May 29, 2020 · from Lesley’s original CaringBridge journal
The people have asked….I have listened….Here is your update for Day+3 (this is how we in transplant land refer to the days – Day 0 is my “new birthday” and we countdown the time line each way respectively) It has been a pretty boring three days so far. All of my numbers have behaved just like we wanted them to so I am giving them all gold stars for their first week of rebuilding my immune system 🙂 We expected (and wanted) my WBC and ANC to tank out to make room for the new stem cells to set up shop and start taking over – they have done just that. Of course platelets and hemoglobin have slowly dropped and will continue to to some degree – At some point I will be back on the blood transfusion/platelet transfusion merry go round, but we aren’t there yet. The other things we keep a close watch on are my kidney and liver functions since they are working overtime flushing out all the bad stuff we keep throwing at them. They need more than a gold star – maybe a best in class trophy – they are some serious workhorses for which I am very grateful. As my doctors keep saying, I’m “cruising”. Our visits are short and sweet and there really isn’t much to talk about. This is a good thing.
Seeing all my team again has been great. We were only apart for two weeks but it feels like some family or class reunion where you are so excited to see each other. I can’t say enough about the staff on 5 South – they are a special breed of nurse and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Last night I had a little “incident” after eating pizza (which I didn’t order for dinner but I didn’t want to cause a fuss so I ate it anyway…big mistake!). I felt so awful that they were cleaning up after me – I’m the mom, that’s usually my job. One of them looked at me and said “you know how you don’t mind caring for your kids when they are sick? This is the same. You are our baby right now and we are happy to take care of you – stop apologising.” The two of them cleaned up my vomit – twice – with a smile on their face the whole time. I want to have that kind of servant’s heart in everything I do. I miss my boys dearly but I am glad to have extra time to spend with this amazing group of people – they are definitely like family to me now. I have formed friendships that are going to go way beyond this hospital stay – what a blessing to receive in the midst of a trial!
And one last thing – Marsh can come see me now!!!! I was so glad he got to be here for the transplant (though I am not so sure he was so glad he got to sleep on the hospital couch). He can’t be up here much because, you know, he has a business to run by himself and four kids to take care of, but I am just thankful that we can have face to face visits now. He is coming up here tonight as a matter of fact! I do get a little lonely sometimes (translated….feel free to send more mail) but God is sustaining me through it all. His mercies are new every morning and great is His faithfulness…..as always, I am so humbled by it all. Thank you for all the prayers and checking in on me – do like Gus says to me each day “I’m keepin’ those prayers up for you mamma!”
much love,
Lesley
Comments from CaringBridge
Gina Shealy — 5/30/20
Praise the Lord! So thankful that you have such positive things going on— besides being sick from the pizza… how the Lord brings just the right folks at the right time amazes me… and it’s ALWAYS good to see family… especially our precious husbands. Love and prayers to you, Lesley!
Edwina Williams — 5/29/20
Love and prayers to your whole family! I keep up with you on here and talk to your mom fairly often without bothering her too much I hope. I’m crocheting you a chemo cap. Will get to you soon. Take care and know you are in prayers here. 💕🙏😷💐
Jan Davis — 5/29/20
We’re keeping those prayers up for you too, Lesley.
Jan Davis — 5/29/20
We’re keeping those prayers up for you too, Lesley.
Laura Hayes — 5/29/20
I keeping prayers up, too! So many prayers!!!
Patti Garretson — 5/29/20
Thank you for updating us, Lesley. I am so thankful you are having uneventful days.
Laura Lee Sims — 5/29/20
Thank you, Lesley, for your lively posts. You write in such a way that we each feel like we are right there and can see it all happening. Surely you know, this is part of your ministry. We get to experience your heartaches, your victories, your joys, your love, your ups and downs with you because you make it so vivid and joyful. Yes, joyful. That is Jesus in you and with you, and I am so grateful to have the joy of praying with you through this one, since I “missed” the first one. Your boys must be very special “young men,’ indeed.
Ellen Smith — 5/29/20
I have to admit even while praying ,I was anxious to hear. (Aand my favorite versr is Philippians 4:6,7) off cases I just about wore out my email, if you can! So glad you are “cruising”. I would send a card but i really don’t know where you are. Can you post your address? Thanks. Keep up the good work!
Nancy Sullivan — 5/29/20
With all the bad going on in the world, you bring hope,love, faith and endurance to the surface! You are such an inspiration to me, Leslie!
Janice Wright — 5/29/20
Hang in there! Love and prayers!
Cancermamma 