Kevin's Halloween Update

I know it's been far, far too long since either Rachel or I have written an update. No news is good news though, right? Kevin's been doing very well. 4th grade is tough, and he (we) struggled with the tougher curriculum, but he (we) have all adapted and Kevin has gotten A's on his last 5 test. He's still behind in writting, but his attitude towards writting had done a 180, and that's a big step. He's also enjoying Cub Scouts, which is also is a lot more involved now that he's a WEBLO. We have very little free time, but that's ok, he's enjoying everything.

We've finished up our schedule here at St. Jude. We arrived Monday evening, and had our last appointment this evening at 4. The shuttle is picking us up at the Grizzly House tomorrow morning to take us to the airport. This was a short but productive visit. MRI's were clean, which obviously is our primary reason for coming here. Each and every visit gets just a little bit easier, in terms of the anticipation of the results. Kevin's now 53.6 LBS, which is a 16 LB increase from the end of last summer, when he had just finished up chemotherapy. This not only made me very proud, but the oncologist, Nurse Practicioner, and Endocronologist were all thrilled that Kevin's at a healthy weight finally. He even has a little belly. He also grew 1.2 CM since last visit 3 months ago. This is still on the slow end of typical growth for his age, but he just recently started gaining weight, which is a good sign for growth overall. Between now and January they'll decide whether or not they do the Growth Hormone Test. We recognized a few faces from recent visits, and even had the pleasure of seeing Leia and her mom. Leia is a lovely young girl who was at the Ronald McDonlad House the same time we were. Those were the orginal families we met, when we were the most scared, vulnerable, and overall unsure. It's also were we met Mary Kate, Will, Heather, Nellie, Sara, Aleen, and so many other kids and parents we'll never forget. A quick count in my head and there's more then 10 I can think of we spent time with who are no longer with us from the RMH days. I'll always remember those first few dinners at RMH, where there's a large dining area were all the family's dine together and bond. At any rate, this place will always be a part of us. I wish none of our kids were ever sick enough to be here, but once they were, I feel blessed this place was where we all ended up. No Beal Street, no Target House, no Children's Museum, or anything else off campus this visit. But Kevin did get to see his friend David Tuesday night. They played Yu-Gi-OH for hours on end. They had a really good time, and have a special bond from when Kevin was here for several months. I always feel nervous the week before coming here, but always feel whole once our visit is completed. Take care all, and Happy Halloween!!!!

Eric