radiation countdown!

Dear friends and family,

The countdown is on!

We have only 20 radiation treatments left.  We are already 33% done! And Jack is being an awesome sport. (the photo below is Jack posing with his cool countdown flip book Tiff made for him, with contributions from many others!)

So, how are the treatments going?
For those of you who don't know, the radiation treatments are every day, Monday - Friday, at noon.  The team at the Winship Cancer Center at Emory does a great job of getting Jack in and out in less than 20 minutes most days.  Greg, who is the head tech, has an awesome smile and big personality and makes it so much  more comfortable for Jack and us. There is even a little cafe in the center that has delicious tomato soup and grilled cheese, and even Kit Kat's when Jack manages to hum the song for us (which is awesome).

The radiation machine itself is pretty wild to see in person.  It looks like something I have only seen in movies.  In order to keep Jack really still throughout treatment, they put a mask on that covers his face and shoulders.  Kinda looks like some sort of really uncomfortable Halloween costume, but like with most things, Jack does a great job at remaining calm and just laying there while it's done.  If you get a chance to accompany one of us when we take him, we love the company!

Outside of radiation, Jack is doing ok.
I usually hate the word 'ok', because it seems so vague and in the middle. But, for how things are right now, it seems to be the perfect descriptor.

Jack's biggest challenges these days are his walking and speech.  Over the past 2 weeks, Jack has started to depend very heavily on his wheelchair to get from place to place.  When he is patient with himself and stands & takes steps slowly, he does a good job of moving short distances within the house. But for most everything, the wheelchair is our best option.  I have a feeling the biggest adjustment has been for those of us around him, as he seems to enjoy the rides!

The great news is that this has nothing to do with his strength.  He is still the same strong young man he was a month ago.  There is just something not connecting due to the tumor location or the radiation, or a combination of both.

His speech has also gotten a little hard for us to understand, but we are getting creative (and so is Jack!) on ways to help figure out what he's saying.  I think the hardest part about this is his frustration in hearing the question, "what?" from all those around him. But, as you could expect, he takes it like a champ and just lets us imagine whatever it is we think he's saying. :)

Even with these new challenges, we celebrate and thank God that he is rarely in pain. Mary & Dad do a great job of making sure he is always comfortable, and it isn't very often that he has bad headaches or stomach aches.  What a huge relief!

Aside from all of this, we still find time to smile and laugh and be silly with each other.  A large part of that is because of...

YOU!  All of you have been amazing...
We continue to be amazed by everyone who has signed up to bring dinner (thanks to whoever spread the word about healthy desserts!), and those who just stop by to say a quick hello and share hugs, and those who have sent cards & gifts for the boys, and those who help start prayer chains, and those who just let us know they are thinking of us.

We have had some incredible musicians (some of Jack's favorites) send along messages of encouragement.  Ken & Drew, and the entire Sister Hazel band and team are all huge supporters of fighting childhood Cancer.  They have been a part of my life (and thus, Jacks) for more than 8 years, and their music has certainly been a constant in our home for a long time. Thanks guys for sending this along! Enjoy!



I will be posting more videos and photos as time goes on... so keep checking back. Who knows, maybe Jack will want to post his own blog again soon. :)

We love you all!
April