Hello all,
Here we are at our new hotel, tired and ready to crash, except we still need to get dinner. We switched motels, because last night while staying at the Quality Inn there were SERIOUS and sad issues. We arrived at 7:00, checked in and got our luggage to the room. David immediately went back down to the front desk to ask the clerk about a couple of restaurant choices. She was extremely distressed and told him that someone had fallen in the pool area. So, we left and headed downtown for pizza. Upon arriving back, we learned that it wasn’t a fall in the pool area, but that a 12-year-old had been assaulted in the pool area. We were saddend and dismayed by this news. We locked ourselves in our room and went to bed early only to be woken at 2:30 by a knock on the door. Looking through the peephole, I saw that it was a Police Officer. He asked me a few questions about the issue to see if we saw or knew anything (which we didn’t). Difficult to get back to sleep following that exchange. We learned in the morning that the outside doors had been unlocked for who knows how long, and that the perpetrator was possibly someone coming in through one of those doors. So, we decided that we could not feel safe staying there and have moved to the Heartland Inn. Nearer the hospital and with the benefit of a shuttle.
Now on to the the reason that we are here. We arrived at the hospital this morning at 9:45 for David’s 10:00 appointment. Following check-in, he was told he needed to get an x-ray, so down we went to the radiology department. The x-ray done, back we went. They took blood and did an EKG. All the tests that will tell them that David is ready and physically able to handle the extensive surgery.
In came Kelley, Dr. Iannettoni’s Nurse/Scheduler. She asked a lot of questions and also gave us a lot of pre-op instructions. Dr. Iannettoni then came in. He filled us in on what to expect. He told us that the procedure he plans to use is a clam shell cut. He thought he would cut top down to be able to access the main tumor, but after an earlier consultation with Dr. O’Dorisio, they decided that he should make a larger incision so that he could also excise some of the smaller tumors. So, that is the plan. The surgery will take approximately six hours. Three hours to debulk the largest tumor and three more to take care of the smaller tumors. Long and scary….and we will be at the hospital at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday. Dr. Iannettoni has only scheduled David’s surgery for that day so he will be able to concentrate totally and fully on him. We are very confident in his abilities. He has done many similar surgeries. He has done many lung transplants. He has so much experience with these surgeries. That is comforting.
Please pray for David today and especially on Wednesday. Pray for Dr. Iannettoni, that he has the strength to get through this lengthy surgery. Thank you so much for your prayers. They give us strength through this difficult time.
I will continue to keep you posted as often as I can.
Love, Connie
David A. Lemmink 
Thanks for posting again tonight. It was good to talk to you earlier. We are all pulling for you and the doctors. Our prayers will be answered!
Tell David the little bird is there and saying “tweet – it will all be allright”
Love you guys!
By: Ellen Hansen on November 3, 2008
at 8:36 pm
This is great news ! I am so happy to hear this. I will be thinking of you all, and will talk soon.
Love Linda
By: Linda Andrews on November 3, 2008
at 10:14 pm
I am so glad that the test results allow Dave to not only undergo surgery but an even more extensive surgery than was first planned.
Fervent prayers continue for you and Dave and the doctors as well. I wish I was over there to sit with you while you wait through the long surgical process.
Love, Jane
By: Jane in Grand Rapids on November 3, 2008
at 11:00 pm
Kyrie elaison, kyrie elaison, kyrie elaison.
Praying for everyone and a great outcome!
Love Lexie
By: Mark Gray on November 4, 2008
at 6:31 am
we are thinking of you and praying for you & family and the doctors, too — it must be comforting to know you have the best pros on it, and Dave is physically ready — love, jim, julie — ron & baird, too
By: jim johnson on November 4, 2008
at 12:39 pm
praying for you guys…
By: Emily Vedra on November 4, 2008
at 2:59 pm
I am thinking of you guys, and keeping you in my prayers.
Love, Eleni
By: Eleni Sinigos on November 4, 2008
at 3:08 pm
Praying all goes well.
Love, John
By: John George on November 4, 2008
at 4:02 pm
I will be praying all day tomorrow!!
By: Lisa on November 4, 2008
at 7:32 pm
Connie and Dave (and John!) ~
I will hold you in the light through the night tonight and all day tomorrow, and your surgeon as well. Blessings!
~ Kathie
By: Kathie H. on November 4, 2008
at 7:47 pm
Love you Dad! i’ll be thinking about you and praying for you! :] And mom, call me whenever, i work 11:45-6, but you can call me before that if you want.
Love, Ang
By: Angela on November 5, 2008
at 12:54 am
Thinking and praying for all of you AND the medical staff! This all sounds good!
By: Jane Girod on November 5, 2008
at 8:37 am
You are all in my prayers. May the doctors be clear headed today and get the cancer out. I pray that God gives you peace as you go through this long day today. God is in control. Thank God for providing the right doctors and the right hospital to deal with this.
God Bless all of you!
By: Laura Abernethy on November 5, 2008
at 9:15 am
Lemmink Family,
Everyone at Celebration North is thinking and praying for David.
Kristin
By: Kristin Schoener on November 5, 2008
at 3:10 pm
Psalm 100
1Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
By: Laura Abernethy on November 5, 2008
at 3:44 pm
connie — please know and tell david that we are with you in spirit — it was so good to learn the news post-op — what a gift of strength and humor he/you must have — also thanks, connie, for taking the time to do this blog — love, jim
By: jim johnson on November 6, 2008
at 10:23 am