I am getting better

Hey all!





I have been having trouble getting into my blog sorry!

March 6th was colon cancer awareness day. The color is blue...not what I would have picked. The hospital near our home hosted an inflatable 20 foot colon. You could walk through it OOHHHHH. It showed all stages of cancer......like I really wanted to get up close and personal with that. A friend at the college where I work wants to rent it next year. I may help her get sponsors and run the day.

Anyway- I am 6 weeks out of chemo. Doing OK....excpet I can't feel my hands or feet. Opening jars with my teeth.....they think since I do have some feeling it may not be permanent.
I had a colonsocopy early April. They checked the work they had done last May-everything looks great! I got the port taken out 2 weeks later. Yeah! A cancer marker blood test will be
done every 3 months and I will have a CT in May. I am clean for now. Someone said that looking into chemo is truly a hard road....but looking back would be a blip. It is true- all those awful, naseous moments and the hard visit to the hospital in August. Just memories.
I was thinking about it last week and if I had to do it again I would. Right now I am concentrating on not falling on my ass when I am teaching. My strength and balance are in the toilet. I tried a push up the other day.....I got stuck in the push. Almost had to have my students crank me up.

I spend most days just like Jim...looking for work. One of us has to have full time work and bene's. We will find it! Chris made the Baseball team at Barlow and Laura is playing ASA again.
I look forward to a wonderful spring. Thanks to everyone who has kept me in there thoughts and prayers. it worked.

More later-

Liz



As for me- I am 6 weeks out of chemo 13th. My hair is softer and thicker.....can't feel my hands or feet though.

TOnward Ho!!!!

Hi-

It has been a while since I last wrote....I couldn't keep my eyes open!!!! Then I found out that the last and extra treatment had left me anemic!!!!! I have also discovered that after six months of doing almost nothing.....your body doesn't just snap back. I bent over in a ballet class the other day and got stuck. My push up's now have more push than up!!!!!!! Anyway-my surgeon says he never met anyone who got every side effect. Now I am am one for the medical
journals. This week they do a colonoscopy. They want to check the work they did last may and see if anything new has entered the mix. I pray I get the all clear. Then next week- I get the port out of my chest. Looking back it seems so long ago that I became ill. I admit it is the worst thing other than my Mother passing. I am glad she wasn't here- she would worry and tell me to buck up. My older sister Marg has kept in good touch. And then there is Jim. He has had it harder than anyone. I can't imagine what it is like to have a sick wife and 2 younger children.
He has handled it all. He was laid off after 22 years and is currently looking for a job. This certainly adds stress-but as a family we will get through it.
I continue to see my oncologist forever. 6 weeks then every 3 months. They do a cancer marker test looking for anything new in the bloodstream. With work and the grade school PTC- I am busy and so no to almost all else. I am looking forward to eating some of my old favorites, when my appetite comes back. The only good thing is that I fit into all my clothes again.

More later after my tests- thanks for all the continued good wishes and prayers.

liz

Almost done

I know, I know....I have been remiss! I keep forgetting to share whats going on. I have finished the regular treatment and start teaching again on Mon. the 5th. On the 9th I go for a quick treatment to fill in th blanks for the one they skipped when my platelets were low.
It will take weeks after I am done for the fatigue and other side affecgts to subside. I most look forward to sleeping less and eating salads and fruit. We had a full house of relatives during the holidays.......and all that snow!!!!! I did almost no baking because friends and neighbors dropped off plenty of goodies. The kids got a Wii from Santa so we had plenty of fun with that.

More later!

Liz

Almost Done

Hi-

Sorry have really been bad about the blog.   No excuses.  I am so happy that Christmas Eve will 

be number 12.  Last time I leave with the pump.  I may sleep through the Holiday-not worrying about that.  Then in Jan. I will return for one more treatment in the clinic-then done until tests in the spring.  I am ready to teach again and hope I fell well enough to return to the PTC.  At this point I am almost a recluse!  Jim's brother Dave is in town from Florida for the holidays.

He is a funny guy who really loves the kids.  Now they have another male Rizzo to tackle.

My older brother may be driving up for a few days from California.

The last 6 months feel surreal at this point.....like it happened to someone else.  My prognosis

is very good. I am eager to take my life back.  I know my family is looking forward to me being involved again.

More after I hook up next week.

Liz   

   

#10 just a memory

Can you believe that I am getting complaints that I don't post often enough? I promise to try harder!!!!! I want to post inspiring, uplifting prose and sometimes I just don't feel like it.

So now I am closing in on the known factor to this current situation. I know I have 2 more
regular treatments and then one shorter one to make up for lowering doses recently.
After that it is regular testing, MRI's and of course my all time favorite the colonocsopy.
I read in the Oregonian today that colon cancer survival rates are up due to early detection.
I am so glad the message is getting out. Now if only everyone was insured and could get screened, that would be great. Anyway- the port will have to be removed at some point.
If I didn't tell you, they inserted a porti n my left chest under the breastbone. It eleminates the
constant IV. Most of the time I don't know it is there. It is the size of a quarter and is under the skin. Sometime when my hand grazes it I feel like the bionic women.

I am scheduled to teach winter term. So great to get back go some kind of normal.
(As if I was ever truly nomal.) I miss my students. I am also excited about volunteering
again at Laura's school. Before I know it I'll be yelling at Chris's ball games. I know I keep keep learning from this whole experience. As a control freak and someone who schedules everything- I have learned patience and how to just let it go.
I have no choice. When something like this happens you have to turn it over to the Dr.s and your family and friends. I am amazed that I do sleep at night and don't worry so much about the future. There is nothing I can do except take care of myself and love my family.

3 co-workers and friends from MHCC dropped by last week. So great to catch up and feel
apart of something. They brought flowers and cookies. I loved it.

More good stuff to come.

Liz

Engine, engine number 9

Wasn't that a song in our youth or a jump rope chant? Anyway- 3 days out of number 9-3 1/2
to go. Platlet count did go up but not enough for a full dose. Red hands and feet and very drippy nose and eyes.....I look like a drunken sailor as I try to pick out food at Winco with this stuff running down my face. I can't see crap so I am pretty sure I got some funky gravy mix for our T Giving turkey. Very tired this go around. Looking forward to the holidays. And the end of treatment. I must admit that I am afraid of the unknown. When I am done what will the future tests show? How will I navigate any more bad news. You try not to let these things enter you train of thought, but they do. Other than my Mother passing this is the most challenging thing that has ever happened to me. I have nothing in my life to refer to and can only press forward. I
am inspired by people who have struggled for years and young people who spend most fof their day in a hospital. I realize that I have it good. I am free to love my family and take my treatment at home with only slight inconvenience. I am being maudlin again. Sorry. I keep
thinkikng what is the life lesson I am getting from this? I may only find out as time passes
and I can put this journey in perspective. I am grateful for my family, friends, Dr.s (even clog wearing ones...) I here for Thanksgiving and that is all that matter.

Hope everyone has a good one.


Liz

Plugging along number 8

Am in the middle of number 8 now. I am 48hours out of dosing. My platelet count is low, so they adjust that portion of the chemo...(skipped it) and raised the other parts. So side affectsd i havent' had for a month are returning and now I get the pleasure of one last dose in Jan. No pump...just the nasty chemical I don't like. If I don't like it then my cancer won't like it either!!
I geuss I am a little bummed that it is taking so long and then the tests start again. I am resigning myself to a life with cancer for a long time. The key word is life.

Most of the staff at the oncology clinic dressed up for Halloween. I think they all should have been vampires. They have sucked lots of blood out of me. They are a fun competant crew.
So kind and caring. Plus the snacks they have around are not bad.

Thanks to Martha who took me on an adventure to Jamba Juice!!!!! You know I don't get out much when juice is exciting. I am also overwhelmed by cards and e-mails and meals we get.
I figure everyone will just forget about it and you don't/ haven't/won't!!!!!!!

Thanksgiving will breeze by and then Christmas. Jim's brother will be here! Also helpful
and full of laughs.

So off I go for #9 in about a week and 1/2. Wasn't ' that a dirty movie?????

Liz