Dear Friends and Family,

Two weeks ago, five-year-olds looked forward with great expectation to their first day of Kindergarten, perhaps none more so than our little one.  For Quincy, a day she had talked about for so many months was finally here. With her backpack on, a focus in her eyes, and a smile on her face, she declared herself ready for school.  A thrilling and exciting event for her, but not half as thrilling and exciting as it was for us as we walked her those two blocks to school.  Our dream of nearly two years had come true.

Kindergarten has really captured Quincy's enthusiasm.  She can't wait to get “homework” like the boys.  Both Brody and Keenan have generously offered to give her their homework but she says she needs to be able to read first!  Every morning she wakes up excited to pick out her snack, pack up her lunchbox, and carry it all in her “Hello Kitty” backpack, eager to skip to school like her big brothers.  Her leg rarely seems to bother her any more, with her limp now very slight.  Lisa has been going with her each day to make sure Quincy is happy and adjusting to school, since she really didn't have much of a pre-school experience.  She is continuing on her current chemo protocol of one week on and two weeks off.  This past week was a chemo week so we took Quincy into the UCSF clinic early each day.  Her treatment takes nearly three hours in the clinic and two hours for driving, so we race home to try and attend some of the afternoon Kindergarten class.  It was a busy and challenging week but Quincy handled it well with never a complaint.

Now that the kids are back in school and Labor Day has passed, it's fun to think back on how great the summer was.  Quincy and the boys had a wonderful time at Nanny and Pop-Pop's house at the Jersey shore.  We went to the beach and watched Quincy make sand angels, visited with family and friends, took in a minor league baseball game and swam everyday.  Aunt Karen and Aunt Maureen came out to visit and help during Quincy's chemo weeks.  Then, our friends here in California surprised us with a weekend getaway for our family to the beach near Santa Cruz, which we really enjoyed.  But what made the summer the best by far was that Quincy was a very happy 5-year-old girl.

Love,

Roger and Lisa

Dear Friends and Family,

Quincy had a CT scan on Tuesday, July 15. Once again we received the great news that things are all clear.  The scan covered her chest, abdomen and pelvis and the report couldn't be better.  The doctors stated how very, very pleased they are with the response Quincy has had to this chemotherapy regimen.  Sometimes we feel they really mean how very, very ‘astonished' they are; but regardless of the semantics, Quincy is home and happy and we can't ask for anything more than that. 

It has been seven weeks since Quincy's leg surgery and she has just now started to take her first steps without the use of her walker.  Her pain seems to be gone and it is now a matter of building strength in her leg.  It has taken some prodding to get Quincy to try walking as she has become extremely proficient at motoring around the house crawling on her hands and one leg.  She remembers all of the pain after the surgery and is a little hesitant in attempting to walk.  Each day she does a little more and we are hoping that soon she will be chasing the boys around the house like the old days. 

We have been enjoying the summer, especially our little mermaid who can finally have some fun in the water. It's great therapy for her leg.  The boys have been very busy with summer league baseball.  They can't seem to get enough of it. Next up is soccer camp for the boys and another round of chemo for Quincy next week.   Then we all head back to New Jersey to visit Nanny and Pop-pop. 

Presently, the plan is to stay on the current chemo regimen for a few more rounds and then re-evaluate.  There does not seem to be other viable choices at this time so we will continue on this road.  We're not sure where it will lead, but these days we don't really think that far ahead.  A mom of another child with cancer sent a quote that we try to remember everyday:

"The past is history, the future is a mystery, and today is a gift of life—that is why it is called “The Present."

Love,
Roger and Lisa

Dear Friends and Family,

It has nearly been four weeks since Quincy had surgery on her leg.  On May 28 she had two titanium rods put into her right femur.  It took the surgeon four hours to drill a hole on each side of her right knee and hammer two “nails” up through the center of her bone to her hip.  It was a painful procedure but she is on the mend and getting a little bit stronger everyday.  We call her our bionic girl!

When Quincy relapsed the cancer was discovered in her right leg.  It had significantly weakened the bone and caused her to walk with a severe limp that didn't improve with her new chemotherapy.  After an X-ray of her leg showed a fracture, we met with the orthopedic surgeon and decided on surgery to implant metal rods in her right femur to support and stabilize it.  There is no guarantee the bone will heal because her right leg had been radiated in March when her relapse was discovered, but it is hoped the nails will make her leg stronger and eliminate her limp.

 Quincy goes to physical therapy three times a week and is keeping to her chemotherapy schedule. It was a tough couple of weeks after surgery.  She is still not allowed to put any weight on her right leg so as to maximize all potential healing.  It makes it harder for her to move around the house to play, but she is managing pretty well using a walker and crab walking.  Her favorite game is to pretend she is “Queen Quincy” and have us carry her around while the boys wait on her!  We are hoping she will recover soon so she can enjoy some swim time this summer.

Next week is Round 5 of this chemotherapy program.  Quincy will have more scans after that round to determine its effectiveness.  For now we are enjoying summer break, living and loving each and everyday. 

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.

Love,

Roger and Lisa

Dear Friends and Family,

On Friday, May 23 Quincy finished her third round of chemotherapy. We ended the week with some good news and some not-so-good news to report.

The good news is that her CT scan from the prior week showed that the new chemo regimen is shrinking the relapsed tumor growth in her lungs.  The tumor on the lining of her left lung is definitely smaller and the many spots on her right lung are no longer visible.  This was a great relief to us as Quincy had been suffering from a terrible chest cold prior to the scan, and we didn't know what to expect. 

The not-so-good news is that Quincy still has a severe limp.  A follow up X-ray last week showed a fracture high up on the bone in her right leg.  We are scheduled for a rather complicated surgery tomorrow to try to solve the problem.  The surgeon is going to place two rods in Quincy's femur in order to stabilize and support it, and allow it to heal.  We discussed at length the different options with our team of doctors and this seems to be the most viable possibility.  At this point, all of the treatment options for Quincy are to provide her with the highest quality-of-life.  If everything goes well she will be in the hospital for two or three days and a recovery at home of approximately a week or two. 

Quincy has lost her hair again because of the chemo and the boys and Roger told her when it happened they would “go bald” with her.  So a couple of weeks ago out came the clippers and three heads were shaved clean in the Lee house.  The boys swear they can run faster and Quincy got a great kick out of the whole event.  Now several of the boy's first and third grade friends at school have shaved their heads.  We are so touched by these wonderful kids, who in a very special way have shown so much support for the boys who have a sister with cancer.

In spite of everything going on with her, Quincy continues to smile, laugh, play, and enjoy every day.  And with that spirit we appreciate and enjoy each and every day with her.

Love,

Roger and Lisa

Dear Friends and Family,

On March 23, Quincy had her “Ballerina Birthday Party.”  It was a wonderful celebration.  Miss Julie, a real ballerina, came to the party and instructed the girls on ballet basics and taught them to dance to the music from “Beauty and the Beast.”  Next, the girls decorated canvas totes to carry their ballet slippers in, and then all the pretty little ballerinas lined up and took their turns trying to whack a giant piñata in the shape of a ballet slipper.  It was quite a site!  Quincy and her friends had a lot of fun.

We left for Florida later that week and had a great time.  We stayed at “Give Kids the World Village”, a 50- acre resort for Make-A-Wish families just 20 minutes from Disneyworld.  It was truly a magical place, filled with everything a child would ever want, from a putt-putt golf course, game arcade, horseback riding, train rides, a merry-go-round, a magic castle, a pool, to unlimited ice-cream.  Quincy's favorites were swimming in the pool and riding every animal on the carousel.  Keenan loved the miniature golf course with dinosaurs and Brody's favorite was the  “totally free” ice cream shop.  Because there were so many fun things to do at “the Village”, we split our days between there and Disneyworld.   We visited the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Sea World, with the highlight being our dinner with Cinderella and Prince Charming.  We really had a great trip that would have been nice to savor for a while before returning to our harsh reality so quickly.

On Wednesday evening, April 2, we returned home and then headed for UCSF on Friday morning.  Quincy had a CT scan scheduled that day.  We already knew the cancer was back, but we were extremely disappointed to learn from the scan results that there was also new tumor growth in her right lung and on the lining of her left lung. 

On Monday, April 7, we entered the hospital for her surgery to have a port inserted under her skin, in order to administer this next chemotherapy regimen.  It was a tough week for Quincy, dealing with the pain from her surgery and starting her chemo again.

More than one week has now passed and she is doing much better and able to get around.  With the boys off this week for spring break and Nanny and Pop-Pop here, she is happy most of the time.  She even told us after having her bandage and the needle from her port removed a few days ago, that she felt she “could wrestle with Daddy because I'm just all me today!”

In another week or two we should find out if this chemo is having an effect.  We are starting to run out of options, so all of our prayers are now focused on this chemo working to fight back her aggressively growing cancer.

Thank you for keeping Quincy in your thoughts and prayers.

Love,

Roger and Lisa

Dear Friends and Family,

Over the past 1½ years we have been blessed with so much love and support while dealing with Quincy's illness.  Our family has felt the warmth and kindest from so many people while trying to get through this extremely difficult time.  When Quincy was first diagnosed in November of 2001 she was terribly sick and suffered with incredible pain.  Then we were able to share with you her many victories in her long journey back to health.  We wish we could keep updating you with only positive news, but life doesn't always work that way. 

As many of you already know, Quincy had a relapse with her cancer last week.  What started as a complaint of pain in her right leg, developed into a severe limp within a few days.  Quincy had a bone scan and an MRI that confirmed that the cancer was back.  We met Friday with her oncologist who gave us the news that we hoped and prayed we would never hear.  With the relapse, Quincy is now at a stage where she cannot be cured.  We have known all along what long odds we were facing, but deep down inside we always had hope.  This brutal crush of reality is devastating to us.  When Quincy was first diagnosed her cancer was so advanced that she was put on an extremely aggressive chemo regimen that included drugs for relapse patients.  Now that these have failed, there are very few choices left.  Through our tears we discussed quality-of-life options for Quincy with her doctor and staff.

First and foremost, the doctors want our family to go on the Make-A-Wish trip to Disneyworld.  We started radiation therapy Friday and will have a treatment each day until we leave on March 28 in order to stabilize her leg and hopefully eliminate some pain.  We decided that upon our return, Quincy will start-up on another chemo drug which has shown to have some success in dealing with her particular cancer.  The drug will be administered on an outpatient basis and should have fewer side effects.  If this drug works, it can keep Quincy's cancer at bay for a while.  At this point in time, there are no experimental drugs or open trials that make sense for her to try. 

We will be doing our very best to keep a normal family life for as long as we possibly can.  Our boys know that Quincy's cancer is back but that is the extent of it for now.  When we get back from Disneyworld we will meet with counselors from UCSF for guidance on how to explain Quincy's situation to Brody and Keenan. 

Please know that everyday we are still praying for a miracle. 

Love,

Roger and Lisa

Dear Friends and Family,

Lisa and Roger have asked us to update Quincy's website on their behalf. We are sad to report that cancer was discovered in one of Quincy's arms and on one of her legs today. Lisa and Roger noticed that Quincy was starting to walk with a limp last week and contacted the doctor over the weekend. They took Quincy in on Monday for x-rays, which were inconclusive. They returned to the hospital today for more tests which detected the cancer. They will begin radiation treatment this Friday. They still plan to hold Quincy's "ballerina" birthday party this Sunday and leave for Disneyworld (a trip arranged for them from the Make a Wish Foundation) on Friday, March 28th.

Please keep Quincy and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,

Friends of the Lees

Dear Friends and Family,

A quick note to let you know that Quincy's MRI today was all clear.  Thank you for all your positive thoughts and prayers.

And what happened to the questionable enhancement at the T12 vertebra?  It disappeared.  The doctors can't really explain why, but there can be false positives with these very sensitive scans.  Note to self:  quit wrestling and roughhousing with Quincy at least two weeks before the next scans.  Hopefully this will eliminate any bumps and bruises that can create false positives.

Love,
Roger and Lisa

Dear Friends and Family,

February is moving quickly along with our usual amount of activities, from birthday parties and homework to sports and holidays.

At the end of January, Quincy had a physical with her UCSF doctor.  Everything went well; her body continues to grow stronger and is healing from her treatments.  Dr. Matthay did schedule another MRI for February 25 to take a closer look at the questionable spot on her vertebra that looked enhanced on one of her three mid-January scans.  Quincy will have the MRI in the morning and we'll meet with the doctor in the afternoon to go over the results.

On the home front the boys are doing fine.  Brody just finished one basketball league and started another, while waiting for baseball season.  Keenan is busy planning his 7th birthday party, and along with his big brother is also very excited over the start of baseball.  Quincy's been busy taking a ceramic class turning lumps of clay into little critters.  She is also taking a ballet and tap class with two friends that she really enjoys.  We can't describe the joy we feel seeing our little one so happy.

We also notice how well she is doing when we walk the boys to school everyday.  Earlier in the year, Quincy had to be pushed in the stroller because she wasn't strong enough to walk, but now she loves to skip right along beside me.  The other morning after we dropped off the boys, I told her that next year when she went to school that I would really miss her.  I asked her if I could go to Kindergarten with her and she very matter-of-factly told me that she didn't think that was a good idea.  She said that if I was lonely maybe I could go to work with Daddy.  Somehow I think Kindergarten will be a bigger adjustment for us than her!

Thank you for keeping our daughter in your thoughts and prayers.

Love,

Roger and Lisa

Dear Friends and Family,

Quincy's doctor called today and gave us the news on her scans from last week.  For the most part everything looks fine.  The CT scan and Bone scan were clean and what we hoped they would be.  The MRI looked good except for one spot of enhancement on her T 12 vertebrae.  There could be some possible medical or technical explanation for this, but nothing is certain.  The doctors are not overly concerned, but they cannot completely rule out a focus of metastasis (tumor).  The good news is that this spot does not show up as abnormal on the Ct or Bone scan.  Overall the results are good.  Quincy's next round of scans will be scheduled for two months down the road (instead of three) to keep a close watch on this spot.  One down, seven more to go.

Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers.

Love,

Roger and Lisa

 

Dear Friends and Family,

Happy New Year to all!  December was a complete whirlwind of activity.  We had forgotten how busy life is outside of UCSF.  Christmas was a happy, loud, fun and exhausting time at our house...just the way it should be.  Lisa's parents and sister with her two boys the same ages as Brody and Keenan, came out from New Jersey for the week.  It was a house full of boys, but Quincy held her own and even insisted on joining their slumber parties at night.  It was a great holiday for all of us.  After Christmas, Quincy came down with the flu for a week, which had us worried, but other than the normal ups and downs of an active four-year-old who stays up too late with her brothers, she is doing really great.

At the end of this week, Quincy has her first round of post-treatment scans.  On Thursday she will have a five-hour MRI and on Friday the CT and Bone scans.  We should have the results the following week and will be able to discuss them with Quincy's doctors after they have had a chance to closely study the scans. 

We will keep you posted when we get the report.  Thank you again for your continued thoughts and prayers for Quincy.

Love,
Roger and Lisa