A Milestone In Our Journey

We're baaack...

Sometimes I feel selfish calling it "our" journey, because more than anything, it is his journey.

Steven and Kevin Saarela, 8 yr old brain tumor and in the same treatment that Steven did.

Memphis dry ribs at Corky's

When all is considered, he's the star of the show and I'm one of the groupies.

The new Chili's Care Center

Steven fighting his anxiety over the coming IV

September 9, 2008 will mark 5 years from the day Doug and I sat staring disbelievingly at the image of the glowing ball in Steven's head. There's nothing magic about that date, with Steven's sort of cancer they say to take the age of the patient at diagnosis, (9 years for Steven), add 9 months for gestation, and that if that much time passes with no recurrence, chances are it won't come back.

A new MRI nurse and no Elomax (numbing creme)

The IV is in and no tears!

But every year, every month, every day, every hour, every minute is a milestone.

Prepping for the scan

The new MRI has a prism so he can watch movies

Steven got his MRI today. Tomorrow we hear the results.

Steven chose to watch "A River Runs Through It"

The head frame is attached and in he goes

If everything is clear (please God), he will officially be considered by St. Jude to be a longterm survivor, he will be moved from E Clinic (neuro-oncology) to the ACT clinic (After Completion of Therapy), and we will go from 6-month to annual visits.

Measuring arm span

Measuring his height

This is one (of many) things we've been praying for and something that I, his mother of little faith, have never taken for granted.

Steven posed an Elvis Gumby on his chest

Closeup of the Elvis Gumby

We're here in Memphis until Thursday.

- Kathleen