Friday, November 11, 2016

Transplant Anniversary

Two years ago today our precious Addie Bean had her stem transplant.  
We witnessed a miracle that November.  Shortly after her transplant, Addie was closer to death than life, her heart and kidneys were failing and she was intubated.  God stepped in, answered our prayers and saved our baby girl's life.  Jesus walked us through that time, healed Addie's organs and just to show off a bit, he had her back home on Christmas Eve!!!!
 Hallelujah, God is good!!! 
We love you Addie Bean, thank you for always fighting and for never giving up!  I am so blessed to be your Mommy.  Thank you Jesus for this beautiful girl!!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his loves endures forever.  Psalm 107:1


Tuesday, November 1, 2016

My Miracle Girl


This makes my heart overflow with thankfulness!! 
What a miracle this little girl is!!!! 
Two and a half years ago Addie couldn't even bend at the waist because of the tumor along her spine and here she is now!!! 
Hallelujah, God is good!!! 
Psalm 46:5

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Anniversary

One year ago today our sweet Addie Bean had her central line removed!!!! It has been one year of no chemo, no inpatient stays, and NO cancer!!  
She amazes me everyday; what she has endured is more than imaginable.  She is our sweet, sassy, and loving girl and I am so blessed to be her mother.  
Thank you God for this precious girl, for allowing me to be her mother, for her fight, for your unending faithfulness, for all the loving people who have and continue to support us, for the wonderful doctors, nurses and researchers that saved her life, for all the wonderful memories made and milestones met, and for another blessed year spent with out beautiful girl!!!!
Prayers for 100 more years together, all cancer free!!!!  
Prayers for all those lost and their families.  
Prayers for those still fighting.
Prayers for a CURE.
Prayers for the funding of research.
Prayers that they will realize 4% isn't enough.
Prayers for researchers who are trying everyday to save our children.
Prayers that no child will have to suffer from this awful disease.


1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.



Friday, September 16, 2016

Results are in...

ALL CLEAR!!! 
Our baby is once again NED!!  
Praise God for he is ALWAYS good!!!! Thank you everyone for praying us through!!!! 
Now we celebrate!!!


Still waiting...

The software that is suppose to load Addie's scan shutdown nationwide so we still have NO news!!!  We are impatiently waiting.  We will update as soon as we know anything.  Until then, please keep praying for good news.

We planned a little vacation to lighten the mood a bit this round.  I felt bad dragging her to Michigan and back in 24 hours the last two times.   When we arrived to our room last night this was in it... 

It has to mean good news is coming, Please Jesus!!!! (Who knows what is on her shirt, it was a long trip, haha)

Please keep praying Team Addie

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Michigan Bound

It is that time again... We are headed to Michigan, has it been three months already?!  
Addie will have her scan on Thursday at 10:30.  Please send up lots of prayers for our girl to once again be NED/All clear!!! We are taking the whole crew this trip, it should be interesting :)

Thank you Team Addie!  Please storm the heavens for our little lady!! 


Psalm 46:5. God is within her, she will not fall.

Monday, August 29, 2016

Another one...

Addie obviously doesn't know what I post but decided to make one more milestone happen today :)

Check this out... And she did it all by herself!!! She is so amazing!! 

I love you Addie Lynn Brenden!


Milestones

Another year of preschool begins today.  My girl gets to be just that, a little girl starting her second year of preschool.  To say that we are thankful for these special moments is an understatement.



I am always asked, How is Addie doing?  My most common answer to that question is that Addie does better than me most days :)  I am so thankful for that answer.
As many of you know (especially those of you that personally know me and are forced to deal with me on a regular basis), my Mommy worry-brain never stops.  I have days that are good and days that I literally feel like I might suffocate from the fear that is trying to consume me.  As hard as I try, there are some days that I just can't stop it.  With these milestones come great happiness but for me it also ignites worry... How much longer Lord?  How much longer do we get to live this wonderful life with a PERFECTLY HEALTHY Addie Bean?  How many more "normal" memories will my little girl have?  Can she survive and live a "normal" life?  These are questions I may never have answered and honestly my harsh reality is that I may not want to know the answers.

Here is my dilemma team and something that I can't get a grasp of...why can't I believe that YES is the answer to that last question, I get so mad at myself... is it because I am a pessimist?  Is it because I am in some way trying to prepare or ready myself for it?  Is it the devil??  WHY oh WHY must I constantly think she won't make it when it is very possible she WILL.  Please Lord help me to push out the worry and the fear, help me to trust in your promises.  All of us face futures that are unclear, no day is guaranteed and every day is a precious gift from God.  We have been so blessed and witnessed miracles through Addie's treatment and fight against Naughty Randall.  God has already answered our prayers.  SHE IS HERE RIGHT NOW.  We have been granted time with Addie that some Neuroblastoma families never get.  How inconsiderate and ignorant of me to worry about something that I may never have to face, how dare I place myself there?!  I want so desperately to believe that Addie will never have to fight cancer again, that is my greatest desire... for her to live a long, happy, and healthy life.  My struggle is real but I am not alone, every Mom is faced with worries and there are mothers that I follow that have faced realities I can't even bare to think about.  

THANKFULNESS is how I get through those suffocating moments (and some really good friends and family members)... I force my mind off of my worries and onto Jesus.   I open my eyes to the amazing blessings that I am faced with daily... I get to be a mother to three beautiful little girls.  My hope is to continue to live graciously, this is what I have found soothes my anxious Mommy heart.  There are so many things to be thankful for and today was one of those things, my girl started another year of preschool!!  My greatest prayer is that I will never know a life without my Addie girl.   My prayer will continue to be that my sweet baby gets to live cancer free for an eternity.  I pray that she will grow old, experience a wonderful life, and that her life will never again be plagued by cancer.  I am so thankful that we have a gracious God that never forsakes us and I am so thankful that He has blessed me with three amazing little girls.

Here is to MANY more milestones, like this one!!! I can't believe it... riding a big girl bike without training wheels!! That is my girl!!!

http://youtu.be/LQ-4CCNUxr8


Please pray a special prayer for Addie this week, we had a bit of a scare last week with a lymph node... I don't want to go into too many details but her painful lymph node appears to be better after taking some antibiotics and they are doing a blood test this Weds. to check her inflammatory markers.  Please pray that they have gone back to normal and that Addie just had a little bug that was causing things to go a bit haywire.  She also gets her hearing aids on Weds... We are excited about this :)  but I have been told they take some getting used to.  Please pray that they will be comfortable, helpful and that Addie will like them.
Thank you Team Addie.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

News is in...

She is ALL clear (and Lily-Mae is too)!!!!! Praise God!!!  NED!!! We are so happy and beyond thankful!!  Let's do this thing called summer and someone turns 5 next week :)


Scan is on

She is sleeping now and getting her scan... Prayers, prayers and more prayers!  Thanks to Helen DeVos, they do such a wonderful job for our girl. Thanks for all your wonderful and supportive comments.  I will say it again, Team Addie really is the best team in town!!

She was so happy and energetic this morning, being the life of the party as always!  We took a video of her this morning getting her IV.  She amazes us continually at how well she endures everything... She is so amazing, so strong and always brave.  This was her second IV in 24 hours, not a tear, not a flinch or a complaint!  Addie Lynn Brenden you are ONE tough cookie and I am so blessed to be your Mommy.

I will try and share the video later, my phone is not cooperating right now.



Wednesday, June 22, 2016

That time again...

Has it really been three months already?  Are we really back in Michigan for scans?!  Wow, time flies when your girl is feeling so good :). Addie has her scan tomorrow, please send up lots of prayers for our girl... Clear scans for an eternity!!! 

Also please say a special prayer for a sweet little girl from Ireland named Lily-Mae.  Lily-Mae completed the clinical trial Addie is now in.  She is fighting Neuroblastoma and WINNING, praise God.  She is having her 6 month post-DMFO treatment scans at the same time our Addie girl is having hers.  Their family is such an inspiration to us and we were so thankful to meet them in person today.  Prayers for you Lily-Mae, prayers for a long life filled with heath, happiness and CLEAR scans!!!

We are trying to have a little fun while we are here in Grand Rapids.  We are thankful big sister came along for the trip but we are missing our sweet little Emma.  Big thank yous to Grandpa, Aunt Rachael, Uncle David and Coral for taking care of Emma Sue while we are away.  

Here we go Team Addie... Please storm the heavens for our girl!! 


Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Preschool

Someone finished her first year of preschool today!!!  


This is a special milestone for any little one and a day that makes every parent's heart happy!  This Momma's heart is especially thankful!!  My girl was able to go to preschool and finish her first year... Just like a "normal" kid!!! "Normal" kid stuff is extra special when your child has had far from "normal" circumstances!!! 
Feeling incredibly blessed in too many ways to count!! Praise God!  Thank you Mrs. Blough and Mrs. Williams for a wonderful year full of learning, having fun, making friends, and making special memories. 



Way to go Addie Bean!! You have come such a long way... When you started preschool we couldn't get you to go without screaming and crying and at the end, you asked daily if you could go to school!  

I love you so much big girl!  I am so blessed to be your Mommy!



Monday, May 9, 2016

Mother's Day & Looking Back

I am truly blessed to be the mother of three precious little girls.  I just adore my girls and being their mother really is the BEST THING EVER.  We had a wonderful day yesterday, we worked our buns off but it was a really great day.  The girls' gave me the sweetest gifts that they made.  My heart was FULL.  I went to bed feeling incredibly overwhelmed about how great life is.  Addie is here with us, and not only is she here, she is healthy, happy and her perfectly SASSY self.  With a heart full of thankfulness, I prayed and I prayed, giving thanks for my three little gifts.  I am not sure why, but anytime I feel overwhelming joy, intense worry follows.  I really have struggled since Addie's diagnosis with feeling happy, I have felt happy countless times and with this happiness comes intense worry and anxiety (vacations, milestones, holidays)... It sounds nuts to struggle with happiness, I love feeling happy and I have had so much to be happy about.  I guess I just am always waiting for the other shoe to drop, like when will my happiness be stolen from me again.  I laid there last night praying that life would stay this way forever.  I prayed that forever I could be a mother to my three beautiful girls.   I want time to stop, because today Addie is here and we are a family of 5 and life is really, really good.  Anyone who has experienced cancer knows how quickly it happens, healthy one minute, stage 4 Neuroblastoma the next.  The life that you lived is completely taken away from you and for me I am haunted by what can happen.

Two years ago, I spent Mother's Day in a hospital room with my almost four month old baby, husband and my precious Addie.  Addie had an IV with morphine to keep her comfortable because her back pain was so severe.  There we waited for a diagnosis, for a reason why our precious 2 year old had a mass along her spine and was experiencing severe back pain.  On May 15, Addie was put under general anesthesia to biopsy her tumor (Naughty Randall) and to have a central line placed because the doctor's were confident it was cancer.  I remember our beloved surgeon, Dr. Potter, talking with us after the surgery.  He said that when he opened Addie up the tumor just came gushing out at him, it was coming through her rib cage, it was in her surrounding lymph nodes, pushing on her right lung, and was extending into her spinal canal.  On Reed's birthday, May 19th, it was confirmed that Addie did in fact have Neuroblastoma.  Addie's cancer was stage 4, it was in her bone marrow and there were multiple other areas of bony involvement.  Devastation doesn't even scratch the surface of what we felt.  Our precious baby girl had cancer, an extremely aggressive cancer, and to top things off she had the amplification that made it even worse.   I remember laying in the hospital bed with her while she slept and feeling like there was a monster inside of her, trying to kill her.  I wondered how long it had been there and questioned myself, what did I miss?  The pain that she had been enduring was brutal, her tumor had advanced into her spinal canal and was putting pressure on her spinal cord, she couldn't even bend over anymore.  The drive to Iowa City from Covenant was terrible, any bump in the road Addie would cry and complain in her car seat.  I remember being scared that we wouldn't leave that hospital with Addie, I was terrified that she would die.  I remember feeling like we would never see home again.  How could I still be a mother to Emma and Grace, when my heart was being ripped out of my chest.   Addie's only complaint during the onset of this was, "Mommy, my back hurting."  I had heard her say that numerous times leading up to her diagnosis, I would give her some Tylenol and Ibuprofen and in the beginning this would relieve her complaints and she would go about her day, playing and being Addie.  She was and still is so tough, the toughest girl I know.  We had a resident tell us during that stay that you would never guess Addie was the sickest kid on the floor.  Wow, did that send a mix of emotions.  Hello, we were on the oncology floor and we were told our kid was the sickest there... talk about scary.  The more I think about that however, the more comfort I find.  Looking at Addie that time in room 33 on 3JCP, no one would have guessed she had stage 4 cancer.  We played in that playroom any chance we got, she was smiling and interacting with the nurses and doctors, and we took numerous walks through the halls.  That resident really gave us a backwards compliment... Addie is so tough, she is a fighter and NOTHING was or is going to get her down.   Through it all, Addie was still Addie.  We literally tortured her, took her to death's door and she fought and she fought and praise God she is still here with us.  There are reasons Addie had cancer, there are reasons our family was put through this... reasons that I will likely not know until I enter heaven.  However, today and through this whole journey with Addie, I have felt His presence.  Our Heavenly Father has been with us every step of the way.  He knows the plans He has for Addie and they are good.  I will forever give thanks for my three beautiful girls, they truly are gifts from God.  I am beyond thankful that I have had two years with my precious girl.  I got to take her home in 2014 with NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE and she continue to be here and perfect to this day.  No one knows what tomorrow will bring, I remind myself each day to rejoice in each moment and do not take anything for granted.

My precious girl, I love you so much.  Thank you Addie Lynn Brenden for always fighting, for never giving up and for just being you... through it all.  My prayer will forever be that you remain cancer free and can live a long, long happy life.  Lord please let it be so, let my girl LIVE.  I am very selfish, I will never be ready to say good-bye to her, I want her here with me, Please God let it be so.  Thank you for letting me be her mother.  Lord please help me push aside the worry so I can see the blessings each day brings.

Thank you Team Addie, for your love and support the last two years.  I wear my bracelet proudly knowing that I am part of a wonderful Team.  Thanks for supporting my girl and for lifting her up in prayer.  Your comments are so encourging, THANK YOU.




Thursday, March 31, 2016

Results are in...

She is CLEAR!  Thanks for praying us through Team Addie and thank you for all your loving comments!  Your support means so much to us!!!!
Praise God she is clear!!!!  Beyond thankful!!



Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Here we go again...

Happy Easter Team Addie... He is Risen.  What a wonderful Easter it was... ALL together, HEALTHY, lots of candy, easter egg hunts and most importantly celebrating JESUS!

It is that time again, SCANS... scanxiety is in full force, but honestly scanxiety never really goes away.  We head to Michigan tomorrow for Addie's three month follow-up scans.  This is the longest we have gone without scans.  Addie is doing wonderfully, thriving... still not sure she is growing :)  But she is happy and outwardly healthy.  PRAYING, praying, praying that she is ALL over healthy.  Always praying that there is NO more and will never be any terrible cells in her body.
I am scared, but I am always scared... every ache, pain, test, and scan turns me on RED ALERT.  Red alert is not a comfortable place to live, it overcomes all other aspects of my life.  When you think of my mind just think of a hamster on a wheel going around and around.  That is me most days, just spinning around the Addie anxiety wheel.  Questioning, worrying, praying, hoping, thanking... over and over and over again.

I am here packing and feeling the need to pack extra because what if something shows on her scans?!  What will that mean?  Will we be stuck in the hospital in Michigan?  Will I be apart from Grace and Emma and for how long?  Will Addie be okay, are there options, will her heart and kidneys be strong enough for more chemotherapy?  How much has the cancer spread?  Will it respond?  How long will she be treated and suffer?  When will the cancer overcome her?  When will I lose her?  What will that look like?  Can I be a good Mother to my other daughters without Addie here?  Will I survive?  Please don't let her suffer Lord, please don't make her fight again.  I know she is strong and will do anything we ask of her, she will suffer through endless therapies, likely with a smile, but please don't make her.  Please don't separate us again.  I can't bare the thought of seeing her sick, suffering, and separated from her sisters again.  She will never feel sorry for herself, but I will Lord... I am not strong enough to face this beast again. I can not do it, please don't make me.  Please don't let my girl suffer again.  Let her live a life, a healthy life.  She is deserving of life, a life without pain, a life without cancer, a life that most people take for granted... she is deserving Lord.  Please let her attend kindergarten, let her make friends, have sleepovers, have her first kiss, go to prom, go to college, get married and make me a grandma.  
I remember being worried about heaven and Addie going there without anyone she really knows... Our grandparents are there but she didn't get to really know them.  When my mother-in-law got sick I remember thinking that the Lord was going to take her to heaven so that way Addie would have someone waiting for her. Crying my eyes out, I told Carol this and in a strange way I was comforted knowing that Addie would have Grandma Carol to welcome her.  Thankfully, Grandma Carol is still alive.  She is in need of prayer and miraculous healing but we are beyond thankful that she is here. I am also thankful that God showed me that Grandma Carol doesn't need to be in heaven for Addie.  Last Sunday in church, I got a picture in my mind of Jesus in heaven.  I got an immense sense of peace in realizing that Jesus is there and his love for Addie surpasses all others.  I truly understood at that moment that He is our Father and that the love he has for us and we have for Him is that of a father's love.   I got a picture of Jesus welcoming Addie into his arms and she was smiling, she was happy and He was happy holding her and at that moment I knew that no matter what my Addie will be ok, better than ok, she will be perfect.  Jesus will be there for Addie and there is no better place to be but in Heaven wrapped in the arms of Jesus.  I discovered that my real fear lies with us left behind, her family left without her, to never be together again in the context that I know.  Can my life really go on without her, how could I survive?
I used to be scared to death of flying, vivid nightmares before flights, picturing how the plane would crash... I know, I am nuts!!  We recently took a vacation (another post, I am working on) and my once real fear of flying is now NOTHING, it is a blip on the radar compared to the fear I face with Addie everyday.  This is going to sound completely insane but I found myself thinking while on that flight that if we crashed at least we would all enter heaven together.  I know, I am nuts!  But Addie fear surpasses all others, the fear in the loss of a child is beyond anything I have experienced.  I remind myself that it is just fear, I have not lost my baby, there is no indication she will go to heaven before me or any of us.  I remind myself all the time that this fear is NOT from God, this fear is Satan trying to rob me of joy.  If I were a Momcologist whose child had not yet reached NED, or had relapsed, or a parent who had suffered the loss of a child I would hate me... How dare I worry about things that haven't happened and may never happen.  How dare I put myself in their shoes when my child is still alive and currently without disease.  How dare I let fear and anxiety steal my joy.  How dare I not appreciate every single moment spent with my girl because these are moments that some will never get.  I am so sorry.  I am sorry that I am weak.  I am sorry that occasionally the devil wins and fear and anxiety rule my mind.  I wish I was stronger, I pray that I could truly give it all up.  I must stop the wheel of fear and anxiety, and be thankful in this moment!!!!!  We were asked a question in church this Sunday, how long must we be believers in Christ to TRUST Him... Wow, did that hit home with me.  TRUST, trust, trust.  That word circles in my mind over and over and over again.  I hear the Lord say: 
Mandie, just give it up and trust in Me, trust My plan... I LOVE her more than you, I am your loving Father, no matter what happens, I am here, loving you and caring for her.  I HAVE this, there is no need to worry. Instead pray, give thanks and ENJOY your precious girls.  

That was just a small glimpse at my wheel... going around and around.  The things that I think of from day to day.  It is absolutely exhausting but I am beyond thankful that my wheel lately has been mostly focused on JOY and thankfulness.  We spent Easter together, I was able to watch my three girls hunt for easter eggs, we attended church as a family, we are HERE and all together... beyond thankful for that.  Togetherness.  There is truly nothing better than being together, watching my girls loving one another, which sometimes looks a lot like fighting :)  God is good and continues to pour out his love and faithfulness in our lives.  He is answering our prayers.  Praise God!!  Addie's life is a gift that I will continue to cherish forever.  We will forever be together in Christ and I know that whatever our future holds, He will provide.  He will always BE ENOUGH!   What a wonderful Father we have, he is strong, faithful, trustworthy, wise and is ALWAYS ENOUGH.

I recently came across TheTruth365... it is an organization bringing awareness to childhood cancer.  They have a page on facebook.  If you want your eyes wide open to this awful beast we call childhood cancer that is the site to look at.  The loss, sorrow and devastation families face each day is heart breaking.  These precious children battling cancer so valiantly, so strongly, and full of faith.  It reminded me of how fortunate we are with Addie's battle with Neuroblastoma.  At this moment she is victorious, she is here and she is thriving.  We have enjoyed time together as a family that many cancer families do not get.  I pray that a cure will be found, I pray that no child would have to suffer from this awful disease.  I pray that Addie will have clear scans on Thursday and forever and ever!  I pray that my wheel would stay focused on joy and thankfulness, it sure does make for a better day!
Please pray Team Addie.  Thank you for always praying us through.

Addie Lynn Brenden you are my heart, I love you more than words can describe.  Please Lord let me keep her, enjoy her and cherish every precious moment I have with her.  








Friday, March 4, 2016

Still Here

We are still here Team Addie and our girl is doing great :). She just had a check up yesterday that included an Ecco.  Her heart is strong and healthy!!!  How amazing is that?!  It really is a miracle... But that is Addie, our little miracle!!  

Addie is doing wonderfully.  She is tolerating the medicine for the trial great, so far no noteable side effects... thank you Jesus!  She is having a blast in school and we have enjoyed some wonderful time as a family.  It is crazy how "normal" life feels, like did what happen really happen?!  
I just said to a friend the other day how incredible life is right now and how terrified I am by that,  because I know how quickly that life can be ripped away. Healthy one minute, sick the next... Here one minute, gone the next!  The moral of that story is to VALUE life, cherish it and enjoy every single moment!  The lives that we live really are precious gifts and nothing is guaranteed!  
Every day I struggle with fear and worry and each day it is a battle to see what will win.. Is fear going to rule the day or is HOPE, joy and love?!  The second sure does make for a better day :). 
My heart overflows with gratitude, gratitude for each day and every minute shared with my three beautiful girls!!!! Gratitude for God and for all of you.  Praise God for this life!!  A thankful heart sure helps keep those worries at bay.  
I just told a patient the other day that I know God's plan is good and I know His will for Addie is perfect.  However, with that being said, if His will doesn't line up with my plan than how good can it be... Fully trusting in His plan is hard. That plan is easy to trust if it involves my little girl defying the odds and kicking cancer's butt but if she doesn't than where does that leave me?!  I just read the other day to let Go and LET GOD (an amazing Mother's blog who is fighting for her life, prayers to you Jamie, what strength and courage you have, keep fighting)!!  What freedom I would feel to let go, Lord help me to fully let Go!!!  He loves my sweet Addie Bean even more than I.    
I remind myself that we don't have God's wisdom and we can't understand fully the paths He has laid out for us.  I also remind myself that wherever those paths lead He will be with us, we are never alone and never forsaken!  
Cherish your life, delight in each moment and give Thanks to the Lord for He is good!! Trust in His plan, knowing that someday it will all be clear and someday we will all be together in pure bliss!! 

So much love Team Addie. 








Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Honorary Captain

Last Friday night Addie had the honor of being a captain for the PHS basketball teams!  It was an incredibly special evening spent with my family in the school that I grew up in (and had not been in for 13 years).  I made many memories in that gym but the memory made Friday night definitely TOPS them all!!  Thank you Pleasantville for your loving support of Addie and making my family feel right at home!  What a blessing it was to spend the evening in your company.  

Go Trojans