuff.  Then I tell him that this is why I won't be having any kids, because I don't want to pass this on to anyone else becaue that just wouldn't be fair to the kid.  Then I tell him that is why our home situation is perfect, I get to see and help him grow up as I won't be able to do that with my own kid.  A few more basic questions and then something on the TV catches his eye and the conversation is over.

It probably only lasted around 10 to 15 minutes but it felt so much longer.  The next day he told me that if I was still tired I could have a nap so we could play that afternoon, which I thanked him for and one more time I tell him that he is such a good kid and really helps me out by helping to do the little things that need to be done.  That afternoon we curled up on the couch and watched a movie.