Think and think and think...

Well, I finally made it back to the computer! What a crazy past few weeks we've had. My last round of chemo really knocked me for a loop. They gave me a new (to me) drug to strengthen my bones, then a flu shot, and the next day a shot of Neulasta (white cell booster), all three of which have the side effect of achiness! I was hurtin' for certain! I couldn't even sit up without help. It was a mess. That lasted about a week, then I started chilling, only to be admitted to the hospital Wednesday night (a week ago) with low white cells, low hemoglobin, and a fever. Lovely! After antibiotics and lots of fluids, I was sent home on Saturday, and I have felt much better since. So now at least you know what I've been up to. My dr. decided to postpone my chemo for this week (it was supposed to be Monday). He said he thought my body could use a break. I'd have to agree. We'll start up again when I return from Houston.

I am scheduled to be back in Houston the week of the 26th. I have appointments with a neurosurgeon (for the spot on my spine) and a bone marrow transplant team, just to see if I'd be a candidate for that program. This trip we are taking all the boys, and fortunately my parents are coming along to help. We are all looking forward to the trip, for various reasons. My parents will get to visit with Aunt Teresa (mom's sister) and Uncle Howard. The boys just want to see some fancy sports cars on the highways in TX...Jeff told them he saw a something-or-other (I can't spell whatever it was), and now Levi, especially, is just jumping with excitement...and those of you who know him know that that's a literal statement! The boys will love playing with their cousins that they've only seen in pictures. Once they get together, there will be 5 little boys under the age of 9...all in Texans football uniforms! Doesn't that sound like a party!?

Let's see...what else. Oh, since my last entry, I have discovered that I look hilarious in bucket hats. Remember that Andy Griffith episode where Gomer Pyle tries to join the Marines, and he ticks off the Sergeant, who makes him sit on his cot with a bucket on his head "to think"? Well, that's all I could think of when I saw my reflection wearing a bucket hat. "Boy, Andy...this really works. You can just think and think and think! Here...try it on and have yourself a think!" I looked just like Gomer! No joke! I'm sticking with bandannas!

I guess that's all the news I have for now. My last entry was so lengthy, I think I'll cut this one a bit short (relatively speaking).

Quickly, congrats to my niece Jamie and her husband Nick, who are celebrating the birth of their first child, a boy! He is incredibly handsome, a well known family trait! What a precious little Thanksgiving package!

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. Aren't we all so tremendously blessed? God is good.

Thanks for everything. I appreciate all your prayers. I'll write more when I get a chance.

Love,

Leslie

Home Again

Hi again. It's Sunday night, and we made it home today about 5 or so. What a blessing to travel by air...a 13 hour trip completed in 1.5 hours! Amazing. Thanks Nanette and Lisa for arranging that!

I have so many funny stories I could share. I wish each of you could experience the kind of professional treatment I received at MD Anderson. They called me by name in nearly every department. "Good mornin' Miz Davis. You back again?", "Good morning Ms. Davis...can I get you a warm blanket?", "Don't worry, Meez Davees...we gonna take veddy good care of you." (That's as good as I can do at typing foreign accents!)

I got so tickled at the lady trying to explain how I should drink their barium mixture before my CT scan. If you've never had to do that, it's like drinking 3 bottles of something a little thicker than Mylanta...but WAY worse in taste. I told her, "I haven't eaten that much of anything I LIKE...I don't know how I'm gonna down that! Then, this sweet little lady with an Oriental accent goes on to explain, "Eeef you feel like you going to vomit, just don't drink eeeny more." "Well don't worry!" I assured her! Good heavens! I just looked at the first two 12 oz cups they gave me and all I could say was, "OH BOY!" That little Oriental lady and her Middle Eastern assistant just laughed and laughed! "'OH BOY' she say! 'OH BOY she say!'" That stuff was putrid, but I managed to drink 1 and 1/2 cups (not the recommended 3). As I timidly sipped the mixture, I tried to remind myself to be thankful that God enabled someone to develop this test that allows them to see inside me so non-invasively. It helped a little, but it still tasted horrid!

Oh...I almost forgot...my little Oriental friend also explained the potential hazards of the Iodine injection they were going to give me. "Dees Iodine make you feel veddy veddy hot. Eeef you feel lips tingling, eyes eeetching, throat swelling shut...you let us know. You having veddy bad reaction. You allergic!" Once again, I assured her, "Don't worry! You'll be the first to know!" Oh yeah! No worries! Just a little shot of Iodine! Good grief!

At this point, I would like to thank Jeff, my cousin Nanette, and Uncle Howard and Aunt Teresa for making me laugh so hard while waiting for this test that I nearly choked on my Barium! They kept saying, "Eeef you feel teengly, eeef you gonna vomit, eeef you throat swell shut....!" Thanks guys!

Anyhoo...I am done with testing! Praise the Lord! Some were pleasant, some were definitely not, but throughout all of them I reminded myself that people were praying for me. Thank you all so much.

I did have many enjoyable moments in Houston. One of which was getting to go to church with Jenny and her family. They attend Lakewood church, where Joel Osteen is pastor. Anyway, Jenny's friend got word to Joel Osteen's mother, Dodie Osteen, that I was in need of prayer, and we were seated on the second row in that huge church. When it was time to ask for prayer, a security guard took me, Jeff, Jenny and her daughter, Gabrielle, right up front to the alter, and Dodie Osteen prayed over me. She is a 20+ year cancer survivor, and was healed after the doctors told her she had only 6 weeks to live, so she is a firm believer in prayer and the authority God has over disease. Anyway, in the name of Jesus, she commanded my cancer to wither and die, and then she thanked God for the testimony Jeff and I would have through this, and she thanked him that, should the Lord tarry, someday we would celebrate our 50th anniversary. It was rather overwhelming to have a stranger pray over me, much less a well known person, but it was really peaceful, too.

After the service, I went around to where Joel Osteen has a "meet and greet" time with all the visitors. I was just trying to get a picture of him, when one of the security personnel noticed me, and asked, "Would you like to meet him?" I told them, "That's okay, the line is already closed for the night." She said, "No, no...you come to the front." Then she had me walk around, and she led me under the security rope, and she placed me right at the front of the line, and Joel Osteen himself shook my hand and prayed with me. It was really something...I've only watched him on TV, and now he was holding my hand and praying for Jeff and I. Not that I believe his or Dodie's prayers are any more effective than any of our prayers, but it was just exciting to be in their presence. It sounds a little hokie when I type it out...but it was really very...neat (for lack of a better word.)

Let's see, what else? I was treated like a queen, showered with gifts, and totally doted over by my cousins and their families as well as by my aunt and uncle. Thank you Jenny, Nanette, Brenda, Teresa and all your wonderful families! What a treat. Meanwhile, back here on the home front, my entire family pitched in to help with my boys. Thanks Mom and Daddy, Suzan, Anita, Jim and Kevin and all their families! For some reason, you all look a little tired! :o) I wonder why?

I go in tomorrow for another round of chemotherapy. This one and one more, and I'll be done with the stuff that makes me nauseous...then just on to more chemo that has fewer side effects. That will be a blessing.

Our prayer needs are: 1)healing 2)wisdom for the doctors who are treating me 3)effectiveness of the drugs used (sometimes they work, sometimes they don't) 4)peace and comfort for my husband and my children. This is definitely not our "normal" schedule 5)peace for my mind and the absence of fear and worry. Neither of those last two come from God, but the devil likes to bother me with them, and I'm tired of him, frankly. He's much less effective when I'm well rested, so I think I will close this entry for now and get some rest.

We love you all, and thank you for your prayers.

Love,
Leslie, Jeff, Owen, Levi, and Isaac

p.s. I would like to publicly apologize for using the "SH**" word in my last post. :o) Even though it was only a quote, I was reminded upon my arrival home that I was not raised to speak that way! So, from now on, no foul language quotes of any kind...I think! I mean, really, that one was funny!

Also, in the photos above, the first two are obviously Joel Osteen, then there is a picture of me and Jenny(my cousin), and next a photo of MD Anderson's main bldg, and the last photo is just a pretty fountain that was near the medical center. I have tons more photos, and I'll share some of them later.

Hello again!

Hello everyone! I apologize for taking so long to give you an update, but we have been on the run for this whole week. I met with my doctor on Monday, and he went over my records. Basically, we got the same diagnosis. The breast cancer has spread to my lymph nodes under my arms as well as the T7 vertebrae. He said that I'm "technically incurable", but that could just mean that I have to receive medication for the next 50 years. When those words came out of his mouth, all I could think was "Thankfully, God doesn't function in the "technical" realm!"

The physician went on to say that the medication he recommends has shown great results, and he has patients who just take it on a weekly basis and have had no sign of their cancer for 13+ years. So that was encouraging.

On the "flesh" side, I am weary of being poked, stuck, prodded, and shoved! Those of you who know me well are fully aware of my aversion to needles. I can take a shot anyday, but you go drawin' stuff out of me, or leaving an IV in me, and I start to see stars!

Tuesday night, I had to go in for lab work. The lady who was to draw my blood was just sitting there waiting on me. I felt obligated to inform her of my inablility to sit upright while being siphoned. "Listen," I said, " I don't do well with this. I need to recline, and I have to turn my head away." (Pardon my French henceforth) She replied, "Well, shit...you know you bizness...look away if you gots to...but I gots to look. Ummmhmmm." Then she started humming. As I looked to the left, she had a little card on her bulletin board that read: PUT ON YOUR BIG GIRL PANTIES AND DEAL WITH IT! I started laughing so hard, that I didn't even realize she was done. "Ummmhmmm," she continued, "What kind of work do you do?" I told her I was raising 3 very active boys. "Ummmmhmmmm...What you do before that?" she asked. I told her that I taught preschool. "Ummmhmmm...well, ain't no reason to get used to needles and blood in that line of bizness, is there?" "Well," she continued, "Dat's it! Last call for alcohol! You done!" I laughed all the way out to the waiting room! That was the best bloodwork I've ever had done!

After that, I had an MRI...at 9:30pm! I didn't even know they did MRI's that late at night! We didn't leave the hospital until 10:45! And I hadn't eaten! Thankfully, my cousin Nanette (sister to Jenny with whom we are staying) had fixed us a roast, potatoes, and carrots as well as hot rolls! I didn't stay hungry long.

Yesterday, I had a mammogram, chest xray, and a CT scan. We left the hospital around 8 I think.

Tomorrow I have more tests, and then we are trying to time my next chemo treatment. Here or home...it'll just depend.

That's about all I know. I'm enjoying Houston. There are so many pretty things to see, not to mention fantastic food. Best of all, we are enjoying a long overdue family reunion with cousins I haven't seen in probably 20 years. What a wonderful family God has blessed me with!

Blessings to you all. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for us. That's more important than anything else!

We love you all,

Leslie and Jeff