Information

Many people are thinking and praying for Zach.  Some have wanted to know what his current diagnosis is.  I will try to address that in this post.
Zach has had medical and developmental hurdles since the day he was born.  This is a list of his current medical diagnosis.

1.Idiopathic (non-surgical) hypoparathyroidism (HPTH) is a rare endocrine condition that affects the    levels of parathyroid hormone, causing low calcium in the blood
2.Familial Dysautonomia  A genetic disorder that affects the development and survival of certain nerve cells.  The disorder disturbs cells in the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary actions such as digestion, breathing, production of tears and the regulation of blood pressure and body temperature.  It also affects the sensory nervous system, which controls activities related to the senses, such as taste and the perception of pain, heat and cold.
3.Kidney stones (bi-latterly)
4.GERD (Gastro-intestinal reflux disease) Backward flow of the gastric contents into the esophagus resulting from improper functioning of the sphincter at the lower end of the esophagus.
5.PLMD (periodic limb movement disorder) Periodic limb movement disorder involves repetitive episodes of muscle movements that usually occur in the legs. The movements are described as a jerking motion or an upward flexing of the feet.  In a sleep study done on Zach in November 2010,  Zach moves 17 times per hour and the movements involve his entire body.  He also had an average of 13 central apnea's per hour.
6.Hypo tonic (low tone)
7.Organic brain damage This encompasses all of Zachary's learning disabilities.  Numbers, letters, reading and writing are hard work for him, but he is doing it!  With the help of his teacher, we adjust his program so that he continues to be challenged but not frustrated.  How Zach often feels "medically" dictates just what he is able to accomplish academically.

We were asked to make a list of all the "symptoms" that coincide with his list of Diagnosis, there are 47 items on the list.  You see, each diagnosis has its on batch of symptoms that greatly effect Zach's quality of life and his ability to function day to day.

As always, we are so grateful for those who show concern for Zach and our family.  We appreciate your prayers, thoughts and concerns more than words can express.  God Bless!