New Years Post

The new year is quickly approaching and I am realizing that I have not posted in a long time. I don't know if anyone is checking this anymore, but just in case... I have been done with radiation for almost 3 months now. Recovery is not as easy as it sounds, at least for me. I was thinking that it would just happen. The truth is that waiting for something to happen is a heck of a lot harder than fighting for things to change. While in treatment, I knew that I was actively pursuing my health. It felt good, as I have always enjoyed a good fight. Now that it is time to recover, I feel oddly uneasy. Some would say I have no patience, and they would be right. I am so ready to feel good again that it is really very difficult to wait. You may be wondering what exactly it is that is taking time. Well, here goes. I will try to get the point across without my doomsday attitude coming through too much. I have an inflammation of the lining of my lungs from the radiation called radiation pneumonitis. Don't go looking it up online or you will freak yourself and everyone else out. Basically, the upper portion of my lungs has been damaged and we don't know yet if it will reverse itself or not. For now, I am short of breath after not much exertion. Doing lite housework for 15 minutes wears me out about as much as 45 minutes(going hard) on a cardio machine at the gym used to. Which is actually a big improvement from 2 1/2 months ago when pushing an empty cart through the supermarket was actually more than I could do. So, more tests to come in February, but dealing with the possibility/probability that some lung function is probably not coming back. Also, the doc is fairly certain that the radiation has killed off my thyroid. Yes, I know this is something that can be treated quite easily with medication. Radiation is just the gift that keeps on giving. We are waiting for my thyroid to shrivel up and completely die off, then begin treating that. So, I am still tired, I am still cold all the time and just generally not feeling great like I had hoped for by now. I know that I will improve, I am just very anxious. January 3 marks one year from the day that the lump was discovered. This next year is going to be a year of growth and recovery. I wish the same for all of you.

I am happy to report that I am finally done with treatments! Wednesday was quite a day. It was 9 months from the day that the lump was found. What a year it has been! I am now trying to just gain my strength back. I ate a piece of fish and a salad yesterday, which was the first meal I have had in weeks. I was quite proud of myself. I feel like a recovering anorexic! I went for a short walk yesterday and it felt so good. My body is so achy from doing nothing for so long. I was actually exercising up until about 10 days ago so it is not like I have been completely inactive. But, many hours have been spent sitting and laying around in the past 6 weeks. I have a long way to go before I feel good again. Everything takes effort right now. Finding a balance between pushing myself too much and not enough is going to be the challenge. I feel so robbed of the past year of my life that I just want to get on with it. But, I need to pace myself. The burns on my neck are pretty painful but getting better by the day. My taste buds have a long way to go but I have high hopes. That is all for now. Only good news to follow.

It is Sunday night, getting geared up for one more week of treatment. Thank God it is only 3 this week. I have been down on the couch pretty much full time for the past week. I just have nothing left to work with! I have a really hard time sleeping so I think that is really my biggest problem. I take AMbien, Tylenol with Codeine, sometimes a little Nyquil, an antibiotic, and maybe even something else! Today I did take an Ambien with the Tylenol and got some really good rest. I felt better those 2 hours following my nap than I have in a long time. Clint has really taken over with the kids. We had a sleepover birthday party for Jesse yesterday and Clint set me up in a hotel room so I could relax. He is finding his groove with the boys I think. Side effects are getting more and more difficult to deal with. My neck is extremely burnt, and peeling as are my ears. The rest are things you don't want to read about, trust me. I am hoping for strength to get me through these next 3 days, then peace to get me through a little more rest. Everyone tells me it will take time to recover and I know that is probably true. I just feel like I have missed so much living this past year that I am ready to really live. I will probably post again in about a week.

It has been a trying few weeks. Radiation is no picnic, but it is almost over. My mom was here for 2 weeks to help and it was really great to have her here. She left Sunday morning so we are adjusting to life without her. I am terribly tired these days. My appetite is all but gone. Everything still tastes bad. The kids passed on a cold to me so I am up coughing half the night. Well, until yesterday. Yesterday I got some Tylenol with Codeine. Life is all of a sudden quite a bit more enjoyable! Sunday night I was wondering how I could possibly get through these next treatments. Today I am certain that I will make it to next Wednesday, and I may even laugh once or twice between now and then. This has been much harder on me than the Chemo, but it is so close to being over that I am a little giddy at times. Hard to believe that I have just 6 more treatments. I am getting a bunch of help now and I appreciate it all so much. There is no way I could do this without all of you pitching in. I have so much support, I feel so lucky to have you all. Thank you thank you thank you.

Well, I am half way through my 27 treatments and I am still somewhat vertical! Radiation is kind of kicking my ass. I am not really sick, I am just tired and I have a hard time swallowing. My salivary glands are being messed up so food just tastes horrible. Sugary things are really the worst. I can taste some salty things, but nothing REALLY tastes good. But, it is temporary, RIGHT? I have to keep telling myself that. The field of radiation actually touches the bottom part of my hairline on my neck so I am losing some hair. Apparently this type of hair loss is permanent, but as my hair grows longer it will cover it up. It was by far the worst hair loss I have had through the whole thing. Very strange. My shirts are just covered in this short hair. My mom is here so things are a whole lot better. She cooks and does laundry and anything else I need. The kids love having her here, too. Well, I guess that is enough for now. I am fine, just tired. I am getting very close...

Well, I think I had the flu last week and that is why I felt so crappy. This week is not nearly as bad and I am feeling like I can actually do this! What a relief. My attitude is better, I feel better, life is just better. My mom will be here next week to help out so that will be good. Everyone offering to help, thank you! I think I am ok, for now. The last 2 weeks is when I anticipate needing some help. My throat is a little sore, and I am a little tired. I did cut my hair off, it was really bad. It is now about 2 inches long on top and maybe an inch in back. I think that last time I had hair this short I was 2 years old. Can't say I like it, but it is very easy. Looking forward to it growing back. More later.

Radiation

Well, most of you know that I started radiation this Monday. I honestly believe that I went in with a good attitude. I thought it was going to be a cakewalk. I am not sure what happened in that first treatment that just changed things, but something did. I walked out of there wondering how I was going to get through the next 6 weeks without losing my mind. By Tuesday, I was tired and definitely needed a nap in the afternoon. By Wednesday, I was having to force myself to eat anything. I can't say that it is nausea, but I sure don't want to eat. Nothing tastes good. I know that for now it is most likely an anxiety issue. In the weeks to come it will be a more physical thing as my esophagus gets inflamed and painful. My throat already hurts a little and I can feel things kinda getting stuck as I swallow. I am just pissed off at the whole ordeal! Wow, what a rant. Haven't had one of those for a while, guess I needed it. That sure makes it sound bad, and it probably isn't THAT bad. I am guessing I need some Xanax, a good cry, and a few days. Like I said, I know a lot of it is anxiety and I have to get that under control before I can get my ass in gear and get over it and get on with it! I am not one that gets freaked out too easily and I think I just got freaked out. Go ahead, say it! "GET A GRIP!" I feel like I need a kick in the ass. OK, that is about enough for one day.

I will start radiation next Monday and go 5 days a week for about 6 weeks. Looking forward to getting started so that I can be done. It has been so nice to have no treatments these past few weeks. Guess it is time to get going on the next phase of recovery. I will post more as I get into this.

On to radiation...

Well, it has been quite a while since I updated you. Things are going very well these days. I am feeling stronger all the time. I met with the radiation oncologist last week and I have a CT today. From the CT they will develop my treatment plan and make their program for the machine. I will have approximately 30 treatments totalling 4500 units of radiation, whatever that means. Apparently that is a pretty low dose. Treatments will most likely begin on Aug. 27. I am really ready to get going with it and just be done with this whole ordeal. I have got to get something figured out with my hair as it is just really bad right now. I thought Clint was going to cut it off but I am not sure he can do it. I may have to go in and have someone else do it.

All really is just fine for the moment. I think I will be nervous about this forever to some extent. All of the what ifs that go through my head. what if it isn't dead? what if it comes back? what if one of my kids gets this? But, I know we deal with that if it happens and just move on. The kids are getting ready to go back to school and I am really ready for that. I am usually in Colorado for half of August and this year I was just not sure how I would feel so I didn't go. I am certain that next year we will go!

I will post again as soon as I know when I will start the radiation. Take care all!

Final Chemo

Well, today was my last chemo treatment, yeah! I feel like crap but happy to be over that hurdle. I met my mom and most of my siblings in Idaho last week for a little reunion. We had a really good time together, got totally exhausted, and now I am trying to get myself healed up to start living again. My niece Tamra is here helping with the kkids for the week. I hear constant laughter so I think it is going well. I actually don't feel as bad as last time, so I think not having the Neulasta shot after treatment is the reason. I get August off, probably just some tests. I am excited to get more than just a week of feeling good. All the tests look good up to this point. I will update when I know more. Off to bed...

Hello All,
Hope you had a great 4th of July. I had treatment on Monday, and all went as it was supposed to. I keep hoping to go in and hear that I don't have to continue with the final treatments! But, just 2 to go so things are looking up. I think I am in denial again and just refuse to believe that I can't do what everyone else is doing. Seem to be wearing myself out alot these past few treatments but I bounce back with a little extra rest. I am soliciting info on radiation these days, so anyone in the know, please give input. Just curious how it affects you. Most people are saying it is not nearly as bad as the chemo, but I don't imagine it is a joyride, either.

Relay for Life is coming right up on the 20th. Thank you to all who have donated to such a worthwhile cause. There is still time...

Anyway, just wanted to quickly update you all. Feeling pretty strong and somewhat in control these days. Isn't that what we all hope for in our lives? Thank you for your support and love. I am feeling quite "full" these days. My life is overflowing with good things and great people.

Seems fairly anticlimactic now, but I still have to keep you all informed. I had treatment yesterday and it went as planned. He said I am getting anemic again which may be causing the shortness of breath I am feeling. My right hand is becoming more and more useless as the neuropathy takes over. I drop things a lot and it is just generally weak and tingly. He reduced another drug in hopes of countering that issue, although it may get worse before it gets better. I have been sleeping quite a bit these past 2 days, which is just what I need. Karli is here and earning her keep for sure. Jesse has been working with Clint, so Summer is just getting rolling the way I knew it would.

I have 3 more Chemo treatments, yeah! The next one will be on July2, so I will probably be missing out on some of the town festivities this year. Hoping if I can sleep off the 2nd and 3rd, maybe I will be vertical by the 4th. I do have a hard time missing a party...

Thanks to all for meals, organizing of the meals, thoughts, prayers, etc. Don't forget that a $5 or $10 donation really could make a difference.

Until next time, peace.

Just a quick post tonight. I am still living in a state of amazement after the news of my awesome PET scan. Clint has been on a 9 day road trip with the kids so I have had a lot of time to get rested up and process the fact that I am cancer-free. When Clint gets back there will be another chica in the house. For those that don't know, Karli is Clint's 15 year old daughter that lives in Arizona with her mom, step-dad and 2 little brothers. Poor girl has 5 brothers! She will be here until the middle of July. OK, you all knew it would come at some point. The time when I ask you to thank the people that made it possible for me and so many others to fight back against this wicked disease and put it in it's place. The Cody Relay for Life is July 20 here in Cody and you bet your ass Campbell Construction has a team. If you copy and paste the address below it will take you to my donations page. IF you can, give a little. The American Cancer Society is all of a sudden my cause, we all need one, right? Take care all, and Happy Father's Day to all you dads.

There will be more to come about this, but for now just know that it will get you to my donations page for the Relay For Life of Park County. YOu have to copy and paste it to get there.

http://www.acsevents.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=213939&u=213939-173985516&e=1120663310

Tuesday was an amazing day. I went in to treatment believing all was going to be well, but prepared to hear that the cancer was still alive and kicking. I had started thinking about more help with kids, meals, etc... But, I really thought the PET scan would prove that cancer was out and good times were on their way. I am far from through with this whole ordeal, but the cancer is gone, dead, no longer thriving inside of me. I have not felt this lite in so long. My life has been pretty heavy lately. There is this bright light at the end of this really dark tunnel! I have to finish the chemo, which means 4 more treatments. My final treatment will be July 30. I get August off, then dive into radiation for 6-8 weeks. I honestly don't know what to say. There have been times when I have felt so disconnected to this disease and times when I felt so consumed by it I could barely breathe. Right now I am almost in denial that it is even a part of who I am. I feel so lucky. There was another woman in getting her treatment on Tuesday and I really think the chances of her making it are not so great. My joy was mixed with sorrow knowing that I will make it through this and she will most likely be taken. Cancer sucks. I think it was a wake up call for me. My life is about to start over and I don't plan on wasting a minute of it. Thank you all, for all of your support. I couldn't get better without all of your help.

Another treatment under my belt, can't say it is getting any easier. I am logical enough to know that I have to go to get better, but it is getting harder and harder to actually show up for chemo. I talked to the doc yesterday and he did suggest taking a Valium right when I wake up on Monday mornings. I guess this is about the time that most patients seem to get a little anxiety-ridden. Good to know I am not alone! Blood tests are good, what they expect apparently. I have a PET scan next Thursday the 31st in Billings. My treatment after that will be on June 5, which is another Tuesday. At that apt. I will find out the results of the scan. I believe at that time we will decide whether treatment goes on an extra 2 months or if I am done the end of July. I am bracing myself for the longer treatment, knowing how crappy I will feel by the end of it. I just want the cancer to be dead and gone. I think it is really sinking in lately that I am sick. I am trying to keep my spirits up, and it is a whole lot easier on the off weeks. The weeks I feel good I try to cram all the life in that I can. Speaking of cramming life in, Puerto Rico was really amazing. Although Summer has never been my favorite time of year, I can see living a Tropical life. I guess I have never been somewhere hot with an ocean before. It was just what we needed.

Summer is here and things are getting very busy. How will I ever have time for Dr. visits? We are off to Dubois, WY this weekend for 2 nights. It will be fun to get the kids out of town. I should start feeling better by Friday so all will be good for the weekend I am sure. Clint is doing a great job of taking care of me and the boys and the business. I know that it is really hard on him to see me having such a hard time. I feel like a manic-depressive person. I have these great weeks where my life is what I have been thinking it should be like for years, then these weeks where running to Wal-Mart to get a gallon of milk is more than enough to wear me out. It sucks, cancer just sucks. But, if any of you out there get it or get sick in any way, I swear to you that I will try to be as wonderful to you as you have been to me. I have amazing people in my life and I feel very lucky. And to those of you who made my house sparkle while we were gone, thank you. I didn't know how great it would be to come home to a clean house.

Until next time...

Yesterday was treatment #6, which should be the half-way point. Should being the key word. The Dr. told me yesterday that after the next treatment (May21) I will have another PET scan in Billings. After that, we will decide if 6 Cycles (1 cycle=2 treatments) will be enough or if we have to go for an additional 2 cycles, basically 2 more months of chemo. Obviously I am hoping for a good scan that shows very little tumor activity. I was upset at the thought of going through this for 2 more months, but I know I have to do whatever it takes to get better. I think I just need to start preparing myself for that possibility, and be grateful for modern medicine. Otherwise, my blood tests were all good again. Treatment went well, and I am completely exhausted! I think I could sleep 20 hours a day! I have loads of help with Dane and I am so thankful for all of you helping out. Physically, the weeks of treatment are draining and emotionally draining as well. But, at about day 8 I start to feel better and really I am more energetic than I have been in years. It feels so good to feel good again. By Monday morning, anxiety is hitting and I am more nauseous between 8am and treatment time than I am after the chemo. I guess just the thought of getting pumped with poison is not a great thing for me. But, I know that I want to live so I will continue this fight.

Clint and I leave for Puerto Rico on Tuesday. I am looking forward to some time relaxing and rejuvenating. Clint needs a break from his reality, too. I think these have been the hardest 10 months of my entire life. I know that life is never easy, but surely it will get a little less insane. And when that finally does happen, I will stop and take a breath and be happy in that moment.

Tuesdays prove to be just like Mondays...

Well, it is now Wednesday the 25th. It has taken me a while to be able to write this without sounding completely pathetic. I found out yesterday that the CT showed the cancer has shrunk but it is not gone. Yes, that is good news. What was the size of a grapefruit is now the size of a small orange. So, progress. If you know me at all, you know that just isn't good enough. They told me in the beginning that the big tumor could be gone within a few treatments, so obviously that is what I was hoping for. I don't want OK test results, I want great results. My blood counts indicate a bacterial infection so I am on antibiotics. I started getting a cold last week and it hit pretty hard on Sunday night. I am sure that is part of why I am extra tired this time around. I am very disappointed and I feel completely betrayed by my body. How could my body let me down like this? I absolutely hate this. I can't take care of my kids and I feel like I am a spectator of my own life. I know it is temporary but it feels like forever. So there you have it. I know I am going to get better, I am just getting tired of being tired. I want it to be over but I have quite a ways to go so I better just buck up and get with the program! I took today to be alone and it has been good for me. Hoping tomorrow will bring a little more energy my way, but I would probably over-do it and pay for it later anyway. I really am ok, I am just frustrated. The sun is calling my name, so I better go take in some rays. Tomorrow will be a better day.

#4

As seems to be my pattern, all of my blood tests came back great. I still don't really know what the numbers mean, but the ones that we want to go up are going up and the ones we want to go down are going down. Clint came this morning and I kicked his @#* at Yahtzee. I get pretty anxious by about 2 hours into treatment and I just want out of there. Today was #4 of 12, so I am 1/3 done with Chemo. Yah! I am having a CT scan on Friday to see if we are shrinking the tumors. Those results will be back for my next treatment, which is on TUESDAY, yes, TUESDAY, April 24. After that we will go back to Monday treatments. I am very excited/nervous to get those results back. I have to believe that it is working, the other option is just not an option.

Clint and I have been wanting to take a trip together and we have booked it. We are going to Puerto Rico in May for a quick sun, sand and casino getaway. Waiting is just killing me. My passport expires in June so we had to go get another stamp!

I got some really great gifts for my birthday, so thank you to all. The tulips were beautiful, steaks were delicious, music was great, and all the countless niceties are and were really great. Thank you to everyone, and someday I will be back to being in touch with you on a different level. Connie K, please send Mary my best wishes. I am thinking about her, and hoping for a speedy recovery. Jellyfish!

Hope you all had a great Easter!

Another Monday...

It is Monday night after my third treatment and I am feeling pretty beat. Treatment went well today. Some of my medications were decreased, because I am feeling pretty good. The steroid that is the anti-nausea and the Neulasta which stimulates white blood cells were both cut in half. Hoping to continue to feel good. My friends came with again, as Clint is in Reno gambling away the kids college money. Barb told me that I got cancer because I drink too much Diet Coke, obviously joking. When we got out my nose had this extreme sunburnt feeling again, which lasted about 15 minutes at the most. Did it last time, too, so I need to remember to ask about that next time. Whoever comes with me next time please remind me! I got some beautiful flowers today from Ma Keller, thank you so very much. They sure do brighten up this house. Having fun with Lisa and the kids. Ruby and Dane fight worse than siblings, it is clear that they are related even if not by blood. Jessie brought some great salads for lunch and we lounged around outside in the sun all afternoon. So far, so good. Having a bit of a hot flash so I am off to find an ice pack! Hair is still hanging in there. Jess told me tonight that my pony tail is getting smaller and smaller so I shouldn't wear it up like that anymore. He wants to pick out a scarf for me to wear. I am ready to start wearing them because the texture of my hair is so off that it is just impossible. Every day is a mediocre hair day! I have really gorgeous scarfs to start showing off! More when it seems relevant.

It is now Wednesday before my third treatment and I am feeling pretty good. The last treatment went as planned. It appeared all my blood tests came back good enough to continue treatment. My friends came with this time. After it was over I did have this very strange burning sensation in my face but it didn't last very long (15 minutes or so). We left for South Dakota right after that. By WEdnesday I was pretty tired and Thursday I was really tired. I don't seem to get nauseous, I just get a really disgusting metalic film in my mouth. By Saturday I was feeling good again, just in time for our trip to be done! Clint is going to Reno with some friends this weekend. My sister Lisa is coming from Washington with her two kids on Saturday. Should be loads of fun. I still have my hair, although it is driving me crazy! It is really thinning and I seem to find it all over the place. I think I am going to get it cut short, see if I can handle the thinning better if the strands coming out aren't so long. The itching in my legs is gone, that is a huge bonus. Otherwise, not much has changed. Take care all.

It has been 10 days since my first treatment and things are going just fine. I get tired, but that is how I have been living for so long that it seems normal to me. I have not had terrible side effects yet. To me, it feels a lot like being pregnant. Not horrible, just kind of blah. My next treatment is on Monday. As soon as it is done, the boys (all 4) and I are heading to Rapid City for Spring Break. We should be back on Saturday the 17th. Probably no updates until after that, so for all of you curious ones out there, you will have to wait. I am feeling strong, still very confident. I have tons of support and I am grateful for you all.

Well, today was the first of 12 Chemo treatments. It was pretty uneventful, and quite boring! We (Clint came to this one) were a little late being seen, which was no big deal. Treatment itself took from 11-2, which should shorten to about 2 1/2 hours for the remaining treatment. They gave 4 different Chemo drugs, along with anit-nausea and anti-clotting medicine. I have numbing cream so I don't feel the needle going in to the port. It is all very surreal right now, kind of just floating in la-la land. I had been dreading and looking forward to today. It was actually very anticlimactic, which I guess is good. So, hair loss is approaching, just kind of want to get that over with. I feel pretty disconnected to the cancer right now, like it is happening to someone else. Anyway, I think I handled it just fine. If I am going to get sick it will probably be in a few days. I am pretty tired, but that is so normal for me that I just am not sure if it is the treatment or the disease. They did end up giving me a drug to help keep my white cell count up. It is called Neulasta or something like that. I was pretty sick with a cold/sinus infection last week and they decided to just help me out a bit and try to keep me as healthy as possible. It is apparently like $5,000 or something insane like that. Thank God for Navy insurance! That is all for tonight. Don't worry about me, I am just fine.

Today went as well as we hoped. All the test results are in, and they all say "nodular sclerosing Hodgkins Lymphoma". My bone marrow biopsy showed that the cancer has not gone into my bone marrow. The PET showed that the cancer was nowhere but where we thought it was. I start taking the blood thinner tomorrow, cuomadin. I guess I need it because when the port was placed, the vein that the catheter was threaded through was really squashed. It is so small that with the catheter in, it is really tight. If any clotting were to happen it would be very bad. He showed Clint the scans. A few weeks ago someone told me that they heard through the Cody grapevine that I had a mass the size of a baseball. I said that it was not true, and laughed about it. It appears someone knew more than I because he said today that the nodes in my chest have gotten so enlarged that they all have grown together to form a mass the size of at least a grapefruit. How does a person not know that is there??? It is kind of funny but for the past few years, every time I would ride with the biker chicks I think "I am not that out of shape, why can't I keep up?". Dr. Anderson said today that he was surprised I hadn't been in to see a doc earlier complaining of decreased cardiovascular strength. Instead I just beat myself up for being a wimp!!!! Now I know... The only change that was made today is that Chemo will begin on Feb. 26, and will now go for 6 months as opposed to 4. New studies are saying it is just better to go longer. It works pretty well for me, as I will not be tied to radiation 5 days a week all summer. I should finish up chemo sometime early August, then begin radiation after the kids go back to school in the Fall. OK, enough for now. Thanks for all your support up to this point, and for the continued support to come.

PET

Rob got here, but barely! WE have had 4 days of fog so planes are not landing. He ended up flying in to Billings on Wednesday night. The PET scan was Thursday. Kind of a strange experience but not bad. For those of you who don't know what it is I will try to explain. You go in after not eating since midnight. My scan was scheduled at 11. The airplane carrying the "radioactive isotope" that they inject into me, was having a tought time with the weather. I actually went in for the test at 1:00, starting to get pissed off at even the smell of the candy that my brother was eating. They give you a Zanax to relax you. Then, they inject you with this isotope, that is in a sugar solution. THey let the solution be absorbed and metabolized by the cancer for about 45 minutes, then they scan you for about 30-40 minutes. Not painful in any way, but very wierd. I guess they can tell exactly where the cancer is and how active it is by this test. I see the Oncologist on Tuesday to set up a treatment plan so I will keep you posted. It is foggy again today so Rob may be stuck...

hi all,
just a quick update today. Yesterday I had the bone marrow biopsy done here in Cody. Kind of a gross thing, but not so horrible in the grand scheme! I am sore today, but not too bad. My brother Rob comes tomorrow night. He is taking me to Billings on Thursday for the PET scan. He will be here until Sunday morning. I am flying out to Vegas next Friday the 16 to get away for a weekend. Feeling pretty strong, ready to take this thing on. Thanks to all for the beautiful flowers and other goodies that have been sent. Sure does bring out the good in people...

*Liz's second email sent January 30, 2007.

Hi All,
Just wanted to give my weekly health update. First let me say thank you to all of you. I have been so amazed at the support I have already received. You are all so wonderful and I am extremely grateful to have you in my life.

Today I had the port or internal catheder put in my upper right chest. It will make getting the chemo into me much less painful. I was scheduled for surgery at 10:30 this morning and actually got into surgery about 12:30, which is about an hour less waiting time than last week so that was good. I had great company, and I got 4 of the cookies that were baked for me. Clint apparently decided he needed the first few dozen! The surgery went fine. It took about 1 1/2 hours, a little longer than expected. I was sedated and given just local anesthesia. They had a hard time finding a good place to put the port because the lymph nodes in my neck are so swollen they make things pretty tight in there! But, after a quick stay in recovery, I am home and on some pain killers. My shoulder hurts for some reason and the place they operated is pretty uncomfortable, but I get to live so I am happy. All in all, pretty uneventful. Clint had learned how to start an IV for his Navy stuff some time back and was trying to get the nurse to let him do the IV. So happy to have him home! I was boiling in the OR and had a mask on and they couldn't understand me when I was telling them I was too hot. Finally I got a little irritated and nurse Denise figured out what I was saying. I guess that is about it. Next week I will have the bone marrow biopsy on Monday, which I hear is quite painful so I am asking for lots of drugs. My brother Rob comes in on Wednesday, so that will help.

Clint leaves this Wednesday for Washington state to do his demobilization crap. He should be home Friday night. Mom leaves Saturday morning. I can not believe she has been here 3 weeks already. My days are blurring! This Wednesday marks 4 weeks since the lump was discovered. What a crazy time! Sometimes I wish I could remember more of it, other times I am so glad that it is all a haze!

I will keep you all posted. As always, pass this to anyone I have not included. Take care ll, and know how grateful I am for your support.

*this was Liz's first email to friends and family regarding her illness - sent January 18, 2007.

Hi Everyone,
I know this may be a crazy way to communicate right now, but I am feeling overwhelmed with information and the communication of that info! I went to the oncologist today adn had a big meeting. I really loved the doc, he seemed so knowledgeable and very capable. He showed me the CT's that were taken yesterday and it was amazing. My lymph nodes from neck to abdomen were very enlarged. They were growing around my arteries and obviously restricting blood flow. The cancer has not gone down further than my abdomen, which seems to be a good sign. He is fairly confident that it is Hodgkins Lymphoma, but we won't know for sure until after the next biopsy, which will be done on Monday, January 22, by Dr. Johnson. The following Monday we are hoping to get a bone marrow biopsy, also at the hospital here in Cody. That Friday we are HOPING (pending insurance approval) to have a PET scan to see how active the growths are. That will be done in Billings. I meet with Dr. Anderson again on the 12th to set up a treatment schedule. He thinks it will be about 4 months of chemo, one 1x every 2 weeks, so 8 treatments. Then take 3-4 weeks off and begin radiation. That will be 5 days/week for 6-8 weeks.

Okay, so you have what I have. Not that I don't want to talk to you all, but this seems easier. I love you all, thanks for your support, and feel free to pass this to anyone that should be in the loop.