Hi everybody!

LJ is doing well!  He had an MRI a few weeks ago and everyone agrees that things look good in that beautiful head of his.  He saw his oncology team this week and that went smoothly - he didn't even have to do any labs, which was wonderful (he does not like the blood draws at all).  If everything goes well, his next MRI will be in March!  They are starting to spread them out now to every 6 months.  As you can imagine, this is good (fewer sedations) but nerve-wracking (what is going on in there??).  Things can turn on a dime in the cancer fight, as we all know.  In about 6 weeks we'll have been at this for 5 years.  Ependymoma can still come back and other tumors or necrosis can develop as a consequence of the radiation he received in treatment.  We are grateful, grateful, GRATEFUL for this time we've been given.  LJ is 7 years old now and continues to heal slowly - he still can't jump, but he is beginning to run!  And he loves it because he likes speed!  His speech continues to improve as well - and he's saying the funniest things, which is normal for a little boy but so precious to us because that tells us that he is processing faster.  He seems to "get" the world now, much more so than before when he seemed to always have a deer-in-the-headlights look about him as he processed the world.  We look forward to continued healing for his little brain!!! 

We have tons to be grateful for this holiday season, including LJ's awesome school-based team which takes such amazing care of him every day, our wonderful family and friends, and our health!  Best wishes to all of you! love, John, Susan, and LJ 

PS. The picture is "Batman in Repose" or "c'mon,... another picture??  I've gotta go save the neighborhood!"