Ineke’s life

A while ago I blogged about my friend and namesake Ineke who received at the age of 32, a horrible message from her Oncologist. Her Skin Cancer had spread to her ribs, there was no cure. She was going to die.
Oh yes, radiation was possible when the metastases were going to cause her pain. However, no cure, no solution.

Ineke wanted a second opinion and went to the Anthony van Leeuwenhoek Ziekenhuis(specialized in Cancer treatments) and was told that she probably qualified for a new treatment. Not that it would cure the Cancer but it could slow down the growth.

Unfortunately, her dossier was missing, the other Hospital sent it and the AvL never received it.
They took blood of Ineke, did a CT scan and after two weeks she returned for the outcome.
They could not find anything wrong in her blood and they could not see anything on the CT scan so she did not qualify for the trial.
This was an odd outcome after the statement of the other Hospital. Although her dossier was back, the MRI scan was still missing. The Hospital scheduled an MRI scan of the brains and Ineke returned for her appointment.
She lay on the table for her scan and had to wait for a very long time. Then the doctor showed up, told her that they finally received the MRI results from the other Hospital and based on that and the outcome of their own test and that MRI scan, there was no reason for another MRI.

Ineke, glad she lay down already, got dizzy and confused. “But they told me I had metastases and that I was going to die!” The doctor understood her feelings and said that he only saw a broken rib on the old MRI and some blood cloths but no Cancer!
He called for an Oncologist (Ineke’s own Oncologist was in the US attending a seminar) who explained again that there was nothing wrong apart from a slightly swollen node in her left groin. Something that needs be to monitored closely but nothing to worry about right now.

Ineke got more and more confused, afraid someone was very wrong here. The Oncologist made sure she went for her MRI straight away and again no Cancer.

Ineke explained in an e-mail how she felt, what was going round and round in her head, her worries, her joys, her disbelieve and finally realizing she got a life again, a future! That her boyfriend Mark was not going to live in their new house which they just started to build, on his own but together with Ineke. And that the possibility of raising a family was back.

But she also realized that if she hadn’t asked for a second opinion, she would never had known she was not going to die. And every painful spot was treated with radiation. And believe me, if you are diagnosed with metastases, you will accept that every little painful spot, is related to that. What a very scary thought….

Ineke asked all of us not to e-mail her with euphoric Hurray’s but to respect her wish to let it all sink in. She would come back to us with another e-mail if she felt up to replies.

One week later we received an e-mail with the text: “Please click the link below, you are invited to a party”
This alone was good news, knowing that Ineke was going to celebrate her new life!

But when I logged on to the link, the photo album of Ineke and Mark, I cried. Happy tears though!!
It was not just an invitation to a party…. No, it was an invitation to their wedding! Ineke and Mark are going to get married the 27th of June.

What a wonderful way to celebrate life. A future together…..