Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Oh What a Year Makes!

Christmas 2009

Christmas 2010

Wow,  what a difference one year can make.   Liz is doing very well and we are so thankful and blessed.  


We are down to a mere 49 days left in Elizabeth's treatment.  No more chemo's (God willing) after that!  It is hard to imagine what life will be like without the daily and monthly doses of chemo but we are so excited to give it a try.  I have to admit though, the thought of just stopping her chemo and the fight against the cancer is frightening.  


Just Believe!
Update on Joel.  If you don't know Joel,  he is Elizabeth's friend and classmate at Mason. He is finishing up his last round of ARAstinkinC this week at Children's.  The doctor's will then begin preparing him for his bone morrow transplant which will be around the 1st of Feb.  Please keep Joel and his family in your prayers. It will be a tough road for a few months but nothing these kids are not use to.


Please continue to pray for the complete healing of Elizabeth and these children that suffer so much from cancer.  They are the most inspirational individuals that you         will meet.


Prayers and blessings for the New Year.


Christine

Thursday, November 18, 2010

HOME!!!!!!! :))

Liz became sick with a common cold about seven days ago.  On Tuesday night the dreaded fever broke out and we were instructed to "bring Liz to the ED."  She was not happy about that;  Fevers really scare here.  They put her on an antibiotic soon after we arrived because she had a bad cough and crackle in her lungs.  The xray showed she was clear but they continued to treat her for possible viral pneumonia while waiting for her blood cultures to come back.  They were negative so we were allowed to take her home Thursday, late afternoon.
Lizzy's ANC (immune system) is falling rapidly.  She is now at 560.  500 is the no one can visit without the flu shot, free of any type of sniffle or cold, and she cannot go anywhere without a mask.
We have a lot of plans for this Thanksgiving but things are going minute by minute at this point.  Please pray that she/we get to do all we want to do as a family.
Lizzy has her next big chemo date Tuesday, November 23.  Please pray that she will be well enough to go ahead with these procedures  and she will still get to spend her holidays with family.
Blessings to everyone and have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving.
Christine

Monday, November 8, 2010

Gap Give & Get Supporting LLS

If you shop at the Gap, go to this link and print off the coupon. You receive 30% off and Gap gives to LLS for research for blood cancers!
Thanks!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Tackling Leukemia @ Sycamore High School


Sycamore High School will host Tackling Leukemia this Friday, 10-29-10, against the Mason Comets
in honor of Joel Brown, Liz Lothrop, and Leah Jordan.  Come out and enjoy a great game for a great cause.  All proceeds will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Shirts will be on sale for $12 at the game.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Down, Angry, and Scared ... but NOT out!



Joel visiting Liz two weeks ago when she was having a bad reaction to the chemo.  Both of them were on steroids .....  just guess how many bags of popcorn they ate?!?

We have just gotten horrible news.  Joel Brown, Lizzy's good friend and classmate, has relapsed.  We are in disbelief.  We have seen this "relapse" happen time and time again on the Oncology floor but never believed that it would happen to Joel or Liz.

Joel will go in this Friday for a bone morrow biopsy and be admitted for the Induction Phase.  This phase is to get Joel back into remission, it is a 29 day cycle.  Joel will take the same treatment route that Lizzy took.  He will go through Induction of 29 days, Consolidation of 58 days plus delays, Interim I of 58 days plus delays, Delayed 1 of 58 days plus delays, Interim 2 of 58 days plus delays, and Delayed 2 of 58 days plus delays.  Yes, you got it ... without delays it is another unfathomable 319 days of very intense chemo.  I'm sorry, but I am really having a hard time understanding why a child or any one for that matter has to endure this cancer trip once let alone twice. If anyone has the answer to that one, please help me out here.

Please keep Joel and his family in your prayers and wear Orange this Thursday for Joel.  It will be his last day of school for possible the rest of this school year.  He will need a lot of support, prayers, and love from his friends.

Prayers and blessings for the Brown's

Monday, October 25, 2010

Two Year Anniversary

Wow!  Today marks Elizabeth's two year anniversary from diagnoses, what a road we have traveled.
We could never have made it this far in the "cancer" journey without all of the prayers and support we have received from our family, friends, and even strangers. 
Our lives have taken on a "sea change" several different times during the course of two years. These transformations or marked events have been ones of sadness and joy.  We have lost ones that we came to know and love.  We have seen their struggles and they have seen our struggles.  We have seen into some of the darkest times of each families life.  But, with that being said we have grown in ways that are ineffable/indescribable.  We have been tested as a family, in our faith, and in our marriage.  It has not been an easy road and one that we certainly would have never chosen on our own to participate in. But it has been one that we would never exchange because of those experiences our individual growth and the growth our family has experienced.  
We have become closer and have realized what is important in life.  What use to stress me out now is not even a minor speed bump in the road anymore.  Life is much fuller and a lot less petty.  I wish everyone could have the liberating mind set that I have from things in life that just do not matter in the big picture.  My hope, wish, and prayer is that our family never forgets these lesson as time goes on.  To go through such a life changing ordeal and lose the valubale lessons that you gained would be a terrible loss.

After tomorrow, we are down to only four hard chemo treatments and of course her daily chemo.  When we received her protocol or treatment plan for the previous 2.5 years, I  never thought we would see the light at the end of that very long tunnel.  We are so close now that not only can we see it . . .  we can smell it. February can not come soon enough.  I never thought that I would wish time to go by quickly, after all it is a wonderful gift from God, but I am so ready for her and for all of us.  Please keep her in your prays and pray for minimal side effects from the Vincristine.  Last month was a real terror for her and the pain was just incredible.  The side effects of this chemo will hit seven days from tomorrow. Please remember her on that day and bring back "Orange Tuesday".  When you where this color on Tuesday you will be remembering her and all the ones that struggle with Leukemia.

This Friday is the Mason-vs-Sycamore Game at Sycamore.  The cause is "Tackle Leukemia" and the proceeds will go to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society.  The honored heros of the event are: Liz, Joel, and Leah!  Joel came in to meet Elizabeth when she was diagnosed and Liz went in to meet Leah when she was diagnose.  "Pay it Forward" as they say.  These three have a bond that others cannot understand and it is a beautiful thing to see.

Shirts are being sold through Sycamore High School.  They only ordered 400.  The Shirts are long sleeved and $12 each.   

Blessings and prayers,
Christine



Saturday, October 16, 2010

Looking for Good Help!

Everyone is just splendid in the Lothrop household  Liz continues to be healed by God, through your prayers, and the wonderful doctors that God has so graciously put before us.

Jim is adjusting nicely to college life.  I never hear from him so I guess that is a good thing.  Randy keeps reminding me to open up my fingers and let go, not an easy task for a mother.  Jimmy has had his first round of mid-term exams.  He said it is a bit different than high school.  I do believe that I have said those exact words to him at some point in time but like most kids, he did not adhere to them. He wishes he would have now.  Live and learn, right?!?  He is doing well with his Eosinophilic disease too.  As long as he continues to stay on the steroids he seems to be doing well.

Here is where the title of this entry comes into play.  A few wonderful women and myself are looking for good strong men and women to help us put together a 5k walk/run race for  August 2011.  The money raised will go toward the Light the Night walk in Sept. and hopefully a few other avenues.  If you would be willing to help us in this endeavor please let me know.  I will be having a meeting at my house to brain storm and divide up into committees.  We are thinking of having it like a little festival with food, games, the run/walk, corn hole tournament, etc.etc.etc., so if you are interested in joining this fabulous team for a wonderful cause please let me know asap and come with some ideas!

Please continue to pray for:
Liz, that she keeps responding well to her treatment and she stays in remission.
Joel Brown, that he stays in remission and the immature cells in his spine are nothing.
Jim, for his Eosinophilic disease, that the steroids continue to help his condition.
That our faith in the Lord will always remain strong and continue to grow stronger.

May you feel the love of God as we have over the past 24 months; it is ineffable in all the ways that we have felt God's love, peace, strength, hope, and presents.

Blessings,
Christine

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Thank You!

Thank you to everyone that came out and walked Thursday with Team Blazin With <3 love.  It was a wonderful time and a big success for everyone.  We have almost reached our goal of $15k.  If you have not donated and would like to, you can go to our page and still donate.

Liz continues to get better each day. Her mental strength and awareness on the court is coming back  and also giving her confidence.  God has given her an uncanny strength and I am so thankful to him for everything good and bad in our lives.  He is there in our joy to celebrate and there in our sorrow to carry us.  God is something to be in awe about!

Elizabeth's body seems to be handling her dosage increase of her daily chemo, but only  blood work will show what is going on inside her.  She has blood work on Monday to see if  her body is handling the increase and if she is ready for her next big treatment on  Tuesday, September 28 at 2:00, with Vincristine, otherwise known as "Mean Christine". The side effects have a delayed onset of 7-10 days.  She usually goes down pretty hard for about 24 to 48 hours with joint pain, eye sensitivity, bone pain, nerve pain, nausea, headache ...... it is just not pretty.  Please pray for side effects to be minimal and with a miracle, none at all.

Jimmy is doing well from his surgery last Monday.  His esophagus is looking better and the visit with Dr. Putnum went well.  He said that the top of the esophagus looks great and that the congenial web that they stretched the first time has not grown back nor has the strictures (scaring from the disease) come back. The middle looks good, some small strictures are still visible but pliable.  The bottom still has a lot of the Eosinophilic disease.  Dr. Putnum believes that because he is tall, the inhaler contents that he swallows is not reaching to the bottom part of the esophagus.  We are waiting for the biopsy results to be read and then we will go from there.  The two thoughts are: 1) Jim will continue as is and be re-scoped in December to see if any difference has been made to the lower part of his esophagus, 2) adding a daily liquid steroid to his regime for the rest of his life and be re-scoped in December.  If the liquid steroid is add and it does not work then we will have to start looking into his diet and taking food groups away.  Please pray that the inhaler works completely on his disease and he will not have to add a different drug to his system nor take away food.  FYI  Jimmy, as of today, is a full fledged college student ....Go Bearcats!  He is loving it and his big sis, Catherine, is taking good care of him,  showing him where all of his classes are and around the campus in general.  I just love my kids!

Please continue to pray for the families, children, and staff on A5.

Blessings and prayers to all of you.

Christine

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

lizzy2010

Enjoy a video that was made for Randy to share in Romania with two churches and at a college youth rally. It shows a bit of Elizabeth life and journey over the past several years. She has come a long way, through some really tough and dark times. We pray she is on the other side even though she still has a life struggle ahead of her.
Please come out and join us Thursday for a walk to celebrate, honor, and remember all survivors and victims of cancer. Lizzy always tells me that cancer is a word, not a sentence.
If you can't make it on Thursday, come out for the last fling in Glendale for LaLaPalooza. It is a fundraiser with the proceeds going to Team Blazin with Love. Liz and Joel will be MCing this event, it begins at 5 p.m. in downtown Glendale.
Blessings to all of you ~ Christine

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Fun times!!!

 Elizabeth's first day of her Sophomore school year, YEA!!!!!  No more wigs to school.
 Her birthday hat at Mongolian Grill....SWEET SIXTEEN!!!
 Elizabeth back on the court.....she made it over and the opponent missed the block.  Score a point for Liz!!  Her back is to us and she is wearing the two white knee supports.
Her special shoes from Catherine and James.  They designed them and had "We Believe" inscribed on them.

life is good and the Lothrop's are a very blessed family.  Two years ago we were unsure of her next breath but the Lord is good and we owe him it all!

God's blessing to all of you. In our prayers ~ Christine, Randy, Catherine, James, and Elizabeth Grace :)

Sunday, August 22, 2010

update :)



I see it has been awhile since the blog has been updated.  We were informed by Ashley Schaefer, founder of Layups for Leukemia, that we needed to do so :)

Elizabeth is doing fantastic.  You would never know that she is going through treatment for Leukemia, but trust me, she is.  Her hair is now about an inch long with beautiful curls just like she had.  However her hair is much darker than before.  No biggie, at least she has hair, she said.

Elizabeth tried out for the Mason Volleyball team and made JV.  She is extremely pleased to be a part of the team and is looking forward to working her way back into full time play and hopefully varsity next year.

Tomorrow is Mason's first day back to school and we are thankful that she is able to start school and stay in for the entire year.  Liz will miss every 29 days due to Vincristine chemo and Interthecal Methotrexate chemo (chemo in her spine).  These two chemo's are given at Children's.  Liz will receive both chemo's Tues. Aug. 31.  This will be her first missed day of the year.  She will remain in treatment until Feb. 17, 2011.
  
We are in the countdown phase for her every 29 day stuff.  She has seven more times for the Vincristine.  Here is a reminder of the side effects for this chemo: constipation; hair loss, nausea, vomiting, severe allergic reactions (rash, hives, difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest, swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue), cough or sore throat, fever or chills, hearing changes or loss of hearing, mouth sores, muscle weakness, numbness or tingling of your fingers or toes, pain in the bones, muscles, or jaw pain,   seizures, stomach pain, trouble urinating, unusual bruising or bleeding, vision changes or loss of vision.


Interthecal Methotrexate is given every 90 days in her spine.  She is put to sleep for this procedure and only has three more times for this nasty procedure and chemo.  Pharmacology 101 for Interthecal Methotrexate: dizziness, drowsiness, headache, swollen tender gums, decreased appetite, reddened eyes, hair loss, blurred vision or sudden loss of vision, seizures, confusion,weakness or difficulty moving one or both sides of the body, loss of consciousness.

Elizabeth takes Mecaptuprine pills daily and Methotrexate pills every seven days.  Side effects of the Mercaptopurine are:  diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, stomach/abdominal pain, weakness, skin rash, darkening of the skin, or hair loss, mouth sores,fever, sore throat, easy bruising or bleeding, pinpoint red spots on the skin, yellowing of eyes or skin, dark urine, painful or difficult urination.  Mercaptopurine causes myelosuppression, suppressing the production of white blood cells and red blood cells. It may be toxic to bone marrow. 
 
Side effects from the Methotrexate pill are:   anemia, neutropenia, increased risk of bruising, hair loss, nausea and vomiting, dermatitis and diarrhea. A small percentage of patients develop hepatitis, and there is an increased risk of pulmonary fibrosis where dry cough can be an important sign.The higher doses of methotrexate often used in cancer chemotherapy can cause toxic effects to the rapidly-dividing cells of bone marrow and gastrointestinal mucosa. The resulting myelosuppression and mucositis are often prevented (termed Leucovorin "rescue"- as this is the folic acid based drug used).


Last but not least is her Pantinidime treatment.  This is a breathing treatment that prevents against bacterial pneomonia.  Side effects, of course there are side effects,  did you think there would not be??? Her they are: stomach upset, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, cough or a change in taste, tightness in the chest, breathing difficulties, skin rash

As you can read from above, she still is in a battle and the side effects of the chemo's she is still taking are horrendous but with less amounts in her body, she is better able to manage the drug.  Please pray for the side effects that can happen.  last time she received the Vincristine the side effects were ugly.  Some months are worse than others.
  
We continue to fight this battle and win.  We have lost some very wonderful children and friends afflicted with blood cancers.  We are still fighting and we will continue to fight to find a cure and possibly an easier protocol or treatment plan for those afflicted with blood cancers. 


If you have not signed up to walk or donate to Team Blazin With Love for the Light The Night event, please consider doing so and be a hero to some.  Please go to: http//pages.lightthenight.org/soh/ButlerCo10/LChristine


All proceeds go to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society for research to find a complete cure, the last 10 to 15%.


We have come a long way since Oct. 25, 2008.  730 days to be exact and are now down to 179!!!!!!!!  I know to some that seems like a long way away but let me tell you, that is just a mere blink of an eye.  We have been so blessed during those 730 days; in ways we can not explain or that one would even understand unless they too have to travel this road.  


Please continue to pray for Elizabeth's well being, 
that she stays in remission,
for minimal to no side effects from her medications, chemos, and anything else we may have to give her,
for her doctors, nurses, and caregivers,
for Critter, Bobby, and Ridgeway.


Please keep Jimmy in your prayers.  He will undergo surgery to have his esophagus stretched on Sept. 13.  Jimmy was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis three months ago.  He continues to do well on the Flovent steroid.  Dr. Putnum said he is allergic to proteins found in foods.  


Blessings and prayers to all of you.


Christine

We Are Still Here :)

Hello everyone! We are still here and doing great! Liz remains in remission and we are thankful and blessed beyond words. Life is precious and we remember this daily. Elizabeth continues with her monthy check-ups of blood draws and a typical physical. She has been completely re-immunized with all of the childhood vaccines. Seven shots in one day and she continued to smile, it is nice to know that somethings never change. We went to Hawaii over Christmas in 2011. If you remember, this was the vacation we were suppose to take Christmas of 2008, boy how things can change in an instance. We had the time of our lives and celebrated Randy's parents 50th anniversary and the gift of life. Liz made the Mason Basketball team in November of 2011. She loved every minute of it and it was wonderful to see her get physically stronger and be able to take care of herself on the court. The girls team was also the GMC Champs! Elizabeth had an ECHO and an EKG two months ago as part of her one year post check-up. unfortunately, the ECHO came back with a low read and will need to be redone in August. Dr. Absalon said ECHO's can give false reads so we are counting on this being a false read. A few of the chemo's that Liz was on during her treatment can cause heart damage. If so, we will deal with it when the time comes. Please pray along with us that her heart is in good condition and there will not be any damage now or in the future. We don't think of cancer every second like we use to, but it only takes a second for it to all come flooding back. Two weeks ago a little girl from Loveland, Becca Kniskern, was diagnosed for the second time with Leukemia. Becca was first diagnose the same weekend Liz was in 2008, with ALL, same as Liz. Becca and her family, Trisha, Ethan, and Lilly, need prayers for comfort, understanding, and peace. This has to be one of the hardest things to hear when you have been through it once. Becca has a form of AML (Leukemia) as a direct result from her treatment for ALL. When we discuss treatment for ALL, you know that there are risks of the chemo's giving you other forms of cancer, it is what we called a necessary evil. You really have no choice but to sign the consent forms, treat your child, and call on family and friends to pray for the best outcome. You can follow Becca's journey at: http://beccakniskern.blogspot.com Please continue to pray for: Becca, that she becomes cancer free for the rest of her life Joel and Maya, that they continue to grow healthy marrow from their donors. Jay Geisler, who has just undergone prostrate surgery today. Pray that the doctors removed all the cancer and little to no long term side effects. For all that live and work on A5. May God continue to bless all of you as he has so graciously blessed us. Blessings ~ Christine

Saturday, July 31, 2010

My Fundraising Page

My Fundraising Page
click on the link to read, join our team, and donate :)
Be somebody's HeRo!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Welcome to our Team's Homepage

Welcome to our Team's Homepage
click on the link to donate to our team Blazin With <3 (love)

Thursday, July 1, 2010

My Fundraising Page


My Fundraising Page

Click on My Fundraising Page to go to Lizzy's page and join and/or donate ;)

We are also voting on what to put on the new t-shirts. Cast your vote:

A) STILL FIGHTING STILL WINNING

B) FINISHING STRONG

C) FINISH STRONG

Quick update on Jimmy. We had his appointment with Dr. Putnum on Monday. Good news is that he is not on a liquid diet and the steroid is working on the inflammation. He can eat without a hitch and loves it. Jim's esophagus is less than 8mm; a person his size should have about 20mm. Doctor Putnum believes he will be able to stretch it between 10 and 12 mm when his esophagus is pliable enough to do this. Jim's next surgery is Sept. 13.
Bad news is. . . because his esophagus is so diseased, at this point, they can not do testing. Dr. Putnum feels it is not in Jim's best interest to test at this time because Jim would have to come off of the steroid and all the strides they have made thus far would be undone.
I understand a bit more about this disease after our consultation. This disease, Eosinopilic Esophagitus, is non-curable. It can be corrected if caught soon enough, meaning before strictures (scare tissues). However, you can never go off treatment, this disease will come back. You can keep it under control with diet and medication.
Dr. Putnum did say that Jim will remain on this steroid for the rest of his life. The only long term effect has been yeast infections of the esophagus and mouth and is easily treated with medication.
Please pray that they will be able to stretch his esophagus more on Sept. 13.
Pray that he will be lucky and never have to do any of the diets and that the steroids will do all it needs to do.
Pray that this disease does not progress.

Onto Elizabeth. She is doing great! Liz is taking Advanced Geometry this summer. Her dad is her teacher and they are loving every minute of it. She is playing sand volleyball every Thurs. night at Sports Express and taking private lessons from Greg Ulland once a week and loves it. She is enjoying being as normal as she can be while still taking chemo daily. Liz is getting ready to go to Cancer Camp July 11 - 16 and then onto Hilton Head July 16 - 23. The Brown family (Joel's family) will be going with us. Liz and Joel each are bringing two friends each. It is a welcome back to living vacation!
Please pray for minimal side effects of her chemo's.
Pray for her complete cure.
Pray for her friend, Critter. He had a bone marrow aspirate today and are waiting for the results. Pray that God had touched his marrow and healed him.
Pray for all the children on A5 South and North.

Blessings ~ Christine

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Lizzy's blog but new pray request


Well, as most of you know by now, there is never a dull moment within the Lothrop home. I just wish going to the doctors for something routine would stay that way, routine!

Our son, Jim, has always been a choker and very slow eater. We use to tease him about being European because he ate so slow. We would all be finished and would wait another 45 minutes to an hour on Jimmy to finish his food. We thought he really loooved his food. About a year ago this coking issue became more prevalent and I kept saying "as soon as Liz is in Maintenance I will get you to the doctor for your throat" that time came two weeks ago.

We met with Dr. Cotton for a consult and were instructed to have a barium swallow. A barium swallow is a medical imaging procedure used to examine the upper GI (gastrointestinal) tract, which includes the esophagus and, to a lesser extent, the stomach. They used barium sulfate, a type of contrast medium that is visible to x-rays. As the patient swallows the barium suspension, it coats the esophagus with a thin layer of the barium. This enables the hollow structure to be imaged. Upon examination of the xrays, Dr. Cotton found what is called a congenial web across his esophagus, which was constricting his esophagus and not allowing him to swallow, plus his esophagus is considerably smaller than that of an adult.

Fast forward to today. Jim and I trudge on down to Children's for the stretching of his esophagus, a one time deal, right?! 15 minutes into the surgery I was called to the desk where I was instructed to pick up the phone when it rang, Dr. Cotton wanted to speak with me. I immediately new something was not right. The surgery was to take an hour and we were only 15 minutes into it. He proceeded to tell me that so far everything on his end was fine but when he went to scope, he noticed some "abnormalities" in Jimmy's esophagus and was calling in a specialist to look while Jimmy was under. Fast forward another hour, both doctors came to speak with me. Dr. Cotton said "my job is done, here is your new doctor, Dr. Putnum, world renowned doctor for what your son has. Jimmy has a disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis.

First of all, I have to learn to pronounce this disease. We all know what an esophagus is but what is eosinophils? Eosinophils (ee-oh-sin-oh-fillz) are a type of white blood cell (WBC). Eosinophils are the least common of the white blood cells and comprise approximately 1-4% of the blood’s cellular make-up. Eosinophils are an important part of the immune system, helping us fight off certain types of infections, such as parasites. Many different problems can cause high numbers of eosinophils in the blood including allergies (food and environmental), certain infections (caused by parasites), eosinophil associated gastrointestinal disorders, leukemia, and other problems. When eosinophils occur in higher than normal numbers in the body, without a known cause, an eosinophilic disorder may be present.

Let's just put it right out there, there is no "cure" for EE (Eosinophilic Esophagitis), but treatment can help alleviate symptoms and prevent further damage to the esophagus/gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Treatment of eosinophilic disorders will vary based on the location of the eosinophils, severity of symptoms, and other medical problems that Jimmy has. In most cases, dietary measures and medications can significantly improve problems related to the underlying eosinophilic disease.

Jimmy's prognosis for EE does not appear to limit life expectancy and there is currently no strong data suggesting EE causes cancer of the esophagus. In some patients, EE is complicated by the development of esophageal narrowing (strictures) which Jimmy does have and does cause his food to lodge in his esophagus (impaction). It is not clear how long EE has to exist before strictures form. However, since the natural history of EE is only emerging, careful monitoring and long-term follow-up is advised. The initial diagnosis of EE can be overwhelming and often affects the entire family. A positive attitude and a focus on non-food activities go a long way in learning to live with EE. With proper treatment, Jimmy can lead a normal life.

We are in the process of setting up a consult with Dr. Putnum for the course of treatment Jim will take. Being 18, he will have the final say in what he will do. The first thing that needs to be done is the clearing of the eosinophils in the esophagus, which is done through a strict diet and steroid use. There are several diets which Dr. Putnum will go over with us during our consultation and not one of them will be easy or fun but is necessary. This is a life long disease. Jimmy is not a stranger to medical adversity in his life. He will handle this with the grace and dignity that I have seen him do in all his situations.

Please pray that we start on this journey soon and Jim will eventually find the relief he is looking for.
Pray that he has the discernment that he needs to make correct and important decisions concerning his medical treatment.
As always, continue to pray for Elizabeth. She had her BIG chemo on Tuesday and has been down and feeling very puny since.
Continue to pray for my entire family. We have been through so very much in the past three years and need more prayers than we have a right to ask for. Life can really stink at time but what really matters is that we have each other, you included!

Blessings,
Christine

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Way North Sports and Golf Enthusiasts



Elizabeth and her cousin, Sean Westhoven, at their cousin's wedding this past weekend!

Way North Sports is an organisation that allows adults to have fun playing sports. They are registering for summer leagues now. Check them out!

Way North Sports at http://www.waynorthsports.com is hosting their first charitable event and it just happens to be for none other than our Team Blazin <3 at http://pages.lightthenight.org/soh/ButlerCo10/BlazinWith3. If you are interested in getting a team together, meet some pretty awesome people, and support a great cause, copy and paste on the registration site below.

Liz has heavy chemo on Tuesday. We will head down to Children's by 5:45, her procedure will be around 10:00. She will be put to sleep and the doctor will then inject Methotrexate into her spine. Methotrexate is one of the chemo's that just lays her out. Please pray that her nausea is minimal to none, that would be nice, and her bone pain, sensitivity to light, and debilitating headaches are minimaul to none also. As she receives these two chemo's, every 29 days for Vincristine and 90 days for Methotrexate, I am praying that the drug residual in her system is less and therefore her side effects will be less.
She was with her second cousin, who is five, this weekend and she, Haley, was diagnosed with pneumonia today. Please pray for Haley and keep Elizabeth in your prayers as well that she should not get sick too and move forward on Tuesday without delay.

Always praying and being blessed by all of you ~ Christine


Come join us for the First Annual Mulligan Cup at http://www.waynorthsports.com, on July 16th as we support TEAM BLAZIN' WITH <3 (love) in their efforts to wipe out blood cancers.

For more info about the day of golf or TEAM Blazin' with <3 click the links above!!!

http://www.waynorthsports.com/register

If interested in Sponsoring at the event.....please contact Way North Sports Crew directly.

Way North Sports Crew
513.907.3366 (office)
waynorthsports@gmail.com
www.waynorthsports.com

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

FYI



As of today, Liz is down to NINE months left in her treatment. Wow, how time flies . . . even when you're not having fun.
Blessings,
Christine

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Doing good ")


We are into Lizzy's fifth week of her freshman year. She is loving it and she only has about 20 more days till the end of the year. Boy, don't you wish all of your school years would have gone that quick!!!

I believe Lizzy has finally hit her stride in Maintenance. She is holding her own with the daily chemo, every 29 days Vincristine, and 90 days of IT Methotrexate. She is still at 50% dosing for her daily chemo but it may be increase to 75% next month. It will all depend on her CBC (complete blood count).

Last Thursday we were invited, along with Joel Brown and his family, to speak at the Hoxworth High School Luncheon Award Banquet. Both Liz and Joel spoke about their diagnosis and how incredibly important the donation of blood products are. The area high schools raised 13% of the total yearly donations needed for the greater Cincinnati area. They raise over 11,000 units! Like I told the students at the luncheon "blood donations were the first defense in saving Elizabeth's life. She received nonstop unites of whole blood and platelets from the minute she was diagnose and it continued pretty much for the 33 days she was in the hospital." "Liz received blood and platelets for 4.5 days before she was even treated for the cancer." "She would have never made it to see her first treatment without the blood donations." It was an honor for Liz, Joel, and our families to be a part of this wonderful event.

Please pray for Elizabeth's continued success with her "maintenance phase"
minimal side effects from all the chemo and narcotics that Elizabeth takes and has taken
Please pray for all the children on A5 South and their families

Blessings ~ Christine

Monday, May 3, 2010

Welcome to our Team's Homepage


Welcome to our Team's Homepage

It is that time of the year that I am gearing up for the fundraising event, Light The Night. Please visit the team page of "Team Blazin with <3". Once again the Lothrop and Brown family are teaming up to raise funds to help find a cure for Blood Cancers. Will you please prayerfully consider donating to our cause and fight this year on behalf of Liz and Joel.

Blessings,
Christine

Beautiful Baby Girl!



Four weeks of school is just too much for Liz :) Batman was just happy to be with her.
Life is priceless!
Blessings ~ Christine

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Relay for Life 2010

For best view, double click on picture and watch on youtube. Part of picture is cut off here.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Prayers for tonight's event and update ")

Good morning -
Tonight is Catherine's Relay for Life at University of Cincinnati. She works so hard on this event all school year and enjoys being part of it. Please pray that at least the thunder storms stay away. I don't know if you know how this event works, but these college kids stay out and up all through the night, with the event ending Sat. morning. I am not worry about her safety because security is everywhere. Catherine is in charge of the slide show of survivors and those who have lost the battle. If you have pictures of people that you would like to honor please send them to Catherine at: catherineclothrop@gmail.com the pictures will not make it into the video this year but they will for next year. The video is shown during the time of silence and continues to run silently during the rest of the event. It is a beautiful tribute.
Please pray for Randy too. He is speaking at the event about Elizabeth, her diagnoses, prognoses, and our life over the last 19 months. Pray that he is strong and can make it through our story by glorifying God at all times.

Life seems to be resuming for Liz. She has been in school for two weeks now with only a few tardies due to treatment or fatigue. We are down to having her blood drawn once a month, Vincristine every 29 days, Interthecal Methotrexate every 90 days, Mercaptopurine every night, Methotrexate pills every seven days, Prednisone, and Fluconazole. She has an arsenol of other meds on hand for pain and nausea which she uses around every 29 days. Instead of living every minute trying to deal with the side effects, we are now at least living day by day. I remember so clearly Liz having her Methotrexate, vomiting within seconds of it hitting her system, and then continuing to battle the horrible side effects for the next five to six days. There would be days that our curtains were never opened because of the debilitating headaches, nausea, and bone pain Liz would have with all the chemo. Her eyes were extremely sensitive and her bones would ache due to the Vincristine chemo.

Our God is an awesome God. I know you hear this a lot from people and it seems so cliche but it is true. Some people know the awesomeness of God with out tragedy and some learn of God's great love, grace, peace, and mercy through journeys. However you come to know the Lord the point is that you did. May God always be a part of your life, good and bad. He is the one constant.

"But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever" (Psalm 52:8).


Blessings,
Christine

Sunday, April 18, 2010


WOW! look at what chemo can do......Elizabeth does not recommend it ")

Elizabeth actually made it to school all week. She was late on Monday due to a big chemo day, late on Thursday just because she was exhausted and her body is not use to moving that much, but all in all she had a wonderful week ")

It is now day seven of the Vincristine and the side effects have hit. She has been in bed all day on a pain killer called Oxycodone and an anti nausea drug, Ativan. The combination of these two drugs wipe her out.

Kayla McDowell came over after church and lifted her spirits, even though she fell asleep on her, Dawn and Logan Ficorelli came by in the afternoon with a smoothie, and Connor McVey came over late afternoon and had dinner with her. Thanks guys! You lifted her spirits a great deal.

We are down to 305, GOD WILLING, days left until she is finished with her treatment. It has been a long, hard, and rough 440 days of treatment. We have had some wonderful mom and daughter times through this journey and for that I am eternally grateful.

It is that time of the year that I begin to gear up for Light The Night Walk. This is a wonderful evening sponsored by Hoxworth Blood Center and put on by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. All the proceeds will go directly to this incredible and live saving organization. LTN walk takes place Sept. 16, at the Mason Sports Park. Please consider coming out, joining, and donating to our team again. Please go to our team page at: http://pages.lightthenight.org/soh/ButlerCo10/BlazinWith3 where you can join and donate to our team and cause.

Thank you for being such wonderful, prayerful, and faithful followers. Your prayers and support have helped us see the silver lining in this hurricane.

Please pray for the side effects of Vincristine; extreme joint and bone pain to go away soon and she can stop using the Oxycodone.

Blessings,
Christine

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

It has been a while



Brittany, Liz, and Jim at Lakes Park, Florida.

Liz is doing great! She had a wonderful spring break, only two trips to the hospital for blood draws while we were there. She has started back on her daily chemo but only at 50% dosing. The docs will try 75% in a month or two and then up to 100% dosing. If her body will hold her counts at 100%; that is the ultimate goal. Her blood counts, like the ANC and platelets need to remain at the magical numbers of 750 and 75k.

Please continue to pray for all the kids on A5 South,
the staff that takes such good care of them,
Liz remains in remission,
minimal side effects of all her chemo and drugs she still takes.

Blessings and enjoy this God given day.

Christine

Sunday, March 28, 2010

disclaimer

I forgot to give you my disclaimer. We prayed really really hard and we are going home! God is glorious and has reminded all of us once again who is in charge at all times, good and bad.
Thank you for praying.
Blessings,
Christine

Saturday, March 27, 2010

hospital update

We are still here, just in case you thought we were anywhere else.

Liz is finally feeling better. She has been fever free for about 14 hours now, please keep praying. We have no idea when she will be released. The nurses and doctors are putting their educated guess on her white board. Earliest one is Thur. 4-1. Personally, I thought that was a cruel joke .... not really. The latest is Tues. 4-6. They are all being optimistic. I figure God will release us when the time is right. Go ahead, give us your guess. I will tell you she usually takes three weeks and we are 2.5 weeks into it. Also, a little insight, the precursor cells that they look at to see if her ANC is coming in are not showing yet. Now that you are adequately armed with this information, you are qualified to guess.

Please continue to pray for all the children on A5 South and the wonderful staff.

Blessings,
Christine

Friday, March 26, 2010

POWERFUL Lyrics!

If you double click on the still you can watch the video on youtube in it's original dimensions

Thursday, March 25, 2010

In, Out, In, You guess!!!!!

We are back in the hospital. Liz spiked a fever of 103 last night and after spending much time in the ED, we arrived in our room at 2:45 am. She is resting semi-comfortable at the moment. The are giving her two units of blood, antibiotics- zosyn and vancomyocin, and morphine for the pain. We are in here for at least three days, 10 if she has a bacteria in her body, and until her ANC is 200 and rising. At present, her ANC is a whooping ZERO! The last time this happened we were in here for three weeks. Please pray that that is not the case this time. Each time this happens to her it gets harder to deal with. Life can be very cruel and disappointing at best sometimes.

Please pray that this is just a normal thing that happens in maintenance,
her counts come up quickly,
her spirits stay strong,
all the families on A5 South,
the wisdom of the team of doctors that are placed in her care,

God ultimately has the control. No matter how we struggle for it, he always has it. Please please please pray for her complete recovery; this means NO relapse. God is an awesome God. No matter what our struggle is he is with us and that gives us comfort.

Blessings and enjoy your God given day,

Christine

Monday, March 22, 2010

Prayers


Lizzy enjoying a slice of heaven at her Aunt and Uncle's in Orlando :) Thanks Dave and Suzanne!


Meet Ridgeway. You can follow his progress at: http://rally4ridgway.blogspot.com/
He was diagnosed with ALL in September of 2009 and of course, we met at Children's on one of Lizzy's many stays.

Lizzy has specifically asked that you pray for her health.
Once again her counts are down, ANC 500 and falling, platelets 14k, she had a platelet transfusion this afternoon at 3:30. All chemo has been stopped once again and will not start again until her ANC is 750 and platelets are 75k.
You know the drill when this happens..... no school, no outings without a mask, and no visitors if you are sick. This means a cough, runny nose, fever, or what you may think is allergies. Please call me first at 349-5966 before visiting. If Elizabeth gets a fever while she is neutropenic, ANC under 500, she is hospitalized for a minimum of 10 days, on two different antibiotics, and until her immune system is above 200 and rising. last time this happened to her, we were in the hospital for three weeks waiting on her ANC to make a reappearance in her body.
Lizzy's spirits remain high through all of this, even with the episode from last Friday. I do not know how she does it sometimes. I get very sad when her world comes crashing down around her when it should be getting better each day. I know that one day she will walk away and be cured. God has placed in Elizabeth's life very special, dedicated, and intelligent people to provide the best care and outcome for her.

Please pray for all the children on A5 South
for our friends who's children have lost their battle with cancer
for Ridgeway, who broke him arm today and ended up in the ED
for the wonderful staff at Children's
for Lizzy's health, her counts to rise, her cold to go away and not get any worse


Psalm 18:32-34 NIV
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

Blessings to all of you,
Christine

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Back with a BANG!


We are home from our wonderful vacation. We had a great time. The weather was OK but who can complain, we were in Florida! Weather is subjectional anyway, right?!?!?!

We did not bring back the sunshine like we promised but we did bring back colds; we won't share them with you though.

Lizzy had a wonderful first day of school on Friday. Since her diagnoses in Oct. 25, 2008, Eight grade year, she has only gone to school 32 days. 30 days was before her diagnoses and two were the first two days of school this year. She has truly had her share of disappointments for a 15 year old but she handles it with such grace. I love her so much!

We had a rough go of things last night. After picking her up from school she began to feel poorly. She started to vomit in the car. When we got home I gave her ocycodone and ativan but the symptoms only got worse. The pain became concentrated on her right side where the appendix is. We called the hospital and they told us to go to the ED right away. I made it to Pfiffer Road but the pain became too much and we had to pull over and call 911. They meet us at the BP on Pfiffer Road and took us the rest of the way to Children's. About five hours after the pain and vomiting started it ended, just as quickly as it came on. The doctors have not figured out what the problem is/was.

Liz had a chest xray for the rattle and whizzing they heard in her lungs, they wanted to rule out pneumonia. Thank God it came back clear. The relief on her face and in body was actually visable. She also had an ultra sound on her ovaries and kidneys. The doctor felt it might be twisted ovaries which would entail surgery. That was also ruled out. Her ovaries are very small and was hard to find but they did and they were not twisted. Doctors said they are small due to the chemo and the depo provera shots she has received. Please pray that the small ovaries will correct themselves when she is no longer on chemo. She had traces of blood in her urine so they felt it could have been a kidney stone. Bottom line ....... we really do not know. That is not a real reassuring feeling but Liz is fine and not in any pain.

We were discharged at 1:30 a.m. and she is sleeping peacefully upstairs. All is well within our soles. As Liz said on the way home "God answered another prayer." "He always does!" She is so right!

Thank you for being with us on our very long journey. I am grateful to all of you for your prayers and support. People are always asking us why, why why???? Lizzy's response is and always has been "if not me then it would be someone else."

We go in Tuesday for her heavy dose of chemo. She will have Vincristine and Interthecal Methotrexate. Please pray for minimal side effects of both of these chemos. Vincristine causes bone, joint, and abdominal pain and Methotrexate causes back pain from the procedure, and mouth sores. Please pray that her cold goes away and does not turn into anything other than just that, a cold.

Blessings and prayers,
Christine

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

A full day





Liz had such a great time today, again!
She had to do some unpleasant business first, school work. I know Melissa, that you are glad to hear that. We had lunch at Seasons 52; an awesome restaurant from the Darden Company. They own Olive Garden, Longhorn, Red Lobster and a few others. It was so wonderful, all dishes being 475 calories, and Liz had her sushi. From there we went and had a manipedi which is a mini manicure and mini pedicure and WE all loved it! We meet her uncle, Dave, at the 6:00 showing of La Nouba, cirque Du Soleil. It was Awesome! The top photo was her favorite part of the play. These people are incredible to watch!
She is still asleep but will be going to the Disney Gaming Arcade today with Patrick and two of his friends.
We leave for Fort Myers tomorrow morning to see Grandma and Grandpa Westhoven, Aunt Patti, and the Blakster.
Blessings to all and I hope the weather is starting to get better for all of you.
Christine

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Oh What a Day!



We spent Monday, all day, at Disney! I was so proud of Liz; this is the longest day she has had since before her diagnoses. She lasted EIGHT hours!
We rode all the adult rides and some of the more mellow rides. The mellow rides were for me but I did ride the bigger ones too! Don't worry doc's, they were not THAT big of an adult ride so Liz was safe :)
God gave us a beautiful day to tour around the world, Disney World that is, but is sure felt like the world. To see Elizabeth so carefree and feeling so well is such a joy and a gift.
Tune in tomorrow to see what she does today!
Blessings,
Christine and Elizabeth~Grace

Monday, February 22, 2010

LaRosa's and or Chick-Fil-A

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has become a very important organization within the Lothrop home. My daughter is here because of this organization. I am not just saying this. It is fact! This organization provides at least 75% of the grants and funding in research for pediatric blood cancers. 4,000 children a year is not enough of a money maker for drug companies to put their money into and develop pediatric cancer drugs. Most of the drugs and chemo's used for these children are adult drugs that are tweaked to work for children. Leukemia and Lymphoma Society funds research for the cure. We are know at an 85% cure rate for the type of Leukemia that Elizabeth has, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. This organization cares and is making huge strides in the field of blood cancers.

Please consider eating out at LaRosa's tomorrow and or Chick-fil-A on Wednesday and team-up with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Mason Middle School to fight and save the lives of thousands of children. One lost is one too many. Below is the information sent to me from the Middle School.

Help support the Mason Middle School Pasta for Pennies campaign by eating at LaRosa's! Please spread the word! This is an easy one folks. Order out for lunch or get it for dinner that day!

When: Tuesday, February 23rd (from open to close)
Where: Mason LaRosa's
How: By giving/mentioning the attached flyer when eating there. It is valid for eat in, carryout, & delivery.
Why: 20% of food sales will be donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through the MMS Pasta for Pennies campaign.

LaRosa's Mason Direct Number 513.398.0680

AND OR..........

When: Wednesday, February 24th (5-8pm)
Where: Mason Chick-Fil-A
How: By giving/mentioning the attached flyer when eating there. It is valid for eat in & carryout.
Why: A portion of food sales will be donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through the MMS Pasta for Pennies campaign.

Blessings,
Christine

Friday, February 19, 2010

Go for Monday!



Catherine, Lizzy, and Haley this past summer going canoeing.

We had Lizzy's lab work done and she is finally a go for her next big chemo. I feel like we are always fighting day 29. Her ANC is 950 and her platelets are 127k. Dr. Absalon, her primary Oncologist, was jumping with excitement when he saw her numbers. Thank you for your prayers for her.

Once again God continues to inspire me to always try my best and that is not easy to do. I fail at it all the time. I ran a race on Valentine's Day, oh how I wanted to quit that last 1/4 mile up hill to the finish line. Why do all races end on a hill and not going down the hill but up the hill???? All I thought about was Liz and how she would give anything to be out racing and doing things that we push ourselves to do because it hurts.......whaa whaa whaa. I didn't quit and it felt great! Not really, I wanted to heave my guts out but I am glad that I ran the race and did not stop.

Lizzy can't wait to get back into Volleyball. She said her goal is to get a volleyball scholarship. If anyone can do it, I know it will be her. If you want to see what a true fighter looks like just go to A5 south. I have never seen kids with such tenacity. Their will to survive and live a healthy life is something to admire.

We will go to Children's, at Liberty, for her chemo, Vincristine, Monday at 8:00am. Please pray for minimal side effects as this is the chemo that effects her joints and causes stomach pain. Liz will receive this chemo every 29 days; as long as her counts are 950 and 75k. Lizzy will also start back on her daily chemo Monday. We are now down to 363 days left of taking and having chemo. We are still in the Valley but we are walking toward the light with God always at our side.

Blessings to all,
Christine

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Kids need your help



Liz giving a thumbs up to the donor of the blood and platelets that she was receiving.

I have asked a lot from all of you over the past 16 months; for prayers, for money to support our cause, fundraisers, walking events in support of Liz and the list goes on and on and on. I am going to prayerfully ask that you consider giving blood products. Elizabeth would not be her today if not for the generosity of selfless and giving people. I have learned so much from being a caregiver of a child with cancer. Elizabeth has gone through so many units of blood and platelets that I have lost track of the amount. She will never be able to give back by giving blood because of her type of cancer. This is something that really bothers Liz because she knows a persons life is depending on it. My child is here because of people who give and I cannot thank you enough.

Platelets take any where from one to two hours to give. The shelf life for platelets is three days, but no need to worry about them going bad, the last time I gave platelets the bag left with a name on it and it went directly to Cincinnati Children's. The Plasma I gave went to Shriners downtown. A person can give platelets every two weeks and blood can be giving every 56 days.

Patients continue to need life-saving blood, no matter the weather conditions. Like everyone, Hoxworth Blood Center is dealing with the snow yet again. Hoxworth will remain open! Donors can call 513-451-0910 to find a place to donate. All donors, 2/15-2/20 will be automatically registered to win a pair of Suite Tickets to the SOLD OUT Taylor Swift Concert on March 28th!

Please consider giving the gift of life, you never know who you are going to save!

Blessing and prayers,

Christine
Liz is having her her blood drawn this Friday, please pray that her ANC is 750 and her platelets are at 75k. Last time they were checked her ANC was 510 and her platelets were 63k. If they are at the right levels she will have chemo on Monday and go back on all of her daily chemo as well.

Liz is feeling really good, no chemo, it will do that to her : ) Please pray that she resumes her chemo on Monday and her counts remain high.

Blessings and prayers,
Christine

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Movin on up, just like the Jeffersons


We are heading in the right direction; UP! We had blood drawn on Monday and her ANC is 540. WHOOPEEEEEEEE! This means she can wonder about like a normal person; NO mask and we can go places! Liz and I were like two school girls that were just asked to the prom. We danced, hugged, and wanted to cry but didn't. Who wants to be the first one to do that? JEEZ.

God is awesome. Liz and I prayed hard on the way to Children's that she would be at least 500. An hour later we called Children's and the prelims were at 450. The tech had one more step to do and this step usually brings the numbers down a bit. I told her "I am confident that God will work the numbers, I will call back in 10 min." called back and God gave us 540. The rest is HIStory. We were out the door to breathe the air and take in the day.

Liz needs to have an ANC of 750 and platelets of 75k to have her heavy chemo on Tues. please pray that her counts continue to climb and she is well enough to go back on her daily chemo. Feb. 17 , 2010 is one year away from her final chemo date. We will be celebrating our journey over the past 16 months and gearing up for the last 365 days. I don't know what we are going to be doing yet but one thing is for sure ...... the Lothrop house will be rockin. I can't wait to have the calendar count down like the kid's do at Christmas time.

Thank you all for your daily prayers, checking in and reading the blog, letters of encouragement to Liz, and your financial support for our cause.

Blessings and prayers,
Christine