More Good News!

Well, hip-hip-hooray! I found out today that I don't have to have my neck radiated. Apparently, at one point, an ultrasound showed that I had an enlarged lymph node in my neck that they suspected was also cancerous. Well, long story short, my cousin and medical-connection-extraordinaire, Jenny, called in a favor from the head of the Head and Neck Ultrasound department at MD Anderson, and she (the department head) did another ultrasound of my neck this morning. After comparing it with my original, she determined that what the other department thought was an enlarged lymph node was actually a blood vessel...yep...a blood vessel, and does not require any treatment of any kind. Her words..."Don't let them radiate your neck." Well, don't worry sister! I won't!

It's only by the grace of God that they haven't radiated my neck already, since my radiation treatments are already beginning their 3rd week! Ordinarily they would have, but my fantastic Radiation Oncologist (who could be the long, lost twin of my sister-in-law, Diane...so much so that I could chat with her for hours!) said she didn't want to radiate it until she knew exactly which node they were suspicious of...and then she ordered the follow-up ultrasound! Wasn't that wise!? Evidently, in the healthy world, you don't just go around radiating things just to be safe! Well, bless my soul! How about that for God getting in my business? Aunt Teresa and I had a good chuckle about that this morning! You'd think He was taking care of me or something! :o)

So...all those many years ago, when Jenny entered medical school...and even before that..maybe when Aunt Teresa met Uncle Howard...or even when Grandma Walker had Aunt Teresa (just one of her 12 children)...or even when...well, you get the picture...God knew that one day Jenny would be callin' in a favor for her cousin from Missouri! How cool is that?!

Kinda makes you think that there's a reason for what YOU dealt with today, doesn't it? And we know that He works ALL things together for our good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

So, thank you all for your continued prayers. What a wonderful gift you are giving to me and my family!

Thank you Jenny! Thank you "Head of Head and Neck Ultrasonography", thank you fantastic Radiation Oncologist, and thank you God!

...did I just win something? They like me! They really like me!

Ready the Proton Radiator!

What? I'm sorry, say that again?

I know...sounds like Marvin the Martian on Bugs Bunny! I have been approved for the MD Anderson Proton Radiation Program! Having trouble containing your excitement? I know...sounds like a real summer treat, doesn't it?! Well, it is for me!

I just received word today from my radiation oncologist that she got approval from my insurance company for me to receive "Proton Radiation" of my spine. She had asked last week if she could pursue that option, and I told her to go for it.

Evidently (and I hesitate to explain these medical treatments since several of you reading this know WAY more about it than I do) "proton" radiation radiates only the area needing radiation, and doesn't "exit" the area, therefore radiating otherwise healthy tissue. In other words, they will be able to radiate the small area of my spine that used to have cancer in it without potentially damaging my spinal cord or the other side of my body!

Furthermore, it is rare that they allow this for a breast cancer patient with metastatic cancer, because since the cancer has already spread, why worry about damaging tissue with radiation? My radiation oncologist argued, however, that I was not your TYPICAL breast cancer patient, and that based on my pathology reports post-surgery, my cancer has responded extremely well to the treatment I have been receiving, and they are going for a "curative response" (excuse me...did I hear the word "cure" in there?).

Well, the insurance company responded by saying they appreciated my radiation oncologists' explanation of the situation, and they would fax an approval letter within the hour (that was at 1:30 today).

So...how about that? Still not getting goose bumps? (Probably because you're not under the proton radiator! Just kidding!) Well, my doctor explained that the radiation I am and will still receive for the primary tumor is excellent...the best in the country...the "Lexus" of radiation therapy. The proton radiation, however, is the "Lamborghini" of radiation treatment, and as she put it, "Why settle for the Lexus when you could have the Lamborghini?"

So...19 more "regular" radiation treatments left, and 20 (I think) proton radiations to go! Simultaneously! Let the party begin!

Am I glowing?.....I feel radiant......

Look at my new nephew!

Big Plans!

Well, not really...but the boys think so! Today they both are going with me to treatment. There is a childcare facility ("Kids Club" as we call it) just upstairs, and they are going to play with all the "cool toys" while momma gets radiated just a few feet below them! How strange is that?! Anyway, after that, we are all heading to Galveston for dinner. Might as well...we're this close, right! Levi wants to get in the ocean again, but Isaac says no! "There are crabs in there!" He is COMPLETELY afraid of crabs...saw one tiny one on his first visit to the beach, and has never forgotten it. That's why in those first pictures of our visit, he is walking on Jeff's boots. Silly guy! Anyway, we want to eat by the ocean, and so we are!

Everything continues to go well. I'm even getting good at driving in Houston traffic. I must be one of the best, because a few people have even given me the "#1" sign! (Oh, that was awful!) Anyway, hope your week is going well. I'll write more later!

Love,

Leslie

Greetings from Texas

Just a quick entry to let you know that I have finished my first two radiation treatments...only 28 to go! (Not that I'm counting!) We are enjoying our stay here and looking forward to a little fun this weekend. We may even go to the park...woohoo!

The little boys are napping right now, but have spent the morning playing outside. They are loving it here, too. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Jeff and Owen are busily cleaning out the toy room in hopes that the two little ones won't miss what's missing when we get home. They are also building a table for Owen to put in his room. Sounds like big fun!

I am so thankful for Jeff. He is a great dad as well as a wonderful husband. He assures me that he will be just fine "suffering" through Father's Day with only one son (the only one who can bait his own hook and cast a line without injuring himself or others)...I think he has a day of R&R planned...and he definitely deserves it! NEXT weekend, he can take his two littlest sidekicks fishing...maybe!

I hope you all have a great Father's Day, and I'll try to write more at the beginning of next week.

Love,

Leslie

What's Been Goin' On...

Catchin' Up...

Thank you all so much for your prayers...we have an answer! We received a phone call last week telling us that a friend of the family who lives very close to Houston actually spends their summers in a cooler climate, and that their home, complete with yard, was vacant and available if we were interested. We are thrilled! Although it's a longer drive to the medical center, it is a trade off we welcome as the boys now have a shady yard in which to play. Jeff and I have already stayed there one evening last week, and it was so comfortable and quiet that we just ate our dinner and grinned at each other. I lost count of how many times we said to one another, "Can you believe this?!" It was very, very nice.

One neighbor left the key for us, and spoke to us by phone to make sure we got in okay. And while we were securing our rental car, another neighbor left us a steaming dish of spaghetti and all the fixin's on the table, so that when we walked in, dinner was ready and waiting. How about that?! Oh, and did I mention that she left us ice cream in the freezer? It was delicious!

I just have to grin when I think of God's provision. Not only does He meet our needs, he often adds a little bit of something extra...lagniappe, I believe the Cajun's call it! Not only did he meet our housing needs, he provided us with caring neighbors, a warm meal, and DESSERT!!! Now, how about that!?

We just can't begin to tell you how much we appreciate all your prayers. Uncle Dick says that God doesn't answer prayers, he answers pray-ers, and I thank you for being "pray-ers" for our family.

Real quick...mom and I leave tomorrow for the road trip to TX...with 2 of the boys. Please pray for safe travels. My first radiation treatment is Thursday, although I have to be there Wednesday for a trial run more or less. Please remember the physicians and me as we begin this wonderful summer of microwaving my way to complete and total health!

Blessings to you all! I'll update as soon as I can!

Love,

Leslie, Jeff, and the boys

My Hilarity for His Highest

Okay...I know it's supposed to be "My Utmost for His Highest", but utmost was replaced with hilarity on the way to church this morning. Keep in mind that we are terribly out of practice at attending church together due to our continuing change of locations. We've become "those people" who only attend on what my brother-in-law refers to as "Amateur Sundays"...Christmas, Easter, and Mother's Day! However, we are not comfortable with this current arrangement (the hit and miss attendance), so with concentrated determination, we set forth to attend Sunday services this morning.

Well, right off the bat, we realized that there was no way we could make it to Sunday School, so we set our sights on "Big Church". The boys loaded up, followed by Jeff, and anchored by me (it is "anchored" you know...like a relay team!). Then, two realized they didn't bring their Bibles. No problem...I'll grab them for you. Not knowing which one the 4 yr. old wanted...Toddler or Preschool version, I grabbed both and ran for the truck. That began quite a discussion in the back seat...who needed the toddler bible anymore. After a few "Just drop it!" commands from the front seat, the boys moved on to other topics, like breakfast!

Running late, we had skipped breakfast and headed out the door. Realizing all to quickly that the hunger pains would not be ignored, we pulled in to the local Cody's gas station for a nutritious bite to eat on the way to church. Would you believe that Jeff came out of the store with two boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnut holes and 4 little bottles of milk? Of course...what else would you get at a gas station? After divvying up the pastries and milk, we set off for church, only 5 minutes behind schedule...easily made up, right? Wrong!

In a flash of what can only be attributed to "chemo brain", I decide to refill a cup of milk through the enlarged straw hole (I think it was a slushee lid from Cody's) just as Jeff topped a hill between our house and Wilson's Creek. Gravity combined with poor judgement resulted in a lap full of ice cold whole milk. I arched my back and stood on my tip toes as Jeff found the nearest place to pull over. Any napkins anywhere? No...all consumed already by sticky fingered children. Aha! Two anti-viral kleenexes...that should really sop up the mess!

I dabbed, I patted, but to no avail. Mustering all the self-control I had left, I announced, "Well, I can't go to church like THIS!", to which my usually compassionate husband answered, "Oh, I think you CAN." I knew then we were heading to church...no matter what!

So, as I continued to dab, squirm, and pat myself dry, while simultaneously positioning myself in line of the air conditioner vents, Jeff turned on the praise music! Thanks a lot, babe. He was laughing, I was trying not to (it WAS funny!), the kids were giggling b/c mom looked like she'd wet her pants, and Isaac was singing "I could sing of your love forever...I could sing of your love forever...."

Then...the sugar from the Krispy Kreme breakfast hit the bloodstreams of every person under the age of 9 at almost the exact same time. The boys were wrestling, laughing, accidentally whacking their heads on the window, and singing praise music, or their rendition thereof.

When our revved up children, their milk-soaked momma, and their calm, cool, and collected daddy walked through the front doors of church, we were quite a sight to see. Thankfully, Isaac announced to the 3 remaining greeters in the foyer, "Look at my new Bible! I got it for my birthday!". Hoping to get on down the hallway before my soaked denim was noticed, I praised him for bringing his Bible (and myself, for grabbing two Bibles for him, which resulted in him actually carrying one!).

As we entered the sanctuary, we joined the congregation in singing "These are the days of Elijah", and I had to wonder if Elijah had ever worshipped with milk soaked britches and sugared up kids! As we listened to Bro. Stan preach on Elijah calling fire down from heaven, I began to wish I'd called down a little heat myself to dry up the milk that was now soaking my chair cushion! Just as Stan neared the culmination of his sermon, Isaac whispered in my ear (thankfully, as he had not whispered at any other point during the service) "Momma...I gotta go!" Of course he did! So we quietly walked all the way to the back of the sanctuary (since the "second row, piano side" were the only seats left by the time we got there), and I finished up the visit to church in the bathroom with my 4 year old, answering deep theological questions like, "Why do we flush with our foot?", and "Why do we use soap?"

Jeff more than made up for laughing at me, though, when he took all the boys for the afternoon (they rested in the living room), and let me enjoy a long nap...in dry clothes!

Thank you Lord for families. Thank you for a husband with a good sense of humor. Thank you for a church home where folks are glad to see you...wet or dry! Thank you for rest. AND...thank you for the good sense NOT to try to fill a cup through the straw hole ever again! There's got to be a sermon in that, somewhere!