Last Week's Appointments

Hello again. Just wanted to give you a quick update concerning my appointment last week with my surgeon. Everything went well, and he seemed nice enough. For the time being, my surgery is scheduled for the middle of May, providing all my counts are up enough to support recovery, which they should be.

Following surgery, I will progress to radiation (woohoo!). You know the real bummer about that? All these years I've avoided the tanning beds, gracing the presence of friends and family with glaring white skin, only to wind up with this crazy disease anyway, and be headed to the bowels of MD Anderson for radiation in a tiny lead room! Rather cruel irony if you ask me! Oh well...

On a different level...I'd like to speak to all of you reading this, and grant me a little grace, if you will. I have several people (not just those who post) wanting the details of my surgery...what, when, how, where, how long, etc. I know that you are just concerned, however...

I've just decided that there are few things I have control over anymore, and I'm at least going to protect my modesty and privacy. I'm just not comfortable discussing the particulars of my upcoming procedures with everyone....especially over the internet. I have jokingly but truthfully said before that if I've never discussed this part of my body with you before, there's a good chance I'm not going to now. :o)

I hope that doesn't sound hateful...that's not my intent. I'm just not going to go into it right now. Maybe in a year, when this is old news I'll be more willing to tell all, but for now, let's just say I'm back to feeling a bit anxious and overwhelmed, and as I said to my mom last week, "This just isn't any fun anymore!" :o)

Continue to pray for my physicians (some of whom may be batting for the other team, if you know what I mean! Makes me a bit uneasy!) You could also be in prayer for my upcoming MRI of the spine...to make sure that the disease in that area continues to shrink.

Additionally, would you pray that my fingertips get back to normal? They have been very sensitive and even numb, which caused the doctors to change my medication. And now, with surgery in the near future, they have suspended my chemotherapy until after the procedure. My oncologist assured me that everything would get back to "normal" after the Taxol got out of my system...maybe 3 weeks, but 3 weeks seems like a long ways away.

Finally, keep Jeff, the boys, and me in your prayers as we "road trip" to Texas again this week. We're looking forward to the trip...the boys did so well last time.

Thank you so much for your continued support. My family...our families...really appreciate all you've done and continue to do. Thanks to our friends from church and the community who have brought meals to my family. Everything is delicious, and that has been such a help. Thanks to those of you who continue to send financial gifts our way. You are putting fuel in our vehicles to travel to Texas, and you are feeding us while we are down there, so thank you, thank you!

Have a wonderful week. I'll post again next week after our road trip. I should have some great stories and pictures to share.

Blessings,
Leslie

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I've been having problems with unknown sources posting on my blog...and a few have been links to virus-type-things. So, I've changed my blog to allow me to moderate the posts before they show up on the site. That way, I can delete the dangerous ones before they make it to the blog.

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Up to Speed...

Hi again! I just wanted to give you a quick update so you can pray accordingly. My doctor said last week that I'm "good to go" for surgery, so this Friday (25th April) Jeff and I will meet with my surgeon. Then, in the next few weeks, I also have appointments with my neurosurgeon, the stem cell transplant department, the radiation department, and I will have another MRI.

I've said recently that I feel like I've just come to the crest of the "big" hill on a roller coaster, and I can't see where the track before me goes, but it looks like what's coming up will be lightening fast and probably nauseating! And, just like when I last rode such a roller coaster (it's been awhile!), I don't know whether to squeal or puke...(sorry for being so frank!).

Anyway, also like my last roller coaster ride, I'm betting that at the end I'm going to say, "Wow!! I am never doing THAT again!"

Thank you for all your prayers. Rolla area folks, thanks for all your support during the past benefit events. We just appreciate you all so much. Jeff will be traveling with me this week, and you've made that possible.

Please continue to pray for my doctors, for the medicine (that it will continue to be effective), for my family (those caring for my children, my children, and my husband), and if you aren't too worn out from that, you can pray for me!

I have such stories to share with you when I get a chance. I've had some memorable trips recently (right, Cindy and Sherry?), and I can't wait to tell you about them. Right now, though, there's trouble in the OK Corral...seems like I have too many sheriffs and not enough gun hands! I'd better go bust up the fussin'!

Love you all,
Leslie, Jeff, and the boys

New Photos

My Most Recent Lab Results

How about this...

I had a complete blood count done two weeks ago. They emailed the results to me, but all I really recognized were the white blood cell counts and the platelets. I knew the "normal" range for those, so I was quick to check those out...they were fine, by the way.

Anyway, what I didn't know was being checked was my tumor marker, or the cancer antigens in my blood. In October, my first visit...with the "big girl panties" sign, the cancer antigens (CA) in my blood were 59.0 (38.0-0.0 being normal). In January, my CA was at 42.0.

Last week, are you ready for this...my CA was 29! That's twenty-nine! Well below the 38 that is the high normal! Basically, I have as much cancer antigens in my blood as a cancer-free person! Come again?! Yes...about as many CA's as you! Woohoo! Does that mean I'm cancer free? Well...no one ever said that to me. I still have a surgery and a procedure or two to go through, but I was told that my blood looked like that of a person without cancer!

How about that!? Are you smiling? Me too!

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. I still have a long road ahead of me, but isn't it wonderful to see and hear of the power of your prayers. Please continue to pray for my complete healing...I'd really, really appreciate it! You are the prayin'-est friends a person ever had!

We love you all!

Leslie

p.s. for all those curious souls so concerned with my weight...I now weigh more than I did BEFORE this all began, so if you tell me I look thin, I'll just have to assume you mean I look bald...because that's the only difference! :o) Just kidding! Just adjust your prayers to include "maintaining her weight" instead of "gaining weight"...that'd be just fine!

Mercy Dropped By

A while back, I mentioned how ironic I thought it was that I had been assigned two nurses whose names were "Mercy" and "Grace". I really thought that was a neat, one time thing. Do you know, since then, Mercy has been my nurse on several occasions. The assistant will walk me back to my room, and say, "Mercy will be taking care of you today. She'll be right with you."

Then two weeks ago, the assistant said, "Lillian will be taking care of you today. She'll be here in a minute." Lillian? Who's this Lillian? 'Turns out she's an excellent nurse...but there's no irony in the name Lillian. After hooking me up to my IV's, Lillian said, "I'll be right back. I just have to get one more thing," and she left the room.

As I lay there reading my latest "Miss Julia" book, the door slid open, and who should peek in but Mercy! "Hello there Ms. Davis! I just wanted to drop by and say hi...I noticed I didn't have you on my list today. Good to see you again." Can you see the enormous grin that spread across my face. I think God really enjoys sending his "Mercy" my way (she is a Christian, by the way).

Fast forward to last Friday (the 4th of April). Again, I was assigned Lillian. She is really very good, but I was watching with great anticipation for...you guessed it...Mercy! An hour or so went by, and there was a shift change. Lillian left, and Rebecca came in. Another great nurse...but where's Mercy?

Then, when all was quiet, the curtain slid open, and sure enough...there was Mercy. "Well, Ms. Davis, I was told to check on my patient in room 26...but you're not my patient! When I saw your name, though, I had to drop in and say hi. You doing okay? Good...see you soon. My patient is actually in 25...somebody got their numbers mixed up."

Umhmmmm...she thinks they did...but God is just being extra kind and sending mercy my way, even when it's en route to someone else! How fantastic is that?

Here's hoping you can begin anticipating God's mercy in your life. It's there...we just need to be watching for it!