Dr. Joe McNamara, whose pediatric hematology-oncology clinic in Guilford, CT has treated Thad for the last seven months.
Click Here For Dr. McNamara's final diagnostic consultation.
Thad finished his treatment over the course of early July with a series of tests. These included a diagnostic MRI, a CAT-Scan, and a sample of Thad's spinal fluid, all to check for any sign of cancer. All of these tests came up negative. Thad currently shows no sign of the lymphoma that only seven months ago was threatening to crush his spinal column.
If you click on this link you can hear a short recording of one of Thad's oncologists explaining the final diagnosis:
Dr. Joe McNamara, whose pediatric hematology-oncology clinic in Guilford, CT has treated Thad for the last seven months.
Click Here For Dr. McNamara's final diagnostic consultation.
On Friday, July 11th Thad had the final surgical procedure in his long treatment. He had the Broviac port removed. This was the tubing that allowed his doctors to introduce the chemodrugs into his body without repeatedly tapping a new I.V..
These photos are poor quality because I took them on my camera phone.
The Broviac Port. It had to be cleaned every day with saline solution and heparin injections (to keep the blood from clotting in the tubing).
Only 12 minutes after entering surgery at 10:05 AM, Thad emerged (still heavily sedated) in the post-op.
We're all Done! Thad is eating a cooking and clutching a collection of Legos. After 48 hours he could take the first normal bath he's had since November of last year. After a week he was able to swim in the Long Island Sound, have squirt gun fights, and do other little boy-like activities.
What's Next?
Thad will have diagnostic MRI's of his chest, abdomen and spine on a regular basis. At least every four months for the next year and annually for the next three years after that.
For the next six months, Thad will be taking Bactrim, a sulfa drug that is meant to prevent pneumonia. This is the only remaining drug that he is taking. It makes him sensitive to sunlight, so if you see him at the beach, he'll be doused in sunscreen.
Thad also has an increased risk, though a small risk, of developing additional cancers in the future. As Dr. McNamara tells us, 30%-40% of these are typically skin cancers. So even after he stops taking Bactrim, it would seem that getting a deep, dark tan is not in Thad's future.
Other than this, Thad can return to being a normal boy. He starts Fourth Grade in August.
Thad's Treatment is Complete!
Updated July 14th, 2008. This will be Thad's last update.