Great News For Max

Today (actually 3 days ago, but I'm just now finishing the post) Max went to the last of his endocrinologist appointments. He was rather nervous and wasn't sure he could believe me that he wasn't going to get another shot. I assured him and even promised him that no matter what there would be NO shot. The first thing he said to the doctor when he walked into the door was "I can't want a shot". The doctor...who is a little bit odd...was taken aback a bit by Max but then he chuckled and said he could probably work that out. Max looked at me and smiled as if to let me know that he had taken care of it. Of course there was no way I was going to allow another shot after promising the boy and after as many has he has had even if he needed another one it could wait for a month. But all the promises were in vain and unnecessary because Max is done with growth shots and hormone shots!! The doctor said he doesn't see any need for anymore shots and surgery is no longer necessary. Again Veldon and I were stunned, but unlike our Shriner's experience I asked a lot of questions, I think to the point of annoying the mousy doctor, but that's fine with me.

Amazingly this sweet boy with the crooked arm who was going to come home and face surgery after surgery and even more surgeries for issues we didn't know existed is seemingly off the hook! I would have never even thought to hope that he would not be looking at surgery. I would have guessed that by December, 6 months after coming home, he would have already had at least one surgery and facing more. That's what everyone told us and what conventional wisdom thought. I know people, on our TARS support group list, who have had up to 20 surgeries by the time they are into young adulthood. Max may still, and I think likely will, need surgeries in the future but if he can go a year home without surgeries, a year to adjust, to bond, to grow, to get healthy, then I will count it as a huge victory!

We finished our first semester of preschool this week. Max had a good semester! He has learned a lot and loves the structure of the preschool. He was also evaluated for kindergarten in the fall and I filled out the application for kindergarten and as soon as I pushed "send" thought "I don't think I'll send him in the fall". I don't know what we'll do actually. We have never been the parents that push their kids to get big. I kept my kids in children's clothes for as long as I possibly could, they listened to children's music and watched Veggie Tales, Barney and Dora for a long time. Max has developmental delays for sure. Although he is 4 1/2, actually closer to 5, he doesn't play well with other kids. He engages more in parallel play, he plays around other kids. He plays really well with our neighbor's little boy who turned three a few months ago. He also isn't good about taking care of himself, when someone is unkind to him he doesn't know to tell the teacher. I am sure this is a holdover from institutional life, you just go with whatever comes your way. But I don't want him to allow children to be mean to him. When it happens and I ask him if he told the teacher he's blank. "No why would I do that?" Kind of blank. Not that I want him to be a tattle tale I just want him to be able to protect/defend himself. He is also rather small for 4 1/2. He's in 5th percentile for height and 16th for weight. He's still a little guy! Well, all that being said I guess I'm not sure what to do in the fall. Thankfully we have a little time to figure it out. I don't think we would ever regret giving him another year to catch up, I don't think I would mind waiting another year before starting to school him, but I also don't want him to be frustrated with preschool and bored.

We finalize in five days! I'm am cautiously excited. I'm also ready for this very long, very tiresome process to be done. God has blessed us so greatly with this beautiful boy who is smart, and funny and fits into our family perfectly. He is engaged with his world, remembers everything, talks all the time and is generally pleasant to be around. It seemed that everything went wrong in bringing this beautiful boy home, but once he got home things have gone so beautifully well! What an amazing God we serve!