Every time MRI time comes around, Johnathan exclaims, "Yay! I love MRIs!" He's so funny. I'm so thankful that these experiences are no longer filled with anxiety for him. 

Tim took him in for his October MRI this time. I was told that Johnathan hardly batted an eye while he watched the IV being placed in preparation for sedation. He's grown so big. He was very proud of himself when he heard his father proudly (and thankfully) relaying how the whole day went to me. 

I attended our review session virtually, which was enjoyable for me, as I was able to see our Oncologist's whole face. It's so funny, how you forget about the masks when you attend in person--and how we even mentally make up the rest of the other person's face without even thinking. Anyways, it was delightful to see her face. His MRI results came back NED with a clear (no cancer cells present) spinal fluid sample. We are so thankful! 

We have now come to the end of our 3 month MRI scans! That's how far out we are from his initial diagnosis--what a blessing. We now will repeat his scans every 6 months, with the next scan being the last time that he will undergo a LP. When I asked, "Just out of curiosity, why are we only having one more LP," our oncologist seemed to smile wider, "Well, it would be very unlikely at that point, for anything to show up in the LP that wouldn't first show up on a scan." 

Thanksgiving passed in a blur, and now we are on to Christmas preparations. Life has seemed very busy of late, and yet, it's been full of "normal" things, which just makes my heart smile. God is very good. 

I forget the actual numbers right now, but Johnathan has grown about 2 inches since starting growth hormone in April. It is absolutely delightful to see his jeans getting shorter. His energy levels are VERY much improved and he sleeps a lot better. We're thankful to be able to have medication to help him with his GH deficiency. 

On that note, we are currently experiencing some issues with insurance with regard to his medication(s). We've switched insurances twice this year--not something that I would recommend to anyone with a chronic health condition, if it can be avoided. This means we've had three deductibles to pay towards, and weird hiccups regarding  hospital bills and medications. The whole situation has definitely added a "taste of adventure" to our year, if I can say that. One must count their blessings. :) Even so, the Lord has walked with us each step of the way, and things are getting done.  (If you would like to pray with us regarding this, we'd appreciate it if you would pray that his growth hormone medication would be sorted out within the next twelve days, otherwise we will probably be paying out of pocket for it again. Regardless, we are so thankful for the Lord who always provides for us.) 

We still have not gotten to the bottom of Johnathan's stomach complaints. We resumed taking probiotics in October, and also started him back on Omeprazole. We're suspicious that he might have some sort of acid reflux issues (which is not surprising, given the chemotherapy any everything he underwent for treatment). The plan is to keep him on Omeprazole for three months, with the hope that by lessening the acid present, any digestive tract (stomach lining) injuries due to acid might have time to heal.  If his symptoms come back, the next step would be to talk to a GI doctor/have him scoped (which we don't really want to do). 

We have seen some improvement since starting omeprazole, for which I am thankful. Though Johnathan has never been the best eater, it is really hard on me to see him refusing to eat anything until later in the afternoon, because he says his stomach "feels like garbage." The other day, he actually cleaned his plate at breakfast (and you all know how much he likes his breakfast)! 

He still complains of right leg pain every now and again (5 complaints since August), but not like last year (14 from August to December). I am hopeful that we have a good routine down regarding how we care for his leg and his comfort. We basically make sure to keep him in warm, tighter socks--and while traveling for any longer distances, we provide something for his legs to rest on so that they do not dangle.  Should his complaints increase and change, I am sure that we will revisit the issue. 

Johnathan finally got in to see an Allergist in November (there was a 4 month wait--crazy). He reacted mildly to dust mites (which explains his eye issues in the fall/winter) , molds, grasses etc. We were told that he is not allergic to mosquitos and that he will probably outgrow his reactions to them. I hope so. He's had issues with them since he was a one year old--I took him into the ER because his WHOLE forehead swelled to such an extent that he had no brow line--he looked like someone from Star Trek. His reaction to something at the park inJuly (I suspect Mosquitos) was VERY alarming to me (hives, intense itching in his ears to the point that I thought he would smash his head, swollen welts the size of his knee, that became bruises the next day...), and so I hope it will not be repeated. We do have an EPI pen, for which I am thankful. And, I suppose, should he react the same way in the future, we at least won't be taken by such surprise. 

Phew. I think I have covered all the medical updates. :)

Thank you so much for praying for us and with us. I don't think that I could ever adequately convey my heart to you regarding how thankful I am for the prayers.

Have you ever listened to the Lamplighter audio dramas? If you have not, you should check them out. They are fantastic. We enjoy listening to them as a family whenever we leave the house. Often, our kids call them "movies--" which I think is such a compliment, as they are fantastic at creating movies in your head. :) Anyways, they usually always make me tear up. I try to suck the tears in, and then look in the rearview mirror to see if any of the kids noticed. :D 

At the end of Quicksand, there's a beautiful little analogy for life given that I think is so, SO true. The main character undergoes some hardships in his life, including two near death experiences. At the end of them, he says that life is like a puzzle and God is the artist. God sees the whole entire puzzle, but we only see one piece at a time. His cousin remarked on his difficulties, to which he replied (pardon my bad paraphrasing), "but I needed this puzzle piece for the whole puzzle. Had not that happened, I would not be here!" Oh man. Even typing this, I still tear up. When you've experienced hardships that make your heart just HURT--when you've walked WITH the Lord THROUGH them--when you've been grown by Him, blessed by Him, LOVED by Him-- and when you are allowed by grace to see more than one piece of that puzzle---you KNOW God is infinitely, marvelously, good. You have a personal testimony of this, and that in and of itself is such an immeasurable gift. I am confident, that at the end of my life, we will be able to go to our Lord and praise Him, and thank Him, even for the hard puzzle pieces--because at the end, should He allow us to see the whole, complete picture, it will without a doubt be marvelously good.

"And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness..."

(Do you realize what a blessing that is? God LEADS.)

"...to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments not..."

(Trials are not without purpose.)

"...So He humbled you, ALLOWED you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by EVERY word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord." (Deuteronomy 8:2-5) 

"Have you ever followed someone in a vehicle and said, 'where in the world are they going? Clearly they are lost?' Then you make that final last turn, and are shocked to realize that you are 'here,' and that there was a way that you didn't know of, and that you would not have gotten there without following. God is never at a dead end-- just leading us to a place, that if we knew what He knew, we would go the exact same way." (Sermon notes on a sermon titled, "The Dead End," by Pastor Jeff Redlin)

"But He [God] knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandments of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." (Job 23:10-12)