Lindsey begins her treatments

Hi Everyone: We've started this Blog so that those who care about Lindsey can get information on a regular basis. I will start at the beginning so that everyone's questions can be answered. Lindsey's Hodgkins Lymphoma has relapsed, and it showed up on a CT Scan about a month ago. They confirmed it with a PET Scan about a week later. Lindsey came home from Mercer and is working with her professors to complete her classes with independent study projects and the like. The Mercer faculty have been incredibly supportive and are coming up with options for Lindsey to finish her studies. She has had a flurry of doctor's appointments over the last month. The plan that our doctors came up with is an aggressive attack on the cancer, much more so than the previous course of treatment because this time her bone marrow will be treated as well. Lindsey will undergo a Stem Cell Transplant at Northside Hospital in Atlanta sometime in January. Right now, she is doing a series of salvage chemotherapy treatments so that she will be in remission before the Stem Cell Transplant takes place. The aggressive chemotherapy that she will receive will be in one big blast. First they remove her stem cells (kind of like getting a dialysis treatment) and then she will receive the high dose chemo treatment. Three days later, they will re-insert her stem cells, and she will begin her recovery. They will basically kill her immune system, and then she will build another one using her own stem cells to rebuild her bone marrow. It will be a long and arduous treatment/recovery, and will involve a time of isolation when she is immuno-suppressed. We appreciate everyone's concern and prayers for Lindsey, and she loves hearing from all of you. Her Email address is lindseyw149@yahoo.com and she will have her computer with her during all of this, especially when she is in the hospital. Please do not send flowers or gifts, as she will not be able to have them near her. She will be able to receive cards and Emails, and of course, prayers are always welcome! We will try to post messages regularly. Up until early January, we will probably have new additions every week or so, but once the stem cell phase begins, we will make posts more often, as that is when we will be in the thick of things. God bless all of you, and thanks for being there for Lindsey. Andy and Tina