Thoughts and Prayers Requested

Discuss anything else athletic or non-athletic related that doesn't belong on the main Tulane athletics forum.
Fred Dowler
Riptide
Posts: 4716
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 6:33 pm
Status: Offline

And I'll add my own best wishes onto that.


Tulane sports: small football stadium, very small basketball arena, w̶i̶n̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶g̶r̶a̶m̶s̶, h̶o̶n̶e̶s̶t̶y̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶a̶c̶c̶o̶u̶n̶t̶a̶b̶i̶l̶i̶t̶y̶ , but, hey, now there's tailgating.
Jonathan
Riptide
Posts: 4207
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 5:03 pm
Status: Offline

Glad to hear that your son is home and better.
DfromCT
Wild Pelican
Posts: 13004
Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:50 pm
Location: Stamford, CT
Status: Offline

Thanks again to all for your support.

Tomorrow (Tuesday, 7/1) is a HUGE day.

We go back to Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to have a marrow analysis and the number needs to be 0.01% or lower. (They measure the cancer cells in the marrow, and with his type of cancer it's not good if the number is anything above 0.01% after the induction phase of treatment.)

We'll start the next phase of chemo, but if the marrow analysis doesn't yield a good number, we might be looking at a marrow transplant.

Continued thoughts, prayers and anything else that generates healing vibes will be appreciated.

GO ZACH!

Roll Wave.
" If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day.." Jimmy V
DfromCT
Wild Pelican
Posts: 13004
Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:50 pm
Location: Stamford, CT
Status: Offline

Hi, All,

I thought I would update this page so folks that are sending out thoughts, prayers, and healing vibes through the universe know where we stand.

Zachary is in remission right now. While that may seem great (and yes, it is) there's still a long way to go. His particular Leukemia, with the Ikaros deletion, is prone to relapse. If we avoid relapse, the survival rate is good. If he suffers a relapse, the survival rate plummets. And that scares the living daylights out of me.

His blood counts are coming back after the latest round of chemo. Thursday, 7/30, he'll have a "permanent" medi-port surgically installed for the next three years of treatment. A week from today, 8/4, he'll begin what can only be described as the treatment from hell. He'll be given a high dose of Methatrexate, which is the strongest form of Chemo little Zach will be subjected to. They immediately hook him to IV fluids to flush it out of his system. He (and either his Mom or me) will be at the hospital every day from 8 to 6, and every night at home we need to wring his diapers every hour or so over a Ph strip to monitor the acidity of his urine. We also have to give him a pill every 4-6 hours round the clock. If the Methatrexate is out of his system by the end of the week, great! He gets to start it all over again the following week. If any is still in his system by Friday afternoon, he gets admitted to the hospital. It's a dangerous drug, but the protocol is necessary to try to avoid any remaining cancer in his system that may lead to relapse.

It's not going to be a fun time for any of us, though I think this will be harder on Zach's mother and me than it is on Zach. He doesn't know what's going on, and is a trooper that smiles, laughs, and warms the heart of all of us that are around him. Except his twin, whom gets jealous that we dode over Zachary and he's not quite getting as much attention.

This has been and continues to be the hardest test of my life. It's more difficult than an RD press conference.

I will be selling a couple of games tickets as a fundraiser for Zachary's treatments. I know most of you have tickets already, and will be approaching the visiting team's fans to see if I can up the ante. I have an account set up, and the IRS has issued an EIN for this, but I'm still working to get it to be tax deductible. I may have to approach a local church, as I've been told it's not appropriate to set up a 501-C3, which is what's needed to make it tax deductible.

Thanks again for the support I've received from this community. It really does help a whole lot.

Go Zachary!

ROLL WAVE!
" If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day.." Jimmy V
ccap05
Surge
Posts: 610
Joined: Thu Dec 26, 2013 11:48 am
Status: Offline

Great news. My thoughts and best wishes are with you. I look forward to more good news in the near future.
User avatar
tpstulane
Top of the WAVE
Posts: 26666
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:56 pm
Status: Offline

Good for you guys! Hope it continues!
Be proactive, being reactive is for losers..
Tulane Class of 1981
jonathanjoseph
Green Wave
Posts: 9299
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 5:54 pm
Status: Offline

Great update!
DfromCT
Wild Pelican
Posts: 13004
Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:50 pm
Location: Stamford, CT
Status: Offline

Update on Zachary:

He is still in remission, and we're 15 days into what's called "Consolidation II" of the treatment. This is actually an easier phase for us in terms of how often we have to go to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center ("MSKCC"), but it's a tough one on Zach. It has a series of 4 spinal taps during which they give him the methatrexate directly into the spine once a week. The second one is tomorrow. He takes steriods orally (which isn't easy) and fortunately he's eating a bit more. He's lost over 10% of his weight, and sleeps a whole lot. It's scary as hell because despite what the doctors say (and sometimes they lie) seeing him sleep so much and be so frail is really, really hard. I don't want to lose my son.

We had a very successful fund raiser back on the 21st of August, and will be doing another in late September/early October. I have tickets to the 4 games between the opener and Temple that I'll be selling to raise money for Zach's Medical Related Expense Fund. If anyone wants to make an outrageous bid and save me the trouble of going through the auction for any particular game, let me know! :)

I'm coming into NO for the Yulman opener, and am already having second thoughts. There's nothing I can do here this weekend, but I feel a little guilty about going out and having a fun weekend. It's a quick trip, about 40 hours in town.

So if you meet me, and I hope I meet a lot of you, give me a hug, and don't feel bad if I sob a little bit.

This GoTula.net community has been a huge help during all of this. Sometimes I get my anger out posting here. Thanks for letting me vent.

ROLL WAVE!

BEAT TECH!
" If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day.." Jimmy V
winwave
Top of the WAVE
Posts: 24913
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:34 am
Status: Offline

Best wishes.
BAYWAVE&Sophandros are SPINELESS COWARDS
YOU NEED LEVERAGE TO BE PROACTIVE!
Small time facilities for small time programs
6-4-23:Now all of the mistakes Tulane has made finally catches up with them as they descend to CUSAAC.
DfromCT
Wild Pelican
Posts: 13004
Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:50 pm
Location: Stamford, CT
Status: Offline

Thanks, Winwave. I hope to meet you Saturday.

We got some alarming news today at MSKCC. Although he's in remission, they're concerned about a few particular cells that keep showing up in the marrow, and want us to start considering a marrow transplant.

Please pray we don't have to go that route.

I almost cancelled the trip for the opener, but we're a few weeks from that decision, and there's nothing I can do here...family is encouraging me to go.

OMG could I use a Wave victory on Saturday.

ROLL WAVE!

BEAT TECH!
" If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day.." Jimmy V
winwave
Top of the WAVE
Posts: 24913
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:34 am
Status: Offline

Sorry to hear that. Will continue praying for him.
BAYWAVE&Sophandros are SPINELESS COWARDS
YOU NEED LEVERAGE TO BE PROACTIVE!
Small time facilities for small time programs
6-4-23:Now all of the mistakes Tulane has made finally catches up with them as they descend to CUSAAC.
JDTulane
Riptide
Posts: 4433
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:08 pm
Status: Offline

Sorry to hear that. Hope the wave brings some relief to a troubled time.
Image
DfromCT
Wild Pelican
Posts: 13004
Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:50 pm
Location: Stamford, CT
Status: Offline

Getting on a plane shortly!

Roll Wave!

Beat Tech!
" If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day.." Jimmy V
DfromCT
Wild Pelican
Posts: 13004
Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:50 pm
Location: Stamford, CT
Status: Offline

We got our best news in over a month today: Following his latest round of chemo (and steriods, etc) MSKCC did a bone marrow analysis via spinal tap this past Tuesday. About an hour ago, I got a call from the doctor: Zero point zero zero zero cancer cells were detected. THIS IS THE BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOME.

It means that a bone marrow transplant is off the table!

We still have 18-24 months of treatment, which starts either tomorrow or Monday (based on his blood counts) with oral chemo, but this is a much better course to be on than had there been ANY sign of leukemia cells. Truly, this is a blessing.

Thanks to all for the support and thoughts and prayers. I really do appreciate it. Please keep Zachary in your prayers, and I will keep this community up to date.

ROLL WAVE!
" If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day.." Jimmy V
winwave
Top of the WAVE
Posts: 24913
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:34 am
Status: Offline

Glad you got good news. He'll remain in my prayers.
BAYWAVE&Sophandros are SPINELESS COWARDS
YOU NEED LEVERAGE TO BE PROACTIVE!
Small time facilities for small time programs
6-4-23:Now all of the mistakes Tulane has made finally catches up with them as they descend to CUSAAC.
jonathanjoseph
Green Wave
Posts: 9299
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 5:54 pm
Status: Offline

Great news!
User avatar
GreenLantern
Riptide
Posts: 3444
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:41 pm
Status: Offline

Wonderful news. Praying for your family.
sader24
Tsunami
Posts: 5695
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:35 pm
Status: Offline

Great news, hope it keeps getting better everytime.
User avatar
tpstulane
Top of the WAVE
Posts: 26666
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:56 pm
Status: Offline

Super!
Be proactive, being reactive is for losers..
Tulane Class of 1981
mbawavefan12
Tsunami
Posts: 6255
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2012 2:17 pm
Status: Offline

Wow, that's great.
User avatar
ajcalhoun
Swell
Posts: 2381
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 8:42 pm
Status: Offline

Great news!
God Bless Everyone!
wavemania
Surge
Posts: 683
Joined: Sat Oct 22, 2011 7:34 pm
Status: Offline

Alleluia! Praise God! Great news
User avatar
NOLABigSteve
Riptide
Posts: 4976
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:00 am
Location: New Orleans, LA
Contact:
Status: Offline

That's really great to hear :-)
Roll Wave!
Tulane University c/o 2003
Football Defensive End '99, '00, '01, '02
2002 Hawaii Bowl Champions
School of Engineering (Computer Science)
DfromCT
Wild Pelican
Posts: 13004
Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:50 pm
Location: Stamford, CT
Status: Offline

Hi, All,

Zachary is getting treatment today, a week delayed due to low blood counts. He's been better the past few days, with the steroids from last week kicking in, he's eating and has put on almost two pounds. Let's hope today's treatment doesn't end that. At the same time, he hasn't been sleeping well, adding stress to the whole family. Today's treatment involves two types of chemo: vincristin and (lower dose) methatrexate. (I probably mis-spelled those drugs, but I really don't want to worry about learning how they're spelled.)

Last Friday, ahead of homecoming, I set up a GoFundMe account because some of my fraternity brothers wanted to donate to medical and medical related expenses. If anyone from here wants to make a donation (or just check it out) you can do so here:

http://www.gofundme.com/ha06pw

But your thoughts, prayers and support means a whole lot to me, so if you don't (or cannot) donate, that's ok. Say a prayer for Zachary, and we'll all make it through.

Thanks!
Dave Price
Tulane '85
" If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day.." Jimmy V
DfromCT
Wild Pelican
Posts: 13004
Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:50 pm
Location: Stamford, CT
Status: Offline

Update: Zachary seems to be coming through this latest round of Chemo fairly well. His spirits, and more importantly, appetite, are still strong. I can only hope he gains another pound or two, as I've been so scared with his weight so down, that we might lose him to something other than the leukemia.

Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. This is the hardest test I've faced, and it doesn't seem to be getting easier.
" If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day.." Jimmy V
Post Reply