Update

We met with Trey's Oncologist yesterday to review his MRI. Basically, according to the report the tumor is unchanged compared to the last MRI done in June. Not exactly the news we were hoping for but this is not bad news by any means. It's just news. Good news is, all of Trey's counts have recovered from the last round of chemo and the Doc noted she was pleased to see how his counts rebounded in both cycles. Good, strong little boy! His urine test done after cycle 1 showed his protein levels to be back within normal range which is a good indicator (but not the only) that the chemo is working on the tumor. Unfortunately, there is no way to know for sure if the tumor is still "alive" or not. For lack of a better phrase, this part just stinks, but we get over it and get on with it. Here we go!

Next steps...along with the results of Trey's urine test done yesterday, the Doc wants to consult with the other Peds Oncology Docs at Strong this Friday, reach out to the International Neuroblastoma group of Docs to get advice and also review all of Trey's MRI's with one radiologist to see if together they come up with the same conclusion regarding the progress of his tumor. After all that is done she will reconnect with us and hopefully have a recommendation or maybe options that we will have to decide on. Her initial thought is that we will either need to proceed with two more rounds of chemo and re-scan following or we wait 3 months and re-scan Trey to see if the tumor has grown. If we decide to wait the three months, they will keep a close eye on Trey, checking his urine monthly to see if the protein levels increase that would indicate there is new growth of the tumor. Either way, little Trey-Man's journey is not over just yet. They want to keep the Broviac in for now so my nursing duties will continue for a while longer at least. Keep up all the positive vibes and prayers for Trey. We are getting him better one step at a time. Trey is going in for his 15 month check up next week and his new favorite thing to do is whatever Josie is doing. She is less than thrilled with his new interest at times but does love that he thinks she is the funniest person on earth!

THANK YOU for all the dinners once again...Tim's belly thanks you also!

Never a Dull Moment

Trey had his MRI yesterday and did well overall. They noticed some congestion in his chest while doing the scan and Trey came out of the procedure with a croupy-cough from the breathing tube. All normal stuff but hasn't happened to Trey during past scans. Later, his breathing was faster than normal and then he developed a slight fever. So, after taking his temperature many, many, many times (anyone who knows me should not be surprised by this) we headed to the emergency room to have him checked out just to be on the safe side. He checked out just fine and they sent us home. We were in and out of there in a little over three hours which is unheard of. They put us on the fast track and we appreciated it because the least amount of time exposed to those hospital germs the better!

Outside of yesterday's events, Trey is acting more and more like himself every day. He has become quite attached to his blanket and the tags on it. He cannot be fooled by any other blanket either. I had to wash his and Josie's blankets today. I gave him a substitute to use but he continues to reject it. I had to resort to driving him around in the car today to get him to sleep and sneak the blanket into his crib once he fell asleep. Little stinker.

Cycle 2 Complete!

Today is Day 21 of Cycle 2 so technically Trey has completed his second round of chemo. His counts are all stabilizing and he is healthy. Tomorrow is his MRI to see what progress the chemo has made on his tumor. We have to wait until next Monday (8/24) to learn the results when we meet with Trey's Oncologist. Positive vibes, lots of prayers and some good 'ole fashioned finger crossing that the chemo has had an effect on the tumor. This little guy wants to go swimming in a bad way but we have to wait until his treatment is complete and his Broviac is out. Hopefully next week we will have more information regarding next steps for Trey's treatment. Take Care!

On the Rise...

Cycle 2, Day 15 and Trey's white blood cell counts are back on the rise! No more shots for this cycle. His platelets continue to drop but we are still in a safe range, hopefully they will start to go back up soon too. After a weekend of not feeling much like himself, Trey is getting back on track. He just finished a great breakfast and is enjoying an episode of Hi-5 before we go outside to play. Thanks for all the positive thoughts & prayers!

Lock-Down for The Bauzas

Today is Cycle 2 - Day 12. According to yesterday's blood draw Trey's ANC is Zero, which means he has no infection-fighting white blood cells right now and is at high risk for infection. Mr. Trey is on lock down until his counts begin to rise again. The Nurse Practitioner told us to use precautions to keep him healthy but keep a realistic outlook as we can't live in a bubble (she doesn't know me all that well yet because that is exactly what I would try to do!). Anyway, I am trying not to go overboard and we are keeping a close eye on little man Trey. By Monday we hope his counts will be back on the rise.

The doctors have told us that children tend to feel "yucky" when their counts are low and may not be themselves. Also, the cell booster shot we give him each day may also cause his bones to ache a bit. Our little guy just isn't himself but he is still eating and drinking well so he is good. He has spent this morning watching Blues Clues on his floor pillows and eating mum-mum treats. We are heading out for our stroller ride and he should be snoozing in just a bit. Thanks for all the positive thoughts and prayers!

Cycle 2 - Day 8

Today is day 8 and so far Trey is holding up well. He had a routine EKG this morning at Strong and did just fine. As of yesterday's numbers, his counts are still dropping but not drastically. We started up the shots again to boost his cell counts. (I have not stuck Tim one time this week. Whoo Hoo!) Trey is not himself as far as eating and sleeping go but we just keep trying different things until something works. He still likes his stroller rides and has depleted the supply of meatballs we had in the freezer from Nana and Papa. A new batch is on the way.

We continue to eat wonderful dinners thanks to family and friends...THANK YOU!! Josie has become quite possessive of her little brother these days. She calls him "her baby" and warns Tim and I not to hurt him. What a nice big sister!

We will keep you posted on Trey's progress. Keep up all the prayers and positive vibes for Mr. Trey.