We're Done !!!!!!!

Thursday was Zachary's last chemo treatment. He is doing well. His numbers are low but he should start to get stronger in a couple of weeks. Although he has a full head of hair, he will lose it soon and d it should come back by February or March.
So whats next? Zachary will have an MRI next on December 14(He will have them every 3 months for the first year) and he should have the surgery to remove the port in January. We will then start working on his motor skills and helping him with any side effects from the treatment. We want to thank everyone that has kept up with the blog. It has been a tool to keep all of you informed and a sort of therapy for us to write it. I would not wish anyone to go through what we have gone through this year but with our friends and family we have gotten through this.

Cycle 8 Almost Done

Zachary is about to complete the eighth cycle. This cycle has been a little rough on him, but he is getting through it. Apparently the accumulation of all the treatments is starting to wear on him a little. Zachary is still happy and full of energy, most of the time. He is doing great in school and loves being with his friends. He stated basketball last weekend. D. Wade doesn't need to worry just yet, but it was nice to see him out there. Here are pictures from Disney.

Cycle 7 has been completed and MRI clear

Zacahry's MRI results were again positive, not showing any signs of the tumor returning. He has finished Cycle 7 and now has four weeks to recover before the next cycle. Zachary did get a fever his first wek in school and had to be hospitalized but has been fine after that. As you can see he is looking good, minus the hair of course.

Zac's 1st day at kindergarten and Nat's 1st day in 4th grade

Zac started kindergarten today. So far so good. His hair is falling off again so we will probably cut it by tomorrow.

Cycle 6 complete

Zachary has completed his 6th cycle. This cycle really takes a toll on him. His blood counts are extremely low but his spirits are high. On September 1st, Zachary has an MRI and then will start cycle 7 a couple of days after. We had a birthday party for Zac on Saturday, his birthday is August 25, but had to restrict the size and the activities due to his counts. (Sorry, next year we'll invite everyone) Zachary will start school on Wednesday, we all have our fingers crossed. I will update again with the MRI results and the begining of cycle 7.

Cycle 5 Is Done !

Cycle 5 has been completed and Zachary is doing well. His bloodwork numbers were really low when he completed this cycle but they have started to recover. He should be fine to start Cycle 6 next week. The next cycle is the stronger of the two types of chemo that Zachary takes. Zachary had an MRI planned for yesterday but it has been rescheduled for next month.I will post results as soon as I have them. Zachary will be starting Kindergarden at the end of August and is really excited to see his friends. I will upload some photos later today.

Cycle 5 Started

Zachary started his fifth cycle this Thursday. He was at Miami Children's Hospital Thursday and Friday. Everything went well. He will have two more outpatient treatments the next two Thursdays and then he gets to rest. The next cycle is the strong one that has the most negative affects on him. Hopefully he will gain enough strength during his rest so that the effects are minimized. Zachary is doing well. He has some nausea and lack of appetite but he is happy and playful. Here are some pictures from fathers day and pictures with grandpa's puppies..

Cycle 4 Completed

Zachary still hasn't fully recovered from that 3 rd cycle, that chemo was really hard on him. He has finished Cycle 4 and he is not resting before the next one. He will start Cycle 5 at the end of June. All of Zach's hair has fallen out gain, this was part of the reaction from Cycle 3. His blood counts are low and we are trying to avoid him getting sick but he is still upbeat and happy. Zachary started summer tutoring to prepare him for next year and he really likes his teacher. I'm sure he will be more than ready for Kindergarden. We are hoping he can start school in January. Here are some recent pictures of zachary around the house.

Cycle 4

Zachary started his fourth cycle on Thursday. He was admitted on Thursday morning and released on Friday afternoon. Zachary again developed a fever on Friday night and we had to take him to the emergency room where they admitted him to the hospital. Zachary will have to stay for 3 -7 days while receiving the anti biotics. His fever broke on Friday night and he has not had any fever since, I hope we don't have to stay long. Zachary is unfazed by this. He is happy and playful and his spirits are great.

MRI Complete and Clear

We had some good news. Zachary had an MRI of the spine and brain last Thursday and the results were clear. There is no evidence of the tumor coming back. Unfortunately, as soon as we got home we noticed Zac had a fever and had to be rushed to the emergency room. Zac spent a day and a half in the intensive care unit and received a transfusion. With the transfussion and strong anti biotics he was able to fight off the infection and was released on Sunday. Zac is now home resting until next week when he begins again.

Cycle 3

Zachary had to start the third cycle a week behind schedule due to low blood counts. He was hospitalized last week for his treatment and went this Wednesday for his outpatient treatment. Zachary's blood counts are really low so he is really susceptible to catch something. We are taking extra precautions to avoid getting him sick. This new treatment has affected his energy level and his appetite but he is still pretty active and happy. We will go this Wednesday to have Zachary's blood work done again and then the doctor will make a decision of what action to take to improve his numbers. Thursday Zachary will have another MRI to ensure there is no sign of the tumor. I will update the blog on Friday with both results. Here is Zachary and Natalie today in the Everglades, notice the gators in the background.

Cycle 2 is done !

Zachary completed his second cycle and is doing well. His appetite is startng to pick up but he starts treatment again next week. He will begin the third cycle on Thursday which will consists of medicines that he has not experienced yet. So far, all has been positive and treatment is going as planned. As you can see in the pictures, Zachary was able to enjoy last weekend's car show and the Dade County Youth Fair.

Week 2 of the Second Cycle

Zachary has gone back for his outpatient treatment and he is doing really well. Blood counts are still low and are always a concern for us. Zachary's appetite has been pretty good and he has been feeling good and in good spirits. This week they will conduct test on him to establish a baseline of brain functions and intelligence. Down the road this will let us determine any permanent side effects from the chemo and radiation. On Wednesday he will have his outpatient chemo and then he will have four weeks off again. The next cycle will be a new chemo that he has not had yet. We are a little anxious about this because we don't know what the reaction will be.

Second Cycle Begins

After 4 weeks off Zachary started his second of nine cycles on Wednesday. The rest did him well. His blood counts were really low but they finally picked up last week and he was able to start his treatment again. He was hospitalized on Wednesday and released Thursday night. He has has some nausea but is reacting well so far. Zachary is an incredible boy and seems unfazed by his hospital visits. He will have two more outpatient treatments for this cycle which will be on on the next 2 Wednesdays. Here is a picture of Zachary at Miami Children's Hospital on Wednesday night. He is a little bloated from the IVs.

Week 2 of the First Cycle

Zachary has completed his hospital stay and one outpatient treatment. He has experience occasional nausea and has had some low appetite days. On the other hand, he has also had some days with a good appetite and he is looking and feeling good.We met with the surgeon and the oncologist this week and both are very happy with the way Zachary's treatment is progressing. Zachary will have one more outpatient treatment on Thursday and he will have another 4 weeks off to let his body recover. On Thursday Zachary will also have his follow up with the Radiation Team. Our spirits are much higher seeing our son feeling better. So far so good. Here are some pictures of Zachary with his sister Natalie, his friend Gabo and Dad at the Auto Show this weekend.

Hospital Stay

Zachary was hospitalized January 14, 2009 to receive his first of nine inpatient chemo treatments. Overall it went very well. While he was at the hospital, he felt well. He was released the following night since he was doing so good. However, as soon as he got home, he started getting nauseous. He has been ok for the last few days. He has not been eating much but he is still in good spirits and playing with his sister. The chemo makes him extremely sensitive to smells, so we are trying to ensure that we do not cook too much at home. Today, he actually ate a six inch sandwich from Subways. This was great! In the pic, he is relaxing with his big sis.

A New Year:

Zachary has had some time off and has made the best of it. During this rest time he gained some weight and his blood counts have increased. He's really looking good. On Wednesday, Zachary had a hearing exam and an MRI of the brain and spine. All the results were positive, with the MRI not showing any signs of the tumor re-occurring anywhere and his hearing is normal. This was a big relief. They will continue to do MRI's every 3 months to monitor this. Although everything is clear, the treatment must continue for preventive measures. He will have 9 cycles consisting a couple of days in the hospital and a couple of outpatient visits. On Wednesday we will begin the first cycle. He will at the hospital for 2-3 days, depending on the reaction to the chemo. He will then return the next 3 Wednesdays for outpatient chemo before getting almost 3 weeks off again to recover.