May 4, 2020 · from Lesley’s original CaringBridge journal
Today has been a truly good day from one end to the other. So much good to report. First of all I took the last (for now) of my oral chemo round (a.k.a. The skunk pills bc that’s truly what they smell like) this morning. The effects had been building up on me and I’ve been last few days so hopefully that will subside for now. Also, now that I am done with that my counts should start increasing at a slightly faster rate. Next good thing is that for two days straight I have eaten all my meals with no pain meds! Ursula is on her way out! I had to have my lung function test today and passed with flying colors. A couple of neat things happened on my trip to that department too. I ran into Courtney, my transplant coordinator, in the hallway and she was holding a specimen bag in her hands – this is your donor…… we all kind of stopped right there and had a moment. There was a piece of the person who is saving my life right there in front of me. We had no words.
After that overwhelming moment I may or may not have gotten to go outside for the first time in 25 days. I cannot confirm or deny this fact. However I will say that if it were true, the courtyard was beautiful, the air smelled redolent with blooms and grass and new life, and the sun felt so good on my skin. The vitamin D that I may or may not have absorbed rejuvenated me tremendously. They really need to figure out a way to work outside time into this whole inpatient deal.
Now I need to backtrack to Sunday just for a bit. I know we have all been displaced with quarrantine and have not been able to worship as usual, but it has been amazing to me to see how God is meeting us right where we are, we are still worshipping and He is still ministering to our souls in what looks like such and isolated time. Yesterday morning a bit after the doctors finished their rounds the resident on staff with them right now came back to my room by herself and said that she could tell I was a believer and just wanted to talk to me for a bit. I don’t know if it was 30 minutes or an hour, but we shared all the good God is doing, we talked through the hard stuff of being an oncology patient and being an oncology doctor and how to reconcile some of the “injustices” we see. Don’t get me wrong, she is strong in her faith, we were just being real about the hard parts. She asked if we could pray together and we did, for a long time. It was beautiful. Today she came back to check on me and it turned into me getting a mani/pedi complete with some lotion. This is patient care at it best. I truly am being taken care of body and soul.
What lies ahead this week: HOLD THE MAIL!!!!!
It does look like if things keep going as planned I will get to go home this week, so if you have cards or packages, you can send them to the house. I will check back in on the 20th, I’ll let y’all know my new room number then.
Tomorrow I am supposed to have a TEE – an echocardiogram where they sedate me and stick a tube down my throat. Remember when I had my little incident the other week and ran some fevers? Well one of my blood cultures grew something once so I had an echo the other day to rule out damage to my heart valves since I had an infection in my bloodstream. The technician was having a hard time getting a good picture because of my expander so we have to do this the hard way. We are praying that was just the problem and that the echo shows a strong healthy heart with strong valves. After that the only thing left is the next bone marrow biopsy. That will likely be done either Wednesday or Thursday. If all of those things look good and my numbers reach their goals (WBC between 3-4, and ANC over 1) I can go home by the weekend!
The big surprise
Another visit I had today was from the social worker. She had to go over all kinds of ins and outs, making sure I had a good caregiver, support system, talk about logistics, etc. In all of this she dropped the bomb that AFTER my approximately 28 day stay when I come in for transplant, I will then need to stay close by the hospital for THREE MONTHS 😳 This was a gut punch. I did speak to my transplant coordinator and we will be talking to the doctor to see if we can have some sort of compromise. (I am totally playing the “my husband is a first responder he can get me here fast” card) Either way though, it looks as if we are going to need to find a short term rental or something. There are options similar to the Ronald McDonald House for adults but I could only have Marsh with me, and frankly, I am not okay with going four months not seeing my boys. This will have to be somewhere they can come stay too. So if anyone has any leads on something safe and nice close to the hospitals, please let me know.
Well, I think that is enough update for now. The big prayers right now are:
- Counts coming up
- TEE showing a healthy heart
- Bone marrow still showing NO cancer cells
- This housing thing to have a more favorable option
I have a nurse coming in for a bit for a lesson in how to make tissue paper flowers. It’s craft night in 5674!
Love you all,
Lesley
Comments from CaringBridge
Elizabeth Long Williams — 5/27/20
I don’t know how I got behind on all your reports! I am catching up now & I am so glad I am! I feel like I know you & I truly love you as if your were my own daughter & I relate to everything you share & how God is blessing you so much through our God family of believers that truly walk in His Kingdom! It’s touching my heart to the mountain tops & blessing me in my faith to heaven & back!Lol! I hope you can understand what I mean! It’s just with my experience as a nurse & being a breast cancer survivor, this has been like a piece of puzzle that’s been put back into my life just bursting with God’s blessings! I hope you understand & don’t just think I’m a crazy old lady! We are so blessed & our Heavenly Father is so good to us & always has been & always will! Have a beautiful, blessed day sweetheart! I love your paper flowers! They’re almost as beautiful as you are, inside & out! 😇💜💕💞💕💜😻
Becky Holton — 5/5/20
Prayers being answered! Hugs!!
alan motter — 5/5/20
So happy for your great news ❤️♥️ prayers always 😊🌞
Gina Shealy — 5/5/20
Praise the Lord, Lesley! Over and over again, the Lord shows HIS faithfulness! He is with you— He is supporting you— He is strengthening you in so many ways.. He is bringing people to you to minister to you and to be ministered today by you… how great is our God! We look forward to good counts this week in all areas, and for you to get to go home soon! I am sure your family is beside themselves with that hope!
Ellen Smith — 5/5/20
What good news. Being outside in God’s beauty is best medicine. Praying for your requests. Don’t really k ow where you are.
Karen Fincher — 5/4/20
Prayers continue daily.
Janice Wright — 5/4/20
God is so good! HE will take care of all these prayer request! Praying!
Donna Hill — 5/4/20
Oh, Lesley, I am just overjoyed to hear all of this good news. Two of my friends (who have been praying for you) and I were sitting outside at an area park today just catching up. Right in mid-sentence, Karen stops and says, “Oh, I read that Ursula is leaving!” We all had a joyful moment!
Cancermamma 