Testing Day

First, we want to thank you for all the sweet encouraging emails, calls and messages. This is a heavy time for us, and knowing that people are caring and praying makes it easier to bear.
Nathan was a trooper and a very brave boy yesterday. In the morning for almost two hours he had I.Q. testing done, to establish a baseline before radiation begins on the 14th. In the afternoon we met with his oncologist. Nathan had asked the day before, "What if the radiation doesn't work?" Aaron asked him if he was worried about that. He replied that he didn't want to worry about it. And we are seeing that he is purposely choosing not to. When asked the same question the good doctor got teary and said that he would move heaven and earth to find something that would help him.

At the end of the day we met with the doctor who will be doing the radiation. Nathan got teary and then so did we when the doctor told him that his vision might get damaged and that he might have a harder time learning because of the radiation. Then he had to lie still while they put hot plastic mesh on his face and shoulders, and wait for it to cool down and harden. This will be the mask he will wear for every treatment to keep him in the same position. Not the easiest procedure, let me tell you, but he handled it so well.

If you could remember us on Tuesday the 14th at 2:30 for his first treatment, we would appreciate it.

Here are some photos from this last weekend. The kids had fun chasing chickens, and Nathan had his first experience riding the neighbor's horse.