Lesli's Story
Last March (2007), our wonderful friend and family member, Lesli Smith was diagnosed with inflamatory breast cancer (IBC). It was a terrible surprise to Lesli and her family as there was never a history of breast cancer in her family. It started off as a rash and she was misdiagnosed several times for a period of 2 months before finally having a skin prick test that revealed her stage 4 inflamatory breast cancer.
Lesli immediately began treatment at Emory and felt very comfortable until a series of events and the lack of communication from her oncologist left her in a state of no results and fear. She had undergone 6 months of treatment at Emory with NO results. She was fortunate enough to have the proactiveness to begin the process for acceptance at M D Anderson in Houston, TX and was accepted.
As her life at M D began, the prognosis was amazing! Within the 1st month at M D Anderson, who has a specialized IBC unit, her results were great. Her tumor began to shrink and the opportunity for her masectomy became a goal on the horizon! After receiving chemo treatment at M D Anderson and flying back and forth from Atlanta every week, she was able to have her masectomy on December 17, 2007. I will spare the details of what it did to her body. Within 10 days, she was given the amazing news that her tissue and the 24 lymph nodes that were removed were found to be cancer free! WHAT A DAY!!!! We were all crying with JOY!
She came home in March of 2008 after a series of radiation (2 x/day for 6 weeks) and began the long process of trying to return to some semblance of normalcy (after being gone for basically a year) and spend time with her precious girls (Alexa 14 and Ashley 9 as well her most supportive husband J who had run the family business and manage the 'girls' and their activities while she had been gone). In short, she is the MOST amazing woman I have ever had the pleasure of loving as well as the most inspirational with her FANTASTIC attitude! She IS family!
Lesli had her 3 month check ups in Houston, the 1st being in June (great news still cancer free) and then flew to Houston last Tuesday, September 9th for her 6 month check up. As we had spoken over the past few months, she was depressed and hated being depressed. She had a constant sinus infection that antibiotics were not able to treat as well as incredible head aches. She has always been prone to allergies and just assumed it was a nasty sinus infection. Upon her arrival to Houston and her wonderful parents coming from Austin (her hometown) to support her (they were there for the entire chemo, masectomy, radiation months and drove back and forth from Austin to Houston on a daily/weekly basis) she was immediately rushed to emergency room as her headaches were so severe. Upon arrival to the emergency room, it was discovered that her cancer had moved to her brain. Three (3) spots were discovered and another setback (HUGE). She had just gotten her hair long enough to quit wearing her wig! Her hair is her crowning glory! She was admitted into M D Anderson immediately and began consultations with a neurologist. They immediately put her on steroids every 6 hours to reduce the size of the tumors. She is scheduled for brain surgery this coming Thursday, September 18th. J is flying to Houston to be with her. Of course, the hurricane has been ravaging Houston since last week! Water restrictions, no flights...at least she was safe! Today they asked her to please leave the hospital until her surgery as they need her bed in this terrible time of disaster in Houston/Galveston.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Learn more here.
