Awesome News!

Today as you probably already know we went to see Caleb's doctor to hear the results of the scan. We are very happy to report to you that at there has been no change in size of the tumor! This now makes 20 months that the growth has gone without "growth." Of course the longer we go without any change in size the better our chances are that as he grows he will not have any complications from the tumor... so we are of course thrilled by this news!

A few visits ago there was a slight mention in one of the reports that there could perhaps be "spots" on the brain that "could" be of concern... we were also elated to hear that these "spots" were not present in this scan... so there are no concerns with those!

Additionally there was an "interesting" find according to Dr. Pearson... this find is that the tumor which in all scans thus far has appeared all white in color was mostly a dull grey color with a small spec of white at the top. We now know that the reason for this white color is that the contrast that is in IV he is given makes it appear this way. So where the blood moves the white color follows... (layman explanation here).

We asked if this was a bad thing or a good thing and he said "well it certainly isn't a bad thing, but I am hesitant to say more." He indicated to us that he didn't really know what to make of this change in the scan. Because the light indicates life/growth, we are hopeful that the change in color means that the tumor is losing life. He really didn't elaborate more on the situation but was overall very positive about the scan and we certainly let out a sigh of relief as we left!

As for why the white went from all over the tumor to a small spec on the top... we are hoping this means the tumor is on its way out... We certainly appreciate all of your prayers to this end and beg you to keep it up. We believe God has given Caleb a passion for life and an energy that can be used mightily for His glory and we are so excited to see where He leads. We believe with everything that is in us that God can heal our son of this tumor and that regardless of the outcome He will be glorified.

Thank you for caring for us!

Austin & Nicole

MRI Done!

Just a quick note to update you all. Caleb made it through the MRI like a champ! He was so brave.. and I would say mom and dad were more stressed than he was in the process. He was a bit upset to be skipping breakfast, but that wasnt something a little Bob the Builder on the laptop couldn't resolve!

We are so thankful to have the prayer of our friends, we know God heard them and granted us an easy day with Caleb. We will go back tomorrow to review the scans with the doctor and will of course update you all as soon as we have news.

Thanks again for your prayers and concerns.

Austin & Nicole

All Went Well!

We can't thank you enough for your prayers this morning; things couldn't have gone any smoother, and we never want to underestimate the power of prayer! We placed Caleb in the car early this morning with no food or water, and he started to cry; however, Dad thought ahead at the last minute and downloaded "Bob the Builder" onto his laptop to distract Caleb for the hour ride to Nashville! Yea, Dad! It worked like a charm!!

Caleb was given the nose spray to make him kind of loopy which was truly a blessing. Several MRI's ago, he was not given the nose spray, and he was scared to death and crying while they gave him the IV. He also ended up having nightmares for a week after the MRI. So, we are grateful for the nose spray! He didn't care one bit that the nurses were around him and messing with his arm which kept him calm and manageable.

Austin and I, even though a little nervous, felt at peace overall. Thanks again for everyone who lifted us up today. We will post again tomorrow afternoon after we hear the results at our 2:30 doctor's appointment. We are praying for a miracle!

Nicole and Austin

MRI on Tuesday!

Hello Friends,

Just a quick note to let you all know that on this coming Tuesday (9/10/08) Caleb will be going to the hospital for his next scheduled/check-up MRI. This will be just like the others in that he will be sedated, and we will go back on Wednesday for the results. We would sure love your prayers for a few things:

• That Caleb will not be fearful or have bad dreams from this (he has before).
• That the doctors caring for him and reviewing the scans would have wisdom in their choices.
• That Nicole and I would have peace during this process and trust that our God is in control.
  
• Most importantly, that the tumor would remain the same or better still be GONE!

Thank you all so very much for your love and care as we walk through this. We are very blessed to have family and friends to pray for and encourage us. We will send another update once the MRI is complete on Tuesday and on Wednesday when we have some news to share.

Love

Austin & Nicole