Describe you or your family s journey through cancer.

Transcription

1 Over the last month we have asked people to Share their Cancer Story. We hope and pray that these stories have been both helpful for people to write and will also aid helping some of us know how to walk alongside people who have walked through the cancer journey. Describe you or your family s journey through cancer. Family friend fought her battle of cancer for almost three years and by the end when she knew it was time to go she was much happier than she ever was. Cancer is a terrible disease and it destroys people s joy of wanting to stay on this earth. Anonymous My mom's journey started September 2012 with a simple mammogram. She had a lump that need to be removed and then would receive chemo, but she never made it to chemo. The cancer came back fiercely before chemo and she ended up in the hospital fighting to just get good enough just to receive at least 1 treatment of chemo. My mom passed away January 31, Anonymous We are still in our journey of fighting cancer. My dad has glioblastoma. We have been surrounded by our community in prayer and kind actions. We are so thankful for our community! Tara Schreur I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at age 30. I underwent surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and follow-up infusions over the course of two years. The journey was very difficult for many reasons but especially because we had a 4-year-old and 6-year-old who didn t fully grasp why mom was so sick and didn t get out of bed. The treatments and the side effects made me very sick and exhausted, I spent the better part of the first 6 months in bed while my husband

2 tried to keep life at home as normal as possible for the kids. We are blessed that I was able to celebrate 10 years cancer free in August this year. Michelle Podbregar Our family has been affected by cancer in numerous ways. Our daughter Katie, a Unity graduate, was diagnosed with A.L.L. when she was almost three years old. She is now a survivor that is in college! A niece that was diagnosed with breast cancer and is now an 8-year survivor. And others that are currently fighting. Our parents, a brother-in-law, and others who lost their battle and have passed on to their eternal home now cancer and illness free! Anonymous My mom recently battled Lymphoma and it was an experience our family will never forget. She was hospitalized after every treatment for infections and to see your mother so weakened is hard to take. My kids saw her in a completely different light and it changed them. Life was no longer innocent and fun. It was real and scary and worrisome. She is not yet cancer free, but she is strong once again and otherwise healthy. We have learned each year, month, day is a gift. She showed us how to be strong in our faith in a time of fear. She said from the moment she told us, "We are a family and we'll get through this together as a family with God on our side". Stacy Mikes father passed away in 2008 from cancer in the esophagus after only a few months of battling it. He was 68. In 2013 Mikes mom had a surgery that ended up compromising her immune system. With her system weakened, cancer set in. She had a long battle with ups and downs but ended up passing away in June of 2015 at age 70. Mike and Maria Sytsma Over the past five years, my Dad, Mom, and Mother-in-law, have passed away from a form of cancer. My sister-in-law is currently going through an aggressive treatment plan for breast cancer. Four years ago, I also went through breast cancer, but am now cancer-free! We have other family members and friends who have also been affected by cancer. Cancer is a disease that has brought hurt to our family, and yet there are so many other diseases and situations that bring hurt. Cancer affects so many people and families; and each journey is different. My breast cancer diagnosis led to many tests, three surgeries, radiation, and other medications. Through it all, God's protection, peace, and strength was with

3 my family and me. The hurt can linger, and sometimes there is fear, but God's peace prevails. Kari Brinks My sister-in-law Candace was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer in October of We are grateful that she has responded well to oral chemo, radiation treatments, and surgery. We thank God that in October she will have successfully fought this cancer for 2 years. Mark Bennink In 2008 I first heard the words "you have cancer". There were so many unknowns, so many different paths to choose, it was incredibly overwhelming. I had so many people come alongside of me, that gave me encouragement, hope and support. After multiple surgeries, we finally had "clear margins" and felt it was gone. I was told there was < 1% chance of recurrence. Unfortunately, I had a recurrence in At this time, I had surgery again, as well as chemo and radiation. I've now been cancer free for 5 years! - Kim Herzog On May 11, 2012 I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Cancer was not a foreign word in my family as my news came years after my father in law, Rev. Dave Breen also had colon cancer. Cancer was found in my colon and liver. I had several rounds of Chemo and many surgeries. Our Family was instrumental in our cancer journey as they prayed and cared for us and constantly encouraged us. My cancer walk was 3 years from the time I was diagnosed until my last treatment. It is 6 years ago that I received my diagnosis and I am living today knowing they can't find any Cancer. Kent DeYoung My wife Candace was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in October Her journey has seen her face surgery, multiple radiation treatments, daily blood thinners, and daily oral chemo pills. While the journey has had its ups and downs, we have felt God s presence in many miraculous ways. Hundreds of people have lifted us up when we needed it most. While we pray daily for healing, we also pray that God will be glorified through this journey. Tim Bennink Summer of 2018 Laurie was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. After many months of bone and muscle pain we finally had answers. The journey has just begun for the Kooienga family, but we see God working his miracles already! Jeff and Laurie Kooienga

4 I have lost a father and cousin to cancer. I have a sister-in-law in the depths of the disease right now and have previously walked with a mother-in-law and close friend who are both currently cancer-free. No matter how you look at it, it is one of the toughest journeys that affects so many people we know - Anonymous I have two close friends who are currently battling cancer (blood and pancreatic). They both have had challenges and have received exceptional health care experiences (one in the Grand Rapids area and the other in the Detroit area). We are thankful for all that we have learned thru watching the journey of these strong families battle cancer. Anonymous The word "cancer" makes me think of the life it took from our family; that of our dear sister. I can, though, make a decision to turn my focus to the gift that cancer brought to our family. The deep-rooted, personal assurance and comfort found in the certainty of salvation. In our moments of instability, it was, and is, a sure foundation. - Anonymous How has this affected you or your family s walk with Christ? It definitely strengthens me and my family s walk with Christ because it brings a much greater hope that Christ will be there in our time of need. Anonymous Wow, where to begin. We clung to the mercy and grace of our God during this time. My mom was amazing as she suffered and made sure we all knew where she was going, and she would now be free. Without my daily talks and visits with

5 Jesus, I would not have survived losing my mom. Still today he covers me with peace, because there are many times I miss her. Anonymous We have had to take a one day at a time approach and depend on Christ for the strength for one day. Tara Schreur Our faith has strengthened throughout the journey and has drawn us closer to Jesus. There s is no doubt he was with us every step of the way, even when we questioned why it was happening to us. He put people in our lives who helped, encouraged and prayed. He guided the surgeon s hands and led the oncologist and radiologist in the best treatments for me. We know that cancer was just a bump in the path of our walk with Christ, but through him we were able to navigate and cross that bump. Michelle Podbregar Through these experiences we know that God hears, listens, and answers our prayers. Anonymous We have learned that God is in control. We always think we are. We always think it's our decision to make but ultimately, it's not. God has whatever we're worried about already decided and He knew that with my mom too. He knew she would recover before we could even process the news of her cancer. Stacy We saw the Lord work through both situations on many occasions. During Mikes Mother s battle she even brought someone to accept Christ. Of course, we miss both his parents dearly but have the hope of eternity. Mike and Maria Sytsma I remember when my doctor came to me in tears, telling me about my cancer diagnosis. She was very emotional and was telling me all the treatment that was most likely in my future; however, I felt an amazing, overwhelming sense of peace. I knew right away that God was going to help me get after this cancer. Sure, there were questions and there are still fears at times, but our Jesus Christ has such tremendous love for us, and He will see us through! Our family's walk through cancer, and the hurt of the loss of family members has helped us rely more on Him for our peace and joy. Kari Brinks Candace s diagnosis has drawn us closer to Christ as we have seen him answer prayer after prayer and have continued to rely on him day by day. Mark Bennink

6 This has had a huge impact on my walk as well as that of my family's. I had a good friend say to me "I can't wait to see what God's going to do with this!". This statement stuck in my head (and still does). I also went through the stages of "why ME?"... and one day changed it to "WHY me?... as in what am I supposed to do with this? Why would God allow this? What purpose would he have in MY life that I could be a witness for him through this? I have since intentionally tried to come alongside many who are recently diagnosed. I understand when your brain does the "cancer dance". I also understand the true peace that passes all understanding, that only comes from God. One of my favorite verses is "Be still and know that I am God". He will never leave us and walks right with us through it all! Kim Herzog During your journey with Cancer the only thing left to rely on is each other and God's promises. It brought us closer together and closer to God. It puts everything into perspective. You don't have the energy to do things on your own at that time. It was the weeks I was the worst that I wanted to be in church the most. It there we got a lot of our encouragement. Kent DeYoung Our spiritual life has grown exponentially over the past 2 years since Candace s diagnoses. We have dug deep into the Word and in doing so have never felt closer to God and the Peace only He can give. All of our days are numbered, and we must take advantage of every day we are blessed with. Tim Bennink God is showing up in everything - of course HE is! When you hear this news your heart is heavy, but to see God open doors, things are just falling into place. We have an amazing healer that we trust and a great medical team that is ready to help me fight this! I trust God though this journey and have been lifted up by family and friends to keep us strong. The songs that are played on the radio have now turned into my prayers and my battle cries! Lyrics to songs are powerful! Jeff and Laurie Kooienga With a disease so terrible, I am very grateful that we can turn to Christ when we are down. I do believe that as tough as a cancer journey is, it does draw you closer to God as he is the ultimate healer and giver of peace. Anonymous

7 Both of my friends have leaned on their relationship with God and have held tightly to Him thru their journeys. Their faith has been a witness to those they come into contact with on a daily basis. - Anonymous What are positive ways that others have come alongside or blessed you or your family in your cancer journey? Encourage you and tell you to trust God. Anonymous The many cards, conversations and prayers of others is such a blessing still today. Anonymous We have been blessed with cards, home improvements, dinners, visits, food, kind words and hugs! So thankful! Tara Schreur Our family was blessed in more ways than we could ever possibly list. Meals, cards, prayers, rides, special treats for the kids, companionship during treatments and so many other blessings were shared by family, friends and our church family. My employer was supportive as I was unable to work for about 7 months. Michelle Podbregar They supported us. They talked with us. They asked how we were doing instead of avoiding us. It's amazing what one question can do for someone's day. Stacy

8 You find out how awesome family and friends really are in these kinds of situations. Helping with rides, kids, meals, and most of all prayers! Mike and Maria Sytsma We were so humbled by the way so many blessed us in our journey. Right after I was diagnosed with cancer, a fellow church member who had gone through a long breast cancer journey, came to me with a care package and said, "Welcome to the Pink Club!" She sat down and shared about her journey and asked what questions and fears I had. She put my fears at ease right away (God at work through her :). We continued to have many people share their stories with us, encourage us, and care for us. We also had so many people praying for us, that we were blessed beyond belief! This gave us so much hope and peace! The blessings and prayers of others is part of that overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God for us! Kari Brinks Candace s church family, family, friends, and coworkers have rallied around her these past two years. Our own church family has supported us with prayers and encouragement. Other families with cancer and businesses have also supported Candace including a local dealership providing a vehicle so Candace and a friend could drive down to Texas this past month so that Candace could receive radiation treatments with her cancer doctor in Houston, Texas. Mark Bennink One of my favorite gifts was a little pink devotional called "Praying through Cancer, set your heart free from fear". It was given to me by someone I had never even met. It was a gem and I have given many out since then! Meals - I thought I didn't need meals but it really turned out that those were such a blessing... one less thing I had to worry about. Cards in the mail - in the days of s, a real card sent by real mail was so uplifting. I still have all of them! Gift of time - I had friends just come sit and watch movies with me to pass the time when I was couch-ridden. Remember the family it affects them just as much if not more. A friend took Raymond out for lunch, friends had our kids over after school and helped with rides if they needed to go places. Many, many prayers... Kim Herzog

9 Through our cancer journey we have been blessed with many wonderful, loving and caring friends and family. Those around us cared for us by taking myself and my wife to the chemo treatments, many meals were made on our behalf and groceries were bought. Several times family would take our daughter Lydia DeYoung overnight so that I could get the proper rest needed. Our Parents stood by our sides giving us encouragement and love even though they too were struggling with health challenges of their own. We can't thank everyone enough who walked the journey with us. Kent DeYoung We have been blessed in multiple ways, through prayer, financial support, meals, child care, helping hands, and more. We have been surrounded with amazing people throughout this journey. We have been truly blessed by others amazing love for Candace and our family. Tim Bennink Where to start! I am blessed with the best community of Godly people who truly care! No one is letting me go through this alone. Our family feels the love and support! During this journey Jeff and I were gifted with a book "Fighting back with Joy". We have taken that word as our theme, we are choosing Joy! So, every week on my way to treatment in Grand Rapids, my best friend Eva picks me up in the joyride (her minivan). Surrounding the inside of the car she posts bible verses with God's truths. This calms me and keeps the devil far away from my fight with this disease. We listen to music and let the lyrics be our prayer for the day. All of our friends and family have supported us with prayers, phone calls, meals, texts, hugs, cards, instagram bible verses and so much more! We are truly blessed and loved! Jeff and Laurie Kooienga