My trip to Central Market...for Krisi Parker

Just a little more information:

Clarification: When I arrived here at MDACC, they ran some scans to make sure there were no new cancer lesions elsewhere throughout my body. We all agreed brain lesions alone would be enough! The bone scan showed nothing new, and the CT scan of my abdomen/chest also shows nothing new. The scan did not say my brain is clear...that we know its present. After these radiation treatments, they will wait 4 weeks or so, then do another MRI to see how the lesions responded to the treatment, and then do follow up treatment if needed. I am starting on new oral chemotherapy next week...I'll know more when I see my oncologist Tuesday. But...it's still all good news as far as I'm concerned. We just have such a peace going through this, and I don't know what the plans are, but I am confident that God does! Love you all! Leslie

Sunday Night

Just a quick update.  The boys made it down yesterday afternoon, after a two-day trip with Grandma and Grandpa Keltner.  Two days instead of one, because Isaac became very sick en route.  Arrived with a high fever, sick stomach, runny nose...the works.  I hope for Mrs. M that this is one bug not going around her kindergarten classroom!

I didn't take any pictures yet...been too busy hugging boys and rocking a little one.  It's nice to be together, regardless of the circumstances.  We were blessed today to have Dr. Keir-Garza call in some much needed meds for our little patient, and he has already had one dose of antibiotics, so hopefully tomorrow will be markedly better.

For the week ahead...Mom and Dad are staying at Kirk and Nanette's...I sure hope they don't starve!  (HA!)  The boys are here, and we will venture out there during the days.  Hoping to visit some museums, maybe the zoo, maybe the aquarium, and maybe the gulf, although Isaac is very sure that he doesn't like the beach...so he and I may just sit in the shade of an umbrella if we go!  He said, "The water is disgusting, Mom!"  Well...hard to argue with that.

Thank you for your continued prayers.  Would you please remember Isaac when you pray? I just hate for anyone to feel bad, especially when they are away from home.

Have a great week! Blessings to you all!

The Davis Family--together again

A little more news

Found out today that my bone scan shows nothing new!  Well, that's good news.  Had a CT scan today...find out later about the rest of me.  :o)

We are doing fine, and looking forward to my boys getting here this weekend.  They LOVE Texas, and we have family nearby (Aunt Teresa, Uncle Howard, Nanette, Kirk, Brenda and Jim...and their kids, too!) promising to do some serious spoiling!  Don't you know they're just going to be rotten by the time we're all through with them?  I'm kidding...they'll be fine!  Looking forward to letting them climb some huge live oak trees!  They're perfect for boys!  Wish we had one in our front yard. 

Hope you all have a great weekend.  Thank you so much for your prayers.

Blessings,

Jeff and Leslie

Just so You Know

If you are just checking my blog for the first time, and you are in the mood for browsing, go to the bottom of the page and click on older posts, OR just go to the side and pick a month and year from the past.  I'm telling you, I've got some good looking pictures of some good looking little boys on here!  There aren't a whole lot of pictures of ME, but you can see what I like seeing!  Thanks for checking in.  I am enjoying all the comments.

My schedule for today consists of more scans.  Nothing painful, just time consuming.

Jeff is asleep in a chair beside me.  Red shirt, Wranglers, boots! Love it!  He just makes me happy to look at him!

Thank you for your continued prayers!  Hope you have a great day.

Blessings!

All the News that is the News

Just wanted to let you know what's going on here in sunny Houston, TX.  They have begun "whole brain radiation" on me to treat several lesions recently found on my glorius brain!  Lovely!  So far, the only side effects are that every thing tastes sweet (yuck!  even water ).  I've been tired, but I think the events of the past few days would account for that, don't you?

Anyway, thanks to my good friend Sherry Marshall and her connections, we now have a rented an apartment here in the Medical Center through South Main Baptist Church of Houston .  It is really nice, and it's relaxing to have a place to come "home" to. It was necessary because they want me close to the MDACC Emergency Room.  That'll make you feel good!  Brother!

We have not been able to speak with our boys about the new medical diagnosis.  Jeff and I both think that would be best handled in person...so we are working on the details of getting them here, or him there.  That being said, they know I came down here for my headaches, and that I have doctors appointments daily, and they want to know when we'll be back. We're hoping to fill in the blanks by the end of the week.

Thank you all for your prayers.  Right now, our main prayers  include:

*) For the radiation to be effective.  I'd really like to WOW the doctors with the response of the lesions to the radiation.  Some people respond favorably...some don't.  I've never taken kindly to performing poorly on a test of any kind, and this is no exception!

*) For smoothness of schedule with the new routine at home for the boys.  Grandma Bootsie and Grandpa Coach have got them handled, but I sure don't want anyone tuckering out or losing patience. I think its safe to say that request is for all parties involved!

*) For Jeff...I get a little "opinionated" when I don't feel well.  Nuff said!

*)Pray that we continue to allow God to guard our hearts and minds.  It'd be easy to get overwhelmed with all of this, but we are focusing on focusing on Him, and not the problem.  Today.  We'll work on tomorrow then.

Blessings to you all! 

Love,
Leslie and Jeff

The Next Paragraph

Who knew when I typed my last post how fitting that excerpt from "So Long Insecurity", by Beth Moore would be.  I thought I'd share a bit of the next paragraph in the book with you.  It's almost as if it was written with my situation in mind.  I've always said I liked that lady!  It's because we think alike!

"...You knew what You were doing when You formed me in my mother's womb. Nothng is without purpose. Nothing has thrown off the plan.  Every gift, challenge, and obstacle is meant to shape the specific destiny You ordained for me before time began.  Your intent is to make a wonder out of me and show what You can do through me.  You mean to increase the praise that comes to You because of my life.  You want to defy the odds in order to make Yourself conspicuous in me. Please deliver me from self-pity and a life of excuses and rationalizations...Of all things, please don't let it be said that I loved myself too much to fully love anybody else.  Please don't let me gain the world but lose my soul."

How's that?  Completely fits my situation, don't you think?
In closing, please pray for our appointments tomorrow.  For clarity, direction, and peace.  And pray that I don't throw up!  It's my go-to "fight or flight" response, and I just hate it!

Also, pray for Jeff.  He is just such a rock!  He is serious but always able to make me laugh.  He is confident and compassionate.  He's handling all the correspondence, since I've lost my voice.  He never makes me feel like the patient...but always takes such care of me.  As always, he is the perfect gentleman.  I have yet to open a car door for myself in nearly 18 years of marriage, and even before that when we were dating.  It's the first thing I loved about him.  Well, that and his Wrangler's and boots!  Pray that he is able to rest. He slept a lot last night, and he was nearly too rested to tolerate today.  He calls it comedic genius, but I could think of a few other terms for it!  And me without a voice to redirect!  He loved every minute of our 7 hour "comedic genius" trip today! 

And, please keep our family in your prayers.  The boys know that I've come down to see what my doctor's here want me to do for my headaches.  I told them my scan of Friday showed something was putting pressure on my head/neck, and we needed to do something about it.  They were fine with that definition of our current situation. 

Then I apologized for telling them they were making my head hurt last week in the car.  They were fussing and whining, and it was tiresome.  (At one point, I told the two oldest if they didn't apologize in the car, I would make them hug and kiss in the crosswalk in front of the school.  I meant it, too!) I told them I was so sorry for blaming them, because it turns out it wasn't their fault all.  Wouldn't it be awful if they thought they had caused any of this?! 

Anyway, they were very forgiving, "Okay, Mom.  It's alright." "Yah.  It's alright." Then 3 big smiles.  It was a very low key discussion held on the steps of the backyard playset.  Then, I told them because of my headaches, I couldn't do the garden this year, and I was giving both garden spots to them.  Seemed fair, since they cleaned them off.  They were so pumped!  One sunflower fort in the planning stages, and one vegetable/flower garden.  Should provide hours of activity, and lots of fun for their summer.

Pray for my parents, and my siblings who have all helped out, and are still helping with the boys. 

This is a draining experience, even though it's not our first rodeo.  I am both dreading and looking forward to tomorrow.  It is so nice to be with the doctor's who know me best. There is comfort in familiarity.  There is comfort in trust. 

Blessings to you and yours. 


Jeff and Leslie

"Bluebonnets in Corsicana" by Leslie Davis 4/11/10

Good Read...

I am currently reading Beth Moore's new book, So Long Insecurity.  This is a passage of what I read last night, and I just loved it.  If you get a chance, check out this book.  She writes what I would write if I could write like she writes!

...Lord, help me to learn how to hang on tight to You when my life is rocked by dramatic change. Empower me to trust You and not to panic or fight for control. Help me to stop confusing a change in my circumstances with a change in my security status. You are my security, O God. You are the one sure thing. When everything around me shakes, You are unshakable. Nothing has the propensity to reveal false gods to me like a sudden change in my circumstances. Help me to see them and surrender them instantaneously. Use change to provoke what needs changing in me, Lord, and to increase my appreciation of the only One who is the same yesterday, today, and forever...

Blessings,

Leslie