Elizabeth Ann Cook Christensen

30 October 2007 8:00 am

2007-10-30T10:25:00.000-06:00

For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven;
A time to be born, and a time to die;

This morning, Elizabeth Ann Katsitsaro’roks Cook Christensen took a shallow breath and died.

The hole her departure has left in all of us will never be filled. She has been the kind of mother that books are written about. She has been the kind of wife that we pray our sons will receive. She has been a friend to so many; even to those who where difficult to love at times. She was an energetic and faithful missionary.

Our mother could not feel hate. She saw in others their goodness. She saw all people through God’s eyes and therefore saw their grandness and Godly potential.

Only God can give us the strength to live on with the hole her departure has left in us. It will never be filled – not until we embrace again in our next life.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 3^rd at 10:00 am (viewing) and 11:30 am (services).

98 E Canyon Crest Rd
ALPINE , UT 84004

Map and Driving Directions

Please feel free to stay with any of us. We would be so happy to have you in our homes.

The Christensens

23 October 2007

2007-10-24T22:37:00.000-06:00

Mom slept all night last night. From 10pm to 9am. She didn't even move. Dad kept checking her because she wasn’t stirring. When she woke up she drank half a cup of Postum with honey in it! This is a huge blessing. She also ate a little bit of chicken noodle soup for lunch and drank about 8 oz of water. Mom said to dad today, “I've changed my mind. I don't want to die.”

God is smiling down upon us truly.

The Christensens

23 October 2007

2007-10-23T20:23:00.000-06:00

Mom came home from the hospital yesterday. Her WBC count was 1.0 on Thursday, 3.3 on Friday, 5.7 on Saturday, 10 on Sunday, and 5.0 on Monday. This is good news as she is now able to fight infection on her own. And, those numbers got her permission to leave the hospital. This is the good news.

The bad news is that mom has been severely nauseated for the past two weeks. This may be due to the fact that she has been taking extraordinarily high doses of Neupogen, a cancer drug designed to increase WBC production. Or not. Or maybe. Who knows? Does anyone know a doctor?

This nausea has kept her from eating much of anything at all. The truth is that she has had nothing at all to eat in the past 5 days and a pittance to eat the 9 days before that.

So, imagine how lethargic and emotionally drained you are after 20 hours of fasting each month. Now, multiply that by 10 times. Then add to that the stress of knowing that there is/was a monster in your head eating your brain. And add to that the aches that come from being in bed for months on end. Well, all of that adds up to a despair that is larger than most of us can imagine. That is where mom is right now.

So, that is the news. Mom spends all day in bed. She doesn’t do very much talking. She doesn’t do any eating. She is deep in despair.

However, today the hospice nurse gave mom morphine (administered under her tongue since she is DONE with needles and refuses to swallow). She also gave mom some anti nausea medication that is administered as a balm to her arm. This has helped her mood some. She has been more talkative.

As for the rest of us … I suppose that we all fall somewhere on a continuum between resigned to mom’s death to hopeful that she will recover. And, I suppose that each of our locations on this continuum changes from day to day.

Seeing someone who is a loving and generous and righteous and caring and wonderful person suffer is an agonizing thing. It is especially difficult when that person is your mom. She has been our world. She is the president of our fan club, our counselor through grief, our advocate in times of sorrow and self doubt, our partner in joy and success, our mirror to our self perception, and our introduction to God and His ways. No life could be more successful than hers.

Could God want her back so soon? Isn’t there time for just a few more joyous years together? Only time will tell. This Friday is mom’s first MRI since Poosh and Koosh began. I suppose we will know more about the future then.

Your prayers and thoughts are received with gladness.

The Christensens

16 October 2007

2007-10-16T20:52:00.000-06:00

Ups and downs. Yesterday mom’s WBC count was 1.0; up from .9 which was up from .8. However, today she was back to .8. The bone marrow doctor came by today and took blood. She said that mom’s platelets and red blood cells are at a good level. She is unsure why the white blood cells are so low. She wants more extensive pathology tests on mom’s blood. That will happen tomorrow we think.

So, mom is in the hospital for at least one more week. She insisted that they take the feeding tube out. So they did. However, she is not eating like she should.

Dad is at the hospital every day … all day … He says that he is ok but you can hear the strain and exhaustion in his voice. He has truly been a hero in all of this. His abiding love and care for mom is an inspiration to his children.

Unfortunately, she is not able to receive flowers or fruit or children or visitors that are sick in any way.

Please pray for relief. It is time for mom to be healed.

The Christensens

15 October 2007

2007-10-15T21:26:00.000-06:00

Since the 27^th of September so much has happened.

Mom and Dad had their mission reunion on October 5^th. The turnout was good and it was a fun event. Mom was exhausted by it though. So many people pitched in to make the party a success.

Sunday night after conference, we have a tradition of gathering together to share our feelings. We got together on Sunday, October 7^th to do this. However, when we arrived at the house mom had been sleeping for 4 hours and dad could not wake her up. Her temperature was 105, her pulse was 120 bpm and she was unresponsive. It was determined that the best course of action was to call 911, give her a blessing and take her to the hospital. She has been their ever since.

Here is the problem. Mom is not producing white blood cells. Here are some stats. from last Friday.

Mom’s White Blood Cell (WBC) count is still low .8 which = 800. She needs to be at a 5,000 – 10,000 before she can be released.
Since this has not improved since her arrival last Sunday, they decided today to double her Neupogen dosage.
Neupogen is the drug that is supposed to kick start the bone marrow production of WBC’s.
She will get 600 cc’s per day vs. the previous 300.
Neupogen’s side effects include nausea and this increased dosage will “make her bones ache.”
Mom has not been eating well. She has been on a liquid / soft food diet and is undernourished because she hates to eat.
They gave her a mild sedative and then put an NG (Naso-Gastric) feeding tube down her nose into her stomach to feed her.
She has been told she will stay in the Hospital at least another 5 days, unless her WBC count miraculously improves before then.
If it is still low in 5 days, the U of U Oncologists and Dr. Hafen (the Am-Fork Hospital Dr.) will have another consult and determine next steps.
Bone marrow transplant surgery is not off the table so still a possible future option, but still a long way off in ways of treatments.

Sunday, mom’s WBC count was .9. This is still far too low but it is good news that it has moved up.

This has not been what we expected during mom’s break from koosh. Please pray for her and for dad.

The Christensen’s

27 September 2007

2007-09-27T23:33:00.000-06:00

For immediate release

Liz Christensen finishes Poosh

After 33 trips to Huntsman Cancer Institute, Elizabeth Ann Cook Christensen finishes her last Poosh treatment.

Alpine, Utah — September 27, 2007 — In what many are calling a courageous journey, Liz Christensen finished her final Poosh treatment today. Poosh, known in the medical community as Radiation Therapy, is an intense, daily bombardment of brain tissue with high doses of radiation resulting in memory loss, confusion, dizziness, lethargy, hair loss and nausea. Liz started this treatment on August 9, 2007 and has continued treatment every weekday until today.

Experts indicate that more than 5,200 miles were driven over the 33 days of Poosh, doctor visits, and hospital visits. This is roughly equivalent to driving from Alpine, Utah to Lima, Peru.

A small ‘graduation’ ceremony was held at the Huntsman Center today.

The mask used during Poosh, inspired by the infamous “Friday The Thirteenth” movies,

was used to clamp Liz’s head in place during the treatments. This same mask met its end tonight in a ceremonial burning outside the Christensen residence. Witnesses remarked that the burning of the mask was symbolic of Liz’s victory over brain cancer.

Many local dignitaries attended the mask burning event and dinner including Brad and Kim Christensen, Dave and Leilani Christensen, John and Mara Ambuehl, Dan and Heather Christensen and 13 grandchildren.

We are looking forward to four weeks of rest and recovery free from Poosh and Koosh.

The Christensens

24 September 2007

2007-09-24T21:19:00.000-06:00

The past two weeks have been like a roller coaster ride. Mom has had some fantastic days … and some very difficult days and nights. Overall her condition has not changed much. This week is her final week of Poosh. She is done on Thursday. We are having a family party Thursday night to celebrate. Koosh will also stop on that same day. She will have a 4 week break from it. Then mom will get another MRI. That is when we will know how the treatment has affected the cancer. We will not know anything until then.

Mom came to Jarom’s football game last Saturday 9/22/07. Jarom’s Coach Sardoni is from Mom & Dad’s ward in Alpine and after the win led the team cheers as they chanted “JAROM’S GRANDMA LIZ!!!!” It was Really sweet to see her get out and many on the team were inspired by her sacrifice to be there.

Lisa was here all week last week to help mom. It was such a blessing to have her here. She gave all of us a good break and mom loved being with Lisa.

The Christensens

10 September 2007

2007-09-10T23:27:00.000-06:00

I apologize for not updating this blog for so long. I have been trying to do it every other night but time has gotten away from me.

Things are going well for mom. She is walking better and better. Her nausea is persistent but not overwhelming. Her confusion is still present but she is learning to cope. Mom is an amazing woman.

Dad has really stepped up to the challenge of caring for mom day and night. The occasional mid-day breaks when family drive to Poosh give him a short break. He uses these breaks to get his projects done. He has been so patient and loving.

Sunday
Yesterday mom and dad spoke in church about their mission. They did a fantastic job. Mom was lucid and humorous and full of the spirit. Near the end of her talk, she started to shake. So, dad stood up and brought her wheelchair over to her. He said, “Liz, sit down here.” There was a microphone on a stand for her to use. However, mom was sure that dad was saying, “Liz, sit down. You need to be done.” Are you getting the picture? The congregation wasn’t sure what was happening. But, mom said to dad, “I have a few more things I would like to say.” So, dad went and sat down. A few minutes later mom was shaking more and dad stood again and whispered in mom’s ear, “Liz, you need to sit down.” She said, “I want to tell a story.” He said, “Liz, sit down here.” She said, “I want to tell a story.” He whispered in her ear again, “Liz, you need to sit down.” “I want to tell a story,” was her reply. Dad went back and sat down and the congregation roared. The battle of the wills had ended and mom was still standing. :-) He really was just trying to help.

After one more story, mom ended her talk in the customary way by closing “in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen” – but then she said, “but I have one more thing to say. Then she bore her testimony in Armenian. It was beautiful.

Then, the grandchildren sang “Army of Helaman.”

Dad did a great job on his talk. You could feel of his love for the Armenian people. He spoke of how the people struggled to survive and how the women in the church are carrying the load. He spoke of faith and the goodness of a mission.

Dad’s sisters Ann and Connie surprised us by showing up to the meeting. It was so great to see them and their families.

After the meeting, we had a reception at the house. President Bartholomew came to visit and the two of the couples from the mission field. It was nice to have them there.

Something amazing happened after the reception. Dad was out with the grandkids looking at the drained pond (remember? To find the snake?). The kids were all fascinated by the stranded fish. Then the snake showed itself. Dad used his skill with a garden rake to trap it and kill it. The snake is dead and mom is relieved, at least for now. There have been reports of babies ...

Wednesday
We had another meeting with the doctors today.

Mom is making very good progress. She is walking better, feeling better, going to the bathroom, and generally doing more things. Progress is slow, but it is there, which the doctors say is very good. This indicates that the Poosh is having an effect and the tumors are not growing. If the tumors where not responding to Poosh her symptoms would be getting worse.

We are still struggling with getting the right balance with the steroids. Too much of the steriod and Mom's peripheral muscles get weak (making it hard to walk), she gets severe acid reflux, as well as anxiety and depression. Not enough steroids and the swelling in the brain will increase and cause numbness, weakness all over, and stumbling and clumsiness. We are currently trimming down the steriods (4mg in the morning, 6mg at lunch) and it seems to be helping her. We need to keep an eye on her and if we see any of these symptoms let the doctors know so we can continue to adjust the levels. She will be on the steriods for a long time: they don't know if they will ever fully take her off them, but that will be decided as we go along based on how severe the side effects get (hair growth, changes in her skin).

Mom is still losing weight, which is a small problem, not big yet. The problem is that the Koosh makes food taste bad, so she craves food, but when she eats it tastes metalic and she doesn't eat much of it. We need to encourage her to continue eating as much as she is able to. She needs her weight and strength.

Mom completed day 17 of Poosh today, with 16 days remaining. This means her last treatment will be on Thursday, Sept. 27. After that there will be no more Poosh, ever (unless there are unusual circumstances) because the body cannot deal with that much radiation. 1 month after Poosh ends enough of the Poosh will have left her body for them to do an MRI. We look forward to those results.

Here is something none of us knew. The Koosh (chemo) Mom is on right now is a moderate amount meant only to support the radiation. Once Poosh ends they will immediately increase the Koosh to a much stronger dose, which she will continue with for 6 months to a year. I got the slight impression that stronger symptoms will set in at that time. They did not go into details.

Good news, her white cells (which were high last week) went back to normal levels on there own this week. (Count is at 14)

The CT scan showed that Mom does not have hydrocephelous and that the pressure on her brain is good.

That’s all for now.

The Christensens

4 September 2007

2007-09-04T22:33:00.001-06:00

Sunday

Jennifer and her family came up from Arizona to visit mom. Mom was so excited to see Jennifer. They joined Heather and Dan for dinner. Heather and Dan made moms apricot chicken with pilaf and squash and mom LOVED it. It settled really well on her stomach and she felt very relieved.

Doug and Sandra Clegg also came to visit. They had some good laughs about old times and mom’s spirits have improved.

Monday
Mom was so thrilled with herself today because she woke in the morning and said, I am going to walk today! One of the first things she said was, you have to see me walk, it is amazing! She did very well, taking big steps and going quite fast, she was walking all over the house. She is still getting disoriented, but is making good progress. She is in such good spirits and so proud of herself. The fight seems to be coming back a little at a time.

Heather helped mom find a few things she has been looking for and mom made a beautiful bow for the doll her grandma gave her.

About a month ago, we told mom about a snake he saw in their pond while they were in Armenia. It was seen eating a fish. Mom has been very worried about that snake ever since and has been bugging dad to take care of it. With all the possible things to worry about, imagine that. So, Dan and Dad drained the pond today in order to catch the dreaded snake, they worked their tails off! No word on the snake just yet. :-)

After dinner, Dave and his family came up to visit and brought some heavenly fresh peach ice cream. Life is good – especially during peach season.

Don’t forget that this Sunday mom and dad will be speaking in church about their mission. Church starts at 10am. The chapel is located at 1125 East Alpine Blvd., Alpine, Utah. Please feel free to join us for this event. We will be having a light reception following the meeting at mom and dad’s home. Please feel free to stop by after the meeting between 11:30 and 1:30.

The Christensens

1 September 2007

2007-09-01T23:23:00.000-06:00

Thursday

Before Poosh mom had her CT scan. This was to check only the amount of pressure on the brain due to fluid. No word yet on the results.

Mom is still suffering depression. She just can’t quite get her arms around this challenge. We need her to remember her Armenian heritage. Armenians are fighters. They never say die. Mom is an Armenian.

Friday
Today mom told stories of their mission. She has such good memories of the people in Armenia.

Poosh today was harder for mom. She is weary of the Poosh. It will be good to have it over.

Brandon came to say goodbye tonight. He is off to BYU. So he took her for a walk. She did great at walking. She is taking big steps. The weather is beautiful.

The ward has been taking in meals for the past two weeks. That has been so nice. Thank you.

Thank you too for all of the beautiful flowers. Mom loves them and they lift her spirits.

Mom and dad will give their mission report in church on September 9^th at 10am. The chapel is located at 1125 East Alpine Blvd., Alpine, Utah. Please feel free to join us for this event. We will be having a light reception following the meeting at mom and dad’s home. Please feel free to stop by after the meeting between 11:30 and 1:30.

Saturday
Today mom's was able to make up for many days of incontinence. What a great blessing. Many, many visits to the 'reading room' have helped her feel RELEIVED. Dad has been a champion, "my hero" says mom, in this effort. In related news, dad has been working all week to fix a leak in the water main. They have been without water for 3 days. He is more motivated than ever today to have the water back on. I've never seen him dig so fast. :-) He got it working tonight.

Thank you for all of your love and support. Your calls and blog comments and emails and visits are a great blessing for mom.

The Christensens

29 August 2007

2007-08-29T23:30:00.000-06:00

Tuesday

We had a follow up meeting with Dr. Hazard and Dr. Glantz. We met for one hour and discussed changing mom’s radiation treatment from whole brain to IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy). IMRT is what Dr. Watson strongly suggested last Friday. So, we had a meeting to discuss this option. The condensed version of the meeting is that Dr. Hazard believes that whole brain radiation for 25 visits followed by 8 treatments of focused radiation is the best course of action. We also stressed the need to help mom feel better than she is feeling. Her condition is declining. Dr. Glantz agreed that we need to find out why mom is so exhausted, anxious and disoriented.

Wednesday
Mom went to Poosh. She also got her blood work done. Her white blood cell count is 20.73, which is high and may indicate an infection. Her platelets are 144, which is a little low but nothing to worry about.

Then we met with Dr. Glantz. He talked to Mom about her anxiety and about her weakness. His opinion is that Mom might have a mild form of hydrocephalous (too much fluid on the brain) which would be the cause of her incontinence, confusion and weakness. She has a CT scan scheduled for tomorrow morning. This is to check only the amount of pressure on the brain due to fluid. If she has hydrocephalous they will simply remove some of the fluid from the Ommaya and it should help to alleviate these symptoms. He will also check the swelling in her brain and has recommended we begin to wean her off the steroids again. The steroids are causing her weakness in her peripheral muscles (i.e. joints in hips and joints in arms) which make it hard for her to stand and walk. He said it is common for steroids to cause this particular type of weakness.

Mom does love to hear from you and see you. She feels “out of the loop” and that stresses her out. She needs more visits and calls. The best time to do this is between 5pm and 7pm. The morning is used up with Poosh and after Poosh she needs a nap. So, please make time to visit or call.

The Christensens

27 August 2007

2007-08-27T22:39:00.000-06:00

Love can make people do crazy things. Need I say more?

Dan and Dave have thrown down the gauntlet. Since mom is losing her hair rapidly, Dan and Dave are showing mom their support. I am certain that at least one of us needs to keep our hair in order to converse with medical professionals from time to time. So, I am making that sacrifice. :-)

Today was a hard day for mom. Even though she skipped Poosh, she was exhausted and nauseated for most of the day. She slept a lot and is just weary. She is 12 days into the 33 days of treatment (36% - more than 1/3). Things will most likely get harder from here. We need your prayers more than ever. Please, please remember to ask the Lord to bless mom with strength and comfort.

Tomorrow we have an appointment with the neurology team. Dr. Jensen (the surgeon), Dr. Glantz (the neuro-oncologist), and Dr. Hazard (the radiologist). We will be talking about why we have to find out about treatment options and alternatives on our own instead of them discussing the options with us. We are interested to know what their plan is and why they have chosen it. We want to discuss the pros and cons. We want data. It will be interesting to see if doctors have data. I’ve heard that they are very smart people generally. It should be an interesting meeting. [sorry for the cynicism – my frustration is showing]

Finally, a friend shared the following thought with me.

"Healing blessings come in many ways, each suited to our individual needs, as known to Him [the Lord] who loves us best. Sometimes a 'healing' cures our illness or lifts our burden. But sometimes we are 'healed' by being given strength or understanding or patience to bear the burdens placed upon us."
Dallin H. Oaks – Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

We feel the Lord’s healing blessings.

The Christensens

26 August 2007

2007-08-26T22:08:00.000-06:00

Good news! Mom and dad just received their last piece of luggage from their trip home on July 21^st. Ha. Only one month later. The airline lost all of the tags from the bag so they went through it and found one of mom’s prescriptions. That is how they found out who it belonged to. They are glad to have it back.

Let me catch you up on the past few days.

Friday –
After Poosh today mom and dad went to Dan and Heather's home for our family's traditional lunch, grilled tuna. Mom loved it.

In the afternoon, we went to the consultation with Dr. Watson. He is the doctor who uses the Gamma Knife. He does not feel that mom is a candidate for the Gamma Knife but he does feel that the Poosh that mom is receiving is too conservative. He gave us a lot of information to think about. He suggested that he consult with mom’s Poosh doctor to change the strategy. So, mom is going to skip Poosh tomorrow so that we can talk to the doctors.

So, now we are faced with making more decisions. Please pray for us while we make these decisions. It is so difficult to know what we should do.

Saturday -
Cami came and cleaned the house. She did a great job. Mom feels so much happier when things are in order and are clean. Dan and Heather came and visited and worked on the basement too. These things put mom’s mind at ease.

John and Sandy McCormick came to visit and brought home made chicken noodle soup. Mom and dad enjoyed the visit very much. And, Sandy makes a mean chicken noodle soup. :-)

Sunday -
Today we went up the canyon today for mom and dad’s 47^th anniversary. It was wonderful to be together in the mountains. Mom and dad really enjoyed themselves.

23 August 2007

2007-08-23T23:39:00.000-06:00

Wednesday Mara took mom to Poosh. Things went well and afterward mom’s long craving for a hamburger led them to McDonalds. Mom was begging for McDonalds. You can double check in Revelations but I am pretty sure that this is one of the signs of the second coming. :-) Mara even brought some cheeseburgers home so that mom could snack on them. They are gone now.

Dawn and Morris Thurston came to visit in the evening. It was so nice to have friends visit. Mom and dad love it. Please consider making time to come by and visit. If you need a place to stay, we are more than happy to help. Mom is definitely up to visitors. It is a very important part of her life.

Thursday Dad took mom to Poosh. The radiologist reported that the X-Ray checked out clean. Nothing abnormal was found in mom’s chest to worry about. This is good news. The pain is subsiding due to some Loritab. We are not sure why there is pain there yet.

Tonight we had a meeting with the siblings to discuss coordinating all the necessary things (food, Poosh, Koosh consultations, mission reunions, glow in the dark landing strips to help mom at night, etc.). We all took assignments and shared our concerns with each other. It is a difficult thing to do since we all have so many emotions and our feelings are tender because of mom. But, it was a good meeting. The Lord is truly blessing us to be understanding and patient with each other and to work together.

Tomorrow after Poosh, mom is going to a consultation with a doctor who uses a Gamma Knife. “The Gamma Knife^® offers a non-invasive alternative for many patients for whom traditional brain surgery is not an option. Gamma Knife^® surgery removes the physical trauma and the majority of risks associated with conventional surgery.” This is something that we hope will be effective on the second tumor that was not removed. We will let you know what we find out.

The Christensens

21 August 2007

2007-08-21T22:58:00.001-06:00

Dad took mom to Poosh today. Things went as planned. However, mom has been complaining about her upper ribs on her left side hurting. So dad arranged to have an X-Ray taken today after Poosh. We will know the results tomorrow. We are not sure what to think about this. Dr. Glantz explained to us in the beginning that Gliomas DO NOT spread to other parts of the body. So, this cannot be the cancer spreading. So, we do not know what to think. We will let you know when we know more.

Tonight mom had shish kabob and pilaf and fruit for dinner. She ate well again. The Koosh is causing her to have stomach distress at night. So, we are working to help mom not over eat. :-) :-)

We have set up a family calendar on the internet so that we can better coordinate who gets a turn helping. We have been stepping all over each other because everyone wants a turn taking mom to Poosh or helping at the house or bringing dinner, etc. This will be a good thing. On one of mom’s visits to the doctor, all six kids were there. That is a little overwhelming for the hospital. ;-) More than once, mom and dad have had multiple dinners brought over. So, the calendar will be a good thing. We are so blessed to have the family that we have. Each of us contributes when and where they can. We are so blessed to have each other and mom is bringing us even closer together. What a blessing it is to be able to pause our ridiculously busy lives in order to contemplate and act upon the love that we have for our parents. God sends his tender mercies to us in so many ways.

The Christensens

20 August 2007

2007-08-20T22:57:00.000-06:00

Mom had another good weekend. She is very tired but finds time to get around. Mom and dad went to church on Sunday. This is their first time back since their mission. They said that it went very well. Friends in the ward are full of love and hope.

Mom had another successful Poosh today. In and out in 15 minutes. Then, more Japanese food. Just before the meal she said, “I’m not very hungry. I’ll just have a little bit.” Then, she ate all of her tempura, sushi and rice and some of Kim’s plate. She even joked that she was thinking about eating the chopsticks. She just kept commenting on how inventive the Japanese were in making food. “How ingenious it is to make Tempura vegetables. Very creative.” We come by our love for food honestly. Grandma Mary (mom’s mom) could not eat a meal without grunting her satisfaction and pleasure. Armenian means “lovers and inventors of the foods of the world.” No kidding. Look it up.

Dad continues to help at home. True, he doesn’t do the laundry right. True, he isn’t the best cook. True, he isn’t proficient in the ways of cleaning. No, he isn’t a skilled shopper. :-) But this much we know. He loves mom. He loves her deeply. And who could ask for more. Dad doesn’t show it or talk about it but he is dealing with so very much. He needs your prayers and support.

Finally, mom has just finished day 8 of 33 days of Poosh. This is 24%. Or in other words, she is ¼ of the way done. She is handling the treatments very well. She is tired and mildly nauseated but it could be far worse. Our hopes and prayers are that the tumors are dying. That these monstrous cells are unable to recover from the Poosh and the Koosh. That mom’s white blood cells are attacking them and sweeping their remains out of her body. Our hopes and our prayers are for a miracle.

Some say that the percentages are very low that mom will survive this calamity. Well, imagine the statistics regarding the safe crossing of the Red Sea on foot in the times of Moses. What percentage of people were raised from the dead before Christ came and showed that it was possible? Miracles are not bound by statistics or percentages. Miracles are God’s to give. And, we live in a day of miracles. Our hopes and our prayers are for a miracle. Please keep praying with us for the miracle of recovery for our Mom.

The Christensens

15 August 2007

2007-08-16T22:40:00.000-06:00

They took Mom's staples out today at Poosh - she is very happy to have them out. Today was a good appointment as she got right in and right out. Mara checked with the doctor about her blood work and he said everything looks good. They had the "tumor board" today and discussed Mom. They are going to wait about 2 weeks before they check the Ommaya again to see if mom’s spinal fluid is circulating enough to allow Koosh in the spinal fluid. They are not sure they will do another scan yet, they will wait to see how things look in two weeks. So she will not be receiving the intrathecal Koosh for a while, but according to nurse Melissa the radiation should keep things in check until they can get the Ommaya working properly.

The Christensens

12 August 2007

2007-08-14T23:09:00.000-06:00

Medical update:
Dave took mom to Poosh today and out to Benihana's for lunch. She really loved it and talked a lot about wasabi and ginger. She ate her meal and half of Dave’s. According to Julia, Dr. Glantz’s nurse practitioner, they are going to wait another week to do the “Koosh” in mom’s spinal fluid to be sure the blood flow goes all the way up. Right now it is not and they think it is because she still has a lot of swelling in her brain. They feel confident that the “Poosh” and the steroids will reduce that swelling enough that the blood flow will be good enough to start the Koosh via the Ommaya for her spinal fluid. They will do another scan next week to determine that. The good news is her nausea should subside when the swelling goes down. Also, the radiation nurses should take the staples out tomorrow. That will be nice.

Update at home:
Mom took a shower all by herself today. Apparently she didn't want help from Mara (modesty issues) so she got up and did it herself.

Dad is doing the shopping by himself (!!!!!!) and said he is ready to feed her dinner tonight. We might just do a surprise visit to see how things are going. :-) Dad is helping mom so much with her rehabilitation. He encourages mom to do things on her own but with his supervision. As it turns out, this is exactly what she needs. The kids all want to jump in and do everything for mom. We feed her; we hold her arms when she walks; we go to the bathroom with her. Dad lets mom do things for herself when she can. Tonight she was walked to the bathroom and back out to the patio without help. She can do it.

She was more like herself tonight than we have seen her since she has been home. We sat on the patio and read your emails and your comments on the blog. You have no idea how much strength she gets from your prayers and your kind words of encouragement and love. If prayers are like light, I would love to see the view from where God lives. The points of light are coming from all over the world and are steady and brilliant. We love you all and express our deepest gratitude to each of you for your light.

The Christensens

PS. Mom wanted to have this picture posted so that all the people in Armenia could see her family. :-)

10 & 11 August 2007

2007-08-11T23:34:00.000-06:00

Friday

Mom had another Gamma scan this morning. As we left the house, she turned to her sisters Carol and Elaine and said, “I feel confused. But then again … I always have. We started the morning with a laugh. On the way to the hospital mom said, “Radiation and Chemo are such harsh words. They should call it poosh and koosh or something like that.” So from now on we are going to call radiation therapy “poosh” and chemo therapy “koosh.” :-)

After the gamma scan, we went to temple square to meet with President Monson. Because of President Faust’s passing the night before, President Monson’s office called to tell us that he may be a few minutes late because he was meeting with the Faust family.

We met him in the quorum of the 12 conference room on the first floor of the Administration building. President Monson shared stories from Hogansburg, New York and mom’s family. His memory was truly amazing. He spent an hour with us even with his busy schedule preparing for Elder Faust’s funeral. Dad anointed mom and he sealed the anointing. It was a special experience.

After the blessing, mom went back to the hospital to get her poosh. Then she received one more gamma scan. The day left her tired.

Saturday

Alpine Days. Mom came to the fireman’s breakfast in the morning and then the parade. It was so fun to be together. Saturday at Alpine days is a tradition. Then mom went home and had a good, long nap. We spent the afternoon by the pool at Brad and Kim’s and the evening hanging out at John and Mara’s. Mom ate a great dinner and even ate an Oreo and a root beer float.

We brought a chaise lounge out on to the deck for mom to be in and Carol said, “Hey I want a chair like that.” Mom replied, “Get a brain tumor.” Her sense of humor is intact.

We have felt the blessings of the Lord this weekend. We are so grateful that mom is with us and that she is doing so well. We pray that the tumors will be killed by the Poosh and Koosh. Thank you for your love and prayers and for caring so deeply for our mom.

The Christensens

P.S. For fun. Please add a "comment" to this posting with your names. Then we will be able to see all the people that saw todays posting. Just click on the underlined text just below this that says "# comments". Then add a comment with your name in it. Thanks.

9 August 2007

2007-08-09T23:38:00.000-06:00

A good day.

First, mom had her spinal plumbing checked. At 8:30 she had an injection of radioactive dye into her Ommaya. If her spinal fluid is circulating correctly, the dye will be detectable by a Gamma camera. She had one scan at 9am, one at 10am, one at 4pm and will have one more in the morning. The procedure is called a cisternography. It is important that her spinal fluid circulates correctly so that when chemotherapy is injected to treat this fluid, it does not just stay in one spot.

Mom also had her chemotherapy consultation with Dr. Glantz and Julia at 11am. The meeting was a good overview what to expect moving forward.

Mom had her first radiation therapy today at 5pm. She was incredibly brave. The machine used to do the radiation was very large and looked like something out Star Wars. It scared me when I saw it. It was so big. See picture below.

More pictures are below in the photo section of the blog.

Mom took the treatment very well. The mask was not comfortable and made her feel claustrophobic. They strap it on VERY tight. Then they line up the beams and do the treatment. Today took about 20 minutes but from now on it will take about 5 minutes. Mom was in good spirits after the treatment. She had energy and was in a good mood. We went straight to the Alpine Days Family Dinner. She ate a little and socialized for about an hour.

Tonight mom took her first chemo pill. The pill is so toxic that dad has to put on a rubber glove before touching one of the pills. This is the same pill that mom will put in her mouth! WOW. Dad can’t touch it but mom has to swallow it. We will know in the morning how she did with it. We are praying that the effects are minimal.

Tomorrow morning mom gets one more gamma scan. Then, at 10am we are meeting with President Monson in his office. He is going to give mom a blessing. He was the mission president when her family joined the church. He used to come to their home from time to time for their famous fish frys. He is kind to make time to meet with us now. It will be a great blessing to be able to spend time with him.

Thank you for your continued support and love. Please keep up the fervent prayers.

The Christensens

8 August 2007

2007-08-08T23:13:00.000-06:00

[Caution. The following paragraph may cause vertigo] This morning dad got a call from the hospital confirming mom’s appointment for tomorrow at 11. Tomorrow? The appointment for R&C (Radiation & Chemo) therapy was supposed to be today. So, dad informed us that it was moved to tomorrow. When Mara looked into it the appointment that they were confirming was actually for tomorrow with a different department in the neuro unit at Huntsman. So, mom missed her first R&C therapy today. The more people Mara called the more she learned about tomorrow. The 11am appointment is just one of many. She actually has a 9am appointment to get injected with a dye. Then a 10am appointment to have a brain scan. Then a very important 11am to meet with someone named Julie. Then another scan at 4pm. Then finally R&C therapy at 5pm. We found out about all of this because Mara was persistent and kept asking to speak to yet another scheduling nurse person. The Huntsman Cancer Circus is in need of a serious overhaul. I am convinced that if the same crew were managing a McDonalds it would be out of business in a week. It is SO frustrating. It has been 20 days since mom's diagnosis and still not R&C therapy.

On a lighter note. Mom is enjoying her time at home. The evenings sitting on the deck are gifts from God.

Mom’s appetite for red meat is still strong. She devours roast beef sandwiches and also loves mashed potatoes. It is good to have her closer and so nice to have her home. Pray for us tomorrow as we negotiate the Huntsman Circus. Mom is very anxious about starting chemo.

The Christensens

5 August 2007

2007-08-05T22:20:00.000-06:00

Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.

Doctrine & Covenants 6:36

Today was a fantastic day.

It started at 3am for mom and dad. Mom was hungry for a steak sandwich. :-) That’s right. A steak sandwich! Thank heavens that Dan and Cami had made one for her the day before. Dad got up and prepared it for mom and she devoured it. She was up 5 different times during the night. That is hard on both mom and dad.

Mom got some rest during the day and got a chance to talk on the phone and in person to friends. She and dad have the most amazing group of friends. Faithful and supportive and full of life. She loves to see them.

We gathered together as a family this afternoon to break our fast together. Aunt Elaine made most of the meal. It was fabulous and mom ate like a horse. She had thirds! It was so nice to be together laughing and eating and just being. After dinner we went for a walk. It had just rained and God’s earth never looked or smelled so beautiful. Mom was thrilled to be out in it. (see photos)

We feel the blessings of our Father as we prepare for Wednesday. That is when mom will start radiation and chemo therapy. Thank you for your prayers and love.

In the midst of affliction, my table is spread.

With blessings unmeasured, my cup runneth o’er.

The Lord is My Shepherd verse 3

The Christensens

3 & 4 August 2007

2007-08-05T00:05:00.001-06:00

Friday mom came home from the hospital! She had tears of joy to finally be home. She does not remember the 12 hours she spent here two weeks ago. It is so good to have her home.

Saturday

Mom got a haircut today. She now looks very much like a scholarly author and artist that lives in Park City. A little like Judi Dench (James Bond’s boss). Little Nicholas came to visit and when he saw mom he said, “Gama, Wha happen you hair?” (see video) Mom got a kick out of that.

Mom’s sister Elaine flew in today. It is great to have her here to help Dad (for the record Dad says, “I don’t need help.”) Lisa went home to Ohio today. She has been so much help to mom.

We are still praying that mom will be able to find her resolve. She feels disconnected from herself. She feels lost and without purpose. It has always been hard for her to sit. She needs a project and needs a deadline.

Please include mom in your fasting and prayers tomorrow.

The Christensens

2 August 2007

2007-08-03T00:24:00.001-06:00

Today mom had surgery to implant an Ommaya reservoir. An Ommaya reservoir is a device implanted under the scalp that is used to deliver anticancer drugs to the cerebrospinal fluid. Dr. Glantz wants to be able to easily treat mom’s spinal fluid in order to reduce the risk of the Glioma appearing on her spine. This device will make this possible without added surgeries.

The surgery and the pain medications afterwards left mom mostly out of it today. She also had her stitches removed. This will help her to sleep better. They really bothered her and made it uncomfortable to lay on her back.

We are researching treatments and studies and survival statistics and stories related to GBM. There is so much information out there – some positive but mostly discouraging. I do not want to use this blog to repeat or interpret the myriad of information that is available. It is important that you know that this cancer is vicious and has claimed many lives. However, there are examples of people who have beaten it. So, if you find any information that would be useful in helping us to fight this, please send it to pray4liz@hotmail.com. We can use all of the help we can get. There are many, many treatment options.

Mom comes home from the hospital tomorrow. What a happy day that will be.

The Christensens

1 August 2007

2007-08-01T23:44:00.000-06:00

Another good day. Mom is doing very well with rehabilitation. She will be coming home on Friday. This will be a good thing as she will be in more familiar surroundings with paint on the walls and floors covered with something other than gray linoleum. Hospitals are in serious need of mood enhancing makeovers. I am convinced that a regular, healthy and well adjusted person would begin to feel depressed and disoriented if confined to a hospital room for a week. The smells, the muted colors, the constant beeps and buzzes, the shared rooms, the limited space for visitors, the needles and oh yes THE FOOD.

It will be good to have mom home. This will give us a chance to prepare her for the difficult days which lie ahead. Chemotherapy and radiation will be difficult.

Mom had her mask made today for radiation therapy. They made a full face mask of her face. She will put her face into the mask and get a CT scan. Then each time mom gets radiation treatments, she will put her face in the mask so that the treatments are directed to the exact location necessary. When she is done with radiation, we will use the mask to make a statue to put in the entry. That should be fun.

Tonight, the nurses trained Lisa, Mara and Dad on how to administer medication to mom and how to care for her once she gets home.

Mom is getting back to normal. She is planning parties. She has planned a tea party for all the girls in the family. She is planning an Armenian bash in October. Mom loves parties. It is so good to see her slowly returning to herself.

Finally, we know that many of you would like to come and visit now that mom is home. We want to make this as easy as possible and reduce the jumble of having house guests for mom. So, here is the plan.

We have opened three, four star hotels. Each is less than 3 minutes drive from Herb and Liz.

- The Christensen Courtyard (Brad and Kim Christensen’s home)
(Two rooms, three beds, kitchenette, large family room, 1 bathroom)

- The Christensen Renaissance (Dave and Leilani Christensen’s home)
(2 rooms, 3 beds, 1 bath, lots of floor space for kids)

- The JW Ambuehl (John and Mara Ambuehl’s home)
(1 room with 1 full size bed, 1 bathroom, in room big screen TV with satellite included free of charge.)

To arrange a visit, please phone or email our lovely reservation clerk, Kim Christensen. She can be contacted at mama4boys@comcast.net or at 801-836-7550. Thank you for helping us minimize the impact of house guests while maximizing your ability to visit. Mom loves visitors as you know.

The Christensens

31 July 2007

2007-08-01T11:18:00.000-06:00

Milestones of hope. Today was an amazing and amazingly long day.

Miracle #1 Mom’s therapy went very well today. She is walking better than ever. Unassisted! She played ball today with Mia for more therapy. (See photos). Lisa, Mara and Cami gave mom a full makeover. The male nurses were suddenly very interested in mom’s condition and in helping in any way ;-) (See photos). She is making great progress.

Miracle #2 We finallllllllly met with the doctors today for 3 hours. Picture this – A 4 person examination room was used to hold the conference with Mom & Dad, Lisa, Brad, David, Mara, (Dan was on business in Alabama), Cami. Each doctor paraded into the already packed room. Robbie the public relations intern, then Dr. Michael Montejo the radiology resident, then Dr. Randy Jensen the brain surgeon, then Dr. Lisa Hazard the 25 year old radiology oncologist, then at long last Dr. Michael J. Glantz. Each doctor gave us a little more information a little at a time. It was a little like having a meal at Costco from all of the sample displays.

Here is miracle #3. The Huntsman Cancer institute has not had a neuro-oncologist for the past 2 years. They are hard to find because it is such a specialty. We only know of one in the state and we can’t find where she is. So, one week ago Dr. Glantz moved to the Huntsman center from Massachusetts. His resume is at can be found at http://www.vtneuro.com/staff.htm . AND his personality is a PERFECT fit. He is caring and not arrogant and extremely competent. He spent an hour going over everything. “You are in charge of your body Liz” “We have a lot of options to choose from.” “We will work together.” Having him as mom’s doctor is a true miracle.

Mom has Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM ) (Grade IV ). This is the most aggressive form of Glioma. She has 2 tumors (I know – we have said 3 then 2 then 3 then 2) and several other sights that look suspicious including the one in her cerebellum. These suspicious sights need to be killed so that they don’t grow.

Here is miracle #4 The chemotherapy that is recommended is Temozolomide (Temador) and can be very effective on this type of cancer when used in conjuction with radiation. Also, it rarely makes patients feel sick. It is a pill that mom swallows rather than 3-5 hours on an IV. There is a good chance that she will not have any symptoms from the chemo. This is encouraging news!

So, we have decided to start chemotherapy and radiation (whole brain followed by local) immediately as they should not diminish mom’s quality of life significantly. We will monitor this closely and make adjustments ad hoc.

The Lord is blessing mom through this difficult time. The blessing of faith and hope are singularly important to us now. Please pray that we will all be blessed with understanding the Lord’s will and with the ability to have faith to see it come to pass.

The Christensens

30 July 2007

2007-07-30T22:46:00.001-06:00

Mom did therapy today – sort of. The therapists, while trained professionals in physical therapy, need an advanced degree to outsmart mom. She learned very quickly that resisting therapy was fruitless. Therapists are trained to be persistent. So, mom decided to use a more passive approach. She simply “fell asleep.” Each time the therapist would visit and begin therapy, mom would slip into a narcoleptic slumber. She was so proud of herself tonight when Lisa told on her. She just gave that wry smile that we love so much.

Another therapy assignment was to identify and cross out all of the “H”s on a matrix of letters. Of course mom started by crossing out all of the “H”s in the instructions. She thought the assignment was soooo silly. What a gal.

Mom is preparing for our meeting with the doctors tomorrow. Her fight is slowly coming back.

Please keep praying. Tomorrow, please pray specifically that we will be guided to know the Lord’s will regarding mom’s treatment and recovery.

The Christensens

29 July 2007

2007-07-29T23:20:00.000-06:00

Without bad days the good days would lose their savor. Today was a hard day for mom. Mom was in a lot of pain in her stomach and bowels today. We hope that this has finally passed as things did get ‘flushed’ out this evening.

Mom and Dad went to church at the hospital today. It was a short sacrament service but they enjoyed it.

We did get together to have Sunday dinner at the hospital. I am certain that the hospital staff is more committed than ever to mom’s speedy recovery in order to avoid a gathering like that again. :-) It was fun to be together though and mom was able to come out of her room and spend about an hour with all of us. (See photos)

Physical therapy starts again tomorrow. The family meeting with the doctors is Tuesday. Treatment may start this week depending on what we learn on Tuesday. This week is critical. We will be making many important decisions and mom will be going through more transition. Your prayers are deeply appreciated and needed.

The Christensens

28 July 2007

2007-07-29T00:23:00.000-06:00

7/28/07
Today mom made even more progress. Here are a few highlights.
- The Doctor in charge of the Rehab ward is the son of one of mom’s good friends in Alpine. (What are the odds that mom would know his mom and be good friends with her? Rather high actually. Mom cannot visit a new city for one day without making a handful of good friends.) He asked her some questions in order to evaluate her condition. One of the questions he asked was, “If you had 100 pennies and I took 12 of them from you, how many would you have left?” Lisa quickly informed the doctor, “Hold on. You need to understand that mom couldn’t answer that question before this condition. :-) What you need to ask her is this, “If a cute blouse was on sale at Target and it was originally $29.95 but was marked down by 30%, how much money would you be making Herb?” :-) :-) :-)
- Mom met for 2 hours with rehab therapists today. The first was the speech therapist. She said that mom is communicating very well (no tumor could steal that from mom) but that her cognitive functioning needs work. Her short term memory is improving but is still in need of work. The second therapist was her physical therapist. She was amazed at how well mom is doing. She took a 15 minute walk and did stair steppers. Lisa said to mom that the cat is out of the bag. The therapist proved that she can do a lot more than she has been doing.
- Mom wants a family picture! “You have to cherish your family because you never know what will happen.” So tomorrow we are all gathering at the hospital to have a family picture on the patio. We will also eat Sunday dinner together.
- Mom listened to Andre Bocelli today and loved it.
- Mom is completely off of Percocet and OxyContin. She is only taking Tylenol and Ibuprofen. This is a great thing because she is more herself. However, she is still taking steroids to help with her brain swelling. These make her worry and antsy. It will be good to have her off of these too.
- Mom will be home from the hospital next Saturday most likely. She is doing very well.

We are eternally grateful to you for your fasting and prayers. We know that the Lord is blessing mom as a result. Please don't let up.

The Christensens

27 July 2007

2007-07-27T23:38:00.000-06:00

The blessings of the Lord poured down upon us today. The hospital decided not to discharge mom. Rather, they moved her to the rehab unit. The room and nurses are like staying in the Hilton compared to the neuro critical care unit which was a step up from the surgical ICU.

Mom’s condition is improving steadily as they slowly take her off of her pain medication. She is so sensitive to any type of drug. We used to joke that she would get dizzy if someone opened a bottle of Tylenol in the same room as her. J This morning she was still receiving high strength pain meds but tonight she was given ibuprofen (I think).

This morning mom went for a short walk. Her emotions still move from confused and angry (“Where is Ashterak? What is happening to me?) to quiet and reflective to depression and crying. We can tell that she is searching for her fight and resolve. Please pray that she will find it.

Tonight we spent time with her on the patio outside of the rehab ward. She ate dinner and we sang and she read emails to us and us to her. There were hummingbirds and blue skies and a light breeze and things that mom loves. She has always gleaned strength from nature. I can remember when I was a boy when mom was upset about something, she would go outside and touch the trees. She said that they calmed her.

Thank you for the flowers. She loves them so much. Mom and dad both cried when they saw the flowers from the branch in Ashterak. She feels your love and your prayers.

The Christensens

26 July 2007

2007-07-26T23:52:00.001-06:00

Today was a great day. Mom was more alert and happy. The color is back in her cheeks and Lisa did her hair. Mom ate a big lunch and her bowels began moving again. This is a good thing. Today when we were showing her this website, she started reading one of the messages out loud. This was wonderful to see. She also walked for about 10 minutes. No land speed records were broken but she walked. I have uploaded several new photos and videos for you to see.

We are so grateful for your emails. We have printed them and read them to mom when we visit. Heather made a poster with all of the descriptive words on it so that mom can read them all of the time. Please keep sending your love and support.

Tonight we had a family meeting to discuss mom’s recovery strategy. The hospital is ready to discharge her because she has improved and this particular hospital is a trauma hospital. However, she is not yet ready to be home. She needs more therapy and care. So, we have decided to transfer her to a hospital with physical therapy and the ability to treat her medically when needed. She will stay here for about a week and then move on to a therapy and rehabilitation center.

We feel God’s blessings upon us and feel your love and support. Please pray fervently for mom’s speedy recovery.

The Christensens

25 July 2007

2007-07-25T22:43:00.000-06:00

Mom woke up this morning believing that none of her family had ever visited her. She was feeling very lonely and distraught. Dave and Lisa were enroute at 6:30am to go be with her and she had forgotten the 12+ hours of visits the day before. It is good to know that she is already back to normal. ;-)

During physical therapy, mom walked out of the room and down the hall. The doctors think this was great progress. What they don't know is that she smelled something cooking somewhere ...

Mom was mostly depressed today. She vasilates between feeling deep gratitude to family and friends for the love being shown and a feeling of hoplessness that insists she is going to die. It is painful to see her make these transitions. Please pray that she will be blessed with her positive attitude to return. The unsinkable liz christensen. Never say die.

Dad and Lisa met with Dr. Randy Jensen today and recieved some more infor about radiation and chemo. He also shared some flippant statistics that were without citation. I wish that I had been there to make up a few anecdotal statistical future predictors to match the ones the doctor was sharing. Did you know for example that "98% of all statistics are made up on the spot?" ha BUT, in fairness, Dad said that he liked the doctor and that he seemed like he was very competant.

brad

PS - new hospital pictures are posted.

24 July 2007 11pm

2007-07-24T23:01:00.000-06:00

Mom stood up and took two steps today. The physical therapists were very persuasive. It took two of them. Mom finally got to eat today. She dined on turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and fruit. She kept saying that now she knows what it is like to be a starving Armenian. She has been sooo hungry. The meal was fantastic.

Mom keeps asking, “Why is this happening to me?” That is a difficult question to answer indeed. We don’t know the answers many times. But what we do know is that God, her Father, knows her and loves her. He knows her personally. AND, he cares about her and knows what is happening to her. Of that we are sure. Please continue your prayers that ministering angels will be by her side.

It has been 29 hours since the surgery finished and we FINALLY got to meet with the doctor’s resident today at 9:30pm. Here is the report.

There are 3 tumors. The first is in the Occipital lobe. We saw the MRIs and it was big. It penetrated mom’s brain 2.5 inches deep. I was large and was causing swelling and deformation or her brain. I cannot imagine how much pain it must have been causing her. Mom is a fighter. This tumor has caused a “left visual field cut.” The tumor has stolen the vision on the left side of each eye. This will most likely never return.

The second tumor is in the Temporal lobe. It is deep inside the brain so therefore could not be operated on. It is about the size of a marble.

The third tumor is in the cerebellum and is smallest.

The cancer is definitely Glioma. However, until the pathology report arrives (late this week) we will not know if it is stage III or stage IV. There are many more things that we will learn about the cancer once this report arrives. The prognosis is very discouraging but until we know the extent of the pathology report we can only guess at what lies ahead.

The MRI today showed mom’s brain returning to normal. The large tumor was mostly gone – we have asked that it be burned, encased in titanium and sent to the bottom of the ocean to rot.

Mom has been moved from the Surgical ICU to the Neural Critical Care Unit. She made the move well. There is a possibility that she will be home by the end of the week.

Please, please pray fervently for dad as well as mom. He is aching inside at the thought of losing mom. He needs your prayers. Thank you for all of your emails to pray4liz@hotmail.com . We read them all to mom each day.

More tomorrow,

The Christensens

23 July 2007 11PM

2007-07-23T23:29:00.001-06:00

Mom's surgery was completed today at 4:30pm. The surgery went well. The doctor was able to remove the majority of the large tumor in the back of mom's head. The good news is, they identified the tumor as a Glioma and it has not spread to rest of her body. The tumor has tentacles so, there were two other small lesions. They will perform a biopsy on the mass and do a full body scan. As soon as possible they will use aggressive methods of chemo and/or radiation. She still has sense of humor and is in high spirits. She is responding and is more lucid now than before the surgery. Releasing the pressure on her brain made a significant difference in her demeanor.

The whole family has been visiting all night long. Mom has been singing and laughing and flirting with the male RN that she says looks like Dr. Spike Nichols. Please keep praying for her speedy recovery. Your prayers are being answered by attending angels.

When talking to her sister Carol mom said, "Some peoples voices are like church bells. They ring and bring back memories and comfort to your soul. They are food to your mind ... My mind is hungry! She liked her quote so much that she asked Carol to write it down :-)

We love you.

The Christensen's

2007-07-23T12:12:00.000-06:00

22 July 2007

Dearest Friends and Family,

Mom and Dad arrived home from Armenia late last night. We had a joyous reunion in the airport and happy feelings being at home and together again. They have served faithfully and we are so proud of them. The branch members and other missionaries loved them and are sad to see them leave. They brought light, leadership and hope (not to mention full bellies) to that part of the world.

As you must know by now, mom is not doing very well. Her sense of humor and wit are intact but she is suffering severe pain in her head and has lost her sense of balance. Last night during the night she fell on her way to the bathroom and cut her head. Because of this and because of her ever increasing pain, we decided to take her to the hospital today rather than waiting for her appointment with the neuro-surgeon tomorrow. This was a good decision.

After a CT scan and an MRI, it has been determined that mom has 3 tumors in her brain. The first is about the size of a plum and is in the back of her head. This one is operable. The second is about the size of a marble and is located behind the eye and near the temple. The third is smaller yet. The cancer has metastasized. The primary site has not yet been determined. This is of course bad news. The doctor says that the cancer is aggressive and must be treated immediately.

So, tomorrow mom will be operated on. The surgeon will remove the first tumor only. This will relieve the pressure on her brain and should reduce the pain. The other two tumors will most likely be treated with radiation and chemotherapy. However, this information is sketchy at best. After the surgery is completed and mom is recovering, we will do a complete CAT scan to attempt to find the primary site of the cancer.

Mom is medicated and is sleeping finally so that is great news. The pain was taking a toll on her. She understands what is happening and is ready to meet the challenges ahead.

We ask for your thoughts and prayers to be with her tomorrow and in the weeks to come. We will be fasting as a family tomorrow and would greatly appreciate you joining us in this effort. We feel confident that a full recovery is possible with God's help. Please join us in pleading with Him to bring this blessing to us.

The Christensens