As we suspected, the growth hormone stimulation test showed that Jack needs growth hormone.  We started it this weekend and so far so good.  It is given as a daily shot similar to an insulin shot.  We were a little worried about having to give him a shot but as usual he is handling it very well.  We are very hopeful that the growth hormone will help with his fatigue and lack of strength.  At this point we have tried just about everything else to help him have  a little energy and nothing seems to work.  Other parents have said that the growth hormone really helped their children with energy but the doctors are a little vague on that particular benefit, I guess only time will tell.  Jackson also had another hearing test and again it showed some high frequency hearing loss in both ears.  The audiologist said normally they would not recommend hearing aids for this level of loss but because he has such problems with speech that we may want to try.  We are setting up an appointment with an ENT doctor to discuss it.  We are also looking into some alternative therapies to help Jackson recover.  One program is an intensive physical therapy program where he wears this crazy suit which helps with muscle movement, that is done through Easter Seals.  It is four hours a day 5 days a week for three weeks and very intensive, so we are waiting to see if his energy increases a little before we start.  I have heard from others that they have seen great results not only physically but cognitively too.  We are also considering doing hyperbaric oxygen therapy.  We met with a doctor last week and are waiting on some blood results to see if he might be a good candidate for it.  As always we are just taking it day by day and constantly looking for ways to help Jackson recover from all he has been through- progress is slow but we are still very hopeful that he will be able to make some gains with his speech and with his walking.

Last year at Christmas we had our first annual Team Jackson Toy Drive.  We collected lots and lots of toys to bring to UCSF for Christmas.  We started a little late last year and decided this year would be even bigger.  On Saturday, my mom and I had a garage sale to raise some money for the toy drive.  We raised $600!!!  Thanks to everyone who donated their stuff and to those who shopped!  This is a great start for our toy drive.   

Thanks for checking in- we'll keep you posted on how tall Jackson is getting with his growth hormone shots!