Fundraiser Announcement!

 

It's finally come together! I'm so stoked to announce the details of this event!

(Grand Forks, I know you know how to party, I cant wait for you to show Fargo how to do it. Organize your carpools now! )

Saturday, March 3rd, 2012

10:00 PM

The Aquarium, Fargo

21+

$5 Cover

Bands:

Dingus

Dann K And The Black Caskets

Braver

Thee Baby Sitters Club

Bonus Awesome Stuff:

Cheap Stones Throw Ale From the Fargo Beer Company 100% of proceeds go to LIZ!

Big Ticket Paramount Sports Raffle!

Additional Donations Accepted Throughout the Night!

**I would like to point out that a donation button has been added to this blog, if you are unable to attend this event and are able to make a donation, please do. Every donation helps.

**Donations can also be made at Wells Fargo, byway of the Elizabeth Lunde Cancer Benefit Donation Fund.

 I would like to acknowledge everyone who pulled together to make this event possible.

I'll start, by thanking Ryan Voiles (GF, Minneapolis) for getting this thing rolling by booking the event space, and locking in two great bands. When Voiles came to me with the idea of hosting a benefit for Liz, his enthusiasm was contagious, as it often is. I've enjoyed working with his ideas.

Thanks to The Aquarium/Dempseys for donating the event space. And being cool with the details of the event.

I would also like to thank Michael Anderson (FGO) & Paramount Sports for working hard to make this event more than just a rock show. 

And John & Aaron at Fargo Brewing Co., for being involved with their community through this event. And For making tasty beers. *cheers*

And Raul Gomez and the Staff at the High Plains Reader, you're the best.

And Chris Hennen (GF, FGO) for helping to bring everything together, and understanding things I cant wrap my head around.

And Scott Ahler (GF) for pulling together an amazing poster at the last minute. Thanks guy, I'm excited.

HALP!

I am in need of Volunteers to hang posters in Grand Forks and Fargo, as well as a few event staffers to help on the day of the event! comment below, or FB me if you can help.

Thanks! Kristen

February Update!

Greetings! We have another update for you!

Liz's most recent release from Alrtu marked the end of her third round of Chemotherapy. She was receiving Chemo in week long rounds with two weeks in between treatments.

Liz's most recent CT (post chemo treatment) showed that the mass in her Liver has shrunk to half its size, and the Leiomysosarcoma is not anywhere else in her body!

The next step in Liz's treatment is called SIR-Spheres. Once injected, this treatment will make Liz Radioactive. After this treatment is administered Liz will be quarantined for one week. She will not be able to be within 6 feet of her friends and family. Given the condition of Liz's liver, SIR-Spheres is an absolutely necessary step before she can continue other treatments.

Liz & her doctors are generally happy with the progress of treatment up to this point. However, there is a problem. Liz is currently on Medicaid through North Dakota. Liz has been told that Medicaid will not pay the unknown cost for the SIR-Spheres treatment.

Liz's sister (who works in Interventional Radiology at Altru) has approached the hospital board to request that the hospital help absorb the cost of this necessary treatment. But, just in case, a fundraising event is being planned, and next time you visit the blog, there will likely be a PayPal button as well.

Once the financing is taken care of and Liz is no longer radioactive, she will undergo another form of radiation called SBRT (which is a localized radiation) designed to, and this is a direct quote: "Zap the hell" out of other spots on her liver, according to Dr. Lee, Liz's oncologist (who is handsome, and a snappy dresser, by the way). Initially, Liz had planned on receiving her SBRT at the Mayo Clinic, until Medicaid refused the treatment location, siting that it could be performed within the state of North Dakota. Seeing as how they suggested Altru for this location, it is assumed that most of the cost of SBRT will be absorbed by Medicaid.

From Liz:

 "I am happy to hear the results of my scan and am glad the chemo wasn't all for no reason. I am getting better at drawing on my eyebrows everyday, and am happy to be getting my energy back. I am looking into going to a clinic in KS for some alternative therapies, including intraveneous vitamin C treatments."

 I'll be updating the blog soon with exciting details about an awesome fundraising event being organized for Liz by Ryan Voiles and Myself. I can tell you the event will be a 21+ event on March 3rd, at the Aquarium, in Fargo. Mark your calendars, organize your car pool, and find a fargo couch to sleep on, this will be an amazing night.

Come one, come all! Liz is in room 613 at altru Grand forks. ...can someone bring her coconut rice, please?

Hospital Stay January

   Greetings all! Liz has informed me that she will be undergoing another lengthy hospital stay as she receives more chemotherapy treatment this upcoming week. She will be admitted to Altru January 17th and discharged January 22nd.  

   For anyone, 6 days in the same place, with the same faces can feel more like a month, imagine our adventurous Liz creepin' through hospital corridors, and getting into troubs just for a change of pace... for six days. 

   To  help her out, I invite all of you to send her some kind words, good vibes, and jokes to help her pass the time. She will have her cell phone and computer with her. (Apparently not using cell phones in hospitals hasn't been a thing since the early 2000's, that might surprise, well, maybe one of us.) 

   Liz has invited you all to visit her while she is in the hospital, but please know that the third day of her stay will be the least pleasant for her to receive visitors. As soon as I know Liz's room number I will post it here, along with any other updates about her stay. 

And visitors, thanks for being awesome!

 

A blonde Liz in Minneapolis last week

An Everything Update

What follows is an overview of how liz got to where she is now aswell as an update on Liz's current health status. She sent me this information in an email last month with the intent on posting it to this blog. She encouraged me to edit, adjust and chop whatever I felt I needed to to smooth it out. I didn't change A word, It's Perfectly her voice.

   " In the second semester of school and UofM I went to get a lump in my left thigh checked on.  after a biopsy I found out I had LMS or Leiomyosarcoma.  I went home immediately to try and regroup and decided to leave school and focus on my health.  I went to the masonic cancer center in minneapolis wherein the dr told me I needed a port implanted and to start chemotherapy.  It wasn't working as desired so radiation was in order. To try shrink the tumor before surgery, I underwent a bit of radiation everyday for two weeks and when the wound healed went in to surgery.  I went back to Fairview to get the tumor removed.  A portion of a vein had to be removed and my leg was very swollen. I found out it was lymphedema due to the radiation burn near my lymph nodes and now I have to wear a stocking daily.        Months went by with scans, physical therapy etc.  There was a mass found in my left lung.  A biopsy showed it was mesothelioma which was surprising due to the nature of that cancer.  Very unlikely that I would have that at my age.    I decided to go to mayo clinic.  They found additional lesions in myliver.  They used radio frequency ablation on them.  After another scan a few months later, more tumors appeared in my liver, one of which was blocking bile ducts.  I am currently undergoing chemotherapy to try to shrink the tumors.  They are unresectable tumors so radiation will be used to try to shrink them and give me back more liver function. One of the treatments proposed is called SIRspheres which is intravenous radiation which will cause me to be radioactive and people can't be within 6 ft of me for the first few days afterwards.  Another treatment is called SBRT which is a more concentrated and pinpoint radiation.  Currently I am not on chemo but will begin another round of it starting Dec 27th and will be there for a week receiving chemotherapy.   "

   Liz has completed her most recent round of chemo at Altunin Grand Forks ND. She spent the new year with friends in her hospital room. She is relieved to be home from the hospital, and enjoying the privacy that being at home offers. Liz is doing an outstanding job educating herself, and family, and friends on her situation, but also on the nature of some of the processes and treatments she is undergoing. In fact, I find myself researching and studying(googling) information on various cancers, thier treatments, natural remedies and recipes to help comfort with the aim of learning more and generally being of more usefulness to Liz when she needs it. Liz is always teaching me something.

This is the beginning of a blog about our friend Elizabeth Lunde. Liz's nickname growing up was "lill bitts", this blog is intended to serve as in informative and sincere information hub to keep friends, family, and looky-loos in the loop about Liz's health and general situation.

Updates Soon!