Jackson turned eight last week and it’s been quite an eventful twelve months. A year ago he was post-op after his first of three back-to-back surgeries. He had just had his salivary glands removed and looked like a chipmunk.

Jackson recovered well and was cleared for his second surgery to repair a notch in his airway at the end of October 2018. That surgery also went well and we were discharged in time to make it home for Trick or Treating.

Both of those surgeries improved his respiratory health enough for his big hip surgery to proceed right before Christmas.

This was not a great time for us. The six weeks Jackson was in his double leg cast and hip brace were stressful. To top everything off, our basement flooded and Jackson caught a stomach bug, which landed us back in the hospital for three days.

Jackson recovered from the stomach bug, his hips healed while in the casts, and he was able to start physical therapy. He enjoyed going to land-based and aqua therapies.

Jackson was finally cleared to start standing again in March. He did not stand for almost a year due to his hips being out of socket. We try to get him in the stander 4-5 days a week for an hour each time. Standing helps improve his overall health and strengthens his joints and bones.

Jackson lost his first two teeth in the Spring. We were able to scoop them out so he didn’t aspirate them and the tooth fairy came, much to the delight of our younger son.

In June, Jackson started the keto diet, which has helped decrease his seizures. Then, in July, he developed double pneumonia and we were in the hospital for 12 days. But, he recovered and we were able to go on a family vacation to the beach.

He also managed to get out of the house a few times to see family and friends. We visited my friend Jayne at her farm and played with her animals. Jackson swung on the swing that Santa brought him for Christmas. We went to see the Burning Man Exhibit at the Cincinnati Art Museum (This Exhibit was perfect for Jackson, who sees best when he looks at solid, bright colors).

The best part of the year is that Jackson is healthier now than he was one year ago. He is monitored by a pulse ox machine when he sleeps but he does not require oxygen every night like he did a year ago. As a result, everyone in the family is getting better sleep. We hope that these next twelve months are less eventful and more boring than the last and that his health stays as good as it is or gets better.