I think the new nick name for Lisa should be "sleeping beauty"! This session of chemo ends tonight at 10:30 and pretty much the only side affect Lisa has had from it is, she sleeps! The doctors said that sometimes this is the side affect, but it is definitely not the most common one. Gail said that she has been awake for about a total of 20 min. since this started a day and a half ago. They definitely feel God's hand on Lisa right now.
They expect to be home on Monday, and if all goes really well it may be as early as tomorrow sometime. Lisa will be home for 2 weeks, and I have even heard mention of her going to school some, I am sure they will see how everything goes to determine that. During this two weeks they will have to make a few trips back to Portland for check ups and some blood work to monitor her progress. Lisa will check back into Deornbecher on Feb. 18th for another 4 nights of chemo. This is supposed to be some real strong stuff, so your prayers could be that Lisa's body will tolerate it well again. The sched. after that is; back again on Feb. 25th for 4 nights, and again on March 4th for 3 nights.
We will continue to let you know how Lisa is doing through this blog. When Lisa gets home I hope that she will add to it herself! There are a few fund raisers in the works so watch for that as well. Thanks for all the love and encouragement given to the Harders.
ss
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Lisa started chemotherapy
We have just a little new info this morning... Last night at 10:30 Lisa started chemotherapy. The doctors told them that at 12:30 they were going to change up what they were giving her and that it was going to be really tough for her. Well, as of this morning Lisa has not been sick at all. She slept all night, unlike her mom and gandma. They are so thankful for this blessing. This dose of chemo is supposed to go for 48 hours, so we are praying that she will continue to tolerate it so well.
We also wanted to pass along information for those of you who want to visit Lisa at Doernbecher, There are no flowers or plants allowed, you can not have a cold or be sick at all. They will take your temp. and even if you have the slightest temp. you will not be allowed to enter the ward. I am sure there are a few more rules so you may just want to double check with the hospital or family before you go.
ss
We also wanted to pass along information for those of you who want to visit Lisa at Doernbecher, There are no flowers or plants allowed, you can not have a cold or be sick at all. They will take your temp. and even if you have the slightest temp. you will not be allowed to enter the ward. I am sure there are a few more rules so you may just want to double check with the hospital or family before you go.
ss
Thursday, January 29, 2009
From e-mail on Wed. Jan.28th
I wanted to give you an update on Lisa Harder. The family and several friends went up to Doernbecher yesterday to meet with two sets of doctors. In the morning they met with the doctors that gave them the information about all the tests that have been done on Lisa over the last weeks.
The name of the cancer that Lisa has is Osteosarcoma. It is a rare form of bone cancer that most often affects adolescence, especially when they are having a growth spurt. This cancer usually starts in the long bones of the leg or arm, but can also affect the pelvis and a few other places. Lisa’s affected her arm, at the shoulder. It is a fast growing cancer that starts out as a tumor in the bone. As it grows it weakens the bone usually causing it to break. That has happened to Lisa. Unfortunately, Lisa’s cancer has also spread to her lungs. There are 2 small spots about the size of a marble in the lower left side of her lung. They were thankful that is had not attacked her lungs to a larger degree. The family left that meeting feeling relieved.
In the afternoon they met with a second set of doctors. These are the ones that will work with Lisa on the treatment of her cancer. This meeting brought the sting of reality of what Lisa will endure over the next months. On Thur. Lisa will be admitted to Doernbecher to have a port put into her chest so that they can administer the chemotherapy into it each time. This way they do not have to do an IV each time, which would not really work anyway because the veins in the arm are not strong enough to support this treatment. That same afternoon, Lisa will start her first treatment of Chemo. We understand that she will be administered 48 hours of chemo and be in the hospital until Mon. or Tue. They are going to put Lisa on a very aggressive regiment of Chemo to try to stop the spread of the cancer and also to shrink the existing tumor. They will continue Chemo for about 12 weeks. The plan is that at about 11 weeks from now they will do surgery to remove the tumor on her arm. Surgery will also have to be performed on her lungs to remove the cancer there, but I am not sure when that would happen. It is possible that chemo will continue some after the surgery.
Chemo will be very hard on Lisa and she will get very sick from it. She will lose her hair and possibly even her fingernails, as the chemo kills cells good and bad in her body. They told us that she will develop sores in her mouth and just overall feel very bad. She will come home in between treatments, they have given the family the schedule of what to expect, but I don’t have that available right now.
Feb. 7th is Lisa’s Birthday, she will be 14 years old. We threw her a surprise party last Sunday with some of her friends from school and church. We managed to pull it off and she was very surprised. It was a nice time together.
Lisa is so sweet through all of this. She has kept her spirits and hopes high. She is relying on scripture and God to give her comfort. She has been surrounded by family and good friends. Connor and Cassie have occupied a lot of her time making crafts, playing Monopoly and Sorry and supporting her on her trips to Doernbecher. The word Lisa has chosen to give her hope is appropriately… “HOPE”. And that is what we have, HOPE!
A lot of this information was given to me last night after the family got back from a long wearing day at Doernbecher. I believe it is all pretty accurate, but as can always happen in passing on news , some of the info may be slightly different. The Harder’s appreciate and depend on your prayers and support and wanted you all to have this update on Lisa.
Thanks,
Sherie Stombaugh
I wanted to give you an update on Lisa Harder. The family and several friends went up to Doernbecher yesterday to meet with two sets of doctors. In the morning they met with the doctors that gave them the information about all the tests that have been done on Lisa over the last weeks.
The name of the cancer that Lisa has is Osteosarcoma. It is a rare form of bone cancer that most often affects adolescence, especially when they are having a growth spurt. This cancer usually starts in the long bones of the leg or arm, but can also affect the pelvis and a few other places. Lisa’s affected her arm, at the shoulder. It is a fast growing cancer that starts out as a tumor in the bone. As it grows it weakens the bone usually causing it to break. That has happened to Lisa. Unfortunately, Lisa’s cancer has also spread to her lungs. There are 2 small spots about the size of a marble in the lower left side of her lung. They were thankful that is had not attacked her lungs to a larger degree. The family left that meeting feeling relieved.
In the afternoon they met with a second set of doctors. These are the ones that will work with Lisa on the treatment of her cancer. This meeting brought the sting of reality of what Lisa will endure over the next months. On Thur. Lisa will be admitted to Doernbecher to have a port put into her chest so that they can administer the chemotherapy into it each time. This way they do not have to do an IV each time, which would not really work anyway because the veins in the arm are not strong enough to support this treatment. That same afternoon, Lisa will start her first treatment of Chemo. We understand that she will be administered 48 hours of chemo and be in the hospital until Mon. or Tue. They are going to put Lisa on a very aggressive regiment of Chemo to try to stop the spread of the cancer and also to shrink the existing tumor. They will continue Chemo for about 12 weeks. The plan is that at about 11 weeks from now they will do surgery to remove the tumor on her arm. Surgery will also have to be performed on her lungs to remove the cancer there, but I am not sure when that would happen. It is possible that chemo will continue some after the surgery.
Chemo will be very hard on Lisa and she will get very sick from it. She will lose her hair and possibly even her fingernails, as the chemo kills cells good and bad in her body. They told us that she will develop sores in her mouth and just overall feel very bad. She will come home in between treatments, they have given the family the schedule of what to expect, but I don’t have that available right now.
Feb. 7th is Lisa’s Birthday, she will be 14 years old. We threw her a surprise party last Sunday with some of her friends from school and church. We managed to pull it off and she was very surprised. It was a nice time together.
Lisa is so sweet through all of this. She has kept her spirits and hopes high. She is relying on scripture and God to give her comfort. She has been surrounded by family and good friends. Connor and Cassie have occupied a lot of her time making crafts, playing Monopoly and Sorry and supporting her on her trips to Doernbecher. The word Lisa has chosen to give her hope is appropriately… “HOPE”. And that is what we have, HOPE!
A lot of this information was given to me last night after the family got back from a long wearing day at Doernbecher. I believe it is all pretty accurate, but as can always happen in passing on news , some of the info may be slightly different. The Harder’s appreciate and depend on your prayers and support and wanted you all to have this update on Lisa.
Thanks,
Sherie Stombaugh
The journey begins
Today Lisa had her port surgicaly implanted into her chest. The plan is to start the first dose of chemo. As we learn more we will update this site. Thanks for signing on to this blog, the family needs all the support they can get.
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