Leone James

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are
using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your
support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.

Leone James is one tough cookie.  In 2009, following the
passing of her husband of 52 years, John, and her mother, Betty Hovis, Leone
was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma.  

 Multiple Myeloma is a treatable but incurable blood cancer.
 Myeloma's nasty traits are caused by too much protein in your blood.
 The protein forms in the bone marrow which result in reduced kidney
function, anemia, high levels of calcium in the blood and bone lesions.

In 2009 Leone was fortunate to meet Dr. Adrian Caracioni, a Topeka
oncologist better known as Dr. C.  One might ask why she didn't travel far
and wide looking for a better care center than Topeka, Kansas.  There was
never a need.  After being evaluated at the Oncology Center at KU Med, the KU oncologists  assured her she would receive the best care possible from Dr. Caracioni.

 So the journey began.  At the time Leone was diagnosed, her
myeloma was in the "smoldering" stage, which meant the cancer was
active but her counts weren't at the level that would require treatment.  In
her initial conversation with Dr. C, he explained with myeloma a patient
will receive treatment and then go into remission until the remissions become
shorter and the drugs become ineffective.  He explained the average life
of a myeloma patient (in her age group) was 2 to 5 years.  Fast forward 7
years. . . she has now reached the time when remission can no longer be
achieved and the chemo drugs are more dangerous than not doing treatment.

Leone has fought this dreaded disease with the willpower of a
giant.  Her fight hasn't only been with the cancer during this 7 year period of
time. She has also had and recovered from many other heath hurdles.  Her resilience has been nothing short of
amazing.

At this time, Leone is living with us (Rusty and Janet) and is
up and able to do for and take care of herself.   Soon, we will engage the
support of hospice care.  As things change we will use this Caring Bridge
site to keep you informed.