Here We Go Again

It’s that time again. I’m not talking about flu shots (although, those are on the horizon, too); I’m talking about Zane’s renal and abdominal ultrasounds. Last year, the geneticist from The Children’s Hospital suggested that we begin screening Zane every three months for Wilms’ tumor (kidney cancer) and hepatoblastoma (cancer of the liver). There is a greater incidence of these two cancers in children with Trisomy 18. The geneticist told us that Wilms’ is a fast-spreading cancer, so he wanted us to have Zane frequently screened. However, we have elected to have an ultrasound every six months. He’s due for another this month, so we have an appointment set for next week.

This is one of those things that most parents do not have to concern themselves with. We certainly didn’t think about such weighty issues with Justin. With Zane, health concerns are chronic. While we may be able to push them to the backs of our minds during a healthy run, they always tend to resurface. There is always an underlying worry tied to Zane and his extra chromosome. While none of us know what lies ahead for ourselves or for our children, it is far more uncertain with a trisomy. We’re just hoping for another reprieve—to be able to breath another sigh of relief—after the results of this upcoming ultrasound.

It can be a definite roller-coaster ride at times. A ride that would be nice to abandon in the rear-view window for awhile. A ride that we’d give up forever if it meant a totally healthy Zane. But one we won’t abandon because we need to stay on it for our son.