The month of May saw us settling back into life at home and trying to find our new normal.  We saw some family members and a couple of Zac’s friends but were very conscious of not overwhelming him.  He was very tired following the radiotherapy and still vulnerable from having a weakened immune system.  We had been told that his immune system would gradually start to recover 3 months after the chemotherapy and that at 6 months he would need to be reimmunized against all the illnesses that children receive in their baby and preschool vaccines.  His behaviour was unpredictable at the time and mood swings and aggressive outbursts would happen frequently.  It was always a fine balance between daily activities to keep him occupied and trying not to overdo it.

We had our first check-up appointment at the RVI with Dr Gail since returning from Germany.  It felt very strange being back at the hospital as an outpatient, you had that same stomach-churning feeling entering the ward again.  It was nice to see some of the faces of the nurses and doctors who had cared for him at the start of the year.  Everyone was happy to see how he was doing.  The last time we were here, he was most likely the sickest child on the ward.  Now we were back, and the doctors and nurses had new patients to attend to, making us feel for all those families having their worlds upended.

Zac would see the oncology team every 2 weeks and would also be visited by the community nurses at home to flush his central line and change the dressings.  Zac had suffered some moderate hearing loss following the chemotherapy so this would need to be monitored with 3 monthly hearing tests.  There was also a psychologist who specialised in paediatric oncology patients who was incredibly helpful and supportive, as well as an occupational therapist who gave us some good advice on dealing with the behavioural challenges.