The Latest MRI & 6 More Months of Chemo

Makenzie had another MRI on February 26th. Good news... there is still no growth in the tumor. We thought maybe Dr. Etzl would stop chemo after the MRI, it has been 2 years total and 1 1/2 years on the current chemo regimen. But... after consulting with all the other doctors on the brain tumor team he decided that we will continue chemo another 6 months until August. It would have been nice to be done... but we are hopeful the continued chemo will be able to shrink her tumor. Many kids on this protocol go 2 years. And Makenzie has handled this chemo very well and it seems to be controlling the tumor. Please, keep her in your prayers!

2 Years

February 15th marked the 2 year anniversary of Makenzie being diagnosed with a brain tumor. She and her family continue to be blessed and do well. She feels well and is able to do pretty much anything she wants. Her tumor still has not shrunk or grown. She has another MRI scheduled for February 26th. She has been on chemo for almost 2 years. But this could be the end of it if everything looks good. We will find out shortly after the 26th. If she stops chemo then she will just be monitored. We are not 100% sure what would happen if the tumor began to grow after stopping chemo. We will have to ask the doctor on our next visit. Please continue to pray for Makenzie in your prayers, that she will be blessed with health and miracles of healing.

Makenzie has been keeping busy and having fun. She and her family got to go to a Coyote's game in a suite thanks to Make-A-Wish. There were several other Make-A-Wish families there. They kept us fed with pizza, hotdogs, soda, and cookies. Keeping with the hockey theme, she was also adopted by a Phoenix Roadrunners hockey player, Brett Angel as part of the "Phoenix Roadrunners Face Off Against Cancer". Kenzie, Brett, and a bunch of other kids and their hockey players, have already had a party at the hospital where they ate pizza and played games. They also spent a day at the Phoenix Zoo. Carson got to go to the zoo also. He had fun teasing the Roadrunner's mascot and stomping on his feet. He named the mascot "Peckerwood". We don't know where he came up with that one. Still to come is 2 hockey games where the kids will get to eat ice cream with the players in the locker room after the game... and then a farewell party.

Makenzie also went to book signing a few days ago where she met up with her favorite author, Barbra Park, again. She got a signed copy of her latest book. She was excited to see Barbra again.

She is still doing well in school. She just got her progress report and she got all A's and B's. She was also January student of the month for her class so we are proud of her for that.