bummer....

[princess]

We just found out that the prince's sister, that works in the Pentagon, has cancer! They're still running tests to see where to start with treatment. If it were any of his other siblings it would be sad, but not as emtional for us. This is the one relative he has been close to. They are more like twins than the twins are!

Please keep her (Tish) in your thoughts & prayers. She'll need a lot of strength to get through this no matter how it goes.

Thanks!

[Wardsweb]

She will be in our prayers, as will you and yours. My brother in law just finished a year of chemo, so I know the tough road ahead. Have faith.

[princess]

Thank you!

[princess]

Tonight we're hoping for an update. Hopefully there's some more results in from all the testing. We're desperately wanting to hear good news!!

I've known more survivors than ones that didn't win their fight. I just have to keep on hoping & praying.....

It feels weird to just go on with my life after knowing she's going through so much. She'd be really ticked off if I didn't, but it still feels weird. She hasn't told everyone yet, for fear they won't just get on with their lives. She's like that. I was ready to fly there just to hold her hand. She may need it more later, so I'll wait.

[Bean]

Thinking about you all P.

My mom is a Chemo nurse (administers it to the patients) and she always says that the positive attitudes some of the patients have is what pulls them through more often than not. Even after doctors have said that the outcome is bleak.

Keep her spirits up, her will strong, and don't ever let her give up.

I wish the best for her and all your family.

[princess]

Thank you! We haven't been able to get a hold of her today. As of last chat they were thinking it's in her throat & the type it would be only has a 13% survival rate WITH treatment. Although we'll have to accept whatever happens, we're far from ready! She'll opt to not have treatment that's TOO invasive. They told her if it's what they think the next step is removing most of her glands in her head/neck area & some of her face. She said no. So at this point we're hoping they discover whatever it is can be dealt with in a less brutal way!

We'll do what we can to keep her thinking as positively as we can. I'm allowing myself to say (write) the things I can't to her or the prince! He's not handling this well at all! I'm surprised. I know this is his favorite sister, but he normally deals with life's blows pretty well. "Go with the flow" has been his motto. I can usually make him laugh & that gets out some emotion. It sure feels better than crying!!

We've always taken turns at being the "rock" in the family. So now it's my turn. So forgive me if I say too much here. Just sorting out some of my own fears, I guess.

Anyway.... all good thoughts & prayers for our family is appreciated beyond words!! Thank you again!

[princess]

He just talked to Tish & the place where the cancer is coming from is where her tonsils were. She had them removed about 4 years ago. So the treatment will be chemo & radiation. Lots less invasive than she'd been told it might be. We're excited! Many prayers were answered!!!!

Thank you!!!

[Bean]

That's great P!

I hope all goes well with her treatment.

[princess]

She may be bald when we go see her in July, but alive!! We'd been talked into staying one night with her when we first arrive. That may change now. She may not be up to dealing with over-night company. I reserved the Hotel suite to include that night, just in case. We'll spend day (Sunday) with family visiting, then the rest of the stay we'll be tourists. I wrote our rep. for tickets for a white house tour, but haven't heard back yet. I think I'll send a request each week until I hear something! On day 5 we'll fly to Orlando.

:)

[BenjiBoy650]

I've been on the White House tour, but that was 6 years ago geeze I'm getting old. You had to wake up at 5:30AM eastern (2:30AM pacific!!!!) to get tickets but I suppose it's still better than what ya get now lol. Ship the Accord over there too!! You'll need the navi...seriously. I met a guy that lived in DC and he said he got lost for 3 hours trying to find the White House....come on if it's that hard to find the White House then I don't know how they planned that city but it must be bad.

I'm so sorry to hear about Tish. My mom's friend has cancer and went on chemo, lost all her hair like you said. Better now but won't ever be the same again. Then after she recovered her husband had a heart attack...just their luck.

[princess]

Got the NAV covered! We'll be taking our little hand held Garmin. It was fun to play with on the plane the first time! It says we've gone over 600 mph & 37K feet up! We plan to be on foot for most of the DC touring. We're staying right in the thick of it...."foggy bottom". We'll use their bus/rail system when we have to. Then Taxis to & from the airports. We're going in at Reagan & out at Dulles (so we can see the new air museum there).

Time will tell how fast Tish recovers. Her doctors told her to give it about a year. I hope that doesn't mean she can't work the whole time! She's selling her weekend house in PA & just keeping her condo in Alexandria. That will make it easier to live on the lower income. We have high hopes for a speedy recovery just knowing the family traits of stubborness & beating the odds!

[princess]

Tish is not handling the treatment well. She started getting sick quicker than they thought. Since the cancer is in her throat, they don't want her tossing her cookies. They may do a feeding tube for a while. She is having radiation daily & chemo at 3 week intervals.

Please keep her recovery in your prayers, it looks like it will be a rough one!

The only other board (Disney, of course) that I participate in has a very puppy. She had an emergency appendectomy, then a couple days after being released she suddenly got toxemia, then went into toxic shock & now is in intensive care! Her name is Jamie & she also lives in Arlington, VA. Her family is scared! So if you have the time to add a request when talking to the BIG guy, please remember her!

I'm starting to think there's something in the water there or something.....that's where Tish lives too!!:sorry:

[princess]

I finally got to talk to Tish....the treatments went well. They thought at first that they weren't, but she was allergic to the medication to try to save her saliva glands. So they're dead now, but the cancer is gone. It's a type that has a high reaccurance rate, so she has to be tested quarterly. We will be seeing her in just under 3 weeks! She's back to work at the Pentagon, so we will get the tour when out there! Thanks for all your possitive thoughts!! They worked!!:)

[my1staccord]

I just came across this whole thread, and I was glad to read that tish is done with her treatments. When I met my now gf she was going through treatment for breast cancer. it was a very difficult thing to go through. She got very sick from the chemo. I know it was hard for her to keep going, but she did.
there was a book that we both read that helped to give her hope and helped to give me a better understanding of what people go through when they are fighting cancer. It is titled "its not about the bike" and is written by lance armstrong. I would imagine that you have heard of his fight against testicular cancer, how he beat it, and is now as we speak trying to win his 6th consecutive Tour De France. Lance is a true inspiration to many people. Lances motto is "Live Strong". I think it is a motto that we can all adopt. We have made it a point to offer this book to people that we have met that have been diagnosed with cancer.

Please anyone who reads this thread, check out www.laf.org and if you are looking for a book that is well writen, will be hard to put down, and might change the way you look at life read "its not about the bike" i doubt that you will be disapointed.

[princess]

Thank you for the information!

I've been with a couple of buddies through cancer scares & treatments. It's all a nasty ordeal! My mother & daughter are cancer surviviors too.

You must be a strong person too, along with your girlfriend, for getting through it all! :)