Our Little Boy is BACK!!!

The shunt surgery went very smoothly (our Neurosurgeon is god!!!) and Eli is doing great. We have not seen him feeling this good in months. His energy level is way up and even when he is tired he stays up talking and singing in bed. He is also just to happy. It is a clear indication of just how bad he felt before.

Currently he is way into baking! His khaaleh (auntie) Marji sent him a recipe for no-kneed-bread and he has been enjoying making that every other day (literally). We are also growing flowers and herbs- he loves watching the little seeds sprout into leaves and flowers. He is amazingly patient with the entire growing process too...so optimistic. We have been trying to sprout an avocado seed for 3 weeks now. Jacob and I have given up, but everyday Eli says "It's gonna grow soon", too endearing.

He is still enjoying chocolate ice cream, chocolate pudding, chocolate cake, chocolate whatever...his Papa (my dad) is thrilled. Papa is also thrilled because Eli appears to have a liking for GOLF!!!

We are very hopeful that Eli is on the road to recovery and we will be spending substantially less time at the hospital now. The collapsing of the tumor while WONDERFUL, is just the beginning. Now it is a 25 year wait-and-see game. Essentially, there is about a 20% chance that all the tumor cells will die and not regrow. However if just one little cell survives it can regrow into a tumor. This can take up to 25 years. Therefore, Eli will be getting MRI's every 3 months for the next few years and then 1 MRI per year for the next few decades! Only time will tell. If the tumor does regrow we will have to intervene again with either radiation or surgery. Hopefully IF this happens it will be a long long long time.

For now we are excited to enjoy a summer of freedom and fun. I am particularly thrilled to be able to spend more time with him.

We wish all of you a happy and safe summer.
Love,
Meagan, J and E