Update

Wow! What a busy and fast summer break we've had. I haven't taken time to write for a long while. To bring you up to speed, I have been taking three different types of chemotherapy. One by IV, one in the form of tablets, and one through the new fangled port in my skull. This began in April, and will continue until it is no longer effective. My doctors and I have finally gotten everything (dosages) synchronized, and for the most part I'm feeling great.

Jeff and I are heading back to Houston this weekend for more rescans next week. Mom and Dad, and Matt and Anita, are keeping the boys for us. School has started, so they're staying here instead of vacationing with us in Houston.


If you have a second, and want to pray for us, here are our needs:

*safe travels
*blessings for those who are watching our boys
*Jeff's work...he'll be taking lots of it to TX
*my tests and scans. I know that one day next week, I'll be in the MRI scanner for a continuous two hours. Pray that my nose doesn't itch and that I don't sneeze during the scan. I will have another MRI that should last about 45 minutes. (my nose always itches during this one...the MRI of the brain. You are to be motionless during the scan, and I always seem to need to sneeze)
*Peace as we get our test and scan results. We are accustomed to good results as well as bad, but your prayers would be so appreciated.

Thank you for checking in on me, or us, whatever the case may be. We know we are blessed to have so many friends who lift us in prayer.

Blessings to you all,

Leslie

1000 words...Our Summer

These folks have kept me busy this summer.  Here are a couple of our family pictures taken by our new friend, Karen, at Lasting Memories Photography in Republic.

I'll write more soon!

Love,

Leslie

Technical Difficulties

My apologies for not updating recently. Our internet has been out. Jeff just got us a new modem, and we have yet to get it hooked up. I'm posting via wi-fi from somewhere.

Praise the Lord, we finally got treatments coordinated here. It has been an unnecessarily stressful ordeal trying to get our local oncologist to give the medicine MDA wanted. There were multiple snafus, but it was finally all worked out. Jeff handled the whole thing beautifully. I told him he's my shield. I just hid behind him and let him do all the fighting for me.

Anyway, all's well that ends well! I've had three treatments here already, and the remaing 11 are scheduled. I am pleased with the medical staff and facility where we are administering the injections. The biggest side effect that I've noticed is that I'm tired for a day or two after treatment.

Thanks so much to everyone who has brought us meals, given us money to help with gas, food or bills, helped with childcare, provided tranportation, and sent us words of encouragement. We consider ourselves abundantly blessed to have such fantastic friends.

Have a wonderful week.

Blessings,

Leslie

Wednesday's Update

Just getting ready to head over to my surgeon's office and see if I can have these stitches taken out of my head.  That would be sooooo nice.  Tomorrow I have my 2nd treatment, and then, I hope, we are free to leave and head home!  We are ready to be back in Missouri, although Jeff reminds me daily, we will miss the Final Four if we head back before Friday.  Oh well, such is life.

My first treatment went very well.  It's not an IV, but rather the doctor stands over you and v...e...r...y...slowly injects medicine into my head. It was a little creepy to have someone standing over me for 5 minutes squirting something into my head.  I just shut my eyes.  Even though I was laying down, I still felt a little faint.  It's because I was thinking about it.  Maybe next time I'll take my iPod and put in my earphones so I can think about something else.

 For those inquisitive minds out there, they always draw off as much spinal fluid as the medicine they are putting in so the pressure inside my skull remains the same.  Glad someone was thinking about that! 

Better make hay while the sun shines.  Have a wonderful day.  Thanks for your continued prayers.

Blessings,
Leslie

Abrupt ending

The post below has a very generic ending, and you need to know why. The medical transport folks showed up to roll me doen to nuclear medicine, and I couldnt get my iPad to save it as a draft, so I tied it up with a very sloppy bow before sliding over to another rolling bed and scooted down the hallways of the hospital. And now, I can't get back to it to correct it.

Oh well. Now you know.

In the Still of the Night

Since my diagnosis in September of 2007, I dread nighttime. Not so much when all is well, but especially when I have a new diagnosis or a new treatment. When night falls, and everyone else is snug in their beds, you will often find me puttering around the house or watching TV. I just stay up until I am drop dead tired, jittery with fatigue, because i know I can go to sleep quickly.

When I stayed in Houston with my cousin, Jenny, some of our best visits were after 10pm. I probably drove her nuts, but she didn't complain. She'd fix me a cup of hot tea, and we'd discuss medical issues (she's a doctor), scripture, kiddos. It was one of my favorite times.

Now, though, it is habit to stay up way too late. I mean, I shut down the neighborhood. Not a creature stirring when my light goes out.

Quiet night time promotes vast amounts of activity in my brain. Worry and fear decide to have a footrace through my thoughts. Pictures of the day's events roll through my mind like index cards in a Rolodex.

So,when this began last night, in the quiet of my hospital room (Jeff went to our room to sleep) I decided to fight the rolodex and the footrace. I pulled out my handy dandy iPad, (thank you D & M, and J & J) on the songs I had downloaded, and let the Martin's, Phillips, Craig, and Dean, Laura Story, Third Day, Steven Curtis Chapman, the Sidewalk Prophets, Chris Rice, and the Gaither Vocal Band sing my tired self to sleep. Worry and fear stopped their racing. Pictures of the day slowly stopped rolling. Scripture in song filled the room. And when I shut off the music I felt like
I wasn't alone. And I rested.

Hope you are having a great week. Looks like there's pretty weather at home.

Blessings,

Leslie

Good morning!

Well, nothing says good morning quite likke a needle in the bend of your arm! Hello! I was in the lab at 6 a.m. this morning. Bloodwork done, and off to have my brain scanned at 7. Good news! I have one (a brain). Then Jeff and I grabbed some breakfast, and we are now back at the room. Going to rest for a bit before my next appointment at noon.
In case you are just catching up, when I was here last week for my regular check up, they found even more, new cancer. This time on the surface of the brain. The most effective treatment is to deliver chemotherapy directly to the brain through what is known as an Ommaya Reservoir. Google that phrase if you'd like to know more.

So that is why Jeff and I are back down here this week...to have that placed, and for the physicians here to make sure it's working right before we head home. My local hospital can administer the infusions for me. Surgery tomorrow, then stay for about a week to make sure things are going well, then homeward bound.

Thanks for your prayers and all the ways you are helping our family. We are truly blessed.

I'll write more when I know something new. Have a fantastic week.

Love,

Leslie

My apologies for the typos. Using my iPad, and cannot go back and correct for some reason.

Blessings

Jesus Cares for Me

"Jesus cares for me. 
Seems too good to be.
All my worries and doubts released,
Jesus cares for me."

I am thoroughly enjoying our new CD of all the hymns I grew up singing. (Bart Millard of MercyMe---Hymned (1st cd) and Hymned again (2nd cd)).

Hope you are enjoying this warmer weather. Here's a short clip of Bart and Vince Gill recording this song.



Have a great week!

Blessings,
Leslie

One of my All Time Favorites

The latest Update

I've been home from TX since the evening of the 12th, and am just getting around to posting about my visit.  We've been so busy with life, that typing a paragraph on the computer seemed to get lower and lower on my list of things to do.

As of January 10, 2011, everything remains stable or continues to shrink.  I met with the neurosurgeon who does the gamma knife surgeries on the brain, and he said that I "100% do not need gamma knife surgery at this point."  But, he said, if I ever do need it, now he knows me and if my oncologist calls, he'll work me right in.  He also said that because of the results of the MRI, they can tell that my chemotherapy (11 pills/day) is "100% doing what it's supposed to".  So much easier to swallow 11 pills when you know it's working!

And...drum roll please...I have gained another 8 pounds since December.  Almost back to my starting weight.  10 lbs to go.

I had a wonderful trip down and back with my cousin Jeannie and my momma (Bootsie).  On our return trip, we stayed overnight with another cousin, Cari, and got to hug her neck and love on her sweet, sweet children.  It was a very enjoyable pit stop, and  a very entertaining trip.

So...that's that.  My oncologist also suggested that since nothing is growing, that monthly MRI's are no longer necessary, and that I can stay put until March when I'll return for a rescan.  Ever been to Houston, TX in March?  It's BEAUTIFUL!  Everything is green and flowers are blooming.  It's warm enough to sit outside and soak up the sun.  Lovely, lovely.  So, that will be a fantastic time for another visit.

This week, however, I am home, taking care of my 2nd child to come down with strep this month.  So glad to be here. Preparing for a freeze-out, where I'll air out the house, and then disinfect everything.

Thank you all for your continued prayers.  We consider ourselves abundantly blessed to have friends and family who care for us so much.

Have a great week!  Blessings to you all,

Leslie