Treatment 5....the last one!

Zachary was readmitted yesterday for his last and final chemo treatment. Drs tell you that treatment takes 6-8 months to allow for setbacks etc.....Zachary is completing his 5th treatment in the 5 month! Again.....amazing. He makes his own rules. It was hard for him to come back this time as he was so sick last stay. But...he seems to have settled in. He started chemo yesterday at 4pm...an increased dose of one he has been getting all along and he will get this 4 times over 2 days. Then they will have to give him a "shot" in the leg of a chemo agent and its quiet uncomfortable from what I'm told. He will do this cycle of 2 days and a shot again starting next Thursday and then thats it. We will most likely be here through Christmas, but.....we have a tree and all the decorations necessary to transform his room into a winter/Christmas wonderland and we are told that Christmas on the kids floor is like no other...apparently Santa is brought here to visit the kids in a Black Hawk helicopter!!!

Zach is still loving Star Wars, Spongebob, and video games and is now going on about snowboarding. We went to a wonderful store in St Johnsbury, North Kingdom Outfitters, because Zach saw snowboards and skateboards in their display windows. He loves, in his mind, skateboarding and hopes to master it. He again, in his mind, is a wicked good snowboarder and wanted us to buy him a snowboard there at the store. The prices were great there, however, we told Zach that he first has to have a lesson and for that he can rent equipment. He said "I don't need lessons! I can teach myself!"....again, in his mind....one of the wonderful staff members here at the hospital, Stirling, teaches snowboarding and has offered to teach Zach after this last treatment, so we will take her up on it and see how it goes....He continues to add to his Christmas list, which is 19 items long....now we have to work on which one is the one he wants the most.

Josh moved back to Florida this past week. We hope things will work better for him down there....he wants to go and get his EMT certificate and then go from there. Here in Vermont he had to bes sponsered by a firestation or some other place which made it difficult for him. Zach is bummed.

Ashley continues with nursing school and is doing well. She is enjoying her life living with her boyfriend and his family in Florida and is going to Michigan to visit his family this winter.

Next week Jims sister, Aunt Karen, is coming for a visit. We are very excited and we hope it snows for her! The day after she leaves to go back to Florida, my sister/best friend/partner in crime...Sharon...is coming to see us! Zach says that we will be too silly. THEN....my other best friend/family/partner in crime....Kristine is coming to visit Dec 30th-Jan 5th!!!! Zach is concerned about that one.....Aunt Kristine is always getting her hands ready to give him a "spankin". Its a little thing they have been doing since Zach was a baby....he says we will be too silly as well.

During our break we were able to visit with Aunt Doris. We can't thank her enough for the help that she and her daughter Evelyn...have given us in the area of education for Zach. The history of Joes Pond and Injun Joe and the indians has been facinating not only for Zach but for me as well as I don't know all these things about Vermont. The book that they put together is wonderful. Thanks guys! We were also able to visit with Ray and Evelyn a few times at Joes Pond. Thanks for the Thanksgiving rolls Evelyn!! Aunt Louise, who has so graciously given us her home to live in during the winter, sent Zach a beautiful autumn blanket and pillow for Thanksgiving.Thanks Aunt Louise for everything! We were able to meet Aunt Louise and her husand last break...wonderful people. Uncle Bob and Aunt Yvette (Aunt MiMi) came over for a visit as well during our break...which is always enjoyable. Uncle Bob razz's Zach....Zach razz's him back...its a happy little cycle. Zach said he is getting Uncle Bob a 'Barbie" for Christmas. We were able to visit a bit with "Grammie Ann" and Dave Rodgers....Zach is going to help Ann dust off "the cars" in the display cabinet (Nascar collectibles) when he gets back....he told her to wait for him. She keeps him supplied with all thats Tony Stewart! Zach also spied an excellent sliding hill behind their home....so I'm sure he will try it out....but Ann made sure to tell him that he circular sledes are not to be used as you can't steer them.....again...good info for me as I am not savvy in the snow/sledding department. Thanks for the tips Ann!

So...on that note. Zach is so close to being done and we just ask for prayers that he has no complications, minimal side effects and that this strep infection in his blood does not come back. The drs said that they will start the broad spectrum antibiotic when his counts start to go down in hopes that will keep the strep from entering his blood stream this time. He is still not out of the woods until the chemo is done and his counts begin to come up. We really get scared sometimes because although the cancer is not life threatning at this time, the chemo and complications of chemo are and we are soooooo close.......So if everyone could please continue to include him in your prayers .....God has taken such good care of him and I know all the prayers have been heard and are working......Just one more treatment and then we pray for that the leukemia does not return.....God is good.....

Merry Christmas!!!!
Steph and Zach