Elementary School Graduate, Ventilator, and Spinal Fusion Anniversary

Elementary School Graduate

Well, as of Friday, James is no longer in elementary school. Although he will have a few weeks of summer school, he is officially a 6th grade graduate, and will be starting junior high in the fall. I have no idea where the years have gone. It doesn’t seem that long ago that we dropped him off for his first day of preschool.

To say that his final year of elementary school was a bit crazy is an understatement. He started out with a hybrid schedule where he was in school two days a week, then remote for the rest of the week; then it went fully remote for a while; and they finished off the school year back on a hybrid schedule. It will surely be a year that we won’t forget for a while.

As the school year came to an end, they had one of their “spirit months”. Each school day for the entire month of May had a theme, so get ready for an overabundance of pictures. You don’t mind, do you? Who doesn’t like pictures of James?

 

Monday, May 3rd: Dress Like a Pirate Day

James sits in his wheelchair with supportive padding and harnesses. He’s wearing a red‑and‑white head covering, a white shirt, and red accessories including wrist supports and a scarf decorated with dog illustrations. The room around him appears to be a classroom or therapy space, with a desk, bulletin board, and a window in the background. The scene highlights adaptive equipment and a structured environment designed for his comfort and support.
Dress Like a Pirate Day

 

Tuesday, May 4th: Star Wars Day (May the 4th Be With You)

James sits in his wheelchair wearing a black T‑shirt with a Star Wars design showing Darth Vader holding a red lightsaber and the words “I’M THE BOSS.” His chair has padded supports and armrests, with his arms resting at his sides. Behind him is a wooden desk topped with personal items, including a lava lamp, framed photos, and a decorative sign that reads “LOVE.” The scene feels like a comfortable home environment with familiar objects around him.
Star Wars Day

 

Wednesday, May 5th: No School

 

Thursday, May 6th: Superhero Day

James sits in his wheelchair wearing a blue shirt with a Captain America shield logo over a red long‑sleeve shirt. Draped over one shoulder is a bright red cape with a large yellow letter “J.” Around his neck is a red neck support patterned with dog faces and paw prints. The background includes a window, a beige wall, and part of a table, suggesting an indoor classroom setting. The overall scene gives a cheerful, superhero‑inspired look.
Superhero Day

 

Friday, May 7th: Hat Day

He spiked a high heart rate before school, so he stayed home, but he still participated.

James lies on his cushioned recliner covered with a white sheet featuring light blue, dark blue and gray whales. He’s wearing a red Spider‑Man cap and a light‑colored shirt with text and a horse graphic. A tan stuffed animal resembling a dog rests on his shoulder, and a white cloth is placed under his head. The setting appears to be indoors on a carpeted floor, creating a soft, familiar moment surrounded by items he enjoys.
Hat Day

 

Monday, May 10th: Tie Dye Day

James sits in his wheelchair with head and arm supports. He’s wearing a colorful tie‑dye shirt with a red graphic that includes the letters “TNT,” along with a red neck pillow decorated with dog faces. Red wrist braces are secured on both arms. The background shows a classroom with a whiteboard, colorful storage containers, and hanging lanyards visible. The scene highlights adaptive equipment and a structured environment designed for his comfort and support.
Tie Dye Day

 

Tuesday, May 11th: Sports Team Day

James sits in his wheelchair with head and arm supports. He’s wearing a blue Chicago Cubs T‑shirt with the number 44 printed on it, along with red wrist braces. The background shows an indoor space, likely a classroom, with a window and several bags or pieces of equipment visible. The scene highlights his adaptive seating and a structured environment designed for comfort and support.
Sports Team Day

 

Wednesday, May 12th: Dress Fancy Day

James sits in his wheelchair with head and arm supports. He’s wearing a white polo shirt paired with a bright red bow tie and red wrist braces. Behind him is a window with blinds, a radiator, and parts of a classroom environment. The scene highlights his adaptive seating and a supportive indoor setting designed for comfort and stability.
Dress Fancy Day

 

Thursday, May 13th: Kindness Day

James passed out little cards to friends and teachers to tell them that he is thankful for them.

A heart‑themed collage features the words “KINDNESS DAY” in bold black letters. The top photo shows James seated in his wheelchair wearing a gray shirt with pink text that reads “Kindness Matters.” Beside him is his nurse in a blue shirt with the word “Kind” visible and a pink face mask. They are in an indoor room with wooden cabinets and a window. The bottom photo shows James lying on his cushioned recliner, wearing the same shirt and a plush dog neck pillow, holding a small card or photo. The collage highlights a gentle, inclusive theme centered on kindness.
Kindness Day

 

Friday, May 14th: College Day

James lies on his cushioned recliner on a carpeted floor. He’s wearing a blue shirt with white text that reads “I am Elmhurst.” His short brown hair rests against padded neck supports, and red wrist guards are on his wrists and hands. A baby‑ or medical‑style blanket with animal prints is visible behind him, adding soft color and texture to the scene. The moment feels calm and supported, with familiar items arranged around him.
College Day

 

Saturday, May 15th: Pajama Day

Stacy made this one up to see if you are paying attention. There isn’t school on Saturday. Weekends are all about relaxing in comfy pajamas.

James lies on his cushioned recliner covered with patterned fabric. He’s wearing a navy blue shirt with a large graphic of a dog’s face wearing red glasses, along with red pajama pants decorated with dog illustrations. A small stuffed dog toy rests near his shoulder, and his head is supported by a pillow featuring cartoon animal designs. The scene sits on a carpeted floor with a few clothing or fabric items nearby, creating a soft, familiar moment surrounded by comforting objects.
Pajama Day

 

 

Monday, May 17th: Talent Day

James lies on his cushioned recliner wearing a bright yellow T‑shirt with red text and a simple line drawing of a feeding tube. The shirt reads, “I can eat while I sleep — What’s your SUPERPOWER?” A small stuffed dog rests on his shoulder. The scene feels lighthearted and personal, with the bold shirt design adding a playful, empowering touch.
Talent Day

 

Tuesday, May 18th: No School

 

Wednesday, May 19th: Western Day

James sits in his wheelchair wearing a straw cowboy hat and a red‑white‑and‑blue plaid shirt. His chair has supportive padding and armrests. Behind him is a wooden cabinet filled with personal items, including dumbbells, a pair of glasses, a phone, framed photos, and a colorful decorative piece with the word “love.” The scene feels homey and familiar, showing everyday objects arranged around him in a comfortable environment.
Western Day

 

Thursday, May 20th: School Spirit Day

James lies on his cushioned recliner on a carpeted floor with a pillow under his head and another nearby. He’s wearing a dark gray T‑shirt with a partially blurred logo where the word “elementary” is visible, along with red pants. A small stuffed dog rests on his shoulder. A feeding tube is connected at his abdomen, visible against his red pants. The scene feels calm and supported, with soft bedding and familiar items arranged around him.
School Spirit Day

 

Friday, May 21st: Athletic Day

He was cheering at a baseball game.

James sits in his wheelchair on a paved area beside a grassy field. He’s wearing a bright orange shirt, dark pants and shoes, sunglasses, and a dark hat. He holds a colorful handmade sign that says “HEY, BATTER BATTER,” decorated with a drawing of a baseball bat and ball. In the background, people stand on the grass near what appears to be a baseball field, with trees and houses further back. The scene captures a cheerful moment of support and participation at a community game.
Athletic Day

 

Monday, May 24th: Classroom Color Day

James sits in his wheelchair wearing a bright red T‑shirt with silver text that reads “CHICKS DIG SCARS #SPINALFUSION.” His chair has a headrest and arm supports, and he’s positioned comfortably. Behind him is a hallway with a patterned rug, a door leading outside, and household items like shoes, a small table, and a basket. The scene feels personal and familiar, highlighting his confidence and humor through the bold shirt.
Classroom Color Day

 

Tuesday, May 25th: Neon Day

James sits in his wheelchair wearing a bright neon green shirt and dark sunglasses. His chair has a headrest, arm supports, and a black tray attached in front. A neck‑support cushion patterned with dog faces and hearts rests behind him. The background shows a hallway with wooden flooring, a red rug, and household items like shoes and furniture, creating a familiar home environment.
Neon Day

 

Wednesday, May 26th: Disco Day

James sits in his wheelchair wearing dark sunglasses and a black T‑shirt with a rainbow‑colored heart design containing the words “DISCO KING.” His chair has padded supports and patterned arm covers. Behind him is a hallway with closed doors, a rug, and a pair of shoes on the floor, creating a familiar home setting that highlights his bold, expressive style.
Disco Day

 

Thursday, May 27th: Meditation Day

Stacy had no idea what to dress him up in for Meditation Day, so he just wore a cerebral palsy shirt.

James sits in his wheelchair wearing a white T‑shirt with a graphic of stylized hair and green sunglasses decorated with ribbon patterns. The text on the shirt reads “#CPWARRIORLIFE CEREBRAL PALSY AWARENESS.” His chair has supportive padding and straps. Behind him is a patterned rug, a wooden cabinet with items on top, and a doorway area where shoes are visible, creating a familiar home environment that highlights his pride and advocacy.
Meditation Day

 

Friday, May 28th: Last Day of School

Here is the obligatory first and last day of school picture collage. Same kid, same blanket, different nurse.

A side‑by‑side collage shows James in his wheelchair for two school‑year milestone photos. In both images he’s covered with a colorful blanket patterned with stop signs and holds a framed sign. In the left photo, the sign reads “FIRST DAY OF 6th Grade,” and his nurse stands behind him holding a water bottle and wearing a mask. In the right photo, the sign reads “LAST DAY OF 6th Grade,” and his other nurse stands behind him smiling. The pairing highlights the beginning and end of his 6th‑grade year, showing continuity, care, and celebration.
First Day and Last Day of School

 

 

It’s been quite the emotional month for Stacy. She’s had a few moments where she teared up a bit because her baby is growing up so fast. On the 13th he came home with a shirt from the junior high he will be attending in the fall.

 

James sits in his wheelchair with a gray T‑shirt draped over him. The shirt has a bold black‑and‑blue knight helmet logo and the word “CRUSADERS.” His chair has supportive padding, and he’s positioned in what appears to be a classroom, with desks, chairs, and school supplies visible in the background. The scene feels bright and everyday, showing him settled comfortably in a familiar school environment.

 

A few days after that she was putting together end of the year teacher and therapist gifts like she always does, and it hit her again that James’ time with these teachers and therapists is coming to an end. They’ve all been fantastic. He’ll have new teachers and therapists in junior high.

And then there was the end of the year parade that really did her in. It was kind of like a reverse parade. Instead of the kids marching around outside of the school, the parents drove by the front of the school where the kids cheered and waved from the sidewalk. She unfortunately only got one picture because she was driving.

 

The photo is taken from inside a vehicle looking toward a sidewalk beside a large brick building. Several tall balloon columns stand along the walkway, made of red, black, and white balloons with long balloon pieces flaring out at the top like festive streamers. A few people stand near the columns, and another vehicle is visible ahead in the line.
End of school year parade

 

I am going to throw this in here because I didn’t know where else to put it. Remember the “Music Man” picture that James’ drew in art class? The one that we suspect someone helped him draw? Well, there was a little bit of an incident. After James brought it home from school, we had it on the floor leaning against the wall while we decided where we were going to put it. Well, Maggie must have had the munchies and started to eat it!

 

A light‑brown dog with darker fur around the ears and muzzle sits on a red patterned carpet near a wall with a wooden baseboard. A pair of shoes rests beside the dog. In front of it, torn pieces of colorful paper — red, blue, and white — are scattered across the floor. The dog looks calm and a bit guilty, creating a playful scene that suggests recent mischief.
Maggie chewed up James’ Music Man artwork

 

We’ve had her for seven months and she has never eaten or chewed on anything she wasn’t supposed to. We don’t know why she suddenly decided to chew on James’ poster. Maybe it smelled appetizing? It’s all good though. Stacy patched it back together the best she could, framed it, and hung it up in James’ room.

 

A framed cartoon‑style artwork hangs on a wall, showing a character with spiky black hair and large round glasses seated in a wheelchair. The wheelchair’s large wheel features a golden star at its center. Blue streaks and musical notes fill the background, giving the piece a lively, musical feel. Along the right side, the words “MUSIC MAN” appear in bold red and blue letters, and “JAMES” is written at the bottom. A bottle of hand sanitizer sits on the surface below the frame.
Music Man artwork repaired and framed

 

And that’s a wrap on elementary school. We want to thank all of the teachers and therapists that have helped him get this far. Not just the ones he’s had these past few years. Every single one of you that has been a part of his elementary school education, all the way back to preschool. You all played a part in getting him to this day:

 

James sits in his wheelchair near a doorway, holding a large sign that reads “ELEMENTARY 6TH GRADE GRADUATE” with a red, black, and white color scheme and a horse‑head logo on the left. He’s wearing a dark shirt with colorful graphics and the word “KING,” along with a multicolored support resting around his neck. A patterned rug, a cardboard box, and other household items sit in the background, creating a familiar home setting that frames this celebratory milestone.
6th Grade Graduate yard sign

 

 

Respiratory Issue Update

James has been struggling with respiratory issues since November—almost six months—and we may have finally found a solution. Stacy reached out to a girl that I went to school with who is a respiratory therapist to get some advice. She recommended a ventilator and was able to get us one through the company she works for…with the approval of James’ pulmonologist of course.

May 6th was the first night James used the Philips Trilogy 100 ventilator, and he had a good night sleep, which he hadn’t had in quite a while.

 

James lies in bed under a colorful checkered sheet with blue, green, yellow, orange, and white squares. He wears a CPAP mask connected to a blue hose that leads to a machine beside the bed. The bed has a wooden headboard, with a red bowl holding small items on top and a roll of toilet paper placed near his pillow. The scene shows a quiet home setup with nighttime respiratory support in place.
James using the Philips Trilogy 100 ventilator

 

Something changed the following morning, though. After Stacy got him up, went through the usual morning routine, and got him settled in his chair to eat, he spiked a fever and had a high heartrate. This is why he stayed home from school for Hat Day on May 7th.

We have no idea what that was all about, but the following days were much better. Maybe it was just James getting used to something new. Or maybe it was just coincidental and had nothing to do with the ventilator. Who knows, but he’s all good now. The one issue we have is that he sleeps on his belly at night so that his secretions drain out and onto a towel. With the ventilator mask on, his secretions drain into the mask. Not enough that he’ll drown in them, but there’s a fair amount of liquid in the mask in the morning.

 

 

Two Year Spinalversary

A six‑panel collage documents James’s spinal‑surgery journey. The top left shows him lying in a hospital bed with medical equipment nearby and a colorful blanket partially covering him. The top right shows him lying face‑down with a long vertical surgical scar along his spine. The middle left shows him seated in his wheelchair wearing a hospital gown and mask. The middle right is an X‑ray of his torso with visible spinal alignment and surgical hardware. The bottom left is a side‑view X‑ray of his spine and head. The bottom right shows a close‑up of the healed scar on his back. Centered text reads “HAPPY 2YR SPINAL ANNIVERSARY,” marking the milestone.

 

It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years already since James got his full spinal fusion to correct his scoliosis. The surgery was the easy part. It was the waiting for his digestive system to wake up so that it could digest his food and provide him with the nutrition he needed before we were able to bring him home that was the hard part. For whatever reason, his digestive system shuts down after a surgery. What was supposed to be one or two weeks recovering in the hospital took a month.

It was a very long month for all of us. James and Stacy were stuck at the hospital, and I went check in on them every day after work, and on weekends. We do think that the surgery was one of the best decisions we made, though.

There is one lingering issue that we’ve been dealing with since the surgery. He has a wound on his tailbone that we need to get taken care of. We had been hoping it would heal on its own, but it hasn’t. We’ve met with a plastic surgeon, and we might be looking into having it surgically closed.

 

 

We’ve Changed

I’ll end this post with a side-by-side picture that Stacy put together. Stacy and I have been working out for a few years now, but the changes in our bodies have been so gradual that we barely noticed. But when she put these two pictures next to each other, holy cow! We’ve changed a lot over the years.

 

A side‑by‑side collage labeled “2013” and “2021” shows the Stacy, Jeff, and James sitting together on blankets outdoors. The background of the collage is filled with red and pink watercolor hearts. In the 2013 photo, they sit on a blanket in a grassy area with a building behind them. In the 2021 photo, they sit on a blanket in a shaded spot with trees or foliage in the background. The two images highlight the passage of time and the continuity of the family across the years.
2013 vs. 2021