Ports and Reports

Nancy writing (sister-in-law, married to Deb's brother, Jim)
Well, today was a busy, busy day.   First on the agenda was Deb's EGD. (a scope of Deb's esophagus, stomach, and pyloris) and before I get into the results, I want to say that this was done at Zeeland Hospital which is where Deb worked a few years ago (actually, she had her scan in the same department where she used to work!)  I must say that Deb is known and loved by all.  Her former co-workers had sunflowers and a huge basket of goodies waiting for her.....fresh produce (corn, cucumbers, green beans, raspberries, strawberries & peaches) honey, wine, muffins, a devotional book, CD, a great scarf and the cutest basket!! (and of course, a card signed by all) Did I say it was huge?  (I know, I carried it to the car) :)

So now the report:  She had areas of ulceration in her stomach and pyloris probably caused by pressure on her vascular system from the tumor behind several her stomach causing areas of ischemia...and also caused by the stress that her body has been under.  Dr. Peshka started her on Prilosec and also suggested a few modifications to her diet.  ie...5 small meals a day, adding protein to her diet via something like protein shakes and also suggested chicken soup (blended, so that it is not too chunky!)  We all know we feel better when we eat chicken soup!   :)  

Mieke and Krista made her a smoothie when we got home today with protein and some of the fresh fruit that was in her goodie basket.

The 2nd stop today was Holland Hospital where she had her port put in.  She had minimal drugs for that procedure and was awake as they did it - they used a local anesthetic....and by 4:15 she was ready to go home.  We sat out on her sun porch as we enjoyed a wonderful dinner that was brought over by Sara.

On the schedule tomorrow, is her chemo consult.  We will find out more about the protocol, her chemo schedule, and when it will begin.  We are so hoping that it will be soon.  She is eager to get this thing started. So...when you read this, please pray for Deb, her family and our extended family.  Everyone says this is a marathon, not a sprint.....but we are at the start line eager to start!  :)

30 more minutes to drink

I can't have anything to eat or drink after midnight so I am enjoying my diet Ruby Red Squirt. Everything went OK today at Blodgett with the CT scan. I just didn't feel the greatest all day, not painful, just as Mieke says , Meh. No bad, not good, just Meh. I did not take any Vicodin today, so that is a first.
Stopped to see Alden at his house after my tests because he lives very close to Blodgett. That is one good thing about having to go to GR for treatment, I will have an excuse to stop and see my "little" boy. He has a home office, Mary was at work, but got to see Laura, Mary's sister who is staying with them for a few days until she moves into her apt. and starts a master program in social work at GVSU.

Kind of a strange feeling thinking about the port being put in tomorrow, it is so "real". No way to deny having cancer after that is put in......

Berry Smoothie Readi-Cat 2 for breakfast

Hi, hope  you are all enjoying your eggs and bacon, because this barium smoothie is not that satisfying.
The CT machine is down at the West Pavilion, so we had to have our tests today changed to Blodgett an hour later. My friend Vickie is driving me today, thanks for doing that and also for replenishing my bouquet of hydrangeas. I am enjoying them so much.

Good to see my friend Laurel yesterday, and thanks for the goodies. Laurel's husband Randy is in remission with Hogkin's Lymphoma for the second time, and we hope and pray it is for a LONG time.

Thanks Joan and Ken for the book "Unbroken", I have heard it is wonderful and I am anxious to read it.

My sister and Mieke and Aaron continue to do organizational things around the house. This place will never have looked so good.

Shae, your dinner was wonderful, (especially the church lady cherry pie) from the farmers market. We appreciate the meals so much, and all the wonderful expressions of your love and caring.

I did enjoy seeing my Bunco friends at the bowling alley last night, I hope to make it to as many Bunco nights as possible this year. Thanks Nancy for hosting the fun night.

I appreciate the bits of advice and articles people have sent me. I read everything and will ask lots of questions of my health care providers.

Monday.....Monday (love the Mamas and the Papas)

Had my lab work done today that I needed before the port gets put in on Wed.
Got a few other things scheduled:
My EGD is going to be done at Zeeland Hospital at 10:30 on Wed. I get to see my old cronies in the surgery dept. where I used to work. As soon as I am discharged from that I will have to get over to Holland Hospital for the port placement.
Thurs. at 1pm is my "chemo counseling" at the GR office. I have had lots of different kind of counseling sessions in my life, but this is a first.

I am getting picked up tonight to visit with my "Bunco Babes" at the Northland Bowling Alley.  I don't think I will be bowling, but I sure am going to be tempted to try.

My sister came back to spend a little more time with me, while friends of my niece's are taking care of her and her little Drake during the day.
 
Will write more later tonight.........

Sunny Sunday

Hello all, Mieke here. Today started pretty well with fresh baked monkey bread from our good friend Karen. We also had fun with church festivities. I lead children worship and roped my dad into helping with the puppet show b/c Aaron had another event this morning. Dad was great despite the fact that the puppet's mouth never moved when he was talking... The kids made sure to point this out with pointing and laughing and he quickly fixed his timing. I couldn't keep myself from laughing thinking about what I was putting him through. Here was Stan the Man lying on the floor of a barn propped up on one elbow, trying to hold a microphone and script in one hand and handling Andricus, the puppet with the other. Good times.
Mom was also able to be there and looked wonderful. It is good for her to get out and get some fresh air and see people from church.

After church we went to visit Grandma Hoksbergen at the rehab center in Grand Haven. The drive down Lakeshore is one of our favorites. Mom and I can't help pointing out our favorite cute houses, we do this all the time. Give us an old stone wall or an ivy covered chimney and we melt. I thought that Grandma looked great, even though she is not at home, the place she is staying is very nice. It was good to see her and Grandpa and catch up on everything. So glad that her surgery went well and she is recovering quickly.

We also can't believe a new piece of news we received this afternoon. Grandpa Vermeulen is in the ER in Detroit. He had his swollen knee tapped to check if it is infection or gout. Not sure what in the world is happening in this family, but it needs to stop! Too many people in hospitals, we are not used to this at all! Hope you are out of there soon and back to your usual self Grandpa!!

How can I describe how mom is feeling today? The first thing that comes to mind is a word my friends and I use a lot. Meh. Not wonderful, but not bad either. Just very anxious for the chemo to start to get this cancer out of there! We now are enjoying yummy dinner from Karen and are watching South Pacific and flipping through magazines. I love Sundays.

much love, Mieke

What Cancer Cannot Do

My sister gave me a plaque that I have sitting in my kitchen window sill, it is entitled

What Cancer Cannot Do
Cancer is so limited...
It cannot cripple Love
It cannot shatter Hope
It cannot corrode Faith
It cannot destroy Peace
It cannot kill Friendship
It cannot suppress Memories
It cannot silence Courage
It cannot invade the Soul
It cannot steal eternal Life
It cannot conquer the Spirit.
Anonymous

I agree with it, thanks Kris

My niece Libby and her family have evacuated their home in Virginia because of the hurricane Irene. Hope and pray they are safe and sound.

Thanks Laura and Becca for the book, Friendship Bread, looking forward to reading it! Jodi, you know Mieke loves and will use all the craft supplies you brought over. Had quite a pain in my abdomen all day, don't like it. Will hope for a better day tomorrow, may try and see Stan and Mieke do the skit for the kids at church tomorrow. Can Stan fill in for Aaron as the puppet man?? We'll see.
Hope to visit Stan's Mom also at the rehab facility in the afternoon.
Another Verlander win!! Go Tigers

Sat am coffee

I am sitting in my recliner on my screened in porch enjoying a cup of coffee and another beautiful day. Thank you Lord for this great end of August. Read my devotional from Jesus Calling which is always an uplifting way to start the day, thank you Paul and Crystal! My sister-in-law has been "green machining" my spots on the carpet and rugs and kitchen chairs. I tell you I feel very blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.

I forgot to mention that we are working on sending my pathology slides and all path reports on to Mary and Alden's uncle in Maine. He is a GYN/pathologist and one of the leading experts in his field on the east coast with lots of connections. He has offered to give us a second opinion of the treatment plan that has been suggested. We feel very good about this and look forward to hearing his opinion.

I have to apologize for all typos in the blog, but my excuse is "Vicodin Brain", after that my excuse will be "chemo brain".

I am so looking forward to seeing Ross and Rumy again, they fly home tomorrow.
Mieke is enjoying all the excitement of her friends returning to Hope and even took little 2 1/2 lb. Katers (my sister's Yorkie) to visit her friends. I so want her to keep her life as normal as possible for as long as possible.

Do I attempt church outside at Beechwood tomorrow???

Friday night update

My niece Becky's surgery to repair her ankle went well. She had a nerve block prior to surgery and is pain free now and hopefully that will continue for a long time. She is a pt at Spectrum and will hopefully go home in the am. My sister Krista is planning to stay with her tonight and let her husband Jason go home tonight with their little guy Drake.

I got lots of things scheduled today, the plan is as follows:
Mon - blood work
Tues- chest x-ray and CT scan at Spectrum
Wed - port put in at Holland Hospital by interventional radiologist

My sister-in-law Nancy came from Plymouth to help care for me for a couple of days.
Had a wonderful ride in my friend Lori's convertible in the beautiful sunshine. It made me feel like a real person again, instead of a patient.
Had wonderful visits from relatives and friends. Stan is working on painting the garage.(he loves that) Thanks Mary for the great dinner! So appreciated.
To top off the day Nancy and I went to the state park to watch the boats going in and out of the channel and then saw a beautiful red sunset with a sailboat silhouette right in front of it........No place like Holland in the summer.

Thanks to Lori and Connie for the gift of cleaning my house today. You guys are wonderful!!

Good news, Mieke found a sub leaser for her house this semester. The Lord is good and details seem to be working out well for her to be around to help through my months of chemo.

Tigers are winning 2-1, turned in my application for some free Tiger tickets and chance to meet my favorite Tigers. Will let you know if I get selected. Thanks Jean for the info on that.

I want to thank my church Beechwood Reformed for all the love, cards, meals,visits and expressions of caring during this difficult time, I do feel the arms of Jesus around me and I am at peace.

The Storm continues

As Stan mentioned before, when it rains it pours?? Well, it is pouring because early this am my sister Krista received a call from her daughter Becky (the one who gave me my wonderful pedicure last Sat.) that she was in Spectrum Health ER, and she was waiting to go into surgery for a broken ankle. She fell last evening walking out of a restaurant on some cobblestone walkway. She broke her ankle in 3 places. Please add her and her family to the prayer list. Will update you on her status when we know something.

Pray for patience

Hello Everyone, I want to give you all an update from todays Dr. appt.
First of all he said I have Stage 3C Serous Adenocarcinoma of the Fallopian Tubes.
Because surgery was not going to work to remove all the cancer, chemotherapy is the only choice we have for treatment. I hopefully will be excepted into a clinical trial for chemotherapy. I will be receiving it at his office in Grand Rapids. Before I can begin this I have to have some more tests, including an EGD, (upper GI), another CT scan and I have to have my port a cath put in. Because this all takes time to get scheduled, I probably won't begin chemo for 2 weeks. This is hard for me because I would like it to have started yesterday. This is pretty much the news we expected to hear. We were glad he had this much to report and we didn't have to wait any longer for some news. I will be Randomized into one of two study groups and I have no say in that. It is the same 3 drugs, just delivered on a different schedule. The one drug is Avastin (bevacizumab) which is very expensive $10,000 a treatment. Thank goodness it is being paid for by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and is being carried out under the sponsorship of the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG).

Had fun looking for wigs at Brenton Village , have one on hold. They say I will loss my hair after the first treatment.

I am going to my good friend Marcia's house tonight for her celebration of publishing her blog (now a book) through her cancer treatment called, "Marcia's Marvelous Adventure". She is a two time cancer survivor and my hero.

Will write more later........

Housekeeping Details

Hello...Krista here:(Deb's Sister)
Deb has not been feeling her best today. Also a bit nervous regarding her doctor's appointment tomorrow at 2 pm. But do not fear, she will be surrounded by her best back-up team: Stan, Alden, Mieke and me. We are busy reviewing the results of Nurse Karen's literature search at the hospital. Most common word..."rare." We hope to come home tomorrow with lots more information, including treatment. Hope the doc has the same agenda. Pray that this is the case.

Stan and Mieke are busy hauling in some furniture she painted for her college house but will now put to good use here at home. She is bound to do some productive studying sitting at her bright ORANGE desk! A PURPLE night stand may also join in her colorful room.

Now for some housekeeping details, as promised by the title:

As the current "chief cook and bottle washer"...thanks to all you loving cooks out there, I have not had much cooking to do. As a result, lots of other projects have been tackled. Deb (or Mieke) sets the priority and points me in the direction of their choice and I give it my best shot. Your meals have allowed me to complete a lot of other tasks that should make things easier to manage in the coming months as Deb focuses on treatment and regaining her health.

For those of you who have brought dishes or other things that you need back, they have been washed and placed in the laundry room (Yes, Jim...your purse is in there, too.) Stop by to say "hi" to Deb and pick them up at your convenience. Thanks again for the lovely meals. Such a lift for everyone here.

Several of you have asked for ideas of things that Deb could use, would enjoy, or might make her smile...others ask if there is anything they can do. I have put together a little list of suggestions that might be helpful. Please e-mail me at this new e-mail address: www.debsOKsister@gmail.com (as in...her sister from Oklahoma)

Thanks to all of you who are supporting this family with your prayers, love, cards, flowers, meals and other expressions of concern & care. They are all so appreciated. Wish you could see Deb's face when the mail comes or a delivery is made. Brightest moments of the day.

Love,

Deb's OK Sister - Krista

Purse owner discovered

The mystery has been solved. The purse is my brother's. Oh, that does not sound so good. I should say he borrowed it from my sister-in-law to bring me some wonderful chocolate cake and he put it on ice and used this black bag as a cooler. He confessed it is the bag that Nancy uses to sneek wine into Co-America park. She is my kind of gal.

Just had a visit from Al, my father-in-law. He had also just visited with Shirley my mother-in-law at Heartland Rehab. She went there from the hospital yesterday. She starts her therapy today. She is weak and does not have much appetite. Please continue to pray for her recovery. I will get up there to see her very soon. I am getting the itch to get out of this house.

I received in the mail a "holding cross" from my sister's new church in Tulsa, OK. It is a large downtown church called First Presbyterian Church. This cross was made by one of their members from an old mahogany wood church pew. It is what I call a reformers rosary. I have held it when I pray many times. Thank you First Pres for being so wonderful and welcoming to my sis. She is the best and you are good for each other. Hope to visit with you some Sunday.

I want you to know that I also received the "correct" bouquet of flowers from Alden's in-laws Meg and Walt Meeker. These did not say they were from "Sexy Face" and they are much classier than the first ones. As I told Meg, the laughs we got out of the whole mix up was worth it.

Mieke's meeting at Hope today went extremely well. She is going to be able to take a lightened load, very flexible, take her placement at Waukazoo Elementary close to home, no tests and will still be able to do her student teaching next semester. She will be able to help get me through chemo this way. Thank you Linda Jordan for every thing!

One last thing, is there someone who can teach us how to do a "V" crochet stitch out there?? My sister gave Mieke the yarn and pattern, but wants to make sure they are doing it correctly before they start. I know one of my PEO sisters knows how.
Thanks, Deb

2nd Anniversary for Alden and Mary

Alden and Mary just stopped by on their way to Butches Dry Dock to celebrate their 2nd Anniversary. They have had a couple of great years. Mary says it was not tough at all. The best part about their visit was Alden found the missing TV remote. It was in the recliner and I think Stan lost it in there while I was in the hospital. (he denies that). Anyways, we are so glad it has reappeared.
Another thing that has appeared is a black purse? Anyone missing a purse? It is a KOKO brand with only lipstick and medicine in it. Weird......
I spent most of the day again in the recliner on the back porch. It was a beautiful day, starting with devotions from my new favorite book "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young.
I forgot to mention this the other day. When we had devotions with my family one night, my sister read out of this book and said I could borrow her copy because it has been so meaningful to her and her girls through my neice Libby's bout with cancer. Every day it seems to just speak directly to you.
The next day when reading my comments on this blog, without ever mentioning the name of the book, my good friend Crystal who now lives in Wisconsin writes, Oh, by the way we are sending you a copy of our new favorite devotional book called, you guessed it, Jesus Calling. They said it has been life changing to them. Isn't that something?
I had wonderful visits and phone calls from good friends. Dinner was wonderful Betty thanks so much.
Mieke and Krista went shopping for me and came back with some great finds from the thrift store and Penneys. Love personal shoppers.
We saw a few wedding pics from Ross and Rumy's wedding, we will try and post a couple. They looked great and so happy.
May be a late night picture post by Mieke.

Get Well Quilt

I was so surprised when Mieke came home from church today. She had all of her little kids draw me a picture and then they put them all together into a quilt. It is beautiful and means the world to me. My sister helped her with the kids today. My Dad went along to see how Mieke and Aaron did their puppet show. He was impressed and knows what a great teacher she will be.

Here is the group with the adorable quilt.

Some kids with their creations

Here is a pic of Mieke and I. See...real clothes!

More fun visitors today makes the day fly by. Thanks so much for coming by.

Also, a special visit from a friend from church taught us some very interesting biblical truths about believing in being healed. I was anointed with oil and he prayed over me. We believe God wants me to be healed.

A Good Day

Deb writing her own blog this time. I had a good day. I was surrounded by my family, Mom and Dad, sister, brother, niece and nephew and a whole slew of neighbors and good friends who stopped by with love and support. I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it is to be taken such good care of. Fresh flowers, home made Chix soup, Chex mix, fresh produce from the market....it goes on and on. You wouldn't believe the projects that got done around here. Dry walling in the garage, sheet music sorted, Mieke's craft room organized. It is amazing what "nervous energy" can do. I will forever be grateful to my wonderful family for all the work they did.
We had a wonderful time of devotions and prayer with the whole family tonight (after the Tiger game). Most of the group plans to go and see Mieke and Aaron do their puppet show at church tomorrow for the kids. Stan writes the story and they perform it. Wish I could go, I might try and sneak to see them. not really
Tomorrow is the big wedding day and I am really sad I am not there to see it.. They promised they would tape as much as possible.
Again, I can't thank you enough for all the cards, blog comments, emails and facebook messages. I read them all and appreciate them. Also, I thank you for reading Stan's blog. It will be a good thing for him to do as this journey begins. Everyone tells us It is a marathon, not a sprint.
Good Night, Deb

Jackie here-the personal shopper

I have just arrived at the Hoksbergen household after a morning of garage sale shopping. Found 2 cute chairs for Ross and Rumy, Stan is at my house getting some 'work clothes' for Jim. Mieke and Krista are in the basement craft room setting up shelves, Becky is giving Deb a pedicure, Drake is playing with everything that has wheels on it and Sylvia is sorting music in the living room. Oh my-what a whirlwind!
We have lots of fresh baked goods and the coffee is on if anyone wants to join the circle.

another blog to check out

Well good morning! We had a somewhat restful night, only waking up for new ice and meds. Aunt Krista and I worked out a schedule for her meds and it is quite confusing. Mostly around meal times, but of course they are all "take one every 6 hours, take one every 8 hours, take one morning evening" they can't all be the same.

I am excited to share another blog with you. My dad has had a hard time with all of this news as we all have. My mom has encouraged him to try and write down some of his thoughts and feelings because he is so good at that. So...if you would like here is another fun blog to read along with Deb's Diary. My dad uses humor to communicate his feelings, and know that his "true" stories...well...everybody know Stan the Man and his stories....

Here is the link. Just click right underneath here (purple words) and it will take you to his uplifting blog...Humor in a Storm

http://humorinastorm.blogspot.com/

We will write more later today, love to all.

TGIF

Mieke here, writing again for mom. She is enjoying a blueberry treat brought by a good friend.

An update on Grandma H. She had her surgery, even though it happened much later than we thought. The surgery went well, the surgeon reported it went better than expected. The concern with Grandma is that she also needs to take a lot of medication for heart problems and any type of surgery can complicate these types of things. We are happy that Grandpa is there to take care of her and hopefully she has a restful night tonight. We love you very much Grandma!

It was very good to see my niece, Jen, today who lives in Chicago. Thank you for visiting and the magazines. Always good to see your smiling face :)

My sister Krista arrived in Holland safely today from Tulsa, Oklahoma. We are so happy to have her here. OK is too far away and some sisterly love is always good to have in a time like this. She brought along with her some wonderful memories that friends from grade school wrote to me. I was so happy to hear of some of those forgotten funny stories. Thank you for all who sent those, it was so fun to hear and reminisce with my sister and parents. Can't wait to get started knitting and crocheting.

Thank you Kayle and Angie who sent a wonderful care package from Seatle, WA. What a beautiful note, brought many tears even after I read it a couple of times. Thanks for all the goodies, everyone around me will benefit from all the helpful things you sent. Can't wait to fill out the book for the future grandkids, what a great idea!

I am still so overwhelmed by the visits, meals, goodies and love that people have shown every day. Thank you so much. I may not be able to thank every person every day because people have been so nice. Just know, every one of you who has thought of me and my family, it means so so much. Thank you Linda for a nice visit and prayer shawl, I can feel the prayers very much.

I'm feeling a little bit bad tonight. Pain, heartburn, discomfort and the like. The news today was surprising and unexpected and we are not really sure what to think. Maybe a rare type of cancer doesn't necessarily mean, worse type of cancer? So many unknowns. Treatments will probably not change, chemo will start ASAP.

I would like to get in contact with Jessica's mom to talk about her journey with fallopian tube cancer. We will try to get her number to talk soon.

Good night all, much love...mom and mieke

Diagnosis

Well, I just got off the phone with my surgeon, and he says that the pathology came back that I have fallopian tube cancer. It is in the same ballpark as ovarian, but it has 80% good responce rate to chemo treatment. So I guess that is an answer to prayer. Anyways, I have my follow up appt with him next Thurs. at which time we will hear what the plan is. I have to know Google and read all about Fallian tube cancer. I don't think I ever heard of anyone who had that. Why do I have to be different??????? Deb

Great First Night at Home

Good Morning, I am writing this myself. I am so happy to report that I only had to wake up once during the night to take my pain meds and "re-ice". I slept great in my recliner, Mieke slept on the couch in the family room with me. She is such a great care giver. They only other crazy thing that happened was we heard this awful noise outside the screened porch and I think it was a couple of fighting squirrels, it was a terrible noise and Mieke was NOT going to open the door and see what was going on. It soon stopped and we got back to sleep.
My Mom and Dad are taking care of me today. Dad just went to the Mobile to buy a big bag of ice, my ice machine can't keep up with the demand. My sister is flying in today from Tulsa to spend time together. Pray she arrives safely.
Talked to Ross and Rumy yesterday in Bulgaria, only 2 days until the wedding. He had me laughing (and that hurts) telling be about the traditions he has to do right before the wedding, like he has to leave the apt. while Rumy gets ready and he has to knock on the door. They only open it a little ways. They had to knock again and the open it a little farther and he puts a dollar through the door,. This continues with more knocking and more dollars bills.... then something about her shoes being too large, so he has to roll up 20 dollar bills in put them. They plan to video tape it, so I can watch it when they get back.

Today we are focusing on Grandma Shirley. Pray that her surgery goes well.

Alden here.
First, here is a picture of my beautiful bride with some flowers and gifts at the hospital before we packed up.

We found out today that Mom is more comfortable when she remembers to use her ice pack. She is still very happy to be home. Thanks Laarmans for the gift certificate for dinner. We enjoyed some delicious wet burritos from Marios with the fam. Thanks to Jean for helping us pack up the room before we left the hospital room.
Once again she can't thank people enough for all the wonderful gifts, cards, cookies, MSU gift bags, beautiful sunflowers from her coworkers at BBC, and so much more she can't even remember. (Vicodin..)

One fun flower story. My mother in law Meg Meeker was kind enough to send flowers to my Mom this week. They were supposed to arrive a few days ago, and today we found out why they were late. Below is a picture of the bouquet with the note. If you can't read the note, it writes "Five years of love and happiness. From, Sexy Face" I hope somewhere there is not a woman hitting their husband for flowers with a note saying, "Get well soon."

Stan thinks she might have a little something on the side, but mom swears that is not the case.

If you are looking for more medical details and answers, so are we.
Tomorrow we may hear some results from the "Tumor Council." We also may not. The surgeon basically said we will know more, when we know more. It was a bit frustrating asking him questions, because his response to a lot of our questions was "What does it matter?" I think what he meant was just go home, spend time with family, and keep trying to heal the best you can. Cancer is in Mom, and they are going to fight it the best they can, when they can, but right now we are just waiting.

From Stan:
Just a little additional note. There is an old saying, when it rains it pours. Today when we were driving off from the hospital we received a call and found out my mother(Shirley Hoksbergen) fell and broke her hip. She had to be taken by ambulance, and will have surgery tomorrow at Grand haven Hospital at 2pm. She is getting a hip pinning of her femur. More updates tomorrow.

Please add Shirley to your prayer lists.

No place like home!

I am sitting on my back porch on my comfy recliner enjoying what has to be the most beautiful day of the summer. I am surrounded by colorful flowers and people I love. So good to be home. I still have quite a bit of pain but I feel that that is pretty understandable considering this incision. Will write more soon, just wanted you to know that I'm home and enjoying it very much.

Love, Deb

friends, dogs, mom, and more...

This is Mieke, writing "exactly" what my mom says...

Sorry for the late posting today. I've had a lot of wonderful company and a lot of medical interventions done too. The epidural catheter was removed and it has taken all day for the pain to be controlled. The folley cath was also removed which is great but has required many more ups and downs to the bathroom which is exhausting. There were lots of visits from doctors including my surgeon who explained that the tumor board will review my case on Friday at which time they will make decisions on further treatment plans. I had a wonderful medical massage which was a free service to enhance comfort and healing. It was specifically an oncology massage and it was great. Best part of the day...seeing my smiling parents carry my little pup, Spencer, down the hallway into my room. He wanted to sit with my dad, which explains how well he is treated when he is at their house. Mieke thought it was funny when I called this morning(after 2 vicodin) and said, "Mieke, I am so confused. Why is Spencer writing me and sending me text messages? I miss you. I'm so confused. He got a bath and is coming. I'm so confused."

The best news, a Doc came in tonight and informed me that I have officially met my benchmarks to GO HOME! YAY! Can't wait to use my $40 recliner and have Mieke do everything I ask of her. (keep in mind who is writing here) He even said I could go home tonight, but I think I will wait for tomorrow. My momma is going to spend the night with me tonight. I'm looking forward to spending the night with her and I'm so glad she is able and willing to do that with me.

Love to all, Mom and Mieke

Thank you so much to Katie Luyk (one of Mieke's good friends from Elementary, Middle, and High School) who made this beautiful quilt for us. We are amazed by this gift and the effort and love that went into it. We are so thankful.

Dreaming of a regular breakfast tomorrow

Alden again.
Mom had a pretty good day. Things were fairly uneventful medically and that is not a bad thing.

Mom is walking around, and getting out of bed much better today.  She had three full liquid meals, and none were followed with nausea.  Tomorrow will be the first day trying to get back on a regular diet.  The epidural has been cut in half, and pain meds are being taken orally.

She looks and sounds just wonderful.  Sitting here now filing her nails.  Joking around, and smiling continuously.  Mom is hoping to get decent sleep tonight, and Stan the Man is here to be the overnight honorary nurse... but he is already asleep on the pullout, so we will see how that goes.    I'm sure he'll do fine.

Mom is not exactly sure how to say it, but like the country song goes, "I wouldn't have missed this for the world."  Others who have gone through circumstances like my mom's have said they wouldn't have missed their situation, even though from the outside it seemed that no one would ever want to be in their shoes.
Because of all the love, the stories, the talking with family, neighbors, coworkers, childhood friends, and even strangers she has found this whole debacle to be worth it.. Debs words,  "I quite honestly thought, yeh , yeh, it is hard to believe people when they say they are happy bad things happened to them, but after I read the comment/post by my son Ross, I can honestly say, I feel the same way.

morning news and ross photo

Alden here:
Surgeon came in this morning and didn't really have anything new to say.
No fever during the night which was a big plus. We were woken up many many times by beeps, check-ups, and restocking, but Deb was able to fall back asleep between some of the visits.  Longest stretch of sleep was probably almost an hour.  Waiting now for "Pain Team" to asses situation, and potentially remove epidural.  Depends on how she deals with the liquid breakfast she just ate, and upcoming liquid lunch.  Thanks again for the prayers, books and magazines.  Hearing from family, old friends, coworkers and neighbors has been a true delight.  So great to hear from everyone.  So far the best thing to come out of this current situation..

Mom said I am doing a good job at nursing, but should probably stick to my day job.

Ross sent a picture from Bulgaria, there are a few more on his facebook, which include him and Rumy, but I couldn't post them on here.  We were able to skype with him yesterday which was great.  Not sure if this is Rumy's house, or somewhere else.  Maybe he can post in the comments.

Hello to my BBC gang and Zeeland Surgery friends

Well guys, I didn't think that I would ever say this, but I can't think of a place i would rather be than working third shift at the BBC or doing colonoscopies with the gang. Just about ready to try and catch some sleep. My son Alden is staying with me tonight, can't remember the last time we were "roomies". I love hearing from all you guys. I  really do miss seeing you. I don't like being in the lateral position. ZCH surgery, your flowers are amazing and brought tears to my eyes remembering all you wonderful people. I saw Travis before I went into the OR and told him to fill you all in and give you my best. Pray that the time goes by a little faster this week. It really seems to drag, waiting for the reports to come back and a plan . Talk to you all tomorrow . Remember when you play hangman, you are allowed to use foreign words. ha

Solid visit from the doc.

Surgeon came tonight.. with his team, and we learned a few things.
Things are progressing fairly well, and we were clued in on some upcoming benchmarks.
The pain is being controlled which is a good start.
Going from clear liquids to something more like a milkshake.
If Deb can get to solid foods tomorrow then we are doing well.
If we can get the foods on track, we can look at taking out the epidural, and transitioning to oral pain meds.

Discharge from hospital could potentially be this weekend if things keep moving froward.
Chemo possibly starting within 2 week, if she can get out of here by the weekend.
Nurse Karen Kohlruss thinks the incision, though very large, looks wonderful.

Thanks once again for all the words of hope online, and to those who helped beautify the room with flowers, candies and gifts. Deb appreciated all the visitors as well.  She just mentioned how unbearable this would be without people coming to give their love and best wishes.

As we learned today, we have the word miracle and that proves they exist, otherwise there would be no need for the word at all.

the pain team

Alden here...

Still sitting here waiting for the surgeon to come in with some news.  Deb is still taking the pain meds, and doing her routine tasks to keep progress going forward.  Fever comes and goes occasionally.

Jackie, Mieke, and I were sitting here just now, when a doctor and two nurses walked in. They were rubbing their fist together and wiping their hands like a mobster would do after a "hit", and Mom asked who they were...  They answered, "we're the pain team."  Jackie asked, are you here to inflict the pain, or take it away?

Thankfully they answered to take it away.  

Turns out they were just using the Purell when they entered the room like they were supposed to do.  It was quite funny.

Will post when we hear anything new.

Cheers,

Alden

Lobsta Rolls to Nasty Beef Broth

From Deb.
Unfortunately fever came back during the night.  Blood cultures wont be back until Tuesday night.  Enjoyed my first liquid breakfast.  Epidural still in for pain and is doing its job fairly well.  Still blowing into the spirometer 10 times and hour, and performance is improving.  My surgeon is most likely in surgery now somewhere, but I am told he should visit later in the day.  Thank you to everyone who brought snacks and for all the nice comments on facebook and the blog.  Reading stuff helps pass the time and is very comforting.

From Alden.
Mary and I were in Maine for a wedding this past week and we finally made it back last night at around midnight.  With the bad weather out east yesterday the airports across the country were all junked up with delays and cancellations.  For a while it looked like we would miss our connection in Cleveland and have to sleep in the airport, but we just barely made the connection.  Thank you very much Roland and Lisseth for picking us up from the airport.

Mary and I were asked to let mom sleep last night instead of coming directly to the hospital.  Turns out it was another tough night for shuteye.  Mom said that she would sleep for a bit, wake up thinking she had been sleeping for 4 hours, and find out it was only 5 minutes.  That would go on throughout the night.  Doctors in and out all night checking the tubes and listening to the lungs and bowels.  This morning they brought her some breakfast of beef broth and jello.  What a delicious combination.

It was not easy being in Maine Friday and receiving the call from Mieke about the results of the surgery.  It was very comforting that she had so many people here with her, and writing such nice things to her on this blog and elsewhere.  Mieke is a trooper and I can't thank her enough.  Being so far away, and only talking to people back here every few hours was not very fun, but it was extremely comforting hearing how strong my sister and dad sounded on the phone.  It was also nice to have such a wonderful new family, and wife to help me deal with being away from my mom during this time.

Hopefully the process gets better, the fever stops coming back, and eventually she can make the progress she needs to get out of here.  They just walked in and said they might take the epidural out and also start her on some more substantial liquids and/or foods.

Pictures of us in Boothbay Harbor at Mary's cousin Page Jones' wedding...

Interventional Radiologist

Hi, this is my first try at typing on the computer. Working pretty good so far. I wanted to explain something that Mieke didn't have quite right. They have already started the broadspectrum antibiotics for the fluid in my lungs. I have become more bloated in my abdomen and so they feel I should be seen by an interventional radiologist to see if I would benefit from a tap (drainage of fluid) from the abd.  The general surgeon who they called in during the surgery to check out the cancer tbat was all over my organs of the GI tract. He is the one who had to extend my incision. They are a bit more concervative with starting the clear liquids because all of the bowel manipulation, it can take a while to have them function properly. My fever is gone, YEH. Really appreciate all the postings and the notes, and very funny Marlene about my hospital gown from CHICOS.

freshened up, some test results

Some things that mom wants to report to everyone....
Thank goodness she is feeling a little better! We freshened her up with this cool shower cap thing that has shampoo and conditioner and you just rub it around and dry it off. She loved it. We got a clean gown and new sheets, brushed teeth, put some "junk" as she calls it in her hair and she looks like a new woman. Even though last night was pretty bad, and she and I hardly got any sleep, things are looking up. The cat-scan and x-ray show that there is not a pulmonary embolism but she does have some fluid in her lungs. We are unfortunately still waiting to see the radiologist who will help get some antibiotics to prevent pneumonia. We have been waiting since 9am. But...mom thinks that they probably had to call him in, which she always feels bad about, knowing what it feels like to be called in on a Sunday afternoon.

She is enjoying looking at a magazine that I brought. I'm wondering if anyone who might stop by in the next couple of days could either bring their old magazines (ones that they have looked at and don't need anymore) or perhaps some new material. She loves just flipping through Real Simple, Oprah, Rach Ray, etc.

We are excited to see Alden and Mary who arrive home from Maine tonight.

Thank you to Aaron for doing Children Ministries (my job) for me at church this morning. I was happy to hear that some kids even said, "Where's Miss Mieke" and "Hey, you're not our teacher" Mom wants him to come and see her because he can always make her laugh. I think he is on his way.

Also, very happy to report that things are really starting to "move around" in mom and she is finally starting to do some bodily functions that will prove to the Docs that she can eat/drink something. Yay! To all the nurses out there, you know what this means....

The nurses here are great! We love Jill, Ryan, Doug, etc...They take really good care of her and you can tell that they look forward to coming into her room. There is just something about her that people love....

Here are a couple more pics from the other night that she really wants me to post.

She wants me to post pics from Ross and Rumy but I will do that when I am not so hungry. The apple from this morning can't hold me all day. Caf, here I come!

Much love, Mieke

P.S. did i mention the great news? Spencer can visit!! yay for a nurse who also loves dogs

update on Deb from Stan

I left last and thought I was leaving on kind of high note because as yesterday went by Deb's strength  seemed to improve and by the end of the day she had taken some walks and seemed to be feeling better.  I called this morning to tell them I was coming in and it turns out a rough night had taken place.  Her temperature increased to 102 and concern started to build about that.  It ended up that she needed to be have some x-rays and then another cat scan which resulted in a sleepless night. The concern was a pulmonary embolism.  The doctor was just in and they are going to start her on antibiotic because the test showed no blood clots but some evidence of fluid on the lungs which if not treated could develop some pneumonia.   I feel so sorry for her right now. Mieke was with her and said she must have been injected with one thing or another about 20 times and now instead of one IV she has two plus some tubes in her nose for oxygen.  Enough of the bad news.
Both Deb and Mieke are now sleeping.  And that is good news.  Also these recent setbacks should not affect the day she is able to return home. In other words they had told us 4-7 days and that should not change given the events of last night.
Some people have asked me how I am doing with all this.  I wish I could tell you different but I will tell you that this is really a blow.  At the same time I think it is a testimony to Deb's personality to endure this without complaining and with  the courage she demonstrates working through all of this.
My cell phone is 616-293-1274. Some people have asked if they can visit. My judgement at this time is that I think the quieter it is today the better but on the other hand I would have said the same thing yesterday and as that day went on she got stronger and truly enjoyed visits from her brothers and some friends. So perhaps if you could call me if you were thinking of coming and I will keep my phone on hand and let you know  how she is doing.

pain meds finally working

3 walks down...1 to go

The meds are finally working and the last walk she took was "sooo much better" than the others. Yay!

Thank you for some lovely flowers and family visitors. She is happy to see people, it takes her mind of the pain/other things.

Aunt Nancy took this pic, I love that she is feeling better.

She is just talking and talking and talking, I think she feels pretty good right now :)

update for this morning

Well, I will try and update everyone because I'm sure we are all anxious for any new news. Aaron arrived here last night around 11:15 and mom's spirits were incredible. He was making her laugh, which didn't feel so good but it was really making her smile and it seemed like nothing was wrong. We talked a lot about things that we want to do and everything we love about each other. It always seems to turn to her just wanting to see us all have kids. That is probably one of the saddest things that we think about.

Aaron and I slept in the room with her last night. Nurses/techs were in and out every hour. Mom said she slept 5 minutes here and there. She sat up on the edge of the bed around 4:30, which hurt a lot. Ever since then, the pain has been really bad. All morning. She is trying so hard to be tough, but the incision is huge and the surgery was extensive. The epidural doesn't seem to be helping a lot with the pain, which is so frustrating.

She took a little walk up and down the hallway with all her cords. She can't seem to get comfortable which is so hard to watch. They want her to take 4 walks and sit up in bed 4 times as well.We have seen a couple docs this morning but they really don't have any new information for us. They did explain that although the surgery wasn't as successful as they thought, it was still very extensive so the recovery will still be tough. I'm not sure if we wrote this or not, but they did remove both ovaries and her appendix yesterday. They did not remove the uterus. Her recovery will probably be the same as originally planned. The incision is probably a foot and a half long all the way down her belly.

 I have read her every comment and post, thank you so much for kind words. It might help to just leave a little story or something you love about her, I could read her those and I know she would love it. I'm reading things from email, the blog and facebook. Thank you for the support.

Love to all, Mieke

Here is a picture that a good nurse friend so kindly took of my mom on Thursday night. Thank you so much for doing this Melissa. We will always have these to cherish and look at. She is such a beautiful lady.

sitting here with mom

Well, we are in room 5022 at Spectrum. I'm here with mom. She doesn't know what to say...

She looks good, the incision in huge! It is actually glued shut instead of staples, which is nice.

Just put up a family pic in the room, along with some pictures my kids drew for her today.

This is just so hard to talk about, she is "sad". That is pretty much all she can say.

I wanted to add that the doctor described the cancer like "icing" which is so scary and horrifying. I wish I had a better way to put all of this, but I don't. She can't have any food or drink tonight, which is awful because she is thirsty and hungry.

Right now she is blowing into that speromitor thing, with a smile saying "I'm a horse".
Such a strong woman. I think more than anything her heart just hearts from the news. She is talking about making a bucket list, which isn't funny to some, but she is trying to keep humor and liveliness even though this news is devastating. Hard to do with news like this. Thank you for the notes of encouragement. I will be here all night, I want to spend every minute with her.  I brought some cute pictures in a book of when we were little, fun to look at and keep by her bed.
Dad just went home, I have never seen him cry, until today.

very bad day

There is nothing I would like to report to you more than good news. But unfortunately medically, we are all the receivers of news that is just not good. The words the surgeons use for cancer that has spread is they say "it is involved". The anticipation of the surgeon was that the lower abdomen area had most of the involvement. Once the surgery started it was immediately discovered that many other areas were affected. They were not even able to proceed with the surgery due to the fact that the only treatment option is chemotherapy and that is to administered very quickly if there is to be any hope. Had they removed a lot of the cancerous tissue, the healing would take longer. They need her to heal so they can start the treatment.

We are so crushed, and it is hard to write with tears blurring my eyes. I just saw her in recovery, her lip is quivering and she can hardly believe this. I'm so sorry to report this awful news. I'm so scared to face what is to come. Thank you for prayers and love. It all seems like a horrible dream. I love my mom so much....

From Stan the Man

Well folks, I figured it is time for the husband to chime in. So here it is.  I am going to drive Deb to Spectrum in the morning.  We have to be there at 10:50 and then the surgery starts at around 12:50.
This is an amazing world we have entered. Whatever the outcome I am struck by several things. First, Deb faces this thing with amazing courage.  Second, she could get me to do anything she asked right now but she has still done a bunch of stuff around here even though I know she is not feeling well.  I am also amazed at how fast things can change. It seems like every day her pain has been a little worse so she is actually looking forward to the surgery.  I asked her the other day, what in the world did you do to get so many friends?  The support of her friendship network has overwhelmed both of us, and all I can do right now is thank you all for the expressions of support.  Our neighbor brought over some food this week. Her husband goes running every day and now I understand why. He would weigh 300 pounds if he ate the food she makes.  Deb has always been a nice wife but as far as cooking goes I am not sure it has been all that high on her preference list.  We are watching the Tiger game right now.  I remember out first date.  It was a Tiger game and we sat in the left field seats.  I never did see much of that game because I enjoyed the company and the good looks.  That was about 39 years ago and the rest as they say has been history.   Our hope is that it can go on for some more.
 But in any event rest assured that at his time we thank you for your support and Deb and I are prepared for the outcome.  I will send something out tomorrow night on the outcome of the surgery.

Surgery Time at Spectrum

Hi Everyone, just heard from the nurse at Spectrum Downtown. She said my surgery is scheduled for Friday at 12:50pm. We need to be there 2 hrs earlier. We are the surgeon's second case of the day. Of course they say this time is not for sure until tomorrow at 5pm, because anything can change.
I am feeling ok this am, enjoying the beautiful cool air. It feels like fall. We had a wonderful meal last night prepared by Alden and Mary, this chicken and Kale dish. I think it is my first time having fresh kale. It was wonderful. They also gave us this market basket full of fresh veggies from an Amish farmer they are in a coop with. Stan is taking them to the airport today for Boston. Pray they get there safely and back on Sunday.
I bought a used leather swivel/rocker/recliner yesterday from Bible for Mexico for $40. They said I would need one to sleep in after my surgery. It really is quite comfortable. If I don't want it later, the kids all said they would be glad to take it off my hands.
The abdominal pain seems to be the worst in the evening, probably from being up all day with increased circulation to that area. Sleeping pretty good on one side which is a blessing.
Looking forward to my luncheon today and Hope play. Thanks again for all the expressions of love and support you are giving to me. It is overwhelming. Deb

Trying to Stay Busy

    Stan and I got home this afternoon from up north. We had a good time with my parents and good friends. We watched all the Tiger games and went to the little LeRoy market on Sat. Talked to Ross and Rumy on Sunday from Bulgaria. They made it safe and sound. Met my neighbor girlfriends at the IttyBittyBar tonight for a last "Ladies Night Out" dinner for a while. Thanks for being so supportive and optimistic, and for arranging my house to be cleaned a couple of times while I recoupe.
     My plan for this week is to stay as busy as possible, so I don't have too much time to sit around and think about what is growing inside of me. I am getting more uncomfortable and not liking that I have to take Vicodin. Tomorrow, Jackie and I are meeting my folks in Lansing at Ross and Rumy's house. I wanted to see how my Dad's coming on refinishing their baby grand. We are also bringing some more great "garage sale" deals Jackie found for them. Alden and Mary are bringing dinner over Tues. night, they are leaving for a wedding in Boston. They said they would cancel their plans, but I said I wanted them to go, I would see then on Sunday.
Wed. I plan to attend a PEO luncheon and auction with Mieke. I can't think of anything I like more than, eating, shopping and being with good friends. Wed. night I will attend the last of the Hope Summer Repertory plays I had tickets to.
Thurs. I start the clear liquids only and the bowel prep. for surgery. Can't believe I have to do that again so soon. Will find out in the afternoon what time my surgery is scheduled for and when to be at Spectrum.
I can't begin to tell you how moved to tears I was to see all of you who signed up to bring meals already. I don't know what to say, other than I am humbled and extremely appreciative to all of you for the love and support I am receiving. My next door neighbor Cheryl surprised us with a meal , it is going along to Lansing and we will enjoy a picnic tomorrow. I am hearing from people I don't even know.  I do appreciate all the prayers and kind words. It makes all this bearable.

Thinking, a little too much. (from mieke)

Well, my parents have been up north for a couple of days, which has left me a lot of time to think. Think about my life, my mom's and all of our lives together. How quickly life can change. This journey is just starting and I have already learned a lot about life. Things that you sort of hope you will never have to learn, but also make you a better person because you know them.

A couple things that stick out...
People really care. Everyone I know has been unbelievably kind/generous/supportive through all of this new news. I wasn't overly emotional last week (besides when we first found out) and had a good peace about everything throughout the week because everywhere I went there was someone to give a hug. People who care for her, people who care for me. Cards poor in daily for my mom and I am overwhelmed by people who say they are praying hard for our family. Thank you for that.

I count on my mom for a lot. A lot more than I thought. I'm not sure if people know this, but my mom is literally there for me...no matter what. I know that after a long day she will be at home, waiting to talk it out, give me a glass of fruit punch crystal light and sit on the back porch. When I bring home some crazy dented up garage sale find that I want to cover in orange paint, she pulls out the brushes and sits in a lawn chair in the driveway to watch. When I want to take 5 young children to the Ottawa County Fair for the entire day in 80 degree heat she straps on her fanny pack and remembers to bring a water bottle. These sort of things (that happen multiple times a day) are so easy to overlook. We do stuff together all the time that is a little outlandish, and a little crazy and I love that about her. I can't do it without her. When that person in your life is diagnosed with cancer, you think a little more about each time they come through for you.

Being a nurse through all of this is a good thing. Maybe it has made some of you laugh, reading her posts about the surgery and things to come. She is so "medical" about it all, forgetting the "wow this is REALLY going to be hard" part. She called me the other night while reading up on her surgery. It sounds so extensive and terrifying to tell the truth. She named so many different drainage ports and cutting and sewing locations that I started to cry just thinking about it. Does she complain or act scared? Not really. Just ready to get it started and get this cancer out of her body. A strength that I don't think I could ever have.

She is always up for doing anything (kind of like her dad). I reminded her that Holland sidewalk sales are coming up this weekend. She got excited for a second until she realized her surgery is this Friday and indeed, that would hinder our ability to hunt for hot deals under tents on 8th street. Her next comment describes her pretty well... "Oh well, we could probably just go on Friday before my surgery...."

I ate lunch at DeBoer yesterday with my friends. I was fine all day until my mind got caught up thinking about how much I love my mom. I tried to keep my mind off of "it" and have a good time. My phone rang and the screen said "Mom" and I picked up to her saying "Hey Miek" I imagined not having my phone ring and say "Mom" every day anymore. I know I shouldn't think like that, but don't tell me it is possible not to. I chatted with her quick and hung up. Tears came quick as I sat thinking about her. I love her. A lot. So, my phone has to say "Mom" for many many years until my hair is gray and my kids can have their phones say "Grandma" and hear "Hey ____ (insert future child name here)"

love, Mieke

Message from Mary Hoksbergen

Hello All,

Well, Deb is about to begin the road to recovery. I have started an online meal schedule.
The calendar starts Aug 18th and goes all the way till Christmas basically.


However you will see that the meal plan is for every other day, and there is no need to get all dates filled,
the idea is just to keep some meals coming for a long while as she goes through Chemo. (i mean, if they all get filled
that is great too :) ), but two or three meals a week would be a great way to provide ongoing support in the upcoming
months.

Click here to sign up: http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=ZHAU8056
You should not need a password, but if you do, it is 8425

Feel free to email or call me with any questions. The Hoksbergens are super flexible and open to all types of food.

Also, forward this link on to anyone else you may think is interested.

Thanks for all your love and support!

God Bless,

--
Mary M. Hoksbergen

Homestead for the Weekend

Just wanted you to know that we are going up north tomorrow am. We haven't been there for a while, and it will be the last time for a while. There is no greater place to relax and feel at peace than up there. Can't tell you how nice it is to come home to a big poster on the front door from "Mieke's Hope gang" and fresh "Michigan" blue and gold flowers from my sis and all the cards and wonderful emails from friends and co-workers. Thanks Jane for delivering the CDs. My wonderful daughter-in-law Mary is setting up a meal sign up on line. More info to follow. I feel very guilty about this, but as Mary says, hey you hate cooking, enjoy it! I feel very blessed to have such wonderful family and friends. I am done working until my surgery, it is pretty uncomfortable to walk with the ascites. Ross and Rumy are in the air right now on their way to Bulgaria. Pray they get there safe and sound. Much love, Deb

Surgeon appt.

Well, it's been a busy day. The colonoscopy at Holland Hospital went well. He didn't see any narrowing or breakthrough of the colon. This I hope means, I won't have to have a colostomy. We had to go right after that to GR to Dr. Charles Harrison. He is a GYN/oncologist. We all really liked him, Stan, Alden, and Karen K. He told it straight , very professional, no fluff, looks you right in the eye. My surgery is scheduled for next Friday, Aug.12. Not sure of the time until Thur. night. He said it would be around 4 hrs long, I would be in the hospital anywhere from 4-7 days. He thought it was probably at least stage 3, but he really can't do a definitive diagnosis or stage of cancer until the surgery. He talked about removing the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and most of the omentum (fat) in the abd. He might also have to do a resection of part of the colon if it needs it. He also may have to dissect tumor off of the bladder. He will also removed and send lymph nodes. He talked about putting in a port for the chemo, and they may also put a port right into the peritoneum, so they can inject chemo drugs right to the area. Depending on what he finds, I may be a candidate for a trial drug that is about $10,000 each time, but may be paid for by the study if I qualify. This is a lot of info, but that is what I can remember now.

prayers working

Well, thanks to all you pray warriors, the surgeon's office had a cancellation for tomorrow and I got it. We are going to that at 2:45pm after the colonoscopy. My friend Karen Kohlruss is a nurse and will be going along to take notes and be my "brain", since I might not remember anything he says from the sedation meds. I am so thankful we don't have to wait until next Wed. I ask that you pray that the surgery gets scheduled sooner rather than later, because I am ready to get this fight going. I want you all to know that I appreciate all the emails, facebook, notes and call. I feel the support and love from all of you, and I can't imagine doing this alone. Deb

Medical Update

Hi All, I want to thank Mieke for starting this blog for me. She is the best daughter I could ever have dreamed for. I love her and my whole family so much, they have been so supportive of this whole crazy time. I wanted to give you the medical lingo and details.
I had been having slight lower abdominal discomfort and bloating feeling for a couple of weeks.
Monday I had a pelvic ultrasound and CA-125 blood work that showed fluid in my abd. The blood test should have been less than 35 and my level was 1000. From this they said I have ovarian cancer and I will need surgery. Chest X-ray and EKG done
Tues. CT scan showed a narrowing of my sigmoid colon. This meant I need a colonoscopy to determine if I may need to have a temporary colostomy at the time of my surgery.(YUCK) I also had a CEA blood test for colon cancer and that was normal. So the first positive thing I have heard. My lungs and liver are also clear which is good.
Wed. I am prepping for my colonoscopy tomorrow at Holland Hospital
Wed. Aug 9 at 9am I am going to see the GYN/oncologist Charles Harrison. I am on their cancellation list, so pray that I can get in sooner. Hopefully the surgery will be scheduled soon after that. I do appreciate all the love and prayers. I do feel them and much cared for. Deb

beginnings

Hi Everyone- a post from Mieke to start things off

How quickly life can change. A stomach ache has officially turned into something very serious. My mom has been tested and diagnosed with some type of cancer. We aren't sure of all the details yet, because much testing needs to be done before we can know anything for sure. We do know that her blood levels show cancer, and the ultrasounds show fluid in the abdomen. There were many tests done yesterday so she can go and see the oncologist in Grand Rapids. The doctor really only said a couple of things...You will need a big surgery, and get everyone you know to start praying.

There aren't words for how shocking this news is to all of us. I'm sure nobody ever knows what to say or do or how to react when their mom is diagnosed with cancer, and I am no exception. Yesterday started with a roller-coaster of emotions from shock to pure sadness. Please pray for my mom. We love her, and we know you all do too. She is my role model, best friend, and I can't do life without her. God will work in her and heal her.

Some of you know that my mom and dad were supposed to leave for Bulgaria in a couple of weeks for Ross and Rumy's wedding. This will very unfortunately not be happening anymore. Ross and Rumy will still go and have their celebration but my mom is absolutely devastated that she won't be able to meet Rumy's family and experience her country. Everything happens for a reason doesn't seem to do these types of situations justice.

Last night Alden, Mary, Ross, Rumy, Aaron, Dad and I came together as a family and loved on mom. We talked about how much we love her and about how things are going to be okay. Cancer is not fun and treatment is nearly ever easy but we will all support her as much as we humanly can. We will do anything for her. If I recall correctly, Ross was the first volunteer to give up stem cells if needed :) After many tears and hugs we decided to get out and do something fun instead of thinking and dwelling on what could happen. We went to the state park and walked the pier. Spencer even came and rode on Ross in his "pooch pouch" which always brightens everyone's spirits.


We will keep this blog so that everyone can be informed at the same time. We will update as soon as we know more information.
Thanks for the support and prayers. Love to all....Mieke