Today is Easter Monday and since its a long weekend all my kiddos are home from school and the routine has been thrown to the wind. Today would be a good day to update the blog which I've been meaning to do for ages.
Nick got his scan results back and he is still in remission! The chemo and long time vomiting did cause a lot of damage to his teeth which we are now repairing (poor kid - I am the biggest dentist wimp so I'm not a very good support person lol)
He has also made some pretty interesting and fun life decisions. After graduation Nick is going to Ecuador on a mission trip to volunteer with the street youth. Humanitarian efforts have always been something that has interested him so I'm glad that he will get to fulfil a goal. We have also decided that he is old enough to finally get some answers about his nationally.... you see Nick's birth dad was placed for adoption as a baby as was his (dad's) birth mother.
Two generations of adoptions makes for little accurate information.
Nick is often asked "what he is" because of his dark complexion and features.... we've been told french but he could pass as a large number of different ethnicities. We've found a lab that specialized in DNA for this exact purpose and it isn't as expensive as I'd assumed which is good because money in our house is now something of the past for a few reasons.
1. We got the renovation loan and we'll be starting the upper level renovations anytime!
I am so excited, its been a few years in the making and I cannot wait to see the finished product. My vision is a spa like tranquil place that is helpful with calming the mind and spirit. Lots of white with accents that sparkle and shimmer, hints of plum shades and textures that are soft and inviting. I know you are thinking "white... is she nuts" - the answer is yes I am a bit crazy but I am looking at things that are very washable.
2. Maxwell saw the allergist and is allergic to quite a few things. The list was wheat, yeast, oats, nuts - combine that with his primary lactase deficiency and his diet is less then convenient.
What we were told was that when he consumes these foods the walls of his colon get inflamed and can even blister resulting in stomach aches, bathroom trouble and an inability to absorb nutrients. The term that the specialist used was eosinophilic colitis.
He is now on a gluten/yeast/nut free diet and can only consume dairy after he takes a special enzyme. Its a doable diet but it takes creativity and its far from cheap. We know that we have found the answer though because since making the diet changes and taking medication for his JRA he has gained almost 2 pounds and had grown 3 inches. He now sleeps soundly and cries much less.
Kurt and Riddick have started swimming weekly and are still doing very well, their lives are very consistent and routine and that's how they thrive best. I am curious to see how they cope with the renovations since change is challenging for them (especially Kurt) but I am sure that the thought of a new and fancy toy room is going to ease the transition.
Well.... that's all for now... I'll make it a priority to be back soon.
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