Check out Cole's Quilt of Love
Cole's Quilt of Love

Also click below to check out a wonderful slide show of St Jude kids and moms given to me by Amie Smith (Allen's mom) Check out www.dvdphotographs.com to see the wonderful organization that did this as a gift for us!
A St Jude Mother's Day Slide show


Check out 'view photos' for more!

Journal

New Update - 11:19 Am

Scroll down for the official word on the check up - ALL CLEAR - but read here for the details and some photos:

We started out to Memphis Sunday and were really hoping to get there in time to hit the Zoo - Cole really wanted to go to the Zoo. Well, it started raining and didn't really stop enough to enjoy the Zoo. So we headed to the Peabody for some fun at Jillian's. Cole enjoyed it more than he usually does - we remembered the earplugs this time. They had this cool MTV game where you could play the drums - awesome. Cole liked it but got bored so Jason took over. I didn't have my camera with me (bad mom) so I have no proof of the fun - but trust me - fun was had. We made wishes in the fountain in the middle of the shopping center and then left. It was kind of sad - this is a place we went to a lot during our time in Memphis and usually go back to visit. We always went through Tower Records and always had ice cream at Maggie Moos. Most of the stores are closed there now and the movie theater is gone too. The indoor putt putt is no longer. Jason asked someone in Jillian's what was going on and he said the Peabody bought the stores out so they can put in high price condos. What a bummer!!

Anyway - we made a trip to Target after that because no trip to Memphis is complete without a new toy. We usually wait until after the MRI for the toy purchase, but Daddy was in the mood to buy something for Cole a little early - so Cole now has the RC he's been wanting from Toy Story. Cole is OBSESSED with Toy Story right now.

Monday we had a long wait for Sesame Triage (assessment triage) - we have ours in the new Chili's Care Center now and they were a bit backed up (like an hour or more). So we hung out there, waiting. In the meantime, Jason goes to the new Kay Kafe (which is so so cool) to get something to drink and Cole and I head back to X-Ray for a bone age scan of his left hand. (This is by far the easiest thing we have to do there and Cole always likes looking at his bones in the picture). Well, who should happen to come by the very place we'd been waiting while we were in X-Ray??? Miranda Cosgrove - also known as Carly from iCarly. This is Cole's very favorite show right now. Carly, Sam, Spencer and Freddie have replaced SpongeBob - SHOCKING, right? Well, we missed her but didn't know we missed her until after we saw the next celebs that suddenly appeared. The Jonas Brothers were there!!! Cole knows how they are but isn't very into them yet but he still was a little excited to see them - but maybe that was just because he thought the love of his life - Carly - was with them. Anyway - he shook one of their hands (I don't remember which one though) but wouldn't pose in the picture with them. He spent the next four hours (more or less) talking about how we missed Carly and the cast (the cast wasn't there though) and how he wished he'd seen her. We felt so so bad. She came through really quickly though, then went upstairs to see the kids on the transplant floor. The deserve that more than Cole - but he doesn't get that. It was great that all of them spent some time there. They headed to Target House after that, but Cole was in his MRI and snoozing until three, so we missed them there.

After the MRI - we headed to McD's for Cole's usually 'after the MRI meal' and then went to the Zoo. It was SO hot. We were miserable and felt terrible for getting him out in the heat when he was already a bit loopy from the 'white medicine' they use to put him to sleep. He didn't care though - he wanted to see the jaguars (which really means any of the cats that look like they may be jags) and he wanted to see the farm animals. That's all. So we did it. He rode in the wagon with our Disney fan blowing on him to keep him cool, some Capri Sun and an umbrella for shade. As soon as we saw what he wanted to see, he was ready to go!!

We went back to the Grizzlie House and talked with two other moms we'd just met and just chilled for the evening. We spent Tuesday in one appointment after another - eye dr, OT, PT, Endo and E clinic. Everything went really well. Cole has grown a total of 3.5 inches in a year - I really thought it was more than that, but we'll take it. He's gained five pounds since his last visit though. He's become a bit of a brick lately. He may be small, but the boy is thick!! He's been practicing beating up his dad too - his got a good punch! :) It's all just play though - but at least we know he can defend himself, right? :)

His eyes are fine - no change. We got a new prescription for glasses that are a bit weaker, but not by much. So we'll be on the hunt for new glasses soon.

We left around three and got back home a little after 7 last night. A great trip was had by all really. We didn't see anyone we knew from previous visits but met two new kids (well new to us) that both had clear scans, YEAH!!

We head back in 6 months for our next check up. Dr. Gajjar was in agreement with us on holding Cole back this school year and felt that we made a good educated decision - so that was good!! And with that being said - we have 8 days left before school starts!! Can you believe it? It seems to get earlier and earlier each year.

Here are some pictures from our trip!

Those Jonas Brothers - the last one on the right is the one who shook Cole's hand, but I'm not sure which brother he is.


At the Zoo:



At the Zoo: (in the air conditioning)


And chilling in E Clinic (he kept calling the horse Bullseye - like from Toy Story)






It's official - I'm a slacker. Sorry I didn't update yesterday - I completely forgot. Scans were clear!! YEAH!!

Everything went well - no problems. Cole's eyes are good and he CAN still see out of his glasses, even though he likes to say he can't :)

He's grown, but not as much as we thought which is weird. Anyway, in the time he's been on growth hormones, he's grown 3.5 inches and we really really thought it was more than that. But we'll take it. Some numbers they watch were a little high, so they are doing some checking there to see if they need to decrease the hormones, which we hope they don't since he's really not growing to quickly or anything like that. We'll hear about that in a few weeks, I'm sure.

So, we go back in 6 months, but don't even have a date yet of when our appointments will be - so we'll wait to get it in the mail!

thanks so much for checking on us and keeping Cole in your prayers!
lisa

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We're Home Now! WOO HOO

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E-mail Author: lisatanner@comcast.net

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