Hi everyone - Jodi back again.  I so appreciated Brian writing the long overdue blog message.  He has such an amazing gift with words and writing.  He captured so clearly, in one blog, a picture of our family these days and where my heart is also.  I get so caught up in the day to day details of our family that I truly appreciate his ability to step back and pull the big picture together for me.

Our "new normal" continued this week with a two day trip to Cincy for photopheresis treatments, but for the first time since we began these regular trips, I felt something very different and very freeing.  I felt like the Cincinnati trip was just another thing in our schedule this week.   For so many years now these trips and JT's medical care have seemed to me to dominate our lives.  After reading Brian's blog I was freed up to a ...

Friends...Brian checking in...I don't pretend to know what happened to the website temporarily, but we're back in business thanks to the kind and skilled help of the wizards behind the cure4treebeard curtain.  Thank you very much Andres and Rorik - you guys are awesome.

Life here is very good.  We've been watching the leaves turn, watching the Steelers, watching the boys thrive at school, keeping our eyes open to the miracles of this season.  The boys both got their regular flu shots this weekend thanks to the kindness and professionalism of Dr. Hefner's office (thanks Melanie!)  We've been out and about enjoying the season - been on a few geocaches, chased a few wild turkeys.  The trampoline has been a real hit now that it's not too hot to be out for longer periods - the boys like to mix it up out there, and they like me to come on in as the "ninja master" and put them through some "ninja training."& ...

Just a quick note tonight from Brian - Jodi and JT are home again, home again after photopheresis treatments Monday and Tuesday.  JT's on a hefty oral antibiotic and though the doctors aren't exactly certain what these skin infections are all about, we have a presciption if it happens again so that we can hopefully avoid another weekend in Cincinnati.  He is thrilled to be back at school, back sleeping in his own bed, and back together as a family.  We had Grandma and Grandpa Brown and Nana over for dinner tonight, and it was really a nice way to celebrate October 1.  Tomorrow is the high school's Homecoming and Saturday is Homecoming for GCC, so I anticipate some parades on tap this weekend.  Life is good.  Thank you so much for keeping us in your prayers - it's such a relief to have Jodi and JT back and the infection stopped. 

JT and I are still in the hospital in Cincy, but basically we're just hanging out until so he can get his regularly scheduled photopheresis treatments on Monday and Tuesday mornings.  JT's blood culture remains negative, his CBC is normal and he's clinically still feeling great.  He is still receiving two IV antibiotics, just to be on the safe side. 

This trip has been a little confusing to me.  I got the call to hurry up and get JT to Cincy and then when we got here they just started antibiotics.  I wondered why we couldn't have just done that in Grove City.  Anyway, after talking with the docs and nurses yesterday I understood better the ...

JT has absolutely been LOVING Kindergarten.  It's been so good to see.  He comes running out of the school everday shouting, "Mommy, look in my backpack at what I did today!"  He just seems to love learning new things and is soaking it all up like a sponge.  He's also making some friends.  I am so happy for him in this arena - it's been long in coming.  Overall my little boy is growing up right before my eyes.  What a blessing - I remember when he was a baby and we didn't buy clothes in the next size bigger because we were afraid he might not live to make it to that size and now look at him.  From the deepest parts of a momma's heart - thank you Jesus!

On the medical front, JT and I are currently staying in room 534 at Cincinnati Children's hospital.  A couple of days ago a little black spot showed up on JT's lip and one on his hand.  After our las ...

Today was JT's 3rd day of Kindergarten.  He absolutely LOVES it!  They are learning all about catepillars and butterflies this week and it's fun each day when he comes home and tells us all about what he's learned.  Sometimes it's still hard to believe that he's in Kindergarten.  How far God has brought this boy!

Today the School Nurse called me at home and it sure scared me.  It ended up being no big deal, but still, just gettting that call is not something I want.  I think we'll have a bit of a learning curve as the two school nurses, JT's teacher, the secretary and principal all get to know him.  I had a chance to meet both nurses today and talk more in depth about JT.  It's hard though, because as soon as I tell them that somethings not a big deal to tell me, it may end up being so.  So we tried to set up some parameters about when to notify me.  Everyone in the school and entire district ...

Hooray!  JT went for his first day of Kindergarten today.  We are all filled with joy and excitement today.  There was definitely a time when we thought public school would not be in the cards.  But today that was not the case.  Our son experienced a very "normal" childhood milestone and for that we are extremely grateful.  I've posted some new pictures that documents the occassion.  I've also included some long over due pictures as well.  Check them out if you have time.

As for JT's medical stuff...his arm continues to heal well.  The incisions are closing up nicely.  I posted a picture of his arm right after he came out of surgery on his birthday.  JT still feels that getting his arm sewed back up was the best birthday present.  We had a wonderful family reunion late at night when JT and Brian returned from Cincinnati.  I had some troubl ...

Great news…after JT’s photopheresis treatment this afternoon, we are homeward bound.  It’s been a pleasantly uneventful few days – some card games, some TV, some tossing the football around the hospital room, lots of talking.  He’s been so great – brave and cheerful to the end of this long stay.  Our night nurses have been good so though we’ve stayed up late, we’ve slept well, and that makes a big difference in terms of how things go during the day.

As for his left arm – he’s moving it around well, lacking only 10 degrees of motion, and the Occupational Therapist believes he will regain this as well with time.  The biopsy site is healing more slowly and we change his dressing twice a day but the healing is steady.

 He’s going to need IV antibiotics around the clock for the next couple weeks &a ...

Hi.  JT continues to do well.  His stool culture came back negative for Rotovirus and C-Diff. Yeah!  Tomorrow the final culture should be back and if it's negative too, then JT will be back out of isolation, which means he can go to the playroom.  He has been shut off this weekend, but did have a fun suprise today when the Occupational Therapist came and said he could still go to the gym while in isolation.  They just had to wipe all the equipment down before JT's therapy and then afterwards as well.  It was good for him to get out of the room and walk a little bit to the gym and then once he got in there he just went crazy - getting all sorts of energy out.  He had the O.T. cracking up.  He did a great job using his arm.  We actually had taken the ace bandage off before therapy to encourage him to use it more.  From an infection standpoint, we still put antibiotic cream on this biopsy site and cover it with a b ...