Meet the Redwoods

Visit the Redwoods of Calavaras County and you will notice one thing...they are big. I mean really big. Drop your jaw, stand in amazement, almost too large to believe kinda big. Stand at the base of these trees and look up. They go on forever. And your neck will hurt.

When you visit these giants of nature you will also surely notice how close they grow together. They have to. Their root systems are so shallow they need each other to withstand the elements. They use the protection of their nearby friends to guard against the chaos around them. Liz knows how they feel.

The chaos around her is evident. Harrowing diagnosis, numerous doctor appointments, chemotherapy, more medication than she has ever taken in her life, and a familiarity with Kaiser Permanente that is second only to those whose paycheck depends on that place. But she's withstanding it. She's withstanding it because of all those fellow Redwoods surrounding her. And she feels rather blessed because of all of you.

Round two of Chemotherapy started this week. She feels really great. Her bronchitis is nearly a memory and her uncertainty of round one has been replaced by a comforting knowledge of what she can expect. Her good friend, Theresa Jacobson, has come to visit and is playing Chemo-Buddy, (and Cooking-Buddy and Movie-Buddy and Shopping-Buddy) for these two weeks of poison. She has had no nausea and has not yet lost any more hair (though her doctors say that is more likely after round III). She's found a good regimen of meds that stave off other typical side-effects and she has more energy than even she expected.

She's strong. I mean really strong. Drop your jaw, stand in amazement, almost more than you can believe kinda strong. But we knew that. She's got a little bit of Redwoods in her.

Liz and one of her Redwoods in front of some others, February 2010.

Chemo-cation

A Little Get Away. . .

Liz gets a little break from Chemotherapy this week (a "Chemo-cation" if you will)...and finally a little break from the daughters! Phew! Erin is now back in Utah and Paige officially departs California for wetter days to the North on Tuesday. The sunshine state will surely feel the void left by the sisters, but Liz is bound to get a tad more rest. Good luck to those boys left behind!

She is feeling good though her cold turned into Bronchitis this week which has plagued her with a constant cough and more restless sleep. She finally got herself some good meds today which will hopefully cease this nagging chest congestion. The chemo has not gotten the best of her though. If she can continue to get healthy, those poisons' got nothin' on her!

Chemo starts again next Tuesday and one of Liz's best friends, Theresa, is coming to man the ship for a couple of weeks and help Liz out. She is sure looking forward to some good girl-talk (and girl-food, and girl-shopping, and girl-food...wait, did I already say that?).

Liz loves to hear from you through your comments and email! Keep 'em comin'!

Here's hoping she soon finds a little "Cancer-cation."

Girls. . .

Closely Knit

Paige may just quit her day job and open a Beenie Boutique. She'll call it Kancer Knits (or something equally obnoxious) and hock the little caps she makes while sitting with Liz at chemo. It will be one of those places you walk into and say something nice to the shop proprietor like, "My, you have lovely things..." though in your head you are thinking, "Why would anyone buy this?"

Or maybe Paige should stick to the law (especially since Liz had to undo a good portion of the crafting Paige did do).

But what else do you do while sitting for four hours as the sweet nurses pump you full of chemicals except alter your knit-challenged daughter's handy work?

Day two/week two of chemo is over! {Insert Audible Cheering Here}. Liz is glad to have this first round behind her. She is feeling remarkably good, though she is a tad tired and is still fending off a nasty cold (which probably has more to do with the fatigue than the chemo does). Minimal side effects have plagued her thus far for which she is extremely grateful (as are her children who have barely had to exercise any care-taking muscles...phew!). The chemo itself is a rather painless process as the nurses use Liz's port to administer the drugs (which means minimal poking) all while offering her graham crackers and cranberry juice. It's a little like being at a really bad restaurant...one where you would walk out thinking, "Why would anyone go in there?"

She now gets a week off before heading back for more poison on February 23rd. She hopes that she continues to keep feeling good, keep the side-effects minimal, and keep her knitting hands nimble.

We are all so grateful for the generosity of friends and family who have rallied around her with good wishes, worthy prayers, acts of service (both to Liz and to others on her behalf), and yummy treats! You have no idea how your kindness has lifted us all. There are blessings in being closely knit. . .

Liz Passes the Time at Chemo

Wanna Buy a Hat??

My Thoughts Exactly. . .

Liz went into UCSF yesterday for her "second opinion" to make sure all this chemotherapy is the right thing to do. Turns out, it is. She has been very comforted by the news that the treatment she is receiving is exactly what she should be getting, in exactly the doses that should be administered, on exactly the schedule necessary to be successful. Phew.

Better yet. . .this doctor demanded that she NOT think of herself as someone with terminal cancer. If this works, if she can tolerate it, if she can contain this invader, she has years left for us all to drive her crazy. Exactly what we needed to hear.

Tomorrow is round two of chemo. Liz is a tad tired, and fighting a cold, but all in all is doing really well. She knows exactly what she needs to do and is ready to do it!

Carter Loves Grammy Liz
Not To Be Outdone, Aidan Loves Her Too.

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow

Meet Maxine.

Single White Cougar Seeking Prey. Loves romance novels, a stiff drink, and singing "Endless Love" at her favorite Karaoke Bar. Willing to relocate permanently for love or temporarily for a good time.

. . .or maybe that is just Erin in Liz's new wig.

Cheers from Maxine!

Liz began Chemo this week which meant us girls began testing out our new looks. And the initial reviews are fantastic!

Perhaps you have not met the newest addition to our family....Butch. She's nice, but with that awesome mullet, we're not quite sure what Johnny sees in her...

Becky sports some luxurious locks.

If you know Paige at all, you know she is a firm believer in the mantra, "The Higher The Hair, The Closer to God." Her new look is no deviation from that flawless premise...as evidenced here:

Paige test-drives fancy follicles

Liz has been feeling really good following her first treatment. She has religiously taken her anti-nausea meds and it seems to be working. While she does not need the wigs yet, she has noticed some thinning of her hair already but such loss is also a side-effect of anesthesia (to which she has been no stranger lately). She may be a bit more tired than usual and she reports moments of "Chemo-fog," a phenomenon that sometimes leaves therapy patients with a bit of absent-mindedness. But at least now Liz has a good excuse. I can't remember what I just ate for dinner...and heaven knows I've got no major medical procedure to blame for that!

Tomorrow she goes to visit another oncologist at UCSF to ensure she is on the right track with all these chemicals. Erin, Paige, and Becky will probably leave the wigs at home for that trip.

Maybe we'll just sport our ADORABLE new head wraps. . .

Liz loves your good thoughts and your blog comments (though keep any derogatory ones about our sweet new style to yourself). It's amazing how loved and supported we all feel. This is a journey she can take without her hair, but not without you.

C-Day

Paige's Husband, Ed, Goes Bald in the Name of Mother-in-Law Solidarity

So many "C" words to keep track of these days.

Cancer.

Chemotherapy.

Crappy.

And it all had new meaning as Liz began her treatment today. By mid-morning she was hooked up to tubes and being legally poisoned. Five hours and several games of Nertz later, she was on her way home. Really no worse for wear. Erin kept her in good company and good spirits and took the opportunity to knit a beanie cap while texting the bigger sister with pertinent (and not-so-pertinent updates). It would be comical if it all didn't feel so catastrophic.

It's good to have this day behind us. Too much anxiety. Too much unknown. Too much craziness.

Now we hope she tolerates this well. We pray for minimal side-effects. We look forward to killing this nasty little invader.

Another "C" word for ya. . .

CONQUER.

{Wanna be on the blog? Scrawl a message to Liz and take a photo of yourself with it. Send it our way: lizsgirls@gmail.com and we will post it here.}