Bald Socks
Elizabeth Thilmany’s Journey with Hodgkin lymphoma
A Snippet of my Yoga Journey
What a busy travel day it has been! I am flying back to Maryland to spend a few days with Jacob and begin my RA training for the Spring Semester before classes start January 28th. I enjoy writing in the sky; it seems to spark my creativity. I am appreciative to have been home and resting for the past month and I am extremely hopeful for my first Spring Semester at UMD. Over break,...
A Journey
Anxiously anticipating the start of classes, I am glad to be done with the month of roaming across the country and weeks of training for my position of RA. Shout-out to Amanda Baker who offered me the job and her perfect timing because the offer came immediately before my last chemo infusion. Building new relationships with my Co-RA, fellow RA’s and the professional staff of my...
Time for a Different Roller Coaster Analogy
Happy to be posting a blog post again. Living had kept me engaged leaving me little time to write. Bubbles of Fun I had great fun celebrating with the Colorado Eagles shortly after their back-to-back championship win of the Kelly Cup. My parents purchased season tickets for the Eagle’s first year in 2003. I remember the cold rink, aggressive game play, meeting up with family...
I Rang the Bell
My final chemo was June 14th and by July 13th I will have had my final oncology appointment, PET scan and my port will have been removed. This is my final blog post while undergoing chemotherapy but it is not the end of my story or my blog. From my findings on cancer patients and survivor narratives, there is an obvious shortage of dialogue on life after cancer treatment. It is a...
To Graduate
High school graduation season marks the one-year anniversary of my graduation. Attending parties and celebrating the graduates is bitter sweet for me. On one hand I am glad to be part of a happy celebration, but on the other yearn for the complete joy I felt only a year ago. There is a third feeling of being protective- the world beyond high school, because it seems unfair to...
Chemo Dayzz
Many people want to understand what I go through during chemotherapy. First, it is important to know that it is an infusion through my port located on my right side. The port is a plastic device installed underneath my skin with a catheter connected to my vein. It is not a glamorous experience; however, my family and nurses make it bearable. Usually arriving around 8 AM I check in...
I Got a Job!
Already compiling information and data for a CSU research, I decided to start looking for a service-industry based job. I appreciate research and the topic aligns well with my double-major; however, the work is done alone on my computer at home. As the weeks have turned to months and I count each of my treatments, I began to feel stir-crazy. Somedays my only human interaction is...
California Dreaming
To feel okay, only for a few hours- is the dream. A short visit to the city of Los Angeles became an escape from treatment and the disease itself. The doctor said to stay active and live a normal life, the doctor also warned of the potential problems with travel. Here I am, a risktaker. I had too many adventures to list but here are some of my favorite snapshots and memories with...
Doctors on Doctors…Oh my
My body has been indecisive with chemo. Common symptoms? Unclear. Each treatment seems to have a different onset of twists and turns for my body and mind. Becoming furious with my face- a blazing red replication of a sunburn painted with white itchy bumps- the discomfort had me looking for a solution. My first and unimpressive visit to a dermatologist back in high school convinced...
Homesick
Challenge 8 Jacob and I have had moments reminiscing about life in college and Maryland a few times but today, we were “homesick.” I am a native to Fort Collins, aren’t I home? With the help of some important people in my life, I decided last October that Maryland had to be my new home if I was to truly thrive in college. So, the largest obstacle in the past month has been...
The Story of My Hair
Challenge 7 A woman who is strong in her faith and possibly the kindest person I know, shared that giving and other acts of kindness can lift your spirits from even the lowest and hardest of places. With this advice in mind, I chose to donate my hair before it began to fall out as my first act of giving since diagnosis. The bonuses for me: less hair to manage and a more gradual...
Time for Some Science
Treatment Update: The first day of chemo was an exhausting experience. Beyond the anxiety of the first treatment, the appointment being scheduled for 7 am, and the anxiety for the future- there was a change to my treatment plan. Dr. Schuster met with me on the infusion floor to share the news that due to some concerns with my pulmonary test (lungs) and he did not want me receiving...