A New Road

/ Leslie Jones

I woke up this morning for the first time with this thought:  I have cancer.  Such an odd, unexpected thought.  I don’t feel sick, so it feels unreal that something that serious is going on inside me.  I don’t seem to be panicking (yet, anyway); perhaps this is the wrapping-your-head-around-it phase, or perhaps my current matter-of-fact approach is my real, deep-inside reaction.  My mind is racing around, though, making concentration iffy.  I did manage to teach a voice lesson and run some rehearsals yesterday afternoon after receiving the news yesterday morning.  I had debated going back in to work (for a moment), but I ended up glad I did – something else to focus on for a while (lots of good information about this particular type of cancer on the web…).

So, a little more detail:  it is endometrial cancer, which is one of the most common gynecological cancers and is very treatable.  My regular gynecologist is pretty confident that we’ve caught it early.  She’s recommending me to the one gynecological oncology specialist in town, who did his medical school degrees at the University of Missouri (a.k.a. Mizzou) and also completed a fellowship at M.D. Anderson (he moved back to the area to be closer to home).  I’m waiting to hear from them about an appointment and a hysterectomy, after which they will be able to assess the stage of the disease (including testing lymph nodes to see if it has spread).  At this point, the outlook is positive, so I’m holding on to that.

I’ll update this from time to time.  I’ve learned from some other friends who have battled this type of disease that keeping friends in the loop is important and somewhat cathartic.  I appreciate all of you!

16 thoughts on “A New Road”

  2. Wow – just wow. You are the second friend in as many weeks to be diagnosed. The good news for both of you is that it seems to have been caught early and is a type that is successfully treated. I wish you an easy time with the treatment and a quick and complete recovery. Although I’m not local if there’s anything I can do please let me know.

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  3. Leslie,

    I am a believer in the mind influencing the body., and no doubt a calm approach will serve you well. And so will talking (writing). You are in my mind, my thoughts, and my prayers.

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  4. Leslie, I too was diagnosed with cancer about 1 1/2 years ago. It is definitely an eye opening experience. You are strong and remember God doesn’t give us more than we can handle. My type was Chrondrasarcoma a rare type that occurs in the cartilage. It was on my C-6 veterbrae. Which was removed completely and replaced with a titanium disk. Since then I developed a stronger relationship with God and know that he is working thru me to help others. If you ever need to talk feel free to message me or give me a call. It may be a rough road ahead but once it is over and treatments are no longer needed you will see your life in a whole different light. You have to want it and be positive about things no matter how hard it is – love ya and thanks for opening up and sharing

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