Thurs, March 19, 2009 - Lesli lost her battle with Cancer at approximately 8:00 pm. Please keep her family and friends in your prayers.
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From: jsmith@lakelanierlodges.com
Subject: Lesli's Update 3-14-09
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 06:48:53 -0400
Ok, here it goes.
I am assuming most know that Lesli had to go to the emergency at North Side Hospital. She could not walk, stand, was laboring to breath, and extremely weak. She couldn’t even move her legs.
After a long, rather intense time with an arrogant ER doctor, we finally got her admitted. Lesli told everyone there that her body was shutting down. They ran blood work and found nothing out of the ordinary, considering the chemo treatment that she had just been given the last week, they ran an x-ray that showed nothing (looking for a blood clot), and a nuclear medicine scan also. Still nothing and the ER doctor still wanted to send her home. Needless to say that was not a good situation. After many hours of waiting the ER doctor finally asked an internal medicine doctor to talk to Lesli about what was going on. Again, Lesli told him that she felt she would die if she left the hospital. Thank God for him.20 Someone finally listened to Lesli when she told him she would die if they sent her home - as she had told everyone who would listen to her. As Lisa always says, Lesli really knows her body very well and she was right as always.
The internal medicine Dr. scheduled an MRI for Saturday to look at her lungs and lower lumbar area to see what was causing the shortness of breath and why she couldn’t move her legs (again to check for a blood clot). By this time, the internal Dr. had alerted the oncologist on call. The oncologist, Dr. Stice, who was referred by friends earlier in the beginning of Lesli’s cancer, happened to be filling in. He is unbelievable. Dr. Stice examined Lesli and had already looked at the MRI and was not satisfied. He decided to look further up the spine to try and figure out what the problem was. That is when it all started.
The new MRI spurred further tests. The new MRI showed some problems in the C3 – C7 area of her spine, also the possibility of clots around the lung area possible tumor cells in the spinal fluid. Dr. Stice immediately scheduled emergency radiation by calling everyone in off of the streets to literally help Lesli save her legs. There are tumors pressing against Lesli’s spinal cord and nerves that are causing major problems with her legs. After emergency radiation, a CT scan was done which showed 2-3 blood clots in the lungs.
I think, again, I think that was all for Saturday and I’m just hitting the high points.
Now for Sunday. The first thing Sunday at 9am was emergency radiation again. They are treating a decent size area in the C1-C7 area of the spine, about 6cm X 12cm to ensure they don’t miss anything, hoping they can shrink the tumors, ease the pressure in that area and prevent any more muscle loss in her legs. Next, they performed an IVC (Inferior Vena Cava Filter Placement). This is a removable type filter to prevent blood clots from reaching the lungs, brain… which Lesli actually did not use any anhesthesia for. She did straight up, cut me open and slide a filter into my chest. The Dr. and his assistant said she never blinked. BAM!!! That’s our girl. Lesli had to return to her room after this procedure to receive some fluid because her platelets in her blood were low. Dr. Stice wanted to be sure that when they did the spinal tap that if something went wrong, her blood would clot properly, which is actually the 3rd and final one for the day...
Lesli is actually resting pretty well right now; they upped her medicine, to help with all of her pain.
Hopefully we will hear about the spinal fluid tomorrow. Lesli will most likely have another specific CT Scan to get a more precise picture of her problem areas in the spine for further radiation and more pin point radiation. What areas and how long right now, we don’t know but pre tty sure that testing will begin tomorrow. If there is anything in the spinal fluid, the doctors here will consult with her doctors at MD and we will go from there. (The doctors at MD Anderson have also helped tremendously this weekend and some weren’t even on call).
That’s all I have now and I know theres no doubt I left something out because it was pretty intense this weekend.
Thanks for all of your love and support. If we didn’t have it would not have made it through.
Love,
Lesli, J. Alexa, and Ashley
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September 18, 2008 - Lesli is undergoing brain surgery today in Houston. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.
The surgery started at 10:01. The 1st surgery is done and they have repositioned her and are starting on the 2nd operation. We will get updated later. Please let everyone know that she is doing great and is very stable.
September 25, 2008 - The surgeries are over, but there is now a concern that the Cancer may have spread to her spine.
October 1, 2008 - After further testing, it has been determined that the Cancer has NOT spread to her spine. Lesli and J are still in Houston.
October 11,2008 - Message from J. - Leslie got home yesterday. She will be going back for one more week of radiation. The Dr.'s decided less time and higher dosages would be as good or better than the 3-week plan. She will have several trips back for tests over the next 6-8 weeks. They will do more extensive test and keep a closer eye on her. She is pretty tired and I'm sure she will be even more tired next week. Her spirits are very good and she is looking forward to wathcing Alexa compete and perform this weekend. Thanks again for all of the food and everyone's thoughts and prayers. It all has made a REAL difference in our daily lives.
October 30, 2008 - Message from J. - Great News. Lesli's Pet CT was good yesterday. That means they can't see any spreading of the cancer. They scanned from her neck to the top of her knees. It was great to get some good news finally. She will go back the 1st of December to see how the radiation has worked. They like to wait at least 2 months to get the full effect.
Thanks to everyone for this past Saturday. That was the most incredible thing I have ever seen!!!
November 4, 2008 - Message from Lesli's sister:Hello All….my name is Audrey Johnson and I am Lesli's sister. I just wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for all of your unbelievable support for Lesli and her cause. There are no words to describe the admiration I have for such a caring group of people as yourselves. I know Lesli and her family must be overwhelmed with emotion, as am I. Ya'll are fantastic!
A most heartfelt….thank you, thank you, thank you!
Peace Be With You All!
November 12, 2008 - Last night we had the Chili's support night for Lesli. There was a lot of people there and we passed out flyers. Chili's put out a box and let anyone put their receipt in it. They take the receipts and send them to corporate. Corporate adds them up and matches 10% and writes a check to their fund. How awesome is that! And the food was great! THE BEST NEWS (drum roll) LESLIE WAS THERE. She looked fantastic and had a great time despite being tired. Please keep her in your prayers. Thanks to all that attended, Karen.
December 3, 2008 - The good news came in late yesterday that the tumor has shrunk to 1/2 the size that it originally was! She called Teresa last night and she and J had just gotten back in town. The radiation is still working and she is looking forward to relaxing and enjoying the holidays without all of the anxiety hanging over her head!!!
J wrote: Awesome news!!! The tumor on the brain stem has shrunk to almost ½ the original size. They expect it to shrink even more over the next couple of weeks. That will be 2 full months after radiation. Everything else around the brain looks good. They will keep a close eye on it, should have a checkup in the next 2-3 months. All blood work looks really good. Dr. Cristo (her oncologist) extremely pleased, and we will talk to the neuro surgeon this week.
Subject: Lesli's Update 3-7-09
Thanks for all of the kind words, thoughts and prayers from everyone. Sorry it has taken so long to reply but I have been very busy at work and with the girls.
The tumor on the brainstem is actually breaking up. The specialist said he could not even “see a hard core center any longer”. Lesli will now be able to slowly taper off of the steroids and will get another brain MRI in 6 weeks.
Her cancer has spread very rapidly around the liver and up and down the spine. She has been in a tremendous amount of pain, but is starting to get some control over it with some new medicine. She is extremely week and has no energy, but, in saying that this is how strong my wife is. She got up this morning, after taking her rounds of medicine through the night, got showered and dressed and went to Ashley’s first dance competition. All I can say is, that IS MY GIRL!!!!!
Her treatment for now will just be the injection chemotherapy until her liver starts functioning better. They do believe she will respond to this treatment, and hopefully her liver function will improve (her enzyme levels in her blood are to high at this point). When her liver function improves she can begin the chemotherapy by mouth. Her blood work has areas that will have to improve first because at this time it’s too dangerous for her to take both medicines.
That is really a short synopsis after all of the tests and Dr.’s appointments last week. It was an extremely hard week but Lesli did it.
Again thanks to everyone for all of the help. I’m sorry it takes so long some times but it’s a lot easier to get the emails out and usually a lot faster getting everyone the information.
I can’t say enough about our friends and community for the very unbelievable support and concern for Lesli and our family. It is very humbling to be this blessed with the kind of people we have in our lives.
J.
