AJ: Good News All Around

The title says it all....good news all around for AJ! 

After leaving Boston Children's Hospital, he spent a week in New Hampshire recovering, reconnecting with friends, and even apple picking with Rachel.  

He and Rachel arrived home October 7 and ultimately (due to fall break that week), AJ only missed 9 days of school.  His teachers did an amazing job at getting him up to speed on what he missed, and he has maintained his straight A average through early December.  

By late October / early November we received the official pathology report from Boston Children's on his tumor.  It is LOW GRADE (ie no cancer) and they do not expect it to come back.  If it does come back, it will likely be the same kind of low grade growth.  

He will have brain scans every 3 months for the next year.  Then twice a year for several years and finally once a year until he is 22 years old.  If the tumor does not come back by then, the doctors have said it will likely never come back; he will be free to live his life as any young man would.  

Before Thanksgiving, AJ had a field vision test to check for blind spots.  He has a small blind spot in his upper left vision field.  Having said that, the doctor said this could go away as nerves regrow etc.  Amazingly, the brain fills in that blind spot so that he doesn't notice it.  In addition, his 'regular' vision test was 20/20.  

If you would have told me this would be the outcome when we first learned of his tumor in August, I would have said PRAISE GOD!  So, PRAISE GOD!!!!!  My goodness we feel so very relieved and blessed.  

Texas - Oklahoma Football (Red River Shootout), Dallas TX October 12, 2024

I graduated from the University of Texas.  AJ's biological family are rabid Oklahoma Sooner fans.  My Christmas present to AJ last year were tickets to the Texas - OU Red River Shootout at the old Cotton Bowl during the Texas State Fair.  

How badly did AJ want to go to this game?  When we first learned about the tumor, he wanted to wait until after the game to have the surgery.  When we learned that Boston had an opening at the end of September, one of the questions was "Will we be able to go to the game?"  

Obviously, the surgery and his health and getting a potentially cancerous tumor out of his head took priority.  But the last question we asked the surgeon concerning the end of September surgery date was "Will AJ be able to go to the Texas - OU game in Dallas two weeks after the surgery?"  And to our delightful surprise she said "Assuming his recovery goes well and as long as you take him in a wheelchair, I think that will be fine." 

AND SO WE GOT TO GO TO THE GAME!  

Although this year's game was a blowout in favor of Texas, we had a great time.  And we got to spend a couple of days with my mom who was absolutely amazed at how well AJ was doing just 2 weeks after his surgery.  

He went back to school the following week and the only time he needed a wheelchair was this day at the football game.  That wheelchair allowed us to get much better seats than we otherwise would have had as our original tickets were in the nosebleed section on a unusually hot October Texas day!

Thank you all for your prayers and support the past few months.  We are so appreciative to have our extended family, NH community, Knoxville community, and people we have met around the world who have journeyed with us through this season of life.  

Blessings,

Andrew, Rachel, AJ and family