She's a FIGHTER!

Elizabeth is still hanging tough... no surprise there! She always has been a tough-y.

Each day seems to be getting a little better as her stent placement heals and she has her bursts of energy. We had her at CHLA outpatient today to get blood drawn and have her CBC and Chem 14 panels checked. Her bilirubin is continuing to decrease (down from her all time high of 8.7 to 4.something), and her liver enzymes aren't getting worse, so hopefully her biliary stent is helping.

Elizabeth is on some heavy duty pain meds (methadone and neurontin), but her doses aren't huge and her pain is being managed pretty well now without completely knocking her out all day. This is just huge for us because it means she has more quality time left.

She is putting on a strong face, but she still has moments when she cries out that she can't take the pain. Thankfully, these moments are happening far less than they were almost a week ago (when it was pretty constant until we met with the Pain Service Team and got on the meth and neurontin). Dr. Joseph and the pain team are simply incredible. These people are called in when nothing else is helping, which means the cases they see are always bad (even if only temporarily bad before recovery). I am so thankful for how they have worked with us to help our princess. It has made all the difference.

I'm trying to keep this update short, since Grandma Mary is keeping Elizabeth busy (they are playing Pretty Pretty Princess right now), but I want to say thank you to everyone who is praying. And thank you to Candye, Pun, Nurse Tina, Nina, Nurse Sona, whoever was working the CHLA pharmacy on Saturday night, Tux, all the ChemoAngels, all the Angels of Hope, all the Warrior Angels, all the Prayer Angels, Maureen, Grandma Mary & Grandpa Terry, Grandma Kirsten, Uncle Luke, Dr. Elizabeth Eddy-Bertrand, Kelly, Lisa D., Kathy, Make-A-Wish, and Mattel. You guys know why, so I won't go into details.

To add just one more thing to our plate, on Friday 1/5 I found I had bloody discharge from my right nipple. Today I had a mammogram, which doesn't show any obvious masses. I am scheduled for a ductogram (don't ask... if you think mammograms are bad, add having a wire shoved through a duct into your breast and THEN have a mammogram--all without anesthesia) on Monday 1/15. If Elizabeth can do what she does, I can face anything. Odds are in my favor that it is a ductal papilloma, but if it isn't that, then it is probably ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) which is breast cancer. Either way, a lumpectomy is in order, the only question is if we will have to follow up with more radical surgery or chemotherapy/radiation. So when I say our plate is rather full, I really mean it. I'm doing just fine with all this, but I worry about my boys if I have to tell them that their mom is now facing cancer, too. Hopefully that day won't come any time soon.

People keep saying that God only gives us what we can handle. I wish He didn't have so much faith in us... I think I'm reaching my limit.

We're still hopeful and praying for a miracle. Truthfully, every day in which Elizabeth smiles is a miracle. Every day that she is still here, I am thankful. God bless you all and keep praying.