I don’t go more than a couple days without someone asking me how Kelly’s health is. After his difficult stretch through the late fall through January, including two trips to the hospital related to flares of his colitis, it’s on our minds, too.

I’m happy to say that we’ve got what seems like a durable maintenance plan in place that involves two medicines (Humira and methatrexate) and, except for the inconvenience of administering two shots each weekend, things are going very well.

His appetite is back with a vengeance and he’s looking poised for another growth spurt. After missing quite a bit of school in the first half of the year, he’s getting there on a daily basis. Unsurprisingly, the grades tend to track with attendance. And as his sophomore year winds down, he’s getting excited about selecting a college. (There’s a larger discussion of managing his health without his parents in the next room, but that’s an issue for another year.)

Regarding the photo above, Kelly’s playing third doubles on his high school tennis team. They played today, against Upper Perkiomen High School, and Kelly’s pairing won easily—6-0, 6-1, I think. More importantly, he’s playing and practicing consistently, getting in some much-needed exercise.

He’s on his learner’s permit right now, and will get his drivers’ license in late summer. He and Peter won’t have much time together at home with two licenses and just one car to share—speaking of issues for another year.