Leslie’s cancer journey and updates

Leslie’s cancer journey and updates I’m creating this page to update on Leslie’s health through her cancer journey and her hospital stay.

🚨 First Night Home UpdateLast night was something we’ve been waiting on for a long time…For the first time in over a mon...
03/31/2026

🚨 First Night Home Update

Last night was something we’ve been waiting on for a long time…

For the first time in over a month, 2 of our 3 kids were home with us, and it felt so good to finally be together again.

We made spaghetti because it’s what Leslie wanted (even though I don’t eat spaghetti 😂), and honestly, it was perfect.

And sleeping in our own bed?
Way better than any hospital bed or chair.

We are still asking for continued prayers as we adjust to being home. Specifically:
• That Leslie’s large surgical wound continues to heal well
• That we can manage all of her dressings and care at home without issues
• That the adhesive problems and other complications we’ve been dealing with start improving

We’re learning as we go, and it’s definitely an adjustment, but we are just so grateful to be home and excited for the days, weeks, and months ahead with our kids.

Leslie is especially grateful for all the prayers and support — truly, we don’t know how we would have made it through this without all of you.

Also, today is Elizabeth’s 3rd occupational therapy appointment, and for the first time, Leslie gets to go with her, which she is so excited about.

I also want to take a moment to say thank you to Charity Walters, Stephanie Walton Staples, Ashlyn Etheredge, and everyone else who helped take care of Elizabeth during this time. We appreciate you more than you know — seriously, she’s a handful! 😂

Also, thank you to Denise Welch Staples, Becky Staples, Garry Staples, Jeremy Staples, Lauren A. Warren, and everyone else who helped out with Jaxen and emma while we were away as well!

Also, thank you to Victoria Rieger for staying with her and helping out so i could do a few things during our stay! We greatly appreciate you as well!

And Leslie’s therapists who aren’t on here but were absolutely amazing. Jordan Hice and Jeannie Campbell were the best parts of our days at spain rehabilitation! Their note to Leslie Staples is posted as the Last picture on here!

Thank you all again for everything. Please keep the prayers coming as we continue this next phase of the journey.

— Justin

❤️ If you’ve been following Leslie’s journey, drop a comment or share so we can continue to feel the love and support.

The following pictures are in chronological order throughout the 37 days we spent at UAB!

03/30/2026

📌🚨THE UPDATE!

Finally getting out of here as soon as they bring our paperwork!

-Justin & Leslie

🚨 This is the update we have been praying for. Please read and share.Just a short time ago, Leslie was in the ICU fighti...
03/25/2026

🚨 This is the update we have been praying for. Please read and share.

Just a short time ago, Leslie was in the ICU fighting for her life — on a ventilator, battling multiple infections, and recovering from emergency surgery.

Today… I get to share something completely different.

Leslie has been in rehabilitation since last Thursday, and she is making incredible progress.

She is now walking with a cane.

She is getting stronger every single day.

And today… she made me brownies.

That may sound like a small thing, but after everything she has been through — days on a ventilator, learning to breathe again, learning to move again — it means more than I can put into words.

Seeing her up, moving, talking, and doing something as normal as baking… it’s something I wasn’t sure we would get to see again this soon.

Even more good news — if everything continues to go as planned, she is tentatively scheduled to be discharged from rehab on MONDAY.

We still have a long road ahead. She is still recovering, still regaining strength, and still fighting cancer.

But this right here… this is progress. Real progress.

And it is because of her strength, her fight, and all of the prayers and support from every single one of you.

Leslie has proven over and over again:

She is stubborn.
She is strong.
And she is an absolute fighter.

Thank you all for continuing to pray, check in, and support us through this journey. It truly means everything.

— Justin

If you feel comfortable, please share this update so people can see how far Leslie has come and continue praying for her recovery.

Last picture Is her hair cut she got cut sunday because alot was falling out and she needed It fixed!

I forgot to post these yesterday. Leslie was a trooper during PT. She was working on her leg strength and endurance, and...
03/23/2026

I forgot to post these yesterday. Leslie was a trooper during PT. She was working on her leg strength and endurance, and opted to combine 2 sessions in one since she was already up. 😉 She worked hard on her next PT too, but I didn't go to that one. She is a little warrior, but she is tormented by burning nerve pain in her feet. Sometimes gentle pressure works to lessen the pain, but at other times, even the weight of her covers on her feet is unbearable. So far, pain medicine hasn't alleviated it, and there has been no definitive explanation for the pain. Please pray for the nerve pain and continued healing for her wounds and infections.

Good Morning!Yesterday was an eventful day.First Day of Physical Therapy! She practiced getting in and out of bed by her...
03/21/2026

Good Morning!

Yesterday was an eventful day.

First Day of Physical Therapy!

She practiced getting in and out of bed by herself (with assistance)

Wheeling herself around in her new wheelchair!

Getting in and out of the Car simulation (they can even adjust it to the car you drive everyday!!)

Walking the hallway with small assistance!

And

Mastering all the stairs up and down!

We also visited the sky deck where she can soak up the sun and do some fun enrichment activities!

Soon she will be participating in cooking and cleaning simulators as well as walking a dog, playing tug of war, and gardening activities!

Leslie is feeling so excited about this part in her journey. She has been smiling and feeling proud of herself for these big accomplishments! All the staff also showed their confidence in her getting back home!

We pray she will stay optimistic and strong as they push her though these obstacles!

🤍

Getting settled in at REHAB! So exciting!She will begin physical therapy tomorrow. Sundays will be her designated rest d...
03/19/2026

Getting settled in at REHAB! So exciting!

She will begin physical therapy tomorrow. Sundays will be her designated rest days; otherwise, she will follow an intensive schedule with two sessions per day.

Visitation rules are the same. 16 and older.

She will need all the encouragement she can get through these next few weeks + to get her back home with independence! 🩷

Thank you everyone for following updates and supporting her!

Getting pampered by her little sister 💜 in a regular room! Yes, she has moved rooms again - this time she moved a whole ...
03/14/2026

Getting pampered by her little sister 💜 in a regular room! Yes, she has moved rooms again - this time she moved a whole 3 doors down.

Quick update we have MOVED OUT of SICU! Call or text for new room number and location
03/12/2026

Quick update we have MOVED OUT of SICU! Call or text for new room number and location

🚨 Leslie needs prayers today, but we also finally have some good progress to share. Please read and share if you can.03/...
03/10/2026

🚨 Leslie needs prayers today, but we also finally have some good progress to share. Please read and share if you can.

03/10/26 1am update on Leslie Staples

The last 48 hours have brought some of the most encouraging moments we’ve had in a while.

As most of you know, Leslie has been in the Surgical ICU at UAB fighting for her life after emergency surgery for abdominal compartment syndrome caused by a bowel obstruction related to her Stage IV colorectal cancer.

Since then she has been battling several serious infections at the same time, including:

• Pseudomonas bacterial infection
• Severe C. diff infection
• Influenza B
• A fungal infection (aspergillus)

All of this while recovering from major surgery and days on a ventilator.

But over the past couple of days we have seen some major steps forward.

On March 8th around noon, Leslie was finally taken off the ventilator again.

Later that evening she was able to come off high-flow oxygen, and she is now breathing on regular oxygen through a nasal cannula.

Another big step — the drain tube in her nose was removed, which has made her much more comfortable.

Her feeding tube actually came out while she was coughing, not by doctor’s choice, but the good news is she has already been able to take medications by mouth with small sips of water.

She even got to eat about half a cup of applesauce, which may not sound like much, but after everything she has been through it felt like a huge victory.

The team is now working to see what foods she will be allowed to start eating next.

Her strength is slowly starting to come back as well. Today she was able to move from the bed to a chair multiple times with assistance, and the physical therapy team wants to start working toward getting her walking with a walker soon.

And one of the best parts for all of us…

She’s talking again.

Hearing her voice after everything she has been through is something I can’t even fully put into words. She seems so much happier and more like herself.

She still has a long road ahead. The doctors are continuing to treat all of the infections aggressively, and she remains in the ICU for close monitoring.

But for the first time in a while, it finally feels like we are seeing real progress forward.

Anyone who knows Leslie knows she has always been unbelievably strong.

She has already survived things doctors warned me she might not survive.

And she is still fighting.

Please continue to keep Leslie in your thoughts and prayers as she keeps pushing through this recovery.

Every message, every prayer, and every bit of support truly means more to us than you know.

— Justin

If you feel comfortable doing so, please share this post so more people can pray for Leslie and follow her journey.

03/07/26 10pm update on Leslie Staples and things she needs prayers for today. Please read and share if you can.Many peo...
03/08/2026

03/07/26 10pm update on Leslie Staples and things she needs prayers for today. Please read and share if you can.

Many people have been asking for an update after the doctors rounded today, so I want to share what we have learned.

Starting out id like to say she has been feeling very down and defeated due to the ventilator. Multiple doctors telling her different things, and then nothing changes. This is causing severe anxiety, which causes her breathing to be erratic, which causes them to delay extubation even longer. She needs prayers for all the other issues as well but right now her biggest issue mentally is the ventilator. She needs prayers that she can control her breathing and get this ventilator out as soon as possible.

As most of you know, Leslie was rushed to the ER on February 22 with severe abdominal pain and vomiting blood. Doctors discovered a large bowel obstruction and abdominal compartment syndrome, which is a life-threatening condition where pressure in the abdomen can begin shutting down organs.

She was taken into emergency surgery that night, where surgeons performed an exploratory operation and created a loop colostomy to relieve the pressure and save her life.

She has been in the Surgical ICU at UAB ever since.

Right now Leslie is fighting multiple serious complications at the same time, including:

• Pseudomonas bacterial infection in her lungs and bloodstream
• Severe C. diff infection in the remaining portion of her colon
• Influenza B
• A fungal infection (aspergillus)
• Pneumonia caused by aspiration

Earlier in her stay she also developed septic shock, which thankfully has now resolved.

Her heart was also affected during all of this. At one point her heart function dropped to around 30–35%, but a repeat echocardiogram showed improvement to about 35–40%, which is a small but encouraging step in the right direction.

Because of breathing complications and pneumonia, Leslie had to be placed back on the ventilator on March 3 after becoming very lethargic and her oxygen levels dropped.

The doctors say the ventilator is currently on very minimal support, which means she is doing a lot of the breathing work herself, but they are keeping it in place while they continue treating the infections in her lungs to give her the best chance of staying off of it once it is removed.

The infectious disease team is now aggressively treating the infections with several medications including:

• Antibiotics for the Pseudomonas infection
• Strong medication for C. diff
• Tamiflu for Influenza B
• Voriconazole, a long-term antifungal medication that she may need for several months

The doctors are also continuing to monitor her fevers very closely while they adjust medications to make sure everything is working as effectively as possible.

From a surgical standpoint, the surgeons say there are no new complications, which is good news. Her colostomy is working properly and her surgical incision is being managed with a wound vacuum.

She is still considered critically ill, but the team says she is handling everything about as well as could be expected given everything her body has been through.

Even through all of this, Leslie still has moments where you can see her strength and personality shining through.

She finds ways to communicate with us even without being able to speak, nodding, squeezing hands, asking for her ipad and writing what she needs, and letting us know she understands what’s going on around her.

And those small moments mean more than I can explain.

Anyone who knows Leslie knows this is exactly who she is.

She is stubborn.
She is strong.
And she is an absolute fighter.

Right now we are still taking this hour by hour and day by day.

Please continue to keep Leslie in your thoughts and prayers.

If you feel comfortable doing so, please share this post so more people can pray for Leslie and follow her fight.

— Justin




Address

Steele, AL
35987

Telephone

+12053693530

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