(Apologies to all our friends with young kids. This blog title could make you break into a song from Disney's "High School Musical! )
One thing that has become apparent to Dave and I the past few weeks is that cancer touches everyone's life. Some are survivors, some are still fighting, some have lost loved ones, some are support to those who are battling. Our family has lost friends, both young and old to this deadly disease. We've heard stories of encouragement and strength. Many have gone through this before us and many will follow. This blog tells the story of our unique journey through a new world of procedures, medical jargon, decisions and difficulties. But, we know that we, and anyone else who walks through the valleys of life, never walks alone. What a blessing to be part of the family of God and know that our Father is leading the way!
The skin biopsy took place on Monday. Now, we wait (I'm getting better at it!) for results, probably on Thursday or Friday. Not too much else to report. Just please pray for good results and not IBC, (I'm starting to sound like a broken record!) and for peace with the treatment plan. We are learning there are many things to consider and we want to make wise decisions, with help from our doctors.
So, that about sums up what is new over at the VK's. I'll update again once we get results from the biopsy. Thanks for stopping by!!
In His Strength,
Cindy and the VK's
(Is it just me or does that sound like it could be a name of a 70's band?) ;-)
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
God is in Control!
This past Thursday morning, after a cruddy night's sleep, I woke up in a frustrated mood. Although we had received some hope the night before, I couldn't help but think....."Wow...if this IS IBC, we are wasting precious time!" Everything I had read and heard said time is of the essence with treating this type. The Dr. reassured me it's more important to know what kind we are treating and another week won't make a difference. However, the "Control Freak" in me just wants to get started!!
As I went to get breakfast, I saw a book I had received the day before from a friend entitled "Grace for the Moment" by Max Lucado. I opened it up and on the first page I read this...
"He [God] stands between us and our need, waiting to help us. For that reason, the Bible says "Let us boldly approach the throne of our gracious God, where we may receive mercy and his grace to find timely help." (Hebrews 4:16 NEB). Did you note those two last words? "Timely help." Not too soon, not too late,. Just on time."
WOW!! Talk about your "burning bush" moment!! Again, I just turned this whole thing over to God (it's going to be an on-going process!) and felt such peace!! His timing is perfect....who am I to question that?
On the medical front, the skin biopsy is scheduled for Monday morning. I'm told results won't be back until Wednesday or Thursday, so I'm thinking Friday. :-) Until then, we have a lot of things to keep us busy and will live in the moment, knowing God is in control! Keep praying!!
In His Strength,
Cindy and the VK's
As I went to get breakfast, I saw a book I had received the day before from a friend entitled "Grace for the Moment" by Max Lucado. I opened it up and on the first page I read this...
"He [God] stands between us and our need, waiting to help us. For that reason, the Bible says "Let us boldly approach the throne of our gracious God, where we may receive mercy and his grace to find timely help." (Hebrews 4:16 NEB). Did you note those two last words? "Timely help." Not too soon, not too late,. Just on time."
WOW!! Talk about your "burning bush" moment!! Again, I just turned this whole thing over to God (it's going to be an on-going process!) and felt such peace!! His timing is perfect....who am I to question that?
On the medical front, the skin biopsy is scheduled for Monday morning. I'm told results won't be back until Wednesday or Thursday, so I'm thinking Friday. :-) Until then, we have a lot of things to keep us busy and will live in the moment, knowing God is in control! Keep praying!!
In His Strength,
Cindy and the VK's
P.S. Speaking of hope, (and on a MUCH different level) GO BEARS!!!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
I Hate This Part!
I LOVE roller coasters! However, I detest going up that first big hill....it makes me a nervous wreck. I even have a little thing I say as the cart clicks upwards. Friends who sit next to me think it's hilarious as I chant "I hate this part, I hate this part, I hate this part." But, once the car reaches the top and zooms downhill, I'm the fool in the front row, hands up, laughing my head off. I LOVE that feeling. Well, right now, I feel like we are still on our way up that hill and uncertain what happens next. I hate this part!
We met with the specialist today down at Rush. It was a long appointment but we are so glad we went. Basically, she felt they can't be sure that it IS Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Several of the results of my Path report didn't jive with typical IBC symptoms. It is definitely some form of breast cancer....they just aren't sure which one. So, they have ordered a skin biopsy which will give them a little more information. If it comes back positive, then it IS IBC and we'll begin with chemo. If it comes back negative, we'll most likely have surgery first, although it still COULD be IBC. Surgery would then be followed by chemo. Truthfully, the prognosis is MUCH better if it is just a "normal" kind of breast cancer. (It would be nice to be "normal" for a change! Ha ha!) So, to all our prayer warriors out there who like to pray for specific things...please pray it ISN'T Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Also, that things will fall into place with this next biopsy.
As we continue this roller coaster ride, we are so thankful we know WHO is driving! We are confident that God will never steer us off course and know that He supplies our pure joy. Thanks so much for the prayer support and going on this "ride" with us!!
In His Strength,
Cindy and the VK's
We met with the specialist today down at Rush. It was a long appointment but we are so glad we went. Basically, she felt they can't be sure that it IS Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Several of the results of my Path report didn't jive with typical IBC symptoms. It is definitely some form of breast cancer....they just aren't sure which one. So, they have ordered a skin biopsy which will give them a little more information. If it comes back positive, then it IS IBC and we'll begin with chemo. If it comes back negative, we'll most likely have surgery first, although it still COULD be IBC. Surgery would then be followed by chemo. Truthfully, the prognosis is MUCH better if it is just a "normal" kind of breast cancer. (It would be nice to be "normal" for a change! Ha ha!) So, to all our prayer warriors out there who like to pray for specific things...please pray it ISN'T Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Also, that things will fall into place with this next biopsy.
As we continue this roller coaster ride, we are so thankful we know WHO is driving! We are confident that God will never steer us off course and know that He supplies our pure joy. Thanks so much for the prayer support and going on this "ride" with us!!
In His Strength,
Cindy and the VK's
Friday, October 19, 2007
Oh what a beautiful morning, Oh what a beautiful day!!
YEAH! We heard from the Dr. today that the CAT scan showed no suspicious findings and as he said "things look very very good!" So, it looks like it has not spread!!! It's amazing how your perspective changes in the course of two weeks. We are SO thankful to be at "only"a 3b cancer stage! Praise the Lord! I feel a little bit like it's a pregnancy....we got good news (relatively speaking!) and we know we have a tough road ahead......nausea, headaches, tiredness, hair loss, surgery (hopefully no swelling ankles!) but at the end, we have a beautiful NEW life and things will never be the same!!
Things are falling into place with Dr.'s as well. We've had so many "God-sightings" through this and is has been amazing to watch as everything has pointed to one Dr. at Rush. We'll be seeing her next Wednesday. We are still waiting to hear about one more test that will determine what kind of chemo I'll be needing. We were told it could start as early as next week. We are waiting to talk to the Dr. today. Again, more waiting!! :-)
My Public Service Announcement of the day......Ladies, GET YOUR MAMMOGRAMS! (Yes, I'm "shouting!") Know the symptoms....they aren't all the same. Early detection is key!!
We are definitely feeling the prayers! We have a "peace that passes understanding" and we are grateful to you for lifting up our family! Thanks for the comments....we've loved reading them!! Have a great weekend, everybody!
In His Strength,
Cindy and the VK's
Things are falling into place with Dr.'s as well. We've had so many "God-sightings" through this and is has been amazing to watch as everything has pointed to one Dr. at Rush. We'll be seeing her next Wednesday. We are still waiting to hear about one more test that will determine what kind of chemo I'll be needing. We were told it could start as early as next week. We are waiting to talk to the Dr. today. Again, more waiting!! :-)
My Public Service Announcement of the day......Ladies, GET YOUR MAMMOGRAMS! (Yes, I'm "shouting!") Know the symptoms....they aren't all the same. Early detection is key!!
We are definitely feeling the prayers! We have a "peace that passes understanding" and we are grateful to you for lifting up our family! Thanks for the comments....we've loved reading them!! Have a great weekend, everybody!
In His Strength,
Cindy and the VK's
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
My favorite verse has always been Isaiah 40:31. "And they that wait upon the Lord, He will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings as eagles. Then will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint."
Let me tell you, we've learned a LOT about waiting! Waiting in the Dr.'s office, waiting for test results, waiting to tell people, waiting for sleep to come, waiting for a definite diagnosis. Just a lot of waiting! By nature, I don't consider myself to be a real patient person sometimes. But, God gives us that extra grace in times like this. And, I'm learning to wait!!
Today I talked to both the surgeon and oncologist. The surgeon let me know that it IS Inflammatory Breast Cancer. This rare and agressive type of cancer is staged at a 3b when it discovered. But, the good news is that it can be treated and cured, provided it hasn't spread. Also, we are thankful to report that the PET Scan came back as good news! He saw one little nodule he said "lit up" on the scan, but he thinks that could be swelling from the biopsy. Other than that, nothing else! So, one down, one to go!
Our prayer request continues to be that is hasn't spread. Also, that we will have wisdom when it comes to choosing treatment. We have some awesome drs. that are doing all they can to help us through this. We would like to have peace that we have made the correct decision. We are so thankful and humbled by everyone's prayer support and love! We know we are in HIS perfect strength because of it!
So, here's my hubby's humorous comment of the night. (With apologies to all my blonde friends!)
Dave wanted to know if my hair grows back darker, if I'll be any smarter. Feel free to voice your outrage to Dave! :-)
In His Strength,
Cindy and the VK's
Let me tell you, we've learned a LOT about waiting! Waiting in the Dr.'s office, waiting for test results, waiting to tell people, waiting for sleep to come, waiting for a definite diagnosis. Just a lot of waiting! By nature, I don't consider myself to be a real patient person sometimes. But, God gives us that extra grace in times like this. And, I'm learning to wait!!
Today I talked to both the surgeon and oncologist. The surgeon let me know that it IS Inflammatory Breast Cancer. This rare and agressive type of cancer is staged at a 3b when it discovered. But, the good news is that it can be treated and cured, provided it hasn't spread. Also, we are thankful to report that the PET Scan came back as good news! He saw one little nodule he said "lit up" on the scan, but he thinks that could be swelling from the biopsy. Other than that, nothing else! So, one down, one to go!
Our prayer request continues to be that is hasn't spread. Also, that we will have wisdom when it comes to choosing treatment. We have some awesome drs. that are doing all they can to help us through this. We would like to have peace that we have made the correct decision. We are so thankful and humbled by everyone's prayer support and love! We know we are in HIS perfect strength because of it!
So, here's my hubby's humorous comment of the night. (With apologies to all my blonde friends!)
Dave wanted to know if my hair grows back darker, if I'll be any smarter. Feel free to voice your outrage to Dave! :-)
In His Strength,
Cindy and the VK's
Monday, October 15, 2007
In Christ Alone.....
“In Christ alone my hope is found; He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—Here in the love of Christ I stand.”
Dear Friends,
Well, if you found my blog, you probably heard the news. I was recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Life as we know it changed over the course of three days…..Last Tuesday I had a mammogram, Wednesday afternoon I was sent to the surgeon for a biopsy and by 11 o’clock on Thursday morning, Dave and I found ourselves meeting an oncologist. It still seems pretty surreal. So, I decided to start this blog, for several reasons….
1. To communicate prayer requests – if there are specific things for which we need prayer, I’ll post them here. We know we are going to need a lot of prayer support!
2. To pass along information and share news, good or bad.
3. Let’s face it….I’m a computer geek! Why not join the blogging revolution? There is wireless Internet at Chemo so this will give me something to do.
Several different "types" of breast cancer have been discussed and we are waiting on some tests to know exactly what we are dealing with and how to best treat it. I had a PET Scan on Saturday (10/13) and a CAT Scan is scheduled for Wednesday (10/18). One of the types that they think I may have is a rare and agressive form of breast cancer. It is considered a Stage 3b when discovered. We are praying it isn't that!! Another BIG prayer request right now is that is hasn’t metastasized!
We are very thankful for an awesome oncologist! He is actually a cancer survivor himself so he’s been there and understands. This week in Bible Study Fellowship we talked about how Jesus can sympathize with us because he lived as a man and felt the same feelings we do. It was an interesting parallel and made me REALLY grasp that Christ KNOWS how we feel…..quite a comforting thought, especially under these circumstances.
Feel free to drop us a line on the blog….I’d love to hear from you!
In His Strength,
Cindy and the rest of the VK’s
This cornerstone, this solid ground,Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—Here in the love of Christ I stand.”
Dear Friends,
Well, if you found my blog, you probably heard the news. I was recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Life as we know it changed over the course of three days…..Last Tuesday I had a mammogram, Wednesday afternoon I was sent to the surgeon for a biopsy and by 11 o’clock on Thursday morning, Dave and I found ourselves meeting an oncologist. It still seems pretty surreal. So, I decided to start this blog, for several reasons….
1. To communicate prayer requests – if there are specific things for which we need prayer, I’ll post them here. We know we are going to need a lot of prayer support!
2. To pass along information and share news, good or bad.
3. Let’s face it….I’m a computer geek! Why not join the blogging revolution? There is wireless Internet at Chemo so this will give me something to do.
Several different "types" of breast cancer have been discussed and we are waiting on some tests to know exactly what we are dealing with and how to best treat it. I had a PET Scan on Saturday (10/13) and a CAT Scan is scheduled for Wednesday (10/18). One of the types that they think I may have is a rare and agressive form of breast cancer. It is considered a Stage 3b when discovered. We are praying it isn't that!! Another BIG prayer request right now is that is hasn’t metastasized!
We are very thankful for an awesome oncologist! He is actually a cancer survivor himself so he’s been there and understands. This week in Bible Study Fellowship we talked about how Jesus can sympathize with us because he lived as a man and felt the same feelings we do. It was an interesting parallel and made me REALLY grasp that Christ KNOWS how we feel…..quite a comforting thought, especially under these circumstances.
Feel free to drop us a line on the blog….I’d love to hear from you!
In His Strength,
Cindy and the rest of the VK’s
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