Finally, an Update

Hello everyone. Just thought you'd like to know that I'm in Houston, TX. We flew in on Thursday night, and we are having a wonderful time. Before we left, Jeff and the boys shaved their heads without me knowing it. They didn't want me to be the only one without hair in the family. I've added a picture of all of us before Jeff and I left for the airport.

We are staying with my cousin. Her daughter, Gabrielle, is helping me write this post. She has waited on me hand and foot since we arrived. She fixed us dinner when we got here, she had our room all ready for us, she bought me TX ball caps to keep my head warm, she's made me ginger snaps, she ties my scarves for me, and this morning she warmed my doughnut for me. It's nice being queen!

Gabrielle has two brothers, Alex and Miguel. They have LOTS of energy, so Jeff and I feel right at home.

I have my first doctor's appt. on Monday. We are looking forward to getting another perspective on my diagnosis. I will let you know what we find out.

For those of you leaving voice mail messages on my phone, I am unable to retrieve them right now. Don't know what the problem is. Just keep calling...you'll surely get me one of these days.

Love you all. Hope you're staying warm. We are suffering through sunny days and mid 70's temps. Like I said, It's nice being queen!

Love,

Leslie and Jeff

Anybody seen my hair?????

Well, as predicted, my hair is falling out! No clumps, yet, just oodles and gobs of individual strands! And they just go everywhere! A couple of days ago I was playing football in the yard with the boys, and it was so windy that my hair was just flying away in the wind.

I told Owen, "You've heard of people's hair getting blown right off their heads, haven't you? Well, we may just get to see that today."

It has been so gusty around her for days...the kind of wind that blows your hair just all over the place, and for me that is a literal statement. On the upside, the neighbors shouldn't have to mulch this fall!!! :o)

Owen advised me, "Mom, you should start wearin' one of those little hospital hats or somethin' before we start eatin' that stuff!" Thank you, Owen! I'll get right on that!

Anyhoo...my mom cut my hair last night, and it looks much better. But the shedding goes on and on and on. It's like trying to rinse the clippings out of your hair after a haircut, but there is no end to the clippings. WEIRD!

I'm prepared, though. I've cut the boys hair for years, and I have clippers with different lenghth guards, so when I get tired enough of sweeping it off the floor, it's outta here. I have scarves and hats and enough ballcaps to outfit a team, so I'm good to go.

I tried on a scarf yesterday, and said, "Look boys. This is what I'll look like when my hair is all gone."

Surprisingly, I heard, "Cool mom! You look like a...", to which I interrupted with thoughts of Halloween and interjected, "A pirate?"

"No, " said Owen, "You look like a really cool gardner!"

Well, that's more suitable anyway! I've always wanted to be a cool gardner!

Oh, I almost forgot. I had another treatment yesterday! Thank you, thank you for your prayers. I needed a platelet count of at least 100, and it was well above that, and I had to have a white count of 1.5 (granulacites only), and they were over 15 I think, and get this... My overall white blood cell count, which was down to 1.7 or so was so high the nurses were laughing. Before I began treatment, my count was 5.6 (4 is normal) and yesterday my count was 26! Can you believe that? My nurse said, "Good ole Neupogen shots!" And I added, "And a lot of prayer!" I do believe I have the "prayin' est" friends a person ever had! Thank you, thank you, and praise the Lord!

I have to go grab a bite of lunch. We have to go back into the hospital for another shot. This one is Neulasta, which also boosts my white cell count, but unlike the Neupogen shots, which had to be given daily, Neulasta is time released and will last for something like 7-10 days. That suits me fine. I've been stuck enough for one month!

We love you all! Thanks for all the prayers. I just love to hear health professionals laugh in disbelief!

Leslie, Jeff, and the boys

Finally, Some Good News!

Hi there! I spoke with my cousin, Jenny, in TX today (the one who's a doctor, in case you're new to my blog), and she said her friends at MD Anderson have looked at my test results. They asked her to ask me what type of drugs I was being given. I gave her the name of the two drugs I was given. She said that at MD Anderson, they are seeing very good results from a third drug that is being used specifically for my type of hormone-receptive cancer cells. So, woo-hoo! She said that they thought it was a good thing that I have the type that I have (HER-2 Neu Positive), because they have a brand new drug just for that! I know it's not huge...but it's good news for me, and I'm clinging to it, because it's the first good news I've heard in awhile.

Couple that with offers for private airline transportation to TX, as well as aching joints and bones (which means my white cells are increasing with the help of the shots I've been receiving), and I have had a good day. Through all of this, we continue to be amazed at God's provision. We have been blessed so much through all of you, and we thank you all for everything!

Oh, and I had my MRI today, and Jenny told me I could request a copy of the results on a CD. Who knew you could do that? I asked the MRI technician if he could do that, and he said, "Oh, sure. It'll be ready in 5 minutes." Well, I'll be! That is exciting b/c I can overnight my MRI results to MD Anderson instead of waiting for a Dr. to read the results, and then faxing the readings. They can actually see the test for themselves, and draw their own conclusions! Wow! We are so blessed to have Jenny on our team!

Keep us in your prayers. I still need my white blood cells to increase (to at least 1.5) so I can receive treatment. I need protection from viruses/infections. And...I need sleep, so I think I'll go rest awhile.

We love you all. Thanks for everything.

Love
Leslie, Jeff, and the boys

I'm Tired of This!

My PET scan results showed cancer cells in my spine and in the lymph nodes under my right arm. Yah...lovely! Anyway, the PET scan isn't conclusive, evidently, so tomorrow I go in for an MRI. I am tired of all this lurching..."this is the diagnosis...now this is the diagnosis...let's do this and wait for another diagnosis..."

My white cell count is still down, too, so that means more shots. If it doesn't come up by Friday, I won't be able to get my next chemo treatment. The nurse assured me that the low count is a good thing...it means that the chemo is working. It's just getting old (or I'm just getting impatient!).

We are planning on taking this show on the road! We're heading to TX to MD Anderson as soon as we can get our ducks in a row. We have a place to stay (family) and my cousin who is a head/neck surgeon with connections to MD Anderson can get me in quickly. They already have every test result that I've had done here...they just need me. And I'm ready to be a priority to someone! My cousin is coordinating everything, and I trust that when I get down there they'll get right to work.

We are all weary and concerned and overwhelmed and quite resolved about what we want to do. I'm tired of waiting on my oncologist to return from vacation...which is probably the whole crux of the matter. I'm just being bounced around from one on-call doctor to the next, and no one really has a vested interest in me at this point. The staff is encouraging me to wait until he returns, which won't be until the 24th...I just don't feel like I have the luxury of waiting...I'm ready to have someone say, "This is what you have. This is where it is. And this is what we're going to do to kick it!" Now, that would make me feel better!

Love you all...and thanks for tolerating my ranting!

Leslie

Hello Again!

People keep saying they'd feel better if they could see me...know that I'm not wastin' away. Well, here are some photos taken Saturday that will hopefully make you all feel better! And you should know, thanks to all of you providing delicious meals for me and my family, I'm feeling really very well.

Thanks also for all of the cards, emails, and phone calls you've sent our way. I cannot possibly respond to all of them, but I want you to know that I really appreciate all of them. Our boys LOVE going to the mailbox now! What fun!

I hope you all had a good weekend. I made it through 3 of the 5 scheduled shots, and I'm feeling fine. No side effects, yet, but the nurse keeps saying, "Just wait! It'll hit you!" I'm really hoping she's wrong! Maybe the other patients have just never had such a good pharmacist, right, Tim? Thanks for putting in a good word for me. They treated me very well. (Although they would like some "dirt" on Tim in the pharmacy. I told them they were out of luck!)

I hope to hear back this week on my PET scan that I had last Tuesday. That will tell if I have cancer cells anywhere else. I want the results...and yet I don't. I am really tired of "bad" news! I am hoping these results are good. Regardless, I'll let you know what we find out.

Thank you all for checking in on my blog. It is so much easier for me to type one giant update than to send one to each of you. I hope you don't mind!

We love you all. Thanks for all the prayers. I know that they are the REAL reason I am feeling so well.

Love,

Leslie, Jeff, and the boys

Friday, October 12, 2007

Hey everyone. I had my lab work done today, and surprise (not really), my white cell count was down. So, now I have to go in every day for 5 days to get a shot to boost my immune system so I can still receive my chemo treatment as scheduled. No worries...the nurse just said the shots may make me have flu like symptoms...muscle/joint aches, extreme fatigue...or...I may feel fine. Just depends on how my system reacts.

I hope I don't have any flu-like reactions, because I'm just now feeling good again, and it'd be nice to have a week of "feeling good". I was advised to avoid crowded places, and to let someone else wipe runny noses for awhile. Sounds do-able...just a little inconvenient...then again, that seems to be the theme for this whole cancer treatment.

Also, I am having a time trying to post to this log. I think I set it up with a fictitious email, completely accidentally (we'll blame it on the chemo drugs), but I don't know how to fix it. So...I may have to re-do the whole thing and start from scratch. If that is the case, check in on my blogspot that I DO know how to access: http://porchswingnews.blogspot.com/ and I'll post a new link there. Sorry for the wild goose chase. Cari---if you have any suggestions, let me know.

Have a great weekend! It's "Apple Butter Makin' Days" in Mt. Vernon...sounds yummy!

Love to you all.
Leslie

Week One

Hey everyone. Just wanted to give you an update on how things are going so far. I had my first chemo treatment last Friday. I was scared to death, mainly just because I don't do IV's well. I've always said I'd rather give birth twice than to get the IV that comes with labor and delivery! But, everything went well. My nurses were so sweet (probably felt sorry for the 35 yr. old lady trembling like a leaf in the wind). My oncologist brought out a patient he was seeing for a follow up visit. She was 34, and had the same diagnosis as me in March of 2006, and is now cancer free and back teaching her 3rd grade class in Willard. It was nice to visit with someone who has been through it all and is okay. Oh, and blessings of all blessings, I didn't get sick from my chemo all weekend! Praise the Lord!

Monday (yesterday) I had a port placed in my upper left chest area (right under my collar bone). This will allow them to give me chemo without sticking me with an IV every time. I know this is supposed to be a good thing, but I had the dry heaves right up until the procedure (didn't help that I had to wait 4 hours until they actually got me in...with an empty stomach). I'm very sore today, but glad to be done with that leg of the journey. Again, I was blessed with wonderful nurses, and a certain Dr. Boswell who put me right at ease. I'm all about capable physicians...if they come across even the least bit unsure, or "just here to please you" kind of attitude, you can count me out. Dr. Boswell came right up, shook Jeff's hand, began to explain the procedure, which I quickly interrupted..."Listen, this is what I understand that you are getting ready to do," I said. "Is that it in a nutshell?" He answered that I had it down. Then I gave him my brief, but very clear explanation about my inability to handle the bloody details, and asked him to skip to the consent form. He gave a brief, but very un-bloody description of the procedure, explained his understanding of my concern that the port would permanently be in the way of my necessary hugs from my boys, and explained that he would give me the very lowest profile port he had available. Good enough! When we entered the operating room, I heard my nurse tell the techs, "Listen...we don't need a play by play...just get the procedure done, and let her know when you're through." Atta girl, Amy! God knew I needed her in my corner!

Last night, I was again trembling nearly uncontrollably. My nerves were obviously shot. We called the oncologist on call, and he gave me the okay to down a valium. I opted for half a valium (let's not get carried away), and I slept well.

Today I had a full day of tests. I am getting the idea that they really want you there a full 2 hours before they even plan on doing anything to/with you. This is very annoying to me. I just wanted to yell, "You KNOW I took a valium for this last night!!!" Anyway, back to the story, I had a PET scan (no worries, they just injected me with a type of nuclear sugar that shows itself in cancer cells when scanned...NUCLEAR SUGAR?! Never in all my days....) Then, I had a chest X-ray. Then break for lunch (at 3:15) and back at 3:30 for an ECHO(cardiogram) and an EKG. We were done by 4:30. What a day.

We then went to look at wigs. Girlfriends, I am telling you now, this is not for me. I looked like I'd gotten my head tangled in a mess of fishin' line! Whose idea was this anyway? You may just have to get used to me in a bandana. Better that than the options I saw today! Lord, have mercy! (And I mean that very sincerely!)

And finally, after visiting Jeff's Granny Fannon in the hospital (St. Johns), we capped off the day with the "Neverending Pasta Bowl" at Olive Garden. Mine should have been named the "Never Beginning" b/c by the time I made it through the salad and breadsticks, I was ready for home. And now, here I am writing this.

Friday, I have lab work, where they will check my white cell count and schedule my next chemo. I am looking forward to two "normal" days until then.

Thank you all for your outpouring of love...the phone calls, from sweet people I have never even met, to the funny calls from close friends; the emails sharing concern and laughs; the numerous meals being sent our way, the offers of childcare, transportation, and financial help; the open invitations to stay with your families if we come to TX; and the countless prayers being lifted on our behalf. Thank you, thank you, thank you. May God return the blessings on you and yours one hundredfold! Love to you all,Leslie, Jeff, and the boys

Let the Story Unfold

Hello everyone. Just wanted to let you know that this is where you can check up on me and all my "happenings" as I begin my cancer treatments. I'm including photos that I've taken of things I find especially beautiful. I hope you enjoy the notes and the photos.

Love to all,

Leslie