i slept good. not too nervous really. just want to get one of these down so i know what to expect. we gave ava her bottle in bed with us and took a little video of it. we will do that every morning of chemo. i am interested to see how i look as time passes (not in a vain way) and how my spirits are as this goes on. cant believe its real. they really make this whole chemotherapy experience as painless as possible...they have wireless interenet, i can listen to my ipod, read books, magazines, people bring you food, or justin can go buy me food and bring it back, he can be with me the whole time. sounds like an okay day to me. but lets see how i feel afterward. it gets cold in the room the nurse told me so thanks to a few sweet friends i have a brand new blanket to take with me today that came in the mail yesterday. perfect. it will last anywhere from 6-7 hours today. thanks for praying. pray for justin a lot to please...i can not even imagine, honestly i cant, what it would like to be the spouse. my sweet husband. oh, how i hate that this is causing you pain.
alright lets do it!
My Mom has had chemo for a few years now. She has her own TV - lots of food, magazines! Hope your first treatment goes ok! You might be there longer cause its your first time...that happens alot..next time since they have everything set up you won't be there so long! good luck.
ReplyDeletePraying for you all today!
ReplyDeletepraying all day Libby! for all of you!
ReplyDeleteLifting you, Justin and Ava up today!
ReplyDeleteDear Libby and Justin, we will sure be there with you in spirit today. Hope it goes ok. Love you both, Aunt Deb
ReplyDeletepraying for ya'll today and always.
ReplyDeleteWith God, every day is a day to hope for the very best-to believe our prayers are being heard, to have faith that good news is on its way, and to know that anything can happen between yesterday and tomorrow. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Ps 31:24
sending my love and prayer
ReplyDeleteWe are praying for you AND Ryder all day today.
ReplyDeleteLibby, Justin, and Ava.
ReplyDeleteYou are covered in prayers.
Love ya'll.
When my eyes popped open this morning, I asked God for peace for you and Justin today. I asked him to make this as painless and as quick as possible. Then talking to you put my heart at ease...it was the same old you...cleaning up some spit up and telling me about a super cute bag for the kids at the Container Store. Strength is an understatement. God must be so proud of you, lib. I know we are.
ReplyDeleteLove u. Text me anytime today if you get bored. Send pic of your new blanket,please. I'll pray for you each time you cross my mind.
Remember this promise Libby: "I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage." Josh 1: 5 - 6 The Lord will see you thru this day & the day after that. I am clinging to this hope with you & it gives us power to face today. I love you & my prayers are with you.
ReplyDeleteSending positive thoughts and many prayers to you and your family today. I don't even know how I came across your story, but I have been touched by the strength, love and faith that you and your family have.
ReplyDeleteKeeping you all in our thoughts and prayers today. Praying that God will give you peace and strength.
ReplyDeleteSusan Littler
(Allison's friend)
a girl i follow on twitter posted your blog today, i've been reading for over an hour. you are amazing. your story has touched my heart & i will pray for your and your family every day and continue to follow your story as you continue on this journey. i don't even know you but want to send big hugs to you, your hubby, and sweet little angel ava. :)
ReplyDeletethinking of you today,
lauren scott johnson
louisville, ky
Hi Libby, as a husband who had to wait and wonder, I can tell you that there is a sense of powerlessness for us. We do have to release our loved-one into the hands of countless doctors, nurses, orderlies, techs, secretaries, and bureaucrats and really can do very little ourselves. The others direct our loved-one to do this and that and we sit in the waiting room or across the room, reading for the fifth time a car magazine. We wait and wonder and pray and time goes ever so slow...but it is ALL WORTH IT. Especially when you walk around the track with other SURVIVORS in driving rain and they stand at the side of the track applauding and your loved-one wears a gold medal for running the race and you walk alongside of her because you know you BOTH went through it together and you realize you would have it NO OTHER WAY. We will walk with you when you get your medal. Libby, it's fifteen years ago since my Sue had aggressive cancer. She is cancer-free today. THE "C" WORD IS NOT SOVEREIGN, GOD IS!!!!!!!!!!! We love you!!!
ReplyDeleteI was on my knees praying for you this morning, thanking God for your faith and strength and asking our loving and gracious Father to be with you today. Praying that today goes by fast and that you feel Christ's presence with you all day.
ReplyDeleteChristie
I'm praying for a peace that passeth all understanding and for the Great Physician to heal you soon. You will be in my thoughts and prayers throughout the day.
ReplyDeleteYou are in my thoughts and prayers Libby. My son Brett Lloyd is in there with you today. He sits in the tan recliner in the back of the first section. He has a balck blanket I made him and wears a gray hat. That is Jacob's Uncle Brett. I am with him most days but I am taking care of his little son Keaghan today. Hope you do well today. Love and prayers, Elizabeth Lloyd
ReplyDeleteLibby, a week or two ago I commented on how heartsick we are for you and your precious family. I thought to myself how I couldn't fathom what you're going through.
ReplyDeleteIt appears as though my husband may have testicular cancer. We found out Tuesday. He's having surgery tomorrow morning to remove the tumor and testicle itself. I'm 23 and he's 29...we have a sweet little boy that 7 weeks old.
So now from the bottom of my heart-I CAN imagine. And I'm still so so sorry.
Praying for you still in Alabama,
Becca
Stay strong!
ReplyDeleteGo Libby Go!
ReplyDeletepraying for you as you endure this today! seems like you're doing a wonderful job. and keep on glorifying God!!!
ReplyDeleteLife Light Up- Christy Nockels! great song and reminded me of your blog as I listened to it today.
The Lord has laid you leavily on my heart to pray for you during this time. Praying for time to go quickly, for you to be relxed, for this to be much easier than you anticipated, for Ava to have a good day today. For your dear sweet husband, who is such a support for you. That God would lay His healing hand on you and begin His work! lol karen
ReplyDeleteThe Molmer Family is praying for you and your beautiful little family!! Chin up!!
ReplyDeleteI'm praying for you! You don't know me but I learned about you through a YL connection. Stay strong and know that there are sooo many of us out here interceding for you!
ReplyDeleteYou don't know me. I received a link to your blog today from a friend of mine who knows you through YL. Just wanted to let you know I lifted up a prayer for you, Justin, and Ava this afternoon after reading most of the blog. Thanks for sharing your story! It's really encouraging to see the way you are turning to Jesus each day even in the midst of sadness and pain. It reminds me of a psalm (13) I read yesterday where David, even in the midst of struggle, reaffirms that he trusts in God's unfailing love and that God has been good to him. I'm going to keep following your blog and praying for you. :)
ReplyDeleteLibby, my heart was so heavy for you last night, I was in tears. I didn't even know today was going to be your first treatment. I know we have not met and I know you only through your words on this blog, yet I have the feeling you will rock it today (or already have). I pray for you, Justin and Ava every day.
ReplyDeleteHi Libby-
ReplyDeleteI came across your blog a couple of weeks ago and I have been so encouraged by your strength and by your faith. There is a song by Point of Grace called Heal the Wound. It reminds me of one of your recent posts when you talked about how the scars are now a part of who you are.
I have been praying for you and your family and will continue to do so during your treatment. May you feel each and every prayer that is lifted up for you!
Praying for all of you!
ReplyDeleteThinking of you all day...one treatment done...strength and focus
ReplyDeletePraying RIGHT now for all 3 of you!!!
ReplyDeletePraying for the three of you. Your commitment to Christ and your family is an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteYou are an amazing person. Keep your chin up girl. My husband is 34 now and had hodgkins (sp) lymphoma 10 years ago and is in remission. As you know, God has a plan for you and your sweet family. praying for you and your husband (AND AVA:)!
ReplyDeleteYou're in my thoughts and prayers! I read your blog every night and it gives me (an oncology nurse in georgia) such insight into a patients' life...away from appointments and treatment. thank you.
ReplyDeleteI thought of you several times today - said a few prayers for you and Justin....
ReplyDeleteI cannot begin to imagine yours or Justin's thoughts and feelings at this time.
We are thinking and praying for you and your family during this time. Thank you for the blog so we can follow you through this journey.
ReplyDeleteGRRR. Can I EVER read your blog without crying? Not yet! I have people praying and reading here in Cleveland. When I met with discipleship girls yesterday and shared what I'd been "learning" I've gotta say the first thing that came to mind was YOU! You have been an inspiration and I could only wish for this faith (but again, i'm not willing to take the pain). Scott Hamilton also has about a zillion people on an email update list. So yeah, you're impacting the world I guess! Cleveland YL is praying for you!! Love, Kristy
ReplyDeleteLibby, I attend your parents' church in Lynden and got your blog address through the church prayer chain. I've been reading for a couple of weeks now and wanted you to know I love reading your story of faith and struggle. You are very real in your posts...I'm lifting you, Justin, and Ava up in prayer.
ReplyDeleteI prayed for you a lot today, and didn't even know that it was your first day of chemo. Your blog is touching a lot of people. Our church is praying for you. My husband is a minister and spoke about you last week. We are good friends of your sister Becky and Jason's through Brookside CRC. We have a 7 month old baby boy :). You are and will continually be in our prayers.
ReplyDeleteLaura and Jon and Matthew Flikkema
i love you soooo much
ReplyDeleteyou inspire me to want to know jesus in a new way
im praying for you and your family ofcourse
we're all in this together!!
Word is spreading of your journey! Thank you for showing us(me)how to face a trial with Jesus at the center.
ReplyDeleteInHisLove........... A Pastor in Atlanta
Good luck with starting chemo today! I know you will do just fine. I will be praying everything goes well. Also praying for Justin. You two seem to be so strong. xox
ReplyDeletePraying all went well. Keep shining His light! My heart aches with you as I am walking these same steps intimately, but through my own world. I started chemo yesterday as well, for breast cancer. I pray that you awoke today feeling refreshed in the Lord. Think of you often, even though I don't know you. I know some of your pain.
ReplyDelete"Revive me according to Your lovingkindness." Psalm 119:88
Much love in Christ,
Stacy
Hey Lib,
ReplyDeleteThinking of you today. The first can be both the best and the worst of all your chemos. The best because you don't know what you're in for yet and the worst because you don't know what your in for yet? My first Chemo Mel Veldman accompanied me. Why my parents didn't I can't remember. I should hold that against them! LOL Just kidding. Mel came though, probably because I was 17 and didn't want my parents, and she sat there for 8 hours with me. They gave me benedryl for the nausea and apparently they gave me a bit too much, and I had an allergic reaction and when Mel came back from going to the bathroom, the words in my mind came out differently in my mouth. I couldn't speak. She was sitting there laughing at me, so hard she was crying, because I kept banging my hand against the chair because I was so frustrated I couldn't communicate. Apparently it was quite a sight. We laugh about it to this day! Why am I telling you this? Well, I feel like you'll have a lot of moments through this you'll want to forget, and God is really gracious like that. There is a lot of it I really do not remember. And then there are those funny, pee-your-pants moments that only chemo can bring, and they will live with you for the rest of your life. Hang on to those moments. Write them down. (Stupid thing to say since you're so great at keeping a blog!) So my wish for you on this first day of Chemo is just that... just one funny, light-hearted moment that helps you get through the day. I love what my pastor said the other day: Joy is a uniquely Christian response to life's challanges. Laughter is God's medicine. I wish you both of these on day one. I'll pray for that too!
Love,
Afton
Thinking of you and praying!
ReplyDeleteHope yesterday wasn't as bad as you thought...
Praying for you and your beautiful family!
ReplyDeleteGod is faithful, He will carry you through the pain.
Praying for all of you! He will give you the strength you need, when you need it even though you don't have any strength. You have many prayer warriors praying for you! Karen
ReplyDelete