Quick up-date

Liz is doing fabulous and gaining strength everyday.  Her port was removed last Tuesday; the end of an era! She will be on bactrim through Aug. 3x a week, 2x daily, with monthly clinic visits and blood draws. The rate of remission fall-out drops significantly after five years.  You can imagine the anxiety we have once a month.  It sure beats the daily anxiety that we use to have.

Jimmy has his surgery Monday for his EE.  Dr. Putnum did not have to stretch his esophagus and did not see any yeast in his throat, this is a good thing!  We will hear sometime this week if how well he is doing with this disease and if there will be any change in his daily routine.

We are putting on our first Blazin With Love 5k on Sept. 3, at 5:30 p.m., as well as a corn hole tournament and the blood mobile will be there so you can give blood if you would like :)  If you are interested in helping with this wonderful event, which of course, all proceeds will be going to Blazin With Love for the Light The Night Walk, for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

This is an update on Critter from his step mom, Michelle:  "Everyone please pray for critter he was just taken over to ICU. He is having problems from blood pressure, swelling, and he is out of it. They are putting him on a ventilator to do a procedure do to his blood pressure and sedation If you can just think of him before you go to sleep and when you wake up."




Please continue to pray for all the children on A5.  You watch children live and you watch children die on this floor.  These children become friends, good friends.  It is hard to watch your friends die. 




The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident. (Psalm 27: 1, 3)


Blessings and prayers
Christine

Lizzy's celebration service!

Sendspace.com: Lothrup.zip / Audio Files

Time to Celebrate!

October 25, 2008 was the start of a two and a half year journey for Liz and her family, a journey that we have all joined through this blog, through prayer, and through our support. This weekend, we're celebrating that journey, and the end of Liz's treatment, with a time of music, stories and thanksgiving. The celebration begins at 10:45 a.m. this Sunday, April 3, 2011 at WellSpring Community Church, 7689 Bethany Road, Liberty Township, Ohio. Bring friends...wear orange...and show Liz, Randy, Christine, Cat and Jim one more time just how much we love them. Hope to see you there!

First Post Check-up

James 1:2-4
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.3  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be prefect and complete, needing nothing.


Something my family has lived and learned from for 30 months.  I hope we never forget the lessons  we have learned and that we will continue to grow in God's grace and love.


Please keep Elizabeth in your prayers.  Tomorrow is the first post treatment check-up.  She will have a long morning starting at 7:15 a.m. in the Hematology/Oncology Clinic (hem/onc), 7:45 with a new visit to the Hem/Endocrine, 8:30 back to the Hem/Onc clinic, 10:30 DXA Scan (bone density), and 11:10 Pulmonary Function Testing (breathing treatment).
She has been very busy and consumed with the OGT testing at school and has not given her visit much thought.  I hope she continues to NOT give it any thought, worrying does not do any good.
Please continue to pray for:
Finding a cure,
keeping Liz in remission,
Joel Brown and his recovery from his bone marrow and staying in remission,
For peace and strength for Critter and his parents, Stan and Michelle,
For all on A5.


Blessings and prayers,


Christine

Praise God!

Saying goodbye to the operating room and chemo!!!

Getting ready to leave the clinic.

When we came home that night there was a surprise waiting for her!

Signed shoes by the staff!

Wow! What a journey the past 2.5 years have been.  I can't even tell you that there was a 2009.  Our lives have gone from 2008 to 2010 with 2009 being a blur somewhere in our lives.  2011 has merged in with 2010 along the line but I am confident that it will have a life of its own soon!


As most of you know who are on my facebook, Liz is through with her treatment phase.  Thank God she will no longer be getting sick from treatment and only be getting stronger.  I asked her on the ride home from the hospital if she could tell me how she felt about this phase being over and her response was "No, there are no words to describe how I feel."  I am so proud of her and how she has handled this horrible disease and I know that I will continue to be amazed and proud of how she handles the rest of her life and this disease. 


Our new reality for the next five years is not nearly as intense and definitely more normal. Liz will have blood work and a physical monthly for the next 18 months, at the end of this time she will  graduate to every other month for a year, then graduate to every three months for 18 months, then down to every six months for 18 months, and finally once a year for the rest of her life.  


Liz will also be seeing an Endocrinologist. She will be seeing the Endocrine Doctor for Reproduction/Infertility issues.  This can be a common issue for children who have under gone chemotherapy and radiation.  Please pray that any issues Lizzy is having will resolve on their own.  


Her first visit with the Endo  Doctor will be March 17.  Liz will also have a bone density test and will have to fast for her blood work.  She will have a few EKG's (electrocardiogram).  An electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) is a test that checks for problems with the electrical activity of your heart. The EKG and bone density tests are normal tests done due to the amount of toxic drugs and steroids that have been put into her body.


We continue to give the glory to God.  He did not give Elizabeth Leukemia, but he put the wonderful team of doctors, nurses, staff, and Children's Hospital in our path.  He gave us a wonderful team of community, prayer warriors, old friends and new friends.  This disease is not a private issue, it is one that knows no stranger.  There is no way we could have or would have wanted to keep this private.  We would not have made it through without all of you. We will be having an end of treatment party sometime in May/June.  Stay tuned to the blog for more information on it.


On a side note, we are planing a 5k walk/run and corn hole tournament on September 3, at 5:30 p.m.  The run is called Blazin with Love and will be in honor of Liz, Joel, Annie Coyle, and a few other Mason students/teachers that have cancer or are in remission.  All the profit will be going to Team Blazin with Love for the Mason's Light the Night Walk on Sept. 15, 2011. The LTN walk supports the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society.  Stay tuned for all the fun events.


Please keep Joel Brown in your prayers.  He is progressing like he should but is in a great amount of pain and discomfort.  Please pray that the engraftment of his sister's cells take root in his body and start to become his own.


Please keep Critter and his family in your prayers. Pray for peace, comfort, and wisdom for them.  Let them be at peace with the decisions that they have to make.


Please pray for peace and comfort for Courtney, another one of Mason's special little ones. She was the other child in the fundraiser with Liz and Joel from Gary's barber shop in 2008 or 2009 (see I told you 2008/09 are the same for me). 


Thank you to all the student, staff, and friends that came out for Zumba for Leukemia.  It was fun and a great success!


Always praying!


Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;

make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!

—Psalm 105:1-2

Dang.......

Okay, we need prayers for Liz.  She has been sick off and on since Thanksgiving.  We went to the hospital yesterday, Feb. 10, due to her being sick and her end date so close.  The docs ordered blood cultures for all sorts of  virus and bacterial infections.  Mary Snow, her nurse coordinator,  called us today and said that Liz has tested positive for the RSV/PCR virus.  UGH..............
The game plan for the weekend is:  rest and hydration.  She has labs on Monday and we pray she can finish out her chemo on Tuesday as planned for the last two years.  On Tuesday she will arrive at the hospital at 6:30 a.m., have a complete physical evaluation to see if she is healthy enough to go through the surgery and receive the chemo's.  If she is not able to complete her treatment on Tuesday, Dr. Absalon said the treatment will be rescheduled.  Needless to say, Liz is very sad about the new turn of events.  If Liz has a fever at any time, she will need to go to the ED and will be admitted for at least 48 hours to 10 days.
Thank you for your prayers and being faithful,
Christine

COUNTDOWN DAY 7

WOW! WOW! WOW!  That is all that I can say.  Well, I can say a lot more but I won't.


This has been a very long and hard road.  We have come 1,097 days out of our 1,104 days of treatment.  We are down to SEVEN days left.  It feels so surreal.  I am going through her apothecary draw, her medicine draw, filling her pill box and I realize that I am at the end, the box is empty for the last two weeks of this month, I keep picking it up, wanting to fill it thinking that I have forgotten to do this.


As I look back, I have seen tremendous growth in Elizabeth, our family, and her friends.  What a gift God has given to all of us in that respect.  Even as I say this, I find myself feeling very weak and frightened to take her off of her chemo.  The chemo is the agent fighting the monster that invaded her body two and a half years ago, without her having the chemo, I feel like I am free falling. I need prayers for strength not to borrow worries from tomorrow.  All I can do is continue to pray to our Father that he keeps Elizabeth in remission; that this cancer never rears its ugly head again.  Knowing that there is not a cure is a frightening reality for a parent to face.  I can only pray and drop my worries at the foot of the cross.  


Thank you to everyone that has shared in our  journey.  We could not have made it through the past few years without your prayers, help, and great show of love and support.  Please, NEVER stop praying for Liz and those suffering with cancer.


Specific pray requests:
Elizabeth finishes out her last seven days strong
Minimal side effects from her chemo
Joel Brown, that Alli's bone marrow engrafts  and begins to make it his own, mouth sores, fevers, and rest
Critter, that the spots found in his lung and brain are just by-products of the chemotherapy
The staff on the 5th floor of Children's Hospital


If you want to be a hero to someone ...... go and donate blood or platelets this week!


Blessings and Love in Christ, 
Christine

A visit from the Rosendale's.  Lizzy giving Marianne a Blazin With Love tee!


We are getting closer to the end of Elizabeth's treatment!  Liz will go to Children's on Feb. 15, for her last dose of Vincristine and Lumbar Puncture with Methotrexate. Liz will take her daily chemo, Meccptapurine, through Feb. 17, and end her steroids on Feb. 19.   The side effects of the Vincristine will hit on or around Feb.  22.  
I don't know what the next ten years will look like.  I know we will have monthly check-ups for the next several years, but other than that......I will let you know when I find out.  I should get that information on the 15th of Feb.
Hitting this mile(million mile)stone is bitter sweet.  We never thought we would get through all of the treatments, side effects, radiation, ER visits, clinic visits, day hospital visits, blood and platelet transfusions, etc. etc. etc, but here we are and being off of chemo for the first time in 2.5 years, begs for your mind to wonder and worry.  There is a hugh  comfort in knowing that she is taking something to keep it from coming back.  From talking to other parents, I know this is a very normal thought and that I am normal.  Liz has also expressed that she is scared too.  I guess this fight for us will never be over, not until there is a "true" cure for Leukemia. One without the threat of falling out of remission.  We will be having a party to celebrate her end of therapy sometime in April.  Stay tuned for more details.


Update on Jim ~ He is doing very well and as long as the 2x daily steroids work, he will be able to continue on in this treatment plan. His esophagus will be stretched again in May, by Dr. Putnum. He will also be checking to see if he has any yeast infection in his throat from his steroids.  This is an easy fix ... just another drug, an antibiotic! 


Please continue to pray for Joel Brown.  He is now in the hospital getting ready for his Bone Marrow Transplant for Feb. 1.  His sister, Allie, is the donor.  Joel will be in the hospital for the next 100 days.  Please pray for the health of his sister, that the transplant is a success for Joel, and the peace for the entire family.

Please continue to pray for: the research for trying to find a cure, the doctors, scientist, nursing staff, Hoxworth, and those who give so freely to help save the lives of others.

There is an event at the Mason community center, March 12, 2011, from 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. copy and paste the link to go to the event.  It should be a lot of fun for the biking enthusiasts! All proceeds go to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society!


file:///Users/christinelothrop/Desktop/2011%20R2A%20Brochure.pdf

Blessings ~ Christine

Psalm 18:6

    But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to

    my God for help.

    He heard me from his sanctuary;

    My cry to him reached his ears.

  

   

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

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

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!

Gap Give & Get Supporting LLS

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.

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

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

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