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Ver Beek Blog

Our young family battling stage IV breast cancer one day at a time
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Three more to go!

posted by:
Lindy

One Taxol treatment down, three to go.  It took about five hours to get chemo and went really well.  The first hour is spent giving me Benadryl and other antibiotics.  Then they started the Taxol.  My nurse, Kendra, had to sit with me for the first 20 minutes to make sure I didn’t have a reaction.  I didn’t.  Jill worked til 3 a.m. the night before and I was tired from the meds so we both took a nap!  So much for card games.  When I woke up Jill went to Wendy’s and got us lunch.  It was nice. 

We were done at the Cancer Hematology Center at 1:45 which was perfect because my surgeon appointment was at 2:00.  I learned something new on Wednesday.  Dr. Hoberman’s first name is Liberty.  I thought her maiden name was Liberty and she hyphenated it with Hoberman.  Anyway….I’m very glad I switched surgeons.  I really like Dr. Hoberman.  She was very informative about what to expect with the mastectomy and about my reconstructive options.  She discovered another spot that may need to be biopsied, but she’ll consult with Dr. VanderWoude first.  She also referred me to Dr. Dodde who could do the reconstructive surgery.  Thank you Jill for spending the day with me and being my personal chauffeur.   

So far I’ve had no nausea from the Taxol!  What a relief.   Yesterday afternoon I noticed my finger tips and feet start to tingle and hurt.  It’s nerve pain.  This morning I woke up and feel very achy from head to toe.  My finger tips and feet still hurt.  This is what they warned me about.   I have to tell ya, I’d rather have this than nausea any day of the week.  I may not say that tomorrow, but for today I’ll take it. 

Last night was rough.  I get so sick of cancer.  I get so angry that I have it.  I hate it.  It’s so hard.  I’m sick of not feeling well.  It seems so unfair.  This is Max and Samantha’s first year of life and as every parent knows, so much happens the first year.  Samantha just started crawling.  Max does a funky army crawl.  Brooklyn starts Kindergarten in a month.  I want to take her to pick out a back pack and lunch box, but I just don’t feel good.  These are things you want to do with your kids.  I never imagined her starting Kindergarten and me having cancer.  It’s hard to truly enjoy my kids when I feel so sick and tired all the time.  So I had a pity party for myself last night. 

The sun is shining this morning and it’s going to be a beautiful day.  Brooklyn is going to see Click Clack Moo this morning at Hope College.  I’ll sit outside and get some fresh air and hopefully a new outlook on my life.   

Next week I meet with Dr. Iakiri, the genetic testing doctor at the Cancer Hematology Center.   

Thank you for your prayers.  I’m so thankful that I don’t have nausea.  I’m thankful that I’m going through chemo in the summer so I can go outside and get fresh air.  I’m thankful for everyone who is helping us with Brooklyn, Max and Samantha.  Have a great day!

17 Responses to “Three more to go!”

  1. Julie Meyaard says:

    Love your honesty Lindy! Praying for you each day as you continue down this road. I am so glad you are not feeling as sick as you did with the other treatments.
    Julie Meyaard

  2. Holly says:

    You are AWESOME! You are touching others and you don’t even know it! YOU have a great day! 🙂

  3. Mary VerBeek says:

    Hi Aunt Lindy, this is your niece Mary! 🙂 The first thing I do every time I go on the computer is visit your webpage…Your blogs are so inspiring and I am just so amazed at what a good attitude you have! You WILL fight this cancer and God is with you every step of the way! I think about you and pray for you often Aunt Lindy!
    Lots of Love,
    Mary

  4. Barb Dannenberg says:

    I’m sending my note as an attachment – let me know (barb.dannenberg@charter.net) if for some reason you can’t open it!

    “He will sit as a refiner
    and purifier of silver.”
    Malachi 3:3 (NIV)

    This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.
    One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.
    That week the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.
    As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
    The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.” She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time.
    The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
    The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”
    He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy — when I see my image in it.”

    If today you are feeling the heat of the fire , remember God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

  5. Kim says:

    You are so awesome Lindy! I love your honesty and how you are handling all of this… you are amazing!! You will love Dr. Dodde, Madisyn saw him when she had a cut on her face and he did an amazing job and was so calming! We continue to pray for you and your whole family!!!

  6. Peggy TenHarmsel says:

    I had Dr. Dodde for my reconstruction also. He is a doctor, but he’s also a sculpturist. (If you go to his office he will have some scuptures that he has done.)So he’s very peticular about how everything looks. He wants you to be happy. He even called my nurse in the middle of the night after my surgery to check up on me. The nurse said he does that alot. If he wakes up in the night he will call about his patient. I think you will like him.

  7. Jana Ver Beek says:

    Praying you have a more comfortable day today. Try to get outside and soak up some sunshine.
    Love, Jana

  8. jim and kath terp says:

    we continue to pray for you to feel good.
    we pray for God to put his arms around you.

    Most of the time God does’nt tell us why, so in my disease I stopped asking why me? and began thanking Him for holding me over the fire. Was the hardest thing TO DO.

    Today God has made it clear to me WHY. It can be difficult to wait on God and it was very painful for me and my family!!

    Lindy, I don’t know why you, but I do know today that God’s ways and thoughts are far above ours. Like you I’m glad to be in God’s hands.

    In God’s hands JIM

  9. Aunt Kathy says:

    Hi Lindy;
    We so greatly appreciate your personal blogs, and willingness to share your intimate journey with us-I had no idea what having cancer involved-how comsuming it must be for you and your family. No wonder you hate it-we hate it for you also!!!
    Lovingly,
    Aunt Kathy

  10. Livvy Zimmerman says:

    Finding anything to be thankful for while going thru chemo is a feat in itself. Yet you do. All the time. It is a testament to your true character, Lindy. Keep up the fight.

  11. barb baumann says:

    tears come when I read your note…tears because a beautiful young mom is sick…tears because this beautiful young mom just wants to enjoy her children and is undergoing this treatment…and as I write this I know….that Jesus too shares your tears.

    My prayers for you continue, that His presence be a tissue that wipes your tears……..In His Grip..barb

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