22/05/2026
Zahlee Update
Zahlee update 💚
We’re up to cycle 10 of 68 now. Double digits, which feels like it should sound more exciting than it does.
Truthfully, things have been hard lately.
One of the biggest challenges recently has been port access. After some rough experiences with failed attempts and aspiration issues, what was already unpleasant has become something Zahlee now genuinely fears. Her anxiety around being accessed has understandably snowballed, and she now needs sedation beforehand because the distress has become too much. Once your body learns something is scary, logic doesn’t get much of a say. Watching that shift has been really hard.
Next week is her MRI and review, which always sits heavily in the background whether I want it to or not. Not dramatic, just the reality of waiting to hear how your child’s brain is behaving.
She’ll also be having a sleep study, as recent monitoring has shown her overnight oxygen needs have increased, so that’s another thing we’re trying to navigate in the background.
I won’t pretend she’s breezing through any of this, because she’s not. This has taken a lot out of her.
But she still gets herself to school when she can. She still finds things to smile about. The sparkle is still there- maybe a little more tired these days-but it’s still very much Zahlee.
Today she’s wearing her Carrie's Beanies 4 Brain Cancer Foundation beanie 💚 which feels especially fitting. Carrie’s Beanies does so much to support kids and families facing brain cancer, and seeing Zahlee in one is one of those quiet reminders that even in the really hard parts, there’s a whole community wrapping its arms around these kids. Carrie Bickmore Carrie and Tommy
