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.