Taking a day off

We knew that Jake would be having a follow-up MRI while we were in the hospital but we didn't know when.  So at 6:30am on Friday morning we were awoken and told to head down to radiology because they were ready for Jake.  Talk about waking up on the wrong side of the bed!  Jake was so cranky all the way until he was sedated.  It took about an hour and then he came back to me where he said "I did a great job."  After sedation he is very tipsy so the nurse brought a Jake sized wheelchair so that I wouldn't have to carry him.  I'm not sure why, but he hates riding in a wheelchair.  He screamed the whole way back to our room and was back to being cranky for the better part of the day. 

The oncologist making rounds came by to see how Jake was doing, and to play with him for a bit.  I asked about the MRI from that morning and he brought in his computer and did an in depth comparison between the first MRI and this one.  The first MRI showed a soft tissue tumor surrounding the tibia, lots of splotchy shading up and down the bone, and hair-like cracks extending from the inside of the bone out (which were pushing the "skin" of the bone out).  The MRI from that morning showed that the soft tissue tumor was gone, the cracks were gone, the tumor was a little shorter (up and down), and the tumor itself is essentially liquefied.  This is what the doctors want to see happening and it means that the tumor is responding well to treatment.  This also means that Jake is an ideal candidate for segmental resection and allograft reconstruction without sacrifice of the growth plates or knee joint.  This means take out the ruined bone and replace it with a cadaver bone.  His leg will grow normally.  So, we got wonderful news and we are really happy.  All the terrible and hard things about this feel better now that we know it's working.  We are so thankful for all of you who have been tirelessly and faithfully thinking of and praying for us! 

Two other cool things:  we got the pictures back from his photo shoot at the hospital and they are awesome.  Here are a few:

 Secondly,  our family was chosen by Lighthouse Family Retreat to go on a beach vacation in Florida with other families going through similar situations.  We are really excited to get to go on a vacation this year when we had thought that that wasn't going to be possible. 

With treatment 5 under our belts and a very calm past few days, we are breathing a little easier.  Jake has been eating (a ton) and has been feeling good.  His teacher, Lisa, said that he was more like his old self: shouting out answers, tattling on other kids...etc.  (LOL) The norm for a 3-year-old.  At home he has been playing and laughing with Ethan, taking his medicine with minimal complaints, and just being more like Jake.  I have hope and faith that we will get through this and get our little Jakers back!