Clean Scans

We got back from Memphis yesterday afternoon. As expected clean scans, which I'll never take for granted. Dr. Gajjar did not feel comfortable doing the lumbar puncture (spinal tap), because he was nervous doing so when he had his valve replaced in his recent shunt surgery. He said the flow is noticably different with the new valve, so he's going to wait until next visit for the LP. All of the medical staff commented on how good he looks, though. We were pleased to see a couple families we know at St. Jude. We saw Regina, who bless her soul, is still involved with St. Jude after her daughter's (Mary Kate) passing. It was great to see her. We also saw Chris's parents, an ALL patient we got to know at the RMH. It's always great to see people we shared housing with at St. Jude.

On another note, it's looking more and more likely that Kevin's going to need growth hormone therapy. They're scheduling him for the official testing next visit. It involves putting him in a neo-Insulin shock.. While he's in this state, they're going to be testing how his body responds. There should be certain hormonal and blood responses to this, which would be lacking if he's really low on certain growth hormones. The Endocronologist assured us that in a controlled setting he'll be safe. They said he may pass out like diabetics do when they're blood sugar/insulin is off. But he won't be in danger. Everything will be fine, and we'll cross that bridge next trip.

Yesterday Kevin had a sleepover with his best friend Kyle. They also played all day today. We're thankfull for the Todd family. They never forgot Kevin when he was gone, and encourage the boys to spend time together while their schedules match. For whatever reason Kyle really brings out an energy in Kevin that's such a pleasure to see.

I hope everybody is enjoying their summer's.

Eric