FREE April 2002

FAMILY MomMom has recovered and is already back to work at the courthouse. I hope I have half her stamina when I'm her age! Ang's Dad's biopsies all came back negative! He's cancer free! TRAVEL Angela and Jackson got to Georgia without any problems. Jack apparently weathered his first flight like a seasoned traveler (Well, technically he went to Mexico last year too). I can't wait until May 10th when I go to meet Ang in Orlando for some well earned fun in the sun. Tune in next month for lots of Disney photos. SITE NEWS You may have noticed that the webcam looks different these days. That's because we're using new iVista software! There's no slideshow feature but I plan to create a new webpage to do that in the future. iVista has the capability to stream video, audio and even a view of our desktop. It can also save snapshots and record movies. If you want to know more about all the different types of webcam software I've evaluated, Click Here HEALTH UPDATE Jack's gained quite a bit of weight this month, he's up to almost 15 lbs now. Dean has a cold. *sniffle* ARCHIVES Did you miss last month's edition? GAZETTE ARCHIVES

HEADLINES Alexander Enters Treatment Facilty During the time Alex has been on a waiting list to get into the Child Study and Treatment Center, in Lakewood, WA, we have exhausted every other program the state and county has to offer, from psychologists to in-home aides to state mental facilities - it's been a long wait. Doctors in the past have failed to help him. They've diagnosed him as having Attention Deficit Disorder, Sensory Integration Disorder, Bi-Polar and High Functioning Autism. None of the treatments or drugs seemed to help. A few months ago a doctor he saw diagnosed him with schizophrenia. If she is correct, it would explain why all the other treatments have had little or no effect. It's relatively rare in a child his age and she wants to setup a study group to monitor and treat him. In the meantime, he's been placed in the preadolescent psychiatric unit at the Lakewood facility. It's like boarding school for emotionally or psychologically troubled children. The kids (about 25 of them in his age group) all live in a "cottage" that has private rooms, a lunch room, play rooms, play ground, etc. It's secure - all doors are locked and alarmed. They have to follow a strict routine and obey explicit rules. There is an all ages school on the campus and they attend class from 9-2:30 each day. They get to go on outings, go biking, etc. on a regular bases. They have a staff consisting of councelors, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, recreational therapists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. He will be examined and assessed and placed in a treatment program tailored to his needs. The place is clean and well run and everyone we met, right down to the cook and janitor seem like really good people. The hope of course is that they will succeed where so many have failed before. It's hard having him so far away from us but it would be worthwhile for him to stay there even a couple years if it means he can merge into a regular school afterwards and have a normal life.

EVENTS Happy Birthday! Alex turned 9 this month. We had party for him at our place this year. A bunch of his friends from school came, ate cake, played games and had a good time. More photos Laura and Alan handled the video taping duties this year.