April 30th, 2015: Surgery Day

     As many of you know, today was surgery day for Christy.  She went in at 11 am for prep, and then spent time in prayer with Jason, my mom, her pastor, and a few friends.  Her nurse is a Christian and prayed with her as well before she went in.  She also assured Christy that her surgeon, plastic surgeon, and anesthesiologist are the best in Omaha and that she would be receiving the best of care.  She went into surgery at peace.  The surgery itself took around 5 hours.
     After spending an hour in recovery and then being transferred to her room, she woke up to say these two things:  "I did it," and "I want Jesus."
     She is in quite a bit of pain, most likely has a rough night ahead of her.  If all goes well and as planned, she hopes to come home from the hospital tomorrow (Friday the 1st).   Jason's parents, Dan and Patty Currie, are in town taking care of the kids, while my mom, Patty DenHartog, is staying at the hospital with Christy.
     I want to share with you something quite amazing, actually.  Early this morning Christy woke up, restless with anxiety about her surgery today.  Being prompted by the Holy Spirit to read scripture, Christy opened up to Psalm 30, as today is the 30th of April.  I hope you are as encouraged by it as what we have been.  Here is what the Lord spoke to her:

30 I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up,
And have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried out to You,
And You healed me.
3 O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave;
You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.[a]

4 Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.[b]
5 For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.

6 Now in my prosperity I said,
“I shall never be moved.”
7 Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong;
You hid Your face, and I was troubled.

8 I cried out to You, O Lord;
And to the Lord I made supplication:
9 “What profit is there in my blood,
When I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise You?
Will it declare Your truth?
10 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me;
Lord, be my helper!”

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+30&version=NKJV

April 28th,

     Over the last few days, Christy and Jason have made their final decisions about surgery and treatment.  I am sure it is a relief for them to have a plan and just start walking down that path.  She is scheduled for surgery on Thursday, April 30th, and will hopefully come home from the hospital the following day.

     Jason's parents, Dan and Patty Currie, along with my mom, Patty Den Hartog, will be in town to be with her at the hospital and to help take care of the kids.  

     Christy would like to continue extending her heartfelt thank you for all of your prayers and generosity.  Her and Jason have been so humbled by others' concern and selflessness.  THANK YOU!  I, Karen, also want to thank everyone who has given so much to the fundraising yard sale that I plan to have on Saturday for her here in Virginia.  My house is overflowing with donations, and I am so excited for this sale.  A week ago I had a stack of 6 boxes that I was going to sell of my own things for the yard sale to raise money for Christy's care.  I prayed over those 6 boxes and I asked God to multiply them and to bless this fundraiser.  Well, here I am, blown away by the generosity of God's people.  I even have two more van loads to go pick up today!

     I will continue to post updates as they come in; be sure to check back on Thursday to see how her surgery went.

Thank you!

Karen

April 22nd, 2015

Just got word from Christy that the PET scan confirmed that the cancer has spread to her other lymph nodes and it is officially stage 3 cancer. Also, they were unable to get a full sample for the biopsy today as the tumor is quite deep. Therefore, they won't know that status until after her surgery on April 30th.

Today if you would hear His voice

Christy wanted to share these words she wrote last week with you:

“Today if you would hear His voice”

Two weeks ago today I went into the surgeon’s office where he told me that something didn’t “sit right” with him concerning the ultrasound pictures and the location of the two tumors. He wanted to remove both of those to biopsy them to make sure there was no cancer. Three hours later I was in surgery. Minutes before they put me out, I asked Jesus to be with me, just sit right next to me during the surgery. After the surgery I remembered a vivid dream where I was in a field where the grass was a rich green and the sky extraordinarily blue. There was a group of us people and at the head of the group was Jesus. I was totally at peace, and every time Jesus would say something we all turned to look at our Shepherd because His voice was all that mattered. 

Five days later I get a call at 9:30am that the surgeon wanted to see us as soon as possible to go over the biopsy results. I knew then that I had cancer. Driving to the surgeon’s office I was crying and shaking with fear. Jason prayed out loud the entire car ride, I couldn’t stand the thought of that prayer ending. In desperation I pulled out my Bible in the car and knew that I couldn’t read it, but I wanted the Word of God to open and present with us, grasping for strength. I couldn’t help but notice the very page I opened it to, where my eyes immediately fell on these words –

“Come let us worship and bow down, 

Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture 

And the sheep of His hand.

Today if you would hear His voice…”         -from Psalm 95

I couldn’t read any further because I knew that my Savior had just spoken to me. I knew that I had difficult news ahead of me, but I knew then that He had gone before me, and I was in His care. It gave me the courage to walk up those steps and into the door of our surgeon. It gave me the courage to hear the words, “you have breast cancer” and I am clinging to Jesus as we do not know how extensively the cancer has travelled in my body. I am broken, hurting, and desperate – but clinging to Jesus, looking and listening for His voice. 

My Shepherd’s voice is leading our family though this valley. He is our Rock and our Fortress. We have never been so convinced of His love, His goodness, His power, His compassion, and His kindness. 

Thank you for being a part of that great love for us – God is sustaining us each moment through your prayers and His never ending love. 

Christy

April 22nd, 2015

     We've had nearly a week of silence as Christy has awaited her final step in the diagnosis process.  Today she goes in for a PET scan, MRI, and biopsy.  Today is her last day of testing.   Let me explain the significance of each of these.
     The PET scan is going to tell us where exactly the cancer is and isn't.  Although we've been able to successfully rule out Stage 4 as an option (Praise God!), her last MRI revealed some swelling in the lymph nodes in her neck.  The PET scan will determine whether or not this swelling is cancerous or just reactive to the sickness in her body.  If it is indeed cancer in those lymph nodes, then it will be considered to be Stage 3 cancer.  If not, and the cancer is localized to her arm and breast, then it is considered to be Stage 2.  We are praying for the latter!
     Christy went into the dr. on Monday for a biopsy on a third tumor that was discovered in the MRI. Doctor's were unable to locate the tumor on Monday via ultrasound, so today she is having a second MRI with an immediate biopsy to determine if this tumor is cancerous or not.  The difficult thing with this is that for Christy's entire life, she hasn't responded to local anesthesia and feels the pain of all procedures done on her if she's not put under.  For this MRI and biopsy, they cannot put her to sleep and will have to make the incisions while she's awake and feeling all the pain.  The two requests here are that the biopsy will reveal that this third tumor is benign, and that her pain would be minimalized.
      The Curries, as well as myself and all of us immediate family of Jason and Christy, would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your prayers and generosity during this time.  You have carried them and us through this, and we know the road ahead will be difficult, but we have renewed hope as Christ has ministered to us all.  Thank you!
      We will be posting in the next day or so about the ways you can help out the Curries, through meals, fundraising, and services.  Thank you as well to all of you who have offered so much help and encouragement!

Karen Berkenkemper (Christy's sister)

April 16, 2015

Christy just got a call from her doctor, saying that the CT scan and the bone scan do not show any spread of cancer. It is localized to what we already knew. Praise Jesus, the boundaries were set!

April 14, 2015

     Today was a day of dark waters. Christy went in and reviewed the results of her MRI with her oncologist. Although the data wasn't concrete enough to give definite results, all signs are pointing to this being a Stage 3 cancer, rather than what was previously believed to be Stage 2. Tomorrow Christy will have a bone scan and CAT scan, later a PET scan, and by the end of next week will know for sure where all the cancer is.
     She met with her surgeon today and set the date of her surgery to be April 30th. She will then undergo 21 weeks of chemotherapy, followed by radiation.
     Christy listed two specific prayer requests, and asks that you join her in going before the throne to ask these two things:  First, that the cancer would not spread. As the Lord sets the limits to the oceans, we beg that He would set limits to her cancer. Second, she asks that we pray that the Lord would heal and remove the cancer that already exists.
    Hope and Courage- the two things needed right now.  As the popular hymn goes, "strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow....great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto thee"
    Thank you again for joining in on this battle. Again, my email is kjberkenkemper@liberty.edu. Please contact me with any questions or even notes of encouragement for Christy and Jason and I will be sure to pass it on. I will let you know soon how you can help the Curries as they begin the fight against cancer.

April 10th, 2015

A quick update:  Yesterday Christy and Jason were called into the oncologists's office to discuss the type of cancer she has. It turns out this type is more aggressive than they originally thought. Today Christy is getting a bone scan and cat scan as a precaution. Please pray for peace as fear is a terrible enemy. Today is appropriately National Siblings Day, and I know many of you love her like a sister. Yesterday I kept praying through Psalm 103 which begins with:

"Bless the Lord, O my soul
And all that is within me bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's"

Thanks for praying!
Karen

Day 1

     As you know, Christy Currie is one of the most talented, caring, thoughtful, and wise women of this world.  She fiercely loves her family and embraces those who are in need of love and acceptance.  She is a woman that I look up to and love with all that I have.  She is my sister, and I know that she's someone special to you too.
     This last week, Christy was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.  It was obviously a huge blow to everyone who knows and loves her, but especially to her husband Jason, and their three incredible children: Isaiah, Summer, and Zane.
     Here is the email that Christy sent to her family after the diagnosis:

I have always loved the ocean. I love the sand, the waves, the blue, the power, and the beauty. The ocean in all of it's grandeur provides life, transportation, adventure, new worlds, and en endless display of the creativity of our Maker. Yet the ocean is not safe. Many lives have been taken from the relentless power and enormity of the waters. Today I find comfort that our Captain, Jesus Christ, not only made the ocean, but controls it's boundaries. Not one drop of water will go further than it is told by it's Creator. 

"When He set for the sea it's boundary

So that the water would not transgress His command" -Proverbs 8:29a

Today I find comfort in the boundaries of the ocean. If the great water is under His command, I know He also sets the boundaries for my cancer. It will not spread one cell further than He allows. Our sorrow, pain, distress, and burden too has it's boundaries. We will not be given beyond what the sufficient grace of Christ promises and covers each day The One who controls the sea, controls my heart, and our future. 

"And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness' Most gladly therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." -II Cor. 12:9

What is without boundary, however, is His LOVE. 

"so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God." -Eph. 3:17-19

Today I run to the waters, to see my Savior.

It's a sincere honor to "swim in these dark waters" with you all. I will hopefully know more soon about the test results and treatment plan. Within this week I get an MRI to see if the cancer has spread beyond what they suspect (right now they know it's the left breast and one lymph node), I also get genetic testing to see how likely of a candidate I am for the cancer to return or pop up in other ares. This will help determine the surgery. I also meet with a plastic surgeon to know my options for surgery, and finally next Thursday we meet with the oncologist to decide the  surgery/chemo/radiation plan. Thanks for your prayers. Please pray for the kiddos in all of this too. We don't understand God's timing, but decided to get the house packed up this week and next while I still have strength. No idea where we are going to live/move too, but I am sure the Lord will work that out. Our YFC banquet is this coming Sunday - more than ever I feel passionate about the gospel. I told Jason if I lose my hair he has to shave his too....any other takers?? Dad Currie? I knew I married into the right family!

Love you all!!

Christy

This is where you can come to find updates on Christy's battle with this dreaded disease. If you have specific questions, you can email me at kjberkenkemper@liberty.edu.  I will be posting soon about ways that you can help her fight.  As for now, please pray.   Here are some specifics:

*Pray that the disease hasn't spread outside of her one lymph node and breast
*Pray for wisdom for Jason and Christy as they make tough decisions about surgery and treatment

*Pray that doctor's would have incredible insight and wisdom to detect all risks

*Pray for all the Curries as they respond to this news

*Pray that God would give Christy extraordinary strength to battle and fight the disease

*Pray that the Currie's will find a place to live - oh yea, also huge news - they sold their house and must be out by the end of May, but they haven't yet found somewhere to move!

Oh Lord, our Savior, our Comfort, and our Guide - please rain down your comfort upon the Currie family.  Please open doors that they don't even know about.  Please provide for their every need, and Lord, please, protect Christy.  Please heal her body, and let all that they are going through be a testament of your lovingkindness.

Thank you for loving her, and joining her in this chapter of her life!

~Karen Berkenkemper (Christy's sister)