I know many people have been awaiting an update regarding Thomas, and I cannot believe how long it has been. It has been so very busy I cannot believe it. Thomas finished his last two chemotherapy appointments. The last one was while he was admitted due to his counts dropping per usual from the prior "big" chemotherapy (the one with all four chemos at once). He stayed the last time from May 21st to June 1st. It was particularly long because he got "C diff" during his stay, which was likely caused by so many antibiotics. This is extremely contagious, so it was very stressful and time consuming try to keep everything clean. The last day, June 1st we got the "end of treatment" tests. He got his hearing test done (this is needed, because the Cisplatin chemo causes hearing loss). He has some high frequency hearing loss in his left ear, and it can continue to worsen overtime. He needed an EKG and ECHO, because the Doxirubicin chemo is particularly hard on the heart. It came back normal! He lastly had his scans done to confirm that the cancer did not show. The scans also showed no signs of cancer! We got the confirmation that he was cancer free on June 4th at clinic. He was able to ring the bell! Our family had a very small celebratory photo session, thanks to a good friend Lexy Popa (some photos below). Thomas will have an outpatient surgery June 30th to remove his port. We also should get an update on how many more meds he still needs to take. The feeding tube will stay for a few more months while he is still taking medicine. Although Thomas has regained a lot of strength back to his body, he is not expected to walk for a few more months. The side effect of a prescription (Gabapentin) has very harsh side effects including balance issues, dizziness, and many others. He must continue to take this due to his neuropathy. We hope to lower the dosage soon and quickly.

Our family has been together since that day, and Thomas is doing better than I expected. His spirits are up, and he enjoys being home with his brothers. He turned 3 on June 12th, and he had a wonderful co-celebration with his brother Andrew (also had his fifth birthday). Two firetrucks and 6 firefighters surprised the boys at our house. The boys all loved the visit, and it will be a memory for a very long time! Adjusting to a new "normal" has not been easy, but we continue to truck along slowly. We have learned so much on this journey, and we are so incredibly grateful for community and especially for our faith in Jesus Christ. He has certainly not left our side in this tough journey. Thank you so so much for continued prayers. Please keep us in mind as we will have follow up scans every 3 months for a year, and 6 months to a year following until he turns 18.