9/15/06 CT scan results

Still working on getting all those Cruise pictures uploaded to an online album (half way done), but soon they should be available for viewing and even ordering from Walmart.com. Once I'm done, I'll post a link so you can be inundated with all the cruise pictures! Until then, here are a few...

All the kids with Pluto
Mike and Matt in front of the Flying Dutchman (Davey Jones' pirate ship from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest) anchored at Disney's private Bahamian island, Castaway Cay
Elizabeth with her new mermaid (from the Atlantis Resort in Nassau), pooped out. No, that is not a hospital bracelet on her ankle--it's one of the bracelets every child gets to wear on the ship!
Elizabeth hand feeding a ray at Castaway Cay. She wanted to be in charge, so the instructor let her have his spot! This was by far one of Elizabeth's very favorite things we did. I'm so glad we had the opportunity for it.
Happy Princess!

So that's the good part of this post.


Elizabeth's scan results weren't good. She has multiple new nodules in her lungs--both right and left. The original nodule appears unchanged, whatever comfort that is supposed to be. There are changes to her liver which her doc seems to think is tumor. Because her liver has been getting more and more fatty, the appearance of "normal" liver density tissue has him thinking it is tumor and not new regenerating liver. I'm praying that the results are because the Milk Thistle I've been giving her is actually detoxifying and improving her liver. Her bilirubin level is 0.2 (GREAT!!), which is much lower than the over 3 she had been in July, so the Milk Thistle is at least improving something even if there is tumor in the liver.

Elizabeth's AFP levels had been increasing 6000 every week, and were 51,100 on 9/8.
On 9/15 they were 44,600--a DECREASE of 6000! So that is good news, although 6000 is more like a drop in a bucket among a level of 45,000.

Every day I am continually astonished and touched by the generosity and care shown to us by the ChemoAngels. Elizabeth is being special-angeled again by these incredible ladies, and just about everyday she gets something else in the mail. The beautiful, sometimes hand made!, cards that come filled with love (and STICKERS!!) not only give her something to look forward to, they also make her smile and giggle which makes me look forward to mail time as well. Thank you so much.

Things just don't get easier on this road. I'm getting so tired of all of it. The continual barrage of bad news, the constant worry, the waiting for things to get worse... I want a miracle so desperately.