January 9, 2021 · from Lesley’s original CaringBridge journal
Wow! A lot has happened in the past month! I have had two checkups since I have been completely off the Tacrolimus and both have shown good numbers – my white count has come up into a more favorable range so all of that is good. However, my stomach has been a bit out of whack and my skin has not favored so well. I broke out in a rash that has taken on so many different forms I have lost count. In addition to the rash, my mouth has morphed from feeling just dry every now and then to a weird conglomeration of sore spots, rough patches, and just overall weirdness. The first thought was that this was GVHD (graft vs. host disease/rejection response), but then everyone in my house except me, had a cold and confused our theories. Murphy came down with a fever and then broke out in a rash which spurred us to get him tested for COVID – he was negative. My rash has been worse since his illness, but I have had no fever. So we opted to give it a bit more time and try to continue treating the symptoms, hoping this is just viral. In the meantime, I decided to Google the new medicine my doctor had suggested putting me on (I know, I know, I should know better than this – am a pro at cancer by now and this is rule #1 – stay off Google!) and this triggered a panic attack last weekend.
Our oldest manchild started a new school this week and that has had me all a mess. I have never dropped a kid off at school. This is new for me. That being said, the week went way better than any of us could have hoped for. We feel sure this was the right move and at a good time. Baseball season is upon us and we are all excited about that.
This coming week I see all the oncologists – Monday I see my two breast cancer doctors for my 6 month checkup and Tuesday I go see the boss. I know I will be dealing with more anxiety that might need some external help of the prescribed kind. I ask that you all say some extra prayers for me, please.
- for my anxiety in general, it’s been a rough few weeks
- for my skin rash and mouth to get better without another new medicine – I know God CAN do this! (but I also know He may not, and that is okay, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to ask!)
- for my stomach to regulate
- for good reports from all of my doctors
- and as always, for God to keep the cancer bugs away and me to continue getting to watch all these menfolk grow up 🙂
Love to you all,
Lesley
Comments from CaringBridge
Kat Hitchcock — 4/21/22
Hey Lesley, I had to reply to this post because you made it on my birthday and because I was on Everolimus and got to experience the joy of mouth sores, too. Thanks indeed to God, mine were limited and the magic mouthwash worked very well for me. I would like to have a conversation with the manufacturer to see if there’s anyway they could possibly make it taste worse. If it stopped tasting like gargling with Robitussin, I might have been tempted to drink the whole bottle. You hang in there and you know where I am if you need me. Those mini menfolk you have there turned out great so far, so I don’t think you need to worry about that! Just make sure they’re good drivers when the time comes, lol. I’m going to need a chauffeur for the foreseeable future. Plus, driving around rural Virginia isn’t that different from rural Georgia. We have dirt roads, too. ❤️
Nancy Sullivan — 1/9/21
Prayers continuing!
Randy Mosley — 1/9/21
We pray for you and your family every day.
Martha Lee — 1/9/21
Continuing to pray for you and your family 🙏
Becky Holton — 1/9/21
Prayers and hugs!
Jennifer Waters — 1/9/21
Will be praying about all of these things, Lesley. Love you!
Cancermamma 