Jack

Here's the latest...
Jack and Daddy took the trip to Shriner Hospital in St. Louis last week. They hitched a ride with the sweet men from our local Shriner Temple.
Bright and early the following morning, Jack saw an opthomologist and then our team of rheumatologists. Jack's eyes checked out fine- a good thing since the inflammation that comes along with arthritis can move into the eyes and cause serious damage.
The rheumatologists were pleased with Jack's progress. Considering the state Jack was in last Christmas verses now, he almost seems normal. The steroid rounds did their job and helped knock down the swelling and inflammation in his feet and knees. But still, there is lingering stiffness and swelling. We are upping the chemo drug to combat these stubborn symptoms and if a couple of months on the higher dose doesn't work, we will begin steroid injectionis into Jack's feet and ankles.

I am very hopeful that all traces of arthritis will be gone someday soon. It is only occasionally that Jack's limp will reappear and it reminds me that he is unwell. It jolts me back and I catch my breath. I forget that he may be suffering from aches in his joints, possibly on a daily basis.
His vocabulary is slowly increasing and he is delighted when we understand him. He has a sweet, happy heart and loves to play and wrestle. He is such a boy! I love to watch his "manliness" because it is purely instinctual. He is surrounded with girls and dress up and highheels and lipgloss, yet he wants to stomp and throw and pound and make firetruck sounds. I love how his little ears perk up at the sound of the trains and how he runs to the front window to watch the garbage men load the truck. He will yell, "a choo-choo" or "a twuck" from the backseat until he is acknowledged. I love it.

Sweet, sweet boy. So beautiful. So perfect.