Liz created this movie last night!

To enlarge the video, double click the video. Do NOT play it yet. Once you double clicked the video, a new webpage should pop up. My video will appear, and click HD and then your ready to go!! :)

15 years, coming up this summer!

An end to Interim Phase I :-)

We are almost finished with this Interim Phase I. Elizabeth's counts finally were up and ready to go. We came to clinic at 9:00 am on Friday for a physical, CBC, and a test to see how her body metabolizes the Mercaptopurine (6 MP chemo pill). Liz needs six hours of hydration and her urine must be at a certain pH level before she is given the HD Meth. This time around it took her body 12 hours before it was ready to receive the chemo, this means she had a very late start to her chemo 10:00 pm. Liz started getting sick from the chemo about six hours into it and continued into Sunday morning. It was a rough one for her. It seems that with each round of this drug the side effects become greater and last longer. We are hoping that her body clears this drug by Tues., latest on Wed.

We have had a great past day and a half. We have enjoyed the outdoors with friends and a picnic this evening. We will miss our friends when we are not admitted on a regular bases. The bond that you make with the other families and children on this floor is just an incredible gift and we are so blessed by our Lord to experience this wonderful community and make life long friends. Not a conventional way to do it but neither is speed dating and this is what it feels like only I call it speed friendship. I now truly understand the old say "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." We have been dealing with some sour lemons but tasting the sweet rewards of the lemonade we have made with it.

Friday was a wonderful night with UC's Relay for Life. Most of you know our daughter, Catherine, was on the committee for this event. She came in 3rd for the highest individual donations received from the help of many of you, Catherine collected over $2,000 for Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. I wish Elizabeth could have fulfilled her obligation of reading a poem at the event but due to her delays in therapy she ended up in the hospital and was not able to read it. Grandpa Lothrop stepped in and read the poem for her and it was beautiful. Grandpa Lothrop is also a cancer survivor. On a side note, Catherine also made the Dean's List at UC and we are very proud of her.

Our next step will be called Delayed Intensification. If her counts are up to 750 and 75K, we will begin this May 8Th and it will last without delays 57 days. This is a time that her counts will always be down and we will spend a lot of time at Children's for the day receiving blood products. I will blog in a few days the outline of her next step. Visits will be pretty limited so please make sure you call me, not Elizabeth, to see where her counts are and if you can visit, my cell number is 513-349-5966.

Please continue to pray for:
Families and children on A5 South.
minimal side effects.
Good spirits.

Blessings and many many thanks,
Christine

Sycamore boys lacrosse: The encouragers!

A week or so before their spring season began Sycamore lacrosse coach and teacher, Tom Nugent, stopped by my classroom with one simple question: What is Liz’s favorite color? Well the simple answer was PINK. Her blanket is pink, her computer is pink, and she even dyed her hair PINK! That was all he needed to hear. Coach Nugent then preceded to tell me that this season the Sycamore boys lacrosse team would be wearing pink shoelaces in her honor! Thats right, hot, florescent pink!
Liz and I have now on two occasions planned on attending one of their games, but her counts had other plans! Despite the fact that most of these guys have never met Liz their encouragement has been amazing! Her room on A5 South is adorned with posters created by the guys on this team. Yesterday, I think Liz was awake for maybe 30 minutes. All 30 of those minutes were spent reading letters of encouragement from the players on this team! These guys wrote with passion, conviction and sincerity to a girl fighting the fight of her life. It brought tears to my eyes. The power of the human spirit in these teenage boys absolutely blew me away!

Here are just a few excerpts from their letters:

“I know it must be kind of weird to be receiving like 40 letters from people you’ve never met, but personally I just wanted to tell you that I admire you greatly.” Blake Johns

“While I am sure that at times it can be rough on your part, I hope you realize what you have done and continue to do, has brought much strength and motivation not only to the people on the lacrosse team, but to everyone in the Sycamore community.”Kevin Carroll

“...even though you don’t know me you have had a great impact on not just this lacrosse team but the entire community. Your everyday struggles may leave you feeling down but I am here to tell you we never stop thinking and praying for you.” Brian Badeer

“I’m sure you have heard of our manly new pink laces on our cleats. :) Honestly none of us mind and are happy to sport them in your honor. Its also nice to have something to play for. Not gonna lie I think they make me faster :).” Ron Lutterbie

“Every time I see your huge smile on every picture, you just put a smile on me. You are doing something amazing when you can put a smile on my face when you are battling cancer and I am not. You inspired people to rally together and to help fight this deadly disease. You have also inspired people to appreciate the little things.” Michael Zenz

"I am honored to wear the pink shoe laces you picked out. Every game when I am asked, "What are the laces about?" by opponents, I just smile and reply, "every goal we beat you by helps out my heroes in the Lothrop family." Omar Al-Rafaei

"Every time I read a story or blog about you and your family it brings a tear to my eye. Not because of the sadness but because of the great determination that I see in you Lothrops. My tears of joy and admiration come from you remaining upbeat and enthusiastic, your father and mother finding such strength in their Lord and in you, and from your sister taking action against cancer with her involvement in Relay for Life. To see a family so close and resilient makes me smile from ear to ear." Tyler Dowdall

Thank you Sycamore lacrosse team for taking the time in your already busy schedules to pick us up! The power of community astounds me.

Relay for Life!

With Leah & Liz admitted on A5 South... Joel represented them both quite well!! Awesome evening!

Thank you to Gary's and LaRosa's

We live in such a wonderful and caring community. The latest in show of this communities willingness to give and support their own was the fundraiser put on by Gary's Barber shop and LaRose's on Rt. 42.

It started out with "March Madness" at Gary's Barber Shop on Main St. Every Wednesday for the month of March after school the barbers donated their time and gave $3 haircuts to Mason students and Faculty. All the proceeds went to three of their own youth that live in the community; Liz, Joel Brown, and Kortney Snyder. This was such an outpouring of love and support by everyone in our community. The month long fundraiser ended with the support of LaRosa's all day fundraiser. On April 1, LaRosa's gave 20% back of the total dinning bill to these kids of the dinners who came out to support them in their battle with cancer, this also included carry out.

Liz and I were unable to attend LaRosa's because she was in the hospital receiving treatment. Randy and Jimmy were able to attend LaRosa's for support and thanks from the Lothrop family. The above picture is of Joel ,WW II Vet., and Kortney. I wish we could have been at LaRosa's to meet him; he came just so he could meet our brave kids in their battle.

I could not imagine living in a different community and going through this ordeal. Thank you for everything you have done and given to my family.

Blessings,

Christine

yad sgohdnuorg!

Figure out the title of this one! I have to be creative because the same thing keeps happening...delays...a clue, it keeps repeating.....groundhogs day!
Oh well the delalys are not freaking me out any more thanks to your prayers.

Elizabeth's ANC is still too low to finish out Interim Phase I tomorrow. Her ANC is down to 410 and needs to be at 750. Her platelets are high enough at 104k. They are thinking that it might be due to the 6mp pill that she takes. This is a chemo pill that will be a staple throughout her protocol so they will be doing a blood test on Fri. to see how her body metabolizes the pill. They may have to adjust her dosing of this pill.

Numbers, numbers, numbers, I am surrounded by numbers. One of the dads on the floor said to Elizabeth "someday when a guy asks you for your number, you are going to say "well, my ANC is..., and my platelets are... Oh, you mean my phone number." She got a pretty good chuckle out of it.

Please pray for her ANC to rise.
Catherine's Relay for Life event to be successful.
for minimal side effects.

Blessings and have a great week. I will be back on Friday to update you
:-)
Christine

SO CLOSE!

Hello everyone,
If you have already donated then you can disregaurd this post. However for everyone else, I am SO close to my new goal. I only need at least $90 more!! Please help me in reaching this goal and getting a step closer in finding a cure for cancer! I have only this week left and the actual event is on Friday so if you plan on donating it needs to be soon.
To donate online now, click here to visit my personal page.
Every donation helps no matter how much it is.
Thank you,
Catherine Lothrop

Liz and her partners in crime on A5 South!

Update :-)

I wanted to let you know that Elizabeth's counts are not at the deemed numbers and we will not start our last treatment of High Dose Methotrexate before going on to the Delayed Intensification Phase I. Her ANC is 640, needs to be 750 and platelets are 73k, need to be 75k. The game plan is to go for a physical on Tues. at 8:00 am and have her blood work done in clinic. She will be admitted on Wednesday at 1:00 pm if her counts are right.

Elizabeth is pretty sad because UC's Relay for Life is on Friday and we were going as a family. Catherine, her sister, is very involved with this event and had Elizabeth reading a poem at 10:30 pm during the lighting of the luminaries. Catherine is now scrambling trying to find a replacement of Liz.

Thanks for all of your prayers. I am ok with this delay and feel very at peace. God has given me strength through your prayers.

Catherine, Liz, and myself will be walking in the Butterfly Walk on Sat. May 9. at Cottell Park, in Deerfield Township; it starts at 9:00 am. If you are able and want to, come on out and walk with us for some exercise and for a good cause; Leukemia Lymphoma Society.

Please continue to pray for the following:
counts to go up
minimal side effects
the families and kids on A5 South

Love and blessings,

Christine

More Relay For Life: FUNDRAISING

Family and Friends,
As most all of you know, I’ve decided to take action and fight back against cancer by participating in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life® event right here in my community.
Please support me in this important cause by making a secure, tax-deductible donation online using the link below.
To donate online now, click here to visit my personal page.
Relay For Life® is a life-changing event that brings together more than 3.5 million people worldwide to:
CELEBRATE the lives of those who have battled cancer. The strength of survivors inspires others to continue to fight.
REMEMBER loved ones lost to the disease. At Relay, people who have walked alongside people battling cancer can grieve and find healing.
FIGHT BACK. We Relay because we have been touched by cancer and desperately want to put an end to the disease.
Whatever you can give will help. No matter what, it all adds up! I greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress.
Sincerely,
Catherine Lothrop

*Feel free to pass this on to anyone you know who may want to help
*Also keep in mind, along with donating you can purchase a $10 luminaria and give a name to be written on a bad that is around the track during the ceremony!

 

Interesting picture that I came across tonight, Cathy, Grandpa, & Liz. This was taken October 11th, our niece's wedding. Liz went with us to the wedding, pale as can be. She complained of back pain. Liz & I left short after the reception started. Liz did not feel comfortable standing up from that point on. Randy

Ground Hogs Day????

I thought Ground Hogs Day was in February but I seem to stand corrected, it is now Feb. thru April. Does it seem to you that every time I enter a blog my title has delayed in it somewhere? I know Gods timing is perfect but it is also frustrating. We do not get to finish out this Interim Phase I as charted for Tuesday, April 14. Her ANC is 500 and her Platelets are 36K. We are rescheduling and trying for this Fri., labs will be drawn this Thursday at Liberty.

I have to say I am very frustrated; not with the delays but with my daughter. Please pray for patience and understanding on my part as to what she is feeling. I believe she is going through a bit of resentment and I get the brunt of it. I can't say I blame her nor that I was not expecting this resentment to hit at some point, she is after all a 14 year old. Please don't get me wrong, she is a beautiful, loving, faithful person but is only human and is beginning to resent the restrictions that I must impose on her due to her Leukemia.

Elizabeth has felt well for the past two and a half months compared to the first four months and I think sometimes she forgets she is still in the same battle for her life.
Cancer is an ugly and daunting diagnosis to receive. In one phase you feel like you are not going to make it and the next phase you forget that you have cancer, then the walls come crashing down and reality hits again as to what you are fighting against.

Not only does Liz need your prayers, but I need your prayers. It is becoming extremely hard to see her go through all of this and it is getting harder for me, the messenger, to get shot every time she does not like the message I have to give her. I know I sound weak and in truth I am feeling very weak and inadequate for this job God has entrusted me to do. I grow weary and weak just like Liz does. It is safe to say I think I have hit a "mental rough patch." I am going to selfishly ask you to pray for peace, patience, compassion, and empathy for the situation I find myself in. I need prayers for strength when I have to tell my daughter "no" on something and she cries and says things that add more guilt onto me. I know she does not do this intentionally and would never want to hurt me. I know she is frustrated, sad, scared, and lonely, just like I am. Please pray for the both of us.

God is the ultimate answer and ultimate healer. We just need people to pray for us when we are weak and scared.

Please continue to pray for the parents and children on A5 South. Some do not have a faith and if it gets this hard for me and I do have a strong faith, what must they be going through?
Pray for Liz and myself to stay strong and fight the good fight.
Pray that we always remember who is in charge of our life and be able to leave our fears at the foot of the cross.
Pray for minimal side effects.
Pray for the wonderful Doctors and nurses that take such good care of her.

Peace and blessings to all of you,
Christine

possible delay again....

I love Easter. It is a time of reflection, growth, and meditation. It boggles my mind to think of what Christ did for us. When I think about it there is nothing that I would not due for my children to save them. We are blessed to have him as our ultimate father.

Elizabeth is doing well. She has had mouth sores again. I thought we made it through this round without getting them. She always gets them before she is even finished receiving the high dose Methotrexate. This time she did not start getting them until she was six days out. Liz does not eat much during this time because the mouth gets pretty sore and her jaws becomes stiff. She is still suffering from them but they are getting better.

It is a good possibility that Elizabeth will not be able to continue on this Tuesday, April 14. On Thursday she had her four hour GFR test to make sure her kidneys are functioning and filtering properly; she also had a CBC, complete blood count. Her ANC's were high at 1880, WBC was 2.3, Hemeglobin was 11.7 BUT, I really don't like that word any more, her platelets were at 57k. Doctor Jen asked me to have her blood check on Saturday, April 11, at Liberty Children's Outpatient. She wanted to see which way her platelets were going. I am sad to say that they have continued to go down; platelets are now at 36k. Dr. Jen said it does not look good for Tuesday but Liz will have another CBC on Monday and this will confirm if we are a go for Tuesday or not. ANC has to be 750 and platelets have to be at least 75k. They have these numbers in place to signify if her body is strong enough to move forward. Her body needs to do this on its own. They will transfuse her if she falls into the low 20k because it becomes to dangerous for her with bleeding.

Elizabeth continues to amaze me. Her attitude is upbeat and spirits high all the time. I marvel at her because her faith is so strong and she is always willing to put herself on the line to help anyone she can.

Please continue to pray for:
Liz's basketball teammate, Taylor, who lost her mother to cancer last week. We will be attending the viewing on Monday and the Funeral on Tuesday if all her counts are good.
The children and families on A5 South.
Mouth sores to heal.
Minimal side effects.
Platelets to rise.
ANC's to stay high.
The staff that takes care of her.
Prayers for yourself as well.

I will continue to pray for blessings from our Lord for all of us!

Blessings and Happy Easter!

Christine

Home again

Hello fellow followers,
We are home and doing great. Liz just came back from having sushi with her cousin-in-law Rich. She went shopping yesterday with her grandmother, looking for hat to replace the hair that is coming out. On Sat. she had her friend Brittany spend the night.
While in the hospital, Brittany and her mom Cindy came down to visit; they were involved with all the practical joke that Liz, Leah, Critter, and Bobby were playing on unsuspecting parents and staff. I watched them on Elizabeth's computer and just laughed.

On to more serious stuff-yuck-. We will go this Thursday for her four hour test, the GFR. This test is done routinely before every admit with the high dose Methotrexate they will also draw her blood to see if her count are high enough to receive the Methotrexate. Platelets need to be 75k and her ANC 750. The GFR is to make sure that her kidneys are functioning properly and will be able to handle her admit on Tuesday, April 14, this will be the last admit with high dose Methotrexate.

Our next move is into the Delayed Intensification, that's right INTENSIFICATION. That word says it all. Three of the chemo drugs she will receive, Vincristine, Daunorubicin, and Pegaspargase, will cause all of her counts to drop for the 57 plus days she will be in this phase. She will also be on the ARAC or as she fondly calls it "AR stinking C". This drug is what through her in the hospital at Christmas.
This drugs side effects are flu like symptom, aches, fever, nausea and several others that come with most of the chemotherapy's she receives. The others side effects are more dangerous to the body's vital organs.

We will continue to enjoy this reprieve from the debilitating side effects of the other chemotherapys. Each day is a blessing from our Lord whether we are sick or healthy. Spring is a time of rebirth and growth. It is a gift from God, a treasure to behold, new life for all that has been dormant for the winter. A time for Liz to live.

Please continue to pray for:
The patients, families, and staff that work so hard to heal these children.
mouth sores.
minimal side effects.
she is a go for April 14.
Lizzy's overall health.

Blessings and continued prays,
Christine

Day two of chemo

Liz was doing well until this morning. She woke up vomiting and I woke up to the noise of it. I am not sure which is worse...OK yes I am.. definitely the one vomiting has it worse. She still has about six to seven more hours with chemo running into her system and then they will start to flush it out. She will be sleeping most of the day due to the drugs they gave her so she would stop vomiting. Sorry dear, I know you hate that word but I can not remember how to spell emisis correctly and I am too tired to google it. :-D

Please pray that she holds her own for the rest of the day and we are out of here on Sat.
Pray for minimal side effects. She did well with this the last time around but she is getting over a cold so who knows why her body is screaming this time.

Playtime is over for her and Leah today. Leah is having her appendix removed as I type. Please pray all goes well and no infection will occur in her body.

Blessings to all of you and have a wonderful day.

Christine