Lucas James Stisher: Thankful

It hit me this week as Thanksgiving was approaching, that one year ago we were in the hospital completing the 3rd shunt revision in six weeks. We were one day away from having to spend the actual holiday on the neurology floor! You may remember, that we were discharged that Wednesday with instructions to return immediately if he started acting up (because the catheter had moved from its ideal location and Dr. Yaun was concerned that it would fail again). How ironic that the worst one is the one that seems to be doing the trick?!

So this week marks one year of being shunt surgery free! Wahoo! The longest stretch ever. We go for an MRI on 12/9, so I'll wait to celebrate completely until we verify that everything is holding up.

As we look back on the last year , we have so much to be thankful for, with Lucas' health at the very top of the list. I am thankful for his adorable smile and contagious laugh. I am thankful I get to hear the words "Hi Mom-eye" a hundred times a day. I am so thankful for all the gains he's made this year... with exploding speech, improved vision, use of his left arm, sitting up, and engaging personality. I am thankful that I have a good job in this economy, and that it provides the flexibility to get Lucas to his many appointments. I am thankful that we live in a place where the best specialists are within our reach. I am especially thankful for the "A-Team" that has gotten Lucas to where he is today... from the awesome doctors at Children's, to his team of therapists and the various specialists we have found. I am thankful for the special people we've met along this journey that have provided guidance, for without them we could have never compiled his Allstar team. I am thankful for our amazing nanny who couldn't love him more if he was her own child (and that her entire family loves him and constantly prays for him too). I am thankful for Nicholas, Abby, and Anna, and the unconditional love they have for their brother...I wish everyone could see them with him. I am thankful for our families--both near and far--for all of their support and love, and for being as excited as we are for even the smallest gains in Lucas... I miss the ones far away so much. I am thankful that he has the cognition to show true excitement when seeing his grandparents... that he's "GranDan's Man" and to hear him say "G"; I love that he thinks its funny to talk on the phone and hear him say, "Hi G'ma" and "G'pop". I am thankful for my friends, who have cried and celebrated with me, and just been there many many times just to listen to me b*tch. And finally, I am thankful for Bran... my best friend, a wonderful father, and Lucas' biggest cheerleader. He holds us up more than anyone ever knows.

Here's a few pictures from our Thanksgiving weekend. Jimmy, Joanne, Justin and Jathan Stisher drove up from Alabama! We spent Thanksgiving Day with them and Bran's parents, and enjoyed dinner with at our friends' Ronjohn, Carrie, and their kids. Friday was a day of football at our house, as I sat amongst seven die hard Bama fans for the Alabama-Auburn game! There was a LOT of screaming, and Lucas has now correlated "Bama" with "Roll Tide." If you say one word, he says the other. I think that was integrated over the weekend!

GranDan and his man