Chemotherapy: Round 1

Shirley was diagnosed with metastic cancer on August 27, 2008. She told me about it on Friday, the 29th of August. That same evening she was admitted to the hospital to verify that the tumors found in her liver were indeed malignant. They confirmed that the very next day.

On Wednesday, September 6, she started her first round of chemotherapy. She was scheduled to be discharged on Monday, September 11. She left a week later than anticipated due to an unexplained fever. The doctors never found the source of the infection, but at least they were successful in choosing the right antibiotic to fight the infection. She was much better and out of the hospital on the 18th of Sept.

She was extremely happy to be home. She chose that week to announce news of her illness to the ISF Community.

Welcome

Some background information:

Shirley Lee is currently the principal of the ISF Academy in Hong Kong. She has been in this position for the last 3 years and is currently in her 4th year in this position.

Prior to this, she is probably the most well known for being the founding director of the Chinese American International School in San Francisco, a bilingual and multicultural experiment that has become a model for schools around the world.

This blog has been created because Shirley Lee was diagnosed with metastatic cancer on August 27, 2008. And there has been so much concern and love from colleagues, students and friends that it seems only fitting to have a website that keeps everybody up to date on my mom's progress in her treatments and the evolution of my mom's health status.

Who I am:

My name is Lily Panyacosit Alisse, and I am Shirley's daughter. I live in Hong Kong as well (funny how life works that way, given that it was a lot of luck for us to land in the same city as my mom) and take care of my two daughters (i.e. Shirley's 2 granddaughters!) at home.

Shirley also has one son, Tawal Panyacosit, who is currently Director for API Equality (don't forget to vote NO on Prop 8!) in San Francisco.