Update for September
I'm very sorry that I haven't updated in a while. Some of you already know that we've had a rough time over the last few months. Jackson's had a few trips to the hospital, but luckily not long term stays. Right now he is battling a strep infection, but seems to be holding his own. He's a tough kid. Unfortunately, even these small illnesses have taken their toll on him. He's lost a few pounds. I'm afraid that Ally might pass him up in weight pretty soon. He's down to about 36 pounds.
You can see from the pictures that we bought their Halloween costumes today. Jackson saw the Elmo costume and just had to have it. When we got home, I wanted them to try on their costumes to make sure that they fit. They both wore their costumes for quite a while and didn't want to take them off. Ally is a fairy princess. Of course, she'll tell you she's a fairytale. Either way...she's adorable. They are both really excited for Halloween.
Most of you already know that we had another failed IVF attempt. That makes 6 for us. Steve and I are both pretty disappointed and frustrated. Our doctors told us that we needed to target a transplant for Jackson by age 5. He turns 5 next month. I've been doing some research and have found a clinic in Colorado that I've contacted. They are supposed to have the highest success rates in the US. I've also found what I hope is the answer for improving our chances. It seems that immunological function plays a big factor in IVF success. There are several websites that I've found that talk about reproductive immunology and specific tests that should be considered when you have several failed IVF attempts. I'm going to talk to the clinic in Colorado about having these tests run before the next cycle. I hope and pray that this is the answer for us.
Please keep us in your prayers. We need to find a bone marrow donor for Jackson. Also, my Dad had surgery last month. He's been in and out of the hospital, and it's been a slow recovery. Please also keep him in your prayers.