On Monday, November 6th, 2023, Liz got the call from the doctor’s office confirming the unimaginable diagnosis of Stage 3 Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. The cancer is considered stage 3 because it has spread to her liver and lymph nodes. It was over a week of waiting for confirmation and praying for a better outcome.

Over the past decade Liz has been physically fit, very active and has kept up with her annual physicals. Including cleaning up her diet, she has never been a smoker or drinker; to say the least we are all shocked by this diagnosis. It was very difficult to share publicly with family and friends but Liz got the results out on Facebook that same day. Everyone has shown so much love and prayer for her, Dino, and the kids. All the support is much appreciated. This news was completely unexpected.

If you know Liz, she has always been the one who shows up for others no matter the circumstances! Pancreatic cancer doesn't have a good reputation, but Liz is a determined woman, a loving and supportive wife, a wonderful mother, and an amazing friend! Her and her husband Dino have shared a beautiful love since the day they met, and have recently celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary! They are so proud and grateful to have their kids, Niko (20) and Ana (17), by their side during this arduous time.

During this time, they will need some financial support as well as all the prayer and encouraging support that we can offer.

A little back story to this diagnosis: Many of you may not know but Liz has endured back pain for the past 5 months or more. She pushed for an MRI, which revealed a herniated disc that needed replacement. The pain continued to increase but Liz pushed through the days and continued to work and show up for her family. Her and Dino even continued to run the concession stand that supports their daughter’s school marching band. The Seminole Warhawk Marching Band is phenomenal and will be preforming at the Rose Bowl Parade in 2025! Even post op, Liz and Dino made it through the last few events and this season and duties have come to a close. Liz and Dino decided to donate the concession equipment they bought and maintained in honor of their daughter Ana, who is a senior this year.

Fast forward to the cervical disc replacement recovery... Post-op the pain continued, and Liz was advised to start physical therapy, she went to a few visits, but the pain only continued to get worse. The pain remained in the same location before and after, and considering her spinal cord was involved in her disc replacement... it made sense to believe that her body needed more time to heal. Over the past few weeks the pain became unbearable, and they went to the hospital and admitted her immediately. MRIs, CTs, Ultrasounds, a plethora of blood work and eventually a biopsy were all performed. Each time getting results that no one ever wants to hear.

We know everyone is eager to know the next steps, and here is what we know for now: Liz had mild relief from the Celiac Nerve Block she received on Friday November 10th. She endured excruciating back pain for over 10 days prior. During this journey she will have to eat a strict diet and really focus on getting through the day.

She is physically unable to respond to everyone, but please know that Liz sincerely appreciates every personal message she receives. Liz is blessed to have an amazing team of doctors on her side and sincerely appreciates all of your love and support.

**Updates**

11/18 Liz received another nerve block and placed the port for chemo. Unfortunately this nerve block was really hard on her body and only lasted about 3 days. She is very exhausted, to say the least.

11/24 Upon having another appointment with another cancer specialist, Sloan Kettering in NY: We learned that her diagnosis is Stage 4 Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. This is very devastating news for all of us to hear, but Liz is doing her best to keep her spirits up during this really tough journey.

As of 11/29, she will begin chemo therapy. We continue to seek treatment and pain management options, and are hoping that her future chemo treatments will start to shrink her tumors and give her a little bit of reprieve from all of the pain.

11/27 Liz was feeling not like herself, with severe leg pains that made it unable for her to walk without some form of assistance. The pain she was experiencing everywhere had become unbearable. She decided to get into her PCP immediately. At the appt. they concluded that she had blood clots in both of her lower legs. She started new medications, and we are excited to report that within a few days she has had some relief. This leads us to believe her body is responding well from the treatment.

11/29 **First Chemo Update** They accessed her port without issue and she began her first round of treatment, which was a steroid and anti nausea. After this, the chemo is administered; there are 4 different chemo meds being used to target the tumors. The first part of her bi-weekly treatments will be given in the clinic, lasting about 5-7hrs. From there, she will bring home a pump that will continue administering the chemo for 2 days. On the day she returns the pump, they disconnect and give her an IV for fluids to replenish her body. While in the clinic, Liz had an allergic reaction to the chemo treatment. We were told this was common with this type of chemo; they will now be pretreating her so that her body can handle it better.

12/4 Great news! The pain has lessened tremendously, and she is resting better. This leads us to believe the chemo is doing it's job: attacking and shrinking the tumors! The chemo treatment still has it's side effects, but we are being mindful and trying to keep positive thoughts. She is grateful for everyone's kind words of encouragement and wants you all to know she appreciates every one of your messages, although she is still unable to respond to everyone.

2/14/24 It’s been a while since we’ve done an update, and so much has happened.

While there is still a long road of chemo and recovery to go, we are so happy to have a positive update. In mid-January Liz had completed her 4th chemo, and it was time for a CT scan. This was the first one since chemotherapy began. The scan showed that the affected lymph nodes have shrunk tremendously. Additionally, the liver masses (6) have also decreased in size, bringing a great sense of relief. The last and most exciting takeaway from the scan was that of her pancreas. Previously, there was a substantial mass on it: it is now almost completely resolved. We are so astounded and grateful. It truly is remarkable progress.

She has most recently had her 5th round of chemo, as she continues this arduous journey. While we know that her health journey is far from over and will have its ups and downs, this victory is very much worth celebrating. She will be undergoing another biopsy soon to continue genetic testing and possible future trials.

She asks for everyone’s continued prayers and is immensely grateful for everyone’s love and caring support.

Thank you all for your prayers, thoughts and good vibes as she starts this journey.

If you would like to donate another way, here are a few other options:

Venmo: @LetsFundForLiz

Zelle: Liz Koukoumtzis [phone redacted]

Apple Pay: Liz Koukoumtzis [phone redacted]

If you have any questions please feel free to email: [email redacted]

We will get back to everyone as soon as we can!