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Welcome to our webpage for Zack. Our son was diagnosed in November 2003 with a rare and aggressive childhood leukemia - JMML (Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia)and in October 2004 he was diagnosed with Noonan Syndrome. This webpage has been created to keep Family and Friends updated about our little one. Thank you for visiting Zack's web page...please sign his guestbook (and sign it often), we love hearing from you. 
Zachary
Born: August 25, 2003
Journal
Thursday, January 10, 2013 10:19 PM CST Welcome 2013!
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that the New Year has started on a good note.
This has been a very good year for Zack medically. No illnesses besides a mild common cold and no trips to the Emergency Room. Zachary has had a few follow-up appointments this year.
He has been in a holding pattern with his weight and height…not much gain this year at all. GI doc isn’t happy about it and started Zack on Prevacid to see if it will help get his reflux under control and maybe increase his appetite. You may remember a few years ago, the doctor had to take Zack off all of his GI meds because his liver enzyme levels were elevated to an unhealthy level. Now being back on a reflux medication, Zack will need to be followed close and have more frequent blood tests. So far levels are normal and according to Zack he does feel better now that he is taking this medicine. Fingers crossed it remains this way.
The Ophthalmologist gave Zack a weaker lens prescription and said that he no longer needs to wear his glasses 24/7! This made Zack extremely happy, however, I think he is just so used to wearing his glasses because he is still wearing them 24/7.
Another year of perfect dental care! No cavities for the fifth year running!! With his diet, this blows the dentist away…she is so happy that his teeth are so healthy. On the orthodontic side it doesn’t look as good. Zack got a palate expander retainer in the beginning of September. He has done amazingly well with it. Didn’t affect his eating in any way…though he would tell you otherwise as he really misses his chewy candies and gum! It has affected his speech, but the speech therapist at school has been working with him to keep him on track, but the lateral lisping s and z is much worse with the retainer and she cannot help him until the retainer is removed…probably by the end of April. In addition to the retainer, Zack’s front top two teeth haven’t come down yet and the orthodontist is concerned because he feels that they should be down by now since they were pulled when he was four years old but sees that there isn’t much room for them as they are good sized teeth up in his gums. More extractions may be in the near future.
The big appointment this year was Cardiology. Zack had an echo this year as it has been a few years since his last one, and it showed that Zack has Left Aortic Valve Insufficiency. The valve is leaking. Not bad, but he will have another echo in August. The cardiologist cannot hear the problem upon exam, but it definitely showed on the echo. He does not have to limit any activity or have any additional testing at this point. Having Noonan’s we are always concerned about his heart, but the doctor doesn’t want us to worry. Easier said than done.
Zack is really growing up. I notice it more this year. He is more mature in his thinking and he is really turning into a sporty kid! Santa brought Zack a big basketball net for the driveway and we gave him a pitching machine. He loves gym class…his favorite game is dodgeball. Baseball is still his spring sport of choice...just signed him up for another season of machine/coach pitch Pony League with NorGwyn Baseball. He still does karate year round. Brown belt is so close he can almost taste it! He tried nunchucks earlier in the year, but scheduling around baseball and Science Explorers and violin practice, proved to be impossible, so he is taking a break but plans on resuming nunchuck training in the summer.
Ethan and Zack spent the summer at Camp Trinity again and had a great time! Zack’s big accomplishment this year is that he tested his way from the 3 foot part of the pool, through the 5 foot part of the pool, and reached the 10 foot level the last week of camp! Amazing stamina this child has. Now he and Ethan will be in the same depth, but Ethan is still way beyond in his swimming ability…the child is part fish!
Another relaxing week at the shore in August. Two new hermit crabs came home with us. Unfortunately, the four we came home with the year before have now all moved on to hermit crab heaven. Sir Bentley is trying to make the new hermits comfy in their new surroundings by staring at them through the glass and batting at them when they move.
We have a big Sacrament year this school year with the boys! Ethan made his Confirmation in October and Zack will receive First Holy Communion in April. They ended 2nd and 5th grades with superb marks and are doing absolutely wonderful in 3rd and 6th grades! They both have amazing teachers this year and they are learning a lot.
Wishing you all a wonderful year!
Love,
Beth, Nate, Ethan, and Zack
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