Let's Support Leslie Jablonski
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I am honored to create this site to help and encourage others help our beautiful friend Leslie Lynch Jablonski - aka "Manager of Miracles." When I first got to know Leslie, after Jack's accident, I sent her a pillow with these words on it - "Manager of Miracles." She's been advocating for Jack and the foundation created in his name since minute 1, and we have all watched her, with her quiet grace, keep everyone moving forward, with one goal in mind.
Now, it is our turn to rally around her, and to lend her our grace, strength, prayers, courage and support as she embarks on her Cancer Journey. With one goal in mind, beating this Cancer. These donations will help offset medical expenses for the family. I've included the recent post she shared on her Caring Bridge Site, for those who want to hear it in her own words.
No donation is too small, and all support is welcome and appreciated by the Jablonski family. We want to help them during this challenging time.
In the Blink of an Eye
Journal entry by Leslie Jablonski — 21 hours ago
And just like that, you're diagnosed with cancer. Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the eyelid. But, it's not the first time, so it's surprising, but maybe not a complete surprise. Here's the skinny...apologies, this will be a long read, but it will bring you up to speed. And, I promise, future posts will be much shorter...
Some time in 2018, I thought I had a stye on my eyelash line. It would appear, then disappear, then return, and so on. It was annoying, but no big deal. I went to Dr. Swenson, my eye doctor at Uptown Vision, in March of 2019 for my annual visit. She took one look, paused and with concern in her eyes, said that it wasn't a stye. I remember walking home feeling absolutely numb. Could this really be cancer?? Why? How? What's next?
I went to an ophthalmology specialist who agreed, this appears to be cancerous tissue and has to be removed. While we're at it, he said my eyelids were droopy and hindered my peripheral vision. Let's do a lid lift at the same time. Okay. Why not? Surgery occurred on April 23, 2019. My eye surgeon was confident that he had removed the cancerous tissue, which was determined to be Squamous Cell Carcinoma. He also said the lid lift was a success. Over time, yes, it appeared to work well on my left eye, but not so much on the right eye, which is where the cancerous spot was.
This bothered me as my left eye had opened up and my vision had improved, but it was larger than the right eye. Then, perhaps around the holidays, I began to feel some pressure on my right eye. I thought it was caused by the droopy lid. Once again, I was wrong. I was scheduled to see my eye surgeon in March, thinking he would try the lid lift again. As a result of the Coronavirus Pandemic, my appointment was postponed until late May when we finally reconvened. Sitting six feet away from me, he had me lift my lid and from a distance he said that we should redo the lift. That was it.
Thank goodness for a change in our insurance policy. Mike retired from 3M in October and our new insurance policy would not cover that doctor or the procedure through his practice. I called Dr. Swenson and asked her who to see and she referred me to Dr. Melicher, an incredibly kind and smart ophthalmologist at Minnesota Eye Consultants. My first appointment with her was on June 8th. Prior to seeing Dr. Melicher, I went through an extremely thorough eye exam, then met with her and she did an even further exam. As she was examining my right eyelid, she pressed on it and asked if I had noticed a bump that was located on the underside of my lid in the area of where my initial SCC (cancer) was. I was stunned, and no, I had not noticed a bump.
But, it suddenly explained the pressure I was feeling on my eye. Dr. Melicher was very concerned and ordered an MRI, which I had the following Monday, June 15th. We met the next day and she confirmed that the SCC was back, and with a vengeance. The cancer had moved into the orbit of my eye socket and needed to be stopped. Surgery was scheduled for Friday, June 26th, pending the results of my COVID-19 test, which was negative.
Dr. Melicher was able to remove most of the cancerous tissue, but the margins came back positive. This is not good. My heart sank when she called to give me the news. We met the next morning and her concern was very real. She had spoken to her colleague at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Wagner. They both agreed that I should see Dr. Wagner along with a team of specialists at Mayo. She knew exactly who she wanted me to see and put together a brilliant team of doctors specializing in radiology, oncology, cancer of the eye, ENT and reconstruction.
This past Wednesday, July 15th, Mike and I drove down to Mayo - how fortunate we are to be so close to the best medical facility in the world. We met with Dr. Foote, a radiation oncologist, who told us about proton therapy and how he's used it to successfully treat patients with similar conditions. It's a highly targeted form of radiation that could be an effective treatment for the cancer on my lid, as long as it hasn't traveled too far into my eye socket. That was encouraging news. We also met with Dr. Wagner and her team of ophthalmologists who discussed worst and best case scenarios - worst case, but safest is to remove my eye and lid; best case, we can treat the cancer with proton therapy. But, more testing is needed to determine what we do.
My last appointment on Wednesday was a PET scan. This would show us if the cancer had traveled to my lymph nodes. Happy to report that it has not. Everything looked good, except for one spot that we hope is a fatty cyst, and so I will be going back to Mayo on Monday for a mammogram and consultation. Fingers crossed.
Regarding the PET scan, something pretty cool happened. Friends of ours - Dan + Lisa - sent me down to Mayo with a new mask, one that says BRUCE and E STREET and has a photo of Springsteen on it. Most of you know that I'm a HUGE fan of the Boss, we even met him in 2012 when he and the band played at the Xcel Energy Center. The technician thought it was cool and told Alexa to play Bruce Springsteen when I went into the scanner. First song up was "Born To Run" (love it) and the next brought tears to my eyes. It was "She's The One," the song that Bruce played for me during the concert in which we met before he jumped on stage. Then, after being rolled out and back into the scanner, the tech told Alexa to play the Springsteen Channel. On came the Rolling Stones and my all-time favorite song of theirs, "You Can't Always Get What You Want." More tears, as I believe in the power of music. There you have it, two of my top three songs appeared out of no where. And here's where it gets even more mysterious...the next morning, my friend Nancy texted me a message that she was going for her morning walk, put in her earbuds and on came Frank Sinatra and "Fly Me To The Moon" - my favorite - and our wedding song. Things happen in threes, and I think there's something to be said about that. Just not sure what, but I like it and find comfort in it....
That day, we met with Dr. Van Able, an ENT oncologist who also specializes in eye and lid reconstruction. She reviewed my PET scan and was pleased to say that my lymph nodes were clear of cancer. If we need to remove my eye and lid, she would help with the reconstruction. The thought of this is not a place I want to go right now, so I'll spare you the details as well. I just ask for prayers that we do not have to go down this road.
My final meeting was with Dr. Dalvin, an ophthalmologist who specializes in eye cancer. After a series of tests and intense photos of my eyes, she reviewed her observations and discussed recommendations. She would do a biopsy mapping of my eye and lid that would determine if the cancer has affected my eye and where the cancer has gone. This would be a surgical procedure that she'd perform on Friday. One encouraging treatment that Dr. Dalvin told us about is chemo drops (or an injection) for the eyes. It's worked on many of her patients, but she reminded me, as did the other doctors, that the main goal is to save my life and that the safest procedure is an exenteration - removal of the eye and lid. However, the results of the biopsy will help to determine if the cancer has traveled too far or if we can treat it with proton therapy, and if need be, chemo drops. Praying for the latter. Praying hard.
Mike and I have had a quiet weekend, one that has been filled with processing the news, the possibilities, and what lies ahead and how grateful we are that I'm under the care of an incredible team of doctors. I'm recovering from Friday's surgery as I tend to a swollen eye, some discomfort (but nothing like the excruciating pain I felt once the the numbing agents wore off) and some bruising. Helpful tip: I swear by Arnica Gel as it really stopped the bruising three weeks ago after my surgery to remove the cancer.
But, the words of "the main goal is to save your life" continue to swim through my mind. They're very grounding and have transformed something that seemed so surreal into a brutal reality. Once again, our lives have changed and I'm doing my best to channel Jack's positive attitude and determination into my own mind and live by his words..."I understand my injury (in my case, my condition), but I'm not willing to accept it."
With that said, I thank you in advance for following me on this journey and for your thoughts and prayers.
I've. Got. This.
xoxo
Now, it is our turn to rally around her, and to lend her our grace, strength, prayers, courage and support as she embarks on her Cancer Journey. With one goal in mind, beating this Cancer. These donations will help offset medical expenses for the family. I've included the recent post she shared on her Caring Bridge Site, for those who want to hear it in her own words.
No donation is too small, and all support is welcome and appreciated by the Jablonski family. We want to help them during this challenging time.
In the Blink of an Eye
Journal entry by Leslie Jablonski — 21 hours ago
And just like that, you're diagnosed with cancer. Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the eyelid. But, it's not the first time, so it's surprising, but maybe not a complete surprise. Here's the skinny...apologies, this will be a long read, but it will bring you up to speed. And, I promise, future posts will be much shorter...
Some time in 2018, I thought I had a stye on my eyelash line. It would appear, then disappear, then return, and so on. It was annoying, but no big deal. I went to Dr. Swenson, my eye doctor at Uptown Vision, in March of 2019 for my annual visit. She took one look, paused and with concern in her eyes, said that it wasn't a stye. I remember walking home feeling absolutely numb. Could this really be cancer?? Why? How? What's next?
I went to an ophthalmology specialist who agreed, this appears to be cancerous tissue and has to be removed. While we're at it, he said my eyelids were droopy and hindered my peripheral vision. Let's do a lid lift at the same time. Okay. Why not? Surgery occurred on April 23, 2019. My eye surgeon was confident that he had removed the cancerous tissue, which was determined to be Squamous Cell Carcinoma. He also said the lid lift was a success. Over time, yes, it appeared to work well on my left eye, but not so much on the right eye, which is where the cancerous spot was.
This bothered me as my left eye had opened up and my vision had improved, but it was larger than the right eye. Then, perhaps around the holidays, I began to feel some pressure on my right eye. I thought it was caused by the droopy lid. Once again, I was wrong. I was scheduled to see my eye surgeon in March, thinking he would try the lid lift again. As a result of the Coronavirus Pandemic, my appointment was postponed until late May when we finally reconvened. Sitting six feet away from me, he had me lift my lid and from a distance he said that we should redo the lift. That was it.
Thank goodness for a change in our insurance policy. Mike retired from 3M in October and our new insurance policy would not cover that doctor or the procedure through his practice. I called Dr. Swenson and asked her who to see and she referred me to Dr. Melicher, an incredibly kind and smart ophthalmologist at Minnesota Eye Consultants. My first appointment with her was on June 8th. Prior to seeing Dr. Melicher, I went through an extremely thorough eye exam, then met with her and she did an even further exam. As she was examining my right eyelid, she pressed on it and asked if I had noticed a bump that was located on the underside of my lid in the area of where my initial SCC (cancer) was. I was stunned, and no, I had not noticed a bump.
But, it suddenly explained the pressure I was feeling on my eye. Dr. Melicher was very concerned and ordered an MRI, which I had the following Monday, June 15th. We met the next day and she confirmed that the SCC was back, and with a vengeance. The cancer had moved into the orbit of my eye socket and needed to be stopped. Surgery was scheduled for Friday, June 26th, pending the results of my COVID-19 test, which was negative.
Dr. Melicher was able to remove most of the cancerous tissue, but the margins came back positive. This is not good. My heart sank when she called to give me the news. We met the next morning and her concern was very real. She had spoken to her colleague at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Wagner. They both agreed that I should see Dr. Wagner along with a team of specialists at Mayo. She knew exactly who she wanted me to see and put together a brilliant team of doctors specializing in radiology, oncology, cancer of the eye, ENT and reconstruction.
This past Wednesday, July 15th, Mike and I drove down to Mayo - how fortunate we are to be so close to the best medical facility in the world. We met with Dr. Foote, a radiation oncologist, who told us about proton therapy and how he's used it to successfully treat patients with similar conditions. It's a highly targeted form of radiation that could be an effective treatment for the cancer on my lid, as long as it hasn't traveled too far into my eye socket. That was encouraging news. We also met with Dr. Wagner and her team of ophthalmologists who discussed worst and best case scenarios - worst case, but safest is to remove my eye and lid; best case, we can treat the cancer with proton therapy. But, more testing is needed to determine what we do.
My last appointment on Wednesday was a PET scan. This would show us if the cancer had traveled to my lymph nodes. Happy to report that it has not. Everything looked good, except for one spot that we hope is a fatty cyst, and so I will be going back to Mayo on Monday for a mammogram and consultation. Fingers crossed.
Regarding the PET scan, something pretty cool happened. Friends of ours - Dan + Lisa - sent me down to Mayo with a new mask, one that says BRUCE and E STREET and has a photo of Springsteen on it. Most of you know that I'm a HUGE fan of the Boss, we even met him in 2012 when he and the band played at the Xcel Energy Center. The technician thought it was cool and told Alexa to play Bruce Springsteen when I went into the scanner. First song up was "Born To Run" (love it) and the next brought tears to my eyes. It was "She's The One," the song that Bruce played for me during the concert in which we met before he jumped on stage. Then, after being rolled out and back into the scanner, the tech told Alexa to play the Springsteen Channel. On came the Rolling Stones and my all-time favorite song of theirs, "You Can't Always Get What You Want." More tears, as I believe in the power of music. There you have it, two of my top three songs appeared out of no where. And here's where it gets even more mysterious...the next morning, my friend Nancy texted me a message that she was going for her morning walk, put in her earbuds and on came Frank Sinatra and "Fly Me To The Moon" - my favorite - and our wedding song. Things happen in threes, and I think there's something to be said about that. Just not sure what, but I like it and find comfort in it....
That day, we met with Dr. Van Able, an ENT oncologist who also specializes in eye and lid reconstruction. She reviewed my PET scan and was pleased to say that my lymph nodes were clear of cancer. If we need to remove my eye and lid, she would help with the reconstruction. The thought of this is not a place I want to go right now, so I'll spare you the details as well. I just ask for prayers that we do not have to go down this road.
My final meeting was with Dr. Dalvin, an ophthalmologist who specializes in eye cancer. After a series of tests and intense photos of my eyes, she reviewed her observations and discussed recommendations. She would do a biopsy mapping of my eye and lid that would determine if the cancer has affected my eye and where the cancer has gone. This would be a surgical procedure that she'd perform on Friday. One encouraging treatment that Dr. Dalvin told us about is chemo drops (or an injection) for the eyes. It's worked on many of her patients, but she reminded me, as did the other doctors, that the main goal is to save my life and that the safest procedure is an exenteration - removal of the eye and lid. However, the results of the biopsy will help to determine if the cancer has traveled too far or if we can treat it with proton therapy, and if need be, chemo drops. Praying for the latter. Praying hard.
Mike and I have had a quiet weekend, one that has been filled with processing the news, the possibilities, and what lies ahead and how grateful we are that I'm under the care of an incredible team of doctors. I'm recovering from Friday's surgery as I tend to a swollen eye, some discomfort (but nothing like the excruciating pain I felt once the the numbing agents wore off) and some bruising. Helpful tip: I swear by Arnica Gel as it really stopped the bruising three weeks ago after my surgery to remove the cancer.
But, the words of "the main goal is to save your life" continue to swim through my mind. They're very grounding and have transformed something that seemed so surreal into a brutal reality. Once again, our lives have changed and I'm doing my best to channel Jack's positive attitude and determination into my own mind and live by his words..."I understand my injury (in my case, my condition), but I'm not willing to accept it."
With that said, I thank you in advance for following me on this journey and for your thoughts and prayers.
I've. Got. This.
xoxo
Organizer and beneficiary
Lisa Sfarzo
Organizer
Shrewsbury, MA
Semaj Rankin
Beneficiary