Help Liz’s Family Battle Uterine Cancer

I’ve taken some time to post this. I wanted to focus on healing and spend some quality time with Nora who was witnessing everything happen in real time. Sammy and I needed some time to talk to our families and breathe, and we wanted to celebrate N’s 11th birthday before having the conversation with them. We’re all still processing, and likely will be for some time, but feel it’s time to update everyone and face the reality of our current situation.

I had a severe kidney infection in late April during my finals, and never felt like I fully recovered after. My abdomen was a mess, I lost weight from not being able to keep food down, and was exhausted all the time. I pretty much spent May and June in bed. Going somewhere for an afternoon would land me in bed for days recovering. I went back to my primary care doctor multiple times, initially exploring GI and autoimmune possibilities and having a battery of blood work done. With my previous cancer history, that possibility was always on my mind but initial bloodwork didn’t have many cancer red-flags, and my annual appointment with my oncologist at UK was clear last October and not due for a few months.

I had a CT scan the last Wednesday in June and spent the next day celebrating Sammy’s birthday with pork roll and Tyler Childers. Friday afternoon I started bleeding, assuming it was my monthly gift for being a female, but by Friday evening we knew something was very wrong and went to Jewish ER. They immediately brought me back and realized they weren’t set up to properly handle my care. After a long time awaiting transport, I arrived at the second hospital with a BP of 61/44. I spent the weekend admitted while they gave me multiple blood transfusions and attempted to stop the hemorrhaging without surgery due to my low vitals. While hospitalized they ran more tests, and discovered I scored high on a protein marker test that is used in combination with scans and cultures to diagnose uterine cancer.

Wednesday, the third, I started hemorrhaging again, to the point I was losing consciousness and was rushed back to Bethesda. Thursday, I had surgery as all other methods to control the bleeding had failed.

The tissue obtained during surgery was sent off for testing. Last week, those results became available and I was notified that abnormal cells, consistent with uterine cancer were found. From the CT scan, we were aware of “suspicious masses” seen outside my uterus, as well as masses inside my uterus and possible uterine fibroids and had an ultrasound scheduled to explore that further, but started hemorrhaging three days before that was scheduled.

The surgery was brief—my vitals were still low enough that they ordinarily wouldn’t proceed with anesthesia but the bleeding needed to be stopped. They were able to clear the inside of my uterus but weren’t able to do any exploratory type of surgery to fix other issues at that time.

I had a mammogram and biopsy of a mass in my right breast this morning. Thursday, I go to my surgical post-op appointment where they will see how I’m healing, review my blood work, and do an ultrasound of my pelvis.

Next week, I’ll have full body scans (PET/MRI/CT) to see in detail where the cancer has spread and will meet with oncology to develop a plan to attack what remains.

I’m beyond grateful to finally have (some) answers and we are all gearing up for another fight. I was able to gain almost a full decade of life with Nora since the last battle with cancer and am motivated to win this one. Terrified, but as ready as I’m going to be. I’m thankful to have made it through to this point and will keep being thankful for each and every day I get moving forward.

We’re already running into obstacles—the hospital I was transferred to when I was bleeding out is not covered by my insurance and I already have a bill for over $20,000. I’m actively exploring grants and have appealed through my insurance as it was an emergent circumstance, but am not sure what to expect moving forward. I do know that returning to work is not in the cards for me right now, and that is going to cause significant financial strain on our family. We’re actively downsizing, selling, and cutting every corner that we can, and Sammy’s somehow managed to run out of guitars to sell, which I thought could never happen.

I totally understand that everyone is struggling right now, and if all you’re able to do is send some positivity my way, that’s just as appreciated. I know from previous experience that battling cancer is a marathon, not a sprint, and while the race started for me the moment the pathology came back cancerous, I have no idea what lies ahead. I’m hopeful, anxious, terrified, and insanely grateful to be able to even be alive and able to give this update. I’m grateful to have the folks I do in my corner, in our corner.

I’ll keep this page updated and be as active as I can, physically and mentally, to keep yall in the loop.

love + light,

LP, Noi & Sammy